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Please click onto the document to read this week’s market summary.

Inspired by a recent conversation with a listener, this week’s podcast makes reference to Austin Powers, Tony Robbins, Michael Heppell and Ghandi, as James and Mark provide 3 top tips on how to reclaim your mojo in business and in life. Yeah baby!   Listen here. 

Work to develop a plan for King’s Lynn that could bring £25M in funding into the town is moving forward.

The Town Investment Plan is being developed by the Town Board, which brings together representatives from the private and public sector, and will set out the vision, priorities, and interventions that could significantly enhance the town.

The plan’s development comes after the government allocated £25m for King’s Lynn in 2019 through the Town’s Fund, which was set up to drive economic regeneration.  The plan must include projects focused on the themes of urban regeneration, planning and land use; skills and enterprise infrastructure, and connectivity.

Consultation has been taking place to gain insight to help to shape the plan. This has included business and consumer confidence surveys that ran earlier this summer and a workshop for town centre businesses, taking place on 9 September. The workshop saw themes such as opportunities and challenges and investment in the public realm discussed and also provided an update into progress on the Town Investment Plan.

Further opportunities for people to feedback on the plan and its projects will be offered on a regular basis.

Graham Purkins, Chair of the Town Board and Chief Technology Officer with Merxin Ltd commented: “The consultation which we have been carrying out gives us a really useful insight into some of the needs and priorities for businesses and consumers going forward.

“It is clear that Covid-19 has had an impact in the town, but the resilience and adaptability of businesses and consumers has also been revealed by our research.

“The plan that we are developing will form part of the recovery and renewal of King’s Lynn and so the feedback we have received, at the workshop and in the surveys, is extremely useful. I am really grateful for everyone who took the time to have their say.”

Earlier this summer, the Vision King’s Lynn consumer and business surveys aimed to understand confidence in the town, in light of Covid-19. 276 consumers and 72 businesses gave their views in the consultation which ran just prior to the reopening of non-essential retail. The research found:

Consumer Insight Survey

• At the time of asking, there was a great deal of uncertainty about coming back to the town centre with 46% of consumers feeling confident but 36.8% of respondents stating that they felt unsure.
• The big concern was feeling safe, and the public needed reassurance around social distancing and the measures that have been taken.
• The main purpose people had for coming in was non-essential shopping.
• There has been a big shift in online use in the preceding months, including online banking. This has been through necessity as well as choice.

Business Insight Survey:

• Covid-19 had had a negative impact on most (86.7%) of the businesses who took part in the survey – but 63.5% of respondents said that they are confident that they can recover.
• Businesses have adapted over the last few months, with implementing social distancing measures the main change that has been made.
• The key challenges for businesses in the coming months is retaining and attracting customers, and financial pressures. Businesses would like financial support and help with marketing the town and bringing footfall in.
• There is uncertainty in the future.

The respondents in both surveys stated that they would like to see outdoor seating areas and short-term pop-up shops in the town.

The most recent consultation follows on from previous Vision King’s Lynn surveys which aimed to understand satisfaction with the town as well as needs and ideas. The insight gathered through Vision King’s Lynn consultations will help to inform the plan which will be submitted to government by 31st October with the Town Deal expected to be agreed with government by end of March 2021.

Graham Purkins commented: “This is a once in a generation opportunity for King’s Lynn, to deliver a plan of activity that can bring huge benefits for the town.

“We have much to be proud of in King’s Lynn and with this investment, and through our plan, we can make the most of our very many assets and enhance the town to be a place where people want and aspire to be.”

Through the Town Investment Plan, the aim is for King’s Lynn to be a thriving place where people and businesses want to be, where aspiration is inspired and met, and where potential is fulfilled, now and for generations to come.  The plan will enhance the town centre experience for all, providing cultural and leisure opportunities, a new residential offer, and a revived waterfront. The plan will support business innovation and collaboration, and increase access to learning, skills, and employment. The plan will provide for improved and sustainable connections, and will help with the town’s recovery and renewal from the impact of Covid-19, ensuring the long-term success of King’s Lynn.

Follow Vision King’s Lynn on Twitter @vision_lynn Facebook: Vision King’s Lynn or visit www.visionkingslynn.co.uk for updates and further information.

*The winners of the Vision King’s Lynn prize draw were Marc Melton, Adam Knight, and Aga Munns.

Overview

Indigo Swan is an energy consultancy based in the centre of Norwich. They are looking for a passionate Account Manager to work as part of the Energy Contract Enthusiast Team who negotiate and manage electricity and gas contracts for our business clients.

Job Purpose

To provide excellent customer service to existing and new business clients, assisting them with their energy contract management needs. To ensure clients feel well supported and informed at all stages of the electricity and gas contract negotiations. To be trusted and respected by colleagues, clients and suppliers.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of clients by regular contact throughout the year to build strong relationships and help with any queries
• Manage and renew contracts based on our high service levels
• Ensure client contracts are renewed at the most appropriate time
• Carry out wholesale pricing data entry and analysis
• Professionally liaise and negotiate with energy companies to get the best prices for clients
• Generate pricing reports and present recommendations to clients
• Ensure contract administration is compliant with internal and external processes
• Keep up to date with energy industry developments
• Regular communication with clients about upcoming industry or contract changes that may affect them
• Support Indigo Swan’s continued growth by achieving personal and team sales targets
• Support the Client Services team with any complex account management queries
• Cross sell our full product range to existing and new clients
• Represent and promote Indigo Swan at Industry and Client events and meetings
• Support the Client Discovery team with campaigns
• Develop your own prospects converting them to new clients
• Work with business introducers – answering their queries, reporting on the progress of their prospects & assisting with the decision-making process and preparation of the contracts

To find out more about the benefits, tools and support availble visit their website here.

Please email [email protected] for an application form, or if you have any questions please call Aimee Konieczny on 01603 625522 to discuss the position further.

Hatch Brenner Solicitors is delighted to welcome the Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury and Professional Negligence team from fellow Norwich Solicitor firm Morgan Jones Pett into the Hatch Brenner Solicitors team.

Following the retirement of David Jones as a Director in Morgan Jones Pett, the entire Clinical Negligence team from Morgan Jones Pett are transferring to Hatch Brenner Solicitors on Theatre Street, Norwich.

From 1 October 2020, top Clinical Negligence Solicitor Sara Westwood will be appointed as a Partner at Hatch Brenner Solicitors. She will be joined by her Morgan Jones Pett team comprising experienced Chartered Legal Executive Simon Bransby, along with their assistants Donna Wright and Hayley Harbord.

Colin Cook, Hatch Brenner Head of Dispute Resolution commented: “We would like to extend a very warm welcome to the Morgan Jones Pett Clinical Negligence team as they join the Hatch Brenner Solicitors Dispute Resolution team. Having known Sara and Simon for many years via the Personal Injury community, it is very exciting to have their talent and nationally-recognised expertise within our team. We admire their practical and professional approach to cases and they have a first-class reputation.

“Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury and Professional Negligence legal support are specialist areas, and we are delighted to be offering a heavy-weight provision of experience, accreditation and expertise to our clients. We feel the two teams complement each other, and it will be great to be able to offer a much broader clinical and medical negligence, personal injury and professional negligence practice alongside our existing services, under the Hatch Brenner Solicitors banner. We will continue to champion access to specialist rehabilitation services and family support alongside compensation.”

Sara Westwood, Clinical Negligence Specialist Solicitor added: “Simon, Hayley, Donna and I would like to extend our thank you to the entire Hatch Brenner team for the warm welcome we have received. We are delighted to be joining such a friendly firm with a broad spectrum of legal services, which also has national reach within Clinical Negligence thanks to the combination of our specialist knowledge and experience.”

Solicitor Sara Westwood is amongst the select few specialist solicitors in the UK to be appointed to both the AvMA panel (Action Against Medical Accidents) and Law Society Panel of Clinical Negligence Specialists. She is also a Senior Litigator member of APIL (the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) and has over 15 years of specialist experience. She has a particular interest in gynaecological and obstetric claims, orthopaedic cases and A&E errors. In her spare time she enjoys badminton, boating and enjoying meals with friends.

Simon Bransby is a Chartered Legal Executive with over 30 years experience specialising in personal injury and clinical errors across a wide range of injury law cases. Outside of work, Simon enjoys cycling, running, music and cooking.

Sara and Simon have both been listed in the Legal 500 and Chamber and Partners Legal Directories as clinical negligence and personal injury specialists for the East Anglia region. They both regularly volunteer as legal advisors to the Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS) and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Their experience complements Colin Cook’s impressive accreditations which include being APIL accredited as a Senior Litigator Personal Injury Specialist and Brain Injury Specialist, a Law Society accreditation for Personal Injury and being listed in the Spinal Injuries Association list of accredited Personal Injury Solicitors for 2019/20 and the Headway Solicitors Directory since 2015. Colin is also on the board of trustees for Headway Norfolk & Waveney and is a member of the Norfolk & Norwich Medico Legal Society, Eastern Region Brain Injury Forum and the Norfolk Area Brain Injury Forum.

It’s not too late to get a 2020 date!

Please see the PDF file below for more information of the current packages on offer for our exciting Corporate Golf Days.

Upgrades available. Must be booked a minimum 72 hours in advance. Terms and Conditions apply, subject to availability.

Call Sarah Jones, Business development manager on 07449 805801 or email [email protected].

Performance and train services

Performance continues to be very good with punctuality in the current 4-week period over 95% across our network. Everything went smoothly last week as schools re-opened and more people returned to work. We were already running a full service everywhere except the intercity service, where most services are running, and the Stansted Express, where an extra 8 services a day were added to the current half hourly service from Monday 7 September. We’ll maintain our daily monitoring to enable us to assess when it’s appropriate to add in the remaining intercity and Stansted Express services.

Travelling with confidence

Across the rail industry, train operators are encouraging customers to “travel with confidence”, reflecting all the steps taken to provide an excellent service for passengers. The actions in our safer travel pledge, which are focused on providing more services and capacity, additional cleaning, making it easier to keep your hands clean and providing information to help you travel safely, are all being delivered.  We’ve outlined a number of the extra steps we’ve been taking here at Greater Anglia in support of this commitment in previous updates over the last few months.  

Just a helpful reminder that it is mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, in stations as well as on trains, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or medical condition which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them. The vast majority of people are complying with the requirements, but the British Transport Police do have the power to impose fines of £100 for non-compliance, if necessary.

We have invested in additional cleaning measures – including more train cleaners, new PacVac equipment for turnaround train cleaning during the day and special testing equipment to carry out random hygiene tests on trains (to help us raise standards even further) – as well as cleaning every single carriage with fogging guns (which disinfect all surfaces, including seats, arm rests, grab handles and windows) to supplement the extra cleaning already being implemented in these high contact areas. We’re also carrying out extra cleaning at stations, where the fogging guns come in handy for larger indoor areas, such as waiting rooms.

It’s still important to observe social distancing. We’ve introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to do so at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems.

We’re looking forward to seeing more and more people taking the train again in the weeks and months ahead. 

Thanks again to everyone across Greater Anglia for delivering a very good service to our customers and communities across East Anglia, with valuable support from colleagues at Network Rail, Siemens, Stadler, Bombardier and our other rail industry partners

Larking Gowen, Chartered
Accountants and Business Advisors are delighted to announce that the firm have
been awarded “Best Benefits to Support Work-Life Balance” at the
Employee Benefits Awards 2025. This accolade highlights our commitment to
promoting a supportive and balanced work environment for all our employees.

Julie Grimmer, Managing
Partner at Larking Gowen, commented, “We are incredibly proud to receive
this award. It is a testament to our ongoing commitment to creating a work
environment that supports the well-being and work-life balance of our employees.
This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire
team.”

Photo
Credit: Employee Benefits Awards 2025

Picture
front centre: Chloe Alexander (left, head of the People Team at Larking Gowen
and right, Julie Grimmer Managing Parter, Larking Gowen. Joined by members of
the team at Larking Gowen

The Employee Benefits Awards
is the UK’s leading voice on reward and benefits, attracting 130,000 monthly
visitors to their website and hosting Europe’s largest Employee Benefits and
Reward event annually. This year, Larking Gowen faced stiff competition from
notable organisations such as Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust,
Lincoln College Group, Lloyds Banking Group, PepsiCo UK&I, Bosch UK
Holdings, and Sopra Steria. Our innovative approach, including the use of
annualised hours, impressed the panel of 24 judges and secured our win.

The awards ceremony took place
in London on Friday 27 June at the Honourable Artillery Company and was hosted
by comedian Maisie Adam. Representing the firm at the event were Board members
and partners, Julie Grimmer, Ian Fitch, Lizzy Lloyd and Ian Webster as well as
members of the team from across the firm representing Well-being Champions, Mental
Health First Aiders the Employee Forum.

Winner announcements can be
found on the Employee Benefits website.

We are excited to introduce to you our Founder & Principal Consultant, Darren Chapman. Here you can find out all you need to know about the person behind one of cyber security’s up and coming security companies, CyberScale, in a recent 60 Second Interview.

Tell us briefly about your background in IT?

I’ve been in IT for longer than I care to remember (it’s more than 20 years!), in a range of roles from 1st line support through to managing high performing consulting teams.  Throughout that time, I’ve had a lot of involvement in security, but also a lot on the productivity side, so I understand that balancing both sides is critical in business.

How do you keep up to date with trends in the industry?

Lots of discussions with peers and peer groups including government and law enforcement, dedicated time for me (and the rest of the team) and a thirst for learning. Podcasts and audiobooks are gold!

What does the future look like at CyberScale?

Bright, exciting, scary and fun.  I feel like we’re building something that can really make a difference to our client’s ability to deal with an ever-growing business risk without stifling their ability to do business.

What process is most important in creating a secure business environment?

Understanding what you have and why it is important to your business and your clients.  It’s not until you’ve done that that you can really make good decisions about where to put your focus.

Where do you see the enterprise IT department in the future? 

Ever changing, ever more critical to the business.  IT (and security) should be a business enabler, that’s what it’s there for.  Automation is huge, but we’ll always need smart people.

What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self over a coffee?

Hey 21-year-old Darren – when you create your web design company in a couple of years, and it seems like it’s not going anywhere – stick with it!  You’ll be a bit too early, but it’s going to be huge!

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

There’s two – consistently positive feedback from employers and clients over the entire course of my career and building CyberScale from nothing after a huge leap of faith!

You can connect with Darren on Linkedin here or follow CyberScale here

The UK government has issued guidance on placing manufactured goods on the market in Great Britain (GB) from 1 January 2021. This includes guidance on when the new UKCA mark should be used and how to use it. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-mark-from-1-january-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-eu-market-from-1-january-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-market-in-great-britain-from-1-january-2021 All those manufacturing and distributing products in the UK should read the guidance and consider what immediate action is needed. You should identify which rules apply from 1 January 2021 and the guidance focusses on goods which are subject to the EU’s “new approach” product safety rules, which includes toys, electrical and electronic equipment, and personal protective equipment. There are different rules for chemicals, medicines, vehicles and aerospace. You should check to see if you need to change your conformity assessment or marking. —————————————————————————- In other news with new legislation being published this week, the ban has now come in regarding plastic straws, cotton buds and plastic stirrers from 1st October 2020. Charging for single use carrier bags is extended in April 2021 to all retailers and the minimum charge is changing from 5p to 10p. Drink containers with straws attached are banned from 3rd July 2021. There are some exemptions and businesses are allowed to use up existing stock obtained before the legislation came into force but only until March 2021.

WLP have a new addition to the team!

“We are extremely pleased to announce the arrival of Lydia Stephens to our growing team of specialists”

Take a look at Lydia’s bio to find out more about her expertise and experience in the healthcare sector.

https://w-l-p.co.uk/author/Lydia-Stephens/#Lydia-Stephens

Please click onto the document to read this week’s Market Summary.