Member News

Captain Fawcett Ltd, based in King’s Lynn, puts West Norfolk in the spotlight again with a recent win for the ‘Men’s Grooming Products of the Year’ at the Central England Prestige Awards. The Awards celebrate small and medium-sized enterprises who have proven their success by thriving in their own highly competitive community. Winners were chosen on their marketing and branding, business growth strategy, customer experience and approach to new ideas. Over the past year the Prestige Awards team received 3,712 nominations from industry experts, readers and satisfied customers. Awards Judge, Andrew White, commented: ‘All winners in the Central England Prestige awards guide have shown an exemplary commitment towards their business, overcoming local and global challenges to succeed in our awards.’ Founder of the multi award-winning Gentleman’s Grooming company, Richie Finney, says: ‘It is a huge honour to be recognised amongst fellow local businesses and sole traders. There’s no room to hide in a smaller business. To punch above your weight, as all of us strive to do, we rely on the sustained efforts of every single team member. Suffice to say, the Captain & Crew may be found at HQ, celebrating with a slice, or perchance two, of Victoria Sponge. Here’s wishing a hearty congratulations to all other winners & nominees alike. Huzzah!’

One Man. Two Wheels. Over 10,000 miles across 24 countries… 

PART TWO OF CAPTAIN FAWCETT’S GREAT EXPEDITION 2023 IS UNDERWAY.

 19th June – 13^th July – Northern Europe

Richie Finney (aka Captain Fawcett’s Right Hand Man), Founder of the Norfolk-based Gentleman’s Grooming Company Captain Fawcett Ltd, is on the road again. PART TWO of the GREAT EXPEDITION 2023 sees the intrepid explorer and his motorcycle take to the majestic highways of northern Europe.

Covering 16,000km across 24 countries, the idea is to enjoy reunions with old friends, connect with new people and showcase the brand’s multi-award winning Gentleman’s Grooming products. But above all, to connect with the European barbershop community and share great moments on their home territory.

Richie Finney says: ‘I’m calling in at barbershops across Europe to deepen friendships and make new acquaintances – barbers, customers and distributors alike. Why Europe? Of course after Brexit we are no longer dealing with a single state (the EU) but 27 individual countries, each with their own nuances and customs requirements. Some 78% of our orders go overseas and, furthermore, Captain Fawcett is hugely proud to be named a Department for Business and Trade Export Champion for 4 years running. 

In my experience it’s vital to cement relationships in real life and make the effort to meet people on their own patch. I always prefer a handshake over a Zoom call! Just as the traditional barbershop experience is hands-on by nature, tangible moments of connection are the heart and soul of good, honest trade.’  

The three part journey began in May, visiting barbershops in Spain. Ably supported by in-country Spanish distributor El Mirall Distribuciones, the trip proved hugely successful, making new business contacts, reinforcing existing relationships and raising public awareness of the brand through barbershop events and enthusiastic coverage in the Spanish media.  

Tian of Tian Stil Home in Vinaròs says ‘Our barbershop is a meeting place for talk, beers, live music. It’s never just about the haircut. It’s a vibe. It’s about people and friendship. Captain Fawcett really gets that so it was fantastic to host the Great Expedition here in Spain. Captain Fawcett rocks.’

In Part Two Captain Fawcett and his barber chums will be hosting magnificent evenings across Scandinavia, the Baltics and many of the world’s great northerly cities.

Use the Live Tracker to follow the Right Hand Man as he rides through Europe in real time!  

Tune into Fawcett’s Diary for regular updates from the road… photos, stories and up to the minute mayhem guaranteed! 

PART TWO

Hull, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Svendborg, Naestved, Copenhagen, Landskrona, Boras, Gothenburg, Fredrikstard, Oslo, Spanga, Bromma, Helsinki, Tallin, Tartu, Riga, Vilnius, Poznan, Berlin, Luxembourg, Antwerp, Zaltbommel, Hook of Holland to Harwich.

Stops are marked on a specially designed map highlighting the route. Hover over the map to reveal Barbershop events. 

PART THREE

SEP/OCT 2023

South Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland & Paris.

Following on from our Wave 3 achievement, where New Anglia LEP supported over 300 learners gain new skills, we have been successful in securing a further 1.4M DfE funding to support the development of individuals within our region. The aim of Skills Bootcamps is to:

• Provide businesses with targeted and flexible training to upskill their employees so they can gain progression within the business.
• Aid businesses to hire people with the skills required and help fill their vacancies.
• Support individuals to develop skills and fulfil their potential and assist people currently un-employed or returning to work to find skilled local employment.

Skills Bootcamps are open to anyone 19+ who has the right to live and work in the UK.  For individuals and self-employed the training is fully funded.  For businesses, there is a small employer contribution:

• For small to medium employers (SME) 10%
• For businesses with more than 250 employees 30%

Skills Bootcamps are employer led programmes aimed to meet business needs.  The training is delivered by our approved training providers, offering flexible training solutions, with many being delivered remotely.   Sectors Skills Bootcamps Level  No: of weeks Course content and registration links HGV-Logistics ACE Logistics &Warehousing 2 16 Action Community Enterprises C I C | Norwich,Norfolk | SKILLS BOOTCAMP (ace-project.org.uk) ACE Logistics Aviation – Ground crew (working with Saxon Air) 2 16 Action Community Enterprises C I C | Norwich,Norfolk | SKILLS BOOTCAMP (ace-project.org.uk) ACE Logistics Aviation – Cabin crew (working with Saxon Air) 2 16 Action Community Enterprises C I C | Norwich,Norfolk | SKILLS BOOTCAMP (ace-project.org.uk) Digital The Lightbulb Digital Marketing 3 12 Digital Marketing Bootcamp – TheLightBulb Apprenticeships Netmatters Web Development 3 16 Skills Bootcamp | Netmatters Anicca Digital Marketing L5 (option to gain DMI) 5 12 Free & Grant-Funded 12-Day Digital Skills Bootcamps | Anicca Tech Educators Full Stack Coding Bootcamp L4 4 10 Fully Funded Coding Bootcamps Ipswich (techeducators.co.uk) Fully Funded Coding Bootcamps Norwich (techeducators.co.uk) Digital – Pathway to Accelerated Apprenticeships (PAA) The Lightbulb Digital Marketer and Content Producer standards (PAA) 3 12 Pathway to Apprenticeship – TheLightBulb Apprenticeships Cambridge Sparks Data Analyst (PAA) 4 8 https://info.cambridgespark.com/norfolk-suffolk-skills-bootcamp-data-analytics Construction The Construction Skills People Civil Engineering & Groundworks 2 16 https://www.constructionskillspeople.com/nalep/ East Coast College Civil & Plant 2 14 Skills Bootcamps – East Coast College The Construction Skills People Construction Supervision 3 16 Skills Bootcamps | Construction Skills People HBXL Estimating Skills for Construction 3 15 https://hbxl.co.uk/free-skills-bootcamps-estimating-skills-for-a-thriving-construction-firm/ HBXL CAD for Construction 3 15 https://hbxl.co.uk/free-skills-bootcamps-cad-for-construction/ HBXL Business management skills for a thriving construction firm 3 15 https://hbxl.co.uk/free-skills-bootcamps-business-skills-for-a-thriving-construction-firm/ Core Technical – Engineering East Coast College Technical Support Operative – Trades (working with East Coast Manufacturing Group) 3 14 Skills Bootcamps – East Coast College Green Skills East Coast College Offshore Wind – Emergency Response 2 4 Skills Bootcamps – East Coast College Suffolk New College Fast Track to Industry: Certificate in Arboriculture 2 12 Skills Bootcamp – Suffolk New College Suffolk New College Fast Track to Horticulture: Certificate in Horticulture 2 10 Skills Bootcamp – Suffolk New College Retrofit Academy AIM Level 3 Award in Domestic Retrofit Advice combined with AIM L2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit 2 & 3 16 Fully-Funded Retrofit Training and Qualifications – Norfolk and Suffolk (retrofitacademy.org) Retrofit Academy AIM Level 4 Award in Domestic Retrofit Assessment 4 16 Funded Retrofit Training and Qualifications – Norfolk and Suffolk (retrofitacademy.org)   Retrofit Academy Level 5 Diploma in Risk Management and Risk Assessment. 5 16 Funded Retrofit Training and Qualifications – Norfolk and Suffolk (retrofitacademy.org)   Health & Social Care Suffolk New College Fast Track to a Career in Healthcare: Care Skills Bootcamp (working with ESNEFT) 3 10 Skills Bootcamp – Suffolk New College East Coast College Inspiring Mangers in Healthcare 4 8 Skills Bootcamps – East Coast College Leadership & Management Turning Factor Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) 3 12 FUNDING | Turning Factor Turning Factor Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) 5 12 FUNDING | Turning Factor   Check out some of our case studies:  Skills Bootcamps – New Anglia Find out about our Local Skills Improvement Plan here  

Members of the Greater Anglia and Campaign for Better Transport teams showed support at Southend Victoria. Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is proud to partner with the charity Campaign for Better Transport as part of Better Transport Week and support the brilliant ‘Love Your Station’ initiative devised by the charity. The week is a national celebration of sustainable transport and aims to promote the wide range of benefits of public transport, shared mobility, walking and cycling to the public and encourage more people to travel sustainably. Rail is already recognised as being the most environmentally friendly form of transport apart from walking or cycling, and Greater Anglia is leading the way in creating an attractive, clean and green network. All Greater Anglia services are now operated by new, high quality, higher capacity, more comfortable, more reliable, more accessible and more energy-efficient trains, including bi-mode trains for regional routes where services need to switch between diesel and electric power en-route. These new trains have already helped the company deliver record-breaking performance and secure extensive positive feedback from customers and stakeholders. The train operator has also been working to minimise its carbon emissions and become an even more sustainable organisation. As well as introducing more energy-efficient trains, since 2019, Greater Anglia has cut waste, increased recycling and worked with partners and communities on projects to improve sustainability, such as the Station Adoption scheme. The train company, which serves six counties, has more than 300 volunteer station adopters on its network to help keep stations looking their best, tending to flowerbeds, station gardens and keeping things vibrant and welcoming for passengers and local wildlife alike. The scheme recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary since its inception. Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Research at Campaign for Better Transport, and Southend resident, said: “As we mark the charity’s 50^th anniversary, we are launching the first-ever Better Transport Week to shine a light on all the wonderful local transport options we have. I am delighted to celebrate this important week with Greater Anglia and their teams, including the brilliant Southend Victoria station staff. “As one of the greenest ways to travel, rail plays a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and traffic on our roads, contributing to our economy and connecting communities. Let’s all show our local stations some love!” Greater Anglia is one of more than 80 organisations supporting Better Transport Week, including the Department for Transport, local authorities, the transport industry, NGOs, businesses, and passenger groups. Jonathan Denby, Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said: “At Greater Anglia, we are pleased to be supporting Better Transport Week because rail travel is a great way to get around. “With brand new trains on all our services right across our network, we are playing our part in making sustainable transport more attractive. “By promoting train travel and supporting further investment in wider improvements to the rail network, we can ensure rail contributes fully to greener transport choices, in support of our national climate change goals.” Greater Anglia is also delighted to support the fantastic ‘Love Your Station’ initiative, a programme that encourages customers to share the love of their local stations as part of Better Transport Week – with the chance of winning a £100 voucher. The train operator has also recently launched its latest Hare Fares promotional fares offer, providing great value travel options across its network for tickets bought before 27 June, for travel before 7 August. Details on what to do and how to enter can be found on the Campaign for Better Transport charity website.

The Princess of Wales has written of the “truly extraordinary teamwork” that underpins children’s hospices across the UK. Her Royal Highness is Royal Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and was speaking at the start of Children’s Hospice Week – a national awareness week that begins today (Monday, 19^th June) and runs until Sunday (25^th June). In a personal message of support, she spoke of the importance of letting “children be children” and the way hospices help families make that a reality. The Princess wrote: “With 99,000 seriously ill children across the country, children’s hospices work tirelessly to provide life-changing care to families with the aim of making unbelievably difficult situations that little bit easier. “As Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, I have been privileged to see first-hand the incredible way hospices help families and allow children to be children. “During Children’s Hospice Week, all hospices will be doing what they do day in day out – delivering vital specialist care, and whether that is by helping to facilitate a day at the beach for children to feel the sand between their toes, engaging young people in therapeutic music activities, or having a fun painting session to create special moments and memories, the teams supporting these families regularly go above and beyond to make a difference to their lives, no longer how long or short they may be. “On behalf of parents and carers across the country, I would like to say a huge thank you to all those working in Children’s Hospices. You are a shining light to so many families in their darkest times and your efforts do not go unnoticed. “This Children’s Hospice Week, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the truly extraordinary teamwork that goes into providing this incredible care.” Children’s Hospice Week is led nationally by Together for Short Lives, the UK wide charity for children’s palliative care. It is the only week of the year dedicated to raising awareness of children’s hospice services across the UK. The Princess has lent her support since becoming EACH Royal Patron in January 2012, including very personal written and filmed annual messages of support. Her maiden public speech came when officially opening The Treehouse, in Ipswich, in March 2012. Amidst many visits and engagements, she cut the ribbon at The Nook, EACH’s hospice in Norfolk, in November 2019. The Princess made a return visit in June 2020, joining families to plant a new patio garden and transform the terrace area, and she opened EACH’s shop in Holt, Norfolk, in March 2016. Her most recent EACH visit came during last year’s Children’s Hospice Week, when she was joined by HRH The Prince of Wales to meet families, staff and supporters at Milton. Chief Executive Phil Gormley said: “Children’s Hospice Week is a hugely significant opportunity to celebrate the work we do, supporting families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions. “It is also a platform for raising awareness and reminding everyone of the need for public support, given that we rely on donations for the majority of our income. “With this in mind, we are so grateful for The Princess’ invaluable contribution as Royal Patron. “Her work, visits and profile have projected our charity – as well as the importance of children’s hospice services generally – onto the global stage and for that we are truly thankful.” To see and read The Princess’ signed letter, go to www.each.org.uk/chw Image provided by EACH

Metal from coffin nails and knee and hip joints has led to a £1,500 cheque being presented to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). The money was raised thanks to a recycling scheme at the Westerleigh Group’s Cromer Crematorium. When cremations take place, families are asked if they are willing for certain metals to be recycled. The crematorium then receives a lump sum which is donated to a local charity or charities of its choice. Site Manager Rodney Clark-Ward said: “We’re so pleased to once again be able to show our support for EACH. “Very sadly, we hold cremations here for children and young people and that’s why we feel such a close connection with this particular charity. “EACH does a wonderful job and if this money helps make families’ lives just that little bit better and more comfortable then we couldn’t be happier. “We like to think of parents having some much-needed respite and as long as I’m here in this post, we’ll continue to show our support.” The Holt Road crematorium is one of 38 run by the Westerleigh Group, from Scotland to Cornwall. It has three in East Anglia, including West Suffolk Crematorium, in Bury St Edmunds, and Cam Valley Crematorium, near Saffron Walden. “The recyclable metals include things like coffin nails and knee and hip joints,” added Rodney. “It could even come from the pin or screw placed into the bone when someone has an operation on a broken femur. “When a family is completing the forms before a cremation, they’re asked if they’re willing for those metals to be sent for recycling. “Loved ones very rarely want those materials back. It saves the metal being sent to landfill and helps raise money for a worthy cause. “It’s also good to get the word out and people like the idea of ‘giving after death’, a bit like leaving money in a will.” Rodney handed his cheque to EACH Corporate Fundraiser Laura Southcott. “We’re very grateful to have been chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the metal recycling scheme and our thanks go to Rodney and the Westerleigh Group,” said Laura. “This money will help us continue our work supporting families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions.” Images provided by EACH

Youngsters blazed a trail to their local fire station for an action-packed day of fun and learning. The event, at Carrow Fire Station, in Norwich, was organised for siblings who are either bereaved or have a brother or sister receiving care at The Nook – the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) base in Framingham Earl. They were treated to a memorable behind-the-scenes experience of what happens at a busy fire station. They had the chance to try on kit, explore an engine and use hoses to tackle a ‘fire’. They also saved a ‘dummy’ by throwing a line, as well as attaching equipment to a hydrant and filling a pool. Another highlight come when a 999 call came into the control room, asking for help to rescue one of the children’s pets – a bearded dragon who was stuck down a toilet! “What a fantastic welcome we received,” said EACH Play Specialist Clare Oakley. “Red Watch crew pulled out all the stops and we loved watching the siblings’ faces. It was such a brilliant trip.” The trip, which took place during half-term, was made possible thanks to the help and support of three volunteers. EACH runs sibling days during the school holidays, for children aged five upwards. They allow siblings to come together, have fun and make friends in a safe environment. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex. Images provided by EACH

A leading children’s hospice has gone global by translating ten of its information leaflets into different languages. East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) embarked on the project following requests and thanks to funding from The Mercer’s Company. Ten of its leaflets – all jam-packed with vital information – are now available in Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Urdu and Arabic. They can be downloaded and provide details on topics including short-break care, end-of-life care and support, physio tips and how to make referrals. Simon Hempsall, EACH’s Head of Marketing and Communications, said: “This is a very positive and exciting development. “We are aware of our multi-cultural and diverse community and recognise the need to cater for families whose first language may not be English. “A lot of time and effort has therefore gone into this very special and important project and it’s something we’re incredibly proud of. “Families using our services are often going through the most difficult, challenging time of their lives so it’s vital they have key information, in their chosen language, at close hand. “While we’ve always translated information on request, it’s important for families to have information as soon as possible. For five of the most common languages in our region, it means we can provide this straight off the shelf. “Following feedback, we’ve also improved site navigation for our leaflets, with a new sub-menu on our website.” Families and the public can find the translated leaflets here, with EACH’s full range of leaflets in English here. Emily Rose, EACH Trusts and Foundations Fundraiser, said: “We’re so grateful to The Mercer’s Company for their donation, which made this project possible. Their generous support means information about our services is more accessible and we can better help more families whose first language isn’t English.” EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia. It has hospices in Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk. Image provided by EACH

A kind-hearted shop manager is ‘baldly’ sporting a new look after having her head shaved for charity. Liz Knights runs the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) store in Market Place, Dereham. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and, after setting herself a target of £100, she managed to raise £480. “It went so well and, despite a few nerves beforehand, I found the experience strangely relaxing,” said Liz. “The fundraising went better than I could have ever dreamt and I’m so grateful to everyone – family, friends, customers and volunteers – for their support. “As for the finished product, I really like it and think it might be my new look.” Liz had her head shaved in the shop on Tuesday, 6^th June. The shaving was carried out by EACH volunteers Holly Hunt and Warren Knights – Liz’s son. “EACH is such a brilliant charity and one that does so much incredible work right here in our community,” she added. “This was my way of doing something to raise extra funds.” There is still time to sponsor Liz. To show your support, head here. EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and, this year alone, needs to raise £7.8 million from its Retail operation, which includes stores across Norfolk and a busy Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford. For more information about volunteering, speak to a member of staff in-store or contact volunteer services on 01223 205183. Alternatively, email volunteerservices@each.org.uk

Year 11 pupil Benjamin, studying GCSE Computer Science, has been nominated for a BAFTA Young Games Developer award. Benjamin’s submission ‘Lizard: The Game’ is a fast-paced action platformer surrounding the life of a poor little lizard. At the start of the game, you find yourself in a prison tower, from within which you must escape the evil clutches of the Lizard King and his thousands of lizard servants. The concept has earnt Benjamin recognition from the world-famous BAFTAs. The winner will be announced on 22nd June. In the meantime, download and play the game by clicking here.

TaxAssist Accountants is proud to have once again been awarded 5-star Franchisee Satisfaction from WorkBuzz, a leading independent franchise consultancy. The franchisee satisfaction survey works by inviting existing franchisees to participate in an anonymous online survey in which they answer 31 questions about their franchise ownership experience. Using a consistent methodology, the franchise is assigned an overall Franchise Survey Benchmark (FSB) score with the highest performing franchisors recognised at the Best Franchise Awards. Sarah Robertson, Group Director and UK Managing Director of The TaxAssist Group, said: “Receiving this award for 11 straight years is a massive achievement, particularly as we are the first franchisor to have done so. Our direction of travel for the business and the hard work and effort put in by our teams to support and develop the franchise network is recognised within this award. “This award is always extra special to us because it is based on feedback from franchisees, without whom, receiving this accolade would not have been possible. It reflects that our strategies and model deliver what we promise, which in turn gives those who are considering joining our network the inside perspective from the franchise network. We never rest on our laurels though, and all the comments have been read and digested, helping us to identify new opportunities to shape the future direction of support.” Due to positive feedback, TaxAssist Accountants received high benchmark results in the survey which informs the final Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark report. These key areas include training and support, franchise system, culture and relationships, leadership and general satisfaction. Highlights of the survey include 100% positive feedback from franchisees who have joined in the last 12 months on the initial training and support provided, with the general satisfaction levels at 86%.  With vision and leadership at 87% and 86% respectively and shared goals hitting the highs of 95% it demonstrates the togetherness of both the franchisees and franchisor with 90% stating they would recommend the franchise to others. For more information, please visit www.bestfranchiseawards.co.uk/. June 2023 Image provided by TaxAssist

Above: Two of the Attleborough station adopters, Jane Doughty and Cliff Amos with their Wildlife Friendly Station accreditation certificate. Credit: Greater Anglia Attleborough rail station has received a ‘Wildlife Friendly’ accreditation recognising the work of community volunteers to improve biodiversity and support nature there. Greater Anglia has partnered with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to formally recognise the achievements of its team of volunteer ‘station adopters’ to create wildlife havens at stations across its network through the new ‘Greater Anglia Wildlife Friendly Stations Accreditation Scheme.’ The Attleborough station adopter team received the award following assessment by a Norfolk Wildlife Trust Conservation Officer to determine how well the station supports local flora and fauna. The ecologist’s report noted that the large planted border on platform 1, which is filled with perennials and shrubs, is a valuable habitat for pollinators and also dunnock and house sparrows whose numbers are in decline. Now the group plans to plant a deciduous hedge around an area of the new car park to provide more habitat for these birds and other small creatures. James Hogg, Development Officer at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: “The alarming decline in the abundance of wildlife and the plight of species under threat means that just protecting the nature we have left is not enough; we need to put nature into recovery, and to do so at scale and with urgency. “This project with Greater Anglia is a fantastic example of how people can transform nature-poor areas into new nature-rich places – and change the way we think about land, seizing opportunities to help nature outside traditional nature reserves.” Each assessment also offers tips and advice for how to make the stations more wildlife friendly and the reports can also be used as examples of best practices to help spread good ideas around all Greater Anglia’s stations. Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said, “We are delighted to partner with the region’s wildlife trusts to formally recognise the valuable work of our station adopter volunteers in supporting wildlife and improving their local environment.” “I’d like to congratulate the volunteers at Attleborough station on receiving this recognition and thank them for the incredible work that are doing that is helping to support biodiversity locally.” Rail stations in East Anglia are increasingly becoming havens for local wildlife thanks to the efforts of over 300 volunteers who last year transformed over 7,400 square metres of land into thriving wildlife gardens. In a recent survey, Greater Anglia station adopters reported a wide range of creatures visiting their stations including many different types of butterflies as well as bees, slow worms, bats, foxes, toads, lizards, deer and many varieties of birds, recording more than 200 different species. Over the last 20 years, since the start of station adoption in East Anglia, the initiative has thrived, so that the vast majority of Greater Anglia stations now have station adopters. These ongoing increases in the areas adopted and the wildlife being seen on the stations show that the adopters are really playing their part in helping to make stations more biodiverse, as well as becoming more attractive gateways to the communities they serve. Greater Anglia has also joined the rest of the rail industry in pledging to make stations across Britain more sustainable. Action to reduce waste, support local wildlife and cut the carbon footprint of railway stations will be informed by the industry’s Sustainable Stations: Best Practice Guide, which details ways in which train operators can meet this commitment in support of global goals of decarbonisation, reducing waste and supporting local plant and animal life. Above: Jane Doughty and Cliff Amos with their Wildlife Friendly Station accreditation certificate. Credit: Greater Anglia