Plans for the future of trade in Northern Ireland (NI) continue to emerge. Here’s the latest Import Export Support update, along with links to pages of particular interest to any business that trades through NI.
Trader support service
The Institute for Export have introduced a Trader Support Service (TSS) to support businesses through the changes to Northern Ireland trade which take effect on 1 January 2021. The free-to-use service will provide guidance and training, a digital service to support declarations, and support from customs experts, delivered by the brand new Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy (NICTA) and funded by the Government. The service is open to traders, intermediaries and carriers moving goods into and out of Northern Ireland. To access the programme, you need to register your business. Register your business To apply you’ll need the usual business information to hand, including:
VAT Number
EORI Number
Once registered you can access free training either as a downloadable guide or a webinar. Currently there’s one webinar available ‘Introduction to Customs’. The first session was fully booked but there are more scheduled. Training info here More support in the form of guides and webinars is promised, so it could be worth bookmarking the page. How-to guides here There’s also a useful jargon buster to help you get a grip on all those awful terms and acronyms. Jargon buster here If you need any help or advice on imports or exports, please call me. Click here for our website
Alpha 7 Track Club recently enjoyed a fantastic day at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, embracing the unique charm and challenge of this iconic circuit. Designed for drivers of all abilities, the club is perfect for enthusiasts who love the thrill of the track but prefer to avoid the stress of competitive racing. The track day, hosted by Javelin Trackdays, saw Alpha 7 running five cars, three owner-driver vehicles and two available for hire, making it an inclusive and exhilarating experience for all participants. The day began with damp conditions, offering a prime opportunity for drivers to hone their skills in varying weather. By the afternoon, the sun broke through, creating ideal track conditions and a perfect backdrop for a social gathering. The event was not just about driving; it was a celebration of shared passion, as members exchanged on-track stories and deepened their connections.
Are you passionate about the adrenaline rush of track day driving? Do you enjoy the camaraderie that comes with participating in driving events? If so, the Alpha 7 Track Club is your ultimate destination. We unite like-minded enthusiasts who share a love for high-performance driving and the vibrant social atmosphere of our events. If you have your own Caterham we can help with technical support and transport logistics. If you don’t have your own Caterham, why not hire one of ours?
Alpha 7 Track Club is dedicated to ensuring everyone has a great time, whether you aspire to become a racing driver or simply want to enjoy driving on a circuit without competitive pressure. We welcome drivers of all skill levels and can’t wait for you to join our community!
Interested in taking the first step toward your track day dreams? Contact Alpha 7 today for more information on how we can help you hit the track with confidence and skill.
In any business, document retention can be a challenge. Knowing which documents to keep and for how long can be particularly difficult as there are various time frames for different types of record.
As there are legal requirements for document retention in the UK, overcoming these challenges and staying on top of the amount of data and number of documents being produced is a must. A document retention policy can help you to do this. But what should it include?
If your business submits Intrastat reports or uses the UK Trade Info site, we’re highlighting changes that may affect you.
Action this week
Users of UKTradeInfo may know that the site relaunches on Monday 19 October – that’s next Monday. We want to highlight that data you have saved to the site won’t be migrated to the new site, so export and save all the tables you’ll need in the future. The IT team behind the relaunch are warning of some bugs in the new site, so expect that from Monday the new site may not be 100% reliable and plan accordingly.
Action from 1 January 2021
For businesses who currently make Intrastat reports, it’s important to know you must continue to submit Intrastat reports after January 1 2021, as well as submitting import and export customs declarations for goods crossing the EU border. For more on this subject, on the HMRC site there’s a useful FAQ document on Intrastat declaration requirements for 2021, including the reports required for trade through NI. Intrastat FAQ here
I regularly post on the IES blog where there’s lots more relevant to the import export business. IES Blog
Need some advice? Email me, Tracey Renshaw directly at [email protected]
They’ve done it again! We’ve been awarded Highly Rated by Autotrader for the 4th year in a row!
🏆2024 🏆2023 🏆2022 🏆2021
Thank you for the incredible level of customer service and unrivalled professionalism you provide to all our customers – you really are the dream team!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Alpha 7 showcased its racing prowess at the 4th round of the Caterham Graduates Racing Series held at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire. Fielding five cars, three in the 150 class and two in the 135 class, the team navigated the weekend’s unpredictable weather conditions with skill and determination.
Arriving on Thursday afternoon, the team faced persistent drizzle and the ever-present threat of rain. These challenging circumstances provided valuable opportunities to fine-tune wet setups and master slippery driving lines during Friday’s testing. The mixed weather conditions proved to be a formidable test of driver adaptability and strategy.
Qualifying was particularly demanding due to the triple-header format, requiring drivers to post three fastest laps to determine their starting positions for each race. The cloudy, damp, and drizzling conditions made this task even more challenging. Choosing between a wet or a dry car set up was a constant gamble! In the 150 class, Jamie Ellwood emerged as the top qualifier for Alpha 7, securing P3, P3, and P9 for the weekend’s races.
The weekend’s three races in the 150 class were marked by thrilling battles and changing weather. In Race 1, Jamie Ellwood engaged in an epic duel with Harry Senior, ultimately emerging victorious. Thomas Horton narrowly missed the podium, finishing in 4th place. Race 2 saw another intense battle at the front, with Thomas Horton improving to finish 3rd, while Jamie Ellwood secured 5th place. Race 3 brought further excitement as Jamie Ellwood surged from P9 to P5 in mixed weather conditions. Unfortunately, Thomas Horton had to retire after his A-frame broke, despite a strong start. Ellwood’s fastest lap of the weekend set a new club record, underscoring his impressive performance. After many races, Thomas Horton finally won best-presented car in the 150 class, sponsored by ‘Luxbox’, based in Fakenham.
In the highly competitive 135 class, Amanda Anderson and Mark Barrett represented Alpha 7 among a field of 28 cars. Mark Barrett consistently demonstrated his skill with remarkable starts, gaining an average of seven places on the first lap and finishing P21, P17, and P17 across the three races. Amanda Anderson, starting from P12 for each race, faced her own set of challenges. After a spin at Hall Bends relegated her to P20 in Race 1, she recovered to achieve P14 in Race 2 and capped off the weekend with a top-10 finish after a dramatic last-lap battle.
Alpha 7’s success at Cadwell Park highlights not only their competitive spirit but also their commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a passion for motorsport. If you’re inspired by the excitement of competitive racing, Alpha 7 offers comprehensive driver development programmes tailored to transform novices into skilled racers. Whether you need professional car management or wish to hire a top-performing Caterham, Alpha 7 is dedicated to helping you achieve your racing dreams.
Ready to take the first step toward your racing ambitions? Contact Alpha 7 today to learn how we can support you in hitting the track with confidence and skill.
“Spending time in the pool can help reduce pain, increase flexibility and mobility, stimulate senses and improve balance” – shop customers are being asked to donate 25p to help fund hydrotherapy sessions for the next 12 months
Customers at leading charity shops across the region have the chance to club together and help fund hydrotherapy sessions for families receiving care from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The new Help Hydrotherapy Happen campaign is being rolled out in EACH’s 48 shops across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
When paying at the till, customers will have the option to donate an extra 25p and the target is to raise £9,000 – enough to fund a hydrotherapy session every week for the next 12 months.
Ian Nicolson, EACH’s Director of Retail, said: “We’re calling on all our customers to help raise just £23 a week in every shop from 5th August to 29th September.
“If just one in four customers donates 25p we’ll raise over £9,000 during the campaign and that would help pay for a hydro session every week for the next year!
“Of course, there’s no obligation to donate and customers certainly don’t have to give anything extra when they pay for their items.
“However, just 25p would help us greatly, when added together with money raised across the region.
“It’s an exciting campaign that will undoubtedly make a tangible difference to the children and families receiving our care and support.”
EACH has hydrotherapy pools at each of its hospices – at Milton, near Cambridge, The Nook, near Norwich, and The Treehouse, in Ipswich.
They are warmer than recreational pools and allow families to take a dip together in a private, safe and supportive environment.
“From a child’s perspective, spending time in the pool can help reduce pain, increase flexibility and mobility, stimulate senses and improve balance,” added Ian.
“It’s a wonderful way to enable special memories for families.”
EACH Physical Therapies Technician Lauren Wright hopes customers give generously and says hydrotherapy has become a real passion.
“It’s incredible and has such benefits for the children, for so many different reasons,” she said.
“We’ve got a young girl who lost the ability to walk on land. However, when she gets in the pool, she’s able to take steps in the water, which is huge for her.
“Then we’ve got slightly older children who aren’t able to have much physical contact with their parents, because they’re in wheelchairs and their movement is so restrictive.
“When we’re able to get them in the pool, they’re able to hug their parents, which is very emotional and so important for families.
“It’s an amazing thing to witness and experience and I consider myself very lucky to come in and do this as my job. It’s a real passion of mine.”
In this episode ‘IT’s ONLY HAIR’, we are talking about BODY IMAGE & ALOPECIA. Alopecia is an umbrella term for conditions characterised by hair loss. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease, is one of the more common types of alopecia. Not all of them are related to an unusual immune system response, though. Some types of alopecia are related to genetic, lifestyle, or environmental factors, as well as psychological conditions that lead to hair pulling.
Treatments for many types of alopecia are the same and may involve oral medications and topical therapies. For some alopecia types, behavioural changes are needed to reverse hair loss.
Stigmatising attitudes of laypersons toward patients with alopecia exist across a multitude of social and professional scenarios. The prevalence and magnitude of this stigma varies by alopecia severity. Characteristics of the affected individuals appear to be associated with whether alopecia is recognised as a medical condition, and when it is, alopecia-related stigma may decrease.
Stigma is associated with impaired quality of life and research shows that as perceived severity of alopecia increased, as did the stigma towards those that have it with elements such as social distancing, stereotyping as “sick … unattractive” and whether alopecia is believed to be a medical condition thus reducing stigma, or one of cosmetic.
In this powerful podcast. Sam Knight shares her story of having alopecia from a young age, in the hope to dispel some of the myths and acknowledge the negative impact individuals can and have had on her due to her alopecia.
Providing written terms and conditions – including to seasonal staff – is not just a legal obligation, but hugely beneficial, says Kelly Hanley of Lovewell Blake.
With the summer holiday season upon us, many businesses in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sector will be boosting their workforce to cope with the increased demand from customers, with seasonal and temporary workers taking much of the extra strain.
For employers, this is an excellent and flexible way of dealing with the seasonal fluctuation in business. But because these workers will only be working for a finite period of time, there can be a temptation to treat them differently from more permanent staff, right down to omitting to give them a written statement of particulars detailing key terms and conditions.
This is especially true in smaller businesses (which tend to make up the bulk of employers in this sector), which do not enjoy the luxury of an in-house HR department.
But not giving every individual – even temporary and seasonal workers – a written statement of terms and conditions of employment is a big mistake, and one which could land employers in a whole lot of trouble.
First of all, it is a legal requirement to provide every worker/employee with a written statement of employment particulars, of which the ‘principal statement’ detailing the main terms and conditions of employment must be provided from the first day of their employment. This is a legally binding agreement that contains prescribed information and outlines the main terms and conditions between employer and worker/employee.
An employment contract is a much wider document, which contains enhanced terms and conditions of employment, and offers businesses greater flexibility and protection. It is important for this document to be carefully drafted so that the employment status (worker vs employee) and relationship with the individual is clearly defined and reflects what happens in practice.
Certain aspects of employment contracts are governed by UK law, such as minimum wage, working time regulations, and discrimination rules. Other legislation provides a framework for legal rights and obligations, such as the Employment Rights Act 1996, which covers areas such as unfair dismissal, redundancy pay and maternity rights, and the Equality Act 2010, which protects against discrimination in the workplace.
Understanding these legal requirements is essential to ensure compliance and avoid potential legal consequences.
But it’s not just about meeting your legal obligations: a well-drafted employment contract can help protect your business by setting clear boundaries and expectations for your employees. It can deter potential conflicts and disputes by ensuring that both parties are on the same page about the terms of employment.
For employers, the contract can help protect their business interests, with provisions to protect confidential business information, intellectual property rights and client relationships, as well as providing a mechanism for addressing performance issues, enforcing disciplinary procedures, and if necessary terminating the employment in a way that complies with UK law.
For employees, it ensures that they are treated fairly and in accordance with the law, safeguarding their rights to fair pay, safe working conditions, and protection from discrimination or harassment. It also provides a clear outline of their job responsibilities and expectations, reducing the risk of disputes over job performance.
To ensure legal clarity and comprehensive protection, an employment contract should include several key components such as:
Job information: job title, job description, location of work
Remuneration: salary or wages, bonuses and other benefits
Working hours: standard hours, overtime policies, break allowances
Termination terms: details about notice periods and grounds for dismissal
Confidentiality and non-disclosure: provisions to protect sensitive business information
Grievance and disciplinary: the process for raising issues or complaints, and how disciplinary matters will be handled
Leave entitlement: annual leave, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave
Even for seasonal and temporary workers, providing a clear, well-written contract on day one is an absolute must. By ensuring all the relevant components are included, both employers and employees/workers can foster a transparent, respectful and legally compliant working relationship – and that is the best way to ensure the maximum benefit to your business form all staff.
Medical finance experts, Lizzy Lloyd and Andrew Burwood of MHA Larking Gowen, are collaborating with Rob Day from Mills & Reeve to deliver these upcoming webinars, giving medical professionals an update on Primary Care Networks and Incorporation of GP medical practices.
Primary Care Networks update
Tues 20 October 1pm – 2pm
Topics will include:
• PCN funding
• Accounting for the PCN surplus in 2019/20
• Latest position re VAT and clinical director role
• PCN structures and incorporation
There will also be a live Q&A session at the end. This webinar will be recorded, but we ask you to register to make sure you get a copy of the recording after the event.
Freebridge Community Housing welcomes new Director
Freebridge Community Housing are delighted to announce that Paul Newbold has joined the organisation as Director of Development.
Paul has a very strong background in management and development and joins Freebridge having worked at a senior level for a number of housing associations over the last 30 years. One of the associations that Paul has been involved with in the past being Freebridge, having worked with the organisation on a project back in 2016.
Paul Newbold, said: “I am very pleased to join Freebridge and looking forward to helping them develop an increasing number of new homes to provide much needed good quality housing for the people of West Norfolk.”
Anita Jones, Freebridge Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Paul on board to further strengthen our leadership team. With his experience, knowledge and expertise he will make a great addition to the organisation, and we look forward to working with him to develop Freebridge further over the next few years.”
We are thrilled to announce that Lucas & Wyllys Solicitors has been highly commended in the Wills & Probate Team category at the Modern Law Private Client Awards 2024! This recognition means a lot to us, highlighting our commitment to excellence, innovation, and taking great care of our clients.
Why This Matters
These awards celebrate the best in the legal profession, and being recognised in the Wills & Probate Team category is a big deal. It shows that we are doing a great job in several important areas:
Efficient Operations: Our team runs like a well-oiled machine, making sure everything is handled smoothly and efficiently.
Outstanding Client Care: We always put our clients first, providing personalised care and support.
Innovation: We are not afraid to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to tough problems.
Achieving Results: Our hard work leads to significant, tangible results for our clients and our firm.
Team Collaboration: By working together and utilising everyone’s unique skills, we achieve outstanding outcomes.
Contributing to the Sector: We are committed to making a positive impact in the legal field and helping to develop future generations of lawyers.
Our Journey
Getting to this point has been a journey of continuous improvement. We are always looking for ways to refine our processes and stay ahead in the legal world. Embracing new technologies and innovative approaches has been key to our success.
Client Care at the Heart
Our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We know that dealing with Wills and probate can be tough and emotional, so we approach each case with empathy and personalised support. One client shared, “I was very happy with the work my solicitor did for me on my father’s estate. Everything was explained to me, and the process was as painless as it could be, under the circumstances. Losing a parent is horrible, but my solicitor was able to take a major weight off my shoulders, so I could take a step back and grieve.” Find more verified client reviews on Review Solicitors.
Innovation and Initiative
In a constantly changing legal landscape, we have shown we can adapt and innovate. Whether it’s using new digital tools, like our client App, or developing unique strategies, we are always looking for ways to improve and solve problems effectively.
Results Through Collaboration
By working together and leveraging the unique strengths of our team members, we’ve achieved significant, positive results. This teamwork has helped our clients and strengthened our firm’s reputation.
Looking to the Future
While we’re celebrating this commendation, we’re also focused on the future. We want to keep improving, embracing new innovations, and maintaining the highest standards of client care.
Thank you to the Modern Law Private Client Awards for this recognition, and a huge thank you to our clients for their trust and support. We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to continuing to serve you with dedication, expertise, and compassion.
Get in Touch
If you need help with wills, probate, or estate planning, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Our award-winning team is here to provide the support and expertise you need.
