Member News

Freebridge Community Housing have announced the launch of their new ‘Change to Save’ campaign in support of the government’s Big Energy Saving Network.

The campaign hopes to encourage West Norfolk residents to make changes that can save them money on their energy bills this winter, and was unveiled in front of the Norfolk Knitters & Stitchers who also provide cost effective ways of keeping warm!

The campaign arrives on the back of the news that across our region we are currently paying £11million more than we need to for our energy bills.

‘Change to Save’ offers energy advice on issues such as; changing how you pay for your energy, changing the type of energy tariff you are on, changing your energy supplier and applying for discounts and help to pay for your energy.

Weekly advice sessions will be held by Freebridge Energy Advisor, Chlöe Lacy, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm at the Hillington Square Community Café. Chlöe will also be knocking on doors around Hillington Square to offer free impartial advice to residents.

Chlöe Lacy, Freebridge Energy Advisor, said: “With the dark nights and cold months closing in ‘Change to Save’ can help people to save money and keep warm over the winter.

“Approximately 60% of households in the UK have never switched energy supplier and are almost certainly paying too much for their energy. Our aim is to try and reverse that trend in our area.”

The Norfolk Knitters visit Providence Street Community Centre once a month and kindly allowed Freebridge to speak to them about ‘Change to Save.’

The Knitters are active with a number of charities across our region and have provided support to a range of organisations including the International Aid Trust, Norfolk and Norwich Premature Baby Unit and Dementia Awareness.

Trudie Smart, from Norfolk Knitters, said: “It’s a good idea to get this information out there, people need to know that this help is available. Many elderly people stay with the same company for years just because it’s easier.”

For further information on how to save money on energy bills contact Freebridge on 03332 404 444

It’s getting colder and the North Sea is getting more dangerous for those working out in its harsh conditions.

It also means repairs for equipment and whilst equipment is down, it needs to be covered…hence we are now in ‘Spares Season’.

Check out our blog post here

In business we often expect a high level of performance from people. Especially our management and sales people. We also expect them to be consistently successful year in year out, sometimes without updating knowledge to supportdevelopment, professionalism and confidence.

Tailoring training to the needs of your team is vital. Whether it’s managing a sales team, motivating them and developing a reward packageor being at the front line, our sales techniques training course will help to build your team’s knowledge and skills. If required, more focused individual training is also available – either way, we can help. Ultimately, your business will benefit from improved actions and results.

We can help you to improve sales conversion rates, achieve higher sales values, negotiate better prices with shorter sales cycles or refresh your leadership and management skills.

Investing in sales training is one of the most cost effective ways to improve business performance anduntil February 2017, you may also qualify for a Grant towards our training.

The Grant is available to Norfolk & Suffolk SME’s and is a simple application process (which we can help you with if required). Below are some details about the grant:

• Supports learning with grants up to £1500 per learner
• For employees (including Apprentices) over 19 years old
• Training is non – mandatory and boosts your productivity and efficiency by upskilling you or your staff
• Pays 25% for non-accredited and Levels 1-2 training and qualifications
• Pays 40% for Levels 3-4 qualifications (80% of the grant is available after 3 months of training)

If you would like more details or are interested in our Sales Training course, please contact Paton pat.powell@w-l-p.co.uk or 01953 882141.

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

We’re looking for a trainee Account Handler for our TV commercials department, which schedules every aspect of our TV productions from booking artistes to arranging shoots to liaising with broadcasters.

You must be organised, good at written presentation, figures, and Microsoft Office applications (especially Excel). You should be equally at home in a team or solo, cope under pressure, and be able to communicate accurately, enthusiastically and authoritatively with colleagues and clients.

Starting salary £16-19k depending on experience, plus contributory pension.

Please send CV and availability to: Elena Ford, TV Account Handler, JMS Group Limited, Hethersett, Norwich NR9 3DL or via e-mail to : elena.ford@jms-group.com

Closing date: 30th November 2016

Attleborough-based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has been awarded small business of the year in the eastern heats of the national Chamber of Commerce Awards 2016.

Beating off stiff competition from across East Anglia, Finn Geotherm was awarded the title for its consistent growth backed by a strong financial performance, innovation and commitment to its staff. The company, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, installs ground and air source heat pumps that deliver heating and hot water using renewable energy.

Jason Williams, business manager of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are always trying to ensure that Norfolk is seen as a great place to do business and Finn Geotherm is a great example of innovation and success. I am just glad that this year, the BCC judges were able to see what we have been seeing.”

Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award. We have been proud members of Norfolk Chamber for many years and it was an honour to be crowned Small Business of the Year in the east, particularly as Finn Geotherm is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To win such a prestigious award is the icing on our birthday cake!”

David Alston, technical director at Finn Geotherm, added: “This award is testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the entire team at Finn Geotherm, who have enabled the company to grow and expand over the past ten years. We are pleased to accept this award from Norfolk Chamber and very much look forward to the next ten years of installing more great heat pump systems across the region.”

Winners of the national Chamber awards will be announced in London on 25th November 2016.

For more information on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.

Briar Chemicals Young Poet of the Year poetry competition, now in its 12th year, attracted more than 1,200 entries from schools across the region.

This year the young poets joined television nature presenter and writer Jess French, the final stage judge for the poetry competition, at the “Exploring Nature” themed awards event held in the BBC Voices studio at The Forum in Norwich.

Jess said: “We need to keep up our intimate personal relationship with nature, or we’ll lose it. Nature is a subject that’s really close to my heart, and I think it’s absolutely vital that we remain attached and connected to nature.”

Edie Tod, of Angel Road Junior School was the winner of the 8-9 category, and Eve Bensley, of Bunwell Primary School won the 10-11 category.

Edie, aged nine, is now keen to become a nature writer said: “I want to be a nature poet when I’m older. I used my imagination for this piece and it only took me an evening to write.”

Eve, aged 11, said: “I saw a butterfly during break time at school and wrote about it. My favourite subject at school science so my headteacher was so pleased when she found out I had won.”

Edie and Eve each won £100 and their schools received £500, courtesy of Briar Chemicals. A copy of Jess’ book, Chimp Rescue: A True Story and certificates were also presented to each of the winners and runners-up.

Tim Green, Site Manager of Briar Chemicals said “This year’s poetry competition received entries from 37 schools around the region and the standard was very high.”

“Our aim is to encourage youngsters to enjoy writing creatively and this year theme certainly seems to have done the trick!”

First stage judges were Simon Proctor from the Eastern Daily Press, Professor Anne Osbourn of the John Innes Centre and founder of the SAW Trust (Science, Art and Writing), and Sarah Piercy of Briar Chemicals.

Briar Chemicals also donated £500 to help support Miss French’s chosen charity, the Sumatran Orangutan Society.

For more information visit www.briarchemicals.com

Ten leaders from charitable organisations across East Anglia attended an inaugural Charity Leaders Forum in Cambridge, hosted by professional recruitment specialists Pure to provide free support on strategic planning.

The event was led by guest speaker Sue Humphrey, a leading strategy development and implementation specialist from Cambridge-based In Tandem Limited. Lynn Morgan, Chief Executive at the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, also shared practical examples of strategy and planning within the organisation. Held at Pure’s offices in Histon on Wednesday 19 October, this was the first of a series of regular Charity Leaders Forums planned for the future.

David Culley, Associate Director at Pure, said: “Being the leader of a charitable organisation can sometimes be a lonely existence. There can be limited opportunities for networking with peers and for developing skills which are beneficial to the organisation, especially with funding being focussed directly on the charity’s cause. For the past 13 years we have hosted an annual Charity Finance Forum and have had great feedback from delegates who attend year after year and have created some invaluable professional networks as a result. Following on from the success of these we wanted to provide a similar opportunity for the region’s CEOs and charity leaders to benefit from shared experiences and guest expertise. At Pure we work hard to support the region’s charities, whether its hosting or participating in fundraising events, supporting in recruitment needs or organising events like these to further develop the success of these fantastic organisations.”

The session was free to attend, but donations were requested for the nominated charity of STARS, a children’s bereavement support service based in Cambridge. The event raised over £200 which will fund counselling sessions for local children supported by the charity.

Pure plans to deliver three Charity Leaders Forums each year, with the next event scheduled to take place in February. Those interested in attending should contact David Culley at Pure on 01223 209888.

Finance professionals from across East Anglia have come together to discuss the forthcoming Apprenticeship Levy at a series of FD Breakfast Clubs organised by professional recruitment consultants Pure and accountancy firm Grant Thornton.

The four sessions, held in Chelmsford, Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich throughout October, were the latest in a series of FD Breakfast Clubs hosted by the two organisations. The clubs were first launched in 2014 to provide regular forums where the region’s senior finance professionals could come together to discuss topical issues important to business growth and sustainability.

Tom Earl, Associate Director at Pure, said: “We chose the Apprenticeship Levy as a topic for our latest breakfast sessions as it has been the subject of much scrutiny since it was confirmed it would be implemented in April 2017. The aim was to provide practical support and information on the levy, to discuss what it means for businesses in our region and to consider how it could impact on recruitment and talent development within this sector. The events covered everything from the potential cost implications through to how the structure and content of future training programmes could assist organisations in receiving additional funding towards staff development.”

The FD Clubs were developed by Pure and Grant Thornton to help support the local business community and to grow the regional economy. Subjects covered at previous sessions have included Cyber Security and Data Protection, Risk and Reputation, International Growth and Skills and Leadership.

Pure also collaborates with Grant Thornton to run a Finance Leadership Programme which is designed to help organisations in East Anglia to develop their future finance talent. Launched in 2015, the programme is made up of a small, invite-only group of future finance leaders and is split into three interactive round table sessions held throughout the year.

A local marketing agency is celebrating three years in business by treating themselves to a complete revamp. Emma Raines, owner at Example Marketing and Web Design, explains:

“We designed our original branding in 2013 when we launched the business. It was smart and it did the job. But since then, we’ve discovered a lot more about who we are as a business and what sets us apart from our competitors. As a marketing and design agency, we know how important it is that our logo and website reflect that.”

The new look is unapologetically bold. Example wanted to get across that they’re a small yet creative agency whose friendly service has won them regular customers representing a whole range of industries.

The business unveiled their new look with the launch of an updated website. The site gives visitors a glimpse at some of the projects Example has worked on since launch. The business boasts some very prestigious clients including the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Walking with the Wounded and Harford Attachments.

The biggest challenge with this project? Finding the time to do it! Emma continues:

“Our rebrand has been a long time coming! Our work for clients always has to take priority. I’m sure lots of other business owners can appreciate how taking care of your own business gets continually pushed to the bottom of the list. But it’s been a very valuable process. It renews our appreciation of what our clients are going through when we work on these kinds of branding and web design projects with them. It’s a really personal process.”

By completely rebranding, the team at Example hope that they’ll encourage other businesses to take the same step.

“A complete rebrand can be quite an overwhelming thought. But businesses change over time, as does the market they’re operating in. Your brand communicates a lot about your business and you should be proud of it. If it’s failing on either of those checks, it could be time for a change. Be bold and go for it – you’ll be really pleased you did!”

Briar Chemicals welcomed a group of students from Wymondham College who are keen to pursue a career in chemistry or chemical engineering.

Ms Edwards, Student Futures Coordinator at Wymondham College, who organised the visit,said: “Visiting Briar Chemicals gave the students the chance to see how the chemistry they learn in lessons is applied in industry, and on such a vast scale. It was a fascinating insight into the workings of the plant, the challenges faced and the care taken to ensure maximum safety at every step of the process.”

“Our students were able to ask about studying chemistry and chemical engineering at University and the career routes available to them. We were made very welcome and thanks to Briar Chemicals for the taking time and effort to make the visit a success.”

The college students were given the opportunity to learn more about manufacturing processes by being given a tour of the production plants and control rooms, enabling them to get a real insight into how some of the chemistry they may have come across in the classroom is used in a commercial.

James, a recent graduate who spent a year at Briar Chemicals in 2015 as part of his degree andis now employed by the company, joined the group along with Carmina, Briar’s student work placement from Loughborough University to offer advice on the career options available.

Briar Chemicals regularly host visits from the University and schools and collegesacross the region and welcome the opportunity to promote careers in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Working closely with all ages, Briar Chemicals supports the future generation who are passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Our latestsalary and recruitment surveyfor the Eastern region shows that benefits are playing an even greater role in competing for high calibre employees, especially within sectors facing candidate short markets.

Employees don’t choose to switch on salary alone and a recent national survey showed that benefits were still the third main attraction for job seekers, after salary and location. An organisation’s benefit package could be the deciding factor for an employee, especially if the salary offer is the same as a competitor organisation. But what employee perks are considered the most enticing to today’s job seekers?

Many of the benefits that were often seen as adding real value are becoming increasingly common place. Health care schemes and gym membership are becoming more prevalent and, within our own survey, we discovered that 85 per cent of companies in the East of England are now offering flexible working hours and 70 per cent are providing some form of study or educational support. For decades, pensions used to be a key differentiator, yet with the Workplace Pensions roll out almost complete, more employers are beginning to offer enhanced pensions to entice new employees.

People spend the majority of their waking hours at work, and low key benefits which make a big difference to day-to-day life can be just as appealing. Recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development included examples such as having free tea and coffee available, and being allowed to have online purchases delivered to the workplace, as some of the little perks really appreciated by workers.

We have seen an upward trend in organisations choosing to look for more innovative ways to update benefit schemes. Many employers are looking towards the modern day challenges faced by today’s workers for inspiration. A London organisation has reported that it is now offering staff help to get on the property ladder as part of its benefit scheme. Other firms have decided to provide low cost personal loans for employees, offering better rates than those offered by banks, and making monthly repayments simple by deducting direct from payroll.

Another option is for employers to enable benefits to be tailored to individual groups of employees. An Employee Benefits study showed that there was a marked difference between what different generations wanted from their benefits package. More than two-fifths of millennials said they would value financial advice, but only 17 per cent of those aged 30 or over would appreciate this perk. Other benefit options will be attractive to a broad section of employees, but for lots of different reasons. The opportunity to buy extra annual leave can appeal to parents as a cheaper option than paying for childcare during school holidays, and also prove attractive to employees wishing to travel more, or looking to pursue passions or hobbies outside of work

One way in which employers can monitor whether they have a competitive benefits package, which will help to attract and retain the best talent, is by asking employees for regular feedback within a staff survey. Another option is to seek advice from a recruitment consultant. A good consultant will have their finger on the pulse of the industry they specialise in, and the local market, and will be able to provide valuable insight into any shifting trends in salaries and benefit packages.

KLM UK Engineering is excited to announce that Corendon Dutch Airlines has signed a contract for two heavy maintenance checks during 2016 & 2017 on their Boeing 737-800’s as well as signing a long term GTA. This news follows the new deal with Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to provide Corendon Airlines Turkey and Corendon Dutch Airlines with engine maintenance services for twelve CFM56-7B engines in their fleets.

Peter van der Horst, Managing Director of KLMUK, said: ‘It is great news to have been awarded Corendon Dutch Airlines heavy maintenance checks and it allows KLMUKE to build on the existing group relationships and we look forward to working closely with Corendon for many years to come’.

About Corendon Airlines With a current fleet of 11 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated at Corendon Airlines, Turkey and 3 Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Corendon Dutch Airlines, Corendon operates charter flight services to destinations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Corendon flies to more than 40 countries and 150 destinations, including Major German, French, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, and Israeli and Nordic airports.