JMS Grouphas had the great pleasure of working with Roys for over 30 years -we have an entry in our ancient invoice bookfor a radio commercial produced for them back in 1984! So it’s great that our two brands continue to work together well into the 21st Century. Our most recent campaign has been promoting the fashion labels that Roys department stores sell – big names including Superdry, Clarks, Joules and Laura Ashley. A 10 seconds 3D animated TV commercial was produced for broadcast on ITV1 Anglia for the May Bank Holiday to drive customers to the Wroxham store and create awareness of the brand during half term.
After 5 years of winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence we have been welcomed into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame. We would like to thank all of our hotel guests who have left us their feedback. We greatly value all of our guests and enjoy reading their reviews after visiting the hotel.
Park Farm Hotel believe in complete transparency when it comes to guest feedback, and for this reason we choose to actively encourage the collection of guest reviews from our guests, and then publish these reviews online on our website for all to see. Feedback is read by all of the management team and action is taken according to the comments given.
Cozens-Hardy LLP is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the 2015 Norwich Food & Drink Festival.
This two-day festival celebration of food and drink will be held in Chapelfield Gardens over the weekend of 12th and 13th September and is set to be the flagship event for the newly re-branded Norfolk Food & Drink Ltd. The gardens will be turned into a food and drink village featuring a producers’ marquee, City Farm, Feast on the Street, a cookery demonstration theatre, live music and street entertainers. An undoubted highlight will be the Battle of the Bangers on Sunday.
The firm is also pleased to confirm that it is continuing its sponsorship of the hugely popular Moveable Feast event in aid of Parkinson’s UK.
Jane Anderson, Senior Partner:
“As a significant supporter of the food and drink industry in Norfolk we welcome the opportunity to support the Norwich Food & Drink Festival and to extend our sponsorship of the ever popular Moveable Feast to a fifth year. As a local firm of solicitors, we are proud to have looked after generations of farming families and this is a terrific way for us to help showcase our region’s valuable food and drink industry to people in the county and further afield.”
Sarah de Chair, Chair of the Board of Norfolk Food & Drink Ltd:
“Norfolk Food & Drink is absolutely delighted to welcome Cozens-Hardy solicitors back as sponsors once again this year – and we are particularly thrilled that they will be sponsoring our reinvigorated Norwich Food & Drink Festival. We anticipate that this event will attract around 20,000 people over the two days and it’s thanks to Cozens-Hardy’s support that we are able to deliver such a terrific event to the people of Norwich and Norfolk.”
Further details about the Norwich Food & Drink Festival weekend can be found at www.norfolkfoodanddrink.com.
Further information about the unique dining experience that is Lloyd Addison’s Moveable Feast, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, can be found at www.moveablefeastnorwich.org.
London, 12 May 2015 – Novagraaf announced today that leading intellectual property (IP) professional Eric Siecker had joined its UK operations as Managing Director, Patents. Formerly, Corporate Counsel at the Caterpillar Inc group of companies, Siecker brings considerable experience in all aspects of IP law and practice to the Novagraaf team, with a particular focus on patents, know-how, confidential information, IP agreements and design rights.
Eric Siecker joins Novagraaf after 15 years at Caterpillar Inc, where he was previously Corporate Counsel and head of IP for Europe, Africa, Middle East & CIS. His appointment supports and strengthens Novagraaf’s strategic ambitions, as CEO Lutgarde Liezenberg explains:
“Our clients need the support of an IP consultancy that understands their business drivers and is able to tailor advice accordingly. Eric’s background in-house at Caterpillar enables him to fulfil that brief. His experience ensures that he brings a commercial and interactive focus to his work with businesses of all sizes, helping them to create business value through effective global patent and IP management.”
Commenting on his appointment, Eric adds: “I am delighted to be taking over leadership of Novagraaf’s UK patent practice. My experience client-side at an industry-leading global corporation gives me crucial insight into the needs and concerns of modern businesses, and their IP and legal departments. I look forward to working with clients to maximise the potential of their IP assets and to contribute to the further development of Novagraaf patent practice in the international market.”
About Eric Siecker Eric is a registered European Patent Attorney, a UK Chartered Patent Attorney and a registered Trademark Attorney (UK). He holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Machinery Engineering & Manufacturing from Cranfield University, and in IP Law & Management from Queen Mary, University of London.
Eric is experienced across a broad range of technologies and has particularly deep technological expertise in all aspects related to construction and agricultural machinery, mining equipment, marine propulsion, diesel and gas engines and associated power systems. In addition, he has extensive experience in all aspects of patent management and practice, such as: proactive management of complex IP portfolios around high value products; IP strategy; large-scale patent clearance projects; freedom-to-operate and validity opinions; IP agreements; and EP opposition and appeal proceedings. He is also experienced in performing due diligence evaluations to support M&A and licensing opportunities.
Eric joined Novagraaf in April 2015, and leads the Novagraaf Patent Business in the UK.
East Anglia’s fastest growing accountancy firm, Aston Shaw has continued its expansion strategy with the acquisition of well established Norwich based competitor, Roger Hopkins – as of Friday 1st May 2015.
The deal has been backed by Owner, Roger Hopkins who handpicked Aston Shaw to take over their clients in his retirement, stating that the firms “share the same ethos” and “commitment to increase client profits”. Roger Hopkins Chartered Accountants was established in 1980 and has grown to become one of Norwich’s most reputable small accountancy practices, with a portfolio of over 300 clients. The incorporation of Roger Hopkins will see the 6 existing staff members retained by Aston Shaw and the existing office will remain at 18 Princes Street, Norwich.
Mark Noakes, Director, Aston Shaw commented: “Roger Hopkins Chartered Accountants is a highly regarded and well respected firm in the city. There was a huge amount of competition to secure the deal and we are thrilled that Roger selected Aston Shaw to carry on building the firm he created. We want to ensure a sense of continuity for clients and so Roger will continue to work alongside us on a consultancy basis”.
Roger Hopkins, Owner, commented: “My decision to allow Roger Hopkins Chartered Accountants to become Aston Shaw was made with my clients and staff as my priority. I am impressed with the approach Aston Shaw take in regards to growth, client care and level of service – something that is unique for a practice of its size. I wanted to have a guarantee that both my staff and clients would receive the same level of care and attention that we have maintained over the years, and I look forward to offering my help throughout the transition.”
Since the merger with Morgan Woods in August 2014, Aston Shaw has gone from strength to strength. Last year, the firm recruited 17 apprentices and made a number of appointments in the senior ranks of the company – this year, with the acquisition of Roger Hopkins and more developments planned for 2015, the firm is on track to continue on the same upward trend.
LSI’s Crome Court project was winner of the Design through Innovation Category at the East of England RICS Awards. LSI Partners Trevor Price and David Andrews and Associate Mirja Mainwaring, alongside representatives from UEA, Aecom and Ramboll, collected the Award at the RICS East of England Awards Dinner in Bury St Edmunds on the 6th May. Crome Court was also a runner up in the Infrastructure category and was shortlisted for Project of the Year and will now go through to the National RICS Awards in London later this year, often referred to as the ‘Property Oscars’.
The Judges commented that “Crome Court creates a new focal point within the residential quarter of the campus. It achieves extremely high standards of sustainability and is designed and built to reduce the carbon footprint significantly. Innovation comes through the design enhanced by the application of technology and construction methods.”
Partner Trevor Price said that Crome Court proves it is possible to create a distinctive, attractive and highly sustainable building within a tight budget and programme;”We’re absolutely delighted to have won the Design through Innovation RICS Award category. Crome Court is a great example of how we can design sustainable attractive buildings that are also highly efficient and offer great value for money. The University is delighted that the sustainability standards exceeded the brief, and can look forward to reduced energy and running costs in comparison with other residences.”
Martin Lovatt, Estates Project Manager at UEA commented “There is no doubt that the innovation and design of Crome Court has made a significant contribution to the character and appearance of this section of the campus and the surrounding area.At the beginning of the project, we sat down with LSI and spent an afternoon around the table to ask lots of very quick what if questions, to see what the implications were for the life cycle costing. What we actually found was a sweet spot where the life cycle costing and the capital cost of those materials were in line with each other. Our U value targets became secondary to finding what actually the best value for the building was. We estimated that in that afternoon around the table we saved £750,000…a good afternoon’s work!”
The secret of clear communication is keeping it simple. We recently proved this with the commercial we created for ‘Our Family Trust’. The company offers a legal document which enables householders to protect the ownership of their property for their descendants. Naturally there were caveats and legal niceties all over the place, so our creative team worked through (and rejected) a host of scenarios based on solicitors, or people making wills, or worried grandparents, or houses being re-possessed.
No, the teamsaid, let’s be simple and direct. Illustrate the fear of a grandparent for the future security of a grandchild, and represent the property using building blocks. Child builds house, granny happy. Child knocks house down, granny worried. Child builds up again, happiness restored.
And a final clever twist? Our modelmakers painted the blocks in the client’s corporate colours. And that made the graphic designer happy because it matched his animation. Simplicity all round, everyone happy. Most importantly, our client, of course! Everything was produced by our in-house team and shot in our TV studio in Norwich.
On average nearly one million UK workers were off sick from their employment for more than one month between 2010 and 2013.[i] Furthermore, it is estimated that sick days are costing UK employers about £29 billion a year as British workers take up to four times as many days off than rival economies, according to research from accountancy firm PwC[ii].
Against this backdrop, the Government has launched a new Fit for Work Service to combat this costly problem. It is hoped that the Fit for Work Service will help employees who have been on sickness absence for 4 weeks to return to work and support employers to better manage sickness absence among their workforce.The Government claim that the service is predicted to save employers £70 million a year and cut the time people spend off work by 20%.
However dealing with sickness absence continues to be a legal minefield for employers even in circumstances that the new Fit for Work Service supports employers managing longer term sickness absence.
Ashton KCJ’s employment team will explain how to get to grips with ill health absence of all kinds as well as how to get the best out of the new Government service at Norfolk Chamber HR Forum on 17 June at Dunston Hall.Issues that employers need to be aware of and effectively manage include:-
– monitoring absence of all kinds and recording it properly to get the best result
– considering whether or not the absence is genuine and issues of misconduct and malingering
– awareness of conditions which constitute a “disability” within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010
– pregnancy-related sickness absence
– mental health and stress absence
– differing strategies for dealing with long term or chronic sickness versus persistent short term absences
– the impact of ill health on entitlements under permanent health insurance (PHI) and pension schemes
– dealing with the medical and occupational health profession in a language your business can understand
Many experienced executives may already have noticed that the traditional models of leadership are changing. Our world is rapidly moving on, and as a result, business leaders need to adapt to create and maintain a stable economy, and to ensure decisions work not only for the business, but for everyone around them and the environment.
Modern day society seems much more complex with economic, political and environmental crises reminding us that a major event thousands of miles away could affect our businesses, and our own stability.
With so many issues to tackle, it is becoming widely acknowledged that business has a significant role to play in tackling the causes to create a more balanced and stable world so we can all flourish.
As anexecutive recruitmentspecialist, Pure Executive aims to stay in touch with changing trends. Conscious leadership is one such trend – a movement emerging in response to our need to adapt, so we can help combat fundamental global issues such as poverty and climate change.
A deeper level of mindfulness, wisdom and emotional intelligence is required when making business decisions that benefit the whole, rather than just the bottom line. Since conscious leadership is a new phenomenon, we thought it useful to introduce the key characteristics required by a conscious leader.
1. Emotional intelligence
Until recently the word ’emotional’ was rarely used in the context of business. However, conscious leadership is shifting expectations, requiring increased levels ofemotional intelligence. Historically more emphasis has been put on IQ – not EQ – when it comes to running a successful enterprise, but conscious leaders need the ability to connect and empathise with others in order to build relationships with people of all kinds. EQ also entails being more aware of your own emotions and behaviour, and possessing the ability to manage yourself effectively.
2. Self-improvement
Another idea that drives conscious capitalism is the need for businesses to reach the highest possible potential. To achieve this you, as a leader, need to be prepared to not only be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, but you also need to be willing to constantly improve yourself as an individual and as a senior professional. In doing this you also set an example to your employees, investors and shareholders who expect to see your organisation’s leadership demonstrating the brand’s values.
3. Identify a deeper purpose
The ability to identify and clearly communicate a deeper purpose for your business is key. However, this purpose should go well beyond financial targets, charity fundraising, reducing the carbon footprint and other traditional business goals (although all are important to sustainable business). Conscious leaders make the good of the planet and its people one of the fundamental reasons they are in business in the first place. Leadership expertJV Crum IIIsums it up nicely: “The new model of effective leadership demands that you evaluate the purpose of your business; more importantly, it requires that you dig deeper and ask, ‘What purpose does my life serve?'”.
4. A compassionate approach
Running a business with care and compassion is important to making decisions that have a long-lasting, positive impact on employees, customers, the supply chain and other stakeholders. Taking an understanding approach transforms errors into opportunities to improve, helping employees feel safe to explore new ways of working and innovating.
5. Lead with humility
Conscious leaders lead businesses with humility and typically avoid portraying a persona of power or status. They respond to the shift from a more traditional self-focused approach to a more aware and holistic leadership style. Successful conscious business is built on sharing information and knowledge, enabling others to do their best, collaborating with colleagues and sharing the credit of achievements.
Norwich website design and digital agency, Bigfork, have just finished the new Russian website for Porelle Membranes, who design and manufacture breathable films for high performance fabrics. Porelle Membranes want to expand their Russian presence and we recommended a standalone Russian website to fully optimise their search engine presence in Russia. Bigfork translated the existing English site into Russian and then built a new, responsive site which you can see at https://www.porellemembranes.com.ru/
Bigfork – we make websites stand outwww.bigfork.co.uk t:01603 513080
We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Adnams Spiegeltent again this year at theNorfolk & Norwich Festival 2015.
Inside theAdnams Spiegeltentyou’ll find world class performers who will thrill, entertain and enlighten with live music, dancing, acrobatics, comedy and more.
In partnership with Norfolk & Norwich Festival, we have a pair of tickets available for a night at the Spiegeltent on Saturday 23rd May to watch contemporary circus performersCircafollowed by British Blues & Folk bandCC Smugglers- both Sold Out events.
Aston Shaw, East Anglia’s fastest growing accountancy firm have become a partner sponsor on the inaugural Run Norwich 10k which will take place in the heart of the city on August 30th.
As partner sponsor Aston Shaw are keen to help increase the awareness of this exciting event which will not only boost the local economy through increased tourism, but will serve to raise the profile of the city and bring the local community together.
The run, which is limited to 4,500 spaces is open to runners of all abilities, has been taken from concept to reality by Norwich City Community Sports Foundation (CSF) with support from key organisations in Norfolk. It is hoped that following a successful first year, Run Norwich can go on to become a long standing tradition in the city.
Aston Shaw Director, Mark Noakes said:
“Aston Shaw are extremely excited to be sponsoring the first Run Norwich 10K. Not only will it be a great day to showcase the wonderful landmarks in the city, but also Run Norwich is going to be a chance to demonstrate the benefits of our community to everyone travelling down to run”.
Ian Thornton, director of CSF said:
“We’re extremely grateful for the support from Aston Shaw, who are clearly as enthusiastic as we are about Run Norwich and the benefits it will bring to our city. Support like this in our first year is invaluable to make Run Norwich a success, and we look forward to a memorable day in August.”
The run is likely to be one of the biggest events in Norwich this year. Over 1,000 people registered their interest on the first day of its announcement and thousands more are expected to visit Norwich on the day to watch the run.