Member News

The energy sector is undergoing a seismic shift as it reacts to the UK Government’s plans to be a net zero producer of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  With this in mind, SNS2020 will showcase presentations, speeches, meet the buyer sessions and workshops from industry leaders on the decarbonisation of the energy sector.

Simon Gray CEO East of England Energy Group, outlines why this theme was the obvious choice for SNS2020:

“This ambitious target will have far-reaching consequences for energy producers, long-term investment plans, supply chain engagement and the skills required for the next generation of energy producers. At SNS2020, we’re asking what effect these changes will have in the East of England, nationally and in the global energy markets.

As public opinion converges on the importance of decarbonisation, we are at a pivotal moment where real change is coming. With the East of England’s diverse energy mix, this region is at the very heart of these challenges – we will be spearheading the transition.”

On April 22nd and 23rd at the Norfolk Showground Arena, SNS2020 will showcase the latest developments and insights from leading businesses, politicians, industry leaders and futurologists as well as energy producers, their supply chain, skills providers, stakeholders and financial institutions.

For over fifty years, the East of England has been a volume producer of nuclear power and offshore gas. Over 50% of the entire UK’s offshore wind capacity is now installed off the East Anglian coast, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the UK’s energy networks for the next fifty years. This also puts the East of England at the heart of the solution to decarbonisation by 2050.

Decisions made following SNS2020 will have far-reaching consequences to the energy transition process for producers and the supply chain at large. The value of the East of England’s energy sector is estimated to reach £59.4bn by 2040. Tackling the challenges of decarbonisation head on whilst nurturing this valuable contributor to the UK economy requires fresh approaches and new technologies.

SNS2020’s speakers will be examining the potential for advances in the Southern North Sea gas basin, looking at opportunities including tight gas, gas-to-wire, power-to-gas and platform electrification. Also being investigated will be; possibilities for brown, blue and green hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage, the role of nuclear generation and the prospects for new nuclear projects in the region. With collaboration at the forefront, how can these sectors work together; are there economies of scale and can supply chains diversify to support these emerging technologies?

These questions and their solutions will be accompanied by passionate debate, industry presentations, panel sessions, workshops, breakout gatherings and one-to-one meet the buyer opportunities. SNS2020 will be the pivotal conference and exhibition for businesses leaders mapping the road to 2050 and its impact on their businesses and lives.

EEEGR invites anyone who wishes to participate as a speaker to visit https://www.eeegr.com/events/sns2020/?preview_id=18467&preview_nonce=255ff23468&preview=true and complete application form.

A local accountancy firm says medium and large private sector companies must be ready for new off-payroll working rules which come into effect from 6 April 2020.  

The same ruling was applied to the public sector in 2017 and now, to boost the objectives of the original IR35 legislation, HMRC is casting its net wider to the private sector.

Two decades ago, IR35 legislation was introduced to ensure that suppliers – working through intermediaries or personal services companies (PSCs) – paid similar levels of tax and National Insurance contributions to those paid by employees of the end user.   

The objective is still the same but, from 6 April 2020, responsibility for working out whether the rules apply will shift from the PSC to the end client and, where they do, the fee payer must deduct tax and National Insurance from payments made to the worker’s PSC.

If the end client is a small private sector organisation, the existing IR35 rules apply.  A private sector organisation is not small if at least two of the following apply:

   •  turnover of more than £10.2 million    •  balance sheet total of more than £5.1 million    •  more than 50 employees.

Samantha Melton, certified chartered accountant at Mapus-Smith & Lemmon, says many of the firm’s clients will be affected by this new ruling. “We are working with a number of clients to make sure they are ready for the new rules.  It is important to identify individuals within current workforces who are supplying their services through personal service companies and to determine whether the off-payroll rules will apply for any contracts that extend beyond 6 April 2020.  “Equally important to remember is that the underlying rules as to whether a worker is employed or self-employed have not changed and that these rules are still aimed at combatting disguised employment. Equally, workers should consider whether it is worth remaining off-payroll.” For help regarding these complexities and any other accounting queries, please contact Samantha Melton on 01366 383300.

Holidaymakers looking to fly from Norwich Airport for travel convenience have a new Mediterranean sunshine destination for Summer 2020. Antalya on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast is now among 20-plus direct international and domestic routes available from the airport.

Antalya runs from May to October through TUI , which is also introducing new 10 and 11 night holidays to Dalaman in Turkey, providing more duration options for customers. On the domestic front, Loganair is launching flights to the Atlantic surf resort of Newquay, Cornwall, from April to October.

Details of flights from Norwich Airport, which saw just over 543,900 passengers go through the terminal over 12 months to March 31, are now available in the Fly Norwich 2020 preview. Countries reached from Norwich include Bulgaria (Buglaria), Cyprus (Paphos), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Italy (Bergamo), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Spain – Balearics (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca), Spain – Canaries (Tenerife), Turkey (Antalya and Dalaman) and, in the UK, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Jersey, Manchester and Newquay.

From Amsterdam and Manchester, travellers have onward connectivity to more than 700 destinations around the world. There is also Lapland, an Arctic Experience and the Northern Lights. Loganair (domestic) and TUI (international) are the principal airlines at Norwich Airport, which is owned and operated by Regional & City Airports (RCA), part of Rigby Group plc.

Richard Pace, Managing Director, Norwich Airport, said: “Backed by RCA’s proven commercial and operational expertise, commitment to success is enabling us to connect East Anglia to many domestic, European and intercontinental destinations, providing essential links for holidaymakers and business.

“The Fly Norwich 2020 preview has the exciting new additions of Antalya and Newquay, along with the new 10 and 11 night holidays to Dalaman, ringing in the new decade.

“We are often told by passengers that they much prefer the convenience of their doorstep airport compared to the London airports, and we are proud to serve a catchment area of nearly 2.3 million people.

“Our economic input is also a proud one; we have 274 staff and support – directly and indirectly – 1,240 jobs, with approximately £70 million contributed to the local economy.”

He added: “There are routes which passengers, understandably, tell us they would like to see on Fly Norwich. Through RCA’s route development team, we talk with airlines and travel operators about what flights would attract sustainable customer demand.”

Norwich Airport is also a key hub for the southern North Sea offshore oil, gas and wind power industry, with nearly 96,000 passengers a year travelling offshore. Bristow, NHV and CHC are offshore helicopter operators at Norwich, with latest annual movements totalling 16,171, a figure indicative of the scale of activity as shift crews are flown to oil and gas installations and wind farms.

Nearly 4GW of offshore wind power is operational off the east of England, accounting for more than half of the UK’s current 7.5GW installed capacity. This figure is reportedly set to grow substantially, with Norfolk and Suffolk regarded as the epicentre for green energy production in the country. RCA, the UK’s leading regional airport operator in terms of scale and operation, also owns and operates Bournemouth, Coventry and Exeter airports and holds management contracts for Blackpool, City of Derry and Solent airports. XLR Executive Jet Centres, the growing fixed base operator business with operations at Bournemouth Airport, Birmingham, Liverpool and Exeter, are also operated by RCA.

Attleborough-based renewable heating company Finn Geotherm, has beaten off stiff national competition to win a prestigious award for its heat pump project at 17th century Raynham Hall near Fakenham.

Finn Geotherm won Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Initiative of the Year in the Heating & Ventilating Review (HVR) Awards 2019. The awards have been championing innovation, excellence and achievement across the heating and ventilating industry for the past ten years and the HVAC Initiative category saw Finn Geotherm competing as the only installer alongside national heating manufacturers. Finn Geotherm was presented with the award for its ground source heat pump installation at Grade 1 Listed property Raynham Hall to replace its old and ineffective oil boiler.

Built in 1621, Raynham Hall is a spectacular property set in 5,000 acres. It is lived in by Charles, the 8th Marquess Townshend, who inherited the property in 2010. At £36,000, the annual heating bill was too expensive and the boiler desperately needed to be upgraded. Finn Geotherm specified and installed a ground source heat pump which has cut heating costs at Raynham Hall by 64%. The amount of energy consumed has been reduced by 72.6%.

Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this HVR Award for an installation which has made such a difference at Raynham Hall. Raynham Hall is an ideal illustration of the massive impact a heat pump can have in heating properties of any age or size. Heat pumps are so often overlooked as there is still the misconception that all homes must have a good Energy Performance Certificate rating or high levels of insulation installed for a ground or air source system to work effectively. This is simply not the case, as the installation at Raynham Hall proves. We hope that through initiatives such as these prestigious awards, we can encourage more people to consider heat pumps as a viable solution in the transition from fossil fuelled heating and the desperate need to cut carbon emissions.”

Continuing its awards success, this week Finn Geotherm has been announced as a finalist in the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards for its project at Raynham Hall, plus a heating scheme installed for housing association Flagship Group and the title of Installer of the Year. Winners of the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards will be awarded on 23rd January.

For more information on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk 

Two night package now bookable for January, February and March 2020

The Norfolk Mead will be your cosy, luxurious base for exploring the unspoilt, wild beauty of both the Broads National Park and the Norfolk coastline.  Arrive on a Monday and relax in the the grounds of The Norfolk Mead. Enjoy Tea and Scones in our Lounge or Bar in front of our open fires. Indulge in a two course evening A la Carte dinner in our two Rosette AA awarded Restaurant, followed by a relaxing stay in a Deluxe room. Rise and shine on Tuesday for breakfast. After breakfast enjoy your tour presented by the amazing Helen Storer, Norfolk Photography Tours. Finish the day back at The Norfolk Mead with another relaxing two course dinner whilst you ponder the sights and delights you have captured on your photography day. Check out of your room on the Wednesday after enjoying a full A la Carte breakfast.  During the winter months, the landscape is stunningly fresh and bewitching. Following your photographic adventures, warm up by the fire and enjoy a delicious and innovative meal at The Norfolk Mead, made with the best local ingredients. Explore the unique surroundings of Norfolk through a lens. Package priced at £690.00 for two guests. Contact the team at The Norfolk Mead for more information on 01603 737 531 or via info@norfolkmead.co.uk.  Available to book for January, February and March 2020. Please note: Own transport required for the tour. Location maps will be provided.

Thank you to everyone who nominated us! We are extremely proud to be finalists for the English Wedding Awards – one of only two venues shortlisted in Norfolk!

The English Wedding Awards aim to recognise and reward those within the wedding industry that work towards making a special day perfect.  Now in it’s fourth year, the English Wedding Award finalists are nominated by the public so we are extra proud to have reached this far!  We will found out if we have won ‘Venue of the Year’ at the awards do in Birmingham on 26 November. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

​We are delighted to be runners up for Tastiest Breakfast at the 2019 Eviivo Awards!

We were announced as runners up at the glittering black tie awards event at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms on Tuesday 15th October. The results were decided following a live cook-off, where our Head Chef Kieran Barrett cooked our famous full English breakfast for judges including celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager.  The judges commented on the quality of our ingredients and how well everything was cooked.  https://awards.eviivo.com/awards/tastiest-breakfast/

The Norfolk Mead in Coltishall is offering a substantial venue hire discount for new wedding bookings for early Spring 2020.

The beautiful, luxury venue has several dates still available for Friday and Saturday wedding bookings in both March and April 2020 including Good Friday, 10 April. The discounts available are: March:

• Friday 6, 13, 20 and 27: a huge £1,750 off venue hire
• Saturday 7, 21 and 28: £1,000 off venue hire

April:

• Friday 3 and 10: £1,000 off venue hire

Events Manager Victoria Norman commented: “We are delighted to offer a discount for any bookings coming through for Spring 2020 weddings. Spring is a beautiful time of year in our walled garden, particularly with our spectacular magnolia tree in full blossom at that time. A stunning background to wedding photos, and we often enjoy mild sunny spring weather so wedding guests can make the most of our beautiful grounds and riverside setting. With a relatively short lead up time from now until Spring, this offer may suit couples planning a more intimate day, but we can also host a sit down meal for up to 140 guests. We encourage any couples still working out their options to get in touch and arrange to come down to see myself or my colleague Francesca for an initial meeting. We’d love to show you around.”   Contact Victoria and Francesca on 01603 737 531, or email events@norfolkmead.co.uk. You can also find out more on the wedding page of our website at https://www.norfolkmead.co.uk/weddings

Another B2B Exhibition Game Winner!

Congratulations to our second B2B exhibition game winner, Lucy! We hope you enjoyed playing the game and the Amazon Echo you have taken home.

To be in with a chance to win another of our great Empresa prizes, keep an eye out for future events we are attending and participate in our games and activities for a chance to win! 

B2B Exhibition Game Winner!

Congratulations to Alison, who was randomly selected as an Empresa winner from those that completed our game at the Norfolk Chamber B2B Exhibition on the Norfolk ShowGround. We hope you enjoy the Echo Dot and other goodies included in the bag! 

TaxAssist Accountants’ continual growth has seen the network of small business specialists rise one place to 21st in the highly regarded industry league table with a 5% increase in fee income, up from £39.6m to £41.5m.

The latest survey reveals that growth across the sector has accelerated despite the economic uncertainty caused by Brexit and new regulations. The top UK accountancy firms recorded fee revenues totalling over £16bn in the last financial year, one year after breaking the £15bn barrier.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director at the TaxAssist Group, said: “To have moved up one place to 21st in the league table is fantastic news. Our rise of 13 places, since we first entered the Accountancy Age survey in 2010, is testament to the dedication of our network and our sustained vision for continual growth.

“Although we are living through uncertain times, recruitment of new franchisees continues to be strong. The benefits to being part of the TaxAssist network are clear and our full service offering is increasingly in demand with small business clients, who need help and advice with software and regulation, attracted by our visible, welcoming shop based practices. I feel confident that our adoption of a best-in-class technology suite, investment in our brand, coupled with our plans to develop services to help attract and support clients, bodes well for future performance.”

Austin Clark, Editor at Accountancy Age, said: “The good news for the sector is that this year’s ranking showed widespread growth across the table – from the Big Four through to the smaller firms in the listing – despite the multitude of challenges faced and the uncertain climate.”

To see the list of the Top 50 firms and an analysis by Accountancy Age click here.

New look is nothing ‘Short’ of a success!

Foster and Gamko unveiled new branding and the latest addition to the Foster G2 range at the recent HOST exhibition in Milan.

“Branding is about more than just a new logo and we’re delighted that our branding now reflects Foster and Gamko’s innovative spirit and market leading positions,” said Katy Chilvers, Marketing Communications Manager for Foster and Gamko. “Both companies celebrated significant anniversaries last year, and we took the opportunity to reflect on our heritage ahead of our rebrand.”

With an increased alignment of the Foster and Gamko brands, our customers will have a streamlined experience, one point of contact for the two businesses and access to our shared knowledge of professional kitchens and bars.

“Although Foster and Gamko have been aligned for some time, we are now closer than ever. Our combined knowledge and experience, award-winning products, and dedicated staff means we absolutely assert ourselves as The Refrigeration Experts,” said Nick Bamber, European Head of Marketing for Foster and Gamko.

Foster also took the opportunity to launch the new G2 Short in Milan, a low height version of its EcoPro G2 range. The G2 Short can pass through standard doorways (measuring 1960x760mm) without the need for tilting, and with swivel brake castors there is no need for compromising mobility. Perfect for kitchens with low ceilings, the Short requires just 100mm space above the cabinet rather than the usual 300mm.

The benefit of Foster and Gamko’s shared technologies can be seen in its G2 Short, which is fitted with their award-winning +stayclear condenser. The G2 Short offers the same fantastic energy credentials, like being cheaper to run than a traditional lightbulb, made standard by its bigger brother the G2.

“The G2 Short is the latest exciting new addition to the G2 family,” said Gareth Hunt, Senior Product Manager for Foster and Gamko. “The G2 Short is a prime example of our approach to new product development, continuously improving our product portfolio in response to our customers’ needs.”

Previously when low ceiling heights have been an issue, traditional undermount cabinets have been the go-to solution, whereby the fridge system is located at the bottom of the product. The new G2 Short now solves this problem, and in doing so offers greater usable capacity (439 litres) compared to undermount solutions (411 litres), whilst utilising all the benefits of a top-mounted refrigeration system.

And best of all? With superior energy credentials the G2 Short is easier on your pocket than its undermount counterpart, delivering between 33-50% annual energy savings based on ErP testing.

The G2 Short is therefore the latest innovation hot off the product line at Foster and Gamko, where state-of-the-art manufacturing plants are based in King’s Lynn and Etten-Leur.

Dedicated brand guidelines have been created to allow anyone using the brands to display it correctly in their marketing materials such as leaflets and websites. Our updated brand guidelines can be downloaded here.

If you have any questions, please contact the Foster and Gamko marketing team on marketing@foster-gamko.com.

A video showing the new branding can be seen here.

To find out more about the G2 Short, watch the video here.