Member News

The Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich, is the new permanent home for The Norwich Panorama, created by John Moray-Smith in the mid 1940s for Morgans Brewery.

The Norwich Society acquired the Panorama in 2016 to both save and restore the panel. The magnificent 2.5 metre by 1.5 metre panel is now on display next to the entrance to the Maids Head’s Wine Press Restaurant.

The three-dimensional panel depicts the view of Norwich from St James Hill. It was commissioned by Morgans Brewery for the Cock Inn on King Street. Following the Inn’s closure in the mid 1970s, the panel was moved to Caistor Hall Hotel, where at some point after 2010 it was damaged and placed into storage. The Norwich Society bought the panel in 2016, and with the support of the Paul Bassham Charitable Trust, the John Jarrold Trust and the Norwich Heritage Fund, paid for its restoration.

Paul Burall, Chair of Trustees, The Norwich Society said: “Having rescued John Moray Smith’s wonderful panorama of Norwich, from being abandoned in a garage, we are now delighted that the Maid’s Head is providing a home where the public can admire this 1940s view of the City. It is the only work by this eccentric artist portraying the City during his lifetime and therefore is an interesting contrast to his other works that are on public view that depict scenes from previous centuries.”

Christine Malcolm, General Manager, Maids Head Hotel said: “We are delighted to be providing a new home for John Moray-Smith’s magnificent Norwich Panorama. It will be a great talking point for our guests and visitors and is a wonderful enhancement to the approach to the Wine Press Restaurant.”

Tom Humphrey from the Fairhurst Gallery who restored the Panorama added: “The basic restoration work was very similar to that I use for any painting, although I minmised the use of liquids, as even solvents could damage the Plaster of Paris used by Moray-Smith to build up the work . I did not want to over-restore the picture so have left areas of thin paint to retain authenticity.”

“Moray-Smith’s work is very interesting,” continued Tom Humphrey. “He was clearly an experimenter and didn’t follow any set rules, making it up as he went along. The Panorma is a fascinating work of art and I think that the public will enjoy seeing it.”

John Moray Smith worked in Norwich from the early 1930s until his death in 1958. Little is known about the artist before his arrival in Norwich, but his genius is still there for all to see in the unique, vivid, highly detailed and huge three dimensional panels (bas-reliefs), installed on the exteriors and interiors of pubs in Norwich and elsewhere in Norfolk. The panels were commissioned by Norwich based Morgans Brewery to distinguish some of its pubs with locally relevant strong visual images that depicted what life was like.

Panels that can still be viewed in Norwich include St Stephen’s Gate on the Coachmakers Arms, the Berstrete Gates for the pub of that name and The Prince of Denmark for the Prince of Denmark pub. Out in the county, the Maids Head’s sister hotel, The Ship at Brancaster features the model of a 19th century collier, The Black Diamond created by Moray-Smith.

Gnaw are offering a discount on all their festive treats for fellow members of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce.

Big Presents:

• Stuffed full of chocolate treats
• Perfect for key clients
• 4 sizes of hamper to choose from

Smaller Gifts:

• Great for Secret Santa
• From £6 to £15

Stocking Fillers:

• Grab a few bits for family and friends
• Or treats for the office!

Offer runs until December 13th, please use code Chamber20 at checkout.

https://www.gnawchocolate.co.uk/

The £25 million state-of-the-art new operations and maintenance building for East Anglia’s largest offshore windfarm to date has officially opened its doors.

The building was officially opened last week by Waveney MP, Peter Aldous and Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables Project Director for East Anglia ONE.

The operations and maintenance building will be the base for up to 100 full-time employees, including skilled engineers and technicians, for the 30-plus year lifespan of the windfarm. The site is already a hive of activity welcoming hundreds of contractors and supply chain operators, contributing substantially to the local economy.

Norwich and London based architectural practice LSI Architects worked in collaboration with Arup to design the new base, located in the port of Lowestoft.

Peter Durrant, Director at LSI Architects, commented: “The new building provides technically suitable facilities for the complex needs of the operation and maintenance phases of the client’s work. LSI Architects understanding of the technical requirements of the site has helped to inform the design, for example through the use of robust contextual materials to withstand the harsh coastal environment and a split ground floor level to manage flood risk.

The building is segregated into office, technical and warehousing spaces and the management of people through these areas are key to the security and efficient operation of the building. Externally the building presents a simple form, mirroring the silhouette of the surrounding warehouse buildings whilst setting itself apart with a clean glazed gable and ground floor, providing an attractive presence to the public façades of the building and allowing views through this corner and out across the harbour.”

Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables Project Director for East Anglia ONE, said: “Lowestoft is the home of East Anglia ONE, and to see the operations and maintenance building fully up and running really demonstrates that fact. It’s not just the base of operations for the windfarm, but a symbol of our long-term commitment to the region and our drive to grow the offshore wind industry in Lowestoft and East Anglia.

“In just 14 months, the construction team have turned an empty site on the Port of Lowestoft into a state-of-the-art establishment and we are grateful for all of the work which has made the base into what you see today. Most of the operations and maintenance team are based within a few miles of the site and have worked on other local windfarms, bringing with them great knowledge and expertise. This has allowed us to perfect design elements of the base, making it super-efficient and reinforcing the East of England’s leading position in the sector.

“With the windfarm due to be complete next year, the building is already buzzing with local employees and contractors all helping us to create clean, green energy to meet the UK’s carbon reduction targets.”

Waveney MP, Peter Aldous, said: “The opening of the East Anglia ONE operations and maintenance base is a big moment for Lowestoft and the wider Waveney area. It demonstrates a significant investment in our town. East Anglia ONE is providing important job opportunities for people locally and across the region, both offshore and onshore, as well as through the local supply chain.

“Lowestoft has a proud maritime heritage and the substantial growth of the offshore wind industry, particularly off the coast of East Anglia, will see more generations making a career out at sea. It is great to see Lowestoft leading the way in the UK’s offshore wind revolution.”

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) supports families and cares for children and young people with life threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. With a reputation for excellence and innovation, our family centred approach includes specialist nursing care, symptom management support, short breaks, wellbeing activities, therapies and counselling.  Our Hospices aren’t just about end of life care; they’re often happy and fun places focussed on creating memories and helping and supporting families to make the most of their precious time together. 

We rely on voluntary donations for the majority of our income and having just moved into our new purpose built Hospice, The Nook, in Norfolk we’re now looking to define future strategy to ensure that we are continue to provide the Care and Support our Service Users and Families rely on.  It really is a great time to come and join us!

We are looking for a number of Trustees to broaden our representation of skills and seek applications from individuals who have a strong strategic focus, an understanding of organisational governance and the challenges of income generation.  We would welcome all applications, but would like to increase our representation in the Peterborough and Norfolk areas with, if possible one new trustee with a background in Public Health.

The current Trustee body is an established group who bring a high level of commitment and passion and attend both board meetings and committee meetings regularly.

The role is unpaid, although expenses can be reimbursed. To apply, please email your CV and a short statement on why you want to join EACH to: Amanda.drummond@each.org.uk. If you would like further information and/or would prefer to speak with our Chief Executive or Chairman before applying, please just let Amanda know.

www.each.org.uk

Royal Patron: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge

Registered charity no. 1069284

Come and meet the CCN neaco Team at Castle Quarter!

The team will be there to provide:

• Impartial advice and guidance
• Information on apprenticeships and university
• Signposting to other events

The team will be there every day this week, 10am – 4pm, until Friday the 25th of October.

Location: Poundworld flooring next to the buggy park (outside the new YMCA store)

The 2020 Broadland & South Norfolk Business Awards, organised by South Norfolk Council and Broadland District Councils, celebrate the excellence, innovation and best practice shown by businesses across the combined area.

The awards are now open for nominations and all 12,500 businesses that have an operating base in Broadland and South Norfolk are now able to nominate themselves for an award online, in any of the ten categories. 

Residents also have the chance to win £100 of shopping vouchers by nominating their favourite retailer on the South Norfolk Council website. The Retailer of the Year award recognises high street businesses that have gone the extra mile.

Sponsored by Fosters Solicitors with media partner Radio Norwich, the awards’ categories are:

• Excellence in Digital Creative and ICT
• Excellence in Life Sciences
• Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing
• Excellence in Financial Services and Insurance
• Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Drink
• Visitor Economy Experience
• New Business
• Business Growth
• International Business Growth
• Environmental Impact
• Retailer of the Year

The awards will give businesses the chance to celebrate their outstanding hard work and success.  They are free to enter and nominations close on 30 December 2019.

Shortlisted nominees for all the categories will be put to an independent judging panel, and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held on 26 March, at the Open Norwich.

Nominate your business or favourite retailer at www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/businessawards. Retailers can request a marketing pack to advertise the Retailer of the Year award to their customers by emailing awards@s-norfolk.gov.uk.

Enter now!

A scheme which will help get people into apprenticeships in small businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk has been launched by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Pool is being set up in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and will help transfer unspent apprenticeship levy payments from levy payers to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the area.

Levy payers with unspent levy need to be identified and encouraged to allocate some or all of their unspent levy to a virtual pot. Any preferred use of their funds – a certain apprenticeship standard, sector, location – will be identified at this stage.

The LEP or an endorsed partner will then source businesses direct or through an apprenticeship provider that has potential apprentices who are looking to ‘receive’ the funds. An introduction will be made and if all parties, including the training provider, are happy with the match, funds can start to be transferred.

New Anglia LEP is working with businesses, colleges and universities in the region to identify potential opportunities and a budget of £120,000 has been allocated to fund the development of the New Anglia Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Pool.

Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “Intervention is required in order to boost the number of apprenticeship starts, particularly among SMEs which make up the vast majority of employers in the area.

“This scheme is part of a wider series of actions designed to support apprenticeships across Norfolk and Suffolk and it is essential there is a coordinated approach across stakeholders. This will ensure we can maximise opportunities and prevent employers being engaged multiple times by different stakeholders.”

Natasha Waller, Skills Manager for New Anglia LEP, said: “This will be a massive boost for apprenticeships and training at a time when these opportunities are dwindling. People are central to all of our ambitions and goals and this underlines our commitment to help people of all ages set their aspirations high and open them up to the careers available to them.”

For the initiative to work effectively and to have a significant impact, it needs to be done at scale and with support for both the levy payers – companies with a staffing bill of more than £3 million a year – and the SMEs.

An apprenticeship levy coordinator has been appointed by the LEP and this post will be funded for the two years of the programme.

A pioneering Anglo-French research project lead by the University of Plymouth and involving Norwich-based Hudson Architects to bring an ancient building technique into the 21st century has won a major EU award, as announced today.

Cob houses – built using a mixture of earth and natural fibre – have existed for centuries. Sadly, this beautifully tactile, natural and sustainable material did not satisfy contemporary building regulations – until now. The EU-funded CobBauge project reconciles cob construction with modern building standards and has been announced as the winner in the sustainability category at this year’s RegioStars awards in Brussels. Following this important award, the search is now on for projects in the UK and France where this ground-breaking research can be applied and monitored in practice.

Having received funding from the European Union’s Interreg VA France (Channel) England Programme and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the project completed its first phase in 2018. The main aim of the project has been to update and standardise the construction technique and by doing this, make way for a new generation of energy efficient homes.

Organised by the European Commission, RegioStars recognises Europe’s most innovative regional projects. CobBauge triumphed on the night winning from the 30 original entrants in the category. This award winning project lead by the University of Plymouth, is a collaboration between Earth Building UK and Ireland (EBUKI) and Hudson Architects in the UK, with French partners ESITC Caen, Parc naturel régional des Marais du Contentin et du Bessin (PnrMCB) and the University of Caen.   Cob houses have existed in the south of England and northern France for centuries; however, it is only through the phase 1 CobBauge innovation that cob will comply with thermal regulations on both sides of the channel (UK (Part L), and France (RT2012)). The project received an additional €4m in funding from the EU this year to launch a second phase, which will run until 2023 and will include the construction of at least two full-sized buildings.    In both countries, the search is now on for a building project on which to trial the new material. Members of the public with a house building project in mind can benefit from this pioneering research and secure themselves a contemporary cob building.    Homeowners and builders with potential projects are encouraged to contact the project team to continue the work on this new, and yet somewhat ancient technology. Once a site has been identified, Hudson Architects – who have been working within the Cob Bauge team – will utilise their design understanding of the material to help detail and construct the UK based pilot house. Once these homes have been constructed, they will be monitored to assess energy use, thermal conditions and indoor air quality, facilitating comparisons with equivalent, conventionally constructed homes.   Professor Steve Goodhew, Principal Investigator on CobBauge (Plymouth University) and a member of the University’s Environmental Building Group, said “To win this award is clear recognition of the importance of this work in terms of exploring sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials and methods, it is also well-deserved recognition of all the hard work undertaken so far by the project team, from colleagues at the University, to partners in France and here in the UK.”   CobBauge Project Manager, Karen Hood-Cree (Plymouth University), said, “The judges were particularly impressed by the development of an innovative low carbon technology to build cob houses using local soil and agricultural/waste fibres. It was felt that this technology could make an important contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions, improved energy efficiency, high levels of indoor air quality and an overall carbon neutral strategy.”   Anthony Hudson, Practice Director at Hudson Architects said  “According to latest research as buildings become more efficient, embodied energy becomes a significantly higher proportion of total life cycle energy use. Given that we have an urgent need to minimise our impact on the world around us, the low embodied energy of CobBauge represents a major step towards a more sustainable way of building.”

Local solicitors firm, Hatch Brenner, is once again taking part in the national charity will writing scheme Will Aid this November.

The Hatch Brenner Private Client team will be offering clients the opportunity to have a simple Will professionally drawn up without charge, in the hope that clients will make a donation to the Will Aid charities. The suggested donation level is £100 for a single basic Will and £180 for a pair of Wills.

The money raised supports the vital work of nine of the UK’s best known charities all of whom work to transform the lives of people in the UK and around the world: ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).

The Will Aid scheme has been running since 1988 and has enabled the legal profession to raise over £20 million for good causes.

Caroline Billings, Hatch Brenner Partner and Head of Private Client commented: “We are delighted to be taking part in Will Aid again for 2019. Having been the highest donating legal firm in Norfolk for our contribution to the Will Aid 2017 campaign, we are determined to raise lots of money again this year. Since starting to work with Will Aid we have raised £18,703.”

Will Aid Campaign Director Peter de Vena Franks added: “Making a Will is one of the most thoughtful and important things you can do to protect those you love. Yet it is surprising that fewer than half of people have made one. Most say they simply haven’t got around to it and yet it can take years to sort out someone’s estate if they die without a Will, leaving their nearest and dearest in great distress.

“Will Aid is a great opportunity to make a proper, valid will to ensure your wishes will be carried out after death and to avoid the kind of family disputes, financial worries and legal battles that can ensue when someone dies without a proper will.”

For further information or to make an appointment to make a Will please call:

Alexandria Martin at Hatch Brenner on 01603 660 811, or visit www.willaid.org.uk

The Eastern Daily Press has named The TaxAssist Direct Group as a finalist in the Large Business category in the Norfolk Business Awards.

The annual Eastern Daily Press Business Awards are a celebration of business success within the Eastern Region. All the entries have been rigorously analysed, after the finalists were interviewed as part of the process to help inform the final decision as to who will be named winner next month.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive of The TaxAssist Direct Group, said: “To even make the shortlist is a huge honour, and highlights the stature of our business which has grown so successfully since its inception in Norwich in 1995. We now have more than 250 franchised areas across the UK, Ireland and Australia, with the network servicing over 84,000 clients with a combined fee bank of more than £55.4 million.

“We moved to new premises 5 years ago and last year doubled the size of our office on the prestigious Broadland Business Park to cope with demand from our fast-growing franchise network. We plan to recruit further new employees this year, as new support lines to our global franchisee network are added. We are also progressing well with plans to launch in Canada and USA in 2020.”

Richard Porritt, Business Editor of The Eastern Daily Press, said of the finalists: “These are the firms that are driving our region. These are the firms on the edge of innovation that will change all our lives. These are the firms making a difference.”

Award winners will be announced at the Norfolk Showground Arena on Thursday, 21st November by the host, star of film and television, James Nesbitt. Further information about the awards can be found here. 

Local cancer charity, Big C, which offers support to those affected by cancer in Norfolk and Waveney, has appointed a new Director of Charitable Operations. Dr Melanie Pascale has joined the charity from the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, working in the Quadram Institute at Norwich Research Park, where she was NHS Clinical Research Facility Lead. In her new role at Big C, Dr Pascale will be responsible for leading and managing the charity’s operational services, including the development and delivery of Big C’s support and information services, research grant and education programmes. She will also act as an ambassador for the charity locally and nationally. Dr Pascale has an extensive background in clinical science with a long-term focus on oncology and the patient experience. She said, “I am incredibly excited about joining the Big C team. Throughout my studies and career to date, I have been heavily involved in cancer research and cancer services and I am passionate about patient care. I have worked with Big C centres previously when running oncology clinical trials for our NNUH and JPUH patients and I am looking forward to utilising my knowledge and experience to help the organisation further develop their outstanding cancer support services and cancer education programme, which we are so fortunate to have in Norfolk and Waveney. I feel honoured to be joining the charity at a very exciting time in its growth.” Dr Chris Bushby, Chief Executive at Big C, said “We are delighted to welcome Melanie to Big C and we’re so pleased that the charity is going to benefit from her wealth of relevant experience and expertise. She will be a huge asset to the organisation and I look forward to working together to deliver important developments in our support for those with cancer in our region. “At Big C we are always full of energy for developing new services to help those with cancer, at what can be a deeply difficult time for those with a diagnosis, as well as their families and loved ones. As ever, we are currently very busy with our Nearer to Home Appeal to raise funds to build a brand-new state of the art cancer support facility in central Norwich, investment into the world-class cancer research taking place at the Norwich Research Park and development of our education programme.” To learn more about the work Big C does to improve the lives of those affected by cancer in Norfolk and Waveney, please visit www.big-c.co.uk  

We provide support to help people make changes to improve their wellbeing and to help them cope with common mental health and emotional issues such as low mood, stress, anxiety and depression. The range of support includes:

• One-to-one and online support
• Self-help advice
• Free Workshop and group sessions including Successful Study, Wellbeing in Later Life, Improving Sleep, Mindfulness, Everyday Wellbeing and Wellbeing in the Workplace.
• Relationship counselling for couples individuals and families
• Courses to help you achieve a better sense of wellbeing and to manage issues such as stress worry and insomnia
• Help to access peer support and social groups
• Helping you find other support for issues affecting your wellbeing such as debt, housing and employment

Our service, for people who are 16 years and over can contact us by phone 0300 123 1503 or self-refer online via our website www.wellbeingnands.co.uk or by asking your GP or any other health or social care professional to refer on your behalf.