Member News

The Board of Adapt Commercial Ltd is seeking to appoint a new member or members to ensure we have the capacity and skills to oversee the future growth of the commercial services delivered through the Adapt Group.  

Individuals are sought with experience in corporate hospitality, tenancy and customer experience management in addition to strong business acumen. Board member position are for a period of two years (term may be renewed).  After an initial period, it is expected that Board members will be appointed as a statutory (non-executive) director and would be expected to comply with all relevant duties of a company director.

Full information about the role here.

The Board supports the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in developing and delivering high quality commercial services and helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Group. 

Adapt manages and delivers its commercial services from The Enterprise Centre, a multi-award winning building and the region’s green business hub, where a thriving business community works alongside academia.  We manage a range of facilities within the building, providing inspirational workspace and innovative and creative locations for meetings, events and exhibitions and this activity is managed through a wholly UEA owned subsidiary company, Adapt Commercial Ltd.

How to apply Please submit a CV and a covering letter by Friday 31 March 2017, stating why you wish to be considered for the role and your daily rate, to adapt.pa@uea.ac.uk.  Your covering letter should show how you meet the relevant requirements in the person specification above.   For confidential informal discussions about this opportunity please contact Prof John French via adapt.pa@uea.ac.uk, tel 01603 597183. Prospective board members who best meet our requirements will be invited to meet with the existing members and delivery team.

Liftshare, the UK’s largest car sharing community, has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Outstanding Eco Small/Medium Business’ in the first Norwich & Norfolk Eco Awards.

The awards aim to celebrate projects and schemes with a strong ecological or environmentally-friendly ethos, as well as groups and organisations which can show they adopt a sound eco approach to all of their business.

Liftshare is the UK’s largest car sharing community, with over 500,000 members currently offering or requesting a lift. The site is free to use; and a sustainable and cheap travel option for most. Liftshare’s system calculates a journey price within legal limits for petrol contributions, so that car insurance remains unaffected.

The company maintains a free-to-use site for the public, as well as a corporate bespoke service that it sells to clients such as large employers, hospitals, business parks, and local authorities. Members using Liftshare on client sites alone save 35,000 tonnes of CO2 annually at current usage levels, and take over 97,000,000 miles off of the roads every year!

Based in Duke Street, Norwich, the sharing economy business has previously received accolades such as The Queens Award for Innovation, The Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel, and a Digital Impact Award.

Liftshare’s Founder and MD, Ali Clabburn, said of the shortlist: “Liftsharing is a win for the planet, a win for your savings and a win for community. I’m delighted to have been shortlisted and hope it encourages even more people in Norfolk to give it a try.”

The awards ceremony takes place on 16th March, at the Forum in Norwich.

A message from the North East Norfolk Futures Event Team Working in partnership with Beacon East, North Norfolk District Council and Paston Sixth Form College, the North East Norfolk Futures Event is designed to inspire, motivate and help guide students to reach their future career goals.

Over the last few years the event has grown considerably, with over 30 universities and 50+ employers attending last year.

This year, in addition to the provider stalls we have also introduced the ‘Career Guidance Centre’; where students can gain one-to-one career guidance from a variety of independence careers advisors, and also visit a series of guest speaker talks covering a variety of career paths. if you would like to find out more about the event, please contact Paston Sixth Form College via findoutmore@paston.ac.uk

Frank Dale Foods Limited based in Bunwell, South Norfolk passed into liquidation on Tuesday 28 February 2017 bringing to an end over 20 years of trading.  Andrew McTear of Norwich based business rescue and insolvency specialists was appointed liquidator.  In the run up to liquidation McTear Williams & Wood advertised the business and assets for sale as a going concern.   Liquidator Andrew McTear commented “there was keen interest, we sent out 31 sales packs and six interested parties visited site.  One offer stood above the others and I am delighted we were able to conclude a sale of the business and assets on 1 March 2017 to Finedale Foods Limited that should secure future employment for most of the 57 strong work force.   “This will result in a significant dividend to creditors so we see this as a win win outcome.” Edward Miles, owner and CEO of the newly formed Finedale Foods Limited said “I looked to invest and manage the company prior to the liquidation but the depth of the company’s financial crisis made that impossible.  Buying the business and assets out of liquidation made sense and I am delighted to be the successful bidder with support from Angel Investors, the LEP and the local Council who all worked quickly to support the bid”. “It is early days but we have already restarted production and opening new accounts with customers and suppliers. The team on site are working extremely hard to satisfy a backlog of customer orders and we will continue to build the Frank Dale brand.”

Human Capital Department were delighted to be awarded the Kings Lynn Major’s Award for innovation on 3rd March 2017, held at the Corn Exchange.

The judges recognised the company have innovated in providing tailored HR solutions, and in Maketing of the business.

Peter Lawrence from Human Capital Department said:

We are interested in building relationships with Chamber Members and other businesses, and providing HR Support either on a retained basis or for what I call HR Projects. 

To get in touch Phone

01553 609968 

or email

info@humancapitaldept.com

www.humancapitaldept.com

SimRush uses next generation access technology and LTE connectivity to deliver superfast broadband to premises with little or no existing capability. It is taking businesses which are in broadband not-spots by storm and transforming the way they can do business.

After its initial research and development phase the product underwent a vigorous testing phase for 12 months ensuring it was ready for general wide-scale UK release in Q4 of 2016.  Norfolk based internet communications provider FreeClix was appointed as Lead Technology Partner in September 2016 and it was fitting that a product researched and developed in Norfolk was given its first public exhibition at a Norfolk event.

The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce MPs Event 2017 was the perfect launchpad given the ‘Revolution in Technology’ and ‘Changing Landscape and Infrastructure’ topics under debate. The product received enthusiastic interest from delegates and MPs who clearly demonstrated they were all keen to ensure Norfolk businesses are not left behind by poor broadband infrastructure.

The FreeClix stand featured this fun video below which explained the benefits of the product to visitors.

SimRush is the perfect product for both Norfolk and UK-wide business (and home) users who are sick of waiting around to be fibre enabled, cannot get wireless as they are obscured by trees, because local fixed access wireless providers do not have enough customers to make installations viable, or they simply don’t want satellite due to its high latency and cost.

SimRush hardware can be used ‘out of the box’ and can be up and running in a matter of minutes. The cloud managed devices are automatically kept up to date can be managed locally by end users via the customer portal. To enable users to meet their specific needs in more complex network environments, the equipment can be configured to meet customers’ bespoke requirements and can be deployed into premises as part of a wider connectivity solution.

Businesses which now have the superfast service they need have found it has not just allowed them to conduct ordinary business, its enabled them to compete and grow. This case study gives a brilliant example of how a rural business has literally transformed the way it’s now doing business thanks to a SimRush install by FreeClix.

SimRush can be purchased across the UK from authorised technical resellers. Pricing is dependent on data requirement please contact us for details of your nearest authorised technical reseller who can provide you with advice and pricing.

www.simrush.com

Connect Plus Services are responsible for the maintenance and operations of the M25 motorway network, including all adjoining trunk and slip roads, and their website reads: “Imagine a world where you were never late; where there were no traffic jams, queues or accidents; where you travelled with ease and were spared thoughts of frustration and annoyance”. 

Aiming to practice what they preach and lead by example, CPS launched a Liftshare scheme for their workforce at the beginning of 2017. With seven main sites of staff, and varying shift patterns, the business needed a flexible sharing policy that would suit all.

Frequently working on large projects outside and in all elements, CPS are no stranger to environmental concerns and corporate social responsibility. With ambitious carbon reduction targets to hit by 2020, CPS need to find new ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

Taking the step to implement priority parking bays for car sharers at three sites, CPS launched their scheme and invited the Liftshare Team on site to meet with staff. Completing floor walks of Dartford and South Mimms and signing people up for the free-to-use initiative at their desks, 25% of the workforce signed up over just two days – an unprecedented amount of engagement!

CPS used their social media, company-wide briefings and email to talk about car sharing and its benefits to their staff, and incentivised with a prize draw for those signing up. This all-round approach has been extremely successful, and the interest received is tantamount to the management buy-in.

Rebecca Gysin, Liftshare Scheme Manager, said: “As a business we take our impact on the environment very seriously, it is one of our six business priorities and goals. Seeing that our work focuses on improving journeys on the M25, we felt it was important to demonstrate our commitment to improving congestion on our roads.  During the process of deciding whether Liftshare was right for our business we identified that over 43% of our staff lived within one mile of a colleague travelling to the same site, this evidence showed us that this would be a worthwhile investment and really give our staff an opportunity to save themselves some money of their fuels bills and maybe also make some new friends along the way. “

If you’d like more information on introducing a Liftshare scheme for your business, or think personalised travel planning or car sharing could work for your organisation, get in touch with the Liftshare Business Team.

RenEnergy has started construction of a 1.9MW solar Photo Voltaic (PV) plant at the Briar Chemicals site in Norwich, UK. The PV array will provide low carbon energy into the Briar Chemicals facility. The development will be built on a site adjacent to the plant, utilising otherwise undeveloped land to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 400 houses, and offset 860 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The solar array will be installed at no capital cost to Briar Chemicals; rather it will be owned and maintained by RenEnergy and its partners, selling the energy produced to the site at a discount to the market rate. Over the 25-year life of the project, the discount will amount to significant operational savings, helping Briar Chemicals remain competitive and sustainable in a global market, whilst complimenting the operation of the existing Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant.

Tim Green, Executive Director and Site Manager said: “This is an exciting project; it will allow us to use power generated from the sun and use it within our manufacturing processes. This will enable us to focus on production of cost-effective high quality chemicals, knowing that we are doing so in an extremely environmentally friendly way.”

Damian Baker, MD of RenEnergy said: “We have been working with Briar for over nine months to deliver this project. The system had to be designed to ensure it met the high standards demanded in this engineering sector and is a real testament to all involved.”

The installation will consist of 6,508 Solar World PV panels connected to 84 Fronius inverters. The ground frame used to mount the panels was designed and manufactured by Hi-Span in Wymondham, part of RenEnergy’s policy to use local suppliers whenever possible.

Designed in order for peak generation to coincide with Briar’s peak energy load, the solar plant will produce approximately 1,800,000 kWh of energy a year, of which over 70% will be consumed on site, with the surplus being exported for use elsewhere on the electricity grid.

In addition to the generation of low carbon energy, the ground array will enhance the biodiversity of the area, providing shelter and habitat to a wide variety of insects, animals and wildflowers, further adding to the green credentials of the project.

Briar Chemicals deliver chemical synthesis, formulation, packing and shipping services to customers across the globe. From their site in Norwich, they service world-leading companies in the crop protection, fine and speciality sectors, utilising a broad asset and technology base, underpinned by quality driven project management and operational excellence.

Businesses, homeowners or communities wishing to know more about the local generation of renewable energy can visit www.renenergy.co.uk to find out more.

BBA Digital Media got heart through out January and February, this time for none other than 

Just another fab example of focussed advertising: have you considered joining our network of digital screens to push a specific element of your business?

Almost five decades have passed since equal pay legislation was introduced and yet some women still earn less than men for doing the same work. The current UK gender pay gap stands at just over 18%. 

With a view to eliminating the gender pay gap in a generation, later this year the government will be introducing new regulations requiring large employers, including the public sector, to publish their gender pay gap and gender bonus gap. 

The gender pay gap looks at average pay differences between men and women across an entire organisation, in contrast to equal pay which focuses on the differences between men and women who carry out the same jobs, similar jobs or work of equal value.

It is expected that greater transparency around the gender pay gap will enable employers to identify new opportunities to increase female participation in their workforce, as well as increasing employee confidence in the remuneration process.  The evidence provided by gender pay gap reporting will also be used by the government to look at whether other initiatives are required to narrow the gender pay gap. 

The regulations will apply to all private and voluntary sector employers with at least 250 ‘relevant’ employees.  

Large employers will be required on an annual basis to publicise details of the rates at which they pay female employees compared with male employees including:

• the difference between the mean and median hourly rates of pay between male and female full pay employees;
• the difference between men and women’s mean and median bonus pay over a 12-month period;
• the number of men and women in each of four groups based on the organisation’s overall pay range; and
• the proportion of males and females who have received bonuses.

Organisations will have up to 12 months from April 2017 to publish this information and should be making their payroll aware about these reporting obligations.  

Although only large businesses will be expected to highlight their gender pay gap next year, given the likely increase in media interest and employee awareness following the publication of the first reports, employers of any size could face a surge of challenges by staff regarding perceived pay differences in workplace.  Equal pay claims are often complex and expensive to defend, with substantial amounts at stake. 

All employers should consider taking steps now to identify whether potential gender pay disparity exists within their organisation.  Unfortunately there are no easy solutions for employers if such pay disparity is identified, but simply ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away is unlikely to be an option in the future.

Nicola Butterworth and Graham Irons will be discussing the law surrounding equal pay issues and the reporting requirements, including defences to equal pay claims and handling an equal pay grievance at the next Norfolk Chamber of Commerce HR forum on 22 March 2017.  The session will also look at future legal reforms and recent case law decisions and identify how these developments will impact on local businesses.

 To book a place please visit the event page

MEDIA RELEASE 22 February, 2017 Norwich Airport posts 10% passenger increase Norwich Airport is celebrating a 10% increase in passenger numbers, passing the half a million mark for the first time since 2008. Figures just released by the CAA show that Norwich handled 506,007 passengers in 2016, up 43,343 on the year before, an increase of 10%.

The growth is being attributed to the launch of several new routes in 2016 including the return of year-round sunshine flights to Malaga and Alicante last Easter, the first in almost 10 years. The flights were made possible by an innovative partnership between Exeter-based airline Flybe and Regional & City Airports (RCA), the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC, which owns Norwich Airport and Exeter Airport. This saw the introduction of one of Flybe’s E195 118-seater jet aircraft on the routes, which operate year-round.

The addition of winter ski flights to Chambery, a year-round service to Exeter and holiday flights to Gran Canaria and Cyprus have also played their part. Norwich Airport managing director Richard Pace said: “We’ve had a great year and every month saw passenger growth of between 4% and 19%. “The return of the Spanish sunshine flights has been a huge success with double digit increases in March, April and May. July and November were among our best ever, both up by 19%, and Chambery has proved popular helping us to end the year 9% up in December and 10% overall.” Richard said that he was hopeful of continued growth in 2017 with the launch of a new weekly service to the Greek Island of Rhodes, increased flights to Jersey, and special flights to Dubrovnik in Croatia and Venice in Italy.

He added: “Growing our route network to include more international hubs and leisure destinations remains our priority, and the completion of the Northern Distributor Road next year will make it even easier for people to travel from their local airport.” For more information about scheduled and holiday flights from Norwich Airport please visit www.norwichairport.co.uk 

Richard Chatten QFP, International Support Officer at TaxAssist Accountants will be sharing his experience of providing support to a global network of franchisees, as a guest speaker at the International Franchising Symposium on 16th-17th March.

Hosted by The British & International Franchise Associations with the European Franchise Federation, the event will be held at the prestigious Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London.

With almost a decade of experience in the international franchise industry, Richard will talk about the challenges of supporting franchisees around the world and explain how TaxAssist Accountants successfully overcame them to continue growing its network in Australia and the Republic of Ireland.

Richard said: “As well as having to understand the different tax legislations and business cultures, international markets require comprehensive and dedicated support to grow a network of successful franchisees.

“I am looking forward to sharing this experience when I take part in the Interactive Q&A Panel on 17th March.”

The Symposium will showcase speakers from the USA, Europe and the UK and there will be discussions on topics from the future of digital marketing, to the nuts and bolts of different markets, worldwide trends in regulation and challenges facing franchising in the future.

In the UK, 38% of home-grown franchisors now expand internationally and TaxAssist Accountants is one of them, with franchise operations in the Republic of Ireland and Australia with further expansion planned to Canada and the USA.

Among those joining Richard as guest speakers at the event will be Aziz Hashim, International Franchise Association Immediate Past Chair, Managing Partner, NRD Capital, LLC who will be talking about Franchising, Leadership and Global Growth. Gavin Hewitt, BBC News Chief Correspondent, will be providing the after-dinner speeches at the Gala Dinner.

To find out more about International Franchise Week and to book your place, visit www.thebfa.org/InternationalFranchising

February 2017