Breakwater have been working with local schools as part of the Business for Life scheme that’s running in association with our client, Almary Green Investments, which aims to give teenagers real life experience in marketing and selling their own products and services.Mark Poole, our Commercial Manager, has been mentoring pupils from Norwich High School for Girls as they prepared to present their business ideas following around 6 weeks trading with an initial start-up budget of £100 that was donated by Almary Green. The teams aged between 14 and 15 made their presentations on the 21st March and now eagerly await the decision that the judging panel will announce on the 25th April. The winning team will receive £500 for their school. Mark says “It’s hard to know what to expect when going into meet a group of Year 9 girls and I certainly didn’t expect to come away feeling positive and inspired by what they had achieved. The professionalism, collaboration, creativity and eagerness I witnessed was enough to put a few real businesses to shame.”
The launch event was covered by both Mustard TV and the EDP. See the video of the event here
Breakwater IT are based on the Meridian Business Park and offer IT Support in Norwich and all over East Anglia as well as Business Telecoms Solutions and IT Consultancy.
The Norfolk Economic Intelligence Reportbrings together key business, economic and labour market intelligence to provide a regular insight into the current state of the Norfolk economy.
The report is produced on a quarterly basis by the Economic Development Team and reflects economic activity in the county from the previous financial quarter.
The current document covers January to March 2016.
KLM UK Engineering Limited 2018 Charity Golf Day was a great success & we would like to thank all the attendees and generous sponsors, who helped us raise £1,500 for East Anglian Air Ambulance!
As part of Start-Rite ‘s journey in continuing to invest in future growth, 16 staff members at its Norwich HQ recently completed a 12-month LEAN programme, to learn tools and techniques that improve operational performance in the workplace.
The fun and interactive course, delivered by Fedden USP in conjunction with MIT Skills, demonstrates the practical application of LEAN principles in today’s business environments in order to improve profits through continuous improvement. The course consisted of five-days of theory, followed by eight days of mentoring to help the candidates deliver two work-based improvement projects that would benefit both them as an individual and the business.
The course was delivered by sector specialist Colin Allaway, who has over 20 years’ experience using best practice within various sectors, including extensive supply chain and logistics experience. Topics covered included the basic principles of LEAN, its origins from the Japanese automotive industry and how it applies to both operational and office environments; improving productivity and reducing lead-times; mapping out the customer journey to improve service levels; workplace organisation techniques; problem solving; creating standard operating procedures to capture best practice; and cost/benefit analysis.
Colin said: “Our workshops have a big emphasis on fun, as we use a range of games and business simulations to get the message across and ensure that people enjoy being part of the improvement workshop. The real benefit is in the use of work based projects to embed the learning, whilst also providing an ever more important opportunity for both individual and team development. This has been most prevalent with the Distribution Team in particular and has been very rewarding.”
Implementing LEAN business processes across the business has helped Start-Rite to empower its workforce, improve productivity, increase the levels of innovation within the business, and support collaborative and cross function working for future business initiatives.
Chris Knights, PM Shift Supervisor, at Start-Rite said: “I think the single most important factor regarding our LEAN course is the message it’s sent to the workforce. From day one, what your employers are doing is stating that not only do they value the constructive input of their staff, but they want to nurture and encourage it. My experience in working on the course with the Distribution Centre team has been extremely positive. A noticeable confidence is evident in some members of staff who previously may have been less likely to put their ideas forward or take ownership of a project, and this has made the course entirely worthwhile.”
Rebekah Lake, AM Shift Supervisor, at Start-Rite, said: “I found the LEAN course extremely interesting and beneficial, as it taught me a lot about saving time, energy and money for the company. It incorporates the meaning of a team effort and was an eye-opener into how a company can become more profitable.”
Ian Watson, Start-Rite CEO, said: “The development of skills within our office and distribution centre teams has had beneficial results for the business and individuals, in particular, helping to deliver a complete overhaul of our DC working practices to improve our service levels to customers and consumers.” On completing the course, all candidates received a Level 2 NVQ qualification.
To find out more about the benefits of the LEAN development course visit www.fedden-usp.co.uk.
When a Norfolk charity found itself in difficulties back in 2013, a local telecoms business stepped in to help.
Local businesses working to support each other is so important in a competitive marketplace, where there are huge corporations and the odd unscrupulous supplier to contend with. This community spirit was seen in action with Norfolk charity Musical Keys and Portal Voice & Data, a local telecoms business.
Norwich based charity, Musical Keys, provides music and arts based activities for people of all ages with disabilities and additional needs, across Norfolk. Over 27 years, they have developed a comprehensive programme enabling participants to develop personal and social skills, build confidence and express themselves through enjoyable, interactive sessions. Their groups also offer a support network to parents, carers and families.
The charity sector is a challenging place in which to thrive and in 2013 Musical Keys came across some difficulties with their telephony supplier but with help and support from Portal Voice & Data, the small Norfolk charity was able to continue its work, providing access to music and creative opportunities for its service users.
Portal is a telecommunications business also based in Norwich. Founded in 1996, they supply and maintain telecommunication and data solutions with a consultative approach, offering their expertise to provide the best possible solution for each of their customers.
When they caught wind of Musical Keys’ story, the Managing Director John Corney knew he needed to offer his help;
“We were delighted to address some significant overcharging from a competitor and to support the work of this excellent charity.”
Since their initial partnership, Portal has continued to carry out maintenance on the Musical Keys phone system free of charge, with the pledge to support future telephony and data needs.
John Corney and his staff have also continued to fundraise for the charity, most recently via their ‘Charity Parking Sale’. The company has rented out their parking spaces at Portal HQ, close to Carrow Road, to dedicated Norwich City FC supporters. The spaces are available for the duration of the football season, for home fixtures, at a cost of £100. This year the parking spaces sold in record time and raised a total of £1,300.00 for Musical Keys.
Alison Cooper, Fundraiser for Musical Keys praised Portal for its ongoing commitment “Longstanding corporate partnerships are increasingly hard to come by for small charities like ours. There is a great deal of competition for corporate support in the charity sector and we count ourselves very lucky to have developed such a significant relationship with Portal. From their initial support in 2013, they have continued to show their commitment to contributing to our work. It’s made a huge difference to what we have been able to achieve.”
On Friday July 27th the County of Norfolk will experience the first ‘Norfolk Day’. This is a great chance to celebrate all the things that the local community love about the county.
Cooper Lomaz Recruitment are long standing and proud members of the Norfolk business community, as such they are looking forward to celebrating all that is great about Norfolk with their clients. Cooper Lomaz Recruitment will be hosting a Business Breakfast for its Norfolk clients to kick the day off in style. The event will take place on Friday 27th July from 8.00am to 10.00am at The Library on Guildhall Hill in central Norwich.
On choosing to host the venue, Jayne Raffles, Director at The Library said ‘We are looking forward to being involved in Norfolk Day celebrations. Beginning the day with a networking business breakfast with Cooper Lomaz Recruitment and celebrating the history, culture, business, innovation and of course the best of Norfolk produce. All of this in our stunning historical building. Above all, we are proud to live and work in this beautiful county, working alongside many Norfolk suppliers’.
Guests will join Cooper Lomaz Recruitment from 8am – 10am where they will sample food sourced from local suppliers from the Norfolk Region. On the menu will be Norfolk favourites, including, Meat sourced from Toombs Butchers, Bread Rolls from TimberHill bakery, Apple juice from Ashill Farm in Thetford and local sparkling wine from Flint Vineyard Winery based in Earsham, Norfolk.
Simon Brown, Managing Director of Cooper Lomaz, said “I am delighted to host this event and be a part of Norfolk Day. I am proud to work with businesses within the Norfolk area and Norfolk Day gives organisations that opportunity to celebrate together, promoting everything that is unique and so great about the County and the people of Norfolk”.
Cooper Lomaz Recruitment do have a small number of places still available for this event. If you work at a business based in Norfolk and would be interested in attending please contact our events team on [email protected] or 01603 766760.
A SENIOR delegation from Great Yarmouth travelled to Westminster recently to highlight to energy minister, Claire Perry, the national importance of the borough’s growing offshore wind energy sector.
Arranged by Brandon Lewis MP, the visit was led by Cllr Graham Plant, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, together with Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, and Richard Goffin, port director at Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, together with officers from the borough and county councils.
The team gave a presentation to Ms Perry, setting out the significant investment that has already taken place in offshore wind farms and at the Outer Harbour, as well as the exciting ambitions and further opportunities at Great Yarmouth.
Cllr Plant said: “This visit was part of our ongoing work with Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, the LEP, the county council and other partners to maximise the opportunities for Great Yarmouth across the energy sector.
“Great Yarmouth is uniquely placed to capture for the UK the significant growth opportunities in offshore wind, as it is the closest deep water port to the Southern North Sea market and is globally-renowned as England’s offshore energy sector capital, with an extensive locally-based marine energy supply chain.
“Already, some of the world’s biggest offshore wind farms are being built and serviced from Great Yarmouth, and with Government support we can capture further opportunities to support local jobs and growth, and contribute to the UK’s national Industrial Strategy.
“Ms Perry was very impressed and receptive to what we had to say, and keen to work with us and other departments to explore what more the Government can do to help maximise our potential in offshore wind.”
Great Yarmouth is at the forefront of £39bn energy investment over the next 20 years. With Equinor already servicing the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm from its UK Wind Energy Centre on the river port, and the Outer Harbour serving as the assembly and installation port for both East Anglia ONE and Galloper offshore wind farms, Great Yarmouth has a growing reputation as an offshore wind hub.
This spring, Vattenfall and Peel Ports Great Yarmouth announced they were approaching a final commercial agreement about Great Yarmouth becoming the operations and maintenance base for two of the world’s largest offshore wind farms: Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas.
EACH has been chosen to benefit from the 2019 Norfolk Show Ball.
The event will take place on Friday, 21 June at Norfolk Showground. It will be themed on the Rio Carnival, with guests able to salsa under the stars, enjoy a riot of vibrant colour and effervescence, a sparkling cocktail and a taste of Brazil.
The Norfolk Show Ball raises huge amounts of money for good causes. Next year’s will be managed by Softley Events and the dress code will be black tie, with a colourful twist.
Tickets start from £75 per person, with upgrade packages available.
We will also be offering corporate sponsorship opportunities.
Help us pave the way to a future of even better care for children with life-threatening conditions.
Leave a lasting legacy and sponsor a brick along the garden path in our new children’s hospice. In Norfolk EACH cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and supports their families at an unimaginably difficult time.
The Nook, our new hospice just south of Norwich, will transform the care we can provide to families. By sponsoring a brick lining our garden path you will be investing in the future of children’s palliative care for years to come.
You can choose between 2 options (both are 201mmx105mm) and have your name engraved directly on to the brick.
Brick with black writing – 2 lines: £100
Brick with gold writing – 2 lines: £150
Building of the nook is well underway and we need your support to finish it! The nook will provide a central hub for us to deliver even better care across Norfolk. We’ve outgrown our hospice at Quidenham and need a 21st century building to provide 21st century care.
Monday 8th April 2013 – New Airport App launched Norwich International Airport has launched a free Smartphone app to complement the existing iPhone App which has also just been upgraded to accommodate the iPhone 5 requirements. With over 50% of the UK now owning a Smartphone* this new app will make it easier for holiday makers and business travellers to access real time flight information and the latest airport news and provides a real alternative to calling the airport or visiting the website. Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International said: “Following customer feedback regarding accessing up to date flight information, we have now extended the airport’s app to be available on all Smartphone’s, so that anyone with this app can have access to instant and up to date flight information at their fingertips. We see this as the essential app for anyone using Norwich International Airport.” The app is available via the iPhone App store and the Google Play store for users of Smartphones and in the first 24 hours it had received over 500 downloads from the iPhone store. *understanding the UK’s mobile consumer behaviour, Google.
We’ve officially entered Team Uptech into the 2025 Swimarathon on the 8th Feb, and we’re aiming to raise £500 for amazing local charities. But we can’t do it without your help!
Get your logo on James! Businesses donating £50 or more can have their logo temporarily tattooed on James during the event. Yes, that’s right, James will be swimming as your brand ambassador (quite literally)!
Please note, image may not truly reflect James’s current physical condition and is photoshopped for illustrative purposes only. 😂
This fun-filled event will see our team of six swimming as many lengths as possible in just one hour. Whether you’re donating to support a great cause or simply to witness James Fowler in all his glory, your contribution means the world to us, the charities we’re supporting, and a special shoutout goes to Mr Bee’s Family Centre for the incredible work they do!
About the Swimarathon:
This fun-filled charity event sees teams of up to 6 swimmers given a 1-hour time slot to complete as many lengths of the 25m pool as possible.
It’s open to all ages and abilities, so whether you’re a beginner or a pro, it’s all about having fun and supporting great causes.
Help us make a real impact, donate today and cheer us on!
Norfolk-based UK charity, the Hawk and Owl Trust, will be celebrating Norfolk Day 2018 on Friday 27 July at its Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve just outside of Fakenham. Visitors will be able to access the reserve for just a £1 voluntary donation (instead of the usual price of £5) on the day, and there will be arts and crafts displays and a BBQ as well!
On top of all the events for visitors, Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve will also play host to two different groups of visitors to find out more about this reserve. Service users from Fakenham First Focus, a National Lottery funded group that helps people living with long-term disability to access friendship, support and advice will visit to see round the reserve and enjoy a BBQ lunch in the gardens.
Breckland and West Norfolk 4 Jobs will be bringing a group of young job-seekers to see what it’s like to work in the conservation sector. Su Gough, Communications Officer and Editor of Peregrine magazine and Zoe Smith, the Urban Peregrine Project Officer will be on hand to give advice and answer questions. Angela Glynn, Fundraising Officer, will be able to answer questions on what it’s like to work for a small charity for anyone interested in entering the not-for-profit sector.
As part of the £1.7m appeal presently underway to purchase additional land to extend the reserve the Hawk and Owl Trust is planning to work with community groups. They will offer opportunities in volunteering, gardening for health, exercise and making new friendships – all in the glorious surroundings of this lovely nature reserve. Hawk and Owl Trust really wants to put Sculthorpe and Fakenham on the Norfolk Day 2018 map, so do come along to find out more.
Angela Glynn, Sculthorpe Fen Fundraising Officer, said “We are delighted to be carrying the flag for Norfolk Day in Fakenham. We look forward to welcoming lots of new visitors to our wonderful, world-class nature reserve.”