Briar Chemicals are excited to announce they have been shortlisted for the Chemical Industry Association’s Reputation Award.
The prestigious Reputation Award is in recognition of a company who demonstrates excellence in enhancing a positive external reputation with key stakeholders, and that of the chemical industry.
Briar is passionate about encouraging young people to develop their interest in science and achieve their ambitions and actively encourages their staff to share their knowledge and skills by mentoring.
Susan Brench, Head of Commercial said: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the CIA Reputation Award. We’re extremely proud of the work we do within our local community and are delighted that all the hard work has been recognised.”
Established as an independent company in 2012, Briar Chemicals are proud of the relationships with its neighbours and has excellent community relations, engaging with stakeholders through a varied and proactive programme of external activities.
The ethos of their education programme is to Explore, Inspire and Achieve; encouraging all stakeholders to play a part in the education of the next generation of scientists.
A new initiative, the ‘Farm to Fork’ campaign, is being introduced into local schools to teach children about the life cycle of crops and how Briar play a part in helping farmers maintain healthy crops and increase yields.
Briar also launched its 13th annual poetry competition, aimed at 8-11 year olds, this month for schools across the region. This year’s theme is ‘Planet Earth’ and young writers have been asked to take their inspiration from their surroundings and write creatively about their perception of the world.
The winners will be announced at the Chemical Industry Awards Ceremony which will take place at the Queens Hotel, Leeds on Thursday 15th June.
Briar Chemicals Young Poets of the Year competition launches to schools across the region.
This year’s theme is ‘Planet Earth’ and youngsters are asked to take their inspiration from their surroundings and write creatively about their perception of the world.
The final stage judge for the competition is Evolutionary biologist and TV presenter Ben Garrod. Ben has presented shows including Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur with Sir David Attenborough, his award-winning Secrets of Bones series and most recently The Day the Dinosaurs Died on the BBC broadcasted earlier this month.
The competition, now in its 13th year, is part of Briar’s Science in Schools programme, which aims to make science learning fun, informative and create opportunities for children to learn about science and the environment.
Tim Green, Site Manager at Briar Chemicals said: “Children are intrigued about their surroundings from an early age. This competition encourages them to use their imagination; helping create an interest and understanding of how science is all around us in our everyday life.”
Briar has been shortlisted for the UK’s Chemical Industry Associations Reputation Award for recognition of their involvement within the community and will be attending the awards ceremony in June.
The competition has two age categories; eight to nine year olds and 10 to 11 year olds and schools across the region are invited to take part. The competition is open to pupils from schools within the EDP circulation area. All entries should be submitted via the schools which will be receiving forms soon.
The winner of each age category will receive £100 and each of their schools will receive £500, courtesy of Briar Chemicals. Briar will also donate £500 to help support Mr Garrod’s chosen charity, the Marine Conservation Society. The winners will also have the opportunity to spend a morning at the EDP.
First stage judges this year are Prof Anne Osbourn from the John Innes Centre and founder of the SAW Trust (Science, Art and Writing, Lauren Cope from the EDP, and Sarah Piercy from Briar Chemicals.
The closing date for the entries is 21st July 2017, with the winners announced around National Poetry Day in September. For more information about the competition, email poetry.competition@briarchemicals.com.
In August this year Chris Brown, Monthind Clean’s Health and Safety Officer will tackle the challenge of the Tour De Broads Race in Norfolk. Chris successfully took part in the 100 mile bike ride last year with Partner Simon Biggs, and together raised £2,000 for Macmillan. The Tour de Broads is a fantastic event and is suitable for all ages and abilities as you can choose to ride just 3 miles or up to 100 miles. The longer route that Chris will be doing incorporates 16 Broads, 4 rivers and countless beautiful Broads National Park Villages. The 100 mile bike ride route can be seen in yellow in the image.
This year Chris will be raising money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity. ‘For people unfortunate enough to be involved in accidents or medical emergencies, the likelihood of a full recovery – perhaps even survival – can depend on the level of specialist medical care they receive and how quickly they receive it. This is where EAAA can help. Since 2000 they have attended over 20,000 lifesaving missions, touching the lives of many thousands of people. Their phenomenal crew compromises specialist pre-hospital doctors and critical-care paramedics, operating out of two high-tech helicopters from 07:00 until 19:00 from their Norwich base and from 07:00 until 01:30 from their Cambridge base. They are the first air ambulance in the country to attend helicopter emergency medical incidents in the hours of darkness to unknown and unlit sites.’ – EAAA
Best of luck Chris, from all the team at Monthind Clean LLP.
More than 60 business people from across the Eastern region attended Pure’s second Women’s Leadership Alumni event to continue discussions on progressing gender equality in organisations of all sizes and sectors.
The event, held at The Jockey Rooms in Newmarket on 24 May, brought together past and present delegates of the Women’s Leadership Programme, and their employer sponsors, as well as others interested in inclusive leadership.
The Women’s Leadership Programme was first developed in 2014 by professional recruitment specialists Pure, in conjunction with strategic HR consultancy People & Performance. It has already helped more than 65 aspiring female leaders in the Eastern region to strengthen their leadership skills, develop their confidence and to work with their employers to remove any barriers to progression.
Guest speakers at the event included Dr Andy Wood, Chief Executive at Adnams, who described how the renowned regional brewing business keeps its people and values at the heart of the organisation through their inclusive culture. Despite a backdrop of significant competition and a declining market, Adnams has continued to grow and evolve and Dr. Wood still considers the business to be ‘a 145-year-old start-up’ with the same level of focus still placed on the people and culture behind the business as when it was first founded in 1872.
David Britain, a strategic HR Consultant also led a workshop on aligning culture and values and Bree Sherwood, Director at PwC, gave a fascinating insight into the latest findings on gender diversity in the Eastern region. Lynn Morgan, CEO at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC) and Donna Talbot, Fundraising Director at the charity and previous programme participant, also attended to share the story of ARHC raising £10m to build the spectacular new, award-winning hospice which opened in Cambridge last year.
Lynn Walters, founder and director at Pure, said: “As well as supporting the continued development of aspiring female leaders in our region, this event provided an opportunity for all those involved with our Women’s Leadership Programme to continue discussions on developing a culture of inclusive leadership and building diverse talent pipelines. We were to delighted see a significant number of men at the event who are committed to building inclusive work environments where men and women will thrive and, in turn, the region as a whole will benefit. Our aim to inspire organisations across the region to create inclusive work environments, where any barriers to progression are removed and everyone can work in a way that makes them feel productive and engaged.”
The next Women’s Leadership Programme which begins in June is full. Dates for the November and January programmes have been released. For more information contact Lucy Plumb: lucy.plumb@prs.uk.com
The Royal Norfolk Show takes place over 28-29 June and is the largest annual gathering of businesses and traders in Norfolk. A few opportunities remain to be part of the Show and to connect with 81 000 visitors. Join us to celebrate Innovation and Enterprise at the region’s biggest county show. Be part of our new Retail look and feel.
Traders benefit from:
Biggest county show in the region
81 000 footfall
55% AB (70% ABC1)
45% visitors directly engaged with Food, Farming and the Countryside
17 sectors and themed areas
Business to business and networking opportunities
Highly effective brand exposure
Corporate hospitality and sponsorship opportunities
B2B marketing experts and Chamber members Full Mix Marketing have been chosen by Norfolk Chamber Gold Patrons MIGSOLV to help them gain more customers in the East of England.
Full Mix Marketing were asked to pitch against four other agencies to secure the long-term relationship marketing Norfolk and Suffolk’s only purpose built data centre.
“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to help MIGSOLV grow” says Sarah West, Managing Director of Full Mix Marketing. “With the increased threat of terrorism, extreme weather and data theft, business continuity is a hot topic”
The Gatehouse in Norwich secures computer servers and data for national and international companies. Now Full Mix Marketing are delivering a comprehensive marketing strategy to help owners MIGSOLV target local businesses who need to increase their business resilience, save space and reduce costs.
“It’s been a fantastic and diverse start to 2107” continues Sarah. “We’ve begun relationships with businesses in manufacturing, energy, recruitment, IT and engineering. What they all have in common is the desire to identify and deliver the right marketing for the best results.”
As Chartered Marketers, Full Mix Marketing provide all the marketing businesses need to grow, including marketing plans & strategies, branding, full digital & social media marketing, as well as directing marketing campaigns, advertising & PR.
“Sarah and her team simply gave us the confidence they could deliver the results we need” says David Manning, Managing Director of MIGSOLV. “They showed that more than just having a new website or advertising, it’s about understanding our potential customers and finding the best ways to reach them”.
Gold Patrons of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce since 2016, MIGSOLV discovered Full Mix Marketing through the Chamber Directory. “Being members of Norfolk Chamber has been very positive for us” says Sarah. “It regularly generates opportunities and is often a strong part of the marketing mix we recommend our B2B clients”.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has approved an exciting commercially-realistic vision to enhance the historic town centre for the 21st century as a destination where more people choose to live, work, invest and spend their leisure time and money.
The Town Centre Masterplan illustrates how, through close partnership work, Great Yarmouth’s unique central spaces, and the links between them, can transform over the coming decade to strengthen the town centre as a commercial and cultural hub, meeting the needs and aspirations of communities and the challenges all town centres face.
Shaped through two public consultations, positive discussions with a wide range of partners and careful commercial testing, the core aim of the Masterplan is to build confidence, highlight assets and opportunities, and secure investment, by setting out a clear, coherent, compelling vision, which is led by the borough council and backed by the community and key partners.
While the borough council will continue to take the lead, close partnership working is needed to bring the Masterplan to life, and the borough council is now set to bring together key players on a Partnership Board to guide the regeneration activities and monitor plans and progress.
The Masterplan is the longer term element of the borough council’s Town Centre Initiative to boost the town centre, a key public priority, which has already delivered enhanced town centre events, better marketing, visual and environmental improvements, plus a shopfront improvement grant scheme.
The six key Masterplan projects are:
Strengthening the Heart of the Town Centre By 2025, the heart of the town centre – around the junction of King Street and Regent Road – has regained its vitality with a range of new occupiers and operators including a leisure-based anchor (for example a cinema), cafes, bars and restaurants.
Improving the market and Market Place By 2025, trade and custom in the 6- & 2-day markets is greatly improved, supported by new stalls and service facilities and by the newly-paved Market Place. Together with the improved frontages this has created a beautiful setting for an expanded programme of events.
Transforming the Conge By 2025, The Conge is transformed, with new mixed-use development lining both sides of the lower half of the street, and the next phase ready for delivery connecting it to the renewed Market Place.
Creating a sense of arrival at the town centre By 2025, the setting of Fullers Hill, Acle New Road, the roundabout, train station and quayside creates a new sense of arrival at this key junction of road, rail and water, linked to the new development on The Conge.
Unlocking the potential of Hall Plain By 2025, the council has adopted guidance to ensure existing buildings are conserved and developed appropriately. With the 3rd river crossing near completion, there is significant commercial interest in refurbishment and new development.
Linking it all together By 2025, wayfinding is improved across the town through investemnt in key parts of the network of Rows and streets, with footfall significantly increased and commercial vacancies significantly reduced.
During the public consultation in January on the draft Masterplan, the council received more than 150 individual responses, with about 100 people attending workshops. Improvements made as a result of feedback include bringing forward the timetable of works for Hall Plain, expanding the station gateway project to include all gateways into the town centre and expanding the Masterplan area to include Great Yarmouth Minster.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Kay Grey, Cllr Trevor Wainwright and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Our vision for Great Yarmouth town centre is that, by 2025, new investment and employment in the town centre is generating renewed pride in Great Yarmouth and building confidence for the future.
“The public tell us that boosting the town centre is a top priority and we are responding. The Masterplan represents a powerful statement of intent from the borough council and community to make a positive change, to work together and make a compelling case for investment, setting out commercially-realistic yet flexible ambitions, and highlighting the unique features that make our town centre so unique and valuable.
“This exciting high-level vision has been shaped collaboratively, involving a wide range of individuals and organisations, and this approach and commitment will need to continue as we now focus on progressing the Masterplan together. These are big, challenging projects requiring significant investment and joint working, but we know they are deliverable and we urge everyone to remain positive and patient while work continues ‘behind the scenes’.”
Last night Eye Film won Best Promotional Programme at The Royal Television Society East Awards 2017 for their school film Leighton Park. This is the first time the awards have been held since 2003, when Eye Film won Best Onscreen Personality for John Peel’s episode of the TV series ‘Going Home’. With the whole Eye team present on the night, MD Charlie Gauvain accepted the award together with Max Knaapen who shot and edited the film. “We’ve had a busy year with our company rebrand, launching a new website, producing two new TV projects for the BBC and working on a series of new films for schools, so we’re thrilled that we won. I don’t think there’s another school film quite like it and it was wonderful that Leighton Park allowed us creative free reign on the project, so thank you to them!”. On hearing the news, Headmaster of Leighton Park, Nigel Williams added “I was eager to work with Eye Film, as the family team had a very clear vision about what they could offer us and a willingness to explore and understand the unique set of values that make Leighton Park School so special. I am delighted with the film and very excited about the thoroughly deserved award.”
Eye Film was also nominated for Best Factual Programme for Alderney: The Evacuation, which they produced with the help of a Crowdfunder campaign. A third film in the series, Alderney: The War Years is currently in production and will be ready for release later in the year.
Local marketing agency Example Marketing and Web Design had the pleasure of revamping the website of social enterprise Buy Local Norfolk.
Buy Local Norfolk’s purpose is to highlight the importance of supporting businesses that are proudly local to Norfolk. Having seen huge growth in recent years, now with over 200 members and new business joining every month, they felt it was time to give their website an update. Example Marketing has been a member of Buy Local for over 3 years and jumped at the chance. Emma Raines, owner at Example, explains more:
“We love Buy Local Norfolk. We wholeheartedly agree with what it stands for, and the Directors and members are a thoroughly positive bunch of people. We were keen to help develop a new, vibrant website that works for members and other interested parties alike.”
Every member of Buy Local has a business profile on the website. One of the main challenges for the new site was making it as easy as possible for visitors to find businesses they’re interested in. Emma explains:
“We spent a lot of time categorising members and then putting measures in place that enable people to search through the directory in several different ways. As well as improving user experience, we also wanted to simplify the back end of the site so the team of voluntary Directors could make updates more easily. We think we’ve achieved that.”
There has been positive feedback from members so far who are particularly pleased that visitors to the site can now rate and review members’ businesses. This feature, along with other updates to business profile pages, aims to make the site a really powerful resource for anyone who is interested in supporting local businesses.
Martin Lake, one of Buy Local Norfolk’s Directors, summarises:
“It was crucial for us to work with a website company that completely ‘gets’ our enthusiasm and pride for Norfolk, a company with the technical skills to deliver the functionality and accountability we need, and a company with the design skills to make our site look stunning, engaging and easy to use. In Example Marketing we got all this and so much more. Delivered on time and on budget, we are absolutely delighted with our new website.”
Visit the new website at www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk
Eye Film are very excited to have been nominated in two categories at the Royal Television Society East Centre Awards, being held in Norwich on May 25th. We have our Leighton Park School film entered in the Best Promotional Programme category and our documentary Alderney: The Evacuation, nominated in the Best Factual Programme category. Do visit our website at www.eyefilm.co.uk to see more about the projects and good luck to all those who have been nominated.
This May, leading independent insurance broker Alan Boswell Group unveiled a new incentive scheme, rewarding customers with up to 10,000 Avios for taking out an insurance policy.
The company will award Avios to new customers that buy a home, landlord (buy-to-let) or business insurance policy as part of the Avios Travel Rewards Programme. Avios can be used on a wide variety of rewards, including towards flights, hotel stays, holidays and airline upgrades, as well as a wide range of days outs and experiences. 10,000 Avios, for example, can be redeemed towards a return flight with British Airways, Aer Lingus or Flybe to destinations across Europe[1] such as Amsterdam, Paris and Milan.
Personal Lines Director, Heath Alexander-Bew says: “One of Avios’ core values is, ‘how does this help the customer?’ which reflects how we do business; we’re dedicated to providing friendly, expert advice every time, putting the customer at the heart of what we do. This partnership allows us to give something back to our customers, so they can make the most of their time out.”
Oliver Currell, Head of Partnerships at Avios, adds: “We’re thrilled to announce the start of this relationship with Alan Boswell Group, adding to the variety of ways that customers can collect Avios to enjoy the travel rewards we offer. Thanks to the strong collection rate on offer, one transaction alone could give homeowners and landlords sufficient Avios to be used towards return flights to a wide choice of popular destinations.”
What will your business look like in five years’ time and what support will you need to get it there?
Come and share your views to help form the new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk. Led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce and local authorities, the strategy will look at how we can build on our strengths and make the most of the opportunities in our region. Now we need your input, so join us to share your ideas. You’ll be able to hear about some of the evidence which has been gathered so far as well as taking part in lively discussions on a range of topics, from global trade to skills and productivity. Check the events page here on the Chamber website for details of our business roundtables in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn. You can read more about our strategy here: https://www.newanglia.co.uk/developing-new-economic-strategy/