Member News

A CNC Milling Programmer at Norwich based engineering firm Thurne Middleby Ltd has fought off tough competition to secure a place in the prestigious national finals of the WorldSkills UK Competitions. Jacob Wiggett will join finalists from all over the UK to compete in front of over 70,000 visitors at WorldSkills UK LIVE. Taking place from 15 – 17 November at the NEC, WorldSkills UK LIVE is the country’s largest experiential skills, apprenticeships and careers event and is free to attend.

“We are very proud of Jacob for reaching this stage of the competition and wish him all the best for the final”, said Dean Folkard, Production Manager at Thurne-Middleby Ltd. “His skills are making an important contribution to our in-house manufacturing capabilities and he has our full support in his preparations for November’s final.”

Dr Neil Bentley, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “I offer my congratulations to Jacob and Thurne-Middleby. Our competitions equip apprentices and learners with the lifelong, world-class skills that will drive up training standards to the highest level to help boost UK productivity and competitiveness.”

WorldSkills UK Competitions are run in over 60 skill areas and are proven to help people go further, faster in their training and chosen career. The WorldSkills UK Competition in CNC Milling is run in partnership with Semta.

Spire Solicitors LLP is pleased to welcome Protima Sikdar-Wood as Partner at Spire Solicitors LLP, joining the Norwich Commercial Property team.

Protima is an experienced Commercial Property solicitor, with a particular interest in the not for profit sector.  Having qualified in 2005, Protima went on to work at Morrisons Solicitors LLP in London where she oversaw the Not for Profit Sector of the Firm.

Protima deals with general commercial property work which includes secured lending, commercial property development transactions and investment portfolios. She works closely with charities and other not-for-profit sectors in connection with their real estate assets and also will be working with the firm’s Corporate and Commercial team dealing with the property aspects of joint ventures and the acquisition and disposal of businesses.

In addition to her legal work at Spire Solicitors LLP, Protima is a Trustee of Emmaus Lambeth, a charity whose mission is to work together to overcome homelessness and exclusion.

Following her appointment, Protima commented: “I am delighted to be joining Spire and to be working in the Norwich office, as part of the Commercial Property team. The firm has shown large growth in the last 5 years and I am confident my skill set and practice interests will be beneficial to the growth strategy, continuing to solidify Spire Solicitors LLP as one of the most recognised law firms in the area.”

James Knight, CEO, commented: “Protima has a wealth of experience alongside an impressive track record in high-value transactions and will be a continued asset to our highly regarded Commercial Property Department, which is now one of the largest specialist teams acting on commercial property matters in Norfolk.”

LazyLawn® seeks landscapers for licence opportunity as company grows

LazyLawn® is searching for business people, landscapers and home improvement firms in various areas to join its growing team, as the UK’s biggest artificial grass brand looks to train exclusive local licensed installers.

After recently being awarded Which? Trusted Trader’ status, LazyLawn® needs professional licensees to add to its professional network of accredited installers. Installing at iconic locations such as Center Parcs, Canary Warf, Liverpool One and Hilton Hotel, LazyLawn® is trusted throughout the UK, and has also installed for many celebrities including Sam Bailey, Amanda Holden, and The Real Housewives of Cheshire’s Ward family.

The increasingly popular brand LazyLawn® supplies over 10,000 gardens with artificial grass in the UK every year, with demand increasing by over 20% in the last 12 months. Offering a comprehensive range of artificial grass, plus new products LazyResin® and LazyBorders™, LazyLawn® is looking for the perfect licensees to take on lucrative areas as it seeks to expand.

Amanda Ford became a LazyLawn® licensee in 2013 with her husband Hayden. Amanda commented: “Becoming a LazyLawn® licensee is the best thing our company has ever done. “We were asked by a customer to install an artificial lawn and we thought this could be a great avenue to explore further. We were blown away by the quality of grass LazyLawn® offered. “Having the LazyLawn® brand, PR team, marketing team and technical people behind us was the support and guidance we needed and within two years we were crowned LazyLawn® Licensee of the year!”

Andy Driver from LazyLawn® said: “Demand for our products is growing extremely fast and we are on the lookout for new members for the team. “This is the ideal opportunity for those wanting to develop an existing landscaping business, with full training and support provided for each appointed licensee. “With the introduction of new products and many awards won, we are excited about adding to the team to offer every area of the UK the LazyLawn® experience.”

The successful licensee will benefit from full training and technical support, preferential prices, the right to use the LazyLawn® name and trade mark, access to marketing materials and much more.

For further information on this opportunity please contact Temi Kucuk from LazyLawn® on 01572 766 912/07591 204 463 or email: temi@evergreensuk.com For more information or the application page, visit https://www.lazylawn.co.uk/trade-license-opportunities.html.

The Maids Head Hotel was delighted to host the Grand Norwich Duck Race Auction of large painted ducks on Thursday 20 September. We are very pleased to announce that we managed a successful bid to buy Edith, our racing duck, for the hotel.

Masterminded by auctioneer Elliot Symonds, the evening raised £4000 for Break, an inspirational Norfolk based charity which supports young people, children and families in need.

Edith, who raced in the Grand Norwich Duck Race on 26 August, is a tribute to Edith Cavell; this year is the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the Edith Cavell monument in Tombland and the opening of the former Edith Cavell Home for District Nurses (now part of the Maids Head).

Susan Hendry painted Edith for the Duck Race.

Kicking off their ‘better taste, less waste’ campaign signalling a revolution in pet-food packaging, Naturediet unveiled their vibrant environmentally conscious packaging at PATS Telford 2018.

The centre-piece of their PATS presence, we knew the importance of the eco-conscious Tetra Pak containers and partnered with Farrows Design, ensured this formed an integral part of Naturediet’s event from design to build. With advantages in ease of transportation, reduced waste, a lower carbon footprint, smaller CO2 emissions and not least leaving plastic behind, there was plenty to shout…or rather bark about. To draw attention to the big impact of this little package, we created a bespoke big-brother Tetra Pak, proudly welcoming visitors to the show and sign-posting to the array of products waiting on the stand!

Embodying their environmental efforts within the event, we worked closely to reuse and repurpose components of our previous projects with Naturediet to maximum effect. With bold type and rich colouring, the packaging paired brilliantly with the crisp white brick and natural wood tones of the stand. Integrated lighting ensured a consistently bright welcoming space, with bespoke display stands offering up 360° views of the products to visitors. Adapting these displays with custom product holders ensured a snug uniform fit, for maximum impact.  Meanwhile clean back-lit branding displayed the Naturediet logo, with their promise of ‘the finest food – naturally’ arguably taking on new meaning with this launch.

An industry battling wastage & the challenge of good environmental practice in fast paced often transient events, we were delighted to play a part in Naturediet’s pioneering campaign as we are further inspired to deliver better events, with less waste.

If you like this story, check out more great content here. Planning your own exhibition or event? From product launches & specialist trade shows to conferences and brand experiences, we want our clients to ‘expect extraordinary’ nothing less.

Get in touch today to see how we can help you achieve your events success! 

Youth charity, OPEN Youth Trust (OPEN), has announced the 2019 Norfolk Youth Awards are open for nominations.

Earlier this year, OPEN held their inaugural Norfolk Youth Awards, which saw 27 young people and 3 youth organisations shortlisted for an award. The decision to host the awards was described by the OPEN’s Chief Executive, John Gordon-Saker, as being “an easy choice, we have always believed in giving young people an opportunity to develop and succeed in their passions, and life in general. It was an excellent chance to celebrate these outstanding achievements and recognise how incredibly hard young people across Norfolk work in a variety of areas, and we just couldn’t pass it up.”

The inspiring ceremony saw young people from all areas of the county being awarded in categories such as volunteer, education and outstanding achievement, as well as a hero category for adults nominated by young people for their own inspirational work.

This year, OPEN hopes to raise the bar for the awards, with a larger number of nominees in each category and a wider contribution from people and organisations across the county. The 2019 awards will be hosted by Joe Crowley, Ambassador for OPEN and presenter of The One Show and Countryfile, along with influential members of the community who will announce the winners and a panel of judges including Cindee Creham, CEO of Momentum Norfolk, who will make the final decisions. Nominations for the following categories will opened on Monday 24th September:

• Community – sponsored by Inspiring Learning
• Sport (Individual) – sponsored by Active Norfolk
• Team of the Year – sponsored by East of England Co-Op
• Arts – sponsored by N W Brown
• Charity – sponsored by Price Bailey
• Entrepreneur – sponsored by Larking Gowen
• Perseverance – sponsored by Indigo Swan
• Momentum Volunteer Award – sponsored by the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Norfolk
• Education – sponsored by Hugh J Boswell

Members of the public, youth groups and anyone working with young people have until Monday 31st December to submit their nominations.

Nominations can either be submitted online or by picking up a nomination form from OPEN’s café or box office, nominees must be aged between 11-19 (or up to 25 years for those with additional needs) and living in Norfolk, with the exception of the Hero Award, sponsored by Norfolk Constabulary.

Spire Solicitors are kindly sponsoring the Outstanding Achievement Award which will be announced during the ceremony on Wednesday 24th April 2019.

The main sponsors for the awards are City College Norwich, Norwich City Football Club and Norfolk County Council.

NOMINATE NOW

East Anglian based chartered accountants, Larking Gowen, is proud to be announced regional winner of the Workplace Wellbeing Award in the British Chambers of Commerce ‘Chamber Business Awards 2018’, it has been announced today.

“Attitudes to workplace wellbeing are rapidly evolving. I’m proud to be seen at the forefront of that in this region,” says Jon Woolston, Managing Partner at Larking Gowen. “For us, the wellbeing of all of our team isn’t just a desirable ‘add on’, it’s a fundamental part of our business culture, with positive impacts right across our business.”

Since launching its wellbeing programme, which is being continually developed through engagement with employees and Wellbeing Champions and covers physical and mental wellbeing, as well as wider career, financial, social and community aspects, the firm has seen increases in employee retention and productivity, as well as a reduction in sickness absence.

“We monitor the impact of our wellbeing measures closely,” says Amanda Ninham, Head of Human Resources at Larking Gowen. “We operate in a competitive sector where we have to work hard to attract and retain people. If our employees feel happier at work and are staying with us for longer, that’s a clear indication our approach works”.

“The partners at Larking Gowen are owner-managers,” continues Managing Partner, Jon Woolston, “and this means we still have a personal interest in and can directly influence the kind of environment we want to work in. The nature of our business, with strict submission deadlines, results in periods of intense pressure. It’s particularly important to create a culture where all employees are as happy to discuss mental health and wellbeing as they are to talk about physical health.”

Larking Gowen will now go forward to the national finals of the Chamber Business Awards. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Tobacco Dock in London on 29 November.

Real Life Bodyguard Immersive Experience

The tide of The Bodyguard has certainly caught our imagination. Over 11 million people watched the concluding episode on Sunday.

Right Angle Corporate have been offering a hugely popular Bodyguard Experience for the past three years; designed by former Scotland Yard detectives to give great authenticity. This immersive experience lasts for three hours and clients can expect this:-

• Protecting The Principle – Weapons disarming (Firearms, Knives and sticks). This also supplements the healthy workforce philosophy and you don’t need to be Jackie Chan!
• Sharp Shooting – Using simulated firearms (Laser weapons or air weapons). Bodyguards have to be first class shots. Clients will also be shown have weapons are concealed by Bodyguards and how they can be deployed immediately
• Surveillance Exercise – Clients will be issued with covert radios and state of the art “bugging” and eavesdropping equipment. There is a threat to the principle and this has to be averted. Clients plan using special force’s briefing system. A suspect has to be followed using covert foot surveillance methods, usually the domain of the police and security services.

Scores are apportioned to each team. The winners receive some Scotland Yard branded items, marking the fact they are now Bodyguards.

Further details can be found on Right Angle’s website via:- https://rightangleevents.co.uk/events/8/the-bodyguard

For further information contact former Detective Chief Inspector Steve Gaskin on 01603 864647 or info@rightangleevents.co.uk

Gnaw put the fun back into chocolate.

Could we get that fun across in a video?

Of course we could! This was one project we could really get our teeth into!

Gnaw launched in Norfolk in 2011. Now these premium chocolate bars and treats are available all across the UK and in 23 faraway countries. We devised a video to launch their new Chocolate & Granola Bars – with the focus on the delicious ingredients.

Our colourful concept involved stop motion animation. Fortunately there is a 24 hour McDonalds close to our studio as Emma & Alice found themselves working late into the evening thanks to the painstaking animation process. Basically…

Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot. Make some tiny movements, take a shot… you get the idea!  

The shoot required a lot of precision. We even had to slice the orange segments very finely and cover the back in greaseproof paper to ensure no juice leaked on to our specially painted wood backgrounds! Meticulous. But hey the results were worth it!

Oh and Gnaw very kindly let us keep all the leftover chocolate! Yum yum!

If you are looking to promote a product or service with video content, give us a call on 01603 811855, we’d love to work with you!

Are you a business trading with the EU? A ‘Technical Note’ has been issued which gives advice on trading with the EU in case…

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trading-with-the-eu-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

MINT, the employment service for 16-25 year olds run by City College Norwich, has celebrated the achievements of the latest group of young people to complete its Hospitality Pre-Employment Project.

Eight young people recently completed the 12-week course, which combines training in core areas such as food hygiene, work experience with local employers, and support with finding and applying for jobs.

The group all came to MINT with the aim of developing their employability skills and gaining relevant experiences that can help them secure jobs in hospitality and catering.

By the end of the course all eight had greatly enhanced their job prospects through new skills, qualifications and successful work placements in a variety of restaurants and kitchens. 

Four have already been successful in securing jobs in hospitality – and MINT’s Job Coaches will continue to provide help and support to those still seeking the right job opportunity.

These latest successful outcomes mean that MINT has helped 17 young people secure jobs within hospitality in the last year alone.

Local hospitality employers have been indispensable to MINT’s success in preparing young people for jobs in the sector. 

Zaks, Logans, Costa Coffee (Nelson Hotel), The Norwich Castle Café, Starbucks Riverside (23-5 Degrees), The Norwich Hotel and Norse’s Ellacombe Care Home all provided the young people with invaluable work experience. 

Further support for the Hospitality Pre-Employment Project has been provided by Mercure Hotel, Barnham Broom, The Broads Authority, Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club, Prosper Recruitment, The British Red Cross, The Millennium Library and Intu Chapelfield Shopping Centre.

Chloe Pitman, 19, from North Walsham, said: “The work experience has been helpful. I worked at Logans doing pot wash, serving food, making drinks. We’ve also done cooking competitions, we looked around the Mercure Hotel and Sprowston Manor, we’ve done mock interviews.”

Anderton Chigoneka, 21, from Norwich, commented: “I’ve really enjoyed the course.  The mock interviews were the most useful part because it’s given me more confidence in doing job interviews.  I’d like to get a Kitchen Porter or Commis Chef job, something in the kitchen. The MINT staff are very nice people, they’ve helped me a lot.”  

Rita Allison, 24, from Norwich, added: “This course has helped me to grow my confidence in this sort of industry. It’s been really helpful and really good. MINT’s been really supportive.  I’ve gained skills and confidence, a lot of things.”

The team at MINT are always keen to hear from local employers with hospitality vacancies, as well as those able to offer work experience to enthusiastic young people looking to work in the sector. 

For more information please contact MINT on 01603 773760 or mintenquiries@ccn.ac.uk.  

Come and join us for the second Engaging Norfolk event, following its successful launch on Norfolk Day!

At the launch event, David Macleod OBE introduced the four enablers for successful employee engagement. At this second meeting we will be focusing on ‘Strategic Narrative’, which relates to visible, empowering leadership that provides a strong strategic narrative about the organisation, where it’s come from and where it’s going.

We are incredibly lucky to have two fantastic speakers:

Faran Johnson Chief Executive, Engage for Success

Faran joined Engage for Success in May 2018 as Managing Director following the newly formed alliance with CIPD.  Faran has experience of large-scale cultural transformation in the private and public sectors and in private equity.  Faran has worked within multinational complex organisations undergoing significant change – HM Courts & Tribunals Service, Clear Channel Outdoor Holding Inc, Reed Elsevier plc, AXA plc and First Data Corporation.

Chris Sargisson Chief Executive, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Successful local entrepreneur, Chris Sargisson was appointed as Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce in June 2017.  Chris is a disruptor with over 25 years’ experience within digital start-ups and executive coaching.  Launching hugely successful businesses including; its4me plc, an online car insurance broker and House Revolution, one of the UK’s first online estate agencies. 

Chris is passionate about ensuring the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce has a customer centric culture that can respond positively to changes in the external environment.  Chris will share how he is ensuring his team connect to the vision of the organisation and know how the changes he is making will impact them and the part they play in the future of the organisation to ensure they are both engaged and delivering outstanding customer service.

We will also be enjoying a light breakfast giving you the opportunity to network with like-minded Norfolk businesses.

Engaging Norfolk is being led by cassandraandrews.com/engaging-norfolk