Tech Educators are pleased to announce a new course aimed at supporting businesses based in North Norfolk. A tailored version of their existing Digital Marketing with AI bootcamp will focus on the needs of the local region, offering in-person and online sessions that will give you and your business the necessary skills to thrive in todays every changing and evolving digital landscape. You will unlock tools and learn techniques to increase your efficiency using AI.
Greater Anglia has today (2 September) launched series two of its Life on Rails podcast with Michael Portillo featuring as the special guest in episode one.
Presented by Lucy Wright and Dominic Rosso from the company’s Corporate Affairs team, the Life on Rails podcast gives passengers a peek behind the curtain of one of the largest train operators in the country.
Across this brand-new series of the magazine-style podcast, Life on Rails will welcome a wide variety of special guests who will share their incredible stories. Greater Anglia employees who are at the heart of operations will also explain how they have helped make Greater Anglia the most punctual and reliable train operator in the UK.
There will also be special features that will showcase how Greater Anglia is working tirelessly to give its passengers better journeys. Guests include fleet and operations colleagues who will be discussing how the new fleet of trains have helped to transform rail travel across East Anglia. Later in the series, senior leaders from the Greater Anglia Executive Leadership Team will join the podcast, as well as representatives from Network Rail to discuss how they are continuously investing in rail infrastructure and the role they play in helping us achieve record-breaking performance.
Each episode will delve a little deeper into some of the recent Greater Anglia news highlights. Lucy and Dom will examine some of the company’s most talked about stories and share some previously unknown information.
In a new feature called Destination in the Spotlight, the podcast will welcome Community Rail Partnership Officers from across the network who will share some of the beautiful locations on their route and talk about some of the exciting activities that they are hosting.
In the first episode which launches on Monday 2 September, the journalist, broadcaster, and railway advocate Michael Portillo joins the podcast to discuss his Railway Journeys, what made him fall in love with rail travel, and what he finds most attractive when travelling on the Greater Anglia network.
Michael Portillo, said:
“I have a lot of fondness for Greater Anglia, and it was a pleasure to join their Life on Rail podcast.
“The introduction of the new trains has been particularly impressive, and I have been struck by their acceleration and punctuality. They also look very smart while being quiet and therefore do not upset my soundman if we are ever filming.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend time in East Anglia and the Greater Anglia staff very often come out and greet us. They want to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, and I am truly grateful.”
Also in the first episode, Lucy and Dom will speak with Greater Anglia’s Safeguarding and Community Safety Manager, Georgia Payne. With World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, Georgia will be discussing how we support people struggling with their mental health.
Thalia Rushmore is the Community Rail Partnership Officer for the East Suffolk Lines between Ipswich, and Lowestoft and Ipswich and Felixstowe. She joins the podcast to speak about some of the beautiful locations along this route and share some of the exciting activities that they are hosting.
Dominic Rosso, Greater Anglia’s Senior Media and Public Relations Manager, said:
“The Life on Rails podcast is back. We are truly excited to give passengers a peek behind the curtain of Greater Anglia and showcase how we are putting passengers first.
“It was a true delight to welcome Michael Portillo to the podcast and hear how his affinity with the railway began and why he believes that rail is the best way to travel.”
(Credit. Greater Anglia)
Life on Rails series 2, episode 1 is now live. It is available on all usual podcast platforms and www.greateranglia.co.uk/podcast. The podcast will be issued bi-monthly.
Captain Fawcett Ltd, Manufacturer and Purveyor of simply ‘First Class Gentleman’s Grooming Requisites’ based in King’s Lynn, has been flying the flag for West Norfolk on the epic BarbersRide motorcycle adventure across Europe to raise funds for international children’s charity Make-A-Wish.
On the 3rd August Richie Finney, owner of Captain Fawcett and co-founder of BarbersRide, set off from Fawcett HQ to join a fellowship of mad-cap motorcyclists, united by their passion for bikes and barbering. The mission? To raise much-needed funds for ‘Make-A-Wish’, a charity which turns the dreams of seriously ill children into real life magic.
Covering 972 miles / 1564 km (excluding getting there and back), a motley crew of over 30 riders roared through their a 5 day mission raising over £25K. Indeed, with BarbersRide now in its eighth consecutive year, since the Ride’s inception, total funds have climbed to over £143K – and donations for 2024 are still coming in! Huzzah!
Captain Fawcett, a West Norfolk Champion and East of England Export Champion, is a key sponsor of BarbersRide. The company founder, Richie Finney, is also one of BarbersRide’s founding members. He says: “It is a true pleasure to be part of bringing barbers and bikers together on these extraordinary annual journeys of camaraderie, mayhem and just fantastic goodwill. 2024 was BarbersRide’s first time taking to the highways of mainland Europe. Suffice to say, the warmth and hospitality of Europe’s barbers never fails to rise above its already legendary reputation. They truly excelled themselves, with live music, food and drinks laid on to revive the somewhat weary riders. We simply couldn’t do it without them. My personal thanks to Jenna at Fawcett HQ for her superb support and (almost) infinite patience!”
Regular BarbersRide Sponsors BARBICIDE® say:“We’ve been with BarbersRide from the start, we believe in what they’re doing for Make-a-Wish and hope that the Captain and his riders had a great European tour this Summer. Barbers do so much for our industry and it’s a chance for Barbicide to give something back.”
BarbersRide have supported Make-A-Wish since 2019, saying: “Make-A-Wish grants special wishes for sick children when they are most in need and bring positivity and happiness in times of distress. We decided to work with a national children’s charity so that children from each region could benefit and Make-A-Wish were the perfect organisation to partner with. In 2024 we were delighted to work with our European friends and extend that support to Make-A-Wish in Germany and the Netherlands. This incredible charity is truly a global phenomenon.”
Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley said: “We are hugely grateful to BarbersRide and all those who have supported their brilliantly unique way of fundraising for Make-A-Wish over the years. Any money they raise will help us with our ambitious mission to light up the lives of every child across the world who has a critical condition, by granting their wish. From the moment they are diagnosed, the joy of childhood is often brought to an abrupt end while treatment, medical appointments and worry take over. It can’t be underestimated how powerful a wish can be in bringing light and joy to those children, as well as their loved ones, creating positive moments and cherished memories that have a lasting impact on all their lives.”
In 2025 BarbersRide will take to the road again. Get involved!
Barbershops and brands
If you are a barbershop who would like to be considered to host an event or if you work for a brand that would love to be involved in sponsorship, then the BarbersRide team will be thrilled to hear from you.
Green Duck has been confirmed as an approved supplier for G-Cloud 12.
Green Duck has been approved across all three sections of the Governments Digital Marketplace, known as G-Cloud 12. It is the latest version of the Crown Commercial Procurement Framework for Cloud services which covers Cloud Hosting, Cloud Support and Cloud software.
G-cloud is designed to make it easier for the public sector and government departments to access cloud technology and services. It gives public sector organisations access to a marketplace of cloud suppliers that have been approved through a rigorous assessment process.
Now part of the supplier network, Green Duck’s range of Cloud Services and solutions can be delivered under the G-Cloud 12 Framework.
Green Duck is planning for growth in 2021 and part of that can now be achieved by working with the public sector enabled by our G-cloud 12 supplier status.
Graham Duckworth, Co-Founder at Green Duck says “We are proud to have been accepted as a supplier. G-Cloud represents a great additional opportunity for us, as a cloud service provider, to offer solutions for projects offered by the public sector. More and more government organisations are putting their trust into suppliers that work within the G-cloud framework as they move into a more cloud-based way of working.
“Not only are our core services built around reliability and dependability, but we have a whole department dedicated to cyber security which adds additional weight to our G-cloud supplier status.”
Whilst COVID-19 has dominated the conversation of late, and many of us had almost forgotten about the ‘B-word’, movements around Brexit have continued. With the deadline of 1 January now looming, MHA Larking Gowen, chartered accountants and business advisors, has an online Brexit Hub. Their team of experts will be compiling their insights through blogs, helpsheets, podcasts and more!
Recent additions to the Hub include brochures on Customs Grants Extension and Authorised Economic Operator Status, as well as the following blogs:
UK Global Tariffs post-Brexit may be good news for the agricultural machinery sector
Brexit: What are you waiting for?
Is your farm fit for Brexit?
How can the manufacturing industry prepare for Brexit?
VAT on Brexit
The agricultural subsidy of the future. Will it be a success?
The future of the Basic Payments Scheme
Is the agricultural sector about to be thrown under the bus?
Partner at MHA Larking Gowen and Brexit expert, Chris Scargill, recently launched a new Bitesize Brexit podcast as part of MHA Larking Gowen’s Insights series. Episodes so far include:
Government funding for training on customs declarations
If you have any questions about Brexit and how it affects you and your business, please get in touch with your usual MHA Larking Gowen contact, or alternatively, call 0330 024 0888 or email [email protected]. If you want to contact our team directly for advice or support, you can reach out on Our People page.
NCSL is thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new website, now live at Norwich City Services | LATCO | Norwich, UK. This significant milestone marks a transformative step in our digital presence, designed to better service our clients, attract top talent, and increase brand visibility.
The new website offers an intuitive and engaging user experience, showcasing our services, values, and company culture with enhanced imagery and streamlined navigation. Prospective employees will find a dedicated careers section, providing a deeper insight to the exciting opportunities and inclusive environment NCSL offers.
By enhancing our online presence, we are positioning NCSL for greater engagement, stronger recruitment efforts and increased brand identity. We invite everyone to explore our new site and discover what NCSL is all about.
WLP is pleased to introduce a new colleague David McLean to the team. David brings skills and experience that broaden and deepen our offer to SMEs. Two new areas of support he brings to the WLP portfolio are:
𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Optimising your product/service line-up and pricing structures to better meet your customers’ needs and improve your margins.
𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Getting a better deal with your suppliers and customers through effective negotiation, and upskilling your staff to achieve better outcomes.
Keep any eye out for posts and articles on the WLP website and LinkedIn page from David on these topics. Or if you want to get ahead of the competition and start discussing them now, why not get in touch with David today? [email protected]
Greater Anglia is showing its support for World Suicide Prevention Day, on September 10, by training more staff in suicide prevention to help keep people safe on the railway.
Greater Anglia staff have already helped to save 20 lives so far this year, through interventions where they have helped vulnerable or distressed people at stations across the network.
In the last three years, 141 staff have completed Samaritans’ managing suicidal contacts course, which is a one-day course tailored specifically to people working within the rail industry.
The course focuses on the benefits of a short conversation with someone who may be experiencing suicidal feelings and the techniques required to sensitively support that person and help begin their recovery.
These first aid skills are also beneficial when responding to family and friends who may visit the location following a loved one’s death and when supporting a colleague affected by trauma. In addition, they are valuable in our personal lives, listening to friends or family in need.
The aim is to continue to increase the number of staff who have completed the course.
The course is now delivered in-house by Greater Anglia’s learning and development facilitator, Dan Ribbits. A session will take place at Norwich railway station next Wednesday, which is planned to take place the day after World Suicide Prevention Day.
Greater Anglia has recently introduced a Lifesaver award for colleagues who have completed a suicide intervention. As part of this, staff receive a certificate and a badge to thank them for their efforts.
Georgia Payne, Greater Anglia’s Safeguarding and Community Safety Manager, said:
“We work in partnership with the Samaritans, British Transport Police and Network Rail to prevent suicides on the railway.
“We are doing everything we can to keep people safe while using our rail network. More staff than ever before have completed the Samaritans’ managing suicidal contacts course, which helps train rail staff to approach vulnerable or distressed people.
“For every life lost, six are saved and we are very proud of our colleagues who have carried out interventions. The Lifesaver award is a nice scheme to show our appreciation for what may be the hardest part of the job, and it has been well received so far.”
Anyone who needs to talk can call the Samaritans on 116 123.
To hear more about how Greater Anglia is supporting World Suicide Prevention Day, listen to Georgia Payne’s interview on the Life On Rails podcast.
Wingfield Consultants have won another global awards this year with a ‘Stevies’ Silver at The International Business Awards. This time an Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility award.
The name ‘Stevie’ is taken from the name Stephen, which is derived from the Greek for ‘crowned’!
Simon Wingfield, Founder of Wingfield Consultants, said: ‘This is our second global award recognition in 2024. We are so proud that the work we do for local communities, charities, and social enterprises in our home county of Norfolk has been rewarded with this silver award by the international judges.’
This is the ELEVENTH award win, finalist, shortlist or nominee recognition for Wingfield Consultants in 2024. It follows the CorporateLiveWire Global Awards 2023-24 win for Business Consultancy of the Year – UK win, The National Mentoring Awards – Excellence in Mentoring Award win (for Simon Wingfield), the SME News Business Elite Awards win for Best Business Growth Solutions Consultancy (East of England), the StartUp Awards finalist for Business Consulting & Management StartUp of the Year (East of England), the British Business Awards finalist for Small Business of the Year, the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards finalist for Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year (East of England), a previous shortlist position for the Business Awards UK awards, the Business Awards UK Newcomer Business Consultancy of the Year win (Norfolk), the Business Awards UK CEO/Director of the Year win (Norfolk – Simon Wingfield), and a South Norfolk Community Awards nominee for Business in the Community.
To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues, including non-essential retailers, to close or restrict how they provide goods and services during the national lockdown.
Non-essential retail includes clothing and homeware stores, betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, and market stalls selling non-essential goods.
Non-essential retailers can only continue to operate for pre-ordered click-and-collect, mail order/phone order and delivery services. Council officers are visiting premises to provide advice and check regulations are being followed. If you wish to trade in this way, please remember:
Customers must pre-order goods, either online, by phone or by post, and must be given a future timeslot for socially-distanced collection or delivery.
Goods must be collected or delivered off the shop premises and social distancing must be maintained.
Customers are not allowed to enter the shop at any time.
Shop doors or market stall shutters must be kept locked except to allow the temporary passage of goods for pre-ordered socially-distanced collection or delivery.
Signage should be placed on the shopfront to say it is closed and only operating for pre-ordered click-and-collect, mail order/phone order and delivery services. Feel free to download this signage and put inside your window.
In this week’s episode James and Mark talk about ways businesses can increase sales performance during lockdown and extended furlough. As usual they end up with 3 top tips, and along the way they make reference to Toy Story 4, Kurt Cobain and, yet again, the film The Matrix!
You can subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, or listen below.
Don’t forget, if you have missed the special interview episode with Sue Liburd MBE, and Andy Nicol, on diversity in the workplace, this unmissable episode is still available to listen to Listen here
Haswell Training are passionate about supporting mental health and well-being in the workplace and have been working in the background to develop and deliver a service that is responsive to the needs of our clients. Research has shown that employers see a return of £5.30 on average for every £1 invested in staff mental health. But above all else, support for employees shows that they are valued and recognised (Deloitte, 2022).
We are delighted to announce the official launch of the wellbeing element of Haswell Training Limited. Our Head of Well-being, Charmaine, is a qualified Occupational Therapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council bringing 14 years’ experience to the team.
She will be available to support the training needs of your team through the delivery of the following Qualsafe accredited (and Ofqual regulated) qualifications:
Level 1 – Introduction to Mental Health in the Workplace (Half day) – regulated and nationally recognised qualification for people who wish to raise their awareness of mental health and improve their mindfulness in work and everyday life.
Level 2 – Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace (1 day) – regulated and nationally recognised qualification that has been specifically designed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions in the workplace and how best to offer support and guidance to colleagues.
Level 3 – Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace (2 days) – regulated and nationally recognised qualification that has been specifically designed for those who would like to become a Mental Health First Aider in their workplace.
In addition to this, Charmaine will be available to work in partnership with you to create a bespoke package – responsive to the needs of your workforce. This could include:
Continuing Professional Development Sessions – upskill your workforce and help increase their confidence and confidence to identify, talk about and promote their own well-being and that of others. Sessions could include topics around – sleep, alcohol/drugs misuse, anxiety, depression, stress, etc.
Mental health and well-being sessions – moving away from the education side to focus on team well-being and strategies to support this. Sessions based around the NHS 5 Ways to Well-being. Perfect for a short session within the working day.
Support and/or supervision for mental health/well-being champions in the workplace
Drop ins – a dedicated time and place for people to feel listened to and supported and offering signposting to additional services.
Consultancy – to support businesses to identify and address the bespoke well-being needs of their workforce and use this to underpin a responsive mental health policy.
For more information, please contact us on 01603 394352 or email us [email protected]