Winter brings crisp mornings, cosy evenings, and festive
celebrations, but it also brings a rise in seasonal injuries and emergencies.
From slippery paths to cold-related illness, this time of year can catch people
off guard. With a little essential first aid knowledge, you can be prepared to
help yourself and others if the need arises over the colder months.
If you’re trying to improve your marketing to drive enquiries, bookings and sales, it can be tempting to jump straight into activity like tweaking layouts, adding new services, publishing posts or filming videos. But if you’re not clear on who you want to attract and where they are, the work becomes guesswork.
Why This Matters
Clear customer focus helps local customers recognise themselves in your content. It also makes better use of your time and budget and should drive better results for your business.
What to Know About Your Customers
Who they are: the type of customer and the service they need
Where they are: your town, nearby villages and service areas
What they need from you: questions they ask and problems you solve
How they search: words and phrases they would type into Google and other search engines
What might hold them back: price, proof, process or trust
How to Put This into Practice
Key pages so they state who you help and where you work
Use clear headings that match what people search for
Add proof with reviews and simple case examples
Make next steps obvious with call, email or booking options
Results You Can Expect
More enquiries from people in your area
Fewer off-target requests
Clearer pages that help customers choose you
Need a Hand?
If you’d like help defining your customers and turning that into practical website updates and marketing, find out more here or contact us to see how we can help.
Three Finance Leadership Programme taster events have been organised in Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich throughout January to provide free career development support for ambitious finance professionals in the East of England.
The events will be run by professional recruitment specialists Pure in collaboration with Grant Thornton. Aspiring finance professionals looking to step up to Finance Director level are encouraged to attend the evening sessions which will provide business insight, leadership development and the chance to hear from high profile finance leaders.
Tom Earl, Associate Director at Pure, said: “The taster sessions will be themed around the role of Finance Leaders exploring the skills and experience needed to help you develop your skill set to further help you progress and add value within your organisation. These events aim to be an extremely valuable development opportunity as a standalone session but also a great introduction to our overall Finance Leadership Programme which features interactive roundtable sessions throughout the year.”
The Finance Leadership Programme was launched by Pure and Grant Thornton in 2015 to provide support and development opportunities for aspiring finance leaders looking to step up to director level. It has been created as a forum where like-minded senior professionals can get together to share experiences, hear from those already in high profile leadership roles, gain new skills and to spend time on their personal development.
Tom Earl, who has recruited finance roles for over 10 years, added: “The move to become a finance leader can be one of the hardest steps to take on the career ladder. Our aim is to help provide ambitious finance professionals with support to develop the soft skills and capabilities needed to become effective leaders. A wider support network like this programme can play a critical role in assisting ambitious and talented individuals to reach their full potential in a relaxed environment.”
Finance Leadership Programme taster sessions available in January:
Wednesday 25 January at Grant Thornton’s office in New London Road, Chelmsford Thursday 26 January at Grant Thornton’s office in Compair Crescent, Ipswich Tuesday 31 January at Grant Thornton’s office in St James Place, Norwich
All three events will run from 6pm to 8pm and include a buffet. There is no cost to attend. [FA31][CF2][CH3]To reserve a place email Lucy Plumb on: [email protected]
Break has launched a new initiative, working with local business to invest in the future of our young people.
Five local businesses have already signed up to become Corporate Patrons for Break – they are Aspiration Europe, Kings & Barnham, Osiris Technologies, Print Box UK and Product Resolutions.
For as little as £50 a month, any organisation can join the Break Corporate Patron scheme to help change the lives of young people across East Anglia
By becoming a Break Corporate Patron, companies can benefit from being part of an exclusive group of forward-thinking businesses, who can work with Break to achieve the aspirations of some of the most vulnerable young people in our community.
“Having been supporters of Break for the pastfour years, we were delighted to have the opportunity to become a corporate patron – confirming our ongoing support of their work in helping young people rebuild their lives and giving them the opportunity and support needed to develop careers and important life skills to take them forwards into adulthood.
“Having also been privileged to meet some of the young people supported by Break, I know just how much of a difference Break’s care and support makes – they really do go the extra mile and make a difference to young lives.”
Anne Ovens, Managing Director, Aspiration Europe
“We have worked with Break for over ten years and in that time we have got to know the staff and some of their clients. We have seen first-hand the professionalism and care that they put into their work and what a happy caring environment they create for their young people. I didn’t hesitate when given the opportunity to become one of their patrons. It is our chance to give something back and show our appreciation for the work they do for our community.”
Phillip Roffe, Director, Osiris Technologies
“We’re proud to support Break as a Corporate Patron to help give young people the opportunity to develop a worthwhile career. As a local small business it’s a great way for us to contribute to a local charity, it doesn’t cost much but we know it could make a huge difference to a young person’s future”
Paul Robbins, Director, Product Resolutions
“I think the introduction of the Corporate Patron scheme is a great idea as it allows companies like ourselves to support the wonderful work that Break does, through an affordable monthly payment.”
Paul Youngs, Director, Print Box UK
If your company wants to support the futures of young people and become a Corporate Patron, please contact Sarah Bunn[email protected]01603 670100/07826 893368
Norwich-based IT support company Mayday IT is launching data centre ‘colocation’ and disaster recovery services to boost businesses’ security and productivity throughout the East of England, in partnership with data centre operator MIGSOLV.
Mayday IT supports hundreds of companies across the East of England and beyond, with particular expertise in advising accountancy, legal and other professional services firms.
To-date, it has concentrated on providing IT support, maintenance, training, network design and project management.
By extending its partnership with MIGSOLV after rigorously testing its ‘Gatehouse’ data centre in Norwich, Mayday is now also introducing:
‘colocation’ services – helping companies place their IT equipment in MIGSOLV’s ultra-secure facility disaster recovery – helping customers store copies of their data safely in MIGSOLV’s data centre to avoid data loss or business interruption if anything happens to their main premises
Carl Shiplee, Head of IT at Mayday, explains: “This marks a milestone for our company. It gives us a whole new way to help our customers strengthen their business performance – and to drive our own growth. Through our partnership with MIGSOLV, we can give our customers the ultimate in security and productivity, minimising the risk of any downtime for their business.
“We chose to work with MIGSOLV because its data centre is exceptionally secure and well-equipped. And it’s backed by first-class customer service, so we know we and our customers will be extremely well looked after.”
David Manning, Managing Director of MIGSOLV, comments: “Our focus is on providing exceptional service and security from our Norwich data centre. Mayday bring considerable expertise in advising professional services firms on their technology and an impressive reputation in this market. This makes it an ideal partnership – for us, for Mayday and the customer.”
For customer enquiries: Any businesses wishing to find out more about Mayday’s new colocation and disaster recovery services should contact 01603 481995 or [email protected].
MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre is on a nine-acre site in Norwich which, unlike facilities in most major cities, is free of terrorism and flood risks. It incorporates a range of rigorous security measures including data hall access by iris recognition, CCTV coverage of every square inch of the site, microwave intruder detection and state-of-the-art fire protection systems. Customers are expertly supported by MIGSOLV’s in-house staff. For more, see www.migsolv.com.
Mayday IT was established over 20 years ago and provides an extensive range of technology services to businesses from small, family-run firms to multinationals. For more, please see www.maydayit.co.uk.
For more media information & images, please contact:
Get your summer projects sorted now by recruiting an ambitious student intern.
The UEA Internship Programme provides a simple, flexible and affordable way for you to host summer internships in your organisation. You may be looking for fresh ideas or extra support to complete a project, and students are looking to boost their employability with paid work experience. We make it easy by taking the intern on for you and paying them through UEA payroll. All you need to do is give us information on the role and then pay an invoice.There are limited subsidies as well to help with the cost.
The keenest students are already searching for summer opportunities. To meet this demand, the Internship Team have extended the deadline to Friday 3 February for you to submit a description of your internship, and the Team will then advertise your opportunity for you. You will then have the chance to interview all of your chosen candidates in one afternoon at the Summer Internship Recruitment Event in Norwich on Wednesday 8 March, and the team even organise your interviews for you. Summer internships can also be facilitated closer to the summer break if this suits your timelines better.
Cromer Pier recruited Lan, a UEA student, last summer:
“We decided to host an intern to give some much needed support to the General Manager during the busy summer period. We gave Lan marketing research projects, e-newsletters, website keyword research and website updates, as well as developing an overall project management calendar for the entire team.
We thoroughly enjoyed having Lan here as part of the team. Her confidence grew throughout the weeks and she was able to see how different elements of the business worked. She was a welcome asset to the team and we would definitely consider hosting another intern in the future.” Jo Artherton, General Manager
If you have an opportunity that you think could be run through the UEA Internship Programme, then contact us now on 01603 593917 or [email protected] – the team are happy to talk through your requirements, potential projects, and costs.
Alternatively, are you looking to fill a vacancy in your team? Our online, free vacancy service can help you find the right fit for your organisation. Whether you have a graduate position, a part-time role, a year in industry placement, an internship or a voluntary role to advertise, we can help you promote that opportunity to thousands of enthusiastic and talented students and graduates, with a huge range of skills and experience. To find out more, visit: https://mycareercentral.uea.ac.uk/employers/
Tourist focussed businesses across East Anglia are being invited to join forces to take advantage of the increase in domestic holiday bookings and those taking day trips or holidaying closer to home.
The Tourism Business Survey was launched today by chartered accountants and business advisers Larking Gowen in partnership with Visit East Anglia and supported by organisations such as Norfolk and Suffolk Tourist Attractions (NSTA).
All businesses in the tourism and leisure sector including restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions as well as retailers in the tourism hotspots are being encouraged to participate in the independent survey.
Participants have a unique opportunity to fill in the questionnaire and gauge their achievements. They can also receive a tailored report which analyses their yearly performance and gives them a valuable benchmarking planning tool.
Those who fill in the survey remain anonymous in the published report, which provides an annual snapshot of the tourism and leisure sector across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
Celebrating its 11th year, the independent survey includes questions about the short and long term impact of last year’s Brexit vote as well as other issues affecting the sector including accessibility for disabled visitors.
The survey launch comes as confidence in the strength of the regional tourist and leisure economy is growing and post Brexit domestic holidays increase.
Visit East Anglia announced that Norfolk’s visitor economy topped £3 billion for the first time and nationally Visit Britain announced that the favorable exchange rate could see visitor spending increase by 8.1% (up to £24.1 billion) in 2017 from 2016. The tourism and leisure industry is worth around £7 billion to the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex (Office for National Statistics).
Historically, the survey forecasts have been extremely accurate – the statistics compiled are used by tourism organisations and decision makers such as Visit East Anglia. The final report is also sent to all MPs across the region to help inform their decisions about the regional tourist economy.
The published survey provides statistical analysis as well as features good news stories about participating businesses, who have chosen to publicise their successes.
Last year’s Tourism Business Survey (2016) revealed that 67% of the businesses participating in the survey saw increases of 6% or more on their turnover for 2015 and the predictions for 2016 were positive.
Chris Scargill, Larking Gowen’s Tourism & Leisure Partner, is proud to publish the only independent tourism business survey in the region. Mr Scargill is pleased that a variety of businesses across the sector are continuing to engage in the survey and particularly urged retailers who operate in popular tourist destinations across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex to participate this year.
“There is a lot of good anecdotal evidence in the tourist sector but this survey provides an opportunity to mark the current trends with a series of valuable statistics. The survey highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the industry as well as its economic benefits to the region. It is not only an important awareness tool used by key decision makers, tourism organisations and government both local and national, but it can also support participants to create tailored business development plans and provides a benchmarking tool to see how they compare year on year.”
Pete Waters executive director of Visit East Anglia said: “The Tourism Business Survey is an invaluable barometer of how the visitor economy is performing. It highlights issues, and supports our business planning. Crucially, the more businesses which participate in the survey the better and the more authoritative the data.”
Martin Dupee, chairman of Norfolk and Suffolk Tourist Attractions (NSTA), and director of operations at Banham Zoo and Africa Alive, who urged those connected with domestic tourism to take the opportunity to have their views heard, said: “I look forward to participating in and seeing the annual tourism survey report as it gives me a handle on how the industry is not only performing but also where confidence is going forward. These are interesting times for us all and, it is my view, that this is the time for domestic tourism to reap the benefits of the uncertainty.”
In this months newsletter we look at; – Funds Raised from Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party – IOSH Managing Safely – Need Parking in Norwich in the Evenings/on Weekends? – First Aid Training at No.8
Funds Raised from Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party
We would like to start by wishing you a Happy New Year & thanking everyone who attended our second birthday on 1st December! The support for Marie Curie was fantastic including many donations and raffle prizes. The Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party was buzzing all afternoon! 28 raffle prizes were donated in all, leading to a fantastic £480 donated to the Marie Curie Norfolk charity!
IOSH Managing Safely
The RedCat Partnership are launching their first IOSH Managing Safely course.
Starting on 30th January, the IOSH Managing Safely course will be run by field professionals with an average of 30 years in the Health and Safety industry each, as Chartered Practitioners with several bodies.
This qualification is designed to get managers and supervisors, from any sector, up to speed on the practical actions needed to make health and safety “happen” in their teams.
IOSH is the professional association for safety and health practitioners, with a global name to back up their courses.
Need Parking in Norwich in the Evenings/on Weekends?
Our car park here at No.8 is now available to rent in the evenings/weekends when we have spaces available. With our car park being a stones throw away from the Train Station & the Football Ground, it is the perfect place to park when coming in to watch the game/traveling on the trains. We are also just a 10minute walk away from the Castle Mall and many other beautiful places in Norwich.
Parking spaces can be booked through JustPark for £6.30 per day or directly through the No.8 team for just £5 per day.
First Aid Training at No.8
The RedCat Partnership will be holding accredited Emergency First Aid training in Big8 on 8th February. This course will provide you with the skills necessary to deliver basic first aid to a suitable level for most businesses.
The course will run from 9am – 4:30pm and will include a No.8 lunch!
For more information on the Emergency First Aid at Work course please contact us
Thank you for your interest… Please don’t hesitate to contact us regarding anything No.8 related; you’ll find our contact details below.
We require a highly committed part-time Marketing Executive to assist our Business Development and Marketing Manager with running the very busy marketing function of our growing firm. Your duties will include assisting with the firm’s advertising campaigns and promotional activity, the coordination of events, digital marketing, and general administrative tasks.
Excellent administration, communication and organisational skills are essential, as is a good telephone manner and a working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite. The ideal candidate will have experience of working in an office environment or transferable skills from a client care/customer service focused environment, with an ability to act on initiative and demonstrate an excellent work ethic.
Some marketing experience or a marketing qualification would be an advantage, as would a working knowledge of Adobe InDesign.
This is a part time post and the core hours are 9.00am – 5.00pm Tuesday to Thursday (alternative days to be considered). You must be able to work out of hours in order to attend events occasionally.
To apply please send CV and covering letter or email to our HR Managerat Leathes Prior, Lauren Smith, at 74 The Close Norwich NR1 4DR or [email protected].
Our Founder, Simon Wingfield, recently obtained his certification in effective coaching and mentoring. He graduated at The Insurance Hall in London on Wednesday 23rd October 2024.
This certificate helps with:
§Being able to assess your own skills, knowledge, and behaviours as a coach and mentor
Know how to manage the coaching or mentoring process within an organisational context
Deepen your understanding of how the organisational context can affect coaching or mentoring
Plan, deliver, and review your coaching and mentoring
Plan your future development in coaching or mentoring
With regard to this accreditation, Simon commented: ‘This helps Wingfield Consultants to support organisations with coaching and mentoring both teams and individuals, in addition to the consultancy services we already provide. Many organisations need deeper support and guidance that required professional accreditation and this certificate helps us deliver excellence through knowledge and application’.
Did you know…? College of West Anglia are also home to Anglia Training Centre..! 🌟 We are looking to explore the opportunity of building a mutually beneficial relationship with companies in our area 🌟 We offer a range of high-quality training and certification programmes in Gas, Renewables, Unvented Systems, and Water Regulations, all delivered by experienced industry professionals in our purpose-built training facilities. Whether you’re looking to upskill your existing workforce, support new trainees, or ensure compliance with the latest industry standards, we are well-placed to support your business needs. We’d be delighted to discuss how we can work together—whether through tailored training packages, block bookings, or becoming your preferred training provider. You can find more about our centre and course offerings here: 🔗 Anglia Training Centre – College of West Anglia If this sounds of interest, I’d welcome the chance to visit you or arrange a phone (teams) call to discuss this opportunity further.
Do you remember the summer of 2013? The buzz in Norwich was electric as gorillas took over the city for the very first GoGo trail, and we were proud to sponsor our very own sculpture, the unforgettable ‘Optimus Primate’.
Now, over a decade later, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re doing it all over again.
We are incredibly proud to introduce you to ‘Silverback’, our sponsored gorilla for the GoGoSafari 2025 trail! This incredible sculpture was brought to life by the talented artist Daniel Bland. After its fantastic reveal at the recent safari gala, we can’t wait for it to take its place on the streets of Norfolk for everyone to see.
For us, this is more than just a sponsorship; it’s a continuation of our story with Break, a charity we’ve proudly supported for years. Our partnership runs deeper than the trail – we provide their IT services and support their other amazing initiatives, such as the CoffeeBreak van and their volunteer mentoring program. We believe wholeheartedly in their mission to support young people in and leaving care.
The GoGoSafari trail, which kicks off on June 23rd, is a brilliant way for our entire community to get involved in raising vital funds and awareness for this cause.
We invite you to join in the adventure this summer. Go out and explore the trail, find ‘Silverback’, and share your photos with us. Make sure to enter the code into the GoGoSafari app to claim your prize! We can’t wait to see you out there, celebrating our city and supporting the incredible work of Break.