It’s been an incredible journey since becoming B Corp certified, and we couldn’t be prouder of the steps we’ve taken to prioritise people, planet, and purpose. From supporting sustainable practices to making a positive impact in our community, we’re constantly working to do business the right way.
Everyone knows the monthlyNorfolk Developermeets attract speakers from around the country to talk tech to us, but we were reminded recently that we also have a more practical function. To bring like-minded programmers together. One such successful collaboration began in March last year between John Heaser of Responsive Systems and freelance mobile developer Neil Sedger. The conversation they had resulted in a wildlife tracking app, which has recently been published on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
John posted in the NorDev Meet-up group that he was looking for help with a Cordova phone app and then decided to attend a meet-up himself. “I went along to my first NorDev meeting on 25th March 2015 and during the pre-meeting beer I overheard Neil talking about Cordova – so I asked him if he was interested in working on the project and he said yes, he had some time available, so I was very lucky! There are five of us working at Responsive Systems and whilst we have good skills in some areas we can’t be experts in everything! Neil helped us get started on the project – he is a nice chap to work with.”
“I’ve used Cordova on a few projects now” says Neil “It’s great for quickly building a cross-platform mobile app, especially if you already have a responsive browser-side web front end. It’s not for every project but it’s worth considering.”
Neil describes the app as a wildlife database with an built-in questionnaire to help users identify a creature they have found. ” ‘Dragon Finder’, has been built for the wildlife charity Froglife who are dedicated to the conservation of amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats. Users are encouraged to report sightings of creatures which can include location, habitat description and photos; this is uploaded to Froglife’s central database which they use to monitor populations, spread of disease and non-native species, and feed into other conservation projects.”
“We have brought in outside help on previous projects” says John “and I believe that co-operative skill sharing between small software businesses will play a key role in making Norwich a centre of technical excellence and that NorDev can facilitate this.”
Students from the Inclusive Learning Department recently took part in a charity bag packing event in support of Papyrus, raising an impressive £265.
The activity brought together learners from across the department, including Internship, Developing Work Skills, Bridge to Vocation, Moving On Into Independence, Developing Independence, and Becoming Independence, offering students a valuable opportunity to engage with the public while supporting an important cause.
Throughout the day, students developed key employability and life skills such as communication, listening, teamwork and customer interaction, while confidently undertaking bag packing and sharing information about the work of Papyrus. Members of the public were extremely supportive, treating our students with great respect and enthusiasm.
One learner, Eden Langford, achieved a personal milestone by fulfilling her ambition to work at the tills and also took part in shelf stacking. A moment that she had previously spoken about during a tutorial, making the experience especially meaningful.
A huge thank you goes to all the staff and students involved for their dedication and positivity, and for representing the Inclusive Learning Department and CWA as a whole so brilliantly in the community.
Paint out returns to Norwich next week and the MOA team will be on hand to photograph each artistsart, after each session. Thirty one artists will have just 3 hours to complete a piece of art in each session. The competition ends with an auction of one piece of each of the artists work but all pieces will be judged, prizes will be awarded and the art will be displayed in an exhibition at the Maddermarket theatre in St. John’s Alley. More details about the eventcan be found hereand an agenda of events here. Check the twitter feedshttps://twitter.com/paintoutnorwichor facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/paintoutnorwich
Time is running out to nominate a talented woman working at a local, deserving organisation for a special sponsored place on our highly successfulWomen’s Leadership Programme.
We’ve teamed up with Suffolk-based Blossom Charity, which supports women in enterprise at all stages in their career, to offer one part-funded place on our next leadership skills course. This sponsored place is open to female managers looking to progress to more senior, board level roles who are working at charities, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex or Cambridgeshire. Applications need to be submitted by Friday 29 April to be considered.
Our Women’s Leadership Programme has been developed in conjunction with People & Performance Ltd in Cambridge to help women develop their authentic leadership skills. It has become renowned in the region for helping to develop female talent and over 30 organisations have already participated in the programme since it first began in 2014.
This half price place is a fantastic opportunity, not only to for the woman who is picked for the sponsored place but also for the organisation as a whole. This is because our programme provides the dual approach of not only developing aspiring female leaders but also the organisations they work for. We encourage employers to mentor and support their female talent to help them evolve their culture and to remove any workplace barriers to gender equality. Achieving an equal gender balance at senior levels is proven to be crucial to an organisation’s success. This is why we want to make this course more accessible to the fantastic local organisations which may not previously have had the budget to develop their talent pipeline in this way.
If you’re still not completely convinced, have a read through some of the powerfullessonsour previous delegates have learnt on the course. Or, if you need help convincing your employer to nominate you for the sponsored place, we’ve also compiled a list of the manybusiness benefitsto help you gain the support you need.
The sponsored place is for the next 2016 course with the modules running in June and September. The full cost of the programme is usually £2,750 but this will be reduced to £1,375 for the chosen delegate. Don’t miss out, make sure you apply for the place, or to nominate a member of your team, by emailing[email protected]by the 29th April. All you need to include at this stage is some simple details about why you, or a colleague, should be awarded the sponsored place.
Cozens-Hardy solicitors are delighted to announce that they have formally partnered with local charity Big C for their annual Cycle Ride this year.
Taking place at Blickling Estate on Sunday 17th July, the 2016 Cozens-Hardy Big Cycle Ride will celebrate Big C’s 35th anniversary with £3.50 from each entry fee going directly to the local cancer charity. In addition, a family-friendly 3.5km off road loop has been added to the three scenic 25-mile road loops.
Said Anna Farquharson, Cozens-Hardy Marketing Partner:
“We are so pleased to be able to increase our support of Big C in their anniversary year and to offer a new dimension to our event with the off-road loop. Whether you are a regular cyclist, a novice or a family looking for something to do at the weekend, we can offer a relaxed, fun day out in the Norfolk countryside.”
Over the past two years, this friendly and well-supported event has raised over £2,400 for Big C and it’s hoped that the new family-friendly route will encourage more people to take part than ever before.
Dr Chris Bushby, Chief Executive Officer Big C:
“The Cozens-Hardy Cycle Ride is a well established event, endorsed by British Cycling, that has raised significant funds for Big C over the past two years. Having approached Cozens-Hardy at the start of the year to become partners in their event we were delighted when they agreed. We are very proud of the renamed ‘Cozens-Hardy Big Cycle Ride’ and all that it
offers participants, in particular the lovely 3.5km off road loop for families and the £3.50 contribution to Big C from each and every entry fee. This is one of our flagship Challenge 35 events for 2016 and I hope lots of families and cycling enthusiasts will come and enjoy all that’s on offer in and around Blickling Estate on Sunday 17th July.”
The event, run by Push Sport on behalf of Cozens-Hardy, is located to take advantage of some of the county’s best cycling lanes and byways. The three 25-mile road routes each start and end at event HQ on Blickling Estate, with riders able to choose which – and how many – loops they wish to ride on the day. The event is run under British Cycling rules, but you don’t have to ride a fancy bike to enter – last year witnessed traditional shoppers alongside mountain bikes and road bikes!
The 3.5km off road route is ideal for any ability and is particularly suitable for children, offering a traffic-free route with stunning view of Blickling Estate. Organisers are also offering skills sessions for children during the day. Discounted entry to Blicking house and gardens will be available for riders, their families and friends, while event HQ will offer mechanical support and refreshments all day, as well as free face painting 11am – 2pm.
Further information and entry details can be found at the event website www.thecozenshardybigcycleride.co.uk. The entry cost is £20 per head, of which £3.50 goes directly to Big C. Children under 16 years ride for free when accompanied by an adult. A Big C fundraising pack can be found on the website, offering a free Big C breathable T-shirt and sweatband for anyone that signs up. There is no fee for riding the off-road loop, although a donation to Big C on the day is encouraged.
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For further information please contact:Clare Haylett ph: 07764 270570 and [email protected]
Four growing rural businesses based in Norfolk and Suffolk are set to benefit from funding from the first tranche of a £9m European funding,managed by Norfolk County Councils’ Rural Programmes Team. More than £147,000 has been awarded via the LEADER programme by Local Action Groups (LAGs).
The four businesses to benefit are:
Flint Vineyardreceives a grant of £42,500 from the Waveney Valley Local Action Group. The applicant is planting a new 2.5-hectare vineyard and Leader funding will help equip a state-of-the-art winery at Camphill Farm, Earsham. The project also includes a new visitor centre and a state-of-the-art winery with specialist equipment to enable the best handling of juice and wine.
Panther Brewery at Reepham has generateda new alcohol free real ale called HOPSTA, which is believed to be the first in the UK. The project was awarded £26,296 by Wensum & Coast Local Action Group to introduce a new bottling line to automate the bottling and labelling facility. When not working at full capacity, the facility will be offered to other breweries who may wish to contract their bottling to the only ‘real ale’ bottling facility available in the county.
New company Squilla and Squidge, based in Swanton Morley received a grant of £10,245 through the Wensum & Coast Local Action Group, to turn a 1969 VW Adventure Wagon into a high quality artisan food wagon. After a full mechanical refurbishment, the wagon will be fitted with a serving hatch and a kitchen. The business will offer a healthy and flavourful menu of falafel and halloumi wraps, salad pots, sweet potato fries and a ‘Norfolk Berry Smoothy’ to be inclusive for the gluten free and vegetarian market and encourage people to eat more healthy food.
Lakenheath based Sunset Barn Care Farm has received a grant of £68,190 through the Brecks Local Action Group to increase the number of people who can benefit from their service. Specifically this grant will fund a purpose built building to create additional facilities for Farm Helpers, Volunteers and Staff at the Care Farm. This will provide additional seating, private break out areas, washing and toilet facilities, additional bedroom space, a large work area and food preparation facilities with additional cooking capacity.
Each LAG operates by using the Leader approach, which is community led local development, made up of representatives from businesses, community organisations and public authorities. Decentralising the decision and funding powers allows the partnership to support the rural economy, at a local level, by helping micro and small businesses to create and sustain employment within the area.
The five respective LAG areas managed by the Rural Programmes Team are:
The Brecks (including parts of northern Suffolk) The Broads Wensum and Coast Waveney Valley (including parts of northern Suffolk) West Norfolk
Information on each LAG and how to apply for funding can be found at: www.norfolklags.co.uk.
Celtic Manor in Wales was the first class venue once again for the TaxAssist Accountants Annual Conference.
Over 490 franchisees, staff and business partners were in attendance for the exhibition, conference and evening gala. TaxAssist children were also welcomed and fantastically catered for throughout the weekend.
The morning exhibition included over 40 stands for franchisees to visit, meet and talk with strategic partners. This was followed by an afternoon conference highlighting the growth of the franchise in the UK and Internationally. The multitude of changes and initiatives accountants are having to embrace due to new government policy and technology/software developments were also highlighted, together with how TaxAssist is addressing them.
TaxAssist unveiled a mutually beneficial new relationship with the Federation of Small Business, CCH talked about imminent new initiatives to enable clients and accountants to get better connected and Quickbooks highlighted the booming small business market and how their cloud based software will enable franchisees to be more time efficient and create greater profit.
TaxAssist also showcased the new fully responsive TaxAssist websites and bespoke software for franchisees to use when signing up new clients, which offers time savings and much greater efficiency.
Phil Sullivan, Group Operations Director of The TaxAssist Group comments, “This has been a fantastic conference and we have been inundated with positive feedback from franchisees. All of the attendees will have come away in no doubt that TaxAssist is a forward thinking and digitally ready network of accountants on both a national and local level and that whatever the future holds, TaxAssist has it covered. The TaxAssist brand is now so powerful, that we can attract suppliers who can offer superb deals for franchisees and their clients alike, as we unveiled during the conference. All at TaxAssist are certainly feeling very positive for the future.”
John Mayer, Weston Super Mare franchisee commented, “As per normal, thanks to the fantastic TaxAssist team for putting on the conference. It really does cut a very favourable impression with my staff, and I regard the cost of bringing them along as an investment. They come to appreciate the size and the power of the franchise, and its sheer professionalism. They come back to the office with real enthusiasm, and full of ideas to improve the practice. It is so good to catch up with the support centre staff, and my fellow franchisees and the exhibitors.”
Jason Everton, Solihull franchisee commented, “A fantastic event, thank you. An interesting day, wonderful evening and very rewarding event. My sincere thanks to the whole support team.”
More choice and variety for East Anglia’s sun-seekers Thomson and First Choice increase capacity from Norwich airport and introduce new route to Rhodes
21 April 2016 – Thomson and First Choice are today announcing increased capacity at Norwich airport for their summer 2017 flying programme. This includes a new route to Rhodes as well as new 10 and 11 night breaks to Ibiza and increased capacity to Majorca, which gives greater holiday flexibility to holidaymakers flying from East Anglia.
The move to introduce new routes is part of the holiday company’s strategy to ensure customers across the UK can fly from their local airport and stay at the best hotels in some of the most exciting destinations. The new routes will go on sale today in line with the launch of summer 2017 holidays.
Customers travelling on the new route to Rhodes will now have access to some of Thomson and First Choice’s most popular flagship hotels, including Thomson’s 5T Sensimar Imperial Resort & Spa by Atlantica. The adults only hotel sits right next the beach and has a huge lagoon pool surrounded by sunbeds and parasols.
Those flying on flexible breaks to Ibiza can visit Thomson’s 5T Sensatori Resort Ibiza where they will experience stylish interiors, a luxurious spa and a selection of chic restaurants serving up a mixture of international and Mediterranean cuisine.
Karen Switzer, Director of Aviation Planning for Thomson and First Choice, said: “Adding more capacity from Norwich airport and the introduction of the new route to Rhodes, demonstrates our commitment to the airport and the local area.
“Expanding access to our portfolio of destinations and hotels is a key part of our overall strategy and will enhance the holiday experience for our customers.”
Richard Pace, General Manager at Norwich Airport, said: “This is great news for holidaymakers looking for even more choice from Norwich Airport. Being able to travel to a wider range of destinations and top hotels from so close to home will be welcomed by people across the region.”
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TUI UK & IRELAND
TUI UK and Ireland is the UK’s largest tour operator with key brands including Thomson, First Choice, and Thomson Cruises. Sub brands include Thomson’s Sensatori, Thomson’s Sensimar, Thomson’s Family Life, First Choice Holiday Villages and SplashWorld Resorts.
TUI UK and Ireland’s airline, Thomson Airways is the UK’s third largest airline with 62 aircraft operating to over 88 destinations in 30 countries. Thomson Airways was the first airline in the UK to take delivery of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
TUI UK and Ireland has a team of more than 10,000 employees and serves over 5.5 million customers each year.
Abacus Hotels are delighted to have been nominated for the second year running as a finalist in the 2016 Group Travel Awards in the category ofMost Group-Friendly Hotel Chain or Group. Best Western Plus Orton Hall Hotel & Spa in Peterborough, one of the hotels in the Abacus group, has also been nominated in the category of Best Individual Hotel for Groups.
The Group Travel Awards are decided by the readers of GTO magazine and have earned an enviable reputation as the most distinguished and respected event serving the group travel market; they reflect a highly valued endorsement from customers in this most important market sector. The voting procedure for 2016 has entailed a voting form appearing in the joint November/December issue of GTO and in the January 2016 edition, together with online voting.
The awards ceremony; celebrating their 20th Anniversary, will be held at The Park Plazza, London and will be hosted byChristopher Biggins.
Julie Gibson, Sales & Marketing Manager said “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as a national finalist in these prestigious awards for the second year running. This reflects not only on our range and quality of facilities but also recognises the excellent care and attention to detail shown by our teams.”
TaxAssist Accountants, the successful and award winning UK franchise with a Support Centre based in Norwich, is pleased to announce that it has smashed through two milestone figures, now servicing the needs of over 60,000 clients across the UK, with a combined fee bank of over £40 million. This news follows on from TaxAssist recently hitting another milestone, having recently passed the 200 TaxAssist Accountants mark.
Phil Sullivan, Group Operations Director of The TaxAssist Group, was full of praise for the Accountants in the network and the Support Centre staff. “Reaching these milestones is a phenomenal achievement. The figures are testament to the commitment of the accountants in our network and the dedicated staff at the Support Centre, who work so hard to provide a first class service to our accountants, who can in turn, offer a first class service to their clients.”
“We continue to see double digit growth year after year, and the pace of our growth is increasing. The latest 10,000 increase in clients has come in only 19 months, half the time it took to grow from 40-50k. These figures can only endorse our business model and strengthen the TaxAssist brand.”
TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network of accountants specifically servicing the needs of small businesses and the self-employed and is the UK’s leading accountancy franchise. It also operates in the Republic of Ireland and recently expanded to Australia. Further expansion is planned both in the UK and overseas.
Established in 1995, TaxAssist Accountants is now recognised as the UK’s 24th largest network of accountants in the UK. The head office is on the Broadland Business Park, just outside Norwich, where it employs 40 people. There are two TaxAssist Accountants operating in Norfolk, one in Norwich and one in Attleborough.