So it was February 2015 and the team at JMS were only just getting over the Christmas rush when we were approached by The DRTV Centre to discuss production of a festive TV campaignfor their client Santa’s Lapland!
Despite Christmas 2015 being quite some considerable time away, JMS was engaged to create two TV commercials of different durations using existing footage. With all the shots of sleigh rides, reindeer and of course Santa himself, it had us all feeling surprisingly festive for Spring!
Once we had completed the script and gained Clearcast approval we got on with the main edit and soundtrack recording of the commercials. This involved selecting the most striking images and creating graphics that tied in with the brand, as well as adding Christmassy music to complement the visuals.
The script is written from Santa’s point of view, so to avoid confusing children with a multi-Santa scenario we had to find a narrator who was not only jolly but who also had a convincing Finnish accent to match the European footage – needless to say a bit of a challenge! However we rose to the task and cast an accomplished voice artist who specialises in Santa, who after careful auditioning came through with the perfect voice for the campaign.
With a strong call to action urging viewers to visit the website or call for November and December bookings, the 60″ ad airs nationally from 26th May 2015.
Leathes Prior is delighted to welcome new member of staff Marija Markovic to its growing Corporate and Commercial Team.
Marija studied for her law degree at the University of East Anglia and trained at a local firm before joining Leathes Prior. Previous to studying the law, Marija worked for the UK’s largest insurer as a sales coach for over 10 years. This experience has given Marija commercial awareness and the ability to provide the client with a great level of service.
Marija can assist with a range of Corporate and Commercial matters including buying or selling businesses and companies and general company, commercial and contractual issues.
In her spare time, Marija enjoys music, travelling and spending time with friends and family. She sings and will often perform at gigs or weddings. Marija is passionate about keeping fit and enjoys participating in such events at Tough Mudder, Spartan and The Devil’s Challenge.
Paul Warman, Head of the Corporate and Commercial Team says:
The team has experienced a phenomenal increase in transactional work over the past twelve months. Following the recession, there has been a shortage of people qualifying into this area. We were therefore delighted when Marija approached us and I am very pleased that she will be able to assist the Team in continuing to provide the service our clients expect from us. Just so long as she doesn’t want me to take part in Tough Mudder, Spartan, or The Devil’s Challenge.
A Court of Appeal decision in March 2015potentially opened the floodgates to claims from individuals for data protection breaches.
Over the past few years, the Information Commissioner has made significant use of its powers to levy fines on businesses and other organisations. However, the Information Commissioner has no powers to grant compensation to the individuals affected.
The Data Protection Act (DPA) has always provided a route for individuals to seek compensation for damages that they suffer as a result of a breach of the DPA. However, there have been relatively few claims brought. This is largely because it is relatively rare that individuals can point to any firm financial losses that they have suffered as a result of the breach. The DPA restricts the ability to claim compensation for distress caused by a breach, unless it is also possible to establish a financial loss.
However, the Court of Appeal has now determined that this restriction in the DPA fails to comply with EU law and as such, has effectively removed the hurdle and allowed individuals to claim compensation for distress caused by a breach of the DPA, even where there is no financial loss.
Many breaches of the DPA, such as loss of credit card details or tracking of internet browsing, for example, affect many thousands of individuals. To date, it has been difficult to bring a claim on behalf of these individuals, as there is rarely any financial loss (credit card companies will refund individuals for fraudulent activity). However, this change to the interpretation of the law opens up the possibility of these affected individuals claiming compensation for the distress caused by the misuse of their personal data.
Individually, such claims are unlikely to be significant, perhaps £500 to £1,000, but multiplied across many thousands of affected individuals, the impact for business could be substantial. There would at least be a certain irony if in the future we see claims companies seeking to entice us all to recover losses that we have suffered from data protection breaches!
Although we understand that Google, the defendant in this case, is seeking to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court, there are, in any event, plans for a new European law on data protection which will further strengthen individuals’ rights and substantially increase potential fines for breaches.
Although most businesses are now aware of the importance of protecting personal data, compliance is rarely high on the agenda and there continue to be many breaches of the law. Very often breaches are a result of businesses failing to sufficiently raise awareness of data protection obligations within their business.
For more information on data protection compliance, please contact James Tarling, DirectorinSteeles Law’scommercial team,on [email protected] or 01603 598025. James will also be giving practical advice on how businesses can ensure their compliance with data protection laws at a free ChamberSession – Be Better at Personal Data -on 7 July.
Truth: Travel agents often have access to exclusive deals, bulk discounts, and perks that aren’t available online. Plus, they help you avoid costly mistakes—so you actually save money!
“I Can Just Book Everything Online”
Truth: Of course, you can book online, but do you know the best routes, hidden fees, or fine print? Travel agents do. They provide expert recommendations, alternative options, and handle complications like cancellations, reschedules, or emergency situations.
“Travel Agents Only Book Expensive, Luxury Holidays”
Truth: Whether it’s a budget backpacking trip, a mid-range city break, or a luxury honeymoon, travel agents tailor holidays for all budgets and find the best value for your money.
“Agents Just Push What Earns Them the Most Commission”
Truth: A good travel agent prioritises YOUR needs because they rely on repeat business and referrals. Many work with a wide range of suppliers to offer unbiased recommendations that match your preferences.
“Travel Agents Don’t Offer Flexibility”
Truth: Need a last-minute trip? A complex multi-destination itinerary? Special requirements? Agents handle it quickly and efficiently, saving you the hassle of juggling bookings, visa requirements, and travel restrictions.
“Travel Agents Are Old-School and Useless in the Digital Age”
Truth: Today’s travel agents use AI tools, real-time pricing systems, and insider networks to create seamless, stress-free experiences. Plus, when things go wrong, you get human support—not chatbots!
LSI’s Crome Court project was winner of the Design through Innovation Category at the East of England RICS Awards. LSI Partners Trevor Price and David Andrews and Associate Mirja Mainwaring, alongside representatives from UEA, Aecom and Ramboll, collected the Award at the RICS East of England Awards Dinner in Bury St Edmunds on the 6th May. Crome Court was also a runner up in the Infrastructure category and was shortlisted for Project of the Year and will now go through to the National RICS Awards in London later this year, often referred to as the ‘Property Oscars’.
The Judges commented that “Crome Court creates a new focal point within the residential quarter of the campus. It achieves extremely high standards of sustainability and is designed and built to reduce the carbon footprint significantly. Innovation comes through the design enhanced by the application of technology and construction methods.”
Partner Trevor Price said that Crome Court proves it is possible to create a distinctive, attractive and highly sustainable building within a tight budget and programme;”We’re absolutely delighted to have won the Design through Innovation RICS Award category. Crome Court is a great example of how we can design sustainable attractive buildings that are also highly efficient and offer great value for money. The University is delighted that the sustainability standards exceeded the brief, and can look forward to reduced energy and running costs in comparison with other residences.”
Martin Lovatt, Estates Project Manager at UEA commented “There is no doubt that the innovation and design of Crome Court has made a significant contribution to the character and appearance of this section of the campus and the surrounding area.At the beginning of the project, we sat down with LSI and spent an afternoon around the table to ask lots of very quick what if questions, to see what the implications were for the life cycle costing. What we actually found was a sweet spot where the life cycle costing and the capital cost of those materials were in line with each other. Our U value targets became secondary to finding what actually the best value for the building was. We estimated that in that afternoon around the table we saved £750,000…a good afternoon’s work!”
Did you knowthat under current legislation,employers are legally responsible for employees safety whilst driving for work – even if they are using their own car? You could face prosecution and huge fines if an employee is involved in a crash – whether they caused it or not.
Norfolk County Council can help you meet your legal responsibilities. We offer cost effective seminars and workshops for small to medium sized companies in a relaxed, friendly environment. Sessions can betailored to your business needs and we also offer a consultancy service to help youwrite your driving for work policy.
Norse Commercial Services is once again sponsoring Danny Nobbs in his bid to be part of the British Paralympic team going to Rio in September 2016.
Danny, who changed discipline two years ago when his Shot Put category was dropped from the Paralympic programme, is now working his way up the Javelin event ratings.
“Looking back at the 2014 season, it was a steep learning curve,” Danny said. “It was my first full season since switching disciplines to the javelin and I had achieved both personal goals I had set for myself; to claim the British Record, and to be selected for Team GB at the Europeans. A good start, but as with every athlete, you always want more!”
“In April I joined a squad of athletes and coaches at a training camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal, thanks to funding from Norse. They’ve also helped me buy a new Nordic Indra javelin which has been a tremendous help. Until this point, I had always thrown with javelins which I had been given or those provided in the competition, but this new one rivals the best out there.”
Danny says that he has plenty still to work on, and six more IPC-sanctioned events to go before the team is selected for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, but he’s hoping for a great summer.
He is now 5th place in the world rankings; “Four places lower than I aim to be,” he comments.
Norse Sales Director Geoff Tucker said, “Danny has always been a great ambassador for sport in general, and a real role model for budding Paralympians in particular. We are delighted to be able to support him in his new chosen discipline; everyone at Norse wishes him well and we will keenly be following his progress.”
We are thrilled to announce that the new website for Educating Matters is now live. Tudor Lodge Consultants have been working with Educating Matters since January to develop the new look and feel of their website. Educating Matters was started by Rachel Vecht in 2001 and offers parenting classes and seminars in the home or workplace. Ideal for busy working parents with lots of childen, the lunch-time or after-work sessionsprovide parents with techniques and ways to make the most of their time with their children and help them manage things like homework, sibling rivalry and bullying. The classes have been so popular that Rachel has been asked to speak in major organisations across the UK including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
What we did for Educating Matters
If you look at the images on your right, you will see the difference between the new and old website.We were passionate about bringing more colour to the Educating Matters website and more visual elements. As a result, we workedwith a video production company to created an animated gif which loops every 15 seconds. So as you enter the website, it plays this type of video and you can see exactly the type of thing that Educating Matters offers. For prospective clients, they get an idea of what the company offers immediately and can visualise this taking place in their offices.
So in addition to more colour and visual elements, we created a site that was easier to navigate and is fully responsive on both mobile and tablet too.
We also worked on the Search Engine Optimisation for the website, because this is our speciality. We started by doing thorough keyword research and sitting with the founder Rachel to determine the most target keywords and what we couldrank for such as parenting courses and work life benefit.
So we created individual landing pages which are easily accessible on the header or footer of the website and each has a page filled with relevant content, Youtube videos and images. In addition to the content, we added trust signals to the site including links to the recent news articles, clients, case studies and testimonials. We also incorporated social media buttons on each page and a Google map to show that Educating Matters is a business with a real location.
We look forward tocontinuing to work with Educating Matters to add more contextually relevant content and buildclean and reputable links from authoritative websites.
Having established themselves delivering CIPD and ILM qualifications across East Anglia, Blue Sky Professional Development are pleased to announce their approval to deliver Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) programmes at a new location in Essex.
Kate Woods, Director of Blue Sky, reported that enquiries from HR professionals across East Anglia have steadily increased with much more interest from Suffolk and Essex than in previous years so they have decided to expand their services.
All Blue Sky students benefit from the support of experienced tutors at group workshops and now they will have a choice of attending these and tutorials at either our existing Norwich base or our new venues in Colchester.
Blue Sky are delighted to be delivering CIPD programmes at all levels: Advanced, Intermediate and Foundation from Weston Homes Community Stadium, home of Colchester United FC, and the North Colchester Business Centre. Both these venues are just off the A12 giving easy access to clients traveling from Ipswich, Chelmsford and Southend, as well Colchester itself.
Blue Sky are looking to start their new programmes from Colchester in the Autumn and are running course briefing session for prospective students throughout the summer.
If you would like more information or would like to book onto a briefing session please contact Beth or Kate [email protected]
We are really pleased to have been involved in the making of this programme on Channel 5. Heat Pumps: Are they really worth it?
The film makers visited our showroom and followed one of our installation teams who completed a retrofit install of an Ariston air source heat pump.
We felt like it was a balanced programme, which covered many of the questions those who want to install an air source heat pump ask.
If you are interested in installing a heat pump, then the episode is available to stream on My5, we recommend taking a look and if you want to talk about your project specifically to give us a call on 01603 898904.
Norse Commercial services recently added the latest all-electric van to its fleet.
The Nissan E- NV200 Acenta Rapid will be used by the company’s Transport Division for collection and delivery within Norwich and surrounding areas.
Norse’s Group Transport Manager John Mellor said; “We already operate a number of electric vehicles in our grounds maintenance department, and this latest technology all-electric van will add to the green credentials of the Norse Fleet. We constantly monitor performance and cost and we plan to use more vehicles of this type in the future, on contracts within the City of Norwich and indeed other suitablelocations in the UK where Norse has a presence.”
According to the manufacturer the vehicle has a distance of 106 miles per charge and can be charged overnight or on a rapid four hour charge at specific sites. It has a Zero Co2 gm/km and a carbon footprint of zero tonnes, compared with a similar diesel van with a Co2 rating of 115 gm/Km and a carbon footprint of 10.65 tonnes.
“Norse is committed to environmental sustainability wherever possible,” John Mellor added, “and the introduction of this latest vehicle to our fleet will make a significant contribution. Going by the Abor Environmental Alliance figures, for each similar vehicle we would have to plant approximately 10 trees, each livingfor forty years, to absorb this level carbon.”
Based on 15,000 miles per annum, the company believes it will realise a minimum cost saving of £2500 over afive-year vehicle life, for this class of all-electrical vehicle.
We are delighted to announce that footballing legend Grant Holt popped by to our Norwich office recently, to meet the team, film some videos and promote all things CPL!
The news comes as Contract Personnel is proud to announce that we will continue our valued partnership with Norwich City Football Club for the 2025–26 season, marking our 10th consecutive year of our involvement with the club.
Grant filmed some videos to help promote the work of CPL, along with answering some calls from our candidates, some light-hearted sketches and then spent time meeting our team and posing for photos.
Make sure you are following Contract Personnel on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram as some of the videos have been released – with more to come!
At Contract Personnel, our goal is the same as it has been for the past 35 years – helping people find rewarding work and helping businesses find the right staff to succeed. Whether you’re a fan looking for your next role or a company looking to grow your team, we’re here to help.
We thank Grant for his time and all at Norwich City Football Club for making this happen.
If you are looking for work, or need help finding staff, speak to the team TODAY!