Welcome to the Norfolk Chambers podcast, in this episode Haze Carver is with Izzy Lerpiniere | East Norfolk Sixth Form College.
This week’s podcast is with Izzy Lerpiniere, High Schools and Alumni Coordinator at East Norfolk Sixth Form in Gorleston, a top performing sixth form for Great Yarmouth & Waveney.
Izzy coordinated the Eco-Schools campaign for the college, completing the project and application work, and achieved their Green Flag accreditation with a distinction!
“We are an education provider, so funding and regulations are governed by external organisations, however we have the power of lots of young people who hold sustainability a priority – and we are able to harness this and use it in our sustainability strive.”
With her new role as High Schools Coordinator, Izzy talks about her hope to run sustainability workshops with high school students, and is also keen to do more sustainability engagement with primary schools, through working with our Schools & Community Champion.
Izzy is also working with the UKSSN (UK Schools for Sustainability Network) and is involved with our Business Climate Leaders programme – You can view Izzy’s profile here
Listen to the full podcast below
Short on time? Why not listen to Izzy’s advice for under 35s below
Stress Awareness Month falls on April every year since 1992. This month is to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern-day stress epidemic. Find out more about Stress Awareness Month here
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF STRESS?
Stress is a body’s reaction to a negative change in a person’s life. Our bodies react to life situations very differently and when negative, unexpected situation arises we all respond very differently. Some can cope whereas others may feel completely lost, under pressure and having very little control over the dilemma. The impact of stress may result into temporary (or long term) mental health problems and emotional turmoil. Examples of stress symptoms include unable to concentrate, panic attacks, breathing problems, crying and lack of sleep.
The cause of stress could be due to a number of things such as a breakdown in relationship, money problems, bereavement, exams, being bullied and being over worked.
Stress can impact work, friends and family.
HOW TO MANAGE STRESS
All employers have come across the issue of a stressed employees due to work place or personal issues at home. So what can an employer do to help?
Talk to your employees. Get your employees to open up and talk. If the employee does not want to talk – encourage them to seek GP advise. Some organisations offer an employee assistance program (telephone support). Such program assists employees with personal problems and/or work-related problems.
There are a few reputable organisations who offer employers and employees support with stress (telephone and website) such as www.mind.org.uk and www.samaritans.org .
Talk through stress busters such as exercise. Exercising can help reduce tension and stress whilst releasing positive mental endorphins. Exercise can also help with self esteem and may help employee to sleep better.
Healthy eating is also another good option to explore with your employee. Healthy Eating is key. A well balance diet and getting the right nutrients to stay healthy is fundamental.
If the employee is stressed with work, encourage the employee to take regular breaks. Set smaller and more achievable targets so that they are in control of their work. Put a performance plan in place so the employee can focus on key tasks.
Encourage the employee to take a break away from work – perhaps focus on a short holiday, a couple of days away from the office, a change of scenery.
This year, the charity ‘Mind’ is encouraging employers to create a ‘stress awareness space’ at work so staff can share their thoughts and feelings about what makes them stressed. Trial this and see if staff can open up. The aim is by sharing information employees maybe able to get some great support and tips.
If you have any questions in regards to stress in the workplace please call us on 0333 240 7208 or contact us today.
On Thursday 20th April we were joined by Paul Dennington, Mortgage and Financial Market Leader from Barclays along with local branch mortgage advisor Melanie Jones.
During the discussion Paul outlined what to consider when buying a property. This included the basics for first time buyers, the different types of mortgages available, fixed and tracker mortgages and the current trends in the market.
The importance of savings
When setting up a savings account, you need to look at the Terms and Conditions along with its interest rates. Some accounts may have certain Ts and Cs where you may not be able to withdraw a large sum in one go.
Government schemes that can help you
There are several Government schemes that can assist you when buying a house, including a LISA and the Help to Buy Scheme.
A LISA, also known as a Lifetime ISA can only be used to buy your first house or for use later in life (pension). You can put up to four thousand pounds a month in each year and the government will add 25% to your savings, up to a maximum of one thousand pounds a year. Please note the account must be open for over 1 year before any money can be withdrawn.
Help to Buy ISA, unfortunately, you can no longer open a help to buy isa, however if you already have one, you may be able to claim financial help from the government to buy your first home. Find out more about the Help to Buy ISA here.
Things to consider when purchasing your first house
Joint Mortgages | This is when you apply to borrow money to buy a home with someone else, like your partner, friend or a relative.
Shared Ownership | This is when you buy a proportion of the house and rent the other, with the option to buy more shares in the future.
Location vs Affordability |Way up the pros and cons for location e.g where are your friends, family, and work as you can spend more on a house classed as desirable.
Always consider eventualities | Did you purchase your house at a reduced cost, you may need to consider this when selling in the future.
Rent vs Buying | Generally in the long term, owning a property works out cheaper. However, look at what works better for you
Mortgage Calculators | These give you an idea of what you could receive and what your monthly payments will look like.
Credit Score | Lenders will look at your credit score when you apply for a mortgage. You can build your credit score by using credit cards (make sure you pay off any debt monthly), and phone contracts. A failed payment can affect your mortgage.
If you are buying with friends, speak to a legal advisor
When applying for a mortgage be aware you will need:
Proof of income (3 months worth of pay checks)
ID (either driving license or Passport)
Proof that you can pay your deposit
Proof of address (if you are not on voters roll)
Find out more by reading Barclays First-time buyer guide here.
If you would like to discuss mortgages with an advisor, please head to your local Barclays bank to find out more.
Thank you Paul Dennington, Melanie Jones and Barclays for joining us for this Co.next event. Find out more about our Co.next programme here.
Hitachi Energy has been appointed by Ørsted, the world’s most sustainable energy company, to deliver the construction of two HVDC Converter stations Link 1 & 2 for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. The Norfolk Chambers of Commerce worked closely with Hitachi Energy to deliver an event which gave Local Businesses the opportunity to showcase their skills and expertise to Hitachi Energy.
Businesses from different sectors joined us on Tuesday 25th April to meet and discuss the opportunities to work on the Hornsea 3 project with Hitachi Energy.
Meet the Buyer was an opportunity for local businesses to sit down and have a 15 minute meeting with a representative from Hitachi Energy to learn more about the project and showcase how their business can support them.
Several attendees joined us at Hitachi Energy’s Meet the Buyer after attending our previous Meet the Buyer in November 2022, including Wensum Print. Oli Smith from Wensum print said “This is the second meet the buyer we have attended, we provided the signage for the Hornsea 3 Onshore Cable Works project after attending Meet the Buyer at the end of last year and we have come back today to represent our business again and showcase what we can offer and hopefully build some new business relationships.”
Office Water Supplies also attended the event after being subcontracted after last year’s Meet the Buyer. When asked how important do you think it is that the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are apart of an event like this they said: “It is massively important that the Chambers are a part of an event like this, it’s a huge opportunity for us and many other local businesses.”
After the event, Michael Chappell from Hitachi Energy said:
“The one-to-one meetings provided meaningful new potential suppliers for which we will be looking to explore more in the coming months.
In addition to which, Simon Knapper, who welcomed visitors to the Hitachi Stand, received significant interest and thoroughly enjoyed discussing how Hitachi’s HVDC technology is bringing power from the Hornsea Offshore Windfarm into the UK transmission network at Necton.
Initial feedback from the Hitachi team was all extremely positive.”
Amy Wright, Events Manager, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce:
“I would like to thank all the businesses who attended the event, it was fantastic to hear the buzz of the networking area and to meet some of our members. Norwich City Football Club’s hospitality was outstanding and it was a very engaging environment to be in.”
Thank you to Sizewell C Supply Chain and Hitachi Energy for exhibiting at Meet the Buyer and thank you to Norwich City Football Club for their venue space in the Top of the Terrace.
Reacting to the PM’s resignation, Nova Fairbank, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Following weeks of chaos and uncertainty, the Prime Minister has resigned. Her resignation means the UK now faces even greater uncertainty, just as it stands on the cusp of a recession.
“It is now vital the Conservative Party speedily comes to a decision on a new leader who can return both political and economic stability.
“The new administration must immediately set out how they plan to deal with soaring energy bills, labour shortages, spiralling inflation and interest rates.
“Flip-flopping on policies has led to low consumer and business confidence, with four in 10 firms expecting falling profits, as companies have seen little sign of a coherent strategy nor stability in Government decision making.
“The challenges that lay ahead of us are building by the day. Two thirds of firms expect to raise their prices and inflation is the top concern. Interest rates are set to climb further in November and energy bills will now rocket again for many in April.
“This is unsustainable. Government must work with business to address three main issues, to show it recognises the challenges firms face.
“Firstly, they must look again at the energy support package for businesses and communicate quickly how the system will work from April.
“Secondly, they must fix the labour market, without the skilled people to do the jobs businesses need, the economy cannot thrive.
“Thirdly, to grow the economy they must set out a strategy to boost our exports.
“People run businesses and businesses rely on people. The new administration must grasp that the cost of living and cost of doing business crises are two sides of the same coin.
“We still need a clear long-term vision on how it will support firms, and the communities that rely on them, to thrive.”
Welcome to the Norfolk Chambers podcast, in this episode Haze Carver is with Carole Burman, Managing Director and Founder of MAD-HR, and Charlotte Bate, Director of MAD-HR.
As Managing Director and Founder of MAD-HR, Carole has over 30 years of experience working in the world of HR. She prides herself on her ability to help clients grow their business and attract, retain and engage talent by building a positive employer brand. Charlotte has worked as an HR Professional, Trainer and Coach for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in delivering transformational HR support to businesses of all shapes and sizes, whilst always working with honesty and integrity. “HR is in our DNA, between us we have over 150 years of experience” says Carole.
With a host of nominations and awards across Norfolk and Suffolk for 2022, they put their success down to ‘being great problem solvers’ and say of their team; “when you’re working with a team as incredible as ours, it’s an absolute joy and privilege”.
Listen to the podcast below;
Listen to the Co.next bitesize podcast here, this is a short where Charlotte and Carole talk about advice they would give their younger selves.
When your team is motivated they will offer your customers unbeatable levels of service and generate more profit.
HR is about so much more than ‘hiring, firing and retiring’. At MAD-HR we will help your business thrive in today’s competitive marketplace by recruiting and retaining talented individuals and effectively manage any challenges along the way.
We’re looking for our next Co.next Advisory board.
Our Co.next programme was launched in early 2022 to empower, engage and encourage young professionals across Norfolk. The programme provides valuable support, training, mentoring, and events to those under 35 in the region.
Our concept has been developed from idea to fruition thanks to our first Advisory Board. The board was made up of seven young professionals on a variety of career journeys and has been at the heart of the programme and they are now Co.next alumni members. We are now looking for cohort advisory board #2.
Are you a young professional (35 and under) in Norfolk and passionate about supporting and developing what is on offer in the region? Do you see gaps in the skills market that aren’t currently filled? We’d love to hear from you!
Our mission is to connect, support and give voice to every business in Norfolk. Our annual flagship event, The B2B Exhibition is the perfect opportunity for Norfolk businesses to meet new potential clients, forge meaningful connections and showcase their businesses’ expertise and knowledge. A perfect example of this is when Plain Speaking PR gained new business from Marie Reynolds London at B2B 2022. Read how exhibiting at B2B helped connect these two businesses below.
“Plain Speaking PR booked a stand at the Norfolk Chambers B2B exhibition last year, taking our bold banner which asked the age-old question ‘what the f**k is PR?’
Our plain speaking approach worked – attracting Marie Reynolds (and many others) to our stand to chat about the business benefits of public relations. We got talking and instantly clicked.
Whilst Marie Reynolds London is an internationally renowned skincare and wellness brand, as a Norfolk resident Marie told us she was looking for a Norfolk PR agency who could help build her profile in the local and regional media.
Before we start to work with a new client we take time to get to know more about them and their business. Within just a few minutes, we could tell Marie’s story was as impressive as it was fascinating. A globally celebrated complementary therapist and skin health expert, with a regular clinic at Fortnum & Mason, Marie had moved from London to Norfolk some years earlier, setting up a state-of-the-art clinic just outside Norwich. And yet, with clients travelling from all over the UK for appointments, in Norfolk she was relatively unknown.
So after the B2B event we arranged to meet. And, combining our skills and experience with Marie’s infectious enthusiasm and boundless knowledge about health and wellness, we set out to deliver a short-term PR campaign to help Marie nurture new media relationships in Norfolk and earn coverage across print, online and broadcast media.
Thanks B2B for bringing Plain Speaking PR and Marie Reynolds London together. Not only was this a brilliant piece of new business to win, but we also gained an incredibly knowledgeable and kind friend in the process.”
Do you want to be apart of B2B 2023? Stand bookings and enquiries are now live, find out more here.
The Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, in collaboration with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, have been selected by the Department of Education as the designated lead for The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) within Norfolk and Suffolk.
The LSIP Project is designed to put the voice of the Employer at the heart of shaping local training and skills provision – over the coming months we will be encouraging employers to provide their insight into the skills required to enable growth. The LSIP will form a major part of shaping local skills provision working collaboratively with local councils and training providers to ensure skills gaps are addressed.
We need your views and insight into the skills you need to move your business forward, we will be reaching out from January via digital surveys and 121 meetings, we welcome your involvement!
