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Excited to lace up and hit the trail with you at our next RUN CLUB event! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

8am 

30th May 2025

Whitlingham Park, Norwich.

This isn’t just a run—it’s networking with a fitness twist. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just looking for a relaxed jog, everyone’s welcome! A gentle 5km around the beautiful Whitlingham Park, followed by a free coffee on us ☕ because great conversations deserve great coffee.

East Anglian theatre company brings critically acclaimed play to the small screen

• LIT watch party: 7.30pm, Tuesday 1 June, 2021

Plain Speaking PR is proud to be working with HighTide, one of the UK’s leading new theatre writing companies.

HighTide is reimagining its critically acclaimed production – LIT – for the Netflix generation. A new version of the play, which had its world premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival in 2019, will be available to watch on TV screens from 7.30pm on Tuesday 1 June.

Written by Sophie Ellerby and produced as a partnership between HighTide and Nottingham Playhouse, LIT is the story of Bex: a teenage girl, looking for love in all the wrong places. Described by the Guardian newspaper as ‘a blistering look at teenage trauma’, the play tackles a range of difficult subject matters, but is underpinned by a cheeky and irreverent sense of humour. Inspired by Sophie’s experience of working with young women and mothers in the prison system, LIT doesn’t shy away from dealing with the grittier – and often heart-breaking – side of growing up.

LIT began its journey at the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall in Suffolk before transferring to sell-out audiences in London and Nottingham.  It was originally commissioned by funding from Arts Council England through HighTide’s First Commissions programme.  LIT‘s first run in 2019 won a range of plaudits from some of the UK’s most well-respected critics.

HighTide develops innovative productions and programmes that actively encourage diverse communities across the East of England to engage with new theatre writing. The company provides opportunities for young writers and performers to get involved and share their stories.

Suba Das is the Artistic director of HighTide: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Nottingham Playhouse to give theatre fans throughout the East of England and beyond the opportunity to immerse themselves in the turbulent life of Bex,” Mr Das explains.

”The ongoing impact and uncertainty of the pandemic has meant we haven’t been able to physically connect with our audiences in the East of England in the way we have over the past ten years.  But we’re proud that our pioneering approach to digital content has meant we’ve nonetheless reached thousands of viewers and vulnerable communities across our home region. LIT is a culmination of this online journey and we are thrilled our audiences will be able to experience this incredible show in their homes, ahead of us resuming live performances later this year.”

Stef Driscoll directed the original production of LIT and returns to the Nottingham Playhouse for its 2021 re-vamp.  “LIT is a play for the Netflix generation who want a narrative that is thrilling, witty and packs an emotional punch. Audiences will be taken on a journey with Bex that unmasks what it means to be a young woman today.”

Sophie Ellerby, the writer of LIT said: “I’m excited for Bex to burst into audience’s homes, full force. Since its first run in 2019, issues present in the play – such as rape culture and consent – have been magnified further. I hope LIT continues to spark conversation and empathy.”

For those wishing to be one of the first to see this landmark digital revival, the LIT online watch party is at 7.30pm on Tue 1 June 2021.  Tickets cost £10 and can be purchased from Nottingham Playhouse. Ticket-holders can then watch the recording as many times they like for up to 5 days. After the 1 June the production can be accessed on demand until 29th June.

For more information visit www.hightide.org.uk.

Please note, this play contains strong language and deals with issues around sexual assault.

-ENDS-

Following the resounding success of our first ever Abseil at The Forum, where 61 brave individuals conquered their fears and raised over £7,000 for vital services for older people, we are delighted to announce that this thrilling challenge is back in 2025!

Join us once again for an unforgettable experience as you descend the iconic Forum building. All funds raised will directly support Age UK Norwich in providing vital services. 

Tis the season to party!

As we grow ever closer to the season of fun and festivities, don’t miss out and book your table early!

We have the perfect setting from the big to the small parties including our private dining room that can accommodate up to 26 people. We are currently offering a 10% discount for bookings of 6 or more. For the Christmas period we will be open every day in December, and will be available for lunch as well as our regular dinner service, depending on the number of guests. Either dine from our a la carte menu or we can create a bespoke selection of dishes as per your budget.

Let the countdown begin…!

Best regards,
The Tamarind Team
www.tamarindblofield.co.uk

Kind-hearted students are basking in ‘story’ after donating a bumper haul of books to charity.

The giant collection, ranging from children’s classics to fiction and academic textbooks, has been handed to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) by The Thetford Academy.

They will be distributed throughout the charity’s 46 shops.

The Thetford Academy has previously supported EACH but this is its first donation since before the Covid pandemic.

“Our students and staff are always keen to support local charities,” said School Librarian Jacqueline Browne.

“We’re therefore very proud to be able to donate our ‘pre-loved’ books to a charity that does so much work for local children who need care and support during difficult times.

“We want to say a huge thank you to our local community, who have been very generous in donating lots of books to us following their lockdown clear outs.

“EACH is such a worthwhile cause and we’re delighted to help generate income for a charity that specifically supports the children, young people, and families of our region – something we feel immensely passionate about ourselves.”

In addition to its donation of around 500 books, the school also held a book sale and raised just over £30 for EACH.

Stephen Ball, EACH’s Warehouse Operations and Supply Chain Manager, said: “Our sincere thanks go to The Thetford Academy.

“It’s a very generous donation and these books will now be distributed throughout our shops, as and when required and requested.

“They will generate vital income to help us continue our vital work supporting families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions.

EACH Retail Central Support Administrator Jo Wilding and volunteer Dorothy King are pictured with the books at the charity’s Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford.

Image credits EACH

Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge has hailed the “incredible” work of children’s hospices in a personal message of support during this year’s national awareness week.

Her Royal Highness is Royal Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

She was writing at the start of Children’s Hospice Week, which has been led nationally by Together for Short Lives, the umbrella charity for children’s palliative care. It began yesterday (Monday, 20^th June) and runs until Sunday (26^th June).

The theme for this year’s awareness campaign is ‘For The Children’ and The Duchess has asked the public to join her in thanking the 54 children’s hospices across the UK.

She wrote: “For any parent, coming to terms with the news your child has a life-threatening condition and may die young is heart-breaking and incredibly frightening. Families can often feel isolated, but having the support of a children’s hospice means they don’t have to face that future alone.

“Every day, the UK’s 54 children’s hospices are a vital lifeline for families caring for a seriously ill child, and over the last ten years I have been privileged to see first-hand the incredible work they do.

“This year, the theme for Children’s Hospice Week is ‘For the Children’, reminding us all that as well as providing expert care, children’s hospices bring joy, fun and play to brighten each day and help families make the most of their lives together, no matter how short.

“This Children’s Hospice Week, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the extraordinary work they do and thank them for the life-changing care and support they provide to children and families going through the toughest of times.”

EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The Duchess is celebrating her tenth anniversary supporting EACH, having become Royal Patron in January 2012.

In the decade since, she has seen first-hand the support children’s hospices provide to families caring for seriously ill children.

Her maiden public speech came when officially opening The Treehouse, in Ipswich, in March 2012.

She then cut the ribbon at The Nook, EACH’s hospice in Norfolk, in November 2019.

This came after attending the launch of a fundraising appeal in 2014 and visiting its former hospice near Norwich, Quidenham, in 2017.

The Duchess also paid a return visit in June 2020, joining families to plant a new patio garden and transform the terrace area at The Nook. She sourced sensory plants and flowers for it ahead of her visit, which came during Children’s Hospice Week.

Among many other visits and events, The Duchess has also previously visited Milton and opened EACH’s shop in Holt, Norfolk, in March 2016.

Children’s Hospice Week is the only week of the year dedicated to raising awareness of children’s hospice services across the UK.

The Duchess has lent her support every year, including very personal written and filmed annual messages of support.

EACH Chief Executive Phil Gormley said: “Children’s Hospice Week is a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the incredible work children’s hospices do for children and families facing the unimaginable.

“It is an important week for our staff and volunteers, as well as the children, young people and families who need our care, and we very much appreciate and value The Duchess’s support.

“In the last decade, she has been a wonderful Royal Patron. Her interest and profile has projected our charity and the importance of children’s hospice services onto the national and international stage and it is appreciated by everyone at EACH.

“For all involved, it is a huge privilege, as much now as in January 2012.”

Andy Fletcher, CEO for Together for Short Lives, added: “The Duchess of Cambridge, as Royal Patron for EACH, is a fantastic ambassador for seriously ill children, their families and the children’s hospices they rely on.

“The Duchess’s support for Children’s Hospice Week over many years has helped raise awareness, so more families understand the lifeline care hospices provide, and all they do to bring joy and fun to families’ lives – giving them the chance to be parents, not carers. We join The Duchess in celebrating the lifeline care children’s hospices provide for families facing the unimaginable.

“As The Duchess says, hearing the news your child will die young is heart-breaking. Families often tell us they feel isolated and alone, and just don’t know where to turn to for support. That’s why children’s hospices are so vital.

“Everything they do is ‘For The Children,’ helping families make the most of every moment, whether that’s for years, months or only days.”

Photo Credits – EACH

Merry Christmas

At this festive time of year we want to take a moment to thank you for all your support to St Edmunds Society in 2022.

On behalf of all the staff and students, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

CSJ Awards 2022

We are so delighted to announce that we won the CSJ Awards 2022!

We had a wonderful evening celebrating the amazing work of grassroot charities across the country. We are very proud of the whole team.

Thank you to the Centre for Social Justice for recognising our work in providing positive learning environments for young people who have struggled to achieve in mainstream education.

Scorching temperatures, sizzling burgers and great company awaited members of the Norwich Research Park community who joined Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP (AIP) at their community summer barbecue sponsored by Chadwicks and Fortus.

The event was held on the grass and terrace area just outside the Centrum building attended by over 200 guests, from businesses and park partner organisations, who joined in the fun with networking, games and great food from the Genuine Dining Company.

Roz Bird, the new Chief Executive of Anglian Innovation Partnership commented, “Well done to the whole AIP team, and the catering team at the Centrum building, for organising an excellent first summer barbecue for our Norwich Research Park community. It is so important for us to help the people that work at Norwich Research Park to meet, talk, explore opportunities, and inspire each other with all the amazing science and business activity taking place.

Roz continued, “It was a great opportunity for me to introduce myself to lots of members of our community in one go and I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone over the coming weeks and months!”

AIP LLP also held a raffle to raise money for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice, and one lucky winner received a luxurious dinner and stay kindly donated by the Park Farm Hotel. Representatives from the hospice charity attended the event to sell cookbooks, and poetry books, and raise money for this great local cause.

The AIP team is working on plans for a whole series of Norwich Research Park events for the community to help companies and researchers on the park to network, collaborate and promote what they do.

Ensure you don’t miss out on all the park’s news and events by following AIP LLP and Norwich Research Park on social media and subscribe to the AIP LLP newsletter.

For further info about up-coming events contact AIP LLP’s Associate Director of Community Development and Services, Alexia Mlynarska.

This event was sponsored by Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP, Chadwicks and Fortus.

Chadwicks is one of our Park businesses. Chadwicks understand that wealth management is about more than just money. It starts with building strong and successful relationships with their clients.

Fortus are business advisors and accountants. With over 40 years of experience and a decade of that as part of a top 20 accountancy firm. Fortus deliver a much wider range of bespoke support and advice.

The Petplan Animal Charity Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the hard work and dedication put in by the teams and the individuals within the animal charity sector who have gone that extra mile to help rescue and rehome animals in need.

Everyone is eligible to vote and you can choose to vote for:

• an Animal Charity Team
• an Animal Charity Employee
• an Animal Charity Volunteer
• …or all of the above!

2022 was our best year yet as we helped to rehome 627 animals and provided support for thousands of pet owners across Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk.

If one of our team helped you or your furry, finned, feathered or scaly friend this year, we’d be so grateful for your nomination.

But hurry, nominations close on 10th January

Nominate here

Signup to our newsletter here

Lovell apprentice Kynleigh Parker has won the ‘one to watch’ award at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) top 100 most influential women in construction 2024 awards. The ‘one to watch’ award focuses on industry newcomers leading the way in championing equality, diversity, inclusion and equality.

The CITB ‘top 100 most influential women in construction’ awards celebrate the influential women who work in the sector. The awards make female and non-binary models more visible to those in the construction industry.

Kynleigh, from Suffolk, has been at Lovell for the past four years. She started as a cleaning technician, before becoming a trainee assistant site manager whilst undertaking a ‘Construction and the built environment level 4’ course with West Suffolk College.

Kynleigh said: “I am so grateful for Lovell for all their support, and the way they are working hard to make positive changes in the industry, and winning this award is incredible as there was so many amazing women being celebrated at the event. For me, it’s really important that we all support each other and continue to empower women in the sector.”

Regional partnerships director Sasha Bainbridge and trainee finisher Kim Watts were also shortlisted as part of the top 100 most influential women in construction 2024.

Kynleigh also won the ‘Achievement in Exceptional Circumstances’ category in the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards 2024. and won the ‘Outstanding Achievement by Apprentices’ category at the Housing Heroes Awards.

The CITB Awards were held on Monday 30^th September at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham.

For more information on Lovell visit www.lovell.co.uk or follow Lovell on social media.