Member News

Marsh employees are invited to join the nationwide Shake Up September challenge. Fresh from Workplace Challenge, the programme which combines cutting edge technology with sport & physical activity opportunities, Shake Up September encourages employees across England to increase activity levels by trying at least one new activity or sport during

Simply log your levels of sport, physical activity and active travel online or using our app during September! Every activity you log will allocate points to you and your workplace! And points mean prizes!

The Challenge runs from Tuesday 1st to Wednesday 30th September 2015 but you can sign up at any time and back date your entries – so you don’t even have to log on daily!

To sign up for this FREE Challenge visit www.workplacechallenge.org.uk

Plus to help Norfolk employees get more active, Active Norfolk is putting on a range of taster sessions throughout September including badminton, sailing, climbing and skiing. These are all free or low cost, so no excuses – get your teams together and join in the fun – as well as getting you more active they are also a great team building experience for you and your colleagues. Log on to www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/activenorfolk to book your place.

There will also be weekly spot prizes available for those taking part in Shake up September including cinema tickets, swimming passes, a fitbit, craft hire vouchers for Whitlingham Outdoor Education Centre, Get Into Golf vouchers and ping sets.

Win win win! Plus as an extra incentive anybody that signs up to the Workplace Challenge on Thursday 27, Friday 28 or Saturday 29 August will be put into a draw to win £100 Chapelfield vouchers (one winner drawn each day).

Already signed up? There is an incentive for you too – refer a friend and be in with a chance of winning a FitBit. The person who refers the most people wins.

Businesses are being urged to sign-up for this year’s Takeover Day as Norfolk County Council begins preparations for the annual event.

Takeover Day takes place every November and gives children and young people the chance to work with adults for the day and get involved in decision making.

Led locally by Norfolk County Council, the event was pioneered by the Office for the Children’s Commissioner for England and is aimed at giving young people valuable experience of the world of work.

This year’s event will take place on Friday, 20 November and Norfolk County Council is hoping it will be bigger and better than ever.

Last year more than 100 children from across the county took part, taking over a diverse range of jobs, including the roles of Managing Editor at the EDP and Chief Fire Officer at the County Council.

This year it is hoped that more businesses will take part and recognise the benefit to their company and staff.

Annie Baldwin, Member of the Youth Parliament for Broadland, is helping to organise the day.

She said: “With the support of businesses and organisations, young people can understand more about the world of work, consider different careers, gain valuable experience and have their voices heard.

“This is an opportunity to show young people what it is like to do your job and to explain what the benefits are of working in your industry. Young people are more likely to become interested in seeking employment in a field of work that they have experienced.

“You will get a better understanding of what children and young people think about what you do and young people will arrive at work with fresh ideas, suggestions and a different perspective.”

Norfolk County Council was described as an ambassador for Takeover Day earlier this year by the then Children’s Commissioner Dr Maggie Atkinson.

In her report she highlighted the range of opportunities young people in the county had experienced, including the chance to debate in the council chamber at County Hall.

James Joyce, Chair of the Children’s Services Committee at Norfolk, said: “Takeover Day is a brilliant opportunity for Norfolk’s young people to experience the world of work, learn valuable skills and give employers a fresh perspective on their business.

“As one of those who had my role taken over I am keen to highlight the benefits for all of those involved and I would love to see more businesses take part this year, extending the range of careers and skills that Norfolk’s young people can experience.”

Takeover Day can be tailored to businesses and organisations from every sector. Last year the majority of the young people spent the day with County Council officers, ranging from the Managing Director and Chief Fire Officer, through to a Commissioning Manager, Public Health Officer and a Flood and Water Partnership Coordinator.

Young people also spent the day with people from a whole range of other organisations, including: the EDP, NPS and Norse Group, Lambda Films, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group, Chloe Smith MP, Brandon Lewis MP andthe constituency office of Norman Lamb MP.

The County Council is hoping a wider range of businesses will take part this year so that even more young people in the county can take advantage of what the day has to offer.

Businesses interested in taking part should contact Chris Williams, Senior Consultation and Involvement Officer at Norfolk County Council on 01603 495107 or email chris.williams2@norfolk.gov.uk.

If you’re under 50 you’ve probably never thought of needing comprehensive holiday travel insurance. But if you’re over 50, with some health issues, it becomes essential to get the right cover at the right price. We recently had the pleasure of producing the first TV campaign for MedicalTravelCompared.co.uk, an Insurance comparison site that does exactly that.

Aside from being a rather challenging concept to illustrate, they particularly wanted to avoid the insurance commercial cliché of grey, dreary visuals with a voiceover earnestly imploring you to get cover, or reap the consequences! Nope, MedicalTravelCompared.co.uk wanted quirky and fun!

So, after researching their brand, we set out to create a live-action commercial with a twist – it would use real footage but ultimately have the look and feel of an animation, tied-in to the imagery on their website.

We filmed models live in our infinity cove, and a combination of visual trickery and slick motion graphics during post-production allowed the performers to interact within an entirely digitally-created environment.

To generate a silhouette effect in post-production, yet still pick out and highlight specific elements in each scene, the performers underwent some unusual costume requirements – including a lot of neon paint and even some fishing wire!

A warm, mature voice artist added yet another layer of character to the commercial and really brought our script to life.

The commercial airsUK widefrom 24th August on a selection of digital satellite channels.

KLM UK Engineeringwere pleased to welcome the Prime Minister to their Norwich based facility today. He met with the Senior Management Team, current & ex-apprentices and also had the opportunity to see first hand our engineers at work in the hangars.

Steeles Law has announced the appointment of its first apprentice, together with the promotion of a former office junior to a trainee legal role.

Georgina Harris, who recently completed her A Levels at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, has joined Steeles as Marketing Apprentice, supporting the firm’s marketing and business development function. Georgina will complete her apprenticeship with training support from Norwich City College.

Alison Beales joined Steeles Law’s central administrative team in 2012, having previously studied for her A Levels, including Law, at Wymondham College. Alison has been promoted to the role of Paralegal in Steeles Law’s conveyancing team and is looking forward to undertaking further training in the law.

Stephen Drake, Managing Director at Steeles Law, commented: “At Steeles, we have a long history of encouraging staff from non-traditional backgrounds into the legal profession. For example, Denise Traube, a Chartered Legal Executive in our dispute resolution team, was recently named Newly Qualified Lawyer of the Year in the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society’s Excellence Awards. Denise joined us in 2002 in a junior administrative role and has steadily risen through the ranks, whilst undertaking her legal studies. I am confident that Alison and other candidates alike will follow in her footsteps.”

Stephen added: “We are delighted to welcome Georgina as our first apprentice, supporting our busy and growing marketing and business development team. We are committed to supporting more young people looking to enter the legal and other business professions through this increasingly popular route.”

Fit4Work ladies netball competition is coming to South Norfolk. Get your colleagues together for an evening of Netball.

Date:Tue 6th October 2015, 18:30 – 21:00Venue:Easton CollegeWhen:Tuesday 6th October 2015, 6.30-9pmWhere:Easton College (outdoor courts)Teams:7-10 players per side – ladies only (maximum of 2 league players per side). One team per workplaceCost:FREE

Book your place here

YOUR ORGANISATION MUST BE BASED IN SOUTH NORFOLK

Fit4Work is a project that aims to promote the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle to employees. It is a ‘hands on’ project – it will provide your organisation with activities for your employees to be involved in, rather than just guidance and advice.

What are the benefits of being involved in Fit4Work?

Get active, relieve stress and build team spirit Physically active people take fewer days off sick. Signing up to the Fit4Work programme can impact on:

• Sickness and absence
• Staff turnover
• Employee satisfaction
• Company profile
• Workplace motivation, morale and much more
• Ultimately it can maximise benefits to an employer by increasing productivity

Who can get involved in Fit4Work?

Any organisation of any size can be involved with the project, from the public, private or voluntary sector. From manufacturers to call centres, retail to schools; we can offer something for everyone.

How much does Fit4Work cost?

Fit4Work is supported by Norfolk County Council’s Public Health and South Norfolk District Council which allows us to offer this service without any cost to your organisation. Infrequently, small fees may be charged for competitions with exceptionally high running costs. This will be communicated in advance.

For more information on how to get involved visitwww.activenorfolk.org/fit4work

(East Anglia: August 2015) Aston Shaw, the fastest growing chartered certified accountancy firm in the region, has been busy fundraising and raising awareness for the local children’s charity EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices) since early this year. The main event – a group tandem skydive with 25 staff members – is just around the corner and Aston Shaw is appealing for last minute donations to this wonderful cause.

At the time of writing, Aston Shaw has raised over £6000 for EACH. Dominic Shaw, Director at Aston Shaw commented: “The response has been fantastic and we can’t thank our clients, colleagues and professional contacts who have supported us enough for their generosity, but we would like to raise even more and still have a way to go to reach our target of £10,000 – so additional donations would be really appreciated”.

The skydive will take place on August 22nd at Beccles airfield and will involve jumping from a dizzying height of 10,000 feet. Staff members across all 5 Aston Shaw offices are taking part and progress can be followed via Aston Shaw’s social media pages using #OneJumpEACH. Donations can be made via our Just Giving page at: www.justgiving.com/OneJumpEACH

EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and relies heavily on donations from fundraising activities. The money raised will largely go towards the nook appeal; EACH is raising money for a new, bespoke hospice to be built in the heart of Norfolk. The new hospice will be much better equipped to provide the services that the children need, and will bring new facilities for the children to enjoy.

Naked Element are delighted to announce they will be sponsoring this year’s DevelopHER Awards. Committed to raising the profile of women in tech in East Anglia, the DevelopHER Awards will take place on the 25th November at The King’s Centre in the heart of Norwich.

One of Naked Element’s Directors, Paul Grenyer, reveals “We want to support the DevelopHER Awards because we’re passionate about supporting and promoting women in technology. We’ve been big supporters of award hosts SyncDevelopHER since before the group began and we want to continue to show our support in any way we can.” Paul adds that the awards’ organiser Vickie Allen “is doing great things for women in tech in Norwich and we acknowledge the issue of a gender imbalance in the industry and that women aren’t as encouraged to go into the tech industry as they should be” He adds “Whilst more women certainly do need to be encouraged to enter the industry, more people in general do, as it’s an industry that isn’t going away and is only going to get bigger.”

Matthew Wells, also Director at Naked Element adds “The DevelopHER Awards present a great opportunity for us to add our voice to the local tech community and other decision makers in local businesses and show our support of an important issue – the lack of women in tech.”

As one of the premier software development providers in Norwich, Naked Element are sponsoring the Innovation Award. Matthew explains “We provide tech solutions for innovative businesses and are passionate about innovation so it was an obvious choice for us. We’re excited to see what the nominees have to offer and be a part of rewarding innovation.”

So passionate about finding out what the rest of the tech community has to offer and how they’re contributing to putting Norwich on the tech map, Paul will sit on the panel of judges and help choose a winner for each of the 12 awards. When asked what he will be looking for from nominees and ultimately a winner Paul revealed “Someone who’s up-and-coming, someone who’s contributing to the tech community and has a can-do attitude. Ideally someone who’s going to help close the Norfolk skills gap and really be an ambassador for women in tech.”

On announcing Naked Element as a sponsor, awards organiser Vickie Allen comments “We’re really pleased to have Naked Element on board as they have such an established presence in the local tech community, a great reputation for getting involved with industry events and have a pretty impressive and far reaching list of contacts.” She adds “We asked Paul to join the judging panel as he runs the popular Nor(DEV):Con event so knows what goes into making an event successful, he’s got a really good understanding of what Norfolk needs and the awards fit really well with what Naked Element do – it was a no-brainer really.”

The DevelopHER Awards are a not-for-profit event funded entirely by sponsorship and are presented by SyncDevelopHER, a Norwich based community group, which runs regular meetups with the aim of promoting women in tech.

Applications for nominations are open and a full list of award categories can be found here. If you know an amazing woman in tech, nominate her for one of the awards and make sure that she receives the recognition she deserves.

For more information on the DevelopHER Awards visit www.developherawards.com. For sponsorship opportunities or to make a nomination contact Vickie at vickie@vickieallen.co.uk

Competition opens for best projects to get people back into work

Charities and social enterprises, whose mission is to help the most disadvantaged people into work, will be able to compete in further rounds of the Community Challenge Fund after the LEP committed £500,000 to the sector until 2017.

The new investment comes after the success of the first Community Challenge Fund which awarded £20,000 each to eight projects across Norfolk and Suffolk with the goal of helping 75 people into work and 250 more people work ready.

All the current projects offered exciting and innovative ways to help the hardest to reach people back to work or closer to the jobs market. From bicycle maintenance workshops in Norwich and theatre production in Harleston to sports camps in Lowestoft and gardening and agriculture skills in Ipswich and Stowmarket – job seekers have learnt a range of skills from how to prepare a CV and interview techniques to team working and advice on starting their own business.

First launched in December 2014, the Community Challenge projects are on course to beat the original targets, helping over 100 people into work and preparing over 300 for employment.

The £500,000 funding will be split equally over the next two years* and each year will offer up to nine charities and social enterprises £20,000 to those who can show fresh ideas and projects to assist the long-term unemployed and those that are often overlooked. Further funding will be available for projects with the best performance. The competition for 2015/16 opens today (13th August 2015). Charities and social enterprises can find out more by visiting:

Norfolk Community FoundationandSuffolk Community Foundation

Davina Tanner, board member of New Anglia LEP and founder of social enterprise, Britannia Enterprises in Norwich said: “Charities and volunteers are supporting thousands of people across Norfolk and Suffolk every year, they are a vital lifeline to those who need help with a whole range of issues from homelessness to mental health problems and disabilities. The Community Challenge Fund aims to support those enterprises and in turn the people who need it most, giving them a helping hand to get back into work and growing our economy.”

It comes as findings from a report commissioned by the LEP shows the voluntary and community sector in Norfolk and Suffolk is an important part of the region’s economy with 32,000 volunteers and 11,000 employees. Over 6,000 charities and nearly 3,000 social enterprises are making a big difference by improving peoples skills and education as well as the environment and conservation.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Community Foundations are the LEP’s partners in the Community Challenge Fund and will manage the application process.

Graham Tuttle, chief executive of Norfolk Community Foundation said: “The Community Challenge Fund has proved hugely successful – giving hundreds of people the skills and confidence they need to get back into work. This investment means we can help even more people who don’t often get these opportunities and we are very excited to see the next round of creative projects.”

Stephen Singleton, chief executive of Suffolk Community Foundation said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved with this exciting project again. The success of last year’s campaign has clearly demonstrated that the voluntary and charitable sector is perfectly placed to help people who face difficult challenges back into the workplace, it is literally a life changer for those it has helped.”

Panayoitis Dornan, Access Community Trust, Lowestoft Access Community Trust are one of the eight projects that received funding from the Community Challenge Fund in 2015. They are based at The Crossing LEAP Centre in Lowestoft and offer a mentoring service for people who have been out of work for a long time or suffering from drug and alcohol problems and homelessness. Personal mentoring sessions, practise interviews, as well as forest school lessons, have helped 65 people to get work ready and 18 people into employment so far. That includes Panayoitis Dornan, 53, from Lowestoft.

Panayoitis was out of work for three years after losing his job as a manager of a local pub. He signed up to the Access Community Trust project to learn new skills and qualifications including IT and First Aid courses as well as interview training. In June he applied for a job to become a security guard, after a successful interview he took part in a week-long training course in London and now works as a security guard at Tesco in Lowestoft.

Panayoitis said: “The team at Access were tremendously supportive, their guidance and advice when I was applying for my new job was really valuable and I now have a recognised qualification in security. The community spirit is great, we all help one another by pointing out new jobs and sharing tips on writing applications and interviews techniques and I still go back now to see the group to see if I can help them.”

Terry Davies, Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket Museum of East Anglian Life are one of the eight projects that received funding from the Community Challenge Fund in 2015. Based on the grounds of the unique heritage site in Stowmarket, Work to Achieve sees disadvantaged job seekers learning new skills in Abbot’s Hall and its grounds, including conservation, estate management, gardening and horticulture, visitor services and marketing. So far they have helped nine people into employment with another eight volunteering as well as 12 more who are now work ready. That includes Terry Davies, 59, from Stowmarket who has just started full time work.

Terry was out of work for two years before joining the Work to Achieve project in May. He had a wide range of skills, but long term sickness meant he lacked the confidence to successfully apply for work.

During his three months at the museum, Terry had the chance to develop his horticultural skills by helping to prepare the historic walled garden for an open day as well as painting and decorating the museum’s training room. He learned hurdle making and traditional wattle and daub building skills by helping to make a traditional building to house the museum’s model dairy cow as well as volunteering for the launch of a temporary photographic exhibition at the museum.

He also gained a City and Guilds qualification, ‘Succeeding at Work’ and passed his Functional Skills exam during his three months at the Museum.

Terry said: “I’ve just started full time work at a local warehouse and I want to continue as a volunteer at the museum in my spare time. My experience at the museum has helped me return to a future and I enjoyed every day.”

*The LEP has committed £500,000 for the Community Challenge Fund over the next two years and the money will be split equally between 2015/16 and 2016/17 with up to nine charities or social enterprises receiving £20,000 each. The second year’s funding is dependent on the output targets being reached.

To find out more about the Community Challenge Fund clickhere.

A Norwich PR agency is celebrating six years’ in business, marking the milestone with the launch of a new division, thought to be the first of its kind in East Anglia.

Award-winning Reflection PR, founded in 2009, has unveiled a new award writing division, www.awardsagency.co.uk, capitalising on a gap in the market in the region. The new content writing shop is aimed at businesses looking to enter awards.

From researching and recommending the best awards to enter, copywriting a strong entry and offering design skills to help it stand out, an expert team takes care of the whole process.

Based in offices close to Norwich train station, Reflection PR works with local and national brands and continues to thrive in the food, drink, leisure and tourism sectors. Its services have also expanded to offer website design, video and social media management in-house.

May was the busiest month on record for the agency, following a string of client wins including Pensthorpe Natural Park, Holkham Country Fair and the relaunch of Goldsmiths jewellers’ Norwich showroom. While the company’s turnover is on track to increase by 35 per cent on last year.

The team has recently grown too. New recruits Daniella Carter and Sam Bird have joined as digital executives, boosting the agency’s online skills. And the business is also currently recruiting for an experienced account director.

Managing director, Suzy Pettican says; “Over the past six years we’ve seen a real appetite for our award writing services, as well as social media and online work so we’re excited to be expanding in these areas.

“Awardsraise a company’s profile and it’s also been proven that winning an award can boost profits, so it makes sense to make them part of any marketing strategy.

“Social media has to be part of that strategy too. Since I launched the company, social media has become an integral part of communication and brands now simply have to tell their story online to succeed. It’s our job to help clients keep apace and measure the results of their digital activity. From launching Twitter workshops to offering video production and web design in-house, I’m really proud of how we’ve adapted our services to offer clients the full digital PR package.”

For more information, please visit www.reflectionpr.co.uk or www.awardsagency.co.uk

Twitter @ReflectionPR

Follow @RprAwards for the latest awards updates.

East Anglian company ML Financial Associates has become the latest business to offer their support for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) nook appeal which aims to raise £10 million to build a new purpose-built children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

ML Financial Associates, independent financial advisors with offices in both Wymondham and Northampton, who offer the full range of financial services to both individuals and companies across the East Anglian region have joined forces with EACH by signing up to their new corporate scheme, the nook business network.

The scheme asks for companies small, medium and large to commit to raising either £10,000, £15,000 or £25,000 over the duration of the appeal in return for a number of benefits and support that the charity will provide.

ML are concious of the role that local business plays within the community that they reside in, which in this case, is the same community that EACH supports local life-threatened children and their families and it is that reason that the Directors of ML have decided to support the appeal. Not only will ML look to raise significant funds to help make the new children’s hospice a reality they will also look to promote the appeal and create awareness amongst their client base to encourage further support.

Simon Lister, Director, ML Financial Associates, said: “We have offices in Wymondham and Northamptonand see the great work that EACH does and is a charity that is close to our hearts. We feel our business is a perfect fit with the charity which offers vital care and support to families across the region. We’re dedicated to helping EACH achieve their goal to build the nook and make a real difference to peoples lives.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: ” I’m delighted that the team from ML Financial have chosen to support the nook appeal for a new children’s hospice which will really benefit local families going through an unimaginably difficult time in their lives.

“We need the support of all sectors of the Norfolk community – individuals, schools, community groups and of course the business sector to achieve our fundraising target, so ML’s support is fantastic. We have worked with the team at ML previously and I am in no doubt that their enthusiasm, forward thinking, creative and can-do approach will see them not only achieve but better their target and we very much look forward to working with them throughout the term of the appeal.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953666767 or funding@each.org.uk and for more information on ML Financial Associates please visit www.mlfinancialassociates.co.uk

Business is growing at B2B Cashflow Solutions which specialises in finding cash for businesses, and restructuring existing funding for companies to reduce debt burden and improve cash flow.

Launched in 2006 by directors Ian Hart, Nick Flower and Simon Reynolds, who between them have nearly 90 years commercial finance and business banking experience, B2B Cashflow Solutions is an independent commercial finance brokerage and consultancy which has developed a range of products and services to accommodate the whole-life finance cycle needs for UK businesses.

The company aims to deliver these solutions, often where traditional mainstream funders have failed, through its network of hand-picked Agents, and works closely to support its banks relationships and other professional partners.

Recent successes range from delivering funding within a £2.6 million project to build an anaerobic digestion plant for Muntons Plc’s maltings facility, to sourcing the investment which facilitated the management buy-in of Quinto Crane and Plant Ltd, a leading crane hire company.

Products include asset finance, fundraising against existing working assets, invoice finance, unsecured business loans, commercial mortgages, grant funding, and research and development relief. The company has also developed its own financial health checks to help business owners reduce debt and improve cash flow.

In recognition of its development, B2B Cashflow Solutions has been a finalist in the Business Moneyfacts Awards for the past four years, and this year achieved a ‘Highly Commended’ Award for ‘Best Asset Based Finance Broker’ 2015.

Based at Framingham Pigot just outside Norwich, the firm is one of the first credit brokers in the UK to become authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

To the end of May this year business had already grown by 19 per cent compared with the whole of last year and has supported reinvestment in upgraded IT and telephone systems, appointing a new office manager, and ongoing recruitment of apprentices and experienced professionals to the team.

Simon Reynolds commented ‘Our current year performance is by far our strongest of our nine year history, representing lending and delivery of other financial projects with a value in excess of £30 million. We believe this is bridging a substantial ‘gap’ where our banks and other traditional lenders have been unable to support their local businesses customers.’

‘Our strategy is to increase our geographical network of Associates across the UK to realise our growth aspirations’