“We consider our shop an important part of the community and being involved, and sharing the experience, was a great pleasure” – EACH staff, volunteers and customers have a night of festive fun in Holt.
Charity shop staff and volunteers got in the Christmas spirit by being part of the official lights switch-on in Holt.
The town’s East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) store stayed open late, welcoming the community for a bumper night of festive fun.
Highlights of the town’s celebrations included live music, street food, market traders and a spectacular firework display.
Mark Buller, an EACH Relief and Support Manager, said: “We had such a lovely and fun evening with our customers.
“Footfall was high and there was a brilliant festive atmosphere throughout the town.
“We consider our shop an important part of the community and being involved, and sharing the experience, was a great pleasure.
“We hope our fantastic customers enjoyed it as much as we did.”
Meanwhile, Mark and shop manager Sarah Hipkin are keen to hear from more volunteers interested in joining the Holt team.
“We’re blessed to have some amazing volunteers and it was lovely to see them for the Christmas lights switch-on,” said Mark.
“However, we badly need extra help and can always do with more pairs of hands.
“The great thing about volunteering is that there are many different roles, to suit people’s skills and interests.
“We can also be entirely flexible, to fit around busy lives. Just doing a morning or afternoon a week makes such a difference.
“Those that already volunteer say how much they enjoy it.
“They love being part of something that raises funds for such a worthwhile cause and find it fun, sociable and rewarding.”
Anyone interested in joining the team is welcoming to pop in for a chat. The EACH shop is in Station Road.
Alternatively, email Sarah via [email protected] or call 01263 713864. The Holt Christmas lights switch-on took place on Friday, 17th November.
Mindfulness at Work Course: Exclusive Mindfulness Course with Oxford Mindfulness Foundation teacher, Per Norrgren
Are you a professional wrestling with the relentless demands of work and life? Caught in a cycle of stress that saps your energy and dims your creativity?
Imagine ending your day feeling just as vibrant as you started. What if you could tackle stress head-on and transform it into a source of strength?
For too many professionals, the dream of a balanced, focused, and resilient life feels out of reach. The burden of stress can lead to chronic irritability, anxiety, and a decline in cognitive functions, such as memory and attention span.
Join Per Norrgren, teaching partner, supervisor and mentor at the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation, for a life-altering 9-week mindfulness journey. Starting from the 9th of January, every Tuesday at 6 pm, and from the 17th of February, every Saturday, you can unlock the secrets to mental and physical well-being.
The programme, grounded in published scientific research, promises to bolster your mood, enhance creativity, improve memory and stress resilience. Beyond the psychological benefits, mindfulness is a proven ally against physical pain and exhaustion, paving the way for increased attention span and better coping with stressors of life.
Details
Duration: 9 weeks, commencing Tuesday 9th January (fortnightly) and Saturday 17th February (weekly, excluding Easter Saturday).
Time: Tuesdays at 6.00 pm to 8.15 pm | Saturdays at 9.00 am to 11.15 am and 11.30 to 1.45 pm
Venue: Anglia House Business Centre, 24 Bridge Street, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3AG.
Investment: £250 per participant.
Requirement: A minimum of 10 attendees to commence the course.
For those who prefer the flexibility of digital attendance, online mindfulness courses and individual coaching sessions are also available.
Take the First Step:
Secure your spot in this transformative experience by contacting Per at[email protected].
Embrace the mindfulness path and let stress be the catalyst for your greatest well-being.
AI is slowly taking the world by storm. This week Mark and Becky discuss their fears around AI use, the reliance that could stem from it and how we must always question AI’s answers.
The world of business is changing again and, where once we were encouraged to be proactive in our businesses, now, thanks to the advancement in AI, we might have to start being predictive – but how easy is this for humans, and will the world look like Minority Report!
Mark and Becky reflect on their special roundtable chat this summer with AI experts, Alison Alexander and Alix Rübsaam, and discuss their fears around AI and the reliance that we might put on it, going forwards. They discuss the bias that will exist in the algorithms, how we must always be questioning AI’s answers, the potential stunt in creativity, and the possible dangers around predicting human behaviour, especially in business.
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at [email protected]. We’d also love it if you could rate us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!
Over 100 people received expert mentoring and coaching at the annual “Sync the City” event, which took place from 23 Nov to 25 Nov 2023 at the King’s Centre, Norwich
A record number of 47 people pitched initial business ideas. Ten were chosen and developed by teams over the 54-hour event
A software engineer and a teacher took home the £4,000 cash prizes for their ideas
A record number of people – over 100 – developed their skills at “Sync the City 2023” – the ninth annual 54-hour challenge to form a start-up company; since it started the event has transformed lives and led to successful spin-out companies and innovations.
On Thursday evening (23 Nov), 47 people delivered one-minute pitches for business ideas – again, a record number for the event. Ten ideas were chosen following an audience vote, and teams were formed to develop these ideas – with mentoring provided by leaders from Norwich’s business community. Each team then delivered final, five-minute pitches on Saturday evening for their business ideas:
The team led by Matt Brookson (who is a Software Engineer for Artlist) was awarded £3,000 by the expert judges (see notes to editors) for their pitch for a new app for family-focused interactive adventures, called “Trailblazers”.
The team led by Nicky Turner (who is a teacher at the Workers Educational Association) won the £1,000 “People’s Choice” award – chosen by popular vote – for their pitch to develop “HubL”, a digital platform to assess and aid refugees and immigrants in learning English for work.
This was Matt’s sixth Sync the City, and he told us that the event has led to him meeting “amazing people”. Speaking on Saturday evening (click here to see Matt’s interview), he paid tribute to everyone on his team and said:
“My idea was for a quest app for children and their parents/guardians to encourage them to get outdoors, explore cities, and basically get off their screens and do something fun. I think it’s a good cause and am so glad we won. We have actually had some commitment from businesses in Norwich already, so people seem engaged with the idea and I think that we could potentially take it somewhere and do something with it.”
English teacher Nicky Turner also thanked her team for their expertise and support in putting together her final pitch to develop ‘HubL’. Speaking on Saturday evening (click here to see the interview), she added:
“I’ve spent years in the sector trying to help people from other countries to get jobs and integrate into Norwich, which is a wonderful and welcoming city. The problem we have is that students cannot manage to find the right class because they don’t have anywhere to go to know where the classes are. So, we have created HubL, which we hope will be able to continue thanks to the vote of the people. Students will be able to find the correct course and then become part of society in this country.”
Since it was launched in 2023, Sync the City has helped a number of people to forge successful careers and develop innovative new products – including UEA graduate Callum Coombes, who told us how winning the event in 2017 led to the formation of his successful business (click here to see our interview with Callum).
In a moving keynote speech on Saturday evening, Peter Abbott, Product Design Lead at Fresha, spoke about the huge benefits of taking part in Sync the City, regardless of who wins the event. Peter told us that taking part in Sync the City led to him getting his first job, meeting his wife and developing his career – while the skills he learned at the event helped him when he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2019 (click here to see our interview with Peter).
John Fagan, chief executive of technology company Scribe, worked in partnership with the University of East Anglia (UEA) to start Sync the City in 2014. Commenting on the annual event, he said: “It’s been incredible to see so many people develop new skills, make new connections and gain confidence – all while having a fantastic time. I’d like to thank our amazing sponsors and the mentors and judges who give up their time to make this event possible. Following the great event this year, I’m delighted to announce that we’re going to be holding next year’s event at the King’s Centre in Norwich between 28 and 30 November 2024.”
Fiona Lettice, Emeritus Professor, of Norwich Business School, helped to co-found Sync the City nine years ago, and told us: “This is a flagship event for University of East Anglia and for the tech community. What’s really good about it is the way that it brings together our students, the business community, mentors, judges, and we all have really good fun – but also, really great ideas get discussed and developed. People develop their skills and networks, and the icing on the cake is that we get some great start-ups and business being founded at the end of the event.”
The primary sponsors for the Sync the City 2023 were: University of East Anglia, Aviva and Leathes Prior Solicitors and Greater Anglia).
Supporting sponsors were: Brew Digital and Langham Recruitment.
Other sponsors were: Norfolk County Council, Breakwater IT, Naked Tech and Artlist.
Administrators for the Magnus Group, Larking Gowen, have secured a local buyer for its warehousing and forwarding operation, saving 25 jobs.
A deal has been agreed after administrators for the Magnus Group secured a local buyer for its warehousing and forwarding operation, saving 25 jobs.
Ipswich-based logistics firm Hemisphere Freight Services agreed the sale today following Magnus’s decision to file a Notice of Intention to appoint an administrator. The firm went into administration on November 23.
As part of the deal, HFS will also take over about 200,000 sq ft of warehousing space at Magnus Group’s Great Blakenham facility. The team will remain at the Great Blakenham site for six months before moving to the nearby Suffolk Port One Logistics Park.
Andrew Kelsall, joint administrator with Lee Green, both of Larking Gowen, said he was pleased that a local buyer had been found, and that Magnus’ warehousing staff were able to continue working with the new owners.
While part of the business has been sold on, the haulage side has been wound down, with 52 drivers losing their jobs on November 17. A further 23 staff members were dismissed last week. All staff who have been made redundant have received a letter with details about how to access the redundancy service, and a number to call in case of queries.
Mr Kelsall said, “This is a time when voluntary liquidations across the UK are at an all-time high.
“Logistics is a highly competitive sector and, unfortunately, Magnus had got into difficulties, including some debt which it has been unable to refinance. They had little option but to seek administration.”
“We are currently working to achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders involved, and we are maintaining a dialogue with staff, customers and suppliers across the board,” he said.
Hemisphere Managing Director Andy Perrin said, “It’s always hard to see a fellow family-run business go into administration, especially after decades of successful trading and becoming so well-respected within the local community. Our sincere condolences go out to everyone affected at what must be an incredibly difficult time.
“Our offer to acquire the warehousing and forwarding elements of the business was, above all else, an attempt to safeguard the employment and ensure the wellbeing of as many of Magnus Group’s team members as possible. The priority for us is to minimise disruption on both sides and ensure that Magnus Group’s current client base is well informed and well taken care of throughout this process.”
Magnus Group was founded in 1973 and became a well-established freight service in East Anglia and beyond. It is also known for its support of local causes including sponsorship of Ipswich Town Football Club and Suffolk Cricket.
A banner promoting partnership working to tackle Modern Slavery stood proudly at an event organised by Business in the Community (BiTC), sponsored by Aviva. Speakers included BiTC CEO and former MP Mary MacLeod, Anglia Water CEO Peter Simpson and Andrew Dernie representing Aviva. The event was focused on the mutual benefits of partnership working and the cost-of-living crisis. Businesses and charities present were able to share experiences and ideas for future collaboration to strengthen Norfolk communities.
Many people think that Modern Slavery is something that happens elsewhere, but recent figures from Norfolk Constabulary show that it is not so far from home (see table below). In fact, it is on our doorstep and something we can all tackle to protect our businesses from Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
Table 1:
269 victims of Modern Slavery were identified in Norfolk between July 2022 to June 2023.
The most common form of Modern Slavery found in Norfolk was labour exploitation, where 96% of victims identified were male.
Half of the victims in forced criminality in Norfolk were young people with one of the most common nationalities being British.
Large businesses have a mandatory obligation to show accountability for assessing their operations and supply chain for evidence of Modern Slavery and labour exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Section 54, with new measures to monitor and penalties for non-compliance being introduced by UK Parliament soon[1].
At present, these only include businesses with a turnover of more than £36 million[2]. However, developments globally (EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive[3] notwithstanding) indicate that the net for who needs to demonstrate due diligence for human rights is to widen, meaning Norfolk businesses that wish to grow and trade freely will need to prepare themselves. In addition to mandatory requirements, evidence shows the benefits of going beyond technical compliance, demonstrated by industry leaders such as Marks and Spencer and the negative impacts on wealth from where Modern Slavery is discovered within an organisation.
The Norfolk Anti-Slavery Network (NASN) business sub-group offers an opportunity to work together to increase operational resilience and supply chain protection to the very real and ever-present risk of Modern Slavery. Businesses can keep their fingers on the pulse of current trends and developments, working with statutory and non-statutory agencies to find proactive solutions. This is an initiative echoed by UN guidance calling for partnership formation among business, civil society, government, NGOs, foundations, academia and others[4][5].
To support our business community and the Norfolk community at large, the NASN business sub-group plans to recruit more businesses, representing all sectors, offering up to date training and links to practical business solutions, creating a stable and unbeatable platform on which commerce can thrive safely and successfully. So watch this space for opportunities available and attendance at local business networking events near you.
The NASN business sub-group chair, Gary Dack, Head of Safeguarding for Norwich City Football Club states:
“Modern Slavery can affect any business and it is important that our sector remains vigilant to the risks. NASN provides an excellent forum for private business to work in partnership with statutory agencies and ensure they understand local threats. By joining NASN as a business partner, you will benefit from access to mentoring services and resources which will help reduce organisational threat from slavery. This will ensure your business achieves mandatory compliance. Follow the lead of Norwich City and get involved.”
[4] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. (2010). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Available from: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
Since 2021, as part of its Rebuilding Thriving Local Economies initiative, Barclays actively worked with two colleges in Great Yarmouth, by delivering two years of intensive and bespoke Barclays LifeSkills workshops to post-16-year-olds. The aim was to help local young people, particularly those in need of additional support, to develop the skills they need to be successful in the workplace and prepare them for living independently. Barclays LifeSkills is a free employability skills and financial capability programme, which can support students and young adults, helping them to develop a variety of skills to improve their future success.
Across 2021-23 two series of Barclays LifeSkills workshops were delivered by experienced youth facilitators from charity The Talent Foundry, supported by Barclays colleagues acting as mentors. Nearly 100 students across the two colleges took part in one or more of the sessions. The sessions aimed to support different groups who face barriers to employment, such as refugees and people from low socio-economic backgrounds, to build their confidence and aspirations.
“The programme has helped me to understand my skills and feel more confident in a job interview.” – participant
During the workshops, students prepared or improved their first CVs, learnt how to do well in a job interview, and improved their personal finance skills, such as working out a monthly budget. Many young people also noted that their problem-solving skills had improved because of taking part in the workshops.
Additionally, college staff felt that one of the most important outcomes of the programme, was young people realising that they have something of value to offer employers and their local community. Through their participation, they were able to raise their self-esteem and become more positive about their future.
In 2022-23, at least 90% of students improved their understanding of:
what transferable skills are and how to use and improve them.
their understanding of their own strengths and skills.
what employers are looking for.
In addition, 87% said they were more open to the possibility of different jobs and careers. Overall, students became a lot clearer about what career they wanted to do, with 72% saying they had settled on a career path or narrowed it down.
‘It opened my eyes to all the different possibilities and helped me be sure of what I really want to be in the future.’ – 19 year-old, female, college student.
The final graduation sessions for both cohorts of students were held at Great Yarmouth Town Hall in spring 2022 and 2023. The students successfully completed their mock interviews with employers and received certificates from their Barclays mentors and local businesses. This celebration event was a confidence boost for virtually all students who took part in it. Some spoke in front of an audience for the first time, to the surprise and delight of their teachers.
Barclays LifeSkills can support students and young adults, helping them to develop a variety of skills to improve their future success. Educators can use Barclays LifeSkills resources to support mainstream students as well as those with additional learning needs (ALN).
In Great Yarmouth, one ALN college educator shared their positive experience of using the free, online resources. They lead a course called Progression to Employment.
“The course is all about developing employability skills…, so I found Barclays LifeSkills very useful…[as well as] for the money skills, …how to help the students understand essential and non-essential spending, how to help them budget.”
Students improved and developed their confidence, transferable skills, knowledge of workplace situations, helping them be better prepared to secure a job.
Find out more about how Barclays LifeSkills free resources can help businesses, charities and other organisations to help young people and adults in your local area to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence they need for work, visit barclayslifeskills.com.
In this week’s Leadership & Life Chat podcast, business leader Antonio Garrido helps other leaders tap into their emotional intelligence, understand the art of truth telling and create more productive working relationships. He offers a reinvigorated perspective on modern day business.
This episode is a complete refresh on the topic of leadership. Antonio Garrido, former architect and author of My Daily Leadership: A Powerful Roadmap for Leadership Success, has dedicated the latter half of his career to helping CEO’s better tap into their emotional intelligence, understand the art of truth telling and create more productive working relationships. His energy and experience offers a reinvigorated perspective on modern day business, as he philosophises with Mark over the reality of business ownership and management in 2023, he gives some uncomfortable examples of the type of personalities still allowed to operate at top levels, and why those businesses open themselves up to failure. Do you want to create a carrot or stick culture?
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at [email protected]. We’d also love it if you could rate us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
In a recent survey, 74% of employees stated they would be more likely to take a job if the prospective employer had a good benefits package, and 75% of employees said they were more likely to stay in their job for the same reason.*
Leading mortgage and protection broker, Mortgage Advice Bureau, can give your employees access to fee-free mortgage and protection advice from a professional adviser, either in your workplace or at a time that’s convenient for them.
How Mortgage Advice Bureau can help you
We offer a dedicated employee benefits service to ensure your staff not only have access to fee-free mortgage and protection advice when they need it, but also help with education to support them with their overall financial well-being. Our fully qualified mortgage specialists can support your staff no matter what their circumstances. For instance, they could be planning to take their first step onto the property ladder, upsizing to a bigger home for their growing family, or perhaps they’d just like to see if they could save money on their current mortgage. Whatever their circumstances, we can give you peace of mind that your employees are being looked after, and that those with money worries will have one less thing to worry about.
Our mortgage service offering
Advice drop-in sessions at your premises
Mortgage and protection ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions
Face to face or telephone mortgage and protection appointments at a time to suit
Access to information, tips and calculators
Dual branded mortgage portal to easily arrange appointments
Financial well-being emails to be sent at a frequency to suit you.
Get in touch
If you’d like to speak to us about our dedicated employee benefits service, feel free to get in touch.
Welcome to our quarterly newsletter. We at Drive Alive are hoping you are keeping safe and well during these testing times. We are pleased to share with you that the team has been busy behind the scenes developing our online services to ensure continued legal compliance for all our customers. We are also pleased to announce and welcome a new member to the team; Andrew Bunn, who joined us in early April as our new Sales Executive. We hope you find this newsletter informative. Stay safe and take care from us all at Drive Alive.
E-ASSESSMENT A convenient way to risk assess your drivers and maintain legal compliance. https://www.drivealive.co.uk/fleet-risk-management-driver-e-asse
ONINE DEFENSIVE DRIVING Defensive driving techniques reduce the likelihood of a collision or incident and can even save costs related to vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption. https://www.drivealive.co.uk/online-defensive-driving
DEEP VEHICLE CLEAN We have put together a simple checklist on how to ensure your vehicle is thoroughly clean during the Pandemic. https://c1a104d8-9e6f-4e52-a368-f2e4a7d49a75.usrfiles.com/ugd/c1a104_fe1534e1444348e9be7795c877574d0e.pdf
FRENCH BREATHALYSER – GOOD NEWS for drivers travelling to France in the future, it appears that the French government have dispensed with the law requiring you to carry Breathalyser kits in your vehicle!
Organisations face difficulty juggling evolving technology, recruitment and exceptional customer experiences while handling other core operations. This article will outline what an outsourced contact centre is and the benefits of using one.
What is an outsourced contact centre?
An outsourced contact centre is an external team who manage customer communications for your organisation. They provide services such as Inbound Call Handling and Virtual Receptionists, as well as outbound services such as telemarketing, lead generation and market research. Organisations can also manage outbound services, such as telemarketing, lead generation and market research.
There are a variety of outsourced contact centres:
Onshore – an organisation based in your home country so employees can relate to your customers. This is the best approach for privacy and security.
Nearshore – an organisation based in neighbouring countries to your home country. This option can be a more affordable option.
Offshore – an organisation based in low-cost countries around the world.
Why should you use an outsourced contact centre?
When your organisation doesn’t have a full view of the full customer journey
When your organisation’s technology is damaging your customer experience
When you’re struggling to recruit, train and retain staff
When your customer experience statistics are lower than you’d like
When your organisation wants to lower overheads
Benefits of using an outsourced contact centre
Saves money. Using an outsourced contact centre cuts costs by eliminating the need to hire and train staff, purchase additional equipment, or allocate extra workspace.
No need to worry about recruiting and retaining staff. It can be hard for organisations to recruit and retain contact centre staff. Outsourced contact centres know which skills are needed for Call Handlers and can easily find qualified staff.
An outsourced contact centre will monitor and adjust staffing levels to ensure they meet the needs of a business.
Increased efficiency. Efficient processes are used to ensure quicker responses, fewer errors and higher customer satisfaction.
Focus on operations. Rest assured knowing your customer communications are in hand and focus on your core operations.
It can be difficult to know which outsourced contact centre is most suitable for your organisation. Some outsourced contact centres focus on one industry, whereas others hire staff from a variety of backgrounds and allocate based on client’s requirements.
CallEEAST offer a variety of contact centre services dependent on your requirements. We differ from other providers because we reinvest all our profits into the East of England Ambulance Service, supporting NHS innovations and improving patient experiences. Choosing CallEEAST ensures both high-quality services and social value for your organisation.
Want to know more why an outsourced contact centre would be suitable for your business? Visit our website to find out more > https://www.calleeast.co.uk/ or call us on 0300 790 6274.
Do you want to start 2024 with a fresh new look and set of professional photographs that sing your personality and brand? I’m offering Norfolk Chamber of Commerce members 10% off a three-hour brand photo shoot in December and January. Whether you are a one-person team or a medium/large-sized business we can use our time together to create a stock of photographs that you will be drawing upon for months to come. Whether you want to update your headshot, or team photographs, have images of you at work or interacting with your clients you will leave with a body of bright, colourful and authentic images that you will be proud to have represent your business.
Professional photographs are key for promoting a business. I love to hear your story and understand how you’re going to get the best value from a shoot. We can discuss locations – either in, or outside of your natural working environment – wherever you’ll best be able to convey the uniqueness of your brand and business.
To book your photo shoot and start 2024 off with a fresh new stock of professional photographs contact me now to talk through what a photo shoot with me might look like and how I can help elevate your business online.
A three-hour brand shoot with me would normally be priced at £495 but for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce members for shoots booked in December and January are priced at £445.50 (benefiting from a 10% discount)