High-performing teams aren’t born, they’re built. Our work with organisations shows that teams thrive when they’re supported by four key pillars: Purpose, Belonging, Safety and Accountability. These pillars aren’t buzzwords; they’re the foundation of teams that can adapt, innovate, and deliver results consistently.
Teams face pressures every day: change, workload, conflicting priorities, and the small frustrations that quietly chip away at energy and focus. High-performing teams don’t happen by accident – they’re created within an environment that’s intentional, thoughtful, and supported by these four pillars.
Think of them as your team’s framework. Purpose gives direction. Belonging builds trust and connection. Safety allows people to speak up, take risks, and innovate. Accountability keeps everyone on track and driving results.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be unpacking each pillar in detail: what it really means, how it shows up in your team, and practical ways to bring it to life.
Want to know how well your teams are performing and how they could improve? Drop us a message or find out more on our website www.blueherontraining.com
As a sole trader, as I’ve mentioned before, I do not benefit from department heads to busy themselves with getting into various subjects and then briefing me for discussion on the business. Therefore, because I have no Marketing Department I have decided to interview myself and let Chamber readers peek behind the curtains back stage so to speak.
What made you decide to become a French tutor?
Initially I trained to be a Primary School Teacher so education is something important to me and something I have always enjoyed doing. When I first came to Britain in the 1990s I took a job working as French Tutor for the Berlitz language school and that was the spark that ignited my passion for the role. I very quickly realised that I loved teaching French and seeing my students progressing with the language skills. It’s very rewarding.
What do you like best about helping people with the French language?
Honestly speaking, I prefer to teach French to adults as I believe like all languages, French is supposed to be spoken. In my experience I find that the curriculum for GCSE and A-levels focuses too heavily on written and grammar skills which is important of course but fundamentally, my role is a people business and getting people conversant speaking with each other is a real joy. You can always learn to read and write the language a little later but the pleasure of a learning a language, and where it’s easier to see real success quickly is being able to speak to be understood and to understand the response.
You have students from all over the world. Do you find any differences in how people like to learn?
Differences are not really because of their geographic location but more about the individual’s learning styles. People learn differently whether they are from Britain, Singapore, Dubai or anywhere else. I tailor my lessons to the individual’s learning style, their needs and their personal preferences.
It’s not just French language tuition that you do but also consultancy. Tell us more about that.
I also help people living in-county in France with day-to-day tasks. Being able to buy bread at the bakery, have a chat with the Butcher or run round your local Hypermarket is completely different that talking with a solicitor about a house purchase or a local problem or talking with medical professionals about healthcare issues on behalf of your partner. That’s where I can help be the intermediary between a professional and a native English speaker. One such instance was the healthcare issue where a client’s wife was very ill in hospital and whilst the husband could do the shopping and navigate their way around town, the complex nature of the healthcare discussion was beyond his and her capability. I got to know both the husband and wife and engaged with the hospital on their behalf. I understood the situation, the concerns and expectations of the patient and her husband plus the options, benefits and risks from the hospital’s perspective. And with the benefit of today’s technology it’s a very cost effective solution too during situations when people are otherwise lost and quite vulnerable.
What are your top tips for learning French?
Exploring, testing, trialling, making mistakes (it’s part of the learning process) and having fun are essential. I would also say that patience with the learning process is important as is being realistic with your expectations. For all of these reasons, this is why I tailor lessons to suit the individual’s own learning style, their needs and what interests them.
Whatever your motivation, whether you are starting from new and always wanted to learn the language, whether you are more experienced and want to develop your conversation, you might be looking for guidance in-country with healthcare or house buying or perhaps you are looking for support for your business, give me a call with no obligation on 07930 444 078 or email me on [email protected] anytime.
We are getting ready for a busy Bank Holiday weekend here at the Hotel with all the rooms undergoing deep cleans, the ordering is all being done for the restaurant and bar, managers are meeting to look at what’s going on so we are all prepared and the gardener is due to arrive this afternoon for a spruce up!
It is fairly quiet here this evening accommodation wise s most people checked out today to get back to make their plans and set off for their weekends away so if you need a Hotel this evening, we are here for you…
Check Out Our Latest News Update On Our Website And Find Out How Uclan Race Engineering Are Getting On With Their Car On The Run Up To Formula Student 2013!!! Almost Time For Silverstone! https://www.emkayplastics.co.uk/news
Half Term Holidays… UK City Breaks, Norwich isthe perfect escape!
With the little ones of school again so many people are at a loss and stuck for things to do!
We have just reduced the rates for the last of our rooms for you to come and take a trip to Norwich for a quick City Break, the chance to get away and entertain the kiddies without breaking the bank…
Norwich has so much to offer with the Norfolk Broads, Norwich City Centre for the shopping, museums, restaurants and more, bowling, cinema, skating or nature walks all within easy reach of the Brook, Norwich by car or by bus.
Check out the deals on our website and make sure you tell your friends, you wouldn’t want them to miss out on the chance to come and stay for a little break away!www.brookhotel.co.uk
STM Packaging Group appointed Bigfork to design 4 new websites for each group company (STM Group, Sefton Transmail, The Polythene Company, Shirplass). STM manufacture polythene packaging and mailing products and wanted the websites to have a strong visual impact. You can see to full story and websites on our website.
Being a B Corp isn’t about a badge on our website. It’s about accountability to our people, our clients, and the planet.
At Smash Marketing, B Corp certification means we measure our impact, not just our growth. It means we choose transparency over shortcuts and long-term value over quick wins.
From how we support small businesses, to how we invest in our team, to how we reduce and offset our environmental footprint, every decision is intentional.
We’re proud to be part of the UK’s B Corp movement, standing alongside 2,500+ businesses proving that profit and purpose can (and should) work together.
This isn’t a trend for us. It’s how we do business, every day.
We assist businesses to cut through the noise, untangle the tricky bits, and turn “we should really sort this out” into clear, practical action. No buzzword bingo. No overcomplicated nonsense. Just smart recruitment that actually makes sense.
Think of us as your calm, experienced voice in the room — the one that asks the right questions, challenges the right things, and helps you move forward with confidence (and maybe even enjoy the recruitment process).
As a fellow member of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, you have been selected to receive our “Buy 1 get 1 half price “January Offer” for you to redeem until June 2026.
https://purekat.co.uk/permanent-recruitment/
Permanent Placement Fee Quotation upon request
There is no fee for the PureKat team to resource candidates for your consideration; we only invoice if our candidate secures the role, so it’s a free “try before you buy” service.
**Then for your 2nd permanent placement, we will offer you 50% on any recruitment package (offer expires in June 2026)** T&C Apply.
If you would like to discuss how PureKat Consultancy Ltd could support your business with finding suitable, skilled and top notch candidates within your industry, please feel free to contact our Operations Director, Daniel Dagley on 01603 567354 or email [email protected] today.
Food Safety Week is an annual event organised by the Food Standards Agency – its starts on the 10th June and the theme this year is the Kitchen Check ( a copy of the leaflet is attached to this post)
RedCat will be blooging throughout the week- but we have devised a quiz which will be posted at www.redcat.gb.comon Monday and will be open to all to enter until the end of Friday 14th June
The prize is to win a ‘Food Safety Inspector’ type visit to your premises; one of the RedCat team will come along with our swabbing machine and check the cleanliness of your kitchen
But some Food Safety tips- linking to the key themes of Food Safety Week are
Cleaning Hands are one of the main ways germs are spread. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before preparing and handling food, cooking and after touching the bin, going to the toilet, handling pets or handling raw food. Wash or change dish cloths, tea towels, sponges and oven gloves regularly and let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths are the perfect place for bacteria to breed.
Our kit will be able to tell how clean your surfaces are; we also use an Ultra Violet Kit on our training courses to see just how good hand washing is
Avoiding Cross Contamination • Cross contamination occurs when harmful germs/bacteria are spread between food, surfaces and equipment. You can help to prevent this by removing clutter that you don’t need and cleaning worktops before and after food preparation. • Always use a chopping board. Wash the board and other utensils in hot, soapy water when you’ve finished using them and in between preparing raw food (meat, poultry, eggs, fish and raw vegetables) and ready-to-eat food. Better still, use a separate chopping board for each type of food.
Chilling • Make sure your fridge is set between 0 and 5 degrees, you can use a a fridge thermometer to check. This is to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying to dangerous levels • Don’t overfill your fridge. This allows air to circulate and maintains the set temperature. • Store raw meat and poultry at the bottom of the fridge and properly wrap or cover it to avoid raw juices contaminating other foods.
Cooking food thoroughly • Cook food thoroughly until it is steaming hot in the middle. This will kill any harmful bacteria that may be present. You do not need a probe for this- check that the juices are clear and that there has been a colour change
This is particularly important with BBQ’s!
Understanding ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates • ‘Use by’ dates are typically found on perishable products (dairy, meat and fish) and are based on scientific testing to determine how long these foods will stay safe. After that date, food could be unsafe to eat even if it is correctly stored and looks and smells fine. • ‘Best before’ dates are used on foods that have a longer shelf life and tell us how long the food will be at its best. After that date it may be safe to eat, but its flavour and texture might have deteriorated. • The exception to this rule is eggs which have a ‘best before’ rather than a ‘use by’ date. Providing the eggs are cooked thoroughly, they can be eaten a day or two after their ‘best before’ date but not longer than this. • Check the ‘use by’ dates on the food in your fridge on a regular basis and be sure to use (eat, cook or freeze) food before its ‘use by’ to help you avoid throwing food away unnecessarily. • Once food with a ‘use-by’ date has been opened, follow any storage instructions such as ‘eat within two days of opening’.
Using leftovers safely Using up leftovers can be a good way of making a meal go further. • If you are going to store leftovers in the fridge, cool leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within 90 minutes) cover them well, get them in the fridge and eat them up within two days. • If you are going to freeze them, cool them before putting them in your freezer, to minimise temperature fluctuation in the freezer. Once foods are in the freezer, they can be safely stored there forever – but the quality will deteriorate so it’s best to eat them within three months. • Make sure you defrost leftovers properly first. Defrost them in the fridge, or in the microwave if you intend to cook them straightaway. • Eat leftovers within 24 hours of defrosting and do not refreeze. The only exception to this is if you are defrosting raw food, such as meat or poultry, once you have cooked this it can be refrozen. • Cook leftovers until steaming hot throughout. • Don’t reheat leftovers more than once.
If you would like to enter our quiz or if you have any Food Safety Questions- then do please contact us
Rapidly-evolving energy production technology services company Proserv has secured two major contract wins worth in excess of £15 million for work in the North Sea, further strengthening the company’s market-leading position in the subsea controls and communications field.
The first deal is with TAQA for the control of subsea wells approximately 16.5km from the Tern platform in the Cladhan field. Proserv will implement a system to control three subsea wells as part of a significant development project for the company. Using Proserv’s proprietary Open Communications Controller (OCC) technology, the system will provide a high-speed network capable of communication speeds up to 1.3Mbps.
The second contract award is with another leading operator and also involves work to control the subsea wells. Proserv will use a cutting-edge system, which will control a number of wells and manifolds. This features a fibre-optic communications system using Proserv’s Open Communications Hub (OCH) technology for fully transparent communications and high-speed data monitoring from the subsea multi-phase flow meters and control modules.
Proserv’s facility in Great Yarmouth will be the focal point for both contracts with all the manufacturing work taking place in the Norfolk town.
Commenting on the recent award wins, David Lamont, Proserv’s chief executive officer, said: “Both contract wins reflect Proserv’s industry-leading position and strong track record for delivering high-value integrated technology systems on time and within budget.
“Proserv’s fast-growing suite of technologies have been developed based on the company’s ‘ingeniously simple’ philosophy and are underpinned by the company’s international talent pool of technical and engineering expertise which has expanded considerably through organic growth and strategic acquisition.
“As a result, Proserv continues to expand both globally and particularly in the North Sea where our strong and expanding client base is testament to our levels of technology and service. We look forward to working with two leading operators in the region.”
In 2012, Proserv made two high-profile acquisitions which not only bolstered its capabilities but saw its global headcount increase by more than 600 people to over 1,600.
Proserv specialises in exploration & production, drilling, and infrastructure technical solutions and services to the global energy industry. The company operates worldwide from 30 sites in 6 geographical regions namely North UK & Africa, South UK & Europe, Scandinavia, the Americas, Middle East & North Africa and the Far East & Australia.
The education and development of engineering technicians is critical for the success of the UK.
Mott MacDonald Ltd in partnership with TEN Group invites you to an Advance Apprenticeship in Civil EngineeringLaunch Event to demonstrate the business case for a partnership approach as well as explaining the opportunities available, particularly to employers.
When: Tuesday 18th June 2013 10.30am – 12 noon.
Where: St Andrews House, St Andrews Street, Norwich. NR2 4TP.
Who should attend this meeting?
The meeting is being held specifically to inform the construction industry about how employing technical apprentices in Civil Engineering can be of benefit and how participation can be measured as a return on capital investment.
Reasons to attend this meeting
Embedding the opportunity for a professional qualification in the academic course and supporting this through work-based learning will be shown to promote employee self-confidence and lead to motivated and productive employees who understand your business and ways of working.
Colleges are increasingly beginning to
understand why simply offering traditional courses no longer meets employer expectations. Case studies from successful employer consortia already established in England will illustrate how added value can be successfully integrated into course structures and how advent of the new Technical Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering, is an exciting initiative and how companies can benefit from Government funding to support training costs.
As an industry we have forgotten
that Technical Apprenticeship courses offer the possibility of leading to the highest levels of professional attainment and are a valid alternative to full-time university education. This conference will enable you to give advice on the choices, based on robust evidence and will show how the Institute of Civil Engineers has acted as a catalyst for change and can be a major contributor to the relevance and quality of vocational courses.
As the construction market is rapidly changing through commercial and technical developments, for example BIM, the Technicians will be at the forefront of this change, allowing your companies to be aware of new developments and enabling your existing staff to learn through these young and enthusiastic construction students.
To book your free place or for more information contact: