NORWICH, Tuesday 5th February 2013 – NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT COMES FIRST IN THOMSON SURVEY
Norwich International Airport is delighted to have been voted one of the best in the UK by Thomson passengers who completed the Thomson Customer Service Questionnaire during 2012. The questionnaire covers the helpfulness of the Check-in staff, service received at the Customer Services Desk and the overall UK departure airport experience. Norwich International achieved equal first place out of seventeen airports served by Thomson across the UK. Gary Blake, Customer Services Manager commented “Our aim is to be the airport of choice for friendliness and great customer service and these results indicate that we are achieving our goals. Our customer services team work extremely hard to maintain high levels of service and I am delighted that this has been recognised by our Thomson passengers and very much hope that our objective, to ensure our passenger’s journey through our airport is a pleasurable experience is enjoyed by all.” 2013 is forecast to be a busy summer for Norwich International Airport with Thomson holiday flight capacity up 113% year on year with additions such as Tenerife, Tunisia and Turkey. -End-
Norfolk based charity BUILD provides social, leisure and learning opportunities to young people and adults with disabilities, and has done so since 1967. To meet the challenges of changes in public sector funding, and a decrease in charitable income, it is planning a series of community based fundraising activities this year and is looking for commercial partners.
An opportunity exists for a partner to support a group of UEA Medical Students planning a five a side football match which will last for over 43 hours in September 2013 to re-write the Guinness World Record. Underlying sponsorship is required to fund the requirements (set by Guinness) to film the action, and fund referees and appropriately qualified time-keeper’s fees, as well as the welfare support systems required for such an endurance activity.
Sponsors will have the opportunity to be associated with the record attempt, the pre-event media launch and marketing activity, and the post event reception, as well as accessing BUILD’s employee shadowing programme which provides muitual staff development opportunities.
The sum of around £2,500 is being sought to underwrite the event, so that all money raised by the players and supporters can go directly to the charity, and its beneficiaries.
If you are interested in further discussions about this, or other opportunities for partnership working with BUILD Charity, please call the Chief Executive, James Kearns on 01603 618029 or e mail james.kearns@buildcharity.co.uk.
It may be cold outside, but rest assured summer is coming…and the UEA is pleased to announce the launch of its new Summer Internship Programme.
With this programme you can secure a 2nd year UEA undergraduate to work with you full-time or part-time for between four and eight weeks during July and August.
The programme is currently offering a 40% subsidy on the cost of the student’s wage to SMEs; but availability is limited and the subsidies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Internships are a proven way to get help with a project, launch a new initiative or even bridge the staffing gap over the summer holiday period. Typical activities include marketing, research, social media, IT, project management, events, PR, carbon reduction projects or lab support. Whatever you have in mind, get in touch and we can explore the possibilities.
UEA internships are also very easy to set up, with minimal paperwork, and support is available throughout the internship. You have no PAYE administration.
The deadline for submitting intern job specifications is Wednesday 6 February 2013. Don’t delay – get in touch and ask us for a template.
There is also an innovative networking and speed interview event on 11 and 12 March 2013, so save the date!
Norwich Big Switch and Save launched on the 21st January, the highly successful scheme will open for registration for eight weeks.
It is a simple idea. Get enough households to band together. Ask the energy companies for the best deal they can offer the group as a whole. And move, en masse, to the one provider with the lowest price It’s an easy way for people to engage in the energy market. You have a trusted third party (Norwich City Council) who’s actually doing all the leg work and making it simpler. They go out and carry out an auction and hopefully get the best possible price for the consumers involved During the first tranche, a total of 1,768 households signed up. Two thirds were offered a better deal than their current one, with the average saving being £165 for the year (the top saving was a whopping £500). It is estimated city homes saved approximately £54,000 as a result.
The website opened on the 21st January, all you need to do is provide basic information of yourself and your gas and electricity usage. So get your bills at hand and go to www.norwich.gov.uk and press the Big Switch and Save link
Norfolk Police and crime issues affecting the business community, January 2013 update:
Crime in Norfolk is falling, with 11.6% less crimes being recorded this year (for the period to the end of December 2012) compared with the same time last year. Current issues of concern in relation to business crime are:
• BROADLAND – Thefts of outboard motors – There has been a spate of marine crimes, with outboard motors being stolen from boats at a business premises in Brundall. Police are working to gather intelligence to identify possible offenders. Anyone with information is asked to contact Norfolk Police on 101. Boat owners are asked to follow simple measures to keep their boating equipment safe. This can be viewed here.
• SOUTH NORFOLK – Catalytic convertor thefts – 20 thefts of catalytic convertors have been reported in Norfolk this year, with nearly all occurring in the south of the county. A similar spate has been recorded in Suffolk. 4 x 4 vehicles have been targeted, with the majority of vehicles hit being Ford Rangers. Police will be striving to stop criminals carrying out these crimes by deploying Automatic Number Plate Recognition Intercept Teams (ANPRIT) teams on the main routes in and out of the affected areas and continue focussed crime reduction work in an effort to prevent further crimes.
Vehicle owners are advised to consider the use of additional locks and security to protect catalytic convertors. Full advice is available here.
• COUNTY – Thefts from motor vehicles – During the past month, a number of thefts from vans have been recorded, with a business premises being repeatedly targeted. Parts such as wheels and wing mirrors have been taken. Officers are carrying out targeted patrols in affected areas and reviewing intelligence in an attempt to locate offenders. Business owners are reminded to ensure that premises holding vehicles are kept secure and well lit, and to ensure that good CCTV systems are in place.
• COUNTY – New scheme to tackle fraud – Norfolk and Suffolk Police have joined a national scheme aimed at enhancing fraud investigations and improving the efficiency with which these investigations are carried out. From 14 January 2013, both forces started using Action Fraud – the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, which will act as a central point of contact for all information about fraud and financially-motivated internet crime. Full information is available here.
• Business Safety Reducing the risk of crimes against your business will help to support its long-term success. Security and crime prevention should be integral to any business plan, not just a reaction after the event. Norfolk Police can assist with advice on a number of methods to reduce business crime, what to do if a crime is committed against your business, and steps you can take to make sure that your business recovers as swiftly as possible from any criminal activity. More advice is available here. A DVD containing business safety advice is also available. To request a copy, contact Norfolk Police on 101 and ask to speak to your Crime Reduction Officer.
• Join Police Direct Police Direct is a high tech messaging service provided by Norfolk Police, which is designed to bring you up to date information about crime and policing issues in your area. We can send you information by email to your computer, by text to your mobile phone, or by leaving a message on your landline. To sign up for free, click here.
Ian Robotham, Associate in the dispute resolution team at Steeles Law reports on the latest development in the “Interest Rate Swap Scandal”.
Update
During the summer of 2012, Steeles Law reported on the outcome of the Financial Services Authority’s review of the conduct of banks when selling interest rate derivative products to SMEs (click here for a link to that article). In that article, we provided our comments and suggested that, in our opinion, loose ends had been left by the FSA.
It will shortly be revealed whether the FSA has attempted to address, and succeeded in tying up, those loose ends!
As regular readers of our articles will know, the FSA and major banking institutions reached an agreement in June 2012 whereby, amongst other things, the banks would provide redress to non-sophisticated customers to whom it sold Structured Collars and would review the sales to non-sophisticated customers of other interest-rate hedging products.
Whilst further progress of the agreement has been perceived by some as being too slow, to ensure that all customers in scope of the agreement with all the banks are treated fairly, the FSA has over the last few months required those banks to develop a methodology explaining how they propose to conduct the redress and review of past business.
In doing so, the FSA has required the relevant banks to conduct a pilot scheme involving a selection of each bank’s affected customers to assess each bank’s approach and ensure that it is delivering the right outcomes for customers. The FSA stated that it would be actively involved in reviewing the bank’s methodology and conduct of the pilot scheme, and would require changes where necessary.
It has recently been reported in the media that the outcome of the pilot scheme is due to be published on Thursday 31 January 2013.
Please refer back to our website for an update on the outcome of the pilot scheme and our comments as to how this will affect SMEs who have unfortunately found themselves embroiled in the “Interest Rate Swap Scandal”.
At Steeles Law we have acted and continue to act for a number of clients involved in disputes with banks including the mis-selling of complex financial products. If you or your business has entered into a hedging agreement, whether that agreement remains in place or not, we would like to hear from you. For a no obligation discussion about interest rate hedging products call us today.
If you require do require assistance please contact Ian Robotham.
Every week we will be posting a ‘behind the scenes’ story of our furniture. It gives a short summary of how the furniture was inspired and creates a feel for the furniture.
Norwich International Airport is delighted to announce the launch of Fly Norwich 2013 produced in association with Archant Norfolk.
The brochure highlights more than twenty holiday destinations that can be reached directly from Norwich International including classic favourites such as Corfu and Majorca to Bulgaria and Turkey whose growing popularity has been confirmed with the additional flights to both Dalaman and Bourgas. In addition the airport has also welcomed Tunisia back for 2013 with twice weekly departures and Tenerife has been reinstated as a year round destination.
First issued in 2011 Fly Norwich has gone from strength to strength with more than 110,000 copies printed this year, an increase of over 400% on 2012 along with an additional eight pages of content too.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International commented “The airport’s brochure has proved to be hugely popular over the past couple of years and we are delighted that, with the increased holiday options available from the airport this year we have been able to expand the brochure and its distribution to a wider audience. A complete guide to everything available from Norwich, we see this brochure as a ‘must have’ for anyone planning to travel from their local airport in 2013.”
The press has recently reported on the six month prison sentence given to property tycoon Scot Young on 16 January 2013 in the High Court, Family Division, as a result of his failure to provide full and frank financial disclosure amid an acrimonious divorce.
Mr Young, said to have owned assets worth some £400m in 2006, now claims to have lost the fortune but has failed to provide an explanation as to the whereabouts of the assets.
In the divorce proceedings in 2009, Mr Young was ordered to pay £27,500 per month in maintenance but he has not made any payments. Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Michelle Young, told the court that Mr Young had “given absolutely no explanation” about where the money had gone. According to Mr Justice Moor, a fine or suspended sentence for Mr Young would not have been a “sufficient penalty”.
When couples go through a divorce or separation and a financial settlement at the end of the relationship cannot be readily agreed, there is a requirement for each party to provide full and frank disclosure of their finances to the other. The decision by Mr Justice Moor to impose a prison sentence for Mr Young’s “flagrant and deliberate contempt” in not doing so underlines the importance of complying with the requirement to give full and frank disclosure and the possible consequences for failure.
The case involving Mr Young makes it clear that individuals should not even contemplate an attempt to “hide” their wealth in order to secure a more advantageous financial settlement. Furthermore, the obligation to disclose all information regarding personal finances not only applies at the outset but is an ongoing requirement throughout the course of proceedings.
Amanda Owens, head of the Family Team at Steeles Law, commented that people must not treat their obligations lightly: “When anyone embarks on a divorce or separation, it is vital that as much information as possible on their finances and assets is given to their lawyer at the outset and throughout proceedings as they progress.”
At Steeles Law our family team strive to help you deal with the issues in an empathetic and timely manner and in the most cost effective way for our clients as possible.
If you are considering divorce, dissolution or separation the outcome always depends on the circumstances of each case and therefore we would urge anyone about to embark on this to seek independent legal advice at the earliest opportunity.
For further information or to arrange for a fixed fee appointment with one of our practitioners, please email family@steeleslaw.co.uk or telephone 01603 598000.
Keen to mingle with the Hingham locals, Naked Marketing has collaborated with our next door neighbours to create this set of quirky postcards.
Mongers Achitectural Salvage prides itself on being no ordinary reclamation yard – giving a future purpose and function to quality pieces from the past.
Offering so much, from cast iron radiators, original fireplaces, antique bathrooms, reclaimed floorboards and brass door furniture with vast experience and extremely talented local craftspeople, Mongers Architectural Salvage in Hingham is a treasure trove of items.
Having worked on the toilets of the fashion brand, Jack Wills’ flagship store in London and judging by the famous names who have given testimonial on the Mongers website, this little Norfolk secret is well and truly out. Encouraged by this we approached and designed a range of postcards to promote the different items that Mongers stock. The postcards wanted to encourage a younger, ‘funkier’ audience to pay attention with an on-trend vintage appeal and quirky copy lines, without completely alienating the traditional customer.
Sam Coster, owner of Mongers commented “We were delighted when Naked Marketing’s young creative team moved into the Old Bank next door, and really hope that the postcards will be the first of many marketing ideas that they can carry out for us. Mongers are very ambitious to take architectural salvage to new audiences and believe that Naked Marketing can help us with this.”
The Law Society and the Land Registry have joined together to issue a guidance note to Solicitors reiterating the importance of advising co-owners to carefully consider how their property is to be held.
The intention is that, by taking detailed legal advice from their Solicitors at an early stage, co-owners should avoid the possibility of any disagreement if their relationship breaks down in the future.
Most disputes arise between unmarried cohabitees, but they can also arise between family members, friends or business partners who buy property together. In particular problems can arise where one party has contributed more towards the purchase price of the property and this has not been properly documented.
Recent court decisions such as Stack v Dowden [2007] UKHL 17 and Jones v Kernott [2011] UKSC 53, have highlighted the importance for joint home buyers to define their respective interests in the property and to make sure those interests are accurately recorded.
Whether you currently own property jointly or are planning to purchase property in joint names, Steeles Law can advise you on the options available to protect your investment.
The Land Registry Public Guide on Joint Property Ownership can be found here.
For further information about jointly owned property please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Real Estate Team.
The European Court of Human Rights has handed down its judgment in four conjoined cases brought by Christian employees, who each claimed that they had been discriminated against by their employers on the grounds of their religion. Professional Support Lawyer Elizabeth Stevens considers the implications of this decision.
These cases involved four Christian employees: two had pursued claims for religious discrimination on the grounds that their employer’s dress code did not allow them to openly display a necklace with a cross (Eweidaand Chaplin); the other two (Ladele and Macfarlane, a Registrar and a relationship counsellor) objected to a requirement to carry out duties which, in their view condoned homosexual activities and were inconsistent with their religious beliefs.
The employees’ claims were all eventually dismissed by the employment tribunals and courts in the UK, so they each brought claims at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the UK Government, on the grounds that domestic law had failed to adequately protect their right to manifest their religion. They claimed a breach of their rights under Article 9 (freedom of religion) and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ECHR has upheld the claim brought by Eweida, but has dismissed the claims of the other three employees.
Eweida and Chaplin
In relation to Eweida and Chaplin, the Court agreed that there had been an interference with both women’s right to manifest their religion, by preventing them from wearing crosses visibly at work.
In Eweida’s case, the Court decided that the UK courts had not struck a fair balance between her desire to manifest her religious belief and to communicate that belief to others on the one hand, and her employer’s (British Airways) wish to project a certain corporate image. The Court noted that other employees had previously been authorised to wear items of religious clothing (such as turbans and hijabs) without any negative impact on BA’s brand or image. It also pointed to the fact that BA had amended its uniform code to allow for the visible wearing of religious symbolic jewellery, which the Court considered to show that the earlier prohibition had not been of crucial importance.
The Court therefore concluded, by a majority, that the domestic authorities (the Court of Appeal) had failed to sufficiently protect Eweida’s right to manifest her religion, in breach of Article 9.
In Chaplin’s case, however, the Court considered the reason for asking her to remove her cross, namely the protection of health and safety on a hospital ward (she was a nurse), to be inherently of much greater importance. The Court concluded that requiring Chaplin to remove her cross was not disproportionate and that the interference with her freedom to manifest her religion had been necessary in a democratic society.
Ladele and McFarlane
Ladele and McFarlane’s cases involved the interesting issue of when one set of protected rights (religious belief) conflicted with another (sexual orientation).
The Court considered that the policies of their employers (the promotion of equal opportunities and requiring employees to act in a non-discriminatory way), had the legitimate aim of securing the rights of others, such as same-sex couples, which were also protected under the Convention. The Court was satisfied that the right balance had been struck between the employer’s right to secure the rights of others and the applicants’ right to manifest their religion. The applicants’ claims were therefore dismissed.
Comment
This decision does not mean that employers will have to allow the visible display of religious symbols in every case, but it does mean that employers will have to demonstrate legitimate and justifiable reasons for imposing a dress code that prevents such a display. Eweida’s employer in this case had eventually decided, following consultation with its employees, to amend its dress code to allow religious symbols to be displayed. Rather ironically, this was used as evidence to support the Court’s view that imposing the restriction on any jewellery was not necessary to maintain BA’s corporate image.
Employers who have compulsory dress codes in place should ensure that any requests for flexibility, particularly for religious reasons, are given due consideration on an individual basis and are dealt with sensitively.
It is unlikely that this decision will result in any immediate changes to existing equalities legislation in the UK. The Court, in upholding Eweida’s claim, did not consider that the lack of specific protection under UK law in itself meant that her right to manifest her religion by wearing a religious symbol at work was insufficiently protected. Instead it was the application of the law by the Court of Appeal that had struck the wrong balance and was therefore found to be in breach of her rights.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced that in view of this judgment it will be issuing new guidance for employers on the issue of religious freedom in the workplace.