Member News

Cozens-Hardy solicitors are delighted to announce that they have formally partnered with local charity Big C for their annual Cycle Ride this year.

Taking place at Blickling Estate on Sunday 17th July, the 2016 Cozens-Hardy Big Cycle Ride will celebrate Big C’s 35th anniversary with £3.50 from each entry fee going directly to the local cancer charity. In addition, a family-friendly 3.5km off road loop has been added to the three scenic 25-mile road loops.

Said Anna Farquharson, Cozens-Hardy Marketing Partner:

“We are so pleased to be able to increase our support of Big C in their anniversary year and to offer a new dimension to our event with the off-road loop. Whether you are a regular cyclist, a novice or a family looking for something to do at the weekend, we can offer a relaxed, fun day out in the Norfolk countryside.”

Over the past two years, this friendly and well-supported event has raised over £2,400 for Big C and it’s hoped that the new family-friendly route will encourage more people to take part than ever before.

Dr Chris Bushby, Chief Executive Officer Big C:

“The Cozens-Hardy Cycle Ride is a well established event, endorsed by British Cycling, that has raised significant funds for Big C over the past two years. Having approached Cozens-Hardy at the start of the year to become partners in their event we were delighted when they agreed. We are very proud of the renamed ‘Cozens-Hardy Big Cycle Ride’ and all that it

offers participants, in particular the lovely 3.5km off road loop for families and the £3.50 contribution to Big C from each and every entry fee. This is one of our flagship Challenge 35 events for 2016 and I hope lots of families and cycling enthusiasts will come and enjoy all that’s on offer in and around Blickling Estate on Sunday 17th July.”

The event, run by Push Sport on behalf of Cozens-Hardy, is located to take advantage of some of the county’s best cycling lanes and byways. The three 25-mile road routes each start and end at event HQ on Blickling Estate, with riders able to choose which – and how many – loops they wish to ride on the day. The event is run under British Cycling rules, but you don’t have to ride a fancy bike to enter – last year witnessed traditional shoppers alongside mountain bikes and road bikes!

The 3.5km off road route is ideal for any ability and is particularly suitable for children, offering a traffic-free route with stunning view of Blickling Estate. Organisers are also offering skills sessions for children during the day. Discounted entry to Blicking house and gardens will be available for riders, their families and friends, while event HQ will offer mechanical support and refreshments all day, as well as free face painting 11am – 2pm.

Further information and entry details can be found at the event website www.thecozenshardybigcycleride.co.uk. The entry cost is £20 per head, of which £3.50 goes directly to Big C. Children under 16 years ride for free when accompanied by an adult. A Big C fundraising pack can be found on the website, offering a free Big C breathable T-shirt and sweatband for anyone that signs up. There is no fee for riding the off-road loop, although a donation to Big C on the day is encouraged.

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For further information please contact:Clare Haylett ph: 07764 270570 and clare@clarehaylett.net

Time is running out to nominate a talented woman working at a local, deserving organisation for a special sponsored place on our highly successfulWomen’s Leadership Programme.

We’ve teamed up with Suffolk-based Blossom Charity, which supports women in enterprise at all stages in their career, to offer one part-funded place on our next leadership skills course. This sponsored place is open to female managers looking to progress to more senior, board level roles who are working at charities, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex or Cambridgeshire. Applications need to be submitted by Friday 29 April to be considered.

Our Women’s Leadership Programme has been developed in conjunction with People & Performance Ltd in Cambridge to help women develop their authentic leadership skills. It has become renowned in the region for helping to develop female talent and over 30 organisations have already participated in the programme since it first began in 2014.

This half price place is a fantastic opportunity, not only to for the woman who is picked for the sponsored place but also for the organisation as a whole. This is because our programme provides the dual approach of not only developing aspiring female leaders but also the organisations they work for. We encourage employers to mentor and support their female talent to help them evolve their culture and to remove any workplace barriers to gender equality. Achieving an equal gender balance at senior levels is proven to be crucial to an organisation’s success. This is why we want to make this course more accessible to the fantastic local organisations which may not previously have had the budget to develop their talent pipeline in this way.

If you’re still not completely convinced, have a read through some of the powerfullessonsour previous delegates have learnt on the course. Or, if you need help convincing your employer to nominate you for the sponsored place, we’ve also compiled a list of the manybusiness benefitsto help you gain the support you need.

The sponsored place is for the next 2016 course with the modules running in June and September. The full cost of the programme is usually £2,750 but this will be reduced to £1,375 for the chosen delegate. Don’t miss out, make sure you apply for the place, or to nominate a member of your team, by emailinglucy@prs.uk.comby the 29th April. All you need to include at this stage is some simple details about why you, or a colleague, should be awarded the sponsored place.

NANSA, a disability charity for people in Norfolk, hasalmostraised enough money for a minibus!

Can you help with the final stages?

Why do we need a minibus?

We currently havetwo cars,a Berlingo and Kangoo. These are used totake members from our Youth and Adult Services on outings, such as bowling or swimming.

Theseare the challenges we are currently faced with:

• Our numbers have outgrown the size of thesevehicles. The cars fit a maximum of three members in each, butacross all services there are 140 people that attendNANSA!
• Although the cars have wheelchair space, they don’tcater for all wheelchair specifications, meaning that some people are unable to join in on outings.
• Our support workers struggle to transport wheelchair users into the cars, as you can see in the film.

So, how would a minibus help?

It would benefit us in lots ofdifferent ways:

• First and foremost, it’s a 16 seater, so we would be able to take largegroups out. This would give members the opportunity to experience more and visit lots of different places.
• The minibus fitsallwheelchair specifications (check out the space in the back!) so our outings would be fully inclusive.
• There is an automated lift which would make transporting wheelchair users much more straightforward, as well as saving our support workers’ backs!
• The range of activities would be broadened, and people would have much more choice in what they want to get out of NANSA’s services.
• Some members aredoing courses where they cangain a nationallyaccredited Gateway qualification, promoting employment opportunities. With a minibus, members would be able to get much more out of these courses,as they would be able tovisit places in the community, reinforcing what they have learnt during sessions.
• A minibus would ultimately allow our members to access the wider community on a regular basis, and therefore integrate into society.

Please check out our Crowdfunder film here:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nansaminibus/?

Everyone knows the monthlyNorfolk Developermeets attract speakers from around the country to talk tech to us, but we were reminded recently that we also have a more practical function. To bring like-minded programmers together. One such successful collaboration began in March last year between John Heaser of Responsive Systems and freelance mobile developer Neil Sedger. The conversation they had resulted in a wildlife tracking app, which has recently been published on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

John posted in the NorDev Meet-up group that he was looking for help with a Cordova phone app and then decided to attend a meet-up himself. “I went along to my first NorDev meeting on 25th March 2015 and during the pre-meeting beer I overheard Neil talking about Cordova – so I asked him if he was interested in working on the project and he said yes, he had some time available, so I was very lucky! There are five of us working at Responsive Systems and whilst we have good skills in some areas we can’t be experts in everything! Neil helped us get started on the project – he is a nice chap to work with.”

“I’ve used Cordova on a few projects now” says Neil “It’s great for quickly building a cross-platform mobile app, especially if you already have a responsive browser-side web front end. It’s not for every project but it’s worth considering.”

Neil describes the app as a wildlife database with an built-in questionnaire to help users identify a creature they have found. ” ‘Dragon Finder’, has been built for the wildlife charity Froglife who are dedicated to the conservation of amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats. Users are encouraged to report sightings of creatures which can include location, habitat description and photos; this is uploaded to Froglife’s central database which they use to monitor populations, spread of disease and non-native species, and feed into other conservation projects.”

“We have brought in outside help on previous projects” says John “and I believe that co-operative skill sharing between small software businesses will play a key role in making Norwich a centre of technical excellence and that NorDev can facilitate this.”

Check out the finished app here:

Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.froglife.dragonfinder Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dragon-finder/id1051344492?mt=8

Norse Group is the first company in Norfolk to be awarded accreditation under the Investors in Young People (IIYP) scheme (part of the internationally recognised Investors in People standard) for its work with schools, apprentices and Project Search students.

Norse board member and leader of Norfolk County Council George Nobbs said; “I am immensely proud the young people who work for Norse and of everyone at the company who has helped achieve this award, the first amongst the 30,000 companies in the county.”

HR Director Tricia Fuller said that Norse currently has 88 apprentices and 10 students given employment under the Project Search initiative.

“Since our apprenticeship scheme started five years ago we have provided around 500 apprenticeship opportunities around the country,” she said. This supports the work we do with schools providing mentors and work experience.”

“For the last six yearswe have also offered employment and education places for 10 to 12 Project SEARCH students every year, with over 70% of these young adults going on to find fulltime employment. These students have a range of learning disabilities and are often disadvantaged in the labour market. It is this sort of commitment to helping young people gain work experience and employment that has led to Norse earning this accreditation,” she added.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Caroline Williams said; “The IIYP is a tough award to gain because an organisation needs to demonstrate that they are being innovative in their activity in supporting Young People.”

“This is a national award and we would like to show the rest of the UK through local companies being recognised for their work by gaining this award, just what a great place Norfolk is for young people to develop their skills. We congratulate the Norse Group for being the first Norfolk organisation to gain this award”

Emma Callaway and Jordan Codling both started apprenticeships with Norse subsidiary n-able in August 2015, working in the company’s warehouse. “It was a bit challenging to start with but the company has really helped me and given me support in learning the job,” Jordan said.

“I’ve been given opportunities to get to know different parts of the business, from arranging engineers’ visits to getting involved with billing,” Emma added.

“I’m quite new to Norse as I only began my apprenticeship in December last year, but I’m really enjoying it,” Lauren Kerr, who is working in Norse’s finance department, commented. “I am taking evening classes as well, which is helping to give me more experience and hopefully find a full time job at the end of the apprenticeship.”

Tracey Butcher ,Area organiser – UNISON Young Members lead (Eastern Region)said, “UNISON were pleased to be invited to acknowledge the success of the Norse apprenticeship scheme , and impressively one of the only recipients of the IIYP award. We very much look forward to continue working with Norse and supporting their apprentices.”

East Anglia based specialist Recruitment Company Cooper Lomaz has partnered with award winning Sales Recruitment and Training Company Raw Talent Academy in order to enhance, grow and develop their current Norwich based office.

Over the coming weeks Raw Talent Academy will be searching across Norfolk for a number of enthusiastic and passionate individuals who have a desire and drive to work in recruitment.

Raw Talent Academy will be staging an audition day in May 2016 which will see potential candidates showcase their talent through a series of simulated business tasks and role play situations in order for Cooper Lomaz to hire the staff they consider to be best suited to their dynamic organisation.

Cooper Lomaz is delighted to partner with Raw Talent Academy in an exclusive relationship which sees Cooper Lomaz as the only Norfolk recruitment firm Raw Talent Academy working with currently. Both parties are extremely excited and confident that this is the first step in a long and prosperous relationship that will unearth some great Raw Talent for one of East Anglia’s leading recruitment companies.

Cooper Lomaz’s Commercial Director Simon Brown said ‘We are delighted to have secured the services of a market leading talent attraction company such as Raw Talent. I know from working with Lee and the team previously how much work, effort and commitment they put into every campaign Raw Talent intake. This is a real sign of intent from Cooper Lomaz to grow our business in a sustainable way with a dedicated partner‘.

Raw Talent Academy founder Lee McQueen said “I am delighted that Cooper Lomaz has chosen Raw Talent as their recruitment partner. I know my team are looking forward to working on this project with such a fantastic opportunity available to candidates. Having already spent a couple of days at Cooper Lomaz’ office it is clear to see this is an ambitious organisation looking to invest in their talent. I am confident we will be able to source high calibre, ‘raw talent’ over the coming weeks.“

Candidates wishing to apply to the Cooper Lomaz audition day should do so directly with Raw Talent Academy, please see https://www.rawtalentacademy.com/cooper-lomaz-academy-microsite/ for more details.

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About Cooper Lomaz Recruitment:

With its roots in Norfolk and Suffolk, Cooper Lomaz is now pushing into regions beyond East Anglia, providing benchmark recruitment services for candidates and clients alike. Whether you’re looking for a new job or a new employee, Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Consultants are committed to delivering an unrivalled range of recruitment services covering permanent, contract, and interim appointments. They boast to have over 25 years’ experience recruiting in the East of England. Our team of over 60 specialist consultants deliver our award-winning, intelligent recruitment services. Cooper Lomaz recruits in a number of specialist industry sectors including Accountancy, Engineering, Insurance, I.T. and Food Manufacturing and placed 22nd in The Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work for in 2015.

https://www.cooperlomaz.co.uk

About Raw Talent Academy:

A fresh approach to sales recruitment.

Raw Talent Academy, born from a frustration at the lack of fresh talent within the sales industry, is an award-winning Sales Recruitment and Training business with a proven track record of unearthing hidden sales talent, showcasing their ability and nurturing success.

Raw Talent Academy partners with organisations to build and develop internal Sales Academies, as well as helping to grow existing sales teams including the sourcing of experienced sales talent. Oxfordshire based Raw Talent Academy was founded in 2011 by the 2008 winner of BBC TV show, The Apprentice, Lee McQueen. Prior to beating 20,000 candidates and being picked by Lord Sugar to be his apprentice, Lee spent 11 years working in recruitment for various national companies.

https://www.rawtalentacademy.com

Specialist aviation company SaxonAir continues its growth reporting on a buoyant performance over the past year in most areas of the group. Since the company was founded in 2007 it has grown year on year with new charter and managed aircraft being added to the fleet, flight support contracts won through its Business Aviation Centre headquarters and increasing numbers of aircraft sales and acquisitions brokered.

The group collectively increased turnover by 32% compared with the previous year to over £13 million GBP in 2015, whilst welcoming over 20 new staff to deal with the growing demands within the organisation, providing a great platform for further drive into new business for the future. SaxonAir provides a range of aviation services including private jet charter, aircraft management, helicopter charter & utility surveillance, aircraft sales & leasing, flight support and ground handling. As well as expanding through its Norwich head office, SaxonAir have increased their operational bases across the UK with aircraft also located in both London Stansted and Luton airports.

Chris Mace, SaxonAir’s Group Commercial Director says “Our private air charter service has become increasingly popular for business travellers; it’s a recognition of the convenience and time saving abilities that can be achieved by flying privately. Air charter has the ability to turn days into hours, making valuable business sense.” The modern and diverse SaxonAir aircraft charter fleet flew almost 2,500 flight hours in 2015, a 13% increase from the previous year and equates to flying over 27 times around the world.

The company’s specialist ground handling services have also experienced growth in business aviation activities, seeing over 3,000 private and business aircraft movements, a 12.5% increase on the previous year. Alex Durand, SaxonAir CEO comments “Despite the continued difficulties and industry decline of the offshore and energy market, SaxonAir Flight Support has increased business aircraft movements and fuel sales at our Norwich headquarters showing the firm importance our aviation sector has regionally. Our diversification into other aviation sectors has played a key part in our continued success.”

SaxonAir has also seen the positive benefit in investing into the younger generation, having now provided 7 apprenticeship’s within the organisation. This commitment has recently won SaxonAir the Apprenticeship Employer of the Year 2016 in the small to medium size business category by the City College Norwich National Apprenticeship Awards.

END.

PRESS RELEASE STATISTICS:

• Business and Private aircraft handling movements undertaken by SaxonAir Flight Support at Norwich International Airport increased by 12.5% to over 3000
• SaxonAir Charter saw flying hours increase by 13% from 2014 to the same period in 2015
• Collective turnover in the group was up by 30% to £13.2million GBP in 2015 when compared against 2014
• 20 New staff joined in the business in 2015 making numbers of 65+ today

EMPTY LEG

TODAY 19TH APRILPM

FRANKFURT TO LONDON

GULFSTREAM G550

+44(0)1603 518118 – charter@saxonair.com

Jodie Woodrow, senior recruitment consultant for Pure’s Financial Services Division, was invited on to Mustard TV’s Business Extra Show to discuss the latest economic findings released by The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The BCC has released the results of its latest quarterly survey which provides a snap shot of the UK economy. Based on responses from over 8,500 firms, the latest findings show that growth in the economy has continued to soften in the first quarter of 2016.

Mustard TV, a local TV station based in Norwich, invited Jodie to be a panellist on its Business Extra Show to discuss whether the UK-wide findings are reflective of Norfolk’s economy and the problems local organisations may be encountering as a result. She was joined by Jon Shooter from Glazing Vision in Diss and Jonathan Cage, President of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

During the discussions Jodie revealed that the number of job vacancies in the region had increased in the last quarter, but outlined how challenges in finding people with the right skills to fill these roles could be a contributing factor to the slowdown in economic growth.

To hear more from Jodie, and her fellow panellists, watch the full show online athttps://www.mustardtv.co.uk/browse/chamber-of-commerce/

If you are having difficulty in finding candidates with the right attributes for your organisation,contact your local Pure officefor expert help and advice.

We welcomeNorwich Rocksto our digital signage screens across Norfolk. The event is using our network of screens which reach half a million people per week to increase brand awareness of their events throughout the summer.

This family friendly event is in its 8th year and is held atGibraltar Gardenson bank holiday Sunday between 1pm – 8pm. The event offers live music from some of the best local bands, an outside bar, food stalls and kids entertainment plus much, much more. Norwich Rocks has hosted the likes of Edd Sheeran and Dj sets from Gary Powell (Libertines), Bombay Bicycle Club, The Vaccines, Andy Nicholson (Arctic Monkeys) in the past.

We love to work alongside both local businesses and events from Norfolk, so it’s a pleasure to welcome the Norwich Rocks team on board!

Our latest No8 monthly newsletter was sent out yesterday.

In this month’s newsletter we looked at;

– The Story of No8 – One year on, we look back at how and why it all started…

– Meet the Team; Richard Mills

– First Aid Training at No8

– Events coming up at No8

If you missed our newsletter and would like to read it click here

If you would like to be added to our mailing list please contact mitchell@redcat.gb.com

Professor David Richardson has been announced as chair of Norwich Research Partners LLP.

David joined the board at its inception in 2012 is taking over the role from Anthony Habgood, who recently concluded his three-year tenure as chair of the Park.

Appointed vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia (UEA) in January 2014, Professor Richardson joined the university in 1991 and has held a series of leadership positions including dean of the faculty of science, pro-vice-chancellor for research, enterprise and engagement, and deputy vice-chancellor. He is also a former member of the governing council of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) which plays a key role in the shaping of UK research policy.

Professor Richardson said: “Norwich Research Park is a community of research organisations with world leading science credentials and I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed chair of Norwich Research Partners LLP.”

Anthony Habgood will continue to serve on the board which was further strengthened recently by the appointment of Mark Davies, chief executive at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor Ian Charles, director of the Institute of Food Research and founding director of the new Quadram Institute.

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, chief executive officer, Norwich Research Park said: “David has been a valuable member of the board and his continued drive and enthusiasm will make him an excellent successor to Anthony, who has been instrumental in driving the Park forward over the past three years.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Anthony Habgood for his considerable contributions and welcome our latest members Professor Ian Charles and Mark Davies to the board. Their combined business, research and academic expertise will continue to further strengthen the Park’s position and raise its profile internationally.”

Norwich Research Partners LLP serves the interests of the Partners by promoting Norwich Research Park and developing it as a commercial destination. Home to more than fifty independent businesses Norwich Research Park is a partnership between theUniversity of East Anglia, theNorfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, four independent world-renowned research institutes namely the John Innes Centre,Institute of Food ResearchandThe Genome Analysis Centre(all strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)) andThe Sainsbury Laboratorylinked to theGatsby Charitable Foundation. The BBSRCis itself a partner as is theJohn Innes Foundation.