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Elaine Green says that those appraising academy leaders need to develop within themselves more resilient judgement skills.

Click here to view the article in full published by Academy magazine (p.46).

Bioscopic, a company that has emerged from research
conducted at the Quadram Institute at Norwich Research Park, has been named as
one of the #21towatch awards in Cambridge. The awards recognise the people, companies and ‘things’ they create, across Cambridge and the East of
England, that are setting the standards in innovation and entrepreneurship
across the world.

The annual #21toWatch awards are one of the most recognised
entrepreneurship awards in Cambridge and the East of England, featuring in many
publications including Forbes and many investor and startup magazines.

Bioscopic is harnessing the research carried out on the gut
microbiome by a team of scientists at the Quadram Institute. They discovered
that infant gut bacteria could hold the key to protecting humans from serious
diseases and conditions in adulthood and that there could be a way to
reintroduce those bacteria into humans by replicating their compounds.

This breakthrough discovery could have significant
implications for improving the health of people, specifically against diseases
like cancer. The good bacteria found in an infant’s gut feeds off the breast
milk it receives from its mother in the early months of its life. This friendly
bacteria protects infants in their early stages of life and are associated with
increased immunity to a number of conditions including things like asthma,
cancer and other inflammatory diseases.

Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation
Partnership, the campus management organisation at Norwich Research Park, said,
“It’s fantastic news that Bioscopic has been selected as one of the #21towatch
for 2025. We have worked closely with Chris and his team to help them develop
their business, so it is very rewarding for them to get this recognition that
should help accelerate their path to market.

“The East of England is becoming renowned
globally for innovative thinking and ground-breaking research. Initiatives like
#21towatch really do help to raise the profile of the discovery work that is
being conducted across our region. Bioscopic will act as a role model for the
many other emerging companies we have at Norwich Research Park who are looking
to have a positive impact on the world we live in whilst also creating new jobs
and contributing to the regional economy.”

#21toWatch is run by cofinitive, who collate lists of the
people, the companies and the ‘things’ throughout the year and assesses each
submission based on innovation, challenge, influence, viability and
memorability. 

Leeway’s annual Christmas Campaign is now live – and we
need your support!

Every year, we run a campaign collecting presents for our
service users in refuge and the community, helping to spread some festive
cheer.

Christmas can be a challenging time for those experiencing
domestic abuse, particularly as they may not be able to see family and friends
during the festive period and presents will often be an afterthought.

Many of the women and children that Leeway support in
refuge arrive with very few personal belongings – often with not much more than
the clothes that they are wearing. For children, that means having to leave
toys, games, books, and other bits behind.

The support that we receive helps us to make sure that
Christmas is still a special and memorable time of year for those that Leeway supports.

Thanks to the generosity of our local community, we have
been able to provide Christmas presents for those we support over many years,
and we continue to be blown away by the generosity of our supporters!

Your support helps to make a massive difference!

If you would like to support our campaign, we have a list
of items that we are currently accepting. Please note, we ask that all items
are new and unopened.

• ·       Selection
  boxes of biscuits & chocolates
• ·       Food
  hampers
• ·       Toys,
  games and board games
• ·       Toiletries
  and gift sets
• ·       Arts
  and craft sets and sticker books

Supporting
Leeway’s Campaign

We hugely appreciate the support that we receive from our
local community! If you would like to support our campaign, here is how you can
get your donations to us.  

We ask that anyone wishing to support our Christmas
Campaign contacts our Donations team to book a drop-off time slot. This enables
us to effectively manage the high volumes of donations that we receive,
ensuring that we are as organised as possible!

To book your slot, please email [email protected].

We have also had several enquiries about whether we will be
running an Amazon Wishlist, extending the ways in which people can support us
this Christmas.

A list is currently being compiled and will be shared with
supporters via our social media channels.

There are also many other ways you can support Leeway in
the build up to the festive season, including through “raise as you shop”
platforms.

When purchasing items from participating retailers, the
retailer will donate a percentage of your spend to the cause that you nominate!
It’s easy, helps us, and doesn’t cost you any extra money!

Full details about these platforms and other ways to
support us can be found on our donations page. 

lynnworks is a local software company based in King’s Lynn, dedicated to developing simple, custom digital solutions for Norfolk businesses. Founded by Tim, a seasoned Laravel developer, lynnworks creates intuitive tools—like smart booking systems, customer management platforms, and automated invoicing—that streamline daily operations and boost productivity. Our mission is to replace outdated processes with modern, efficient software that helps local companies thrive in today’s digital age.

Landmark city-centre venue, The
Forum, has been working hard to boost its environmental credentials by working
with local waste recycling company Anglian. Results from the first 12 months of
the partnership have seen great progress with all waste being processed
locally, achieving 71% recycling and 0% going to landfill.

Anglian bins to collect dry
mixed recycling and general waste were put in last June, helping staff and
visitors in The Forum to do their bit to ensure as much waste as possible can
be recycled. A total of 24.98 tonnes of waste has been collected from The Forum
in the past year, including four tonnes of food waste from within The Forum and
Library offices. General waste and recycling collected by Anglian is sent for
processing locally at its 10-acre licensed facility in Norfolk. Food waste is
sent for anaerobic digestion at a nearby plant, which uses it to generate power
for homes in South Norfolk.

Monthly reporting provided by
Anglian has enabled The Forum to closely monitor and benchmark its progress. Looking
ahead to the next 12 months, The Forum is keen to use these figures to further increase
recycling rates as the partnership develops.

Built in 2001, The Forum has
welcomed close to 25 million visitors and is home to one of the busiest
libraries in the country. It is also a cultural hub, providing a whole host of
free events every year.

Rowan
Whiteside, marketing and communications manager at The Forum, said: “The
Forum Trust is an independent, self-financing charity, which prioritises
sustainability and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of the
organisation. The partnership with Anglian has enabled us to be much more
accountable with our waste – we can see where it’s going and what happens to
it, as well as getting monthly reports on our recycling rates, and exploring
opportunities to reduce our waste further. As a local organisation, we are
pleased to be working with Anglian, a Norfolk-based supplier who processes our
waste right here in the county.”

Jamie Parker, key account
manager at Anglian Waste Recycling, said: “We are delighted to be working with
The Forum as one of the city’s most popular venues, helping to manage their
waste journey and doing our bit to support their sustainability goals.”

Alongside improving its waste
recycling processes, The Forum is also undertaking a range of additional
sustainability measures such as upgrading to LED lighting, which has already
reduced energy use by 12.6%.

Anglian Waste Recycling offers
a free waste audit for businesses looking to achieve their
sustainability aims, reduce the impact of waste on the environment and save
money. To find out more, see

Over 30 Health and Social Care, Childcare, Hospitality, Sports and Motor Vehicle students from City College Norwich stepped into a range of job roles on Friday 20th November as part of the national Takeover Challenge.

Several different groups of students came together to take part in a takeover at The Parkside School in Norwich. At the additional needs school, which has pupils aged 7 to 17, 14 level 3 Health and Social Care students provided classroom support to pupils. In addition Childcare level 3 students Katie Dade and Estee Anema shadowed the school’s headteacher and deputy head throughout the day.

Childcare Level 3 student, Estee Anema, 17, who spent the day working with the deputy headteacher, said: “It’s been amazing experiencing all of the sorts of different skills you need to deal with the things that happen in a school just in one day. It’s made me think more about the special needs aspect of childcare.”

Health and Social Care Level 3 student, Jordan Smith, 18, spent the day supporting pupils in the classroom in a teaching assistant role. Jordan commented: “It’s been really wonderful. I was nervous at first, but now I love it! I would like to come back and do my additional needs work placement here.”

Meanwhile 6 Sports students helped out with afternoon PE lessons at the school, and the school’s kitchens were staffed by 3 Food Studies students who prepared 132 school lunches for pupils. Three more Food Studies students worked at the school’s White Lion Café in Norwich city centre.

Elsewhere, at Heathersett Fire Station, 6 Motor Vehicle students worked alongside Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service staff. Following an induction the students worked in the ladder department (checking and servicing the equipment), with the critical equipment department, and off-shore fire equipment. As well as getting hands-on with equipment servicing, the students also joined a road test of one of the station’s fire engines.

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Level 2 student, Harry Clayden, 17, said: “It’s been great. I thought all they did was just put fires out, but I’ve learnt there’s a lot more than that. They’ve got someone who looks after the ladders, people who service and repair the trucks, critical equipment people, a parts manager, electrician, and a control room who handle the 999 calls.”

The Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Day is a national event involving 44,000 people across England. It is a day where organisations all across England invite children and young people into their organisations to “takeover” their roles and be involved in decision making. It promotes Article 12 of the UNCRC, which says all children should have a say in matters that affect them.

The Adapt Low Carbon Group, an innovation management consultancy and investor, has secured a resource efficiency project with British Sugar – the UK’s leading sugar supplier.

Adapt, part of the University of East Anglia, will research and advise British Sugar on opportunities for developing new productsand technologies that could help future-proof the business. Adapt will also seek to identify ways to maximise British Sugar’s factory processing efficiency and capacity, and improve its carbon and water footprints.

A key element of this will be finding sustainable solutions that will help British Sugar stay abreast of market challenges as well as responding proactively to changes in production and export quotas for sugar and cereal-based sweeteners from 2017.

Read more here

Reflection PR is an ambitious PR consultancy in Norwich. We’re a small team making a big impact and our work includes PR and social media campaigns, videos, awards and website design.

We work with fantastic clients in the consumer, food, drink, leisure and tourism sectors.

We’re now looking for a Senior Account Manager or Account Director to join our team and help us to reach the next stage of growth.

More information about this role and how to apply ishere.

Closing date is 7th December- we look forward to hearing from any interested candidates.

Peter Lawrence from Human Capital Department shared his views on the impact of low oil price on HR strategies with a panel of experts.

The OPEN Venue on Bank Plain in Norwich are establishing a comedy clubwith the first event taking place next Februaryand looking for a sponsor.

If you would like to have your organisation name associated with the Comedy Bank at OPEN, please give either Peter Marron, Venue Development Manager or Hayley Gerrard Marketing Manager a call on 01603 763111.

The Chancellor’s Spending Review has delivered a huge boost for business as Norwich Research Park is named as an Enterprise Zone site.

Currently home to over 12,000 people and more than 40 businesses, the development will allow the thriving science and technology Park to further develop by enabling businesses to tap into a wide range of benefits, including business rate discounts and simplified planning processes.

Focusing on supporting more spin out businesses in the food, health, IT and plant science sectors, Norwich Research Park is one of ten innovative locations named in the Autumn Statement this week which will make up the new Norfolk and Suffolk Enterprise Zone.

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, chief executive officer, Norwich Research Park said: “This is tremendous news for the region. Enterprise Zones are internationally recognised as areas which support businesses by offering tangible assistance such improved access to superfast broadband and reduced business rates.

“Enterprise Zone status will enable us to build upon our existing foundations and further strengthen our position as a leading destination for innovative businesses.”

John Fuller, Leader of South Norfolk Council, the district authority in which the 25-hectare Enterprise Zone site is located.

“The work done at Norwich Research Park leads the world in addressing the challenges facing humanity in food, health, energy, the environment and genetics.The Enterprise Zone status will help turn this basic research into products that people at home and abroad want to buy to generate jobs and wealth for Norwich & Norfolk,” he said.

The combined bid for one of the Government’s prestigious new Enterprise Zone sites for Norfolk and Suffolk was co-ordinated by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and local authority partners.

Its chairman, Mark Pendlington, said: “This is fantastic news for companies locally, nationally and internationally looking to capitalise on the expertise of the East – from world-class food and health research, our thriving all-energy sector and innovation in ICT and digital – this zone will be a magnet for inward investment, help create thousands of jobs and drive our productivity.”

Norwich Research Partners LLP was formed in 2012 and has outline planning permission for over 160,000 sq m of research, health and ancillary buildings. A partnership between theUniversity of East Anglia, theNorfolk and Norwich University Hospital and four independent world-renowned research institutes – the John Innes Centre,Institute of Food Research,The Genome Analysis Centre andThe Sainsbury Laboratorylinked to theGatsby Charitable Foundation. The John Innes Foundation and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council are also partners.

Wingfield Consultants have been shortlisted in the
Business Consultancy category at the Business Awards UK 2026.

The Business Awards UK Team:

‘We take great care to ensure all entries
are legitimate. Being shortlisted means we have vetted your entries to ensure
quality and integrity, and our judges will now consider your company as a
potential Finalist or Winner in the categories you have entered.
Congratulations.’

Simon, Founder of Wingfield
Consultants, commented:

‘We are delighted to be shortlisted for an award in
the business consultancy category at the Business Awards UK 2026. To be considered nationally, in
our own sector, is very special.’