McTear Williams & Wood, East Anglia’s largest business rescue and insolvency practice, raised £1,600 for charity at its annual bowls tournament.
Eight teams of professionals from firms across the region battled for the “McTear Williams & Wood Bowls Challenge Trophy” at the event which was held at the Diss & District Bowls Club on Tuesday 29 April 2014 and continued with the usual tradition of contestants wearing an array of novelty slippers.
The individual winner was Peter Hazell who was also part of the winning team from Thetford-based auctioneers and valuers George Hazell & Co.
During the event we were delighted to receive a visit from the current Ladies World Bowls Champion Katherine Rednall who challenged some of the contestants to a game.
Funds raised from the event have gone to Autism Anglia which provides a range of services to enable people with autism to live as independently as possible and experience choice and inclusion in society.
The cheque was presented by associate and organiser of this event Roger Barnbrook to Anne Ebbage from Autism Anglia.
McTear Williams & Wood extend their thanks to everyone who took part and to the Diss & District Bowls Club. Plans are underway to repeat the event next year.
A special event showcasing how Norwich Airport is becoming more dementia friendly is being held on Friday, May 24th in support of Dementia Action Week.
As part of the airport’s commitment to supporting people with hidden disabilities, it will be hosting the information event alongside Age UK Norwich, the Alzheimer’s Society and Home Instead Senior Care.
For someone with dementia, travelling through an airport can be a frightening experience, something Norwich Airport, a member of Norwich Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), is working hard to change.
In partnership with other DAA members, the airport has developed innovative tools like a video walk-through so people with dementia and their carers know what to expect.
They are also encouraged to visit the airport before their day of travel so they can rehearse with staff exactly what will happen. Other changes have included improved signage, flooring and allowing more time for check-in.
Local people are invited to visit Norwich Airport on May 24th to see what it is doing to become more dementia friendly, and get information about dementia and support available to people later in life.
Jamie Price, Norwich Airport Security Manager, said: “We know that for some people with dementia, visiting public places such as an airport can be an overwhelming experience.
“Thanks to expert advice we have made a few simple changes to improve that experience for people with dementia and their families and we hope it will give them the confidence to visit the airport.
“Our mission is to make sure that those living with hidden disabilities and their families have the opportunity to enjoy their journey through our airport and receive all the help and support they need.
“We are committed to Norwich Airport being a dementia-friendly environment and are proud to be taking part in the information event. We encourage as many people as possible to come along on the day.”
Mark Johnston, from Home Instead Senior Care, said: “Almost all of us know someone affected by dementia and so we all have a reason to take action and learn more about it. When it comes to fighting dementia, awareness is key and we are passionate about supporting people to live well with dementia.”
Leanne Castle and John Clarke of MENTA are looking forward to welcoming business owners to Coffee Means Business on Tuesday 21st May which is being hosted at the Hawk and Owl Trust near Fakenham.
Host, Leanne Castle comments, “I’m sure it will be a useful morning for businesses to make new contacts over coffee and pastries. Reserve Warden, Nigel Middleton will give an informative talk about the work of the Trust.”
Delegates will be invited at the end of Coffee Means Business to take a short, guided stroll round the reserve and during the morning live streaming from nesting boxes will be on view.
Coffee Means Business is open to all business people to attend, there are no membership of joining fees, just £5pp payable on arrival. The morning starts at 9.30am and finishes at 11.30am.
For further information visit www.menta.org.uk and go to the networking and events tab
Prasanth Ganguly expands his practice to cover Milton Keynes and Newport Pagnell
The Mayor of Newport Pagnell, Paul Day, joined Prasanth Ganguly on 15th May to celebrate the official opening of a new TaxAssist Accountants shop on 78 High Street, with a party for the local business community.
Prasanth set up TaxAssist Accountants in Milton Keynes in December 2015 and has enjoyed steady growth over the past three and a half years, looking after 275 small businesses in the area.
In response to increasing demand from existing small firms and new businesses starting up, Prasanth decided the time was right to open his second shop in Newport Pagnell.
“I’ve been on the lookout for highly visible, shopfront premises for some time and the High Street is the perfect location,” said Prasanth.
“The opening event gave us an excellent opportunity to thank our clients, as well as meet other businesses and our neighbours in Newport Pagnell, so they can see what we can do for them. We were delighted that the Mayor, Paul Day, kindly agreed to cut the ribbon and declare our fantastic new shop officially open.”
Prasanth, who has a background in engineering and finance joined TaxAssist Accountants after 26 years spent working for large global companies at a senior level.
He was however no stranger to franchising, as he was actively involved in helping his wife set up a tuition franchise, before being inspired to set up his own franchise operation.
“Though I enjoyed my career, my experience in project finance and personal involvement in taxation, along with a desire to be self-employed, brought me closer to TaxAssist Accountants. After attending a discovery day, meeting the team and getting to know the wider successful family out there, I was totally convinced that the opportunity was right for me.”
If you would like to find out more about joining the TaxAssist Accountants network, please give Nikki Haythorne a call on 0800 0188297. The next step is to attend a discovery day at the Support Centre in Norwich.
Team Hatch Brenner Solicitors will once again be joining judiciary, law firms, chambers, government departments, and in-house legal teams from around the city to complete the 10k Norwich Legal Walk on Thursday 6 June, raising money for free legal advice charities in Norwich and the Eastern region.
The walkers are all fundraising to help improve access to justice for those most in need.
The Eastern Legal Support Trust (“ELST”) is coordinating the walk. As part of a network of Legal Support Trusts, working with the Access to Justice Foundation, ELST support the provision of specialist legal advice through law centres, advice agencies and other free legal advice organisations. They do this by providing the organisations, on application, with grant funding.
The Access to Justice Foundation are hoping to raise an overall total of £5,000 from the Norwich walk.
Dawn Parkes, Hatch Brenner Managing Partner commented: “The Norwich Legal Walk is always a great event and a good opportunity to support the poorest and most vulnerable people in our community, for whom access to justice can be out of reach. We are pleased to once again support ELST and will also be pledging 50% of the money raised to our charity partner MAP, the Mancroft Advice Project. Both ELST and MAP provide vital support to vulnerable people in Norwich and beyond.”
The Eastern Legal Support Trust added: “The Norwich Legal Walk helps support families living in terrible housing conditions; people who have been unfairly dismissed or who are discriminated against at work; elderly people who need support to stay living independently; people who suffer disability or illness and their carers; and women and children who have been trafficked to the UK to become domestic or sex slaves.
“The need for free legal advice centres has grown in the past few years. The recession has increased poverty and reduced support services. Meanwhile funding for the advice centres themselves has reduced. We simply can’t overcome the effects of the huge reduction in government and local authority funding over the past few years. What we can do is to ensure that many of the people most in need get help who would otherwise have been denied.”
The walkers will set off from the Forum at 5.30pm on Thursday 6 June.
To donate, please visit the Hatch Brenner fundraising page at:
It’s been a blast but 11 years after their release Microsoft are finally ending support for the ever popular Windows XP and Office 2003. At 12:00am on 8th April 2014, Microsoft will be ceasing support for any device still running Windows XP and Office 2003, this means any bugs or security holes found in the products after this date will no longer be fixed by Microsoft. Furthermore there will be no more Windows updates, security updates or modifications to these products by Microsoft.
How will this affect you?
Your PC will still continue to work in the same way it did prior to this date. However, after Microsoft ends support of Windows XP you will no longer be provided software updates, security fixes that protect against malware such as viruses and worms or any new drivers that require writing by Microsoft. Office will continue to function too but with many people now upgrading you will be left behind in terms of functionality and in the months and years after April 2014 you will be open to security bugs which may be found but never be fixed.
What can be done?
Ultimately the best thing to do is to upgrade Windows XP to the reliable Windows 7 or Microsoft’s latest Operating System, Windows 8. Also, the latest version of the Office suite is now 2013 so to stay current it would be advisable to look at Office 2010 or 2013. At some point Windows 7 and Office 2010 will cease to be sold and you will only be able to purchase Windows 8 and Office 2013 so if you don’t like the new look products then now is the time to act!
Can Breakwater help me with this?
Of course, get in touch on 01603 709300 or drop an email to [email protected]. We’d be happy to discuss your requirements and help you with protecting yourself.
Breakwater IT can help with IT Support in Norwich, Norfolk and all over East Anglia. Or maybe you require a free Business Telecoms audit to see if your Business can be the next one that we help to save significant amounts of money.
Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) was recognised at the recent 2014 FDs’ Excellence Awards, held on 1 May. The awards, sponsored by the ICAEW, saw Pure shortlisted for the third consecutive year for the prestigious Recruitment Firm of the Year Award. Pure were thrilled to be acknowledged once again for the award.
The prestigious event saw Tim Score from ARM Holdings in Cambridge accept the well-regarded FTSE 100 FD of the Year award. Also, Joe Lister from UNITE group took home FTSE 250 FD of the Year.
Established by Real Business and supported by the CBI, the FDs’ Excellence Awards recognise finance directors and service providers that support Britain’s finance community using the results of a survey, in which UK finance directors and financial decision-makers recorded their opinion.
Ian Walters, Managing Director of Pure, said “It is such an honour for us to be recognised on a national basis. Although we are based in the East of England, our exceptional reputation as a first class recruitment consultancy firm has ensured that we were considered alongside larger, nation-wide companies.
Ian adds, “Although we may not have taken home the award this year, we continue to be inspired to develop Pure to provide our clients and candidates with excellent customer service and specialist regional recruitment knowledge.”
Pure was judged, alongside other shortlisted companies, on criteria including business knowledge, innovation and quality of advice. The firm continues to enhance its expertise and develop new and relevant initiatives such as the Best Employers Eastern Region, Women’s Leadership Programme, auto-enrolment seminars and senior finance forums which add value for our broad range of clients.
To find out more about Pure’s professional recruitment services, contact Anna Hill, Marketing Manager, on: 01223 209888 or [email protected].
Larking Gowen is pleased to announce its role as sell-side
advisor to Dynamic Fluid Solutions Limited (DFS) in its successful acquisition
by Vestum AB (publ), a Swedish-based group specialising in infrastructure
services and products.
DFS, headquartered in Suffolk, is a leading UK supplier of
industrial pump and pipework systems, primarily serving the water and
wastewater sectors. DFS will now form part of Vestum’s Flow Technology segment.
With a strong reputation for bespoke pumping solutions and a
high proportion of recurring rental revenue, DFS has become a trusted partner
across a wide range of industries requiring water movement solutions.
The acquisition marks a strategic expansion for Vestum into
the UK market, positioning the group to benefit from significant upcoming
infrastructure investments, including the UK’s AMP8 water investment programme
and the development of Sizewell C nuclear power station.
Larking Gowen prepared the confidential sales documentation,
financial model and acted as lead advisor on negotiations as well as supporting
throughout the due diligence process.
“We are delighted to have advised the shareholders of DFS
on this landmark transaction” said Jack Minns, Corporate Transactions
Partner at Larking Gowen “The deal reflects the strength of DFS’s market
position and the strategic value it brings to Vestum’s Flow Technology segment.
It has been a pleasure working with the team at DFS and we wish them continued
success as part of the Vestum group.”
Larking Gowen worked closely with Prettys Solicitors, based
in Ipswich, who provided legal advisory services to the shareholders of DFS
throughout the transaction.
“It was a pleasure to work alongside Larking Gowen on
this transaction, supporting the shareholders of DFS through the legal aspects
of the sale” remarked Daniel Bilson, a Partner at Prettys Solicitors “The
collaborative approach between our teams ensured a smooth and efficient
process, and we’re delighted to have played a part in helping DFS take this
exciting next step.”
Ben Buckmaster and Luke Steward from Dynamic Fluid Solutions
Limited added,“We’d like to express our sincere
thanks to the Prettys team, led by Dan, and Larking Gowen’s Corporate Finance
team, led by Jack, for their outstanding support throughout the sale of our
business. Both teams were not only highly professional and knowledgeable, but
also a real pleasure to work with.
They guided us through the process with clarity and calm,
while helping to build a positive and constructive relationship with the buyer.
The teams dovetailed extremely well, working seamlessly together to make the
transaction as smooth and efficient as possible. Their dedication,
responsiveness, and commitment to achieving the best outcome for us were
evident throughout.
We would absolutely work with them again in the future,
and couldn’t recommend them more highly to any business going through the sale
process.”
This deal underscores Larking Gowen’s continued commitment
to supporting ambitious businesses in the industrial and infrastructure
sectors, delivering expert advisory services across the full lifecycle of
corporate transactions.
The Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP joined Mental Health First Aiders from Flagship Group as the company marked Mental Health Awareness Week.
The North Norfolk MP, a passionate mental health campaigner, heard first-hand from some of Flagship’s qualified Mental Health First Aiders about the impact the training has had in supporting others. The housing provider has 75 trained Mental Health First Aiders and 100 people on the waiting list to receive the training.
The MP, a former Minister of State for Health, also found out how the company is embedding mental health support to improve wellbeing, including through bitesize workshops, a wellbeing forum, awareness sessions, and a confidential contact point for employees to use.
Mr Lamb talked to Flagship staff reaffirming that ‘mental health shouldn’t be inferior to physical health.’ He also explained the importance of leadership in supporting mental health in the workplace. The MP also spoke about the importance of opening up, commenting that ‘the fear of sharing and also coping with mental health can be overbearing’.
Norman Lamb commented: “It is so encouraging to see that Flagship has a culture where people can come forward and get help.
“Organisations should do more to support their staff, it is enlightened self-interest for business to focus on the wellbeing of people as Flagship is both in individual and the organisation benefits. It’s the right thing to do.”
The visit was the culmination of a week of events which also saw ex-Norwich City and Bordeaux footballer Cedric Anselin give a moving talk about his own experiences with mental health.
Cedric, who at the height of his career played against teams such as AC Milan, talked about how he felt when his football career faltered, and that subsequently, he struggled with his own mental health.
Cedric also shared how he hid his mental ill health before hitting his lowest point and reaching out to fellow former footballer Clarke Carlisle. Now, manager of Norwich United FC Cedric has taken the decision to talk openly and told the room that his experiences ‘make me the person I am today’ and ‘we must educate ourselves to care about each other.’
He said: “I’m so humble to share my story and to encourage others to open up about mental health during Mental Health Awareness Week.
“It is magnificent of Flagship to promote mental health in the workplace and I think other companies should take this as an example, helping and educating each other it’s ok, to not be ok.”
Throughout the week, staff also tried their hand at Laughing Yoga and Meditation sessions, providing people with the opportunity to try out some practical techniques to support wellbeing. And, teams from across the group had the chance to play on the pitch at Carrow Road in a football tournament which helped to promote physical wellbeing.
David McQuade, Chief Executive said: “We are creating a stigma-free workplace, where we can have open and honest conversations about mental health, where our people can access support, and where wellbeing is promoted.
“We were delighted to meet with Mr Lamb to discuss the importance of mental health in the workplace, and share with him what we are doing. It was also a privilege to hear Cedric Anselin talk so openly and honestly about his own struggles with mental health.
“We have marked Mental Health Awareness Week with some thought-provoking and interesting activities but for us it doesn’t stop here and we will continue to make sure that Flagship is a place where mental health is supported.”
The first ever World Food Safety Day will be celebrated on 7th June 2019 to draw attention and inspire action to help, prevent, detect and manage food borne risks and so contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, tourism and sustainable development. It is a joint initiative between the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Any food safety incident is one too many, it affects the health of consumers as well as the food trade.
The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency is promoting World Food Safety Day and raising awareness of the food withdrawal and recall system that exists in the UK.
Following an employee satisfaction survey carried out by independent research agency WorkBuzz, TaxAssist Accountants has been named as a ‘5 Star Employer’.
To celebrate TaxAssist’s achievement, staff were invited to a special presentation event over lunch, which saw Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director, receive the award certificate from Steven Frost, CEO of WorkBuzz.
“We are delighted with the results of this survey. We are above benchmark compared to businesses of a similar size and industry, so this is quite an achievement,” said Karl.
“We recognise just how important it is to have happy, engaged and experienced Support Centre staff in Norwich at the heart of our organisation.
This in turn benefits new and existing franchisees who can feel reassured they are being well looked after by a stable support team.
“As part of the survey, WorkBuzz created a ‘word cloud’ derived from asking what three words staff would use to describe the TaxAssist Accountants culture. Again, we are delighted with the response to this question and, in particular, seeing words such as friendly, caring, progressive, family and supportive.” The biggest challenge facing many organisations is recruiting and retaining the best talent. With the UK’s ever-changing job market, the expectations of employees are rising – they have faster career progression expectations and demand instant change based on their feedback. The WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer Award was launched to overcome these challenges and recognise employers of choice.
What makes gaining WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer status unique, is it is based on feedback from thousands of employees, who complete regular, confidential Engagement Surveys.
Steven Frost said: “For several years, we’ve been helping leading organisations gather feedback from their employees, improve employee engagement and reduce staff turnover. Through the WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer awards, we will now be able to recognise employers who are truly leading employee engagement to improve the working lived of their people.”
If you are interested in finding out more about joining the TaxAssist Accountants network of franchisees, please call Nikki Haythorne on 0800 018829. We look forward to hearing from you.
The Grand Norwich Duck Race has grown into one of the biggest events of the summer calendar for Break, as well as Norwich, raising £87k to date to #changeyounglives with a much-loved local charity. The event this coming year will be held on bank holiday Sunday, the 25 August, in conjunction with the Ribs of Beef, Broads Authority and Norfolk SUP Company. Ducks are launched from St Georges Bridge and race to Fye Bridge (Ribs of Beef) – the winner of the corporate race gets the Crystal Duck Trophy! As a Norfolk Chambers of Commerce Member, we are offering you the EXCLUSIVE chance to own a duck for just £90 – a saving of 10% on the normal £100. For this, you get a large 32cm duck along with acrylic paints and then you can create your own #ducktransformation – corporate logos on, or feathers and fur – it’s all up to you. It represents a small part of your marketing budget for the year, plus a charity donation, all in all adding up to a great way to join in on a hugely fun event and support Break. You can see ideas on ducks and decoration by looking back at 2018 ducks here. Following the race the ducks get preened ready for the #GNDR19 Auction at the Maids Head on Thursday 5 September where there is an opportunity for you to re-enter the duck next year if you buy him/her back. “I gained more twitter followers and interaction with my duck than ever before as part of the Grand Norwich Duck Race” Keith, Select Planning. We then ask you to join our quacking crew on twitter @norwichduckrace . . . gone are the days of tweeting into the abys – now you have a group of like minded local companies and individuals to tweet to and meet at our regular events and get togethers. We already have a ‘Tweet-Up’ arranged for Thursday 15 August at the Ribs of Beef, a lovely social where we can put faces to twitter handles! To book your duck today please click here.