Member News

An accident can leave you out of pocket; you may suffer a loss of wages, medical expenses, travel expenses due to the negligence of another party. Getting advice to assist you with recouping any expense incurred, in addition to an award of compensation for the injury itself will be one less thing to worry about.

Proving Liability of the Defendant

There are three elements which need to be shown when bring a Personal Injury Claim:

1. That the Defendant owed you a duty of care. 2. That the Defendant was in breach of that duty. 3. That the breach of the duty caused a foreseeable risk of injury.

If the above factors can be proved and the Defendants are unable to produce documentation to show they took reasonable care then the likelihood is that we will be able to hold them liable for your injuries.

Your advisor needs to consider the circumstances of your accident to consider if a breach of duty is owed and the possible Defences available to the Defendant and the evidence that will be required to produce if they are to defend a claim.

Limitation

As a general rule, a Claimant is required to bring a claim for compensation in respect of personal injury within three years of the date of the accident.

However, this is of course not always possible, particularly in cases which involve industrial disease. In such circumstances it is possible to bring a claim within three years of the date of knowledge i.e. when you first became aware that the Defendants breach of duty had caused you injury, loss and damage.

In sexual abuse claims, if exceptional circumstances can be proved, the limitation period may be capable of being waived by the Court but certain criteria would need to be met.

Funding Your Claim

Conditional Fee (No Win, No Fee) Agreements

Advising under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement means that if your claim is unsuccessful you do not pay a penny in respect of fees. However, if your claim is successful the majority of fees are claimed from the Defendant, but you would be required to pay a small percentage of that compensation awarded to you by way of success fee.

Legal Expenses Insurance

Another way to fund a personal injury claim is by utilising a policy of Legal Expenses Insurance which you would find attached to a policy of home or, in the case of RTAs, Car Insurance. Not all Legal Expense Insurers would agree to your instructing solicitors of your choice but it is worth checking your policy.

After the Event Insurance

Qualified One Way Costs Shifting means that only in very limited circumstances you may become responsible for the other side’s costs. Legal Expenses Insurance is still available to protect you in respect of this and also with regards to funding disbursements but it is recommend that you await a liability decision from the Defendants, prior to considering whether such a policy is needed.

Please call me If you would like to discuss any potential claim you may have.

Nicola Mason 01493 849200

The employee survey has proven to be a reliable way of gathering accurate information from the very people who make your organisation tick. You can see how you’re doing with staff’s professional development and wellbeing, or how engaged they are feeling.

This feedback is essential if you want to increase productivity levels and prevent your staff job-hunting!

If you’re planning a survey you should also be thinking about how you announce it and, of course, how you encourage people to get involved once it’s live. So let us give you some helpful hints on ramping up those participation levels.

1. Know your audience before creating a survey As with all communications it’s vital that you know your audience before you start putting together the materials. You can’t risk putting your staff off with an overly lengthy, dry survey if you know they’re usually busy with deadlines for example. Give them something more eye-catching and engaging to pique their interest instantly.

2. Launch with a big splash Announcing the opening of the survey can be done in an effective and stylish way! Why not film a short video with the CEO inviting staff to participate? Or how about an HTML email with striking visuals and a clear call to action? The survey launch can be bold, entertaining, clever and meaningful, but whatever you do, make sure you reach out to all of your staff!

3. Be clear about the reasons Employees need to know why you’re running the survey and how their contribution is going to make a difference. Make it crystal-clear that their opinion is essential to the future of the organisation’s success; key decisions will be made based on their feedback. Also, tell them that their answers are completely confidential to encourage them to open up and be 100% honest.

4. Prompt for responses It’s likely that whatever you do to nudge staff to take part in a survey, not everyone will do so. . But for those who can participate but just never seem to find the right moment, a few timely prompts won’t hurt. Desk drops, posters, emails and reminders from managers in team meetings can push things along quite nicely.

5. Offer incentives We all love a freebie! And the good news is that studies show that offering incentives to employees increases the level of responses. Not surprising, you may think! But what’s more interesting is that the size of incentive doesn’t seem to matter. So, whether it’s a novelty prize or something more valuable, people feel obliged to take part in exchange. In fact participants tend to put more time into their answers if they’re rewarded.

6. Promise to help a charity Every year Nationwide Building Society makes a donation to Macmillan for every member that votes in the AGM. If you want to show your support for a local charity, while incentivising and engaging staff, this is the ideal solution. You get precious staff feedback, while your charity partner gets a much-needed financial boost!

So there you have it: tip-top advice that’ll help you gather insight into current challenges and barriers, as well as positive comments on how you’re doing. Soon there’ll be a fantastic opportunity to source staff opinion through the Best Employer, Eastern Region (BEER) survey. Don’t miss the chance to win a ‘Best Employer’ award – get in touch with Pure to find out more: anna.hill@prs.uk.com!

Norwich TV production company Tin Can Island is looking for an ICT professional and a junior/trainee ICT professional to role play in some semi-improvised scenes in a training video. The video is for Dutch students aged 20-25 who are learning ICT-related English. We want to use professionals rather than actors so the scenarios and vocabulary feel really authentic.

The ICT professional can be any age but the trainee should be aged 20-25. What’s key is that both people are happy and confident in front of a camera and that they speak clear, standard English.

We’ll be filming in Norwich for a half day on a date tbc between 8th and 17th April. There’s a modest payment for contributors. If you’d like to find out more about what’s involved, please contact tessa@tincanisland.co.uk or 01603-776905. We hope to hear from you!

bmi regional is the UK’s most punctual scheduled airline for the ninth consecutive year, independent figures* just released show, placing it ahead of carriers such as British Airways, Ryanair, Flybe and British Airways.

Independent website flightontime.info analyses UK flight punctuality data – which is then used by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – to assess airlines’ punctuality. The latest figures, for 2013, show that bmi regional achieved an On-Time Performance of over 92 per cent in the previous twelve months, over six per cent greater than BA CityFlyer. This figure also places bmi regional above BA CityFlyer, KLM, CityJet , SAS, Aer Lingus, Flybe and EasyJet. A flight is deemed to be on time if it departs or arrives within 15 minutes of its published schedule.

Cathal O’Connell, CEO of bmi regional, said: “As we continue to develop and expand our network, punctuality is an enduring priority for us. Being named for the ninth consecutive year as the most punctual scheduled airline in the UK is testament to the commitment and hard work of our teams on the ground and in the air who never lose sight of our customers’ needs.”

bmi regional owns and operates an all-jet fleet of 18 Embraer aircraft that serve routes between nine European countries. In 2013 the airline – which became fully independent in June 2012 – expanded its profitable routes, doubled its charter business and launched domestic routes in Scandinavia to serve the oil and gas industry.

All bmi regional flights offer 20kg checked baggage, a full at-seat bar and snack service and 30-minute check-in. In 2013 the airline won the prestigious accolade of Silver Airline of the Year at the European Regions Airline (ERA) Association in Salzburg, Austria.

bmi regional operate daily services to Aberdeen from Norwich International, Please visit www.bmiregional.com for full details.

Bigfork have just finished the Derby Supporter + website for Cover-u, a company that helps sports clubs and charities generate income from their supporter base. Derby County FC have signed up for the service and their Supporter + website offers great deals in financial services for their supporters. The site is promoted through email marketing and mobile campaigns to selected databases.

The website is, of course, responsive (eg mobile friendly) so that it automatically fits desktop, tablet and mobile screens which is essential to this audience. You can see the new website at Derby Supporter Plus

Bigfork – we make websites standout

01603 513080

Norwich-based design agency, The Click Design Consultants, are delighted to discover their advertising campaign for the National Trust, titled Nature’s Playground, has been shortlisted for the ‘Writing for Design’ category in the 2014 Design Week Awards.

The winners will be announced on 15 May at The Troxy, a stunning Art Deco former cinema in East London.

Creative Director, Bobby Burrage, says: “It’s a cliché, however, to us, being shortlisted is like winning already – the calibre of the competition is truly outstanding. We’re honoured and, quite frankly, surprised, that we’ll be allowed in the same room as these design gods! We’re looking forward to what will be a great night.”

www.theclickdesign.com

Twitter: @theclickdesign

It seems that all the signs currently point towards a post-recession Britain. As we ease ourselves out of the economic slump some of us are now beginning to look at growing business.

Employers can make the most of the upturn by looking at their employee engagement strategy. Proven to boost the bottom line through increased productivity, lower staff turnover and improved customer satisfaction, employee engagement is becoming ever more important.

A recent report by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) surveyed companies around the world and confirms that employee engagement is vital in competitive job markets – and it’s beginning to heat up out there with job vacancies increasing! Also, a staggering 71% of companies surveyed rank engagement as very important in achieving organisational success.

So whether you’re an SME or big employer recruiting staff in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk or Suffolk, you really need to address what you are doing to keep employees close.

Why not take a look at your communications. They can strengthen the relationship between employer and employee, by sharing news, recognising achievements and asking for opinions. Taking inspiration from the HBR report, here’s how you can tap into communications:

1. Involve senior management

Senior-level management need to listen to what their teams are telling them, and respond effectively. Be it survey feedback or face-to-face discussions, getting to the root of issues is essential. Decision-makers can then set business objectives that their employees can realistically implement, and feel they’re achieving their goals. After all an employee’s drive can come to a sudden halt if they feel their given tasks are unachievable.

2. All-staff meetings

Public recognition is fantastic for morale! When a team or an employee is thanked in front of the whole organisation they’re going to feel that their hard work is valued. This can be an easy route to engaging with staff on a regular basis. Updates on your organisation’s successes and charity work is another way to showing staff that their efforts are worthwhile. Thanking anyone who is leaving for their contribution will also encourage staff to take positive stories with them to their next job.

3. Staff development

Giving employees opportunities to train and expand on their skill base is fundamental in keeping their loyalty. As the employer you get to invest in your people which helps to build your business. Whether it’s first aid, leadership skills or professional qualifications, giving staff the time to focus on their development leads to increased levels of satisfaction. Everyone wins!

4. Staff intranet or magazine

From news stories, staff surveys and case studies to employee interviews, how-to guides and fact sheets, your intranet or magazine is a fantastic resource for engagement. Running stories on employees’ achievements (both in and out of work) can be really uplifting. It not only helps build a family atmosphere, but it’s another form of public recognition that most of us love! Encouraging the sharing of knowledge and providing guidelines in areas such as IT can help employees do their jobs better and help them save a lot of time spent looking for answers.

5. Corporate social media

Some employers use social media to engage staff. The professional networking platform, LinkedIn, can be a fantastic tool to keep apprentices informed of company news and entry-level job vacancies, for example. Also connecting social media to your intranet means your news can go viral among colleagues, their friends and family.

6. Detailed job descriptions

Employee engagement starts with recruitment! Making sure you recruit the right person and managing their expectations will support your engagement strategy, and increase the chances of the staff member being able to do their job well. A thorough description of the job’s objectives and limitations is vital in attracting the best applicant for your organisation.

Taking just a couple of these examples could be a great way to test out new approaches to employee engagement. There’s a plethora of information online, or you could get a specialist in to get thing rolling. In fact this year’s ‘Best Employer, Eastern Region’ survey gives you the chance to find out what your staff think. Why not get involved?

As I meet and talk with other Norfolk businesses I am greatly encouraged by their strength and resilience, with a significant number reporting increased confidence despite continuing economic pressures and cash flow pressures.

It is a credit to the innovative, flexible and determined nature of business people within our county that, across the diverse range of sectors that make up the commercial community, many are upbeat about sales levels, export opportunities, investment plans and employment creation.

Norfolk has never been a ‘boom and bust’ area and its stability is seen as a positive by the hubs of excellence that have chosen to locate here.

In the county there are now innovative hi-tech firms and highly successful service industries, cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art training and further education facilities, niche manufacturing and tourism operations that are competing on the national, and indeed international, scene. These organisations, along with the solid base of new and established smaller businesses, help keep Norfolk successful as a profitable commercial county.

We still lack some of the essential infrastructure in communications that will be necessary to guarantee sustainable, long-term competitiveness, but with the significant improvements to important parts of the transport network and the county’s push for better broadband coverage, we are addressing the issues. And, importantly for the wider perception of Norfolk as a brand, we are seen to be addressing them in a robust and resolute manner.

At Norse we have enjoyed considerable expansion over the last twelve months, both locally and across of the UK, and have seen first-hand the green shoots of recovery. Hopefully as these encouraging signs start to strengthen Norfolk businesses will be at the forefront of this renewed confidence.

Peter Hawes Managing Director Norse Commercial Services

The waste recycling facility operated by Norse Commercial Services on the outskirts of Norwich has begun a major £8 million redevelopment aimed at increasing capacity and throughput, and expanding the range of materials that can be recycled.

“The expansion will save Norfolk’s councils considerable amounts of revenue as we will be able to handle much more waste and avoid unnecessary landfill,” said Norse Operations Director Dave Newell. “In addition there will be significant environmental benefits in that it will enable us to process waste quicker, and handle new waste streams in the future,” he added.

The expansion will include an extension to the existing building, together with new advanced processing machinery and the latest mobile plant.

This is yet another substantial investment by Norse, aimed at improving waste recycling services within Norfolk,” said Commercial Director Ruth Metcalf. “With pressure on local authorities to increase the amount of waste recycled, this commitment to providing a state-of-the-art facility within the county will mean that Norfolk is at the forefront of addressing environmental concern over sustainable waste management.”

It comes on top of a record year of growth for the company in terms of new business, all of which contributes much needed revenue to Norfolk County Council that will help safeguard vital frontline services,” she added.

Building work has recently started with completion planned for the end of July 2014. Installation of cutting-edge technology equipment and machinery will then be installed and commissioned during August and September.

Norse’s sister company NPS Group are to act as consultants and project manager for the construction of the new facility, with R G Carter carrying out the ground-work and building.

2 RED Ltd is a Nottingham-based privately owned business. With over 25 years of combined experience in property development, thermal insulation and renewables technology we understand the need to provide a high quality affordable living experience.

It is a renewable sales organisation focusing on the supply of quality sales surveys for loft and cavity wall insulation measures under the CERT programme. The business has always focused on delivering quality in terms of service regardless of its business activities and places high priority on the overall customer experience and journey.

With the introduction of Green Deal and ECO earlier this year, the business decided that it wanted to offer a cradle to grave offering from capturing the customer enquiry to final install and commissioning, allowing us to better control the journey.

With the journey starting from the initial enquiry, the management of 2 RED Ltd wanted to ensure that the website which would be the key marketing mechanism for generating the initial enquiry was simple yet effective and inviting from a customer perspective to generate enquiries for energy efficiency measures.

With regard to agency selection, Metalfrog Studios Limited of Norwich, Norfolk was appointed due to their quick understanding of our needs as a client and their exceptional knowledge of digital marketing and Internet behaviour, and helping meet our objectives. Through a clear structured plan, Metalfrog was able to develop a comprehensive website, which was delivered in time and within budget, whilst offering a level of flexibility in terms of design changes as the project evolved. This was created with the knowledge of our competitors, our market, and how we were going to take our marketing forward.

The next stages of the journey involve Metalfrog Studios Limited coming up with a strategy which will deliver enquiries through the website – https://www.2red.co.uk and bringing more business to us. We are confident that this will happen and that we have chosen the best UK digital marketing agency to deliver.

To contact 2 Red Limited:

Manjit Lall – Managing Director T: 01159 352 170 F: 01159 352 001 E: info@2red.co.uk W:https://www.2red.co.uk

To contact Metalfrog Studios Limited:

T: 01603 861830 W:https://www.metalfrog.co.uk E:ideas@metalfrog.co.uk

Pete Goodrum’s latest book gets off to a flying start! NORFOLK BROADS; THE BIOGRAPHY, my latest book, has got off to a flying start. Published by Amberley Books it was in store just last week, and by Saturday had already entered the Jarrold/Eastern Daily Press Local Best Sellers chart. The book tells the history of the Broads form their earliest beginnings through to the present day. It’s an insight into the development of this unique area and how the Broads have helped define the county. Available at all good booksellers and online retailers.

News release: Thursday 13 March 2014

ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT INCREASES SAAB FLEET

Eastern Airways, which operates scheduled flights from Norwich International Airport, is expanding the size of its Saab 2000 fleet to nine with the introduction of an extra aircraft.

The regional airline, which provides a comprehensive domestic network of scheduled services, and is the UK’s leading provider of fixed wing air services for the oil and gas industry, will see the Saab 2000 entering service in the coming weeks.

The Swedish manufactured 50-seater Saab 2000 is one of the world’s fastest turbo-prop aircraft with its two Rolls Royce engines producing a cruising speed of 425mph, and low fuel burn due to its efficiency.

This latest addition will be assigned to its charter services operating for the oil and gas industry, which also includes the recently awarded major contract with BP flying between Aberdeen and Sumburgh in the Shetland Isles.

Paul Alcock, Eastern Airways’ managing director, said: “The Saab 2000 is an extremely flexible aircraft that can operate on both short and longer runways, which is ideally suited to our long term charter services for the oil and gas industry. The aircraft type is also used on our scheduled network and to European destinations for ad-hoc charters.”

The airline has operated flights from Norwich for over 14 years, and currently provides three flights each weekday, plus a Sunday service from the airport to Aberdeen.

Saab 2000 aircraft were first introduced to Eastern Airways fleet in 2004 and the latest addition increases the fleet to nine. The airline is also the largest operator of British Aerospace Jetstream 41s in the world with a fleet of 18. The remainder of the fleet comprises of four regional jets, including two Embraer 135 and two Embraer 145 aircraft.

A network of services across to 20 airports in the UK, Norway and France is operated by the airline on a fleet of 31 regional aircraft.

In January 2014, the airline started a new scheduled service between Leeds Bradford and Southampton and also launched its third domestic route in France with flights between Lorient and Lyon.

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