Member News

This is an update you all that we will be temporarily reducing timetabled services from next Monday (25 January), given the current travel restrictions and travel patterns associated with this phase of the pandemic. The move has been taken in consultation with the Government, which is providing additional support for the industry during these challenging times to ensure services can still run for those who need them. We will still be running just over 72% of the normal service, so that travellers making essential journeys, in line with government guidance, can still get to work or medical appointments. The main changes are:

• Peak services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia main lines will be reduced.
• Intercity services between Norwich and London Liverpool Street will be reduced to hourly
• Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street off-peak services will be reduced
• Off peak frequency on the Great Eastern branch lines, such as Manningtree to Harwich and Marks Tey to Sudbury will be reduced
• Fast services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street will not run
• There will be less frequent services between Bishops Stortford and Stratford and between Meridian Water and Stratford
• Off peak daytime services on rural routes in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire will be reduced (generally to two-hourly), with some peak service reductions too
• Saturday services are being reduced in line with weekday services and some changes are also planned for Sunday services.

Details of the revised timetables will be available on the Greater Anglia website or app. The changes have all been planned with the clear intent of ensuring we provide enough services and enough seating capacity for customers who do still need to travel in the weeks ahead.  We also have in place the cleaning and social distancing measures to enable passengers to travel safely with us and help prevent the spread of coronavirus.    We will continue to monitor services on a daily basis to ensure the service caters for all those who are still travelling and assess whether amendments need to be made to the schedules. We look forward to being able to start to add services back in again, when appropriate, in line with government guidance.  Take care and stay safe.

If you’re like most of us, you’ve been meaning to upgrade your LinkedIn profile all year. You know “Brand You” is important, but marketing yourself is awkward – and there’s always something more urgent to do than fiddle with LinkedIn.

 However, you also know that if your career goals for the next year (or even the next five years) include a new opportunity, you can’t afford not to. Here are 20 easy ways to create a LinkedIn profile that says “hire me, and pay me handsomely”.

1. Pick the right profile picture on LinkedIn

Your profile photo is your first impression. Make sure it’s recent and a good likeness, you’re dressed professionally for the job you want, and your face fills about 60% of the space – and “smize” (smile with your eyes).

1. Set your background photo

Don’t ignore this element – it’s right at the top of your profile. Use it to grab attention and illustrate what matters to you.

1. Go beyond your job title in your headline

Use the headline field to show what makes you tick, how you see your role and why you’re passionate about it. If you have colleagues in the sales department, look at the headlines on their pages for inspiration.

1. Make your summary a plot summary for your story

 Don’t skip the summary field, and don’t just use it to list skills – explain why they make a difference. Tell your story.

1. Nix the buzzwords

 Using hackneyed terms like ‘strategic’ ‘creative’, and ‘innovative’… isn’t.

1. Grow your network

Sync your profile up with your email address book and LinkedIn will suggest new connections for you. And when you do connect with someone, follow up.

1. Cherry-pick relevant skills

 Quick win: scroll through the skills list and pick the ones that are relevant. Or if you’ve already done this, go through and delete ones that aren’t.

1. Flag up your freelance services

If you’re a freelancer or consultant, fill out the Services section to get clients.

1. Get endorsements

Reach out to contacts you respect and ask for their endorsements – or just endorse them, and they’ll probably return the favour.

1. Manage your endorsements

Whoops… you got all your friends to endorse you, and now your top skills are art and creative writing, but you’re an accountant. Fortunately, if you go to the Skills section, you can choose which skills to show and which ones to hide.

1. Take a skills assessment

 Take a test on LinkedIn that nets you a Verified Skills badge for your profile, you’re 30% more likely to get hired. Don’t worry, you can retake the tests if you don’t pass the first time.

1. Ask for recommendations

Check out the Recommendations section and hit the drop-down menu to request written testimonials. Make sure you personalise your requests for best results.

1. Show your enthusiasm for learning

 Take a course on LinkedIn Learning and go to the Learning History section of your profile to add the course certificate.

1. Share content

If you produce marketing content, white papers, or case studies for your business, put it on LinkedIn to show your skills and commitment.

1. Show you’re a thought leader with Publications

If you have any published work – a white paper, an ebook, even a blog post – showcase it in the Publications section. 

1. Share content from your LinkedIn feed 

If you see something interesting in your LinkedIn feed, share it with your network to add value and keep you uppermost in their minds.

1. Add comments

 When you share something, give your own opinion. Just be sure to keep it professional, because you could attract a lot of readers.

1. Follow influencers in your industry

 Following relevant influencers will give you interesting content to share and show what you’re passionate about.

1. Become an employee advocate

If your company uses LinkedIn Elevate for employee advocacy, get involved. 86% of employee advocates have experienced a career boost after sharing content for their business.

1. Write long-form blog posts and use them to start conversations

The best way of all to establish your thought leadership on LinkedIn is to look for themes that keep coming up in your comments and in comments on your posts, and write whole long blog posts on them. With luck, people will comment, so be prepared to reply.

This list doesn’t have to take long. Even spending a few minutes on it could make all the difference to your new year.

12 Key Sustainability Principles for Engineers

Our recovery from COVID-19 has to be a “green recovery”. It’s being talked about in every industry: how to create sustainable practices that will help us tackle the climate crisis. But what does that really mean for engineering – and why is it so important in this field?

Why does sustainability matter in engineering?

While sustainability obviously matters in every industry, there are a few reasons why it’s a particular concern in engineering:

• Engineering uses a lot of the earth’s resources, including, carbon, energy, water, and raw materials.
• Engineering projects also produce a lot of waste.
• The machinery and vehicles used in engineering can produce harmful emissions and noise pollution.
• Waste from engineering and development produces pollutants that can contaminate the air and water.
• Local engineering projects can have a long-lasting global impact.
• Engineers can play an important role in sustainable community development

This puts engineers in a powerful position: since they’re the source of the problem, they get to decide how to solve it.

While sustainability has to be an organisation-wide effort, engineers’ decisions carry more weight because they’re responsible for the design and execution of new projects. They decide how to meet the requirements of a job. They can help choose and procure the materials and supplies, and have ideas on how to use equipment and machinery more efficiently to finish a task faster.

When it comes down to it, a project’s efficiency and success depend largely on the engineers. If they start following sustainable practices, the environmental impact of the whole team will probably improve.

Here are twelve guiding principles every engineer can use to make sustainable decisions:

1. Try to make sure your inputs and outputs and outputs of both materials and energy are not hazardous.
2. Rather than focusing on waste management, focus on waste minimisation. Use by-products creatively in your design, and you’ll save money on both purchasing and waste disposal.
3. Design for reuse and recycling. Make it easy to separate and purify waste.
4. Design every component for maximum time, energy and mass efficiency. That generally means keeping them small – which will also keep costs down.
5. Avoid wasting energy and materials by minimising overproduction. Make sure production is responsive to real-time demands.
6. Don’t use the same end-of-cycle disposal solution for every project. Let complexity and entropy guide your decisions.
7. Reduce high-tech waste by not creating overdesigned products that outlast their usefulness.
8. Only include components and abilities the product is realistically likely to need. Cutting bells and whistles cuts consumption and waste.
9. Make waste management simply by using as few different materials as possible, especially sealants, coatings, and adhesives.
10. Remember product creation is just one part of the life cycle. Use life-cycle analysis to evaluate products, and look at things like transport and resource extraction methods to minimise the impact on the environment at each step of the cycle.
11. Where possible, use renewable or readily available resources, unless using renewables would be more damaging than not.
12. Consider the needs and opinions of the communities affected by projects, both at the design stage and during the whole process.

Engineers are building the foundations of sustainability. But while it starts with them, the ultimate aim should be to achieve sustainability throughout the whole industry.

Say what you like about COVID-19, it’s certainly shaken things up. In engineering, the post-pandemic “new normal” will be very different… but could it actually be better? Here are four key areas that are likely to see dramatic long-term change:

Collaboration

When COVID-19 hit, UK based Engineering showed its true prowess and sprang into action.

Their response to the emergency was inspiring. Organisations across the sector came together to collaborate on making PPE and ventilators and creating extra hospital capacity. Even rival companies joined hands, showing what engineers can achieve when the cause is beyond profit.

The connections built during this period will last longer than the pandemic – as will the memories of how people came together, and the focus on getting things done through collaboration and support.

Speed

Engineers usually have to work around a lot of regulatory red tape. When COVID-19 forced regulators to cut it, we saw just how fast engineers can work. Prototypes appeared in days, finished products in weeks.

Sam Turner, one of the senior figures of Ventilator Challenge UK, was quoted as saying the rapid decisions, requalification of parts, and supply-chain sourcing that happened in four or five weeks to bring the ventilator project together would normally have taken two and a half years.

Of course, we can’t just make the new normal a regulatory Wild West. Some of that red tape is going to have to come back. But with so many needs, such as climate change, still urgent, governments and regulatory bodies have little excuse for slowing engineers down.

Remote working

According to a Professional Engineering survey, 18% of engineers say working at home doesn’t impact their efficiency at all, and a similar number also find technical engineering tasks no harder at home. In light of this, companies will be asking themselves serious questions about offering remote working as a long-term option for some engineers.

Those who do go back to the workplace will also see major changes, with some firms considering introducing wearables to make social distancing easier, along with changes to working hours and shift patterns to allow sites to maintain productivity”

Pandemic prevention

Nobody wants another experience like COVID-19. Governments will be working to put prevention plans in place for the next pandemic.That means engineers will be called on to create high-tech solutions to fight disease, like temperature monitoring devices, ventilators, and anti-bacterial surfaces.

Some companies that have shifted production to these kinds of solutions on an emergency basis might decide to make the switch permanent, making their “new normal” helping to save lives.

Let’s face it: no matter how great your qualifications are, what wins you the job – or loses it – is your personality. When you’re sitting across a desk from your interviewer, they can read your personality through your body language. You have the chance to set yourself apart by showing them who you are as a person. When you’re just a face on a screen? No such luck.

But don’t despair: there are still ways to showcase your most important qualification. Read on to discover seven of them.

1- Dress for success

The dress code for online interviews is just like the dress code for in-person interviews. Wear your best interview outfit. Yes, all of it. Yes, including the trousers or skirt. You’d be surprised how often the webcam gets knocked, or you have to stand up for some reason, and you’re left standing there in your charcoal-grey blazer, impeccable white shirt, and jammy bottoms. Looking like one of those flipbooks you had as a kid will score you 0 points.

2- Do not get disturbed

Find a space where you can avoid excess noise or movement in the background (so not a coffee shop, for instance.) If you’re at home, ask everyone in your house to keep noise down as much as possible during the interview, and shut the door so kids and pets can’t get in.

Close any apps or websites that might distract you with notifications during the interview, and put your phone on silent, or turn it off altogether. This shows you respect the interviewer and their time.

3- Be prepared

Before the interview, think about what could go wrong with your tech setup. Make sure that you’re familiar with the platform being used (Zoom, Teams, Skype, etc.) Check that any logins you’ve been given work and that you’ve downloaded anything you need to download and tested it out.

Also check that your webcam, microphone, and internet connection are working. Oh, and make sure your computer is plugged in. The last thing you want is for your battery to conk out in mid-interview.

This is particularly important when you’re applying for a remote role. Having your tech under control will reassure the interviewer that you can handle the technical demands of remote work.

4- Interact with interviewers

You know you need to make eye contact during an interview, but that goes double when it’s a remote interview. Remember that doesn’t mean looking at your interviewer’s eyes on the screen – you need to look at the webcam. Do this especially when the interviewer is talking, to reassure them that you’re listening. Asking questions about the conversation and the role will show that you’re paying attention too.

Finally, remember to smile! Imagine that you’re meeting your future colleague, and you’ll make them feel that way too.

5- Show the real you

Be yourself as much as you can and be honest about your work experience. Plan in advance how to list the main points of your work history and tell engaging stories about them. Think about possible ways you could show off your skills on camera, if appropriate. For instance, how about showing websites you worked on via screen sharing? This is an unexpected upside of a video interview.

6- Show off your background… literally

You’ve probably heard that you should keep your background simple, professional, and free of any personal items that might not show you in the best light. But if you’re doing the interview at home, why not go one better? Consider creating an interest wall behind you that does show you in the best light. Add some elements of your personality, such as artwork, music, plants, etc.

7- Use the 30 minutes before the interview wisely

Right before the interview, spend 20 minutes going over the key points you want to get across. Then spend the last 5 to 10 minutes taking a few deep breaths, getting yourself calm and centered and putting aside any distractions so you can focus completely on the interview.

To mark the end of the Trump era and Joe Biden’s new presidency, the Sainsbury Centre has interviewed Roger Law, North Norfolk resident and one of the most important satirists of the last half century. Renowned for co-creating the recently revived hit 1980s and 1990s television series Spitting Image with Peter Fluck, Roger Law has been a seminal British artist and global cultural commentator for the last four decades. The Centre’s landmark exhibition Roger Law: From Satire to Ceramics was held in late 2017, exploring Law’s extraordinary career in political satire from early illustration work at national newspapers to Spitting Image and the TV puppetry he is best known for. The exhibition included an iconic moment for the Sainsbury Centre: the first time Roger Law’s infamous Trump puppet was featured on public display. Transforming the landscape of political satire, Spitting Image transposed the traditions of caricature and reshaped people’s views of their politicians and leaders. The brainchild of artists Peter Fluck and Roger Law – best known as Luck and Flaw – the popular show ran for twelve years between 1984 and 1996 before its much-celebrated revival in October 2020 on Britbox. The Spitting Image revival has been met with high praise, prompted by the “chaotic” state of current UK and global politics. The interview will also focus on Law’s later practice in ceramics, which was influenced by his time living and working in Sydney and Jingdezhen, China. Wondrous sea creatures and marine life are depicted through delicate vases and bowls, standing in stark contrast to the grotesque puppetry figures. Fitting then that the artist now lives on the North Norfolk coast, no doubt relishing the peace and calm of the sea. Acting Director Ghislaine Wood says: “I can’t think of a better artist for the Sainsbury Centre to interview to mark the end of Donald Trump’s term. Satire has never been more relevant than in these extraordinary and deeply disturbing times.” The interview is now available to read on the Sainsbury Centre’s website here. Visit sainsburycentre.ac.uk/stories for other fascinating stories and insights.

2021 has kicked off with another mixed bag of fortunes and continued worries as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to rule and more alarmingly take our lives. We have the carrot of the vaccine which although a little way down the line is tantalisingly with the promise of our liberty perhaps returning to near normal levels somewhere between summer and the autumn. In the meantime it’s important that we all remain patient, respect each other and follow the lockdown rules as well as heed the governments revived core advertising campaign; “Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives”.

It’s been almost a year since all events, exhibitions and trade fairs were closed down and we know that many of our clients are as keen as we are to get back to the days of “face to face”. The limited virtues offered by the likes of “Webinars” “Teams” and “Zoom” exhausted by many as the novelty has worn off both for staff and clients alike. We’ve been really encouraged by several clients getting in touch to discuss and begin planning their return to live events, experiential projects and trade fairs. The big question has been when will venues actually fully reopen? Show organisers have been busy releasing new dates, many now being the anniversary of the same event cancelled last year. The last official date given by the government for events to recommence was 1 April 2021. However considering the recent changes with the virus and pandemic that’s probably a little optimistic and is probably bound to change. Combine this with the typical timeline for the planning process and the post summer and the autumn event season seems a safer bet and where our focus is. Needless to say we’re ready to help you design plan and structure your next event when you are, so please get in touch as soon as you like. Displays, graphics and experiential Of course as we all start to get back to normal in the coming months we’re keen to get back to doing what we do best with our full range of design, print and display manufacturing services. You may have noticed that we’ve been reminding clients over the past months about the “Bigger Picture at Image” as our talents and in house capabilities extend much further than events and exhibitions. In particular we’ve been drawing attention to the core elements that are built into all that we do, large format print, displays, graphics and signage. Whilst there may not have been such a great requirement over recent months we’re hoping we’ll see more demand for this area of our business as things start to return to normal. Certainly we’ve come to focus more on this area of our business during the pandemic as the need for Covid-19 signs and displays emerged as did the requirement for the management of work, retail and office environments. These are areas where our ability to be able to design, print, manufacture and install have been invaluable as has our display hire for temporary office screens. There’s also been the opportunity, while staff have been home working, to revamp some client’s office interiors, reception areas and meeting rooms ready for when staff return to the workplace.   Needless to say if we can help you with a sign, display or graphics project please get in touch.

See more at our website: www.image-display.co.uk

Expert Print Management have added Antigen Lateral Flow Covid 19 Test Kits to their Covid Essential website.

Returning results in 10-15 minutes and rated as 97% accurate, Lateral Flow tests are ideal for the workplace to test staff and visitors on entry.

EPM Director Paul Youngs says, “Even though we find ourselves in Lockdown 3, there are still many workplaces that need to remain open. These tests when incorporated into a Covid Strategy, will help to keep Covid-19 out of the building. Even when lockdown is lifted and we begin to return to the workplace, business owners will still need to do what they can to keep their businesses Covid Secure, and these tests are another tool to help do that.

• Simple and easy to use

• CE marked (Approved for use in Europe and UK)

• World Health Organisation certified

• 10-15min result time

• High Accuracy (+97%) • Boxed: 20 tests per box

Email hello@expertprintmanagement.co.uk to place your order

Norfolk and Waveney cancer charity, Big C, is asking local people to host a virtual Big Cuppa coffee morning or tea party with friends, family or colleagues to raise money for those in our community affected by cancer. The event will be held on World Cancer Day, which is Thursday 4th February.

Tom Holmes, Events and Engagement Manager at Big C said, “The flavour of our Big Cuppa 2021 will be in striking contrast to last year’s event which was held just before news of coronavirus first began to emerge. Last year we had places like Virgin Money Lounge, the hospital, our Big C shops and our centres hosting in-person Big Cuppa events. This year of course, things need to be very different, but we are hoping lots of local people will still take part and host a Big Cuppa in the safety of our own homes.

“We’ve seen some great virtual dinner parties taking place since lockdown 3 was announced and we’d like to take that one step further with a fantastic virtual community event, all in a very good cause.”

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Big C moved swiftly to transfer all support services online and over the telephone, to ensure ongoing vital support for those facing cancer and their families, in such challenging times. In addition to this increase in demand for their services, Big C has experienced a sharp drop in income from closure of the shops and cancellation of fundraising events.

Head of Fundraising at Big C, Carole Slaughter said “These are challenging times for the charitable sector and we would be very appreciative to anyone who decides to hold a virtual Big Cuppa for us this year. Every donation really does make a difference to the work we do in supporting those that need us.”

It’s easy to sign up to host a Big Cuppa. Simply set up your video call, grab your favourite mug and enjoy a natter. Ask those taking part to donate to Big C online or donate £5 via text, to 70970. Please visit https://fundraise.big-c.co.uk/event/big-cuppa-for-world-cancer-day/for more information and to let Big C know you are taking part.

Your Own Place is delighted to have secured Children in Need and Youth Futures Foundation funding to improve the employment outcomes for year 9s at two Norwich schools in 2021 and 2022.

Following soft-skills and employability workshops focusing on the world of work, year 9s will have the chance to chat through their plans and aspirations in a safe space. This will be with their mentor who will provide an impartial listening ear, help them discover and reveal their skills, empower them to voice their aspirations and develop a plan to achieve them.

The difference you will make

Children and young people have had a tough time through Covid19 – and this project aims to address the ongoing inequality and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. 

The positives of having a Your Own Place mentor are best described by our mentees themselves.

‘It’s good to talk to them. They can help you out with stuff. They’re older. They know the world a bit better. They can talk me through situations.’

‘My mentor was so lovely – her approach made me feel safe and comfortable so I could be open and express myself.’

• You will be an impartial and non judgemental listening ear – something which is powerful for people of all ages and particularly young people.
• You will help your mentee to identify and reveal their skills by asking open questions which allow them to reflect on their successes.
• You will empower your mentee to give voice to their aspirations.
• You will help them develop their own plan to reach their goals.
• You will provide a positive experience of gaining help from an adult.
• You will use your life and work experience to inspire them.

What you will gain

• You will undertake two days of high quality, engaging training which will improve your mentoring confidence, knowledge and skill.*
• We will complete an enhanced DBS check that is transferable to other volunteering opportunities.
• By utilising your new mentoring skills regularly you will continue your personal growth. Many of the skills we utilise in mentoring are valued in the workplace eg positive leadership and management techniques.
• Volunteering for an organisation with a track record of running successful and impactful mentoring projects will help your CV stand out, particularly if you would like to work in a youth setting.
• You will be fully supported throughout so that you can achieve the best outcomes with your mentee and for you.
• The satisfaction of using your life and work experience to help a young person envisage their future and start putting plans in place to reach their goals.
• The enjoyment of connecting with a young person in a unique way.
• The satisfaction of playing a part in preventing future homelessness (those in employment are statistically less likely to be homeless.)

*The training can be completed online, as a mixture of self-directed learning and trainer-led interactive Zoom sessions or face to face (as Covid rules allow)

We hope you feel inspired to be a part of this amazing opportunity.

You can find out FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) here to understand more about how the projects works and then apply for one of the dates below using the application form underneath.

TRAINING DATES

Online courses run from 9.30 am – 4.30 pm

Face to face courses from 10 am – 4 pm at a central Norwich venue

• February 24th and 25th    – online course
• March 16th and 17th     – online course
• April 17th and 18th (weekend course)      – TBC
• May 11th and 13th      – TBC
• June 29th and 30th – TBC
• July 15th and 16th     – TBC

Please fill out this APPLICATION FORM

Contact Simone if you have any further questions.

simone@yourownplace.org.uk

mob: 07522 410385

Prioritising your eye health whilst so much time is spent on digital platforms in lockdown.

So many people in January start the new year with great promises of keeping fit, eating healthily and reducing their alcohol consumption. But how many people prioritise their eye health?

Working from home, education and even catching up with friends via video calls is vital during lockdown and many people have seen a complete change in their daily lives, as they become more reliant on digital platforms.  Blue light emissions are not dangerous to the eye if it is in moderation but with time being extended on digital platforms it is important to give your eyes a break from the screen.

Local independent Coleman Opticians, in their 76th year, are used to providing knowledge to their patients on the 20-20-20 rule to improve eye health but how many people are doing it?  The advice means you should stop every 20 minutes, to look away for 20 seconds to something 20 feet away and allow your eyes to focus.

Many of the patients at Coleman’s have reported difficulty in reading and increased headaches as well as poorer night vision during lockdown, and it is imperative that people should still attend their regular health checks as well as calling if they have red eye, floaters or disturbed vision.

Opticians are often missed off the essential health providers list but have been open throughout the pandemic catching many emergencies and being able to fast track them to the right department at the hospital as well as reassuring patients when all is well. Additional stress during the last year has thrown up a range of eye sight issues and the one thing people should definitely do is prioritise their sight.

Early 2020 the team invested in two OCT 3D eye scanners, giving a 3D image of the eye, enabling them to identify any changes in the patient’s eye health, enabling them to identify changes in patients’ eyes, and giving them record of any problems as they arise that can be sent to the hospital if further attention is needed.

Helen Hillis, director of Coleman Opticians, ‘It is essential that people do not put off changes in their sight during lockdown, as we can identify many health issues by seeing patients early. We have fast tracked many patients to the hospital during lockdown, and we would always encourage people to contact us rather than ignore symptoms, as it could be serious’.

So, whilst you may be focusing on full body workouts with Joe Wicks or going outside to get your daily exercise the message is to also spend some time on your eye health during this challenging time and make this a priority.

Coleman Opticians 01603 624564 or email info@colemanopticians.co.uk.

Sight tests, hearing tests, ear wax removal. Established 75 years ago and recent winners of the AOP National Health and Wellbeing award in 2020, as well as the National Optical award for Family Optician of the Year in 22019.

In this weeks episode, James and Mark talk about the importance of forming effective teams in business. As usual, they come up with 3 top tips and make reference along the way to ‘Good to Great’ author Jim Collins, Jordan Belfort and Culture Club!   If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, please like us, and leave a comment. We would love to hear what you are enjoying about the podcast, and it helps others to find us!   Listen here!