Member News

We are delighted to announce our soon to be open incubator in the centre of Norwich City.

When we started reviewing the concept, we wanted to set out to create a space where any businesses accepted to the incubator would receive support to achieve their full potential. We understand that full potential may mean different things for different people and companies. Not every new venture can be a unicorn, but they can still be a solid business for the owners, it’s employees, customers and the local community. It is from this world view that we wanted to make an incubator with a difference. Being accepted to the Akcela incubator gets you access to our team listed below, access to free office space in the heart of Norwich City Centre and support from our great partners. Our lead sponsors include Ashtons Legal, Farnell Clarke Accountants and FUEL Studios.

You can register your interest in the Norwich City Centre based incubator on our website.

We would also love to introduce you to the team who will be on hand to support companies working within the incubator.

James Adams BA, MBA, DiPC – Director/Shareholder​

James has 8 years with Fortune 200 US firm ITW, experience of managing projects in China, USA, and throughout Europe. James has worked with companies such as Tesco, Vauxhall, ITW, Serco and McDonalds. James has experience in supporting start-up and scale up companies such as Readingmate, Gorilla Juice and The Forest of Memories. James completed his MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.

Martin Yapp BSc – Director/Shareholder​

Martin worked within KPMG for over 10 years, has experience with building and exiting multi-million-pound businesses, a case in point being DMW group. Martin has worked with companies such as Network Rail, Virgin Media, TFL and Motorola. Whilst Martin still runs large scale transformational projects with blue chip clients, he is also extremely passionate about supporting and nurturing start up and scale up companies.

Kate Yarbo MBA, DiPC – Director/Shareholder​

Kate is an experienced CEO, working with a Norfolk and Suffolk based group of schools and Children’s homes. Kate has many years working and supporting start-up and early-stage businesses. Kate is passionate about developing individuals and culture that deliver success. Kate completed her MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.

Matt Lawley BA, MBA, DiPC – Director/Shareholder​

Matt has extensive experience working within the FMCG environment with clients such as Waitrose, Tesco etc. Matt currently works with tech start-ups including Norfolk based Readingmate, Harvest London as well as others. Matt is also MD of £3m+ turnover company with 180+ staff. Matt completed his MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.

James Rix BA, MASt – Director/Shareholder 

James has a wealth of business experience having started his career at Deloitte, before moving to an early-stage tech company as one of their first employees. James enjoyed several years working within the fast-paced and ever-growing company. This included VC investment before an eventual buyout. After a small amount of time out, James decided to create Readingmate with his wife Hannah, a company on an explosive growth trajectory and one of Akcela’s tenants within the incubator.

Mark Merrywest BSc, MBA, DiPC – Consultant/Shareholder​

​Mark is Director of Norfolk based marketing agency Flocc. Works within brand building and development. Has worked with companies such as MTV, Advance London, and the University of East Anglia. Mark completed his MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.

Once again, if you are interested in finding out more, get in touch or pop in for a coffee and take a look around the space.

Chances are that your local park is swamped with runners every Saturday morning. Parkrun has become the world’s largest physical activity provider, operating in 23 countries, with 7 million members worldwide and over 2000 weekly events.

This charitable organisation prides itself on being an accessible access point to exercise for everyone. It works with local communities, relying on volunteer participation to make the events happen. You may wonder how these free-to-attend events make money and Nick gives a fascinating answer by discussing what it’s like to say no to giant corporations like Pepsi and navigating the ethics of commercial sponsors, making sure they fit the message and ethos of Parkrun.

As part of government initiatives to improve wellbeing in communities, Parkrun works with local authorities across the world to make these events happen. It’s not just about physical health, they are huge advocates of the mental health benefits that come from volunteering and taking part at their events.

Parkrun’s success comes from the flexibility it offers and its informal arrangements. Organising this many people every week takes serious people skills, especially when your global team consists of only 45 staff! Nick tells us how his retail background gave him the perfect skill set for his role, using his customer service experience to help create the culture and PR strategy at mission-based Parkrun.

Nick reflects on lockdown, and how although the financial future of the business was secure, there was a great deal of uncertainty around events starting again. He talks openly about being caught up in UK bureaucracy as restrictions were being lifted and his involvement in applying pressure to cautious local authorities to reopen events, when the Government had advised that Parkrun should go ahead but had handed down the decision-making to local levels. Nick didn’t want the attention, but with Parkrun’s high profile, it meant that this ‘spat’ was in the spotlight. Nick persevered because he knew it was important for the mental health of so many members, particularly those who access Parkrun, in part, because they can only afford ‘free’.

This is a great peek behind the scenes of a huge, not-for profit organisation, and a fantastic place to pause series 2 of Business Insights Chat for the summer. We will be back with more guests in the autumn!

You can learn more about Parkrun here.

You can listen to this episode by clicking on the button below, or we would love it if you could subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss out on any episodes! If you could also leave us a review we would love to hear from you, and it helps others find our podcast. 

You can also catch up on all episodes of Business Insights Chat, including conversations with Coes, Turners, Archant and Suffolk Food Hall, here 

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In this week’s episode of Impromptu Business Chat, James and Mark chat about the multiple benefits for businesses encouraging their teams to embrace cycling and similar activities.

As usual they provide 3 top tips, and along the way they make reference to the UK government’s Cycle to Work Scheme, Amsterdam’s cycling culture, foxes, badgers and Katie Melua!

We would love to hear your feedback on the podcast, or if there are topics you would like us to cover or re-visit! Contact us on [email protected]

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast! 

You can also catch up on all our past series on our website here. 

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First Intuition, the award-winning accountancy training provider, is now offering a bespoke apprentice recruitment service to assist employers in their search for the best talent. With an extensive network and 10+ years of expertise in training accountants, First Intuition will consult, advertise, screen, and advise potential candidates. The service is free and available upon request to businesses recruiting accountancy apprentices who will study with First Intuition.

The expert team will set up an initial discussion to establish what role(s) employers are looking to be filled. The team will then handle advertising the role to First Intuition’s bank of candidates and networks, as well as screen all applicants to present the best. Lastly, the team will advise on the recommended learner journey for the chosen candidate(s) and provide resources to support the apprentice(s) into the workplace.

Apprentice Recruitment Service:

1. Initial consultation

Whether it’s one vacancy or a wider intake of multiple apprentices, First Intuition will ensure we select suitable candidates that are well suited to the role and organisation. That way you can focus your time on interviewing candidates who have a good chance of filling your vacancy.

The initial discussion will explore the role(s), what criteria you would like to set in terms of academic achievement, personal specification, transferable skills and discuss the appropriate programme(s).

2. Advertise the role

We will then list the vacancy on the National Apprenticeship Service website for as long as required to get the necessary responses and reach out to candidates who have reached out to First Intuition directly.

3. Screen the applicants

We will check over each application, rejecting any that are unsuitable. Any that we think fit your criteria will be sent across to you for consideration. Once a shortlist has been drawn up, we will put you in contact with the candidates for you to interview/screen.

4. Advice on next steps

We will continue to support you with advice on interviews, funding, eligibility and training programme options for your shortlist/new candidates. This includes our range of pre-start resources which are free for you to share with your new apprentices to help them prepare for and settle into their role with you.

Apprenticeships offer a significant opportunity for both employers and apprentices. We believe an apprenticeship offers a real alternative to the standard routes of work or higher education. We work with them and their employers to develop their individual technical and all-round skills that help businesses to thrive and grow. Apprenticeship funding is available for both large and small employers with First Intuition.

Find more information about First Intuition’s Apprentice Recruitment Service here: https://www.firstintuition.co.uk/fihub/apprentice-recruitment-service/.

Our team are thrilled to announce that we are working with long-term client, JosTec (Jostec.co.uk) on a total refresh and rebrand.

Having worked with JosTec (formerly RJ Acoustics) for over 5 years, we are delighted to have seen them through significant periods of growth and business progression. Working with their design, development, technical, branding and PR teams, JosTec are now well on their way to success with a new and improved brand.

Although the previous website performed extremely well in the building acoustic testing and building regulations compliance spaces, the brand was in need of a refresh and all the opportunities this would present. Thus, there has been a great deal of search engine optimisation (SEO) work we have been working with JosTec on to ensure a smooth transition and a strong progress plan.

Pages and URLs – One of the key elements of moving from an old to a new site is making sure that the page URLs are not too drastically changed. Therefore, there is a great deal of ‘page mapping’ that is needed to ensure a smooth switch and seamless transition from an older to a newer site.

Crawling Factors – There are, in SEO various key factors, often referred to as ‘crawling factors,’ which are those that are key to Google and other search engine’s crawling and understanding of any website. IT is crucial that these are updated when any site goes live; whether a refresh or a brand-new website.

On Page Content – A key tenet of SEO is the content which is found on any and all pages of a website. Making sure website content is up to date is key. When refreshing a website, combing through and auditing the content is an important consideration, to allow for overall better performance when the new site goes live.

Website Feel and Design – As with any refresh of any website, design elements like colour schemes as well as the look and feel are always going to be updated and this is always a great opportunity to pay attention to important SEO factors and elements like site speed, user experience and mobile factors.

Time For You at Barnham Broom Make some Time For You at Barnham Broom. The resort offers perfect escapism for guests to relax, feel at ease and prioritise themselves and their own valuable time. The meaning may be different for everyone, but there is something for all to enjoy here. The two championship golf courses provide individuals an idyllic countryside setting to escape the everyday. In addition, members and visitors can enjoy premium practice facilities and expert yet friendly tuition, a Pro shop and much more. It’s the perfect opportunity to get into golf. The Edge Health & Fitness Club offers a state-of-the-art gym, swimming pool, spin bikes, onsite and virtual fitness classes, tennis and squash courts and much more. It’s the ideal place to focus on wellbeing and make a positive change to exercise routines. Meanwhile, for spa-seekers looking for peace and tranquillity, The Spa at Barnham Broom will take the weight off those shoulders. Whether looking to relax with a massage, get spoiled with a luxury spa experience or feel flawless with a facial, the specialist therapists are on hand to prioritise guests. Or, for those who relish indulgent food, visit the award-winning Brasserie at Barnham Broom. Delve into decadent afternoon teas in the sunshine with friends, or cherish a moment with a loved one, whilst devouring delicious locally-sourced dishes. Watch our full video to see how guests, visitors and members enjoy Time For You at Barnham Broom: https://youtu.be/rLm9Zpm8J88 For more information on memberships, spa treatments or dining, visit www.barnham-broom.co.uk Alternatively, please get in touch using the details below: Golf and Health & Fitness Memberships – [email protected] The Spa – [email protected] The Brasserie – [email protected]

In this weeks episode of Impromptu Business Chat, Mark and James share their views and personal experiences of Covid induced anxiety. They offer 3 top tips to help reduce anxiety levels, and along the way they make reference to the theory of Hedonic Adaption, the book Getting Things Done by David Allen, the work of Peter Crone (AKA The Mind Architect) and the song-writing skills of family entertainer Ken Dodd!

Find about more about David Allen’s Getting Things Done here and Peter Crone, The Mind Architect here.

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After so long with only very limited engagements with audiences in our unique theatre by the Barrack Street and Whitefriars roundabout in Norwich, we are opening little by little and bit by bit.

This weekend we host Norwich Fringe Pride Weekend

Next week we are open for Norfolk County Council family scheme, as well as hosting a lovely wedding group.

On Sunday 8th of August we are delighted that Bishop Graham Usher has opened the Bishop’s House Garden for our Charity. We hope you will take the opportunity to visit this wonderful garden and enjoy with us the entertainment of Puppet activities, music and dance as well as refreshments.  Here’s the info on our new website https://puppettheatre.co.uk/event/norwich-puppet-theatre-in-the-bishops-garden/

For the rest of August we shall have community drop in days for children and families, with refreshments and storytelling.

in September we launch a new Youth Theatre programme.

Our big Puppet Theatre “Reawakening” will be later in October for half term week with a teenage and grown up,show as well as a family version in an action packed programme. Watch this space for details!

Norfolk is famous for a lot of things, and back in 2015 when the BBC commissioned a behind the scenes reality TV series about life on Wiveton Hall Farm; Normal for Norfolk, the captivating Desmond MacCarthy was added to the list! Chris chats to Desmond about life on and off camera; Desmond’s passion for the environment; and how you pivot a business model from fruit picking and farming, into a successful tourist destination. Desmond highlights the importance of sustainability within the tourism sector, how agricultural firms need to embrace this, and how all those in the sector need to start engaging with the concepts of sourcing local, reducing their carbon footprints and how returning to traditional farming techniques may be the key.

They delve into life in lockdown, and the impact that this had on the farm café and, along with Brexit, the ongoing struggle of recruitment within the fruit farming facet of the business, which is intrinsic to the USP of the café. They also discuss the practical changes that COVID brought to the day-to-day running of the business, and what will stay as a result of the positive impact they had on profit and minimising outgoings.

They discuss the potential for growth in the sector throughout Norfolk, and the unique positioning it has in the region, and how investment has been key for them, particularly with their holiday cottage lets. Desmond also takes us back in time, on a whimsical journey into his family heritage, and the evolution of the family business.

Chris gets Desmond to open up about his time being filmed by the BBC, what impact his celebrity status had on the farm and its visitor numbers, and the pro’s and con’s this brings when you have a message you want to get out into the world, but all they are interested in are your ‘animated’ eyebrows!

This is an unmissable chat with one of Norfolk’s most eccentric, interesting, and well-known figures, working successfully, and consistently pivoting within the sector. Desmond is proof that a positive attitude and a love of people is key to success in customer facing business.  

You can learn more about Wiveton Hall Farm here

Catch up on Desmond’s antics on Normal for Norfolk on BBC iPlayer, or on YouTube here

Thank you for listening, and for supporting the podcast into series three! Don’t forget you can still catch up on previous episodes, and subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts! We would love you to rate and review us where you can, it helps others to find our podcasts. You can also catch up by visiting our website here.

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Norfolk’s newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has launched his Police and Crime Plan consultation asking people across the county to tell him what matters most to them about crime and policing in their area.

Giles Orpen-Smellie was elected Norfolk’s PCC in May 2021. As PCC, one of his primary responsibilities is to publish a Police and Crime Plan within his first year of office setting out the priorities for Norfolk Constabulary during his term.

Ahead of developing his Police and Crime Plan, Giles has launched a public consultation on his proposed policing and crime priorities for Norfolk and is urging people to share their views by taking a short online survey.

“As your Police and Crime Commissioner, I am responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for operational policing,” said Giles. “One of the ways I achieve this is by developing a Police and Crime Plan that takes account of the local policing priorities that matter to you.

“When you take part in my survey I will be able to use your responses, along with information from the Chief Constable and other partner organisations, to inform the development of my Police and Crime Plan. That plan will set out the policing objectives for the county for my term as PCC and demonstrate how I will work with other key stakeholders and partners to help keep Norfolk safe.”

The consultation will run from Monday 26 July until Friday 20 August 2021. To find out more and share your views with the PCC, visit www.norfolk-pcc.gov.uk/police-and-crime-plan/consultation  

Norwich City Council have released their latest economic barometer. The report highlighted:

Locally

• The plans to expand a city hotel could see a top celebrity chef opening his first restaurant in Norwich.
• Around 35 per cent of Norwich’s office workers have returned to their desks in the city
• A buyer has been found for the former Debenhams store in Orford Place – a sign of good news for the high street.
• Norwich University of the Arts has been rated second in the world for Design Education Institution by the World Brand Design Society awards.

Nationally

• Strong growth in output across the UK private sector being among the fastest since January 1998.
• Manufacturing remained in a strong growth phase, with rates of expansion in output, new orders and employment among the best seen during the near 30-year survey history.
• The recovery in UK construction output gained further momentum, with overall construction activity expanding at the fastest pace since June 1997.

  For full details of the latest economic barometer, click here.

County Council’s proposal for the Long Stratton Bypass moves a significant step closer today after the Government confirmed vital funding for the project. Approval of the council’s Outline Business Case, submitted in January, has now been received from The Department for Transport along with a funding commitment of £26.2 million towards the cost of the building the new road, which will cut congestion and support the local economy for years to come. The council is working in collaboration with developer Norfolk Homes Ltd/Norfolk Land Ltd to bring forward the proposals for the long-awaited bypass, which will feed into a revised planning application expected to shortly be submitted to South Norfolk Council by the developer. As part of the planning process, South Norfolk Council will then complete a consultation on the planning application details. Cllr Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport and member of Transport East said: “This is fantastic news and a most timely announcement from government, particularly in view of the Covid-19 recovery. The A140 through Long Stratton is a real pinch point that affects thousands of road users, and the people who live and work in Long Stratton, on a daily basis. We want to deliver this vital scheme as soon as possible to cut congestion, help the local economy and vastly improve this major regionally important route linking Norwich and Ipswich. The bypass is set to create hundreds of new jobs and homes, open up improvements for cycling and walking, and solve traffic and transport issues local people have been facing for more than a generation.”

South Norfolk District Councillor, Alison Thomas said: “Having campaigned for a bypass for Long Stratton since 1997 I am delighted that funding has been agreed as we have lobbied hard and the government has listened. Our role now will be to ensure the project is delivered within budget and timescales to improve the safety and well-being of all those living, working or travelling through Long Stratton. This is a great day for Long Stratton residents and one many feared would never come!” The proposed new A140 bypass will be a single carriageway road that will provide a new junction at Church Lane to the north, extending from this junction on the east side of Long Stratton in a southerly direction for approximately 3.9km, where it will re-join the existing A140 just south of Oakside farm. The estimated overall cost of the bypass is £37.44m with the remaining funding primarily sourced from local developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Subject to receiving all of the necessary statutory approvals, including planning permission, the target date for work to start on construction is mid-2023, with the road open to traffic before the end of 2024.