Member News

We are delighted to announce that One Broker Limited has purchased 100% of the share capital of N W Brown Insurance Brokers Limited, forthwith. One Broker already owns Knowlden Titlow Insurance Brokers (KTIB) in Norwich and the acquisition of N W Brown Insurance Brokers represents an exciting opportunity for the One Broker Group to grow its presence in the schemes arena and at the same time expand its geographical footprint. NW Brown Insurance Brokers will continue to operate from their premises in Regent Street under the same name.

Robin Plaster has become Managing Director of N W Brown Insurance Brokers Limited and Phil Thorpe is Broking Director, with responsibility for running the operation on a day to day basis, along with fellow Directors Sean Lenton and Richard Rampley. In addition to which Phil Thorpe will join the board of KTIB as Non-Executive Director and John Knowlden the board of N W Brown Insurance Brokers as Non-Executive Director.

Commenting on the agreement Alan Kefford , Chairman of NW Brown Group said ” This final step is the logical culmination of a long process of co-operation. Whilst our position in East Anglia as a top quality Financial Services operation is strong I am delighted to have access to better specialist services for our clients via KTIB. We are always seeking ways of improving service for existing clients and of introducing new clients for whom we can provide that high level of service and this closer partnership gives the prospect of doing both.”

Robin Plaster, Managing Director of KTIB said “We have both built our firms on high quality advice and efficient execution. I look forward to working with our new colleagues to grow our business in what is perhaps the most exciting area of the country intellectually, technologically and financially. Our insurance solutions have applications in all areas and I look forward to working with Phil and his team to develop our strong presence in East Anglia. We are confident that the combined skill set of the two firms will make us a recognised leader in our chosen field. “

N W Brown Insurance Brokers will continue to develop the business in their specialist sectors such as Education, Technology, Financial Liabilities, Landlord and Tenants and Listed Buildings.

The bfa has just issued some fresh guidance on clauses governing the resale of the franchise (being a sale by a franchisee of its franchise to a buyer, the new franchisee) found in franchise agreements. There are various charges associated with a resale including the franchisor’s legal and admin costs, training fee, transfer fee (calculated as a percentage of the purchase price) and a finder fee where the franchisor has found the buyer (again, typically calculated as a percentage of the purchase price).

The bfa’s guidance note reminds us that in accordance with the Code of Ethics, all such charges must be fixed at reasonable levels.

Recently, there has been some debate as to whether a franchisor should be deemed to have “found” the buyer where such buyer is an existing franchisee within the network. The guidance note attempts to clarify the issue by explaining that any finder’s fee should be limited to covering the costs which the franchisor has (justifiably) incurred. Any clause in a franchise agreement of a bfa member purporting to entitle the franchisor to a brokerage fee when one of its franchisees agrees to resell to an existing franchisee will be deemed to be contrary to the bfa’s Code of Ethics.

Every so often the bfa issues a technical bulletin on a specific topic which requires its members to follow. This is another example of how the bfa strives to keep developing the regime for operating ethical franchising in the UK of which the firm’s Franchising team is fully supportive.

I have just returned from a very relaxing break in the Greek Islands where my wife and I spent many hours sipping coffee and wine by the pretty fishing harbour. This is a great time to reflect on life and make plans for the future. However, we were very distracted by “people watching” and most of all, the British holiday maker. Why do men wear socks with sandals? This started a whole conversation about things that just don’t go together which was quite amusing until I said FTTC and ISDN. “What are you talking about” was the confused response! Let me explain….

There are two main areas of telecoms for consideration for most business customers; internet access for data and email and then lines for telephone calls. Most small business customers will have a Broadband of some type for internet access. For those businesses that have a telephone system it will most likely be connected to either ISDN2e or ISDN30e channels (digital lines). All fairly standard stuff; however the ever increasing rollout of superfast fibre Broadband (FTTC) is enabling businesses to look at far more cost effective solutions.

You don’t necessarily have to have FTTC to support VoIP calls; however if you do then you should have no fear of ditching your ISDN lines in favour of either a hosted solution or SIP. In basic terms; hosted means that you don’t need to buy a telephone system as this sits in the cloud and you just buy handsets and rent licenses. SIP means that you still need a telephone system however then rent how many simultaneous calls you need across your Broadband without needing extra lines. So what are the advantages? Reduce your rental – Cost per line on an ISDN2e can be anything between £11 and £21 per month depending on your supplier. SIP trunks can start as low as £6 per month. Hosted service are generally charged on a per user basis and therefore not restricted on number of simultaneous calls.

Reduced installation charges – you only need to connect a single line. ISDN services can be expensive to install unless you commit to long term contracts. Why sign a five year contract for old technology? Reduced call charges – calls using VoIP still have to breakout into the main public switched network so call prices are often very similar. However there are some very good inclusive tariffs which provide unlimited calls to UK landlines and sometimes to UK Mobiles. Inter-site traffic is usually free of charge.

Keep your number – telephone numbers delivered via SIP or a hosted platform can be delivered anywhere so you don’t have to change number if you move from one exchange to another. Disaster recovery – if you have ISDN then your only option is to divert all numbers including direct dial to a single destination. Hosted and SIP allows simple divert of calls to multiple destinations together with advanced call routing such as messages. Direct dial numbers can be dealt with individually.

There are some considerations when looking at a VoIP solution, especially if you have a slow Broadband connection. Notwithstanding this, a VoIP call needs less than 100 Kbps (upload is important). FTTC delivers both fast upload and download speeds. Broadband is not provided with a robust service level agreement which is also a concern; however if you can get FTTC then you can possibly get EoFTTC (Ethernet over FTTC) which has a guaranteed speed with a service level agreement similar to a leased line however at a proportion of the cost.

So in summary, if you can get FTTC then I don’t think you need ISDN, although I have been banned from discussing on holiday. As for socks and sandals feedback welcome!

Contact us at www.breakwaterit.co.uk or 01603 709300

• Still time for employers to get involved in free Best Employer Eastern Region 2014 survey
• Survey results and Best Employer awards will be announced in October 2014
• Win an award to boost your recruitment strategy – attracting and retaining staff and promoting your employee brand
• Case study of a previous Best Employer award winner is attached

Do you have an inkling that your employees are happy to work for you? Then why not make it official by asking them to take part in a 15-minute, online survey that could win your organisation a ‘Best Employer’ award?

The survey is open for all employers and their staff across the East of England until the end of July, so there is no time to waste if you would like to get your organisation involved.

The free survey, normally worth £2,000, is a vital tool in measuring how employers are doing in terms of employee engagement by gathering crucial insight into their staff’s opinions. Run every other year by Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) and eras ltd, and part of the wider Best Employer initiative, the culture and engagement survey concludes in tailored reports, produced for every employer taking part.

Based on survey feedback employers can identify and address any areas of corporate culture and workplace practises that need development to boost employee engagement, which is essential to the success of any organisation. It can also reassure organisations that they are already doing a great job.

In 2012, when the survey last ran, employers including the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in Cambridge won Best Employer awards for positive exceptional survey results. Dr Lynn Morgan, CEO, says: “Getting the award for Vision and Motivation [in 2012] was confirmation that our staff really believed in the organisation’s future, and understood why we were making changes. When we won the award everyone here felt very proud.”

Again this year, awards are available for categories such as innovation, employee values, vision and motivation, plus an overall Best Employer award, which showcases an employer whose survey results demonstrate excellence in all categories.

Previous award-winners won for initiatives including quirky charity events, free staff cultural trips, creative professional development activity and a director open-door policy.

Lynn Walters, Director of Pure, explains: “We know that happy employees lead to a healthier bottom line, so it should be in all employers’ interests to get employee engagement right. The survey also helps us gather benchmark data, which bosses can use to compare how they are doing against similar employers in their area. This is absolutely key to recruitment and employee retention in an increasingly competitive job market.”

Alex Pearce, Managing Director of eras ltd, says: “There really is nothing like the Best Employer survey and awards available in the region at the moment. The advantages are amazing: the survey costs nothing, we are available to guide people through the survey, an award is great PR and excellent for recruitment, and employers and staff alike benefit. There really is no reason not to get involved.”

The survey is suitable for organisations of all sizes in the private and not-for-profit sectors. Data and results are 100% confidential.

To find out more, visit www.prs.uk.com or contact Anna Hill, Pure’s Marketing Manager, on: 01223 209888 or Anna.Hill@prs.uk.com.

The Daniel Connal Partnership has delivered a complex project on one of North Norfolk’s most iconic vistas.

In January 2005 Gray’s Arcade on the Quayside at Wells-next-the-Sea was severely damaged in a fire which took 70 firefighters three hours to put out. The site then became a blot on the iconic vista of Wells’ Quay as it was left boarded up and in its burnt out state. Over the years several attempts were made to bring the site also known as Festival Amusements back into use, which all failed, and North Norfolk District Council even started proceedings towards issuing a compulsory purchase order. In the end a CPO was not needed after the Gray family sold the building to Novus Homes ( Norfolk ) Ltd.

Nine years after the fire took place, the site has now been redeveloped into nine luxury apartments with wonderful views over Wells Harbour and three units extending the retail offering on the Quayside See more photographs here.

The Daniel Connal Partnership acted as project managers on what has been a complex but most rewarding project. “We often deal with projects that have their complexities but this seems to have had more than its fair share. Multiple party wall awards, boundary issues, an extremely confined site, part of which being Grade II listed, extensive archaeological investigations are one thing but being flooded by the tidal surge when we were weeks from completion tested everyone’s resolve” explains Robert Dale, senior partner and project manager ” in these circumstances, we are especially pleased to have delivered the project on budget.”

The contractors, Gill Building have been praised throughout the project for the manner in which they have kept disruption to both local businesses, neighbouring residents and holidaymakers an absolute minimum, which was always a key requirement of Chris Wells owner of Novus Homes. They have delivered the SMG Architect’s design to a very high quality level, meeting Code for Sustainable Homes and Secured by Design standards.

Pioneers of high quality affordable housing and community involvement, Luminus Group, has an employee engagement strategy to be very proud of. It is also very ambitious.

The Huntingdon-based organisation aims to not only provide a positive working environment, but it also aims to influence a cultural transformation in wider society.

Through a forward-thinking approach, Group CEO, Dr Chan Abraham, wants to help mend so-called ‘broken Britain’ by promoting a culture of learning, development and sincerity. And he has begun in his own organisation. It is this visionary work that won Luminus a Best Employer award for Employees Values.

Visionary and holistic Dr Abraham believes his aspirations can become reality by building a positive and supportive culture across all aspects of work, and one that inspires employees, their families, other employers, and broader communities. He explains: “Our employees actively demonstrate our infectious enthusiasm as part of an organisation that aims to change the world and put our ethos into practice in everyday life.”

“If we can generate a critical mass among employers in the UK to do the same, we will be a nation moving towards renewal,” he added.

Enabling employees to develop and contribute

Luminus invests in its people on all levels – from junior recruits to its senior management. Its Leadership Academy provides intensive coaching on how to become an effective manager and leader, and staff are encouraged to contribute ideas. ‘Take it the Top’ provides employees with an opportunity to book a one-to-one meeting with Dr Abraham when they can sit with him to discuss any issues. Luminus managers also operate an open-door policy.

On the social side, staff have great opportunities to let their hair down: ‘Luminus has Got Talent’, a children’s Christmas party, quiz nights, and an annual carol service bring people, and often their families, together throughout the year.

“Luminus provides more than a job,” says Dr Abraham. “We provide an opportunity to be part of a family, a place where employees are valued, engaged and part of a winning team, and a vision for a future of shared values, goals and dreams.”

Benefits of the Best Employer award Despite its successful long-standing engagement strategy Luminus still enjoyed the benefits of the Employee Values award including the positive impact on recruitment.

Dr Abraham says: “The Best Employer survey and subsequent award was an excellent way to move forward with our employee engagement strategy. We announced the win at one of our conferences and featured it in our regular news video. Our staff were thrilled and greatly encouraged with further independent evidence that they work for an organisation that takes their views seriously.”

Advice for other Best Employer award hopefuls Not stopping at the achievements to date, employees at Luminus are taking part in the survey again this year. With such an outstanding track record in engagement Luminus is well-placed to offer advice to other employers. Dr Abraham suggests: “Invest in your leadership. Our managers really do engage with our people, helping them make a real difference in the communities we serve.”

For more information contact Pure Resourcing Solution’s Marketing Manager, Anna Hill, on: 01223 209888 or Anna.Hill@prs.uk.com.

Trading nappies for networking is hard enough when your children are little but that move from babies to business becomes even more difficult as time passes. The reality is that you can’t ‘get back’ to your previous job; but what you can do is ‘re-launch’.

Re-launching your career after a period at home caring for children or relatives or perhaps after an illness is tough – but it is possible. It will be different as you are different and it is likely the job and industry you were in previously is different. This 8-Step Re-launch Plan will help you focus and be determined to find the right job for the new you.

Step 1: First face your internal saboteurs

You’re not alone having some major emotional hurdles to deal with. Maybe it’s guilt or perhaps you’re overwhelmed by the whole idea due to lack of confidence. Whatever your personal saboteurs are, write them down and find actions and support from friends, family and professionals to address them. They won’t go away unless you face them as the true barriers you have to overcome. Don’t let them sabotage you and perhaps stop you even getting to…

Step 2: Determining what you want

Reassess where you are and what you want to do; think about what you’ve done before, what you liked and disliked and why. It’s easier to return to an area you know about (i.e. similar function or business sector) but don’t worry about how your likes and dislikes manifest themselves in work yet – just mentally keep hold of the positive work related elements which you enjoyed and make sure these are reflected in your CV and conversations.

But do be realistic. Consider the three key areas of money, time and responsibility (or job function or fulfilment). It is unlikely that you’re going to (initially) get a high paid job working part-time having been out of the work force for a few years. Be ready to compromise on one of these areas in your re-launch; see your ‘first’ job as a stepping stone just as you did when you first started working.

Being clear about what you want will keep your activity focused. Go back to your list when you feel your motivation dipping.

Step 3: Reconnect with ‘work time’

You’ve made the decision to return to work and your ‘work’ is now getting a job. You need to create ‘work time’ in your day to give you time to take action.

Get support: Connect with others in your situation to provide emotional support and networking. If you’re returning after child caring make sure you have your childcare plans in place or arrange child care swops with people in similar situations. Make sure you share domestic tasks with your partner.

Build a plan: Give yourself weekly objectives in different areas e.g. reviewing or developing skills, researching organisations or people. And make sure to give yourself credit for completing them!

Step 4: Update your CV and refresh your skills

Reflect on your previous experience and remember that the work, even from a number of years ago provides you with relevant knowledge. Refresh your mind about what was good so you can talk confidently about it. Look at activity you’ve done during your career break and shape its inclusion in a work relevant way. For example ‘Doubled school fundraising income within two years’, or ‘Established community communications for local charity’. In addition, schedule time into your plan to refresh your skills; research training courses, conferences and webinars – there are many free on-line resources to support you.

Step 5: Rewire your Network

Think on-line dating looks tame compared to ‘putting yourself out there’ again in the job market? Go back to Step 1 – don’t let your internal saboteur hold you back. Kick start and expand: Write up a list of all the people you know and research networking groups and companies which may be relevant to you. Spend some time understanding how to get the most out of LinkedIn. www.camclustermap.com is a great tool to show how you can be connected to different people in Cambridge organisations using LinkedIn. Set yourself networking objectives e.g. ‘each week I will attend one network meeting and contact three people from my list.’ Cambridge is awash with networking groups and I guarantee you’ll find people in a similar situation as yourself who will be able to put you in contact with other people and groups.

Pitch: prepare a 30 second ‘pitch’ of what you are looking for and what qualifies you to be looking for that role. Remember, you’re not asking people for a job – just if they know someone who could help. Treat every new contact as a potential recruiter; sound and look the part. Review each contact and adjust your approach.

Step 6: Think differently

Do consider part time, interim or freelance work. It adds to your recent experience, your skill development and contact base. If you’re not volunteering then start, and get at least three different organisations on your CV. This will extend your network and refresh your softer skills of managing people and tasks – as well as building your confidence.

Step 7: Prepare for Interview

Research organisations and prepare your answers for questions. Use your network of contacts to practise your answers. Specifically address how you’re going to handle your ‘career gap’. It wasn’t an unreasonable choice and you don’t need to defend it. Acknowledge it … ‘during (dates) I chose to stay at home to care for my children…’ and then move on … ‘and now I’m returning to work …’, and explain why you are the person they should be employing. Focus on the job in hand.

Step 8: Stay on the road

You’ll be successful but only if you commit to your plan, put the time in and be both persistent and patient. Be confidently persuasive – with yourself. Keep your 8-Step re-launch notes and refer back to them to make sure you keep on track.

Good luck. And do contact me if you think I can help.

dave.culley@prs.uk.com

Work has started at new centre for bereaved children’s charity, Nelson’s Journey.

The Daniel Connal Partnership are delighted to be assisting this fantastic Norfolk charity with project monitoring services for the construction of their new building. Nelson’s Journey has been operating for 16 years and provides a service for children up to the age of 17 who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life.

It aims to improve the emotional wellbeing of bereaved children by increasing their confidence and self belief, providing education about the causes of death and letting families talk openly about bereavement. It also gives chances to remember those who have died and help children to express and understand their emotions.

The child bereavement organisation started fundraising for its new home, Smiles House, in 2012 – to create a purpose-built welcoming environment where children and young people could receive support.

Based at the Octagon Business Park in Little Plumstead, the building will also have space for support groups and families and provide accommodation for training professionals who work with children and might need bereavement guidance.

The ground floor will be dedicated to services supporting young people and their families and will include two one-to-one therapy rooms, a resource library and a “chill-out” area.

The first floor will accommodate the administration, fundraising and marketing teams and the chief executive.

The Daniel Connal Partnership has been advising the Charity on the proposals, assisting with the legal agreement and will monitor construction to ensure it meets the requirements of Nelson’s Journey

NORWICH, Monday 2nd June 2014 – OSKA Travel to repeat last year’s Turkey flight programme After last year’s successful launch of its charter flight programme to Antalya, Turkey, specialised tour operator OSKA Travel has just announced 4 new departure dates for Turkey trips in 2014 and 2015 from Norwich International Airport.

Andreas F. Forsthuber, director of OSKA Travel, said: “We have been delighted by the amount of positive feedback we received after the 2013 programme and we had many requests by travellers to bring new dates and offers to the Norwich area, as they wanted to see more of Turkey and repeat the great experience they had travelling with us.”

OSKA Travel has therefore scheduled four new flights from Norwich International Airport to Antalya with well-known Turkish-Dutch airline CORENDON – flight dates and times as listed below:

FLIGHTS FROM NORWICH AIRPORT (NWI) Departure Date Flight code Depart Time Return Time 06 Nov 2014 CAI 15:00 14:05 13 Nov 2014 CAI 15:00 14:05 16 Apr 2015 CAI 15:00 14:05 23 Apr 2015 CAI 15:00 14:05

All flights are offered including all taxes except the local airport development fee as well as 20 kg free hold baggage allowance and 5 kg cabin baggage.

“Our package tour offers will again mostly be aimed at travellers wanting to experience more,” Forsthuber says. “We are again offering well-organised escorted tours, covering the Turkish Riviera as well as wonderful Cappadocia”.

Andrew Bell, CEO at Norwich International commented “Turkey is an exceptionally popular destination from our region, and we are delighted that OSKA-TRAVEL has selected to operate their low cost luxury charter breaks from Norwich once more. This service compliments the summer flights offered by Thomson and Thomas Cook to Dalaman during 2014. This development further demonstrates the strength of the growth in charter flights from Norwich International this year – our customers now have over twenty direct sun and city destinations to choose from with some of the leading tour operators and airlines”

Both OSKA Travel tours include extensive 7 day itineraries with lots of famous sights and professional guiding be especially trained English speaking local guides. Prices start from incredibly low £249 per person on a bed and breakfast basis.

More details are to be found online at https://oska-travel.co.uk/cms/holidays-from-norwich/

Also all inclusive beach holidays with a choice of different 5 star hotels are available at low rates, starting as low as £449 per week and person.

All offers are ATOL protected and can already be booked online at https://oska-travel.co.uk/cms/holidays-from-norwich/ or at your local travel agency, e.g. Travel Norwich by calling 01603 428700.

Ends

Involving employees in the future direction of your organisation is no easy task. You have to overcome barriers such as figuring out how to spark interest so your staff not only listen, but also help you make your ideas reality. Yet, the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC) is doing this with great success.

Winning the 2012 Best Employer award for Vision and Motivation, the charity has proven that its strategy to bring people together as a team, and instill a clear understanding of the organisation’s direction, is working. In fact, it is likely to be a contributing factor to its incredibly low 6% staff turnover.

As a well-known local charity, which many people rely on to provide excellent care, it is vital that the charity continues to achieve its mission. The hospice’s CEO, Dr Lynn Morgan, recognises that the employees and volunteers are the driving force behind much of the hospice’s day-to-day work. So it makes sense to keep them engaged, supported and happy.

Dr Morgan talks to Pure about what the award-win meant to the charity, and how she achieves high standards in engagement.

Assessing staff opinion in times of change

Nearly all of ARHC’s staff responded to the 2012 survey, giving a strong indication that they were already motivated enough to get involved, and understood the reasons of the survey.

Dr Morgan explains that the survey was useful in gathering employee opinion during a time of organisational change. She says: “We are going through a period of significant change. Not only are we building new premises, but we also plan to become responsible for the whole spectrum of care in the hospice, and end of life care in the community by transferring in NHS staff instead of simply commissioning some of the services, as we do at the moment. It is important that the teams merge together effectively and, therefore, we are very pleased that our staff are so enthusiastic about the future.

“Although these changes are ultimately beneficial for the staff, patients and families, their success will not be possible without our team responding well to the challenges.”

She adds: “Getting the award for Vision and Motivation was confirmation that our staff really believed in the organisation’s future, and understood why we were making changes. When we won the award everyone here felt very proud.”

The winning strategy

Dr Morgan’s approach to engagement is based on transformational management, which is positive, proactive and encouraging. Its principles involve explaining the reasons for change, inspiring people to work towards a common goal, and clearly communicating the long-term vision.

She says: “Staff understand why we have the aims and objectives that we have, and have been part of setting them. Everyone is focused on delivering the best service we can for patients and their families; employees relish their part in ensuring this happens. If something doesn’t go quite right, we look at what went wrong and why, but we don’t ascribe blame. This encourages people to be creative.”

In addition, ARHC offers flexible working, holds monthly all-team meetings. There are regular meetings with the volunteers to keep them up to date with the progress of plans and to gain their feedback and regular consultation with staff, patients, and other stakeholders on every step of the journey towards the new hospice. The final plans reflect the input and needs of our whole community.

Added responsibility

You may think that people wouldn’t need to be engaged if they choose to work for a charity. However, Dr Morgan believes that being a not-for-profit organisation is a reason in itself to be more proactive when it comes to engagement.

She explains: “People work for a charity because they believe in its aims. To achieve those aims they tend to work very hard, and this often means working unsocial hours. Therefore, it is all the more important that the staff get job satisfaction and understand how much they are valued. Being a good employer also creates a culture of good team work, because it doesn’t enable an atmosphere which is competitive or divisive.”

Advice on boosting engagement

Dr Morgan’s experience is invaluable to Best Employer newcomers and repeat participants alike. Her one piece of advice to other employers for keeping staff engaged is simple, yet effective: “Meet regularly with your staff to encourage them to come forward with ideas and solutions, and respect their knowledge and ideas, and make it clear that you are receptive to hearing any ideas or feedback. No one should ever regret having the courage to speak up.”

If you’d like to get involved in the Best Employer survey, talk to Pure’s Marketing Manager, Anna Hill, on: 01223 209888 or Anna.Hill@prs.uk.com.

Lord Baker of Little Moulton, Norfolk, would like to invite you and your friends to The Grand Charity Auction in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) at EPIC TV, Norwich, on 28th June 2014.

This fantastic event will be co-hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who launched his solo career at the same venue whilst presenting ITV’s Sale of the Century in the 1970s. All proceeds raised will be donated to EACH.

The evening comprises of a 5-course dinner provided by chef and proprietor of Florentina, Jake Weatherill, with entertainment from Nicholas Parsons and top comedian and impressionist, Aaron James. The auction lots include original international art pieces, holidays at home & abroad and exhilarating group days out to mention but a few. Added to that, the whole show is to be streamed on to the internet for others to enjoy.

Tickets for this superb event are priced at £75pp. If you, your friends or family would like to attend, please visit the online box office at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/98213 or telephone direct on 01603 727727.

LSI Architects has been named the best place to work in the East of England by the Architects’ Journal at the annual AJ100 awards ceremony. The AJ100 awards ceremony is among the biggest nights of the year for architectural practices, and the practice has been included on the prestigious AJ100 list of the largest and most successful firms in the UK for the first time, placing 86th. The practice was also shortlisted for the New Member of the Year Award, and narrowly missed out on the UK Employer of the Year Award.

The AJ stated that an employee at the practice had said that “well thought out, sensitively designed architecture and a very enlightened attitude towards employment wellbeing” makes LSI Architects the best place to work in the East of England.

The practice rated particularly highly in the areas of employee benefits and the work the firm produces. When responding to our survey, another employee backed up a large percentage of the employee’s feelings about the practice, saying “They do some great work and really look after their people.”

David Andrews, a Partner at the practice, commented “We are absolutely thrilled to have been named the best place to work in the East of England by the Architects’ Journal. We are immensely proud of our people, and we know that the incredible work that they do is integral to the success of the practice, so we do everything we can to make sure they have a business that supports them and gives them opportunities to develop and succeed. We are also delighted to be included as an AJ100 practice for the first time, and can be extremely proud that, while we didn’t win the overall employer of the year award, we were very close to doing so. We firmly believe that our focus on people, as well as design, is a huge contributor to our success.”

The AJ awards were held on Thursday evening at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, and were attended by the biggest practices in the UK, including global names such as Foster and Partners and BDP. This award is the latest award in a successful period for the practice, and is a further signal that the practice is set to enjoy an exciting future.

Rory Olcayto, acting editor of the Architects’ Journal and host for the evening added: “This year’s survey is so much more than a league table of the biggest players: For example The AJ100 now employs 5,036 fully qualified architects (15% of the UK registered practitioners (ARB) – that’s 211 more than last year. In total the AJ100 employs 13,300 architectural staff (which includes part ones, part twos and technicians) The AJ100 UK offices total fee income for projects being undertaken in the UK and overseas totals £930m this year. That’s £20m higher than the total reported by the AJ100 members in 2013. And 28% of the AJ100’s qualified architects are women, so it looks like the AJ100 is proving that employing more women is very good for business.”