Spire Solicitors LLP is pleased to report on the success from two members of staff based in the Norwich branch who have completed the RideLondon-Surrey 100 event on July 29th, 2018.
It follows a 100-mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey’s stunning countryside. “Developed by the Mayor of London and his agencies in 2013, Prudential RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling.” As credited to the official website.
Lisa Edwards, HR Director, and Kim Dring, Norwich Receptionist battled the torrential rain and challenges faced by the day and completed 86 miles and 46 miles respectively. The duo also raised money for the firm they work for with a £1 per mile initiative, beating the £200 target and raising a total of £275, which will be donated back to the Spire Charitable Trust which donates money throughout the year to worthwhile caused and charities alike.
Ejike Ndaji, Trustee of the Spire Charitable Trust commented “I applaud the effort made by our colleagues in the Ride100 event last weekend, as well as their initiative to continue raising money for the Spire Charitable Trust, which since its formation at the end 2016, the has raised over £6,000.
PCC Lorne Green has launched a public consultation on whether he should assume the governance of the county’s fire & rescue service, becoming Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk.
Message from your PCC
“Last year, a new legal duty for emergency services to collaborate came into force. That legislation provided PCCs with the opportunity to explore whether joint working between police and fire & rescue could be made simpler, faster and better.
“Could we cut duplication and bureaucracy, reinvigorate collaboration and move joint working further and faster for the greater efficiency and effectiveness of our emergency services and, most importantly, the communities they serve? The answer from independent experts was yes.
“Having considered all the evidence provided to me in a thoroughly researched business case, I strongly believe there is a case for change and, this week, I launched a public consultation on whether I should assume the governance of Norfolk’s fire and rescue service.
“The fire service is currently governed by the County Council through its Communities Committee, which also oversees libraries, museums, archives and arts. Under the proposal, upon which I’d like your views, I would become the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, responsible for the governance of fire and rescue alongside policing.
“The business case shows that this proposed change can improve joint working, making our emergency services more efficient with reinvestment of £10 million of financial benefits over 10 years in frontline services.
“Let me be clear – I am not interested in merger. We are talking about two distinct services, cultures, histories and traditions. That would not change. But a change of governance would offer our fire service operational and financial independence, improving transparency over how and where public money is spent and allowing us to do even more to make our communities even safer.
Last year saw the demise of the Business Link advisors, so in response to this the Business Shaper Group have introduced a voucher scheme to help businesses gain free impartial, practical advice to help them not only survive in this hard economic environment, but look to grow their organisation.
In the recent Budget the Chancellor mentioned that it is the SME companies that will be increasingly pivotal in the UK economy. With East Anglia being the largest concentration of these businesses. That is why the Business Shaper Group have chosen this part of the UK to trail this scheme.
Gary Douglas-Beet commented “the Business Shaper Group is passionate about helping companies make small changes that will affect there business in a big way – they just need a fresh perspective and that is where these vouchers can really help“.
We find that there is a drought of hands on practical advice for the small company, and we know that having to deal with not only trying to run their company, but to deal with finances, staff, sales and marketing, together with all the other challenges facing a small company. That is where the Business Shaper Group can help; we can work with individuals and small teams to implement steps that will show immediate results.
What is a Business Shaper Group Voucher? They are one hour sessions where you will have the opportunity to discuss issues, problems or opportunities you have in your business.
Why call us today to book in your first session? If you …
Would just like a fresh pair of eyes on your organisation?
Have a new product or service that you would like to promote and would like some advice?
Want to increase your market share – getting more customers, paying you more?
Would like to carry out a restructure but not sure where to start?
Or would simply like some free impartial practical advice and guidance on any aspect of your orgnisation?
Call the Business Shaper Group now to find out how to obtain these vouchers 01953 605521 or [email protected]
Finance Shop have invested in a new website from Bigfork. Our brief was to design a new website that was inline with their new branding and appealed to high worth investors.
At Leading Business
Services, we believe that good advice begins with great people. As we celebrate
our 10th year supporting businesses across the UK, we’re proud to introduce the
team helping us deliver practical, compassionate, and effective solutions in
times of change.
Jamie Playford –
Director & Licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Jamie founded Leading
in 2015 after nearly two decades in the insolvency industry. He first gained
his licence in 2009 and built a successful East Anglian practice before
launching Leading. Under Jamie’s leadership, the firm has grown to four offices
across East Anglia, the Midlands and London, and a 70-strong team focused on
helping businesses and individuals navigate financial difficulty with
confidence.
Alex Dunton – Licensed
Insolvency Practitioner
Starting out in London
with a focus on complex, litigation-led insolvency, Alex gained his licence in
2015 and joined Leading in 2019. Now managing his own team, Alex brings
extensive experience in formal appointments across East Anglia and the
Midlands, combining technical knowledge with a practical, people-first
approach.
Michael Roome –
Licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Michael joined us in
April 2025 to lead our Midlands expansion from our Nottingham base. With nearly
30 years in the industry, Michael has advised directors and lenders, helping
them develop and implement tailored recovery strategies.
Liam Walker –
Partnership Manager
Liam’s background spans
over 20 years in business finance, including 14 years running his own firm.
With deep experience in turnaround finance and SME support, he now heads our
partner relationships, working with introducers, banks, and advisors to connect
clients with the right support.
Claire Pitt – Business
Manager
Claire
plays a central role in keeping the business running smoothly – from marketing
and professional partnerships to HR, wellbeing and recruitment. With a focus on
building trusted relationships with accountants, IFAs and lawyers, Claire
ensures our clients receive well-rounded, holistic support.
We’re proud to have grown into a team of over 70
professionals, each bringing a unique mix of skills, qualifications and
experience, from licensed insolvency practitioners and finance specialists to
client care and support staff. While our backgrounds differ, we all share the
same goal: supporting individuals and businesses through change with empathy,
clarity and expertise.
Your Partner in
Planning for a Stronger Tomorrow
At Leading Business
Services, we believe that no business should wait until a crisis hits.
Whether you’re
experiencing financial strain or simply want a health check to strengthen your
foundations, our business advisory team is here to help.
You can contact our friendly and experienced
team on 01603 552028 or email us at [email protected].
When Big C’s founders embarked on their vision to deliver outstanding cancer care in Norfolk and Waveney, it’s unlikely that, 37 years ago, even they could have dreamt of the positive impact of the wide-reaching and innovative care services that are today provided locally by Big C and the substantial investments made into cancer research and medical equipment made by the charity.
Having been through their own cancer journeys and endured lengthy travel to receive treatment, David Moar and Clive Bamford, passionately wanted to ensure that local people had access to the very best treatment and support, close to where they live. From its first small, but important, fundraising project providing chemotherapy equipment at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Big C has grown into an impressive organisation which funds specialist life-saving equipment and internationally significant research projects based at the Norwich Research Park. These projects greatly benefit local people and have a global impact on our understanding and treatment of the many types of cancer. The charity has also established three Big C centres located at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth and a hub at the Louise Hamilton Centre in Gorleston. These centres provide an oasis of specialist emotional and practical support for those with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones away from a clinical environment. Since current CEO, Dr Chris Bushby, joined the organisation in 2015, the charity’s turnover has risen from £2.5 million to £2.9 million. Outgoing Deputy CEO and Director of Operations, Nikki Morris, has shown outstanding leadership in her role as Deputy CEO, in strategic business planning and as an ambassador for the charity. She has also been instrumental in creating innovative, caring support and information services in Big C’s acute and community facilities, which are recognised as pioneering. Nikki has helped create and deliver a robust panel of scientific expertise to review complex cancer research projects and helped develop the processes needed to achieve the management of investment into medical equipment. Nikki, with her team, also developed a comprehensive educational strategy with two streams of focus and priority – health and wellbeing and careers in medicine, research and the third sector. Nikki leaves the charity in September after seven years, to take up a role as CEO of a national London based charity and therefore Big C is currently recruiting for her role (see below). Dr Chris Bushby, CEO at Big C, says, “Nikki’s passion has been 110% in support of providing the best outcomes for those individuals, families and communities affected by cancer and we know that she will take this passion to her new Chief Executive role. I and the Trustees are delighted for Nikki and we are not surprised at this achievement. We are currently recruiting for a new Deputy CEO and Director of Charitable Operations and we are very keen to hear from interested candidates keen to bring their specialist knowledge of cancer and ideas, to become the clinical lead and ambassador for the charity. They will be joining Big C at a very exciting and pivotal moment in its history as we forge ahead with our focused programme of strategic growth and positioning.” Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Operations Norwich, Norfolk, East Anglia £60,000 per annumIn addition to Deputy Chief Executive responsibilities, as Clinical Lead, you will strategically develop and lead our Charitable Operations across Norfolk, Waveney and areas of East Anglia. This includes our Support and Information services, Big C’s Research and Equipment Grants process and also Big C’s Education Programmes. For further information, or to apply, please see https://www.big-c.co.uk/vacancies. Closing date: Monday, 27 August 2018 Interviews: Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 September 2018
The Norfolk Enterprise Festival will take place on the 22nd September from 11am – 6pm, in the beautiful grounds surrounding the West Acre Theatre. The vibrant festival will be hosting Norfolk-based entrepreneurs, start-ups, micro businesses, and SMEs from across the whole county! We’ll also be welcoming investors for the ‘Angels Den’, interested in becoming part of the most exciting projects happening in Norfolk today.
All attendees are welcome to have families in tow. Be prepared for creative arts workshops, forest schools, nature trails and delicious local food and drink stands, as well as inspirational speakers from the top of Norfolk’s business community. Let’s inspire Norfolk and ensure it’s a hub of entrepreneurial activity! Register now for this free event
Visit our website for live updates of the event programme. We have a few last spots for speakers, so if you own a business and wish to share your knowledge contact us through our website! www.norfolkenterprisefestival.co.uk
In March 2018 the New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network hosted ‘Bridging the Gap’ – The New Anglia Careers and Enterprise Conference which involved over 150 delegates in discussions around the importance of effective employer engagement and career education. Our ethos, to place students at the heart of the event; starting with a ‘real life’ recruitment process we offered positions to eleven student volunteers, who helped to support and run the event.
Students reflected post event;
“I really enjoyed my interview; it was equally challenging and stimulating and gave me experience of an interview situation …. I was pleased to be able to contribute to a conference where the importance of providing young people with experiences that inspire them and raise their aspirations…was highlighted.” – Yr 13 Student, Taverham High School
“The conference was an amazing experience. I learnt so much …. The highlight of the event for me was standing up in front of so many people, being able to say I had performed as well as I could. Coming away and saying that I was so proud of myself was an amazing feeling.” – Yr 10 Student, Wymondham College
“The skills I most enjoyed using on this day were communication skills. There were points that were more difficult than others, but we dealt with it as a team; when we couldn’t find something out we used our initiative and worked together to solve problems.” Yr 9 Student, Litcham High School
“I am still unsure on what I would like to do …. I am interested in engineering and I met a female engineer who spoke to me about her life and what it takes to be a successful woman in STEM” – Yr 10 Student, Wymondham College
The students summed up the themes of the day as collaboration, inspiration and exploration. Their ask of delegates; to continue to increase business engagement with education.
The New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network gives schools, colleges and businesses the chance to do just this. Volunteers work with education to help them increase and improve the quality of student employer encounters. Find out more here – https://newanglia.co.uk/the-new-anglia-enterprise-adviser-network/.
East Anglian accountants and business advisors, Larking Gowen, has been shortlisted in the Best Rural Professional Services category of the Rural Business Awards for the eastern region. “We’re delighted to have made the shortlist for this prestigious award,” says Larking Gowen Partner, Ashley Smith. “This is a real pat on the back for the team. I’m delighted their expertise and commitment have been recognised in this way. We have been advising rural businesses since we were founded in 1888, and are now one of the largest agricultural accounting specialists in the UK. In fact, we’ve supported many clients through generations.” Now in their fourth year, the Rural Business Awards, in partnership for the first time with Amazon, recognise the contribution of rural businesses to the regional and national economy. Award categories reward excellence in manufacturing, food and drink, retail, education and training, among others, as well as rural professional services. “Each year, the Rural Business Awards highlight the strength and diversity of rural businesses here in the East,” says Ashley. “In our work, we see that sense of shared community and support everywhere. We’re proud to be in the company of such outstanding businesses from our region.” The winner of each category will be announced at a ceremony in October at Trinity Park in Ipswich. Finalists will be put forward to the national awards, and winners announced early in 2019.
If you are an SME with aspirations to save money through energy, water or waste efficiency measures or technologies then the Grants4Growth programme can help. A much wider range of interventions then you perhaps think can potentially be funded including;
New heating systems
New lighting units
Building fabric improvement
Fenestration upgrades
Fleet and vehicle replacements
New plant and machinery, and much more
If there is a more efficient alternative to what is currently in use then it is likely that funding can be made available to assist with the capital expenditure.
Equally if you are a Low Carbon and Environmental Products and Services SME company then a small revenue grants fund is available to assist with marketing and promotional activities.
Both ERDF funding streams are subject to eligibility criteria and approval of a Grants Panel. Grants of up to 28% for capital expenditure and up to 30% revenue expenditure are available. Typical grants range from £1,000 to anything up to £20,000 depending on the total cost and whether jobs are secured and created as result.
Specialist Business Brokers are employed by the programme to assist SME’s with checking their eligibility and suitability, and completing the application forms required.
Within the first 8 weeks of the programme businesses have already benefited and many others are in the process of applying for grants. The programme runs until 31st March 2015.
If you are not sure whether your proposed investment qualifies or just want to know what we can fund then please get in touch for an informal chat. If suitable then one of our Busines Brokers can come and see you and talk you through the simple application process.
Bigfork have designed and built a new website for local, independent house builders, Abel Homes. The key focus was on improving the navigation process for customers looking for new homes and launching their new Oak Meadow home development at Shipdham. The new site has lots more features and is backed by the powerful SilverStripe CMS allowing the Abel team to update the websites everchanging content inhouse. It was a pleasure working with Abel Homes who are passionate about building quality homes and communities.
Did you know the cost of fraud in the UK is estimated to be a staggering £190 billion (Annual Fraud Indicator 2017) every year? That’s more than the Government spends on the health and defence budgets combined. The criminals committing these offences aren’t always obvious. They won’t be sitting on a big chair stroking a cat like a Bond villain. They could even appear to you as someone you know or a company you are doing business with, but it won’t be that person or company. Their aim is to get you to divert a legitimate transaction over to them by simply tricking you into believing you are doing your job. They may contact you and say you need to amend your bank details they are holding for you. The request may appear to be genuine but you need to check if it is. The Metropolitan Police have recently released a short video promoting some of the fraud prevention techniques available to combat payment fraud. The techniques don’t require sophisticated computer software or expensive equipment – just that you take a minute to think about things when a change request is made, or you have received a request for a payment. Often a simple phone call to the organisation or person using a number you know to be correct is all it takes to prevent the fraud.