Member News

The local branch of national builders merchants – MKM Building Supplies are the latest company to pledge its support to the nook, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) fundraising appeal for a new purpose-built children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

MKM Building Supplies, based at Vulcan Road, Norwich, have a proud history in supporting a number of charities including EACH with Paul Attoe, Branch Director, along with three friends taking part in a 24-hour golf marathon last year raising in excess of £4,500 for the charity.

Paul and his team at Norwich have signed up to the nook business network scheme, pledging to raise at least £10,000 over the term of the appeal. The nook business network asks for companies small, medium and large throughout Norfolk 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.

As well as committing to raising funds, MKM are allowing EACH to promote the nook appeal on the back of six company trucks that deliver daily throughout Norfolk, in the hope that the promotion will encourage others to support the appeal.

Paul Attoe, Branch Director of MKM Building Supplies Norwich said: “EACH are a brilliant local charity and the work they do for children and families is vital, so we at MKM want to support them as much as we can. We hope that by encouraging our staff, customers and clients to join us in our support of EACH, their plans to build a new children’s hospice will become a reality as soon as possible.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “We’re delighted Paul and his team at MKM have once again decided to support EACH and have signed up to our corporate scheme for the duration of the appeal.

“To make our vision of a new hospice for local life-threatened children and their families a reality we need the support of all sectors of the Norfolk community – individuals, schools, community groups as well as the business sector, so MKM’s support is fantastic and we very much look forward to working with them.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666767 or funding@each.org.uk or for more information on MKM Building Supplies please visit www.mkmbs.co.uk

We did. In Thetford Forest. Honest. Whilst the sun beat down and our crew, in shorts, wolfed-down their picnic lunches, crystalline flakes were flurrying from a clear blue sky, the branches of the dense conifers began to turn white, and thick streamers of snow slid eerily into drifts. For this feat of alchemy we must thank our friends at Snowboy, whose white landscapes have adorned many a feature-film, and the Elveden Estate, whose trees grace hundreds of homes and town squares come Christmas. And the reason JMS turned the forest white? Sorry, it’s a secret for a month or two. But it’s sure to be magical. Just like snow in June.

TVC will be exhibiting this year at the foremost exhibition of its kind; theBINDT Materials Testing,recognised as one of the leading international exhibitions for the NDT, condition monitoring, diagnostic engineering and quality testing industries.

Being held at the International Centre in Telford between 08 – 10 September 2015, at Stands D19 and D27 we will be featuring our new >https://www.bindt.org/events/Materials-Testing-2015/

With expert knowledge andadvice, live demonstrations and, of course,freebies galore, we hope to see you there!

TVCWhen precision and accuracy matter

Future You

FREE Careers App available to download from 6th July

Future You is a brand new careers app designed to help young people identify different jobs and careers within the six growth sectors in Norfolk.

Norfolk’s six growth industries have been identified as follows:

Energy Engineering Life sciences Creative industries Financial Services Health and social care

The new careers app will help guide young people through their career choices in Norfolk. Young people will be able to match their skills and aptitudes to a wide range of careers within the growth sectors.

The campaign features six Norfolk people who have all carved out successful careers in the region. Read their stories below.

The new careers app is completely FREE and will be available to download from the AppStore and from GooglePlay from 6th July.

Sign up today at www.futureyounorfolk.com

Win work experience in your dream career

Also win the chance to get work experience in your dream job – tweet your dream job using #futureyounorfolk and you could win a day’s work experience in one of the six growth sectors in Norfolk. Terms and conditions apply.

Learn more about the stars of our Future You Norfolk campaign

We’ve worked closely with six Norfolk residents who have all carved out a great career for themselves in Norfolk – see their stories below.

Lauren Bailey, 25 is an Instrument Technician at Perenco.

Lauren was born in Holt and went to school in Sheringham. After school she knew that university wasn’t for her as he had always been a hands-on practical person, so instead she found out about apprenticeship opportunities.

Lauren worked as an apprentice with Aker Solutions and completed an NVQ, BTEC and HNCin Operations and Maintenance Engineering, specialising in Instrumentation. She now works for Perenco UKon platforms off the coast of Great Yarmouth. Her work involves shuttling between NUIs (normally unmanned installations) as part of a maintenance team, performing preventative and breakdown maintenance of process plant, instrumentation and control systems. Her work can also involve theplanning, installation and commissioning of various project work scopes. The maintenance teams work 12 hour shifts for two weeks and then have two weeks off.

Lauren says:

“I was 19 when I first went out on the platforms – there was only one other female, our platform medic. But my mentor was brilliant and it was like one big family. Doing the apprenticeship meant I could learn whilst earning money. Working off shore is full of excitement and I am pushed to the limit when I am out there. Being able to develop and craft a career within Norfolk has been the icing on the cake for me. Having these options close to home provides you with the springboard to kick-start life in a financially stable way. Many of my friends headed off to different parts of the UK to attend University, however, remaining in Norfolk and forging this path has enabled me the freedom a University student would have – every two weeks of my life.”

Andrew’s story

Andrew Chase, 34 is a Design Draughtsman at Dodmans

Andrew was born in Kings Lynn, when he left school he went straight to West Norfolk college to study a BTEC National Certificate in mechanical engineering. During his threeyears at college he also completed NVQ level 3 mechanical engineering and full welding qualifications, including a draughtsman qualification.

After the first year of his BTEC Andrew got a job at Dodmans in the drawing office and completed the rest of his qualifications on day release – this meant he could learn while also earning and getting on the job training.

My first jobs in the drawing office were the normal filing and admin, but also producing detailed drawings that the other draughtsman gave to me, this meant adding dimensions and producing layouts for the workshop so they could build the machinery. This gave me the basis of learning many drawing skills which later led me to being given whole projects. I spent a year and a half in the workshop to gain experience in welding/fabrication and fitting/turning, learning these skills gave me a better understanding of what they could and couldn’t do in the workshop and to build my designs around this.

Andrew says:

“In my job role now, day to day tasks can include site attendance to measuring up, speaking to the customer direct starting from plain paper stage, designing and creating detail drawings issued to the workshop for manufacture and assisting on site for installation and commissioning. Norfolk is a great place to work and there are loads of opportunities to work in manufacturing and engineering roles in and around King’s Lynn so I am very lucky to have been able to stay and have my career here.”

Joel’s story

Joel Golder, 30 is a Vice President at Marsh.

After leaving Earlham High School at 16 Joel decided not to follow the higher education path and went straight into full time work, although was unsure exactly what he wanted to do. After a brief stint at a local printing company he was then offered a role in Marsh as a Trainee Aviation Wordings Technician. After four years in this trainee role he then had the technical grounding in the industry to then move into a client facing role as an Assistant Client Executive in the General Aviation team. From there Joel progressed quickly to Client Executive, Assistant Vice President and recently promoted to Vice President, heading up a newly formed airline team in Norwich.

Joel says;

“I am now responsible for managing a team of Client Executives dealing with airlines from all over the world which places nearly 70 million US dollars into London and international insurance markets. Marsh is a global leader in insurance broking and risk management so having the opportunity to work for them and have my career based in Norfolk is fantastic. Starting at the company from a young age has given me the opportunity to grow and develop quickly within the industry, plus my role gives me the opportunity to travel around the UK for meetings.”

Jackie’s story

Jackie Thomas, 26 is a Deputy Manager at a NorseCare care scheme.

After leaving high school at the age of 18, not achieving the A level results she hoped for, Jackie decided education was no longer for her. She had always been keen to work in care and so started working as a Relief Care Assistant at a housing with care scheme in Norwich

Jackie stayed here to the next six years working up to a Senior Care Assistant and then a Care Coordinator. Last year following a review at the organisation Jackie was successful in securing a position of Deputy Manager at Weavers Court in Diss

Jackie’s role now means she deputises and supports the Manager in the day to day running of the establishment, including the management of staff and working as the lead member of the team to attend to the personal, social and emotional needs of tenants. She leads the care team to maintain good professional practice of care for people living at Weavers Court

Jackie says:

” I love working in care, originally I thought I might like to work with children but very soon after starting I realised how much I enjoyed working with older people and never wanted to change. There are lots of opportunities in health and social care with an aging population and it’s a fantastic industry to be. I have had the chance to use my skills and develop within the company I work for, and am so happy with where I have got to, and I realise now that education is not for everyone but you can still find a successful career when you work out what you enjoy and where your skills are.”

Jen’s Story

Jen Napolitano, 30 is a Senior Art Director at Osbornenash.

Jen went to Stalham High School, then to Paston College in North Walsham to do A level Maths, Physics and Art and AS French, she was intending to architecture before realising there was too much maths involved for er liking and not enough creative freedom so went to the Norwich School of Art and Design to do a foundation degree. The course taught a bit of everything from textiles to product design to give a taster into different design careers. Jen gravitated towards graphics design and after graduating, took her portfolio to try and get a place on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course which at the time was one of the top three Graphic design courses in the country and right on Jen’s doorstep.

Graduating from the course in Norwich opened many doors for Jen and she had lots of interviews off the back of it. She then went to work for a design agency in London for a couple of years whilst commuting back home to Norfolk at the weekend. Jen began to outgrow her junior role, so left the rat race and took a job at an award-winning design agency in Norwich. She then went freelance for a couple of years, freelancing at osbornenash before accepting a job as senior art director. Jen loves the variety of clients osbornenash has and the fact that they are an multi-disciplinary agency means she gets to work on a variety of different projects from designing websites one day to creating marketing campaigns the next.

Jen says:

“I’ve found my dream job. An agency that do award-winning work, amazingly talented people to work with, and based in Norwich which has such a creative culture. All the elements I need for a great career on my doorstep.”

Adam’s story

Adam Elliston, 34, is an Industrial Biotechnologist at the Institute of Food Research.

Adam was born in Great Yarmouth and went to school at the Sir John Leman High School. After school, he studied Cybernetics and Control Engineering – University of Reading, and after graduating from there he worked for a Norfolk based company before studying for a PhD at the UEA. His PhD was focused on how municipal solid waste could be turned into bioethanol for motor fuels. Adam’s current work involves studying yeasts, which play a crucial role in biorefining, turning sugars into a range of different chemicals from which a number of useful items can be made, such as fuels, bioplastics, fibres, pharmaceuticals and food additives.

Adam says:

“I always knew I wanted a career in science, I have always been fascinated with how and why things work. Initially this was mainly physical things like electronics and computing but it soon developed into an interest in the natural world too. Studying for a PhD in biological sciences at the UEA gave me a wide range of knowledge, skills and experiences that I will never forget. I was excited to work at the Institute of Food Research with my research not only furthering knowledge in the area but also having real world industrial applications. With state of the art facilities the Norwich Research Park, and a network of over 3000 scientists, Norfolk really is the place to be for a career in science.”

Our thanks goes to our six partner companies who, with the help of their employees, helped bring the Future You campaign alive.

Marsh UK Institute of Food Research Norse Care Perenco Ltd Osbourne Nash Dodman Limited

If you would like any further information about the Future You app and the forthcoming campaign please email the communications team at marketing@norfolk.gov.uk

My name is Andy Fisher and I am the Business Development Manager for www.sgcorporateservices.co.uk an Independent Financial Advisor specialising in Auto Enrolment Staff Pensions for businesses based in Norwich and across Norfolk and Suffolk. We’ve just joined the Chamber and after sitting next to Caroline Williams (Chamber CEO) at my first Chamber networking event, I’ve agreed to write a regular blog about how to make the most of your Chamber membership.

So the first place I looked was the Chamber website. It’s a real window of opportunity and in this first blog I’m going to focus on the recent event at Norwich City Football Ground. Why do we go to networking events? They often involve getting up at the crack of dawn or extending busy days so it’s important to think carefully about your own objectives. For me I primarily wanted to meet new potential business introducers and business owners themselves who needed to sort out an Auto Enrolment scheme for their own staff.

So having booked the meeting on line, I received an email two days before the event with the delegate list. There were around 100 people going (wow!) so I quickly scanned the list and ticked off the five people I most wanted to meet. Rather than hoping to find them on the day, I called each one to introduce myself and within an hour I had five appointments in the diary. Like me, they all wanted to meet people and the Chamber meeting had already established a tenuous link between us, I don’t think 5 similar cold calls would have generated quite the same result! All these meetings have now taken place and we now have some great new relationships in place, one of which has already resulted in two further meetings and firm plans to work together.

The event itself was great and two superb speakers relevant to our business. I left the meeting feeling like I should be buying some lottery tickets as my luck was definitely in. Firstly I sat next to a partner at one of the largest Accountancy firms in the whole region (another meeting in the bag that has now also taken place with extremely positive results). We then did some safari networking and I ended up sat next to Caroline Williams and here I am writing this blog. The funniest thing of all was that on my way out I went over to the Swarm Apprenticeships stand and started speaking to the person who I thought was running the stand. It turned out that it was the Economic Development Officer for Norwich City Council who was just waiting for someone! I’d only been on their site the day before looking for a contact and we’ve now had a proper meeting with really positive outcomes. The best £18 I’ve spent for a very long time!

So the moral of this story is to really think about what you want to achieve from Chamber meetings. Potentially everyone there is in the same boat as you and you are already at first base in building a relationship with them by just being there. Happy networking!

A Watton-based family company has pledged to raise £25,000 over the next three years for the nook appeal to helpbuild a new children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

The Abel Group, which includes house builder Abel Homes and renewable energy company Abel Energy, has signed up to be part of the charity’s nook business network.

The firm has already donated £10,000 and has pledged a further £15,000 to the appeal by devising fundraising initiatives and ways to promote the appeal to their community, clients, suppliers and customers.

Managing Director Tony Abel who attended the charity’s launch event at the Norfolk Showground in the presence of EACH Royal Patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, said: “The new hospice will enable EACH to do so much more for local young people with life-threatening illnesses – and support for their families. It is such a worthy, local cause and we are delighted to throw our support behind it.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “We won’t be able to realise our vision of a new purpose-built children’s hospice for Norfolk without the support of the whole Norfolk community – individuals, schools, community groups and of course businesses, so it’s great that this family owned company wants to work with us to help other families within that community who need our support.

“EACH exists to care for local life-threatened children and young people and support their families and with the support of the fantastic Norfolk community we can help this process with the realisation of the nook.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666767 or funding@each.org.uk or for more information on the Abel Group please visit www.abelhomes.co.uk or www.abelenergy.co.uk

We are extremely pleased to announce that we have renewed our sponsorship of the Norfolk Food and Drink awards 2015. The event, which promotes the fantastic work put in by our local food and drink manufacturers and retailers, will be held on Monday, 14th September at the Norfolk Showground.

As specialists in the hospitality, agricultural and manufacturing industries, we have many clients operating within the food and drink sectors, ranging from: pubs, restaurants, café’s, bars, farm shops and breweries. We felt that sponsorship of the awards was a fantastic way for us to show our support for both our clients and all those who are involved locally in the industry.

The nominations for the awards are now open and those wishing to enter have until Friday 3rd July to submit your entries. You can read more about the awards and the eligibility criteria here:https://www.norfolkfada.co.uk/

www.astonshaw.co.uk

Norfolk financial planning firm Loveday & Partners, based at Broadland Business Park in Norwich, are the latest company to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) by signing up to become a member of the nook business network.

The nook business network asks for companies small, medium and large throughout Norfolk to commit to raising a significant amount of money over the term of the appeal in return for a number of benefits and support the charity will provide.

The corporate scheme for the local business community will help EACH to raise the funds required to realise its vision for the nook appeal of a new children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk.

Loveday & Partners Director, Mark Loveday who attended the launch event of the nook appeal at the Norfolk Showground in the presence of EACH Royal Patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge was quick to pledge the company’s support to not only raise funds for the appeal but to also raise awareness of the appeal to others and encourage their support.

Mark Loveday, Director, Loveday & Partners, said: “The support offered by EACH to families during incredibly difficult times is absolutely incredible and it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to help create a purpose built facility to enable EACH to continue its work in our community for generations to come.”

Gary Cook, the nook appeal corporate fundraiser, said: “We’re delighted that Mark and the team at Loveday & Partners have decided to support us with the nook appeal and have signed up to the scheme we are running for local businesses.

“Mark made a point of speaking with me at the launch event to offer his support to our appeal. It’s great this has manifested itself in terms of the company supporting us by raising funds and spreading the word of the nook appeal, raising awareness and encouraging others to support this very worthwhile cause.

“To make this new children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk a reality, and for it to really benefit Norfolk families at an unimaginably difficult time in their lives, we really do need the support of the whole Norfolk community – individuals, community groups, schools and of course the business community. The support from Loveday & Partners is extremely welcome and all at EACH look forward to working with Mark and the team moving forward.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the appeal or the nook business network, should contact the Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01603 666767 or funding@each.org.uk and for more information on Loveday & Partners please visit www.lovedayandpartners.com

With over five and a half million lamp posts currently in operation across the UK, modern and old alike, ensuring their integrity and safety is paramount. Local councils and housing authorities can be all too aware of the expense of replacing corroded lamp posts and the complaints that come with public lighting being out of action. In addition, corroded lamp posts can cause accidents if they become unstable. The ability to locate defects early and easily can increase the chances of repair, hence saving tax-payer money and enables consistent working street lighting which can improve road safety within communities along with the further benefits of reducing crime and create a more pleasant environment, in turn promoting security and well-being.

Lighting columns are most susceptible to corrosion at and slightly below ground level; water, road salt, other chlorides and oxygen from the air combine to make it a highly corrosive area and in such a limited space, testing can be difficult and often results in excavation. In fact, difficulties in accessing steel tubing in restricted areas can be true of many industries, such as the pipework and risers through bulkheads and deck plates on board ships or in offshore installations for example. A system deployable from the ground level can enable detection of these hard to reach areas therefore reducing downtimes of equipment and staff alike.

Our rugged and compact ColcheK can do just that. Using the normal access door of a lamp post, the probe is able to scan the critical area and give an instant reading of the percentage loss of wall thickness directly on to the meter, from 5% loss to a depth of up to 1 meter underground in fact. With the Isle of Mann TT (IOMTT) motorcycle races looming, in May our client, Douglas Borough Council, knew that the lighting columns in and around the course needed to be investigated thoroughly to ensure the safety of everyone attending and our in-house manufactured units would be able to quickly give them the information they required. As TVC are sponsoring young racer James Cowton at the IOMTT this year, it seemed to be the perfect time to combine our working relationships with the exciting build up to the bike’s arrival and the start of the event, along with seeing the ColcheK in action.

After days of testing and safety procedures on the part of the council and the TT itself being set up, it was time for the action to begin and what an exciting IOMTT it was this year! From Michael Dunlop switching from Milwaukee Yamaha to BMW during practices to John McGuiness storming to victory in the TT Senior race and earning his 23rd TT win. Team Mugen dominated the Zero bike race with John McGuiness taking the team to victory but the elusive 120mph record remains – with 119mph registered this year, it’s likely we will see Team Mugen next year as they attempt to set the 120mph record.

Our sponsored rider, James Cowton, had a good TT overall. James had stepped in for Team PRB Racing, headed by racer Rob Barber and his father, as Rob suffered a significant collar bone injury in May this year. James qualified for and competed in the Superbike, Supersport (Race 1 & 2), Lightweight and Senior races. He finished in the top half of the table for each one, racking up speeds of up to 123mph and with an outstanding performance in the Lightweight race in which he finished in 4th place, we can guarantee that this is one youngster to watch in the future.

Swarm Apprenticeships and Orbit East are partnering to launch an exciting and unique new youth programme, giving almost 100 young people the chance to gain valuable training and employment opportunities.

Swarm Futures will be working with young people to build up their skills to ultimately provide opportunities through Enterprise Apprenticeships with local companies across Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Ipswich and Lowestoft. This initiative complements other programmes such as Norwich for Jobs.

Orbit East; part of Orbit Group which manages 38,000 homes nationally is estimated to have over 260 of Orbit’s young tenants at risk of not being in education, employment or training. This programme will provide the stepping stone for these people to move into fulfilling careers within the region.

Swarm Futures will involve training workshops and a post training support programme aimed at enhancing the younger generation’s employment, life and enterprise skills and helping them to identify relevant local opportunities. This will increase the chances of their applications being noticed and help them promote themselves well at interview.

Chris Perry, Managing Director of Swarm said, “We are really pleased to be able to work with Orbit East to create this innovative pre-employment support that combines our experience in recruiting apprentices for organisations across the region and our business and enterprise training to give young people a real chance to stand out from the crowd.” He goes on to say

“From my previous professional experience working at the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, I have been able to work with hundreds of employers in regards to investing in young people. During this time it was generally agreed that when recruiting for new employees they might shortlist on the basis of qualifications, but it is attitude, enthusiasm and applicable commercial awareness that gets young people noticed and ultimately a job. This is where I believe this programme will excel, making sure that young people participating in the programme appear on shortlists, confident and ready for interview.”

Sam Scharf, Head of Community Investment said: “We are excited to be working with Swarm, who clearly understand both the needs and desires of young people and of local businesses across the East. This will provide unique opportunities for young people across our communities to work in really meaningful roles, developing enterprise skills in local businesses they probably already know”.

To find out more or come along to the open events then you can find details on our website www.swarmfutures.org.uk

Reedham rail station will receive extra care and attention from community volunteers, as two new station adopters join the existing team.

Local residents, Catherine Ford and Colin Brown, are joining Mike Stoker, Mike Warner and Ann Thompson to help out at Reedham, and, as well as tending the station garden and seeking sponsorship from local business, they have big plans to bring one of the disused station waiting rooms back into use to tell the story of the Norwich – Great Yarmouth line, the first railway in Norfolk.

The team plans to start restoring the old waiting room on the Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft bound platform, which was built in the late Victorian era, later this summer. The room will be painted in LNER heritage colours and will be used to display old photographs, information and memorabilia about the railway line.

In the meantime the newly expanded team will concentrate on keeping the station gardens and car park in pristine condition.

Adopter, Mike Warner, has landscaped the gardens, stocked the leaflet racks with information, kept the station clean and tidy and tended the flowers for the past eight years. He has been assisted by Mike Stoker, who has connections with the station since childhood, for the past four years.

Last year, the adopters installed three bright murals on the disused station buildings depicting scenes of coast and countryside, reflecting the diverse landscape that the line runs through.

The murals, along with flower tubs, landscaping of the station garden areas and the decorating of boarding to look like station windows, create the feeling of a thriving and well-kept station and a pleasant atmosphere for passengers as they wait for trains.

Mike Warner commented, “We are really grateful to everyone who has donated plants which has helped us to create our extensive station gardens. We have a lot of plans for the station and will continue to work with Abellio Greater Anglia to bring about further improvements in the future.”

Plants and hedging have been donated by Broadland District Council, the Humpty Dumpty Brewery, Pettits Animal Adventure Park and NENTA Train Tours.

Abellio Greater Anglia’s Area Customer Service Manager, James Reeve, said, “I’d like to welcome the new team members at Reedham. The station continues to go from strength to strength thanks to this huge community effort and we are very grateful for all their hard work and creative ideas that have transformed the station.”

The ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme started in 2003 and enables individuals or groups to adopt their local railway station and contribute to its presentation and welfare for the benefit of the local community.

The voluntary scheme was originally created to improve lines of communication between the train operator and station users however, over the years it has grown to become much more, with station adopters now playing an active role in keeping stations looking good through inventive gardening projects, creative community art projects, taking part in station ‘health checks’ or being the eyes and ears of their station.

Over the years, station adopters have also played a key role in raising money for new initiatives, such as improved waiting facilities or planting beautiful station gardens.

Abellio Greater Anglia now has over 183 adopters at over 90 stations across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Steeles Lawis pleased toannounce a trio of staff promotions to Associate level.

Amy Taylor, a Solicitor specialising in wills and probate matters, joined the team in 2012, having qualified locally in 2008.

Gemma Hoskins, Marketing Manager at Steeles, who also leads on business development, similarly joined in 2012 and is the first non-lawyer to achieve the role of Associate.

Lindsey Crockett, a Commercial Solicitor, joined the firm in 2010 as a trainee, successfully working her way up the ranks to Associate level.

Stephen Drake, Managing Director at Steeles Law, commented: “At Steeles, we have always recognised the need to identify and develop talent within the firm. It is an essential tool in growing and evolving the business. Amy, Gemma and Lindsey have proven themselves to be committed members of staff, helping to inject fresh ideas and practices for the good of the wider team. We congratulate them and wish them continued success in their new roles”.