Member News

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is asking supporters to help apply the finishing touches to its nook appeal and, in doing so, leave a lasting legacy at its new Norfolk hospice. The nook appeal has just surpassed the £8 million mark – the official total is £8,050,000 – and EACH wants to generate a large part of the remaining funds through a new campaign called Pave the Path. Pave the Path is your chance to sponsor a red clay brick that will line the garden path and be laid once building of the nook is complete. Everyone who sponsors a brick will be invited to view the path once it is complete. Tal Williams, EACH Community Fundraiser for the nook, said: “Building of the nook is well under way and we need your support to finish! The nook will transform the care we can provide to families and by sponsoring a brick lining the garden path you will be investing in the future of children’s palliative care for years to come.” Bricks are 210x105x65mm and sponsors can have a name of their choice engraved over two lines – up to 15 characters on each line including spaces and punctuation. There are two sponsorship options. A brick with black lettering is £100 and a brick with gold lettering £150. Pave the Path will run until early 2019 or, as there are limited bricks available, until all have sponsors. For full details go to www.each.org.uk/pave-the-path. Visitors to the Royal Norfolk Show can also find out more by going to the EACH stand

Spire Solicitors LLP is pleased to report on the success from two members of staff based in the Norwich branch who have completed the RideLondon-Surrey 100 event on July 29th, 2018.

It follows a 100-mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey’s stunning countryside. “Developed by the Mayor of London and his agencies in 2013, Prudential RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling.” As credited to the official website.

Lisa Edwards, HR Director, and Kim Dring, Norwich Receptionist battled the torrential rain and challenges faced by the day and completed 86 miles and 46 miles respectively. The duo also raised money for the firm they work for with a £1 per mile initiative, beating the £200 target and raising a total of £275, which will be donated back to the Spire Charitable Trust which donates money throughout the year to worthwhile caused and charities alike.

Ejike Ndaji, Trustee of the Spire Charitable Trust commented “I applaud the effort made by our colleagues in the Ride100 event last weekend, as well as their initiative to continue raising money for the Spire Charitable Trust, which since its formation at the end 2016, the has raised over £6,000.

PCC Lorne Green has launched a public consultation on whether he should assume the governance of the county’s fire & rescue service, becoming Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk. 

Message from your PCC

“Last year, a new legal duty for emergency services to collaborate came into force. That legislation provided PCCs with the opportunity to explore whether joint working between police and fire & rescue could be made simpler, faster and better.

“Could we cut duplication and bureaucracy, reinvigorate collaboration and move joint working further and faster for the greater efficiency and effectiveness of our emergency services and, most importantly, the communities they serve? The answer from independent experts was yes.

“Having considered all the evidence provided to me in a thoroughly researched business case, I strongly believe there is a case for change and, this week, I launched a public consultation on whether I should assume the governance of Norfolk’s fire and rescue service.

“The fire service is currently governed by the County Council through its Communities Committee, which also oversees libraries, museums, archives and arts. Under the proposal, upon which I’d like your views, I would become the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, responsible for the governance of fire and rescue alongside policing.

“The business case shows that this proposed change can improve joint working, making our emergency services more efficient with reinvestment of £10 million of financial benefits over 10 years in frontline services.

“Let me be clear – I am not interested in merger. We are talking about two distinct services, cultures, histories and traditions. That would not change. But a change of governance would offer our fire service operational and financial independence, improving transparency over how and where public money is spent and allowing us to do even more to make our communities even safer.

“I believe this is a better way of working for a safer Norfolk and I want to know what you think. Please visit my website – www.norfolk-pcc.gov.uk – by 5 September to find out more and have your say.”

Offshore installation experts Seajacks have chosen MIGSOLV’s world class data centre to increase protection of their IT and data.

As part of a review of their business’s resilience, the Great Yarmouth based company looked to move data storage from their main site to a more secure environment. A number of considerations led them to choose MIGSOLV’s highly-secure facility in Norwich.

“Having a secure data centre with excellent connectivity less than 20 miles away is fantastic.” said a spokesperson for Seajacks. “We were looking to store our data offsite as part of our disaster recovery plan. We decided against a cloud solution so we could remain in control and maintain physical access to our hardware. For us, MIGSOLV was an excellent choice.”

Established in 2006, Seajacks provide jack-up vessels which help install, maintain and decommission offshore wind turbines and oil & gas rigs. They’ve experienced strong growth and now operate five purpose-built vessels which have contributed to major North Sea projects including Walney, Greater Gabbard, Sheringham Shoal and East Anglia One wind farms.

Seajacks’ computer servers and other data storage hardware will now be housed in MIGSOLV’s heavily guarded and climate-controlled facility. Originally built by Norwich Union and renovated by MIGSOLV at a cost of £12M, the equipment will be stored inside and physically protected from threats including theft, terrorism and extreme weather. Backup power and enhanced connectivity further ensure Seajacks retain access to their data at all times.

“We’re thrilled to welcome a leading company like Seajacks to the Gatehouse.” says David Manning, MIGSOLV’s Managing Director. “Data security is a critical consideration in the energy sector and we’re keen to help protect as many businesses as possible along the East’s Energy Coast. We’re delighted we could also help Seajacks access better connectivity.”

Originally planning to source their own carrier for connection to the internet and other networks, Seajacks have also opted for MIGSOLV to provide enhanced wide area network (WAN) connectivity. As well as being the East of England’s only purpose-built commercial data centre, the Gatehouse provides high speed and high capacity links to over 250 carriers and key UK connection points.

With offshore wind, oil & gas and nuclear energy operations now found along the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex coast, the East is fast becoming known as the ‘Energy Coast’.  With the securing of their new relationship with Seajacks, MIGSOLV are on their way to becoming the region’s number one provider of physical IT protection for businesses in and around the local energy sector.

For more information visit www.seajacks.com and www.migsolv.com

The Maids Head Hotel has linked up with a new supplier, Wilkinson’s of Norwich. Wilkinson’s, which has been in business in the city for 46 years, is supplying loose leaf teas to the hotel, with a special Maids Head Blend in production.

Ten of Wilkinson’s teas from Breakfast Blend, to Gunpowder Green, Cornucopia and Decaffeinated Ceylon are a special feature of the Maids Head’s popular Afternoon Tea, which is served from 12noon to 5pm.

Debbie Harris, Owner/Director of Wilkinson’s for the last 13 years said: “We were honoured to be asked to supply the stunning Maids Head Hotel, with its long history of providing hospitality in the city. We have chosen 10 teas to cover all tastes, ranging from Breakfast Blend to a gentle Chamomile.”

“We are also excited to be working with Sam Masters, the Food Services Manager, on developing a special blend for the hotel. The Maids Head is a wonderful location to sit and relax over Afternoon Tea and enjoy one of our special loose leaf teas.”

Christine Malcolm, General Manger, the Maids Head Hotel said: “We work with local suppliers acroiss all aspects of the business and are very pleased to have established a close relationship with Debbie and her team at Wilkinson’s. I am a particular fan of their Early Grey tea and look forward to tasting the new Maids Head Blend.”

Wilkinson’s teas available at the Maids Head Hotel are as follows: Breakfast Blend, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Peppermint, Gunpowder Green, Rooibos, Chamomile, Cornucopia, Peach and Decaffeinated Ceylon.

If you’ve ever thought about solar panels for your home, there’s never been a better time to take the plunge.

This is thanks to councils in Norfolk, led by Norwich City Council, joining forces to make shopping for solar as easy as possible.

It’s also just the right time to take advantage  before the government’s Feed-in Tariffs, which allow you to make money from the energy your home would generate, close to new applicants in April 2019.

Residents in the county can register their interest ahead of an auction, which will take place on Wednesday 22 August, to find the supplier offering the best deal to fit solar panels to homes.  It’s completely free and without obligation to sign up at www.solartogethernorfolk.co.uk

Councillor Karen Davis, cabinet member for social inclusion said:

“We all know the benefits of using this sustainable source of energy but the complexity of researching and buying solar panels can be off-putting. And the products and services on the market can vary greatly.

The beauty of this scheme is it does all that for you. The information and free support is great and you are assured of a high-quality product and installation. So register now, it costs nothing to find out whether solar panels could work for you”.

How it works

• Sign up for free and without obligation now.
• Suppliers compete in an auction on Wednesday 22 August to offer their best deal.
• In September, registered households will get a personal ‘offer’.
• Households will have until Friday 19 October to decide if they want to take up the offer.

The winning (vetted) company will arrange to install solar panels in homes before the end of March 2019

– Leading children’s charity Action for Children brings new designer pop up shop concept to Castle Mall shopping centre

– Named ‘1869’ new store set to revolutionise how people view high-street ‘charity shops’

Leading children’s charity Action for Children will throw open the doors of its first ever designer pop up store ‘1869 Action for Children’ to the people of Norwich, on Friday August 10th.

Taken from the year the charity was founded, 1869 is not your average charity shop. Rather than second hand clothes it will be stocking brand new, sample or store seconds items in a specially designed space that reflects its location. In the case of 1869 Norwich, the store is inspired by Norfolk’s agricultural heritage, kitted out as an indoor garden complete with an Astroturf till and floral displays.

Lisa Nicholson, Senior Retail and Partnerships Manager at Action for Children says: ‘We’re so excited to be bringing the first ever 1869 experience to Norwich. Action for Children launched their whole retail venture with a Swap ‘n’ Shop sale at Stalham and Broadland children’s centre.

‘Now one idea has now evolved into its very own shop which will be popping up across the country, and every single purchase will go towards helping vulnerable and disadvantaged children, often in desperate situations.’ 1869 will be selling clothing and homeware from national retailers such as Hobbs and House of Fraser as well as hosting a series of fun events – from networking nights to fashion shows – throughout August.

All profits from the store will go towards helping vulnerable children across the UK and will be staffed completely by volunteers, most of whom have been regular users of the over 20 children’s centres run by Action for Children in the local area.

Providing support for both children and parents these centres are hubs of their local communities offering everything from antenatal support, stay and play sessions, speech and learning therapies, access to apprenticeships and employment support. One mum who has been supported by the Stalham and Broadland’s Children’s Centre is Amy Dodge and she will be cutting the ribbon to officially open the new shop at a launch party on Thursday August 9th.

Based in Castle Mall Shopping Centre the shop will be open Tuesday – Sunday from 9.30am – 5pm and Thursday from 10am -6.30pm. 

The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich joined forces with the Paston Footprints project to celebrate Norfolk Day at the hotel with Edmund Paston’s Tombland Tales. Dr Rob Knee, dressed as Edmund Paston, gave a very entertaining talk about the Pastons, using excerpts from the letters, which brought to life the family’s ups and downs in 15th century Norwich and Norfolk.

The Maids Head has a special link with the Paston Letters, as a letter dated 22 November 1472 features the first written mention of the Maids Head, confirming the name change of the inn from the Murtel Fish.

To celebrate this anniversary, the hotel and Paston Footprints are staging an evening with John Paston, Head of Household on 22 November 2018. The event at the Maids Head will feature a three-course dinner, poetry readings and music. Tickets are £35. For more information t. 01603 272007.

Computing students from City College Norwich have risen to the challenge of creating a website for an external client, from an entirely different sector, by designing the new Building Growth website for New Anglia LEP.

The joint project has given New Anglia LEP’s Building Growth Sector Group an up-to-date and effective new site through which to champion the construction and built environment sector in Norfolk and Suffolk.    

The students, who are all on the college’s Level 3 Information Technology and Computing course, benefitted from learning and applying new skills in web design.  They also gained invaluable experience of working collaboratively with a client to build a site that met the brief and was delivered on time.

The project saw the students learn and apply new skills in HTML, CSS and graphic design, whilst also enhancing skills such as team working, communication and project management. 

Regular meetings with the client throughout enabled the students to deliver the brief they had been given and to incorporate changes based on feedback as the project progressed.     

The students worked in small teams, with each being given responsibility for a different area of the site, before presenting the finished site to representatives from Building Growth shortly before the end of term.  

Two of the Information Technology and Computing students involved, Brenden Carman and Charlotte, reflected on some of the things they had gained from the experience:

Brenden Carman, 17, from Diss, said,

“It’s different to what we are used to with our assignments, because the client was very specific on what they wanted to be done.  It’s a good life experience, just to be able to get that skill and have it under your belt that you’ve worked for a client.  We know what to expect from clients now.  We’re going to be more used to having to change certain things in response to feedback.”

Charlotte Sams, 21, from Wymondham, added,

“It was a very new experience.  It was nice to learn new things and have a brief that somebody wants you to do and create something from that brief.  I did feel a bit nervous because it was for a company, but I think that encouraged me because I really wanted to make it really good and outstanding for them.  I am very pleased with the website.”    

Chris MacDonald, Assistant Project Manager, Morgan Sindall, who leads on innovation for Building Growth, commented:

“The website is a gateway to Building Growth and who we are for the wider world, so it’s absolutely crucial for us.  What we were looking for from the students was something engaging for people who don’t know what Building Growth is about, enables them to link in with what we do, download documents, customised around our need.  We’re extremely delighted with what the students have achieved.”    

Corrienne Peasgood, Principal, City College Norwich, said:

“The ability to work collaboratively with professionals from a different sector, understanding a client’s needs and priorities, and making changes based on client feedback, are all vital assets for our computing students in their future careers.  The professionalism shown by the students, and the quality of the website they have delivered, shows just how much they have gained from the experience.”       

Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said:

“The work the students have done to build this site is great – it’s been a valuable experience for them and has delivered a website which promotes this important sector.”

The head of maintenance at MIGSOLV’s world-class data centre in Norwich is retiring after 8 years and handing responsibility for maintaining the state-of-the-art building to his successor.

Following a long career maintaining factories within the food industry, Phil Riseborough joined MIGSOLV in 2010 as they bought and renovated Aviva’s former data centre. As he now looks forward to a long retirement, Phil passes oversight of the building’s critical functions to his long-term colleague, Lee Mallett.

“It’s been a pleasure being part of MIGSOLV and looking after such an amazing facility” says Phil. “When I began, the building was just a shell. It was great being part of renovations and then ensuring everything runs like clockwork for our customers. I’m delighted I can retire safe in the knowledge it will all be in such capable hands.”

MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre is the East of England’s only purpose-built commercial data storage facility. The heavily guarded building stores business’s computer servers and IT equipment, protecting them from threats including theft, extreme weather and power cuts. It can also improve connectivity by providing access to over 250 internet providers and networks.

Since 2010, Phil has lead a team of up to six engineers who maintain the building and its critical systems. These include three enormous generators capable of producing eight days electricity, a ‘free cooling’ system which controls the temperature and humidity around the IT equipment and security measures including iris recognition and infra-red movement sensors.

“On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to thank Phil for his tireless contribution” say David Manning, Managing Director. “He’s been a pivotal part of our team, a pleasure to work with and we all wish him a long and happy retirement. Lee has some big boots to fill but I’m delighted he’s progressing his career as part of our senior management team.”

Phil plans to spend more time with his children and grandchildren, whilst indulging his interest in speedway and an occasional pint of Abbot Ale. Lee Mallett joined MIGSOLV in 2011 as the completed data centre began to house clients’ IT. Progressing from Maintenance Engineer to Facilities Team Leader, he now becomes the new Maintenance Manager. It’s anticipated his extensive experience will help MIGSOLV maintain its important accreditations and achieve its environmental goals.

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With new contracts being announced each month of the latest financial year, demand for Norse catering and cleaning services has never been so strong. Catering has always been a key service in the group’s portfolio, with the education sector accounting for over 75% of its catering business. “All catering sectors, educational, corporate and care home clients, are seeing sustainable growth,” Catering Operations Director, Andrew Lipscomb says, “but the schools and academies side of the business has also seen over £2m worth of contract awards since the start of the new financial year.” These contracts are typically three-year agreements and, as Lipscomb points out, business retention is one of the key features of a business’ longer-term stability.  “Both the company and its staff, and its supply chain, benefit when high-value, three-year contracts are renewed,” he says. “It is this confirmation that the company is delivering good value, and retaining the trust of its customers, that enables us to plan for the longer term.” Over in the cleaning side of the business, Norse has also had an impressive start to the year. The company provides cleaning services from its head office in Norwich and from eleven of the partnerships it has with local authorities around the country, accounting for around £70m of its £200m annual turnover. “We’ve had an incredible first few months in the current financial year, with a number of contracts renewed, some with additional services incorporated,” Rob Trewick, Cleaning Operations Director at Norse, said. “We have the ability to provide cleaning services across the country, via our partnership operations.  This, combined with our high levels of staff retention and reputation for quality and value for money, make us a very attractive supplier for both local and national clients.” Cambridgeshire in particular has seen a big push by the company’s cleaning division, with £1.14m worth of new business in the last 4 months. Amongst its partnerships, the one with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has had one of the biggest new deals of the year so far, winning a £640k cleaning contract in nearby Doncaster. “It has been one of Norse’s most successful starts to a new financial year,” Sales Director Geoff Tucker commented. “The company is set to become a 500 million business over the next five years, with a forward orders value of more than £2 billion. This, added to our commitment to adding social value to contracts, means that Norse is fast becoming recognised as the benchmark in ethical outsourcing.”