Member News

The course is held online in webinar form – with weekly 1-2-1 support – in a safe and supportive environment. Our aim is show you how to boost your immune system, and includes guiding you through the ‘ketogenic’ lifestyle – an increasingly popular eating plan that you may have read about recently. 

The course also embraces a holistic approach to the way we lead our lives, especially in these difficult times, and each week we look at ways we can simply address matters such as stress, sleep, exercise and mental clarity.

Although this is a different approach to that of our standard ‘low fat’ diets, it produces surprisingly positive results in weight loss, improved health, energy and increased cognitive function.  We explain why you’ll have no hunger or cravings and why it works!

BOOST YOU! 

• Boost your immune system
• Increase energy and vitality
• Improve sleep
• Achieve and maintain a happy healthy weight

START YOUR JOURNEY TO OPTIMUM HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS WITH OUR ONLINE 6 WEEK COURSE

• Weekly interactive webinars
• Weekly 1-2-1 consultations
• Explaining the science behind the Ketogenic eating plan and why it works
• Achieveable goals

£30 a week

Starting 17th October 2020 – LIMITED PLACES – Book your place here

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has expanded its grants scheme helping small foodservice and hospitality businesses in the local tourism sector with the costs of adapting to Covid-safe operations.

In order to give businesses more time to complete applications, the council has extended the applications deadline by three weeks to September 14. In addition, more businesses can apply as those with a greater rateable value, of up to £150,000, are now eligible.

Furthermore, the cut-off end date for eligible spend, originally set as July 31, has been removed, so businesses can now claim any eligible expenditure from May 1, 2020 up to the point they make their application.   

Click here for the link to the online application form, eligibility criteria and further business advice. Applications close at midnight on Monday, September 14 and grants will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with only one claim accepted per business.

Applications to the £100,000 adaption grants programme are invited from hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, cafés, restaurants, pubs, and takeaway food outlets within the borough. Hospitality accommodation providers must demonstrate that they are part of the tourism sector.

Examples of items that businesses could claim for include posters, signage, sneeze screens, floor stickers and markings, barriers and other controls to ensure social distancing, sanitiser stands and dispensers. Consumable PPE such as gloves, masks and hand sanitiser can also be claimed.

Businesses can claim 50 per cent of their eligible expenditure up to a maximum of £2,500, providing this exceeds £500 and they can prove it relates to equipment and supplies purchased to trade safely in line with the Government guidelines.

The adaption grants programme is part of Norfolk’s tourism sector support package from the Norfolk Strategic Fund. The project, led by Norfolk County Council in partnership with all seven district councils and Visit East of England, is being put in place to help the tourism sector to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

After the success of their Insight Day marketing webinars held during April, May and June, Archant are back with a new five-part series of live webinars which you can dial into from your own home or office. 

Covering five important digital marketing topics, each webinar will offer insight and information on how you can get started with various different forms of online advertising and ensuring that your website or digital presence is set up for success.  

With individual sessions planned on social media, creative advertising, email marketing, website development and SEO basics, each webinar will cover a given subject from scratch to ensure that businesses can get started and make the most of the tools available to them. They will also discuss how businesses can measure their success in these areas. 

Vicki Blake, from Archant, who is organising the Insight Day webinars, said “We received excellent feedback on our first Insight Day series that ran during lockdown, and we’re really excited for this next series. It’s a shame we still can’t bring this to a live event environment but we have adapted to the new normal, and it’s more important we have the virtual environment to be able to deliver this valuable content to businesses who are also operating in different ways” 

The first webinars on Thursday 10 September will focus on Social Media Marketing, with morning and afternoon sessions available to register for.  

The dates and subjects for the next Insight Day webinar series are: 

Build your brand with Social Media Marketing  

Thursday 10th September: 9:30am and 2:30pm  

Using Creative Advertising to grow your business  

Thursday 1st October: 9:30am and 2:30pm  

How to engage with customers using Email Marketing  

Thursday 15th October: 9:30am and 2:30pm  

Website Development: your questions answered  

Thursday 5th November: 9:30am and 2:30pm  

Increase your business visibility with SEO  

Thursday 19th November: 9:30am and 2:30pm 

To register, please go to: https://www.archanthub.co.uk/insightday 

For over 170 years, Archant has worked with small businesses and has helped them to achieve their aims and reach their desired audiences. This webinar series is just one of the ways in which Archant are helping local small businesses. Please see their website www.archanthub.co.uk for more information and their range of free step-by-step guides to help you get the most out of your marketing. 

West Norfolk consumers are keen to support local businesses as shops and services in the district feel the impact of Covid-19.

That’s one of the findings from the Invest West Norfolk consultation which took place earlier this summer to understand consumer and business confidence in light of Covid-19.

In the consumer survey – which was carried out on behalf of the borough council and which saw over 150 people give their views – 96 per cent of respondents stated that it is important for them to use local businesses in west Norfolk. Of those, 60 per cent said it was extremely important.

However, whilst there is an appetite for using independent businesses, online shopping is becoming increasingly important for consumers in the area. 95 per cent of those taking part in the consultation stated that they do some form of shopping online – and overall, almost 20 per cent of people said they intend to do more online shopping in future.

The survey also revealed that around half of the participants intend to eat or drink out in the next three months, and people felt that protective measures in line with government guidelines would make it easier to return to pubs and restaurants.

The study also found that there has been a marked decrease in west Norfolk consumers shopping for pleasure with 54 per cent stating they are doing less non-essential shopping. But, over half – 55 per cent –  stated that they were confident about returning to the shops as lockdown eases.

Councillor Graham Middleton, Cabinet Member for Business Development said: “We know that the last few months have been difficult for everyone and through this consultation, we wanted to understand how consumers feel about accessing services as lockdown eases.

“It is really encouraging to learn that so many people are keen to use local businesses here in west Norfolk, and consumer support is so important, now more than ever. We will shortly be launching a campaign which will showcase the many great local businesses in west Norfolk so this feedback is pertinent and timely.

“We have already implemented a number of measures to make it easier for consumers to use businesses in west Norfolk. This feedback will help us to shape our support further so that people feel confident and safe to access the many brilliant local shops and services we have here.”

As well as the consumer survey, the consultation also sought feedback from businesses across the district with 114 giving their views.

The Invest West Norfolk business survey revealed that there has been a clear impact from Covid-19 with 88 per cent of respondents stating that the coronavirus has impacted on their business over the last three months. Of those, 63 per cent declared that the impact has been significant.

There is a great deal of uncertainty amongst businesses in the future, including around employing staff and long-term confidence.  Businesses feel that attracting and retaining customers and financial concerns are the biggest challenges they face in the next 3-6 months.

And, the areas where businesses feel they need help most is around financial support and marketing to bring in footfall and custom. In particular, a number of businesses said that they need training and assistance to adapt their services online in the next six months.

The business survey also revealed low levels of apprenticeship take-up. Businesses are being incentivised to take on apprentices – more information can be found here: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/education-and-learning/adult-learning/apprenticeships/employers

In spite of the difficult circumstances, 39 per cent of businesses participating said that they are confident for their prospects in the next 6-12 months.

Councillor Graham Middleton commented: “The feedback from businesses underlines what we already knew – Covid-19 has had an impact on so many companies and organisations in west Norfolk.

“I have been so impressed by the efforts of local businesses who have worked hard to adapt and develop over the last few months, bringing in Covid-19 safety measures to continue to operate.

“We understand their concerns and we are keen to support, where we can. I am pleased to confirm that we have recently launched two new grants schemes to help tourism, leisure, cultural and hospitality businesses to extend their season.

“The insight from this consultation will help us as we develop our actions and investment as part of our recovery and renewal from Covid-19.”

The consultation also asked respondents – including parish councils – to prioritise interventions that they would like to see with hand sanitiser stations in high streets/neighbourhood shopping areas and Covid safe posters and signage emerging as the top priorities. The hand sanitiser stations are set to be installed shortly.

The feedback will be used to guide the development of west Norfolk’s ‘Reopening the High Street plan’ after the borough council received European Union Funding to support the safe reopening of the high street. It will also help to inform how tourism funding is invested in the area. And, the council is working on a public realm strategy which will bring improvements to the appearance of streets and buildings.

The findings come as the borough council announces new funding for tourism, leisure, cultural and hospitality businesses in west Norfolk which will help them to trade safely and extend their normal operating season. There are two schemes available, the tourism adaptation business fund and the autumn and winter adaptation business fund. Each have a £45K funding pot and eligible businesses can apply for a maximum of £3k from each fund.

Further to this and other recent consultation, King’s Lynn town centre businesses are being invited to take part in a virtual business workshop from 5.30pm – 7pm on Wednesday, 9 September. Businesses wil be asked to share their ideas on topics such as making use of empty units, and enhancing the town centre offer. The feedback will help to shape the Town Investment Plan and any King’s Lynn town centre businesses wanting to join the workshop can register their interest via michelle@engaging-people.co.uk

*The winners of the Invest West Norfolk prize draw were James Taylor, Helen Cross, and David Young.

Global logistics provider, LV Shipping, have recently invested in a substantial storage and warehouse facility at Rotterdam-Maasvlakte and are pleased to promote this facility to Mersey Maritime’s wide membership base.

The Dutch-owned logistics company (Lensveld Global HQ in Vlaardingen, Rotterdam) was founded in 1921 and will celebrate its centenary year in 2021. With Brexit still very much on the horizon and increasingly back in the news, this new facility is a very timely enterprise which may well be in a position to assist a range of partners with their logistics and warehousing requirements.

LV Shipping & Transport’s Rotterdam-Maasvlakte facility, mixed with their own fleet of vehicles, is the perfect partner for storage and onward deliveries across Europe and further afield.

Do you have storage or logistics requirements in the Rotterdam area?

If the answer is yes, contact LV Shipping today!

Specification details are as follows:

• 122,000 sq ft of warehousing

• 1.6 – 3 Tonne Forklifts onsite

• 10-25 Tonne Forklift & Mobile crane hire available

• E-Commerce/Fulfilment centre

• Project storage

• General storage

• Pallet racking

• Cross docking facilities

• Customs support

• Container trucking

• UK & Mainland European FTL & LTL Trailer services

• Global shipping department by air, road, sea, rail or courier

For more details contact: Kevin Walsh – U.K. Sales Director

Tel: +44 (0) 151 6498880 Fax: +44 (0) 151 6498881 Mob: 07771 656057 Email: kevin.walsh@lvshipping.com

Please click onto the document to read this weeks Market Summary.

Freebridge Community Housing Fund doubles donations to West Norfolk groups hit by Covid-19.   Freebridge has agreed grants double the amount normally paid out to local community groups and organisations in West Norfolk to mark the 10th anniversary of its Community Fund.   Thirteen projects across West Norfolk have benefitted from grants this year, with each being awarded amounts up to £1000.   This year Freebridge raised the amount available to the fund to £10,000, double the £5000 that is normally offered, to mark the fact that they’ve been providing this money to groups for a decade.   The fund gives local groups the opportunity to apply for the money to support community and voluntary activities that meet the needs of the community within West Norfolk.   The final decision on which groups are awarded the grants is made by a panel of Freebridge tenants and employees.   The panel specifically aims to support groups that: • Promoting health and wellbeing, • Tackling disadvantage, • Supporting local solutions to local needs, • Promoting community cohesion, • Developing sustainable and supportive communities, and • Improving the environment.   This year, the successful projects that will be funded include the provision of additional Covid-19 safety equipment to allow Access, a group that supports migrants across east Anglia, to plan for re-opening their office and restarting face to face appointments.   Supporting Family Action to continue providing allotment sessions at the Discovery Centre for people with mental health concerns or learning disabilities.   And covering the cost of additional training on domestic violence, substance misuse and wellbeing for those working at the Pandora Project.   One of the groups getting support is the Wells Community Hospital Trust. They will use the money to provide transport for people to get to their Fun & Forgetfulness sessions which are for people living with dementia, memory loss and cognitive disorders, their carers and families and people who are isolated or experiencing loneliness. Many of their visitors come from nearby villages such as Docking, Brancaster and Burnham Market.   Samantha Taylor, General Manager, said: “We serve a rural population with a higher than average percentage of older citizens and low-income families, many adversely affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Affordable, accessible, safe and reliable transport is essential for our community if they are to be able to access the opportunities they need to live well for longer.”   Freebridge Chief Executive, Anita Jones, said: “Freebridge is committed to supporting community groups across West Norfolk and the fact that we’ve now been doing this for 10 years is something we are very proud of. Over the years we’ve helped many groups across the area and since the fund began back in 2010 have provided over £50,000 in grants to them. “These groups make a real difference to the lives of our tenants and the wider community and we know that this year, perhaps more than ever before, they may need an extra helping hand.”

Following the results of The State of Content Survey 2019, which provided a fascinating insight into public attitudes towards content, Method Marketing has launched an updated question set for 2020.

The first survey, which kicked off in August 2019, was designed to find out how people felt about the quality of written content across a range of platforms.

Covering topics such as spelling, punctuation and grammar, the survey investigated the impact of textual errors on consumer trust and spending behaviours.

The 2020 question set will reveal whether attitudes have changed over the past year, as well as the potential impact of Covid-19 on content marketing in 2021.

Take a look at 2019’s results

Says Method Marketing founder Lucy Mowatt: “Last year’s results gave us a great insight into people’s feelings towards content.

“The majority of respondents said they would be less likely to spend money with an organisation that has mistakes on its website, especially those that operate in the education, financial services or legal sectors. This has obvious ramifications for sales and profitability. We want to know if the trend holds true in 2020.

“This year, we’re also asking marketing professionals whether investment in content marketing will change in the light of coronavirus. We want to understand the potential impact of the pandemic and recession on the discipline.”

Take part in the survey here.

The Franchise Marketing Awards announcement follows TaxAssist being shortlisted for the Franchisor of the Year accolade.

The Franchise Marketing Awards shortlist, which celebrates exemplary marketing support within the franchise industry, has recognised the proven and comprehensive marketing package which TaxAssist Accountants provides to its franchisees.

This includes initial sales and marketing training, TV and digital advertising, a national lead generation service, national and local social media activity, local marketing advice and planning, a centralised email service and guides for pricing and profitability among many other initiatives.

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the TaxAssist Support Centre team were quick to provide additional support and an enhanced service, working tirelessly to ensure every franchisee had the resources they needed to effectively communicate with and assist their clients through the crisis.

This has included a COVID-19 Business Support Hub on the website to share news, articles, Q&As, videos and webinars, timely and increased social media posts and client guides covering key Government announcements and more than one million emails in total sent to clients from the centralised mailing system.

James Mattam, Group Business Development Director, said: “We’re delighted that our marketing initiatives and COVID-19 support measures have been recognised by the Franchise Marketing Awards and testament to the hard work put in by our team at the Support Centre, who work so effectively to assist our network of franchisees and, in turn, their clients.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been completely unprecedented, and the Board of Directors made a bold decision in April to pause the national marketing payments required from the franchisee network for three months. As a franchisor, we have contributed more than £200,000 directly into the national marketing budget to protect the network from any potential downturn and keep the advertising momentum going.

“The extra work that was put in during the lockdown has already started to generate a huge amount of brand loyalty from our client base. This has developed new advocates for our brand who are recommending our services by sharing their experience of how we’ve helped them through these challenging times.

“All of this activity has generated over 5,100 qualified inbound leads this year and we were able to sign up more than 500 new clients during the height of the ‘lockdown’ period from March to May. On top of this, our entire network sales for June have resulted in a year-to-date increase of 4% over 2019, demonstrating the resilience of the TaxAssist franchise model and our strong culture to support our network no matter what happens.”

TaxAssist Accountants will be competing with 11 other well-known franchise brands in the category before a judging panel of industry experts, with the winner announced at The National Franchise Virtual Exhibition on Friday 2nd October 2020.

If you are interested in finding out more about TaxAssist Accountants, monthly Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can spend a day with the team to find out more about the business opportunity and support on offer. Click here for more information

British food processing equipment manufacturer Fabcon Food Systems has marked its fifth anniversary after growing internationally and securing contracts with over 100 customers.

Fabcon Food Systems was officially founded in September 2015 by industry expert Trevor Howard and food engineering specialist Andrew Peek – with the pair having worked together for several years on various global food processing contracts.

The firm, which is headquartered in Norwich, has since built a team of 25 specialists designing and supplying bespoke British-built fryers, distribution systems and seasoning lines to food manufacturers in over 20 countries and continents including the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa.

They have also become well known for their energy-efficient batch and pellet fryer designs which, along with their product handling systems, have helped accelerate the Fabcon order book.

Trevor Howard, managing director of Fabcon Food Systems said: “To be celebrating our fifth anniversary is an incredibly proud moment not only for myself, but for the whole team here at Fabcon.

“We have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to deliver the British-built machinery and systems manufacturers want, and to promote and market ourselves in every corner of the world.

“I am also delighted with our growth and how we have built our credentials with customers in the snacks, fresh, chilled, frozen, confectionary and pet food industries. That shows our machinery and track record has been noticed, is trusted, and can provide solutions for so many.

“We want to build on our successes over the next five years as we continue to maintain our reputation, expand further, and keep delivering designs which will help all food producers to operate efficiently and innovatively.”

In 2008, Fabcon was also recognised for its growth across several international markets by winning the International Expansion of the Year Award at the Barclays Entrepreneurs Awards.

Anglian Water are delighted to invite you to one of our regional stakeholder engagement events on Thursday 15th October 10:00-11:30. 

We will be facilitating a discussion with senior stakeholders from a range of organisations and government on how we collectively deliver the post-Covid levelling up agenda, sustainable investment and support for our vulnerable customers in the East of England.

As a supplier of a vital public service, Anglian Water are guided by our Purpose to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve through our commitment to Love Every Drop.  Our priorities throughout the coronavirus crisis have been to keep water flowing to our customers, to protect and support our employees and to offer help and advice, as we have always done, to customers in financial difficulties.  However, as we look ahead as the nation starts to build back in recovery from COVID-19, it is important to discuss our collective priorities for the region and look forward to hearing your views.

The events are 90 minutes and will be hosted on Zoom to enable round table discussions and dialogue.  We will share our investment plans for your area and are keen to hear on how you would like to be involved going forward as we embark on developing our next business plan.

Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/116381477131

If you are unable to attend the event most relevant to your area, or have any further questions then please get in touch at public.affairs@anglianwater.co.uk and we can arrange for you to attend on an alternative date. 

BDH Tullford is delighted to announce that its new range of fun face shields is now available to order.

Made at the company’s facilities in the heart of Norwich, they’re designed to make PPE feel less alien to children as lockdown conditions continue to lift. Available in a range of designs, BDH Tullford can deliver visors to addresses across the UK. 

Since the beginning of lockdown, BDH Tullford’s teams have focused on helping clients across the UK adapt to new ways of working while keeping their teams and customers safe.

The company very quickly started supplying masks to the NHS and the introduction of themed visors are a natural next step. From dentists and opticians to shops and restaurants, the themed visor is a simple way to soften the appearance of PPE by adding some fun graphics.

Made from a single sheet of clear plastic attached to a head band, the themed face visors are:

• Lightweight: They’re just a few grams heavier than their Economy Face Shields.

• Hygienic: As a single sheet of plastic, there are no joins or edges to harbour germs.

• Branded: You can add your company logo to the headband.

• Cost-effective: Get in touch for a quote.  

Says Director James Fox: “We’re delighted to introduce themed face visors to our range. Many of us at BDH Tullford have children who dislike the appearance of PPE, so we wanted to find a solution to the problem. These new visors are a fun, simple and inexpensive way to make children feel welcome and safe in a range of environments.”

Call BDH Tullford on 01603 620780 to place your order.