Welcome to REEPHAM19! This year’s festival is extra special… we’re calling it Reepham19 ALL STARS!!! We’ve hosted so many brilliant acts over the past 11 years and you keep asking us to get them back. Well, just go to our Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/groups/108509879182142/https://www.facebook.com/reephamfestival/ and tell us who you would like to see return to play at R19 (and don’t forget to share). AND… if that’s not enough, we will also be introducing a loads of exciting new acts to the Festival, so keep checking the ‘Line Up’ page to see as we add to the list. Remember, our ‘EARLY BIRD’ Tickets are on sale now. Don’t forget to let all your friends know about us… we’re THE MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR EVERYONE!!! and we’re really looking forward to seeing you on 10th – 11th August. Reepham Festival passionately believes in providing a great, affordable, community festival with all our profits being re-invested and being donated to local charities.
If you are interested in Rocking your Business profile by sponsoring our event we would love to hear from you. Our Sponsorship Packages are avaible on the attachement below.
Now in its 11th year, East Anglian recruitment agency Cooper Lomaz have released their annual Salary Survey and Recruitment Trends report.
The report, which presents findings from over 2,800 individuals across the East of England working within the technical and professional sectors, is now available to download from their website – https://www.cooperlomaz.co.uk/salary-survey-2019/
Simon Brown, Managing Director of Cooper Lomaz, said: “In producing this annual report our goal is simple; to provide an unrivalled and unbiased insight into recruitment trends from the past twelve months from across our region.”
In addition to salary statistics for the Accounting & Finance, Engineering, Food Manufacturing, IT, Sales & Marketing, and Supply Chain sectors, this year’s report also highlights recruitment trends and hot topics including the gender pay gap. We found an alarming difference between the amount of money earned by men and women in the sectors we operate. Shockingly, we calculated that September 19th 2019 will be the day that the average women will stop earning their annual salary compared to men.
Simon added “This year we’ve discussed in more detail some challenging and thought-provoking trends. There are insight and analysis within the report which I suspect will make some feel uncomfortable, challenged and even possibly lead to difficult conversations. However, I believe that such debate is good for business, good for employees and ultimately good for the region.”
The effect of salary on satisfaction levels is another topic which showed some interesting insight. Can money buy love? According to the data, it appears not – well, at least not on its own. The report shows that training actually plays a key role in supporting a satisfied workforce.
The strong growth seen in the IT sector shows no sign of abating and we’re seeing an ever-increasing demand and competition for skilled candidates. 2019 will also see the continued rise of Digi-Tech start-ups and SMEs with Norfolk actually outstripping Suffolk and Cambridge for growth in the sector. It’s these companies who stand the greater chance of attracting top talent as they tend to offer more flexible working hours, the latest technologies and project ownership. It’ll be vital for established organisations to remain competitive by embracing modern working preferences and by recognising the value of their current IT and infrastructure employees.
For the first time in over 5 years, nearly one in four people do not feel secure in their current roles. The reason? While it would be easy to blame this trend on the wider economic and political landscape, it’s clear that businesses should be communicating with their employees about how any changes could affect them personally. For more insights into recruitment trends, download your copy of the Salary Survey and Recruitment Trends report now by visiting https://www.cooperlomaz.co.uk/salary-survey-2019/, or speak to one of their consultants on 01284 701302 | 01603 766760 | 01206 984321
We are absolutely thrilled as our great friends at our local authorities have confirmed some of our vital funding for the year ahead from this April. We are delighted at the long term commitment and support of these, and the vital support which has been so valuable in itself and given confidence to others to fund us.
The Norfolk Culture and Heritage team have awarded us £4,170. Assistant Director Steve Miller said, “I would like to emphasise our continued commitment to supporting your excellent and highly valued work and its contribution to ensuring a vibrant cultural offer throughout Norfolk”.
The Norwich Customers and Culture team have awarded us £10,000. Director Nikki Rotsos explained she particularly wished to “encourage the participation of Norwich residents who may be less likely to be engaged with the arts currently”. We will continue to work with these communities and strive to do even more, especially in the areas highlighted on the attached map.
We shall come back with more news about our future fundraising and programming soon. As both local authorities point out, they are “continuing to face considerable financial challenges so it would be sensible for you to look at a broader range of funding options for the future.”
You can find out more about our work at our website https://www.puppettheatre.co.uk/index. Our new brochure is now available at many tourist information outlets around the City and the County, or from us at the Theatre.
I do hope you will come and see us, and discuss how you and your family can enjoy our work and perhaps how you can help, at our theatre, at Norfolk and Norwich Festival Garden Party on 18th to 19th May https://www.puppettheatre.co.uk/whats-on/outandabout/, or at a Norfolk Chamber Networking Event later in the summer!
The Aviation Skills Partnership are very pleased to support one of our training partners, Rusta UAS and their upcoming course. We are planning to run a 2 day CAA Approved drone course at the Academy between 21st and 23rd of May.
RUSTA is one of the original drone and UAV acadamies in the UK and has been in operation since 2014, and have trained over 1000 individuals and entities.
This course is designed to help commercial drone operators obtain their Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) approval from the UK CAA.
The course is aimed at people looking to set up a commercial drone operation and/or companies who already utilise drones in their daily business or are looking to utilise this technology to enhance their business offering.
If you are in the following sector, this course may be of interest to you.
Agricultural businesses
Surveyors and Estate Agencies
Photographers
Film / TV / Media companies
Civil Engineering businesses
Facilities Management Companies
All RUSTA instructors are former aircrew instructors from aircrew instructors from the RAF and Army Air Corps with thousands of hours of flying experience.
Head Chef, ‘Magic’ Marcin Pomierny has collaborated with Mike Deal, Head Brewer of Wildcraft Brewery at Buxton to choose beers to complement the flavours of the five course tasting menu.
Mike will also be present on the evening to share his passion for beer and will talk about the brewing process.
Tickets are £42 per person to include supper and selected beers.
Menu
Wild Eye Pale Ale slow braised neck of Dingley Dell pork, aubergine puree, yoghurt and wild garlic oil
Pure’s spring series of Director Insights sessions, held in partnership with Grant Thornton, looked at the subject of cyber security and shared expert insight on the steps organisations can take to identify and guard against cyber crime.
Attacks on business IT systems are common in the UK and can affect organisations of all sizes. These attacks aim to steal information, money or to disrupt a business by hacking. As cyber attacks increase in quantity and sophistication, the global cost is estimated to hit $6 trillion by 2021. This makes effective security a critical issue for business leaders and it is also a subject of extreme importance to us here at Pure. We are putting robust strategies in place to protect our client and candidate data and to prevent any disruption to our business operations.
Nadia Mullins-Hills, Pure’s IT & Projects Manager, attended all of the Director Insight sessions. She said: “We learnt a lot about how we can build on our ongoing work to secure our systems and data. It was also evident from the sessions that the levels of understanding about cyber crime varied among attendees and that local organisations were all at different stages in their cyber security journey. The positive and main message which everyone took away is that 80% of attacks could be avoided by good cyber hygiene. This simply means being aware of the potential threats to your business and getting the basics right to mitigate against data leaks and hacks.”
Here are some of our cyber security top tips, compiled from the sessions and our own work here at Pure.
Improve user awareness
The human element is one of the biggest risks factors of cyber crime, whether criminals are targeting businesses or individuals. Taking the time to increase understanding of the potential threats and to raise awareness of the types of potential crime will help to protect your employees both at home and at work.
At Pure, we recently carried out cyber crime training with our management team. This included some fantastic, free business support and training from Rebecca Tinsley, Regional Cyber Project Coordinator at the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU). We looked at the potential threats, such as phishing attacks where fraudulent attempts are made to obtain sensitive information such as user names, passwords and credit card details. We also highlighted the potential impacts on our business, including a loss of money, a loss of data or the installation of malicious software. Most importantly we shared top tips on what to look out for and what to do if anyone is unsure about a phone call, message or email they may have received. We will be following this up with company-wide training and we will also include cyber crime awareness as part of our induction process for all new employees.
Password policies
One of the key areas we are raising awareness of is password security. People should have passwords that they can remember easily, so they don’t have to write them down, but still use a different password for each platform. This makes it harder for cyber criminals to infiltrate more than one system or account. If the same password is used across numerous different platforms, cyber criminals only need to hack one account and could potentially gain access to a wealth of different information across multiple accounts, from credit card details stored online through to personal data. Following advice from the National Cyber Security Centre on what makes a good password, we have recommended that people choose three different, random words which are easy for them to remember and then to use variations and combinations of these to make up a separate password for each different platform.
Use two factor authentication
Two factor authentication is something many people will already be familiar with and will be doing when they access accounts such as their internet banking or cloud storage. This is when you are asked for a second piece of authentication, beyond just your user name and password, if you are trying to log on from a different device or carrying out a high value or new transaction. The second piece of authentication could be additional memorable data provided when the account was set up, or it could involve a separate passcode being sent to your mobile phone. The two authentication elements needed to log-in makes it extremely difficult for cyber criminals to access accounts. Even if they do have your password, they will still need more information or to have access to your mobile phone. What many people, and businesses, may not be aware of is that this form of additional cyber protection is available for free across many other platforms including Google and Windows. It is worth reviewing all systems to see where this is available and to activate this as part of your account settings.
Create disaster recovery plans
As well as putting plans in place to protect against cyber crime, we are also assessing all the possible risks our organisation may face and creating disaster recovery plans, just in case the worst-case scenario should happen. Cyber crime is not just an IT problem, it is operation-wide and these recovery plans will form an important part of our overall business continuity strategies. As with all business recovery plans, whether in the event of a serious office fire, or a data hack, everyone needs to know who does what, how the communication process will work and what actions they need to take. The recovery plan should be fully tested before it is finalised. All the processes and back up plans put in place then need to be reviewed regularly, for example every six months or annually, to check they are still suitable and to keep on top of any new areas for consideration.
The topic of cyber crime, and the impact it could have on businesses and their employees, was discussed at the spring series of Director Insights, delivered by Pure Executive and Grant Thornton. These quarterly events, held in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich, bring business leaders together to share experiences and gain insights from industry experts. They are part of an extensive calendar of events by Pure to support local businesses and the economic growth of the Eastern region.
A mix of franchisees establishing new and purchasing existing practices recently completed their initial training and have begun trading as TaxAssist Accountants.
Amit Joshi (Chesham), Stuart Burge (Clacton-on-Sea), Chao Pang (Sutton North), Iain MacKenzie (Reading West), Tasnuva Tina (Royston) and Andrew Slade (Stockport) have all joined TaxAssist Accountants’ flourishing network.
Chao Pang, a CIMA qualified accountant who has 14 years’ finance experience most recently as deputy director of finance, said: “I joined TaxAssist Accountants because I was attracted to its proven business model and the openness of its leadership team. The support from Karl Sandall [Group Chief Executive Director] and his team is impressive and second to none. I look forward to being a part of the TaxAssist Accountants family for many years to come!”
Andy Slade FCA, worked in industry for eight years working his way up to a group financial controller position and latterly as an independent contractor. It was while contracting that he decided he wanted to put down permanent roots, build a practice and a team and get more involved in his local community.
He explained: “I knew I would need some help in the early days not only with some of the technical aspects, but also with the way the industry is moving I wanted to ensure I was working with the right technologies and partners.
“I attended a discovery day and my wife and I were both really impressed, not only with the depth of the support TaxAssist can provide but also – and importantly – the culture, a friendly positive can-do team who care about their franchisees.
“Having now attended the initial training course I can say that the support that was presented on the discovery day now only feels like the tip of the iceberg, everyone has been great! The support from the team is real, not just on the technical side but also with work on setting up my shop. “I’m still in my first month of trading and, already signing up and helping clients, as well as looking forward to getting the keys to the shop soon!”
Karl Sandall said: “As ever, it was a pleasure to meet such a great group of new franchisees and we look forward to helping them to grow substantial practices.
“We have a further three initial training courses scheduled in 2019, with three people already booked on our June course.”
If you would like more information about becoming part of the TaxAssist Accountants network, please call our Franchise Recruitment Manager Nikki Haythorne on 0800 0188297.
Businesses across East Anglia are turning to placement students and interns from the University of East Anglia (UEA) to help innovate and grow their organisations.
Increasing numbers of businesses are hosting placement students and interns with many offering them permanent positions when they graduate.
The University works with businesses to meet their needs, including providing recruitment support, placements and internships. The UEA Internship Programme contracts are extremely flexible, providing temporary paid workers who can work within a company from three weeks to one year on a part-time or full-time contract, while the Year in Industry placement degree programme gives employers the opportunity to recruit a student to work with you and your organisation for 9 – 14 months.
It’s more than just work experience or shadowing; a placement student or intern can bring real benefits to your business. You gain an enthusiastic student with fresh perspectives and new ideas, keen to learn and apply their knowledge in the workplace. It’s a great way to identify new talent, increase productivity and enhance your reputation, values and culture.
Both placement programs and internships are a win-win for both students and employers and a try before you buy solution for both parties.
Robert Kinglsley, from the Quadram Institute, commented that the placement students he has worked with have been “top quality students who are motivated and reliable.”
Environmental Sciences student Oli Gray, who spent his placement year as an Assistant Trails Officer with Norfolk County Council commented: “The reality of my placement has been a lot different to what I expected. I can honestly say my placement year has been one of the best things I’ve done at university!”
If you think your business could benefit from hiring a UEA student, contact the UEA Placement & Internship Team at placements@uea.ac.uk
UEA is one of the UK’s top 15 Universities in the country and hosts a pool of over 17,000 students from all over the world, with access to 4,000 recent graduates. We have a range of services to help you access talent. So if your business is struggling to hire why not drop us a line at access.talent@uea.ac.uk or give us a call on 01603 593452.
20 years ago today (April 15th 1999), after working for 10 years with pest control giants Rentokil and Dyno-Kil, Jon Blake decided to set up his own business and called it Abate, which is the company he and his wife Jill owns today.
The name Abate has the meaning of ‘reduce or remove’ which fitted nicely into the world of Pest Control.
Jon started to develop the business in Norfolk and Suffolk and with the help of some ex-colleagues, the business soon started winning contracts in the Cambridgeshire area.
Throughout the years Abate has developed into the surrounding counties of Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, as more contracts were successfully awarded.
With the help of Jon’s wife, they developed processes, RAMS (risk assessment method statements) and became triple ISO accredited, gained the CHAS and Safe Contractor status and became a member of the BPCA (British Pest Control Association). In February this year Abate became CEPA certified, meeting the European standard (EN 16636) in pest management service. They joined an elite group of 110 other UK pest control businesses who have gained this benchmark of quality, in terms of public health, food safety, environmental sustainability and economic significance.
Abate works with many commercial businesses including those in the food chain who are responsible for BRC audits from the Food Standards Agency. The growing portfolio of clients include names such as, Johnston Logistics UK, Best Western Hotels, Gnaw Chocolate, Consort Medical, Greene King, Felsted School, Anglian Water, Clarion Housing, Intu, Dencora and Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire County Councils. The domestic market remains a key part of the business treating residential properties with rodent and insect infestations.
Abate has also worked on many large-scale bird proofing installations including Sizewell Power Station, the University of East Anglia and RG Carter. Jon has an engineering background, which comes in useful when planning structural proofing methods for all types of buildings.
The business employs 7 service technicians (trained to the Royal Society For Public Health standards) and additional support staff. It is now growing throughout the UK by franchising with the primary focus to set up fully operational territories in Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Abate is also talking to a number of potential franchisees in Leicestershire, Kent, London and Middlesex, with additional interest from other parts of the UK.
Jon Blake said, “The pest control industry has seen lots of change since we commenced trading 20 years ago. It’s all been good change and we constantly strive forward with new processes and legislation, plus keep ahead with all the accreditations and certifications. Technology has also been a key area for our business success. Last year we invested in new workflow technology to manage the business including technician visits and reporting. As reported, in addition to the continued growth within the Eastern region, our next stage of growth is through franchising. We have laid the foundations and now with the help of Jonathan White and Neil Foley, the franchising team has excellent plans to build a national pest control business. The 20 years success couldn’t have been done without our fantastic customers and staff and I want to thank each one for their continued support.”
In March this year, Abate picked up the award for the 2019 Small Company of the Year at the British Pest Management Awards. They were shortlisted alongside five other UK pest control companies.
UEA’s CareerCentral are delighted to announce that exhibitor bookings for their first ever Graduate Jobs Fairare now open. GradFair will take place on 23 May 2019 from 11am-3pm at The Forum, Norwich. CareerCentral are looking for organisations who will have live opportunities and vacancies at the time of the event, so if that sounds like you, book your place.
UEA has over 4,000 energetic and enthusiastic students graduating every year, and many stay in East Anglia. This is a brilliant opportunity to exhibit in an award-winning city centre location and access graduate talent from a UK top 15 university. Thursday 23 May 2019, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, The Forum, Norwich
Are you a recent graduate of UEA? Or are you graduating in 2019 and looking for a graduate-level job for after your studies? Either way, you’re invited to join CareerCentral at our first GradFair this May and meet organisations recruiting for graduate level opportunities – who are looking for people like you.
Stay tuned for the full list of organisations who will be attending – to be announced in Spring 2019!
What to expect at the Fair:
Graduate roles you can apply for now
Representatives from a range of sectors
A chance to meet people working in fields you want to go into – or haven’t even considered yet!
Support from Careers Advisers
Live internship interviews
On the day, we will be running interviews with a variety of organisations who are offering graduate internships.
There will be 10 roles available, and a possible 60 interview slots – not all of the applications are open yet but the first few are available onthis information page.
Still not sure? Did you know…
90% of employers recruit from all degree disciplines – so you could find your dream job somewhere you never expected it!
We’ve invited organisations who are looking for all types of people, and who can give you a real insight into their companies and careers. Whether you have a specific career plan in mind or are still figuring it all out, this is an opportunity to explore what you could do next.
We are looking for regional and national organisations who will have live graduate level opportunities and vacancies at the time of the event. Does this sound like your organisation? If so, book now via our online application form.
Maintaining a healthy workplace doesn’t just tick health and safety boxes; it demonstrates that you care about your employees. It’s not an entirely altruistic act, though; the healthier your staff, the less time off sick they’ll take, and your company will be more productive. So, look at it as an investment with a fabulous ROI! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Air Quality Whilst this Harvard study shows that improving air quality improves mental cognition when we think about air quality affecting our health we tend to think of air conditioning systems spreading germs. On the whole, if air conditioning filters are maintained and cleaned regularly, they are less likely to contribute to the spreading of disease. Access to fresh air through natural means, e.g. an open window, isn’t just cheaper and better for the environment, many workers find it calming and morale-boosting.
If you have air conditioning in your office, check that it is included in the cleaning schedule and regularly maintained.
Cleaning If you want to keep germs at bay then it is imperative that you are proactive in your approach to cleaning. Disinfecting shared equipment and fixtures such as computer keyboards, telephones, door handles, worktops, and kitchen appliances on a regular basis is as imperative as an effective washroom cleaning schedule if you want to minimise the risk of infection.
Go the Extra Mile Regular contract cleaning should always be supported by a deep cleaning schedule. How often will be dependent on many factors, including the type of business, footfall of premises, and style of fixtures and fittings.
Incidentally, when it comes to window cleaning, do not underestimate the proven positive effects natural light has on mental wellbeing.
Promote Personal Hygiene There’s a lot you can do to keep your workplace free from germs, but ultimately your staff themselves are in the best place to protect themselves. Encourage them to tackle those unhygienic workplace habits and watch your sickness rates plummet!
If you are looking to reduce hygiene related staff sickness absences and need some help to improve the cleanliness of your business premises, contact us for more details of our contract cleaning services and one-off deep cleans.
42 women from across the Flagship Group came together on 4 April to form ‘Girls at 31’ – the first ever workplace Women’s Institute (WI) in Norfolk.
The women, who work for the largest housing association in the East of England, joined the long-standing institution in their ethos to unite women, build friendships and create a sense of belonging.
In true WI style, there was tea, cake and laughter at the Norwich headquarters (31 King Street) as the women formally registered as members, created a committee, and elected president Tracey Drake (Marketing Communications Business Partner).
Tracey said: “It is absolutely fantastic to see so many professional women coming together and forming our own WI. I’m proud to say I work for a company which has created this opportunity for their staff and can’t wait to get started.”
The inaugural meeting, which saw women from across the group aged between 19 to 71 coming together, was hosted by Margaret Collingwood, Head of the Norfolk WI.
She said: “It was wonderful to be part of this inspiring initiative. Forming a new WI is always exciting, but a workplace WI is a new venture for the Norfolk Federation; one we embrace wholeheartedly. We look forward to hearing about their plans for the next few months and to watching them grow and develop into the WI that suits their needs as working women. We wish Girls at 31 WI every success in the future.”
Norfolk’s first ever workplace WI has been formed to bring women closer together, develop friendships, and collaborate through a range of activities to improve wellbeing. ‘Girls at 31’ was formed based on an idea developed by Deputy CEO, Helen Walsham and MD of Flagship Homes, Marie-Claire Delbrouque and reflects the Group’s commitment to supporting and empowering women in the workplace.
Helen said: “We are always looking for ways to enhance employee wellbeing and engagement in the workplace and the WI will do just that. I am thrilled to see our women coming together, with equality, a sense of belonging and most importantly to have fun.”
The ‘Girls at 31’ will join the other 5,000 WI members across Norfolk and create their own programme for the next year. This will include sessions on professional development, motivational speakers, clothes swaps, wellbeing evenings, walking clubs, events and lots more.