Norwich Puppet Theatre is an inspirational centre for the development and celebration of puppet theatre and an outstanding cultural venue in the East of England. It is a registered arts charity, founded in 1979. The theatre opened its doors in December 1980, situated inside a converted Medieval Church at St James, Norwich, being one of only three building-based puppet theatres in England. It is the home of a ‘family’ of puppets, some of whom have ‘lived’ there for almost 40 years!
Back in 1979, the pressure was on to convert the redundant church, temporarily a night shelter, to a fully equipped live theatre specially designed for the art of puppet theatre. Then as now, Funding was a pressure. From that time, Tony Ede, Steering Group chairman talked about “another jewel in the crown of Norwich”. Then, as now, he said that a great deal of time and hard work had already been put into the scheme. All that he asked for was £15,000 (“not too much money at that time”, he said) from business and the community as well as time energy and moral support to bring original professional puppet theatre to Norwich.
Then, as now, the Puppet Theatre toured nationally and internationally carrying the name of Norwich as an ambassador representing our fine city and all our sectors and communities.
We are working on a “£40k for 40 Years of Puppet Theatre” campaign for our birthday in 2020. We are very keen to speak to partners who can help us raise the money we need by sponsorship, partnership, energy and goodwill. We are often told, “I have so often passed by but never been in.” Please contact us and arrange a visit if you’d like to discuss opportunities to work together, or simply look at https://puppettheatre.co.uk/whats-on and come to one of our events. The charity provides an excellent introduction to the magic of theatre with original shows, activities, workshops and master classes for all ages and abilities. Our touring has a trusted and popular national footprint, taking live professional puppet theatre all over this land! Our creative learning work mainly operates from our base in Norwich, and the main beneficiaries are in Norwich and Norfolk. Contact me, Chair of Trustees on nichopkins@puppettheatre.co.uk or our lovely team on info@puppettheatre.co.uk or 01603 615564 To support us online https://puppettheatre.co.uk/support-us/donate
We are very pleased to announce that the Maids Head Hotel is an accommodation partner with the new English National Park Experience Collection, which has been supported by Visit Britain and Visit England through the Discover England Fund.
More than 70 experiences, encouraging people to get hands-on in the English National Parks are featured in the Travel Trade Buyer’s Guide, which was launched at the end of January.
Paul Dickson, our resident tour guide has an experience in the collection – Rails, Trails & Sails, which links Norwich with the Broads National Park at Reedham. The tour begins with stories at the Maids Head, followed by a walking tour of the Cathedral Quarter. Then it’s a short stroll to the railway station to catch the train to Reedham, where Paul covers the story of the railway in the Broadland town and the history of the wherry trading vessel. There are also visits to Reedham Church, built on the site of a Roman fort and Humpty Dumpty Brewery.
Norfolk-based Victory Housing Trust has been recognised amongst the best in the country for staff engagement after being placed 38th on the Sunday Times Top 100 not for profit companies.
Staff completed a staff survey with questions designed around the 8 factors of workplace engagement including – leadership and wellbeing.
The Best Companies Index (BCI) score resulted in Victory’s improved ranking from last year (77th), earnt them a 2 star status accreditation (second highest standard) and they were rated as “outstanding”.
John Archibald, Flagship Chief Strategic Officer, (Victory’s former Chief Executive) said: “The result is fantastic news as it provides an important benchmark for employee engagement with the best not-for-profit organisations across a variety of sectors.
“The staff survey took place in October last year when we were finalising details of our partnership with Flagship Group. This had the potential to be an uncertain time for staff, but the survey results show that despite the potential change, Victory employees felt engaged and motivated which is really encouraging.”
The Not-For-Profit List spotlights the 100 companies in the ‘Not for Profit’ category with the highest Best Companies Index scores. Organisations in the list must employ at least 50 employees, achieve one of the highest 100 highest BCI scores in the category and be either a charity, an organisation set up for community benefit, a public sector organisation, a Community Interest Company (CIC) or Listed on Companies House as: Private, Limited by Guarantee, No Share Capital or Incorporated by Royal Charter.
20 Feb 2019 – Norfolk – Family-owned maltster Simpsons Malt welcomes Andrew Holding to the position of Operations Director at its Tivetshall Maltings in Norfolk.
Responsible for leading the Tivetshall and Fersfield teams and overseeing manufacturing operations, Andrew will also join the company’s Operation Board.
Andrew brings with him a wealth of experience in maltings and food produce management roles, having spent over 20 years with Stowmarket-based Muntons followed by roles with Peterborough-headquartered food producer, Produce World Group. He also holds an MBA and a Malting Diploma.
In this new role, Andrew will work strategically with the Simpsons Malt Tivetshall Maltings team as the site undergoes an extensive investment programme to expand its production capacity.
Speaking of this new role at the leading maltster, which is over 150-years old, Steven Rowley Operations Director of Simpsons Malt Ltd said: “We look forward to welcoming Andrew to the Simpsons Malt team. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the food and malting industries and will implement a strategic approach to maintain a quality output at our Tivetshall maltings.”
Andrew added: “This is an exciting chapter for me personally and I am pleased to be joining the family at Simpsons Malt, especially at a time when there are such exciting developments on the horizon.”
Andrew Holding is from Kent, where he grew up in a farming family. In addition to his MBA, Andrew holds a degree in Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia.
A series of free seminars aiming to empower businesses to take control of customer experiences is set to take place across Norfolk and Suffolk.
In the eighth year of the popular Accelerate programme, 2019 looks to strip back to the essentials of multi-channel marketing to generate improved results.
Delivered by Archant, publisher of the Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times, the seminars will focus on marketing buzzword “omnichannel” – a cross-channel marketing approach that helps builds brands and convert potential customers into actual customers.
“It’s all about making sure customers have a fantastic user experience, no matter what channel they use,” explains Jamie Brown, head of digital knowledge and development at Archant, who will be delivering the seminars.
“So whether it’s a high street shop, the staff who work there, the mobile-enabled website, Google reviews, social media, emails or texts, the idea is to create a cohesive approach to all the different elements so that they reflect the whole.”
It can be hard for SMEs to keep on top of all these channels, but Jamie says all businesses need to get to grips with if they want to be successful and grow.
“Even if a product or service isn’t bought online, the purchasing process still revolves around the website, the Google reviews, the posts on social media,” says Jamie. “Infrastructure has changed – businesses must have a website and they must be visible online.”
The seminars will include a presentation covering the idea of omnichannel and a real-life case study of a business customer that has completed the journey, including visuals of before and after content, and the analytical results it has achieved.
Attendees can then speak one-on-one with experts who will explain how they can take the same approach, utilising the services, products and audiences that Archant can offer.
“People attending the seminars can take advantage of our 360-degree solution to marketing,” says Jamie. “We can provide the advice, infrastructure and audience that businesses need to be successful.”
Accelerate sessions will take place on Tuesday, March 12 at the Cliff Hotel in Gorleston; Wednesday, March 13 at Carrow Road, Norwich; Thursday, March 14 at West Suffolk College in Bury; and Friday, March 15 in Ipswich at Suffolk University. For more information and to book your space visit www.archanthub.co.uk/ACCELERATE
AnotherPay Per Click advertsing account win for Bigfork. We are delighted to be working with Windsor Waste Management and look forward to improving their Google Ads campaigns.
Is this you? – able to relate to young people – a good listener – friendly and patient – you have a good sense of humour Break is looking for committed people who have a few hours to spare every couple of weeks to support the charity’s young service users. This includes young people in care; young people leaving care; young people with disabilities; young carers; young people in foster placements; and young parents in need of support. Find out more email: mentoring@break-charity.org or call Clare Oakley, Mentoring Co-ordinator on: 07771808619 or come along to our free mentoring information evening taking place on Thursday 4th April 6pm-9pm at Break, Diamond House, Vulcan Road North, Norwich, NR6 6AQ. Search Eventbrite or Facebook for more details. What do Break’s mentors do? Our mentors give their time to develop a relationship with a vulnerable young person to give them support and encouragement. Each young person’s needs are different, so the type of contact a mentor has with a young person will vary, but may include casual activities such as going out for lunch or walks; helping young people access local community activities; or providing support with finding employment or educational opportunities. Any volunteer must understand that mentoring for Break is a long-term commitment, due to the impact any changes could have on the young person, their carers and families. The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation states that Mentoring makes a real difference to people who find that they need the dedicated support of another person, often at a time of transition or change. A supportive relationship with a mentor – who is not family or a close friend – can encourage a young person to make positive changes in their life. Mentors are carefully recruited, going through a formal application process, training programme and interviews. We also take up references and an Enhanced Criminal Records check. Ongoing training and regular supervision is provided and Break pays expenses and mileage to mentors. Meet Tim – one of Break’s volunteer mentors: https://www.facebook.com/BreakCharity/videos/315971875659006/
With businesses increasingly competing for top talent, Corporate Social Responsibility could be the deciding factor for a potential new employee considering applying for a role in your company.
Research from Cone Communications revealed that for 58% of employees, from all generations, CSR is an important element of consideration when choosing a job, sometimes even more so than the proposed salary. Considering how important this is becoming, are you communicating enough about the values and ethics behind your business?
As well as an official CSR strategy document, other pieces of business information also reveal a lot about the socially responsible ways an organisation operates. Here are some examples which can be showcased across websites, social media, PR, marketing assets and recruitment materials. These will all help to give potential employees a better understanding of how your organisation considers the interests of its employees, customers, stakeholders and communities plus the environmental and social consequences of its business activities.
Mission statement and purpose
Your organisation’s mission statement can communicate a wider social purpose as well as business objectives, and research by Deloitte shows that ‘mission-driven’ businesses enjoy 30% more innovation and 40% more engagement from employees. As an example, Starbucks mission statement is ‘To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time’. Here at Pure, we highlight our overall purpose, which is to contribute to the economic growth of our region and to make a difference to people’s lives. This reveals how our team get to go beyond just recruitment and be involved in added value initiatives and career development programmes which help businesses and candidates to thrive.
Company values and behaviours
Company values give a real sense of how an organisation conducts responsible and ethical relationships with its people, customers, suppliers and stakeholders. Virgin shares its values on the recruitment section of its website, which are: ‘We are delightfully surprising, red hot, straight up whilst maintaining an insatiable curiosity, giving a heartfelt service and creating smart disruption.’ It also goes on to share more information through a list of company ‘Behaviours’ which include ‘Supportive: We are a family of friendly and inclusive people who pull together and openly help each other’. At Pure, we are also driven by our commitment to deliver against our strong company values of teamwork, quality, innovation, reward, support and delivering the best results. These are at the heart of everything we do, helping us to create a great place to work in which our staff are happy, supported, rewarded and motivated to go the extra mile for our customers.
Employee development and welfare
Sharing details of how your organisation looks after its staff including through physical and mental health support, inclusive career development opportunities and fair, transparent pay, highlights your organisation as a business which cares about its workers. Social media is a great platform to share real-life examples of the ‘human’ side of your business. For example, Grant Thornton posts a case study examples of employees whose day-to-day lives have really benefitted from being able to effectively juggle work and home because of the organisation’s agile workplace culture. These posts generate lots of likes, positive comments and enquiries about joining the organisation. For us, we highlight details of our employee wellbeing policy which includes mindfulness courses, counselling, lifestyle and fitness guidance plus a trained Mental Health First Aider who works with managers to support their teams. Soon we will also be able to update people on our initiative to train a team of employees to become Mental Health Champions. They will offer support to employees struggling with mental ill-health and raise awareness of mental health across Pure.
Environmental impact
A responsible business looks to minimise the impact it has on the environment by reducing its carbon footprint and using green practices. Depending on the nature of the business this could include anything from the use of sustainable materials and local produce through to reduced waste, and energy saving. Here at Pure, our offices focus on recycling as much as possible from paper and batteries through to printer cartridges. To help reduce the combined carbon footprint of our team, as well as supporting physical wellbeing, we also offer a Cycle to Work scheme for our employees. Writing a dedicated environmental policy to be shared externally and internally will highlight how your business has considered its environmental impact across all of its operations. It will also remind both current and future employees of their own individual responsibilities and the role they can play in helping the organisation to meet and exceed its green commitments. Don’t forget to also display and promote any relevant code of practices the organisation follows, whether formal or voluntary, plus any specific industry standards it meets and any environmentally friendly focussed awards or accreditations.
Community impact
Today’s socially conscious generation are looking to work for businesses that give something back and which support them to do the same. As well as fundraising and donations, look to provide hands-on opportunities for employees to take on volunteer activities. Statistics from Employee Volunteering reveal that 76% of volunteers felt the opportunity had a positive influence on how they felt about their employer. We have seen this first hand here at Pure through our commitment to actively encouraging our colleagues to work together and give back to their local communities. We support our team with paid time off to complete charity challenges, fundraising and volunteering. Our team’s recent activities include donating time to wrap Christmas presents for Lighthouse Women’s Aid, raising money to put together packages of clothing and food to take to homeless charity The Bus Shelter Ipswich, spending a day painting and decorating with Inspire Suffolk and taking on the accumulator fundraising challenge for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. When sharing stories about your organisation’s community support, also highlight the reason why that particular charity or group was chosen. Was it chosen by employees because it had particular importance to them? Does it align with your business own social values? Or, as with our examples, are they directly within the communities you operate in?
At our latest Charity Leaders Group event, organised in partnership with PEM, we welcomed Samantha Loveday from East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH) and Alison Taylor of Conscious Communications, as our guest speakers.
This was our first Charity Leaders Group event of 2019. Held at Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge it provided a forum for local charity leaders to discuss issues related to the charity and not-for-profit sector. The theme was ‘How to Stand Out’ and it was run as an explorative session looking at how charities can stand out from the crowd when it comes to fundraising, employer brand and public identity.
Samantha Loveday gave an overview of the current fundraising landscape and the challenges faced by the charity sector; including the uncertainty around Brexit and the impact of GDPR regulations. Samantha also revealed that while there has been a positive uptrend in donations from individuals over the last ten years, a key challenge faced by charities is finding ways to stand out amongst millennials. Older people are becoming more charitable with money, as they are in a better position to do so, whereas younger people tend to give time. Charities need to find innovative ways to engage new generations in providing financial support, both now and in the future.
As Samantha talked through potential strategies to build brand awareness and engage new audiences within a crowded market place, we noticed how many of these also correlated with the advice our Director David Culley gave in his session on employer brand. The ways in which charities can stand out to potential donors will also help them stand out to prospective high-calibre employees; helping them to attract and retain the talented teams needed to shape and implement strategies for the future.
One of the considerations discussed was sharing clear messages about a charity’s need for support and providing more emphasis on the direct impact of donations, so that people can really see the difference they have, or could, make. These communications will also help potential employees understand how they could make a difference every day if they were to work for the organisation. While charities and not-for-profit organisations may be concerned about competing for talent based on salaries and benefits, they can compete when it comes to offering a sense of purpose. This is becoming increasingly attractive to new generations entering the workplace. LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Culture report revealed that nine out of ten millennials would consider taking a pay cut to work at a company whose mission and values aligned with their own.
Alison Taylor of Conscious Communications looked at ways charities can manage their reputation at a time when public trust and confidence in charities has dipped due to negative stories. This echoed Samantha’s advice on creating a greater level of transparency to gain confidence in supporting and donating to a charity. In turn, transparency about the culture of an organisation including its values and behaviours will also help to attract the right employees in the first place. David stressed the importance of embedding a consistent culture in the organisation and the need to be constant in all communications and actions. He also advised that employers should never compromise on cultural fit when recruiting, as skills can be developed but natural behaviours cannot.
With the challenge of new generations moving increasingly towards a digital focussed and a potentially cashless society, Samantha also discussed looking at innovative ways to increase the use of online and digital platforms. EACH has continued to find ways to generate support in a virtual world. For example, it has successfully launched a new online retail outlet through its eBay store and also used the online platform to auction off clothes donated by ambassador Ed Sheeran. Increasing social media engagement and the use of digital platforms will raise brand awareness of the charity to new generations; not only as an organisation to support but also as a potential place to work.
Ultimately, the investment charities make to reach new audiences and stand out from the crowd should also have a positive impact on the employer brand. Sharing clear messages about the purpose, impact and culture of the organisation will showcase the charity as an employer of choice and a place where employees can make a difference and have a clear purpose.
The Charity Leaders Group is a unique opportunity for charity executives in the eastern region to hear presentations on topical subjects and to have a sounding board for challenges they may face.
We’re very proud of this new website we’ve designed for the leading agricultural equipment manufacturer, Richard Western. You can read the full case study here https://www.bigfork.co.uk/our-work/richard-western/
City centre youth charity, OPEN Youth Trust (OPEN), is pleased to announce Paige George as their first business ambassador.
Paige who went to Neatherd High School, and now works as a Private Client Executive for Cozens-Hardy solicitors, is the charity’s latest ambassador, joining fellow ambassadors, Joe Crowley, Alfie Hewitt, Vicky Williamson, Sophie Wright and Iona Lake.
From the age of 11, Paige had always aspired to pursue a career in law and was determined to work hard to fulfil this. Paige started working for Cozens-Hardy solicitors in 2012 as a Business and Administration Apprentice, very much working from the bottom of the career ladder to her current position as Executive. Paige has been shortlisted as a finalist for the National Paralegal Awards as ‘Paralegal of the Year 2019’. Paige also enjoys being involved as social secretary for the Norwich and Norfolk Junior Lawyers Division and for the NewGen Committee.
Paige actively engages in the local community and enjoys meeting people from all walks of life. In her spare time, she is pursuing a passion for motivating individuals such as friends and family and also helping her clients overcome their emotional hardships and always tries to remain positive.
Her ultimate life goal is to encourage, motivate and inspire people to achieve their dreams no matter what their circumstances are or what background they are from.
Paige, from Norwich, said: “I’m excited to become OPEN’s first business ambassador and help spread the word in the community of the fantastic work the charity does. I’m really looking forward to making a difference and helping the younger generation, who feel as though life isn’t going their way, realise that there is someone who cares and has walked a similar path and managed to achieve their goals.
John Gordon-Saker, Chief Executive of OPEN said: “From the first time of meeting Paige I was impressed by her journey and the drive she has undertaken to get where she is today. We are all really excited to have Paige on board as our latest ambassador, she will be a great inspiration to other young people and living proof that hard work and determination does pay off. We look forward to working alongside Paige in helping younger children with their educational skills and behavioural issues by encouraging them to succeed and achieve their goals.”
Pure Executive are delighted to have introduced two outstanding Non-Executive Directors to Treatt plc in Bury St Edmunds, one of our region’s most successful companies.
Treatt is a FTSE listed, fast growth Best Employers Eastern Region platinum accredited and award-winning company, whose culture and values are core to its business strategy. This was critical in attracting the two individuals, both highly regarded in their respective fields, to join the Board and support the next phase of transformative growth. It was important for Treatt to achieve balance and diversity of thinking on its Board, as well as attracting international business experience to help drive their worldwide expansion.
Treatt has confirmed that Yetunde Hofmann will join the Board with effect from 20th March and Lynne Weedall with effect from 6th April 2019.
Yetunde has worked extensively across many Asian countries, the US and Europe with strategic, commercial and operational transformation skills developed through her experience at Allied Domecq, Unilever, Imperial Brands and Northern Foods. She is a Non-Executive Director of the CIPD, Education Development Trust, Tomorrow’s Company and is a visiting fellow of Henley Business School.
Yetunde commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to support the culture and business transformation of an organisation that has people and people engagement at the heart of its business strategy.”
Lynne Weedall has extensive strategy, change management and M&A experience gained from Board positions as Group HR Director with Whitbread Plc, Dixons Carphone Plc and most recently the Selfridges Group.
Lynne, who is also a Non-Executive Director of Greene King, commented: “I am looking forward to working with the Board at Treatt to build on its success and to be part of its interesting international growth strategy. The people and also the opportunity that lie ahead at Treatt were too good to pass up.”
Treatt Plc chairman Tim Jones said: “I would like to welcome Yetunde and Lynne to Treatt. Their experience and knowledge further strengthen the Board’s skillset as the company pushes forward its strategy for progressive global growth over coming years. We were delighted to have the support of Lynn and the team at Pure Executive who have delivered such outstanding candidates.”
Yetunde added: “Pure Executive took the time to understand my skills, experience and values to see how I could best contribute to the success of this next phase of development in Treatt’s growth strategy as a member of their Board. I experienced them as refreshing and collaborative and was impressed by their industry and sector knowledge.”
Treatt is an impressive Suffolk business which will commence a £35million capital investment project to build a new manufacturing and head office site on the Suffolk Business Park this year.
Lynn Walters, Executive Director of Pure Executive, said: “I am very proud that Treatt has appointed two such inspirational women who share the company values and will be strong role models for other women in this region. At Pure Executive we are committed to placing people who are genuinely aligned to our client’s culture, vision and purpose. We work hard to ensure the region has a more balanced representation at Board level and through our Women’s Leadership Programme we actively encourage more women to reach Board positions. I have the greatest respect for both Lynne and Yetunde and working with both of them to secure these roles with Treatt has been a privilege.”
Founded in 1886, Treatt is a cutting-edge flavour and fragrance manufacturer and solutions provider to the food, drink and consumer goods market with its focus being beverages.
Read Treatt’s announcement to the stock exchange on Wednesday 6th February.