Member News

Hot on the heels of two wins at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards, the Norwich Science Festival has opened up their sponsorship opportunities for the 2020 Festival.

The Festival, co-ordinated by The Forum in partnership with many organisations across the region, recently won both Family Event And Experience of the Year and Marketing Campaign Of The Year at the awards.

With over 137,000 visits in 2019, and an estimated economic value of over £2,716,000 to the local economy, sponsorship of Norwich Science Festival is a fantastic opportunity to reach new audiences, raise brand awareness, and increase knowledge of career opportunities in STEM sectors.

The Festival is made possible thanks to income generated by The Forum’s car park and the support of partners, but relies on sponsorship from businesses and organisations in the region to reach new audiences and bring in household names such as previous headline speakers Chris Packham, Dr Jane Goodall and Helen Sharman.

As well as raising brand awareness, sponsors can contribute to the Festival programme, incorporate into their Corporate Social Responsibility programme, engage with diverse audiences, and support the promotion of science and STEM education.

Joe Randlesome, Marketing Executive at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure, said: “It was a privilege to sponsor the Zoology Day as part of Norwich Science Festival. We brought some of our animals, including ferrets, snakes and cockroaches, which allowed us to educate visitors about our Secret Animal Garden, the animals and their care. We would really recommend partnering with the Festival, we spoke to so many visitors about our park – many were really interested in dinosaurs and potentially visiting us. The Festival marketing was exceptional and it was impeccably organised on the day too.”

Find out more about the benefits of sponsoring #NorwichSciFest at https://bit.ly/SponsorNSF or contact Festival Producer Natalie Bailey on natalie.bailey@theforumnorwich.co.uk.  

The Tudor Lodge Consultants SEO team is very happy to announce a new partnership this month, this time with Griggs Homes. The family-owned construction and property development company operating in North London and the home counties wants to boost its online presence in the property sector, and through a white hat SEO strategy, this will be achieved via the expertise of our highly skilled team.

About Griggs Homes

Griggs Homes is completely dedicated to creating the home of their clients’ dreams and is passionate about providing inspirational, innovative design alongside its wealth of experience in the field.

The family-owned firm specialises in new luxury property developments in premier locations across the home counties, as well as in the commercial sector in areas of London.

How Tudor Lodge Consultants is helping Griggs Homes

Landing pages: informative, concise landing pages that have relevant keywords are integral to being ranked and indexed properly by Google. These factors both have a huge impact on how a particular page will rank. Consequently, the SEO team at Tudor Lodge Consultants has made sure that the luxury property construction firm landing pages are promoting key terms such as bespoke builders, and luxury property developers.

Building links: another important aspect of a white-hat SEO strategy is building trustworthy links within the relevant domain. In this case, with Griggs Homes, it’s making sure that the company is building backlinks with reputable websites and companies in the homes and property sector.

This is incredibly important because establishing a website as trustworthy through multiple backlinks leads to higher search engine rankings, which is the ultimate goal. This is because Google will tend to rank websites with a higher number of good quality links more positively, as they are deemed as more relevant and authoritative than others in results pages for a query.

Here at The Enterprise Centre we’re really excited about the launch of our new 3D virtual tour, courtesy of local business, Vortex Visual. The tour is now live on our website and beautifully showcases the building to anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to visit in person. You can see more for yourself here.

Covering all commercial areas of the building, Vortex Visual’s Will Wooster and Max Giddings kindly came to The Enterprise Centre early on a Sunday morning in December to ensure the spaces could be filmed when completely empty of people. It was also an ideal opportunity to get some shots of the sunrise from the stunning roof terrace.

Given the high end architectural design of the building, the option to show potential clients the tour has great implications for The Enterprise Centre. From the early days of opening in June 2015, the team were quickly aware that once people had visited the building they would be keen either to base their business there or hold a future event. Fearn Ainsworth, Commercial Manager, said ‘We’re delighted with the new 3D tour of the building. It truly is a stunning space and now people can see that for themselves even if they don’t have the opportunity to visit in person.’

The Norfolk Chamber are in part to thank for bringing the 3D tour to fruition as Angela Macdonald, Tenancy and Business Development Manager for The Enterprise Centre, first met Will and Max when visiting the Vortex Visual stand at the October Chamber B2B event at Norfolk Showground. Following a couple of meetings on location and the subsequent filming, start-up Vortex Visual have also signed up for one of the tenancy packages with The Enterprise Centre. It just goes to show how productive business events can be!

More information available from:

www.uea.ac.uk/adapt/the-enterprise-centre 01603 591366, theenterprisecentre.reception@uea.ac.uk

www.vortexvisual.co.uk 01603 733187, hello@vortexvisual.co.uk  

Greater Anglia has been named Train Operator of the Year in the Rail Business Awards 2020 – after judges praised the company for continuing to innovate and improve while also preparing for the arrival of new trains. Last year, Greater Anglia delivered a number of customer-focused improvements, including introducing the Norwich in 90 service, improving its delay repay compensation scheme (to include all delays of 15 minutes and over) and starting to introduce brand new trains. At the same time, the company made real progress in improving punctuality, which resulted in over 35,000 more trains arriving on time in 2019 (compared to 2018). This sustained punctuality drive led to some months of record-breaking performance, especially on the Great Eastern Main Line and Southend line, which saw four successive months of over 94.5 per cent of trains on time from March to June – some of the best-ever performance seen on these routes. The company also continued to invest in stations, car parks and new services and saw passenger numbers increase. Car park improvements included extending Manningtree and Shenfield car parks and installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition at 20 car parks across the network. A new station, Meridian Water, opened in June, with additional services between Stratford and Meridian Water starting in September. Meanwhile, Greater Anglia launched further ticketing initiatives to make it easier for customers to buy season tickets on Smart Cards, including developing the Greater Anglia app so season ticket holders can upload their season tickets onto their Smart Cards using their mobile phones. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “To be named train operator of the year is a tremendous accolade and a credit to the hard work and determination of everyone in our team, across the whole of Greater Anglia, to make our service much better for our customers. We have seen our improvements in punctuality recognised across the industry and have been named most improved London and the South East operator for punctuality on our commuter lines in Essex and Hertfordshire. Customer satisfaction has also increased by 8% to 81%. We’ve replaced all the trains on our rural routes with high quality, state-of-the-art new trains, with more seats and a much better travelling environment which, as they bed in, are starting to improve our reliability, as well as our customers’ on-board experiences. We have also begun to bring in new intercity trains on the main line between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and London. We recognise, of course, that last year ended on a difficult note on our rural lines due to signalling issues and that punctuality is not consistently where we want it to be so far this year. We’re sorry for those occasions when we have let people down and we are determined to get performance back on track as soon as possible. We fully intend to live up to our new title of train operator of the year, to continue to improve our service to our customers, raising standards further and continuing the roll out of a complete fleet of new trains.” The citation for Greater Anglia’s award at the Rail Business Awards, which are organised by the Railway Gazette, said : “Greater Anglia had an excellent year in 2018-19, continuing to innovate while preparing for the arrival of its new trains. The judges commended it for launching the Norwich in 90 service with existing stock, whilst also improving regional and commuter services.” Last year, the Stansted Express Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport service, which is managed by Greater Anglia, was named international operator of the year in the Global Air Rail Awards.

The annual celebration of science and curiosity, Norwich Science Festival, won big at last night’s Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards, with two awards.

The Festival, co-ordinated by The Forum in partnership with many organisations across the region, including UEA and the wider Norwich Research Park, won both Family Event And Experience Of The Year and Marketing Campaign Of The Year at the awards ceremony held at Milsons Kesgrave Hall in Suffolk last night.

Natalie Bailey, Norwich Science Festival Producer, said: “We’re thrilled to have won the best Family Event for Norwich Science Festival. This is a brilliant recognition of how far the Festival has come its first few years, and it’s all thanks to our wonderful partners, funders, sponsors, contributors and the wider Forum team, who all come together to make it such a success.”

Jan Robertson, Norwich Science Festival Marketing Manager, said: “We’re delighted to win best Marketing Campaign for our 2018 Festival. We worked with the wider Forum team and our partners to raise awareness of this engaging and fun Festival, and with DesignPod to create exciting family friendly graphics. It’s fantastic win this award, and to acknowledge the collaborative, multi-channel marketing campaign which has helped grow the Festival immensely and reach new audiences.”

The 2020 Norwich Science Festival will take place during October half-term, with plenty of activities, talks, workshops and shows for all. Last year, over 137,000 visits were made to Science Festival events across the nine days, and generated an estimated economic value of over £2,716,000 to the local economy.

To keep up-to-date with announcements, follow @NorwichSciFest on Twitter, or Norwich Science Festival on Facebook and Instagram, and keep an eye on norwichsciencefestival.co.uk for headline announcements in July and the full programme at the start of September.

Andy Slade has opened his shop on 137 Buxton Road, Heaviley

Andy Slade FCA joined TaxAssist Accountants in March 2019 and has opened his new shop in time to benefit from self-assessment tax return season.

“I would like to thank the Norwich based Support Team who helped me to source and fit out the shop which looks great – I’m so pleased with it. It’s highly visible, well located and has plenty of parking available nearby,” said Andy. 

Andy worked in industry for eight years, culminating in becoming a group financial controller before moving to Manchester, where he began working as a contractor. Knowing that he wanted to establish his own business, he turned to franchising, discovered TaxAssist Accountants and the rest, as they say is history!

“I wanted to build something more permanent to be proud of,” explained Andy. “I also wanted to get back to having and managing my own team and be more involved in my local community. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting with and helping clients over the last 10 months, and I’ve had a really busy January. I am actively looking to grow the practice, so would encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our services to pop in for a free consultation.”

Andy’s shop joins an established network of 229 shops nationwide.

If you are interested in finding out more about joining TaxAssist Accountants, regular Discovery Days are held, where you meet with the Directors of the franchise and find out more about the technical and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to find out more.  

The historic Maid’s Head hotel was the ideal venue for our first Norwich Networking breakfast event of 2020, and the Minstrel Suite was the perfect warm welcome to the cold early start. We are all about Collaboration at The Norfolk Chambers and were thrilled to be joined by Mark Thair and members of the Breakaway networking group this morning. We also welcomed new members to the breakfast and they soon got involved in the morning. Our networking breakfasts are a great opportunity to talk about upcoming events to our members – whether it’s our International Women’s Day event with Natwest at The Aviation Academy on March 5th or our Great Yarmouth breakfast on March 19th.  There is a wide choice of events in our calendar and if you prefer a smaller event we have bespoke events happening too. Our guest speaker was Cata Parrish, Owner of Re.Source General Store and café based on Timber Hill in Norwich. Cata talked us through her journey that led her to the decision to start Re.source, how an illness forced her to prioritise her working life. Her challenges were instrumental in formatting change personally and professionally. Her zero-waste company is inspiring, courageous and successful. Not a usual occurrence at one of our breakfasts, but before we brought the event to a close we were invited for a few minutes to enjoy some guided meditation by Cata. Many thanks to Cata for sharing her sustainable life and serenity, to Georgina Postlethwaite and her staff for looking after us, and of course to all our friends that attended!

Eye Film and the 25am Networking Group have a long association and this is the second film we have produced for the group over the last few years. This time we wanted to do something different and harness the considerable talents of our animator, Oliver.  Having got to know the members too, matching their characters to an appropriate animal was great fun. Starting then from scratch by drawing the initial sketches, Oliver constructed the animation and synced the captured voices of the 25am members with their characters, simple if you know how! Recognising that not everyone finds early mornings an easy situation to handle, particularly on dark, cold winter mornings, we wanted to know if the sacrifice was worth it? What was the answer, overwhelmingly yes.

Do visit our website www.eyefilm.co.uk and look out for our forthcoming blog about the making of the animation for insights into how the magic happens.

Pasha Alnadaf, a Norwich Personal Injury specialist at Hatch Brenner Solicitors, has recently helped a 78-year-old retired local woman to recover a significant five figure settlement following a road traffic accident. The Claimant was walking along a footpath in Norwich and was hit by a car which failed to give way to her, and she sustained a fractured kneecap and a minor head injury. In addition to personal injuries, the claim included domestic care and assistance provided by the Claimant’s family and friends together with some incidental expenses. Following submission of a detailed letter of claim, a prompt admission of liability was secured from the Defendant’s insurers allowing us to focus on the Claimant’s rehabilitation needs and the claim itself. Personal Injury expert Pasha Alnadaf commented: “After thorough investigations we were very pleased that a good settlement was achieved for our client. This case demonstrates the importance of seeking independent legal advice as opposed to dealing directly with insurance companies. The Claimant initially dealt directly with the Defendant’s insurers and she then decided to contact a local firm for legal advice who unfortunately did not return her call. The Claimant subsequently contacted us. I went to see her immediately at her home for a free initial personal injury consultation and she was happy to formally instruct us. Specialist personal injury lawyers should take each case seriously and aim to achieve the best possible outcome for their Clients.” If you would like to speak to a specialist Personal Injury Lawyer, please call Hatch Brenner Solicitors on 01603 660 811 or email pashaalnadaf@hatchbrenner.co.uk View our Personal Injury case studies, or visit our Mythbusters guides: Dealing with insurers when you’ve had an accident and Personal injury claims

Hatch Brenner Solicitors on Theatre Street in Norwich is delighted to be included in the Headway Solicitor’s Directory once again for 2020. The Directory is a resource for brain injured individuals and their families to identify the leading Solicitors in the UK who have the required experience in handling brain injury cases. All the Solicitors featured in the Directory have agreed to abide by the Headway Personal Injury Lawyers Code of Conduct providing clients with confidence in the quality and expertise of their work. Colin Cook, experienced brain injury lawyer and Hatch Brenner Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution commented: “We are very pleased to be recognised once again as a leading firm for our brain injury work by Headway, the brain injury association. I sit on the board of trustees for Headway Norfolk & Waveney and am proud that Hatch Brenner is both a long supporter of this important charity, and is recognised by Headway UK as a leading firm in this field. “We take the time – through home visits, and spending the time with clients to understand their symptoms, explore their funding options and access appropriate rehabilitation. We understand the impact on the client’s close family, and provide support and advice.” You can view the full Headway Code of Conduct on the Headway website, or click here to view the full Head Injury Solicitors Directory.

OpenContact have launched a campaign to support a Norwich-based charity as part of their 20th Anniversary Celebrations.

The “20 for 20 in 2020” campaign was officially launched by CEO Fiona Brown in the EDP paper last week, with the aim of raising £5000 for Priscilla Bacon Hospice.

Fiona’s father Ron Pollin, founder of OpenContact, was admitted to the Priscilla Bacon Lodge in 2018 shortly before he lost his battle with cancer.  During his time there it became clear to Fiona that the current hospice is no longer fit for purpose, “It’s clear that the current Lodge is not enough for the whole county, and I absolutely see the need for a new hospice,” says Fiona. 

An expanding and ageing Norfolk population is now outgrowing the 16-bed Lodge and a £12.5 million appeal was launched last spring to build a new and bigger Priscilla Bacon Hospice on a site near the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital at Colney.

Ever-increasing demand, for inpatient beds as well as day and respite care means that greater capacity is desperately needed. The new hospice will offer the most modern facilities, plus a wider range of community day care and out-patient services, providing those who need care a greater breadth of choice.

Already more than £5 million has been raised, but there is still a long way to go before work can start on the 24-bed unit which will serve all of Norfolk.

Fiona and the OpenContact team are now formulating plans for 20 events, which will raise much-needed funds for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice appeal, while honouring the man who founded OpenContact 20 years ago.

Already in the mix are the possibility of an assault on the Three Peaks Challenge to climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours; one of the team will be seeking sponsorship for running in the Norwich Half-Marathon; bucket collectors will be out in the city; and a planned big birthday bash for clients and staff later in the year could feature a secret auction and a raffle.

To back ’20 for 20 in 2020′ please visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/OC20

Following extensive refurbishments, Caistor Hall Hotel, in Caistor St. Edmund, Norfolk, is hosting an exclusive event for local businesses to come and experience the new offering on Thursday 5th March from 6.30pm-8.30pm.

Nestled within 32 acres of historic grounds and woodlands in the roman town of Caistor St Edmund, Caistor Hall is a boutique hotel offering luxury accommodation and breathtaking rooms ideal for corporate events but also for weddings, business and leisure breaks. 

Following a brief name change in 2019 to The Boudicca, the hotel is proudly returning to its roots and reverting back to its original name of Caistor Hall; a decision influenced by the strength of the brand within the local community over the years. 

Caistor Hall is inviting local businesses to join the new management for an intimate evening of wine and canapes on March 5th between 6:30 to 8:30pm; providing the perfect chance to take a look at the newly refurbished facilities Caistor Hall has to offer. 

Caistor Hall is an ideal venue for hosting meetings, training courses and awards celebrations for all size businesses, with a variety of room sizes, a capacity of up to 300 people and the option to hire the venue exclusively. Located south of Norwich City Centre with ample free parking on site, just 2 miles from the A47 and a short taxi ride from Norwich Airport and Norwich Train station, the venue also provides an ideal accommodation for those attending an event in Norwich or the surrounding area. 

Having remained a firm favourite with both local residents and the wider community for decades, Caistor Hall perfectly captures the beauty and heritage unique to Norfolk and is committed to providing guests with a stylish, unique experience that is second to none.

Caistor Hall is also home to Palm Court Bar & Restaurant, attracting both local clientele and those visiting the area for business. A new chef has been hired to oversee the menu, which is set to be a modern-european bistro with fresh produce that is locally sourced wherever possible. The restaurant will be ‘floating’, as there is the capacity to move the restaurant to several other beautiful rooms within the main body of the house depending on requirements. The bar will be stocked with wines, champagnes, brand and local spirits, and local ales. 

Advance reservations for the local business event on the 5th March 6:30pm-8:30pm can be made by calling 01508 494998.