Norwich International Airport reports passenger growth for September 2013 Norwich International Airport has just recorded its busiest week of the year so far with passenger numbers in the week ending 15th September being more than 17% higher than the same period last year and with growth across all sectors.
A major contributing factor to the boost in passenger numbers has been the increased demand for KLM’s services to Amsterdam Schiphol. This follows the addition of a fourth daily rotation which provides improved connectivity and an even wider range of connecting destinations. Passenger numbers for the period are up 20% year on year.
The summer 2013 season has also seen a huge rise in holidaymakers, growing more than 58% year on year. This has been driven by Thomson First Choice who have more than doubled the number of holidays on offer from the Airport this year, adding new destinations and more frequencies to the most popular destinations. Other tour operators including Thomas Cook have also increased their volumes this year.
Helicopter passenger numbers also continue to outperform last year’s record level, underlining the vital role that the Airport plays in connecting the southern North Sea gas fields. If the level of performance is maintained the Airport expects to deliver yet another year of record offshore passenger growth. Recent investment in new lounge facilities in the terminal building ensures many of these passengers continue to benefit from a high quality experience when using the Airport. Operators Bristow, Bond, Dancopter and NHV are all based at the Airport and together operate some 25 flights on a daily basis to the platforms offshore.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International Airport said: “We are satisfied with the level of growth we have achieved so far this year, and we have worked very hard to ensure that passengers’ experience when travelling through the airport has also improved. We continue our efforts to attract new carriers onto new routes to ensure the Airport offers the best possible network choice to the people of the region, whilst maintaining excellent levels of service.”
Huge congratulations to Ginny Colman from Norwich after winning two VIP tickets to see Norwich take on Aston Villa on Saturday 21st September 2013. The prize includes a three course pre match meal, luxury seating, half time refreshments and a matchday programme.
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition and helping us to raise even more cash for our 2013 charity Red Balloon Learner Centres.
Great Yarmouth electrical engineers, Softstart UK, have pulled out all the stops and supplied high-tech equipment for a massive clean water project in Nigeria in double quick time.
Softstart was asked by a major contractor in the UK via the Nigerian Development Agency if they could provide a solution for a seemingly intractable problem. The agency is building a new water and sanitation system for Zaria City in Northern Nigeria. Currently only half of the city (population 500,000, twice the size of Norwich) has clean running water and less than a third has sanitation. The aim is to get these figures up to 100% by 2020.
“Obviously this will make a massive difference to health and hygiene. It will also improve the schools, hospitals and other services and help secure industry and commerce,” says Stuart Harvey, managing director of Softstart. “We were very keen to give this project our all.”
The issue Softstart had to address was when the giant medium voltage pumps would be switched on; they tend to drag down the (somewhat temperamental) mains supply causing major power outages. The solution was to build a control panel for each pump which brings them up to speed smoothly over a period of a couple of seconds, like the dimmer on a light switch.
“We needed nine individual systems,” says Stuart, “so to meet delivery dates on time we set up a ‘mini flow production line’ from initial order /design and build in May 2013 we built them in 14 weeks instead of the usual 26. Every person in to company got involved and we were bursting with pride when we dispatched them on their long journey this month.”
The first week back after the Christmas break is always eventful. People need to blow the cobwebs from possibly an extended break and get back into the rhythm of things. The New Year is often when people make their resolutions that this year I AM going to learn French.
The focus this week has been on French language lessons and the introduction of today’s modern technology means that I can work with people all over the world. My clients are not just restricted to Norwich, Norfolk or even the UK. I have a client base as far away as China or, as in the case this week, Switzerland and Singapore.
The variety my work brings me means that my clients are also not just your typical GCSE or A-level students looking to bump up a grade but they include adults from all walks of life. I work with CEOs, working professionals, I have had senior clergy members, security specialists working in the middle east, people setting up their own business abroad and more. I have even coached a well know TV Presenter to help with their work abroad.
This week I have supported clients with:
Focus on the future and conditional tenses
Translation and writing skills
Vocabulary and grammar
Conversational approach to grammar by switching between English and French when needed
Pronunciation
A further 2 clients who are already almost fluent, benefit from the conversational style and this week we chose all manner of topics to cover from the festive period through to the geopolitical issues across the world.
If you are interested in support with the French language, whether that is language lessons, translations, support moving home in country, guidance for a business trip or anything else then contact me now for a no obligation, informal chat on 07930-444-078 or [email protected].
Wingfield Consultants had the
privilege of working (pro bono) with Field of Joy, supported by the
Norfolk Community Foundation (the Good for Good scheme), to help them plan
their growth journey for the next five years.
Field of Joy is a social
smallholding in a magical meadow in Reepham, Norfolk. They work with adults and
children, improving wellbeing and reducing isolation. Their work aims to forge
friendships and connections with each other and nature.
On the plan provided:
Caitlin @
Field of Joy: ‘It’s absolutely amazing. Thank you so much Simon we are so
grateful, this will be so hugely helpful to us’.
Liz @
Field of Joy: ‘Wow, what a resource – thank you Simon!’.
Lauren @
Norfolk Community Foundation: ‘This is just fabulous. Thank you so much for
smashing it again for a brilliant local organisation. What a great tool Field
of Joy now have when applying for funding and to support their long-term
strategy’.
I came back from the Lincolnshire Food Festival full of energy, the event was fantastic and spending time with Levi Roots was great. I have also been made Business Professor at the Grimsby Institute. I am looking forward to embrace Norwich and Norfolk and do the same here….Contact me, I would love to hear from you.
A local financial seminar hosted by Alan Boswell & Company the Financial Planning division of Alan Boswell Group, attracted over 100 guests from across East Anglia. The company, one of the largest independent Financial Planners in the region, held the event as a thank you to their clients. The evening was hosted by Anglia news presenter Jonathan Wills and included a motivational speech by Sally Kettle, the first woman to row the Atlantic Ocean twice. Organised in conjunction with investment management firm, Brewin Dolphin, the seminar also provided clients with an assessment of the current international and UK economic conditions.
The event was held at the Top of the Terrace at Norwich City Football Club and promoted the work of local charity Big C, Alan Boswell Group’s staff charity of the year. Guests heard first-hand about the work Big C do and the challenges of securing funding, in a speech from chair of cancer genetics, Colin Cooper who works with the charity. Attendees also helped raise further funds on the evening with a raffle. Top prizes donated by Alan Boswell & Company and Brewin Dolphin included football and theatre tickets, champagne, a hamper and signed NCFC shirt. Over the last decade the Alan Boswell Group has raised over £39K for Big C.
John Whitehead, managing director of Alan Boswell & Company, said: ‘”We are proud to be able to host an event which supports a great cause such as Big C but also supports our clients with valuable information about the economic market conditions and what factors may affect their future investments.
‘It was extremely interesting to hear from Colin Cooper about the ground breaking research they are able to undertake in the fantastic facilities we have in Norfolk’.
The BEST WESTERN Brook Hotel brings you the chance to come and visit their hotel for a chance to look around, meet the team and discuss your wedding ideas with a great selection of suppliers exhibiting their goods and services at the Brook’s Wedding Fair here in Norwich!
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With over 20 local Wedding Suppliers exhibiting their products and services for everything else you could need to create your perfect day from your hair, the flowers and balloons to the dress and the car, your photographer, your toast master and your entertainment.
Leathes Prior is delighted to announce Sabina Haag qualified as a Solicitor on 1 October, after finishing a two year training contract with the firm. Having joined Leathes Prior as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2011, her training has covered a wide range of areas including Employment, Corporate and Dispute Resolution. We are very pleased that Sabina has accepted a permanent position as a Solicitor providing valuable support to our busy Dispute Resolution team.
Sabina is originally from Sweden, where she attended the Scandinavian Aviation Academy and gained a Commercial Pilot License at the age of 18. She spent a year working and travelling around Australia before moving to England. Sabina graduated from the University of East Anglia with a 2:1 law degree in 2010 and completed the Legal Practice Course in Cambridge gaining a distinction.
Leathes Prior Managing Partner Mike Barlow, who heads the firm’s Dispute Resolution team, said: “Sabina has made a valuable contribution to the team and her efforts have been much appreciated by her colleagues and clients. I am sure that Sabina has a very bright future ahead of her and I look forward to seeing her career develop. As ever, the firm is committed to ensuring that we recruit Trainee Solicitors of the highest calibre and I believe that the fact that so many of our Partners, Associates and Solicitors trained with the firm speaks volumes for the training and support we are able to provide.”
Employment Tribunals are increasingly a fact of life for HR professionals since they were introduced in the early 1970s.
They were originally set up as an “industrial jury” to resolve workplace disputes quickly and informally. My older colleagues refer to the days when tribunals used to hear five or more cases in a single day and tell of a simple, quick and common sense process. However, employment law has moved on apace since then and many tribunal hearings now last several days and the law is becoming ever more complex.
By 2011 business groups like the CBI and the British Chamber of Commerce lobbied the government to reform a tribunal system which they saw as “broken” citing problems including:-
Too legalistic an approach
Vexatious and spurious claims
Long delays for cases to be resolved
Pressure on employers to settle weak claims in order to save costs
In 2011 the current government consulted over reforms to the tribunal system as part of its Red Tape Challenge. They sought views on how to:
achieve more early resolution of workplace disputes so that parties can resolve their own problems, in a way that is fair and equitable for both sides, without having to go to an employment tribunal;
ensure that, where parties do need to come to an employment tribunal, the process is as swift, user-friendly and effective as possible; and
help businesses and social enterprises feel more confident about hiring people.
Following the consultation the Government reviewed the law and the tribunal system. The Business Secretary Vince Cable referred to the Government’s underlying aims as to address concerns including:
“the employment tribunal system, which employers have told me time and again is far too costly, and time-consuming, and complex”
“If you are a very big company you can afford the dedicated and expensive HR personnel to deal with cases that arise. But for small business owners, it means days dealing with it themselves personally – valuable time lost from running and growing their company.”
“….. workplace disputes are increasingly being settled through tribunals – over 200,000 claims last year. We are in danger of getting away from the principle that they should be the last resort, not the first option. But there is a widespread feeling it is too easy to make unmerited claims – and that the whole system militates against early resolution of disputes through dialogue rather than confrontation.
This review took place against a backdrop of austerity measures when the business climate was poor and we were still striving for a recovery. The perception was that this “red tape” had to be removed as one of the ways to kick-start our economy.
2013 has seen the fruits of that review with the introduction of many of the more significant changes resulting from the Government’s review.
Trade Unions like Unite have responded angrily to the changes referring to them in the following terms:
“Massive changes to employment tribunals made by the government mean that access to workplace justice could be denied to millions and now comes with a hefty price tag. The changes are designed to stop working people seeking compensation from employers.
“Unite has always argued that workplace rights should start from day one, but the government has listened to bosses who want to be able to sack workers at will.”
“This is a cynical hammer blow designed to make it as difficult as possible to lodge a tribunal claim, and a massive attack on people mistreated at work.”
It is too early to tell where the balance lies and whether the concerns outlined at the outset of this article will be addressed by these changes. However, just what has provoked such an angry response? The changes include:
Qualifying Period for Unfair Dismissal Last year the qualifying period was increased so that in most cases an employee needs to have worked for their employer for two years before they can bring a claim for unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal.
Tribunal Fees Since their creation employment tribunals have been free for those using them. Unlike the courts no fees were payable to bring a claim. However, from 29th July 2013 a person wishing to bring an employment tribunal claim will have to pay a fee of either £160 or £250 to bring their claim. The level of fee depends on the type of claim being brought. A further fee of either £230 or £950 is payable for the case to be heard at a tribunal hearing. Those on low incomes can apply for the fee to be waived but many predict that this change will dramatically reduce the number of claims.
Protected conversations Legislation now allows employers to have discussions with employees about terminating their employment without an employee being able to refer to what was said in those discussions in a later tribunal claim. The aim is to provide employers with the freedom to talk more openly about reaching a severance agreement without fear of their conversations being used against them in tribunal
Changes to the Tribunal Rules. Possibly one for the lawyers this one. The tribunal rules of procedure have been given a complete overhaul with the old rules being scrapped and entirely knew set of rules drawn up. Some of the features of the new rules include rules to enable:
Greater emphasis on using mediation and other alternatives to using the tribunal
More consistency between different tribunals with guidance being issued as to how to approach certain issues.
Weeding out weak claims at an early stage with a “sift stage” at the outset with greater scrutiny of claims by employment judges at an earlier stage (including rejection of claims in certain circumstances)
Increased emphasis on Employment Judges managing cases and hearings in a more streamlined way
Increased powers to award costs against those who behave unreasonably or make unreasonable claims or arguments
Employment Tribunals can be stressful, time consuming and expensive. Employment law experts from Cozens-Hardy LLP will be focussing on how to survive them in the forthcoming HR Forum which is taking place at Dunston Hall on 13 November 2013, from 2pm. This seminar aims to take the delegates through the tribunal process from beginning to end. The aim is to de-mystify the process, to prepare delegates for what to expect and to provide practical tips on how to survive unscathed. The delegates will also have the opportunity to view and participate in a mock tribunal hearing and to put questions to experienced employment lawyers.
Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS), a leading specialist in hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems, will be discussing their current vacancies and potential future career opportunities at the Energy Jobs Fair held at Great Yarmouth Town Hall on Wednesday 16th October 2013. In recent years SMS has seen a high demand for additional staff and are actively recruiting for the next phase of business growth. A broad range of career vacancies from trainee positions through to fully qualified levels are now open for application. These career opportunities are based in Great Yarmouth and have great potential for career development and progression.
The Energy Jobs Fair is an open event that will take place between 10am and 3pm where local job seekers, students, technicians and engineers are invited to visit Oil, Gas and Energy companies from the area.
Great Yarmouth’s oil, gas and energy industry started in 1965 when the first well was drilled 50 miles off the coast. Ever since, the industry has been growing and has resulted in the formation of successful local companies. SMS’s success stems from being able to meet the challenging demands placed by oil and gas companies through their qualified and dedicated workforce and therefore continuously seek to recruit talented personnel to support their clients and the rapid development of their business.
For more information on SMS Ltd and the careers they have to offer, you can visit them at the Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, Wednesday 16th October 2013.
About Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS) Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS) is a leading global manufacturer of equipment and provider of maintenance/installation services for the oil and gas industry, specialising in hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems. Bases in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen are supported internationally by our parent company Alderley plc. More information about SMS can be found at: www.specialisedmanagementservices.com