Build your CPD with this Royal Society for Public Health Level 2 qualification in Understanding Health Improvement, with the help of Active Norfolk’s Fit4Work.

This one day qualification course will give you the basic health advice, knowledge and understanding to effectively help people who need support and encouragement to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles.

Two training sessions are available, and spaces are limited.

• NORWICH February 26 – UEA Sportspark, Norwich
• SOUTH NORFOLK March 26 – South Norfolk House, Long Stratton

Available for South Norfolk businesses only

This free training course is funded by Fit4Work, the workplace health programme delivered in the county by Active Norfolk.

For more information and to book the free training course through Fit4Work, please contact

• Katie Tierney on 01603 731 569 or[email protected].
• Website:www.activenorfolk.org/fit4work

At Norwich Castle we need to raise £14,500 to re-gild the frame of one of our rarest and most famous paintings, The Paston Treasure, before it goes on display as the centrepiece of a major international exhibition.

Visitartfund.org/arthappens-norwichif you’d like to donate – and bag yourself some great rewards as a thank you for your support, including an exclusive tote bag, a beautiful photo-book or a VIP day that takes you behind the scenes at the museum.

The Paston Treasure is a Norfolk masterpiece of international importance. It was painted by an unknown Dutch artist at Oxnead Hall in Norfolk around 1670 and portrays some of the treasures collected by the famous Paston family.

See The Paston Treasure for yourself in the Treasure, Trade & the Exotic Gallery at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery.

Just TWO WEEKS until the Mid Suffolk Business Exhibition – are you ready? 👀

We’re looking forward to meeting fellow business owners, sharing top marketing tips, and discovering exciting new opportunities. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, startup, or established business, this is an event you don’t want to miss.

💡 Looking for marketing advice? Let’s chat! We’ll be on hand to help you elevate your brand, boost engagement, and drive more sales. 🚀

📍 Where? Mid Suffolk Business Exhibition
📅 When? 26th March 2025

link for free tickets:
https://loom.ly/DMJqGBs

If you’re attending, make sure to pop by and say hello – we’d love to meet you! Let’s talk all things marketing, growth, and smashing success together. 🚀

That’s a wrap!

Were you at the #grandnorwichduckrace? Which duck was your favourite?

We loved seeing all the creative designs and being part of such a fun event for a brilliant cause. Proud to support @breakcharity and the amazing work they do

Until next year – quack you later!

#DuckRace2025 #BreakCharity

#smashmarketing 

Inheritance Tax (IHT) can feel like a tricky or awkward topic, but a little planning now can save stress (and money) later. With new rules coming into force from April 2027, pensions and other assets that used to escape IHT may now come under the tax net. It’s a good moment to start the conversation. When you and your parents talk about this together, you’re not just sorting finances, you’re showing care, trust, and foresight.

1. Start with Understanding (Not Pressure)

Every family’s financial story is different. Begin by asking what your parents understand already, what they’ve heard, and what they worry about. The goal isn’t to lecture, but to listen and learn. You might uncover assumptions or misunderstandings you can resolve together.

2. Explain What’s Changing

Pensions into IHT

From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included in someone’s estate for IHT purposes.

Who pays / reports

New rules propose that personal representatives (those handling the estate) will need to report and pay IHT on pension elements.

Reliefs on farms / businesses

From April 2026, the unlimited reliefs for agricultural or business property will be capped: the first £1 million gets 100% relief, above that only 50% relief.

What’s not certain yet

Legislation is still being finalised, so some details may shift.

You don’t need to cover every detail, just enough to make the shift feel real and give a frame for discussion.

3. Talk Openly About Their Wishes

Go beyond just “how much tax might we pay?” and ask questions like:

• What do you intend your legacy to look like?

• Are there people or causes you want to prioritise?

• Are there assets (e.g. pension, property, business) you’re particularly concerned about?

• How much do you want decisions now, vs leaving flexibility?

These questions help you understand values (not just numbers).

4. Explore What You Can Do Together Now

It’s not about panicking, it’s about options. Some possible steps:

• Consider drawing down pensions earlier (if cashflow allows), so that less is left unused later.

• Gifting while alive (within existing rules) may help reduce the estate.

• Review wills, trusts, beneficiary nominations to ensure they reflect updated goals.

• Seek professional advice – a financial planner or tax adviser can run “what-if” scenarios.

• Talk about what happens if health or capacity changes, so decisions aren’t left entirely for the executor.

5. Watch the Tone (It’s a Sensitive Topic)

Money and inheritance can bring up emotions – worry, guilt, loss, regret.

Keep your tone:

• Respectful – this is their life’s work and legacy

• Gentle – don’t rush, force, or freak out

• Collaborative – use words like “we”, “together”, “chat about”

• Hopeful – frame it as protecting what matters, not punishing with tax

6. Agree Next Steps (and Timing)

To avoid the conversation ending in ambiguity, try to agree on:

• A follow-up chat (e.g. in a month)

• What you’ll each do before then (e.g. gathering statements, meeting an adviser)

• A rough schedule (e.g. “in the next year we’ll review all assets and map them to current IHT rules”)

• Ending with shared action helps make it less theoretical and more real.

Building Confident Financial Futures

Talking about inheritance tax doesn’t have to be uncomfortable; it can be a way to care for each other and plan wisely. At Planit Financial, we’re here to support families having these conversations, helping you all feel confident and informed about what comes next.

When the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) timescale was announced, Norfolk County Council appointed Norse Commercial services to project manage the implementation. Two months into the new service, the company has produced a summary of what it involved.

With less than 12 months to review, plan and deliver individual school needs that ranged from additional cutlery and supplies through to complete kitchen builds and refits in the county’s 373 primary and infant schools (including all those in the Broadland area), Norse Commercial Director Terrance Isaac-Griffiths (TIG) and his team recognised that they had their work cut out.

“We knew the only way was to conduct detailed site visits, and document the essential requirements needed to handle the increased number of meals each school was likely to be providing after September 2014,” he explains. “Having completed then initial audit, we had to ensure that we managed the Head Teachers’ expectations, and during the next phase regular updates and consultation were key to achieving this.”

Copies of the Needs Assessments were sent to Head Teachers after the initial visit so they had details of what equipment was to be ordered for their school and when delivery could be expected.

Norse has its own engineering division dedicated to supporting the educational catering operation and this team played a major role in fulfilling the installation programme. However the volume of work and the tight timescales meant that the company also used some outside contractors to assist with the refitting.

“Our main challenge was availability of the equipment from suppliers; Norfolk was not the only county placing orders,” said Sonya Smith, Service Engineering and Catering Equipment Supervisor at Norse.

The whole project generated considerable economic benefit in terms of work for local and regional suppliers and contractors.

Norse Account Managers also offered support to the Head Teachers with regard to the logistics of managing the increase in meal numbers. In addition, 150 new jobs have been created in school kitchens, and kitchen staff hours have been extended in nearly every school.

On the 4th September 2014, the first day of the new academic year in Norfolk, all of the county’s primary schools were serving children with hot meals.

There were a handful of schools that required power upgrades in their kitchens before Norse could install their required heavy equipment. For these schools, the company worked closely with the Head Teachers and kitchen staff, and where necessary, put contingency plans in place.

The feedback from Mrs Binks Neate-Evans Head Teacher at West Earlham Infant and Primary School, which had a complete new kitchen/server installed, is typical of the praise schools had for Norse.

“From a school perspective it went very, very smoothly, particularly given the timescales,” she says. “The contractors were well organised and the kitchen was ready to cook from on the first day of term. We have benefitted enormously from having an experienced chef who quickly adapted from essentially being a restaurant chef to being able to deliver up to 300 meals per day. He was supported by an experienced Norse member of staff to help induct him into cooking for schools.”

The task finally over, and six weeks into the new regime, looking back at the achievements TIG commented, “The team worked tirelessly over the preceding 12 months to achieve a near 100% completion. But even in the very few schools where we had to wait to have the 3-phase power connected, our contingency planning ensured all pupils could receive a free midday meal. It is a real credit to all parties involved that their co-operative approach and the jointly agreed goals delivered such a successful start to the introduction of UIFSM.”

Some Key facts:

• 373 schools visited and fully audited
• 170 site visits to assess gas and electrical supply for additional ovens, fridges etc
• New equipment installed/delivered
  • 95 x Fridges
  • 58 x Freezers
  • 92 x Ovens,
  • 67 x Hot Cupboards
  • 259 x sets of Cutlery
  • 59 x tables/chairs sets
• 25,200 service engineer team man-hours
• Meals uptake up from 34.3% to 57.6% with growth set to continue as winter months approach
• 150 additional staff to cover

Following public consultation, the government has recently introduced measures to reduce ‘red tape’ surrounding the regulation of company and business names. The changes introduced will have a substantial impact on the registration process for start-up businesses and current businesses considering a change of name. Two new regulations came into force on 31 January 2015, introducing a number of changes to the previous regulations. The following information highlights two of the more significant changes:-

The ‘same as’ restriction

A company may not be incorporated if its name is the ‘same as’ another name appearing on the registrar’s index of company names. The definition of ‘same as’ has a wider scope than simply catching two identical names. Firstly, certain characters and expressions are treated the same, such as ‘two’ and ‘2’ and ‘at’ and ‘@’; therefore ‘Name Two Ltd’ is considered the ‘same as’ ‘Name 2 Ltd’. Secondly, certain words and expressions at the end of a company name are disregarded, such as ‘CO’ and ‘UK’; thus ‘Name UK Ltd’ is considered the ‘same as’ ‘Name Ltd’. These provisions are intended to prevent two company names co-existing that are so similar, they are likely to confuse the public as to which company is which. However the downside of this is restricted freedom to choose a company name and more barriers for start-up businesses.

The new 2015 regulations have attempted to mitigate the restrictive criteria under the previous regulations by reducing the list of words to be disregarded when comparing two company names. The following words have been deleted and can now be used at the end of a company name without fear of it being rejected under the ‘same as’ restriction:-

– exports

– group

– holdings

– imports

– international

– services

So, for example, ‘Name International Ltd’ and ‘Name Group Ltd’ will no longer be rejected on the basis that they are the ‘same as’ ‘Name Ltd’. This should therefore allow more choice when choosing a company name and should make name swaps within groups easier to achieve.

Restriction on ‘sensitive’ words

There are certain names which, though not prohibited, still require the approval of the Secretary of State or other relevant body prior to registration. This includes using words and expressions which are considered ‘sensitive’ and could mislead or harm the public.

The 2014 regulations have deleted a total of 26 words from the previous regulations, some of which include:-

– board

– European

– group

– holding

– international

– national

– registry

– United Kingdom

Reducing the list of sensitive words removes an additional hurdle for prospective businesses and should allow a greater proportion of new companies to incorporate quickly without delays to the process.

If you are unsure about how these new regulations will affect your prospective or current business, or you wish to seek further information on the content of this article, please get in touch with our Corporate Team on 01603 610911 or email [email protected].

Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.

polkadotfrog are advising companies to move quickly to secure the best IT candidates as the economy continues to flourish.

Nick Hunter, Divisional Manager of IT Recruitment at polkadotfrog explains: “The number of suitably qualified candidates coming through is not keeping pace with the expansion of high-tech businesses in Norfolk and the skills required are constantly changing as the world of IT rapidly evolves.”

The IT skills shortage is part of the bigger economic picture which saw the unemployment rate fall to six percent in the three months to October*, the lowest for six years. It is expected to continue falling as more jobs are created as forecast.

Nick advises that candidates are often getting multiple job offers and will move fast if an offer is on the table:“If you see a CV that you like, act fast and get them in for an interview. Good IT candidates don’t stay on the market for long. If you sit on CVs and delay interviews you will lose fantastic people.”

“We are now out of the recession and seeing a steady growth in IT jobs. This means that permanent job applicants can pick and choose and often don’t need to wait for a response from a prospective employer. It’s likely they will have submitted their CV to a few companies and will take a position from a company that comes across professionally and acts fast, so it’s important to communicate quickly and offer feedback. “

“The tables have turned,” he continues. “During the recession employers had an oversupply of applicants for jobs but now they’re finding it harder to fill their vacancies with high calibre candidates who are moving fast when they’re offered a good opportunity. The early bird catches the worm!”.

*Source: Office for National Statistics

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and we hope you’re feeling the positive vibes in the air this week!

But the annual day of love doesn’t have to be about gooey cards, candlelight and heart-shaped chocolates. Oh no. It’s also a great moment to celebrate good relationships in all areas of life. So why not give some attention to the relationships we rely on all year round?

With around 90,000 hours spent at work in a lifetime, it’s important that we take care of our relationships at work. This not only helps us do our jobs well, but it makes working life more enjoyable and interesting! There is lots that you as an employer can do to nurture excellent relations among colleagues. Take a look at our Valentine’s Day guide to building wonderful working relationships…

1. Respect and tolerance Creating an atmosphere of respect and tolerance helps people form relationships through mutual understanding. This should come from the top, with management setting strong examples in how people interact with each other and their teams. Accepting others’ ideas and openly discussing issues can help people find solutions and work together harmoniously.

2. Create social spaces Encouraging an environment where staff can be sociable can support the development of solid working relationships, since they get to know each other on a more personal level. A light, airy coffee shop, communal eating space or place for people to take a break can be very inviting to people who want to spend time working together or just chatting over lunch.

3. Work on retention A high staff turnover is no good for anyone. People need time to get to know each other and to gel. So by developing your retention and engagement strategy, staff are more likely to stay longer and you’re more likely to increase the chances of positive working relationships forming in the office. Check out our other blog articles for lots of ideas on engaging employees.

4. Trust your colleagues Trusting others is another cornerstone of good relationships. Without this fundamental ingredient, workplace relationships can crumble causing serious discord. Have trust in other people that they’ll hit the deadline or that they’ll deliver work to the required standard. Don’t look over colleagues’ shoulders – they’ll quickly pick on your doubts and could start to feel unhappy working with you.

5. Have a laugh Humour is said to help productivity, Humour can also be a great stress reliever at times of pressure. So keep the vibe positive and let people interact with other through fun that’s appropriate to the workplace or inject an element of fun by encouraging a social committee to arrange activities outside of work hours

6. Communication is key Good communication is a building block of any successful relationship, be it with your spouse, sister or a best friend! So, it naturally applies to professional relationships too. For instance, when delegating tasks to colleagues, make sure your instructions are easy to understand.. Also, emails are often open to misinterpretation – re-read emails before sending them, or if possible, pick up the phone or talk face to face!

7. Be approachable If you’re a manager or director, don’t shut yourself off from your team. Relationships are a two-way street after all, so it’s a good idea to make sure others know that they can approach you with concerns or ideas. This way people will feel more comfortable working for you and enjoy developing an honest relationship with senior level staff.

By injecting some Valentine’s Day inspiration into the workplace, you can’t fail to build happy and long-lasting professional relationships. On that note, we’ll love you and leave you, and wish you a positive year ahead with your colleagues.

Project Manager, Quantity Surveyors and Building Surveyors, Allman Woodcock Ltd based in Tombland, Norwich welcomes Wesley May to their team. Having graduated in 2012 with a BA Honours in Construction Management, Wesley is currently studying for his Masters in Construction Management and has, for the past 6 years gained extensive experience delivering a variety of roles such as Site Management and Estimating for local contractors.

The practice looks forward to working with Wesley and is confident that his skills and expertise will enhance their growing reputation of delivering a varied portfolio of projects to a consistently high standard within both the public and private sectors.

To meet the rest of the team at Allman Woodock Ltd. please visit www.allmanwoodcock.com.

The Oscar’s are happening this Sunday, splashing red carpet glamour and designer dresses across our newspapers! It’s the moment when the cream of the movie world reap their rewards for first-class performances.

And this week we’re taking tips from Hollywood to help you deliver a successful job interview presentation. We can help you plan and deliver your own Oscar-worthy performance!

If you’re going for a marketing or PR job in the East of England a presentation is likely to be part of your interview. But if you reallywant a new job you need to get your strategy right. Let’s get started with a bit of thespian-inspired advice…

1. Analyse the task Let’s say you’ve been given a fictitious customer pitch to present at an interview. Like a good actor scrutinising their lines, you should read the instructions carefully. Then read them again. And again. Make sure you understand what the interviewers want you to do. Do you feel you know the product or service you’re ‘selling’? Do you have a clear idea of the audience you’re presenting to? This level of thought will form the basis of a good quality presentation.

2. Your audience comes first Think about your audience (the interviewers): What do they want to hear and see? What skills do they want to see you use? Read the job description again, and make sure that when planning the presentation you give yourself opportunities to demonstrate these key skills.

3. A personal touch Actors bring their own ‘je ne sais quoi’ to each role. So just like the movie icons, inject some of your personality into the presentation. Are you able to charm your audience easily? Does your passion come through in your presentations? Are you a natural story teller? A quick note: Keep it professional and be cautious with humour – it can be inappropriate for some interviews, and easily misunderstood.

4. Learn your lines You wouldn’t see a star of the silver screen reading their notes on camera, so aim to learn your script before your performance too. Write down what you want to say, learn it, then condense it into note-form on a few flashcards. When you run through the presentation to get your timings right, have the cards handy in case you need a prompt. By the time you get to the big day, you should know it by all heart.

5. Creating the content Actors know how to catch an audience’s attention. If you’re using PowerPoint, you can create some great content your interviewers will love. Avoid using lots of lists – think of other ways to present information. Use images, bold text and graphics, but if you must use a list, make it short and punchy. You can flesh out each point with your script. Whatever you do, don’t risk losing your audience’s attention. Try it out on an honest friend – they’ll tell you whether or not it works!

6. Fake it till you make it Not many of us have the charisma of Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie. But you can get your own ‘X’ factor from being self-assured, stylish and by using positive body language. If interview nerves are getting to you a little, you should fake it till you make it! Play the role of a confident presenter and your performance could clinch you that job.

7. Accept the critique No matter how accomplished they are, many actors dread reviews of their performances. But they accept good reviews graciously and take bad ones on the chin. The same applies to other professions. Hopefully, you’ll get sparkling feedback and you’ll get the job. But should the feedback be mixed, simply accept it and use it to improve your performance next time. Thank the employer, and you never know – the job might still be yours but with areas for improvement.

Next time you find yourself planning a presentation for a job interview, you’ll know what to do to deliver one of award-winning calibre -we’ll even roll out the red carpet for you. Good luck!