Attleborough-based renewable heating firm, Finn Geotherm, is seeking 10 new employees following the award of a multi-million pound contract to install 21 heat pump projects in the public sector.
Established in 2006, Finn Geotherm is one of the UK’s most experienced heat pump installers. The new contracts will see the company design and install 21 different air and ground source projects in public sector locations across East Anglia and further afield. These landmark installations will use the latest in large scale heat pump technology to deliver renewable heating systems which are highly energy efficient and will significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Finn Geotherm is recruiting for the following positions:
1 x multi-skilled maintenance engineers
2 x commercial plumbers / pipe fitters
3 x electrical engineers
2 x trainee heating engineers
2 x trainee electrical engineers
Guy Ransom, commercial director for Finn Geotherm, said: “Having been awarded these significant new contacts, we are in a privileged position to be able to appoint 10 new team members to join our award-winning business. We have been installing heat pumps for more than 15 years and there is no doubt that as the Government continues to press forward with its targets to meet net zero carbon emissions, heat pumps are the future of heating. This is an opportune time to join an expanding and very exciting industry. We’re looking forward to welcoming successful applicants to become part of our team and get straight to work on these brilliant green heating projects.”
Finn Geotherm recently completed the installation of a six-phase district (communal) heating scheme for housing association Flagship Group to provide heating and hot water for 113 homes in Felixstowe. Using a ground source heat pump system, this was the third project Finn Geotherm has completed for Flagship and the largest of its kind in the region.
The Norwich Good Economy Commission (NGEC) is a collaboration between Norwich City Council, University of East Anglia and other organisations in the local economy.
The NGEC will create a unique forum for our community to come together and address some of the problems in our city’s economy, by creating a space for sustainable, innovative projects, backed by consistent research and evidence.
The NGEC are currently offering an exciting opportunity to help promote the NGEC and its mission. They are calling for tenders to help them create a product or platform that can be used to initiate conversations about the economy and encourage community engagement with the Commission.
The Hopestead Community Champions initiative recognises, celebrates and thanks people who have been making a difference in their community in Norfolk;
Organisers have had a fantastic response with many acts of kindness highlighted in the nominations;
The closing date is 14 March and people in Norfolk are encouraged to nominate their community champions.
‘A tower of strength,’ ‘guardian angels’, ‘an inspiration’, and ‘selfless’ are just some of the descriptions for nominees of the Hopestead Community Champions initiative – with organisers saying they have been inspired and humbled by the response so far.
The initiative was launched in February to recognise, celebrate, and thank people in East Anglia who have made a positive difference in their communities during the challenges of the last year.
Over 100 nominations have been received so far with each one highlighting the incredible ways that people have been supporting others during the pandemic.
Now, with the closing date of 14 March fast approaching, people in Norfolk are being encouraged to nominate friends, family, neighbours, or themselves – who have gone the extra mile in their communities.
The initiative has been set up by Hopestead, the charity which aims to end homelessness in the East of England. Marie-Claire Delbrouque, CEO of Hopestead explained:
“At Hopestead, we believe in community and the response to our Hopestead Community Champions initiative is testament to the power of community, and the difference that we can all make for each other.
“Our nominations reveal kindness in abundance, and it is a privilege to read about the support and help that so many have given within their communities. It is truly humbling and reminds us that positivity can emerge from the most difficult of situations.
“If you haven’t yet nominated there is still time to do so. This is our opportunity to share your stories of support and shine a light on those people who have made a tough time a little easier through their actions.”
Nominating is simple, and can be done by emailing [email protected] or by visiting www.hopestead.org. Alternatively, people are also encouraged to post pictures and their nominations on social media with the hashtag #HopesteadChampions
The deadline for nominations is Sunday 14 March and all nominees who have been making a difference in their communities will be recognised and provided with a thank you gift. Hopestead will also seek to announce and feature the Hopestead Community Champions on their social media channels.
Freebridge announce launch of annual community fund
The application process for the 2018 Freebridge Community Fund opens from Monday 9 April, with £5000 once again on offer to local community groups and charities.
The annual fund gives groups the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £1000 to support a community and voluntary activity that meets the needs of the community within West Norfolk.
Applications are welcome from organisations whose aims include:
– Promoting health and wellbeing;
– Tackling disadvantage;
– Supporting local solutions to local needs;
– Promoting community cohesion;
– Developing sustainable and supportive communities,
and – Improving the environment
The allocation of monies available is made by a panel made up of Freebridge employees and tenants, last year £5000 was shared between Solace End of Life Support, West Norfolk Mind, West Norfolk Riding for the Disabled Association, The South West Norfolk Youth Opportunities Project, West Norfolk Befriending, the Purfleet Trust and 4transform.
Freebridge Director of Housing, Robert Clarke, said: “Although our main role is to provide good quality affordable housing for people across the area, we feel strongly that we have a responsibility to play a role in supporting stronger, vibrant communities in West Norfolk.
“The Freebridge Community Fund provides to organisations on a very local level which we feel fills a need not met by either public funding or more major charities.”
The application process is open from Monday 9 April until Friday 9 June. Applications can be made by visiting www.norfolkfoundation.com/funds/freebridge-community-housing-fund/
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended until the end of September 2021
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme began in March 2020 and was introduced to assist both employees and employers from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The Scheme currently pays 80% of an employee’s wages when they are unable to work during the pandemic. At a cost of almost £50 billion, it has protected 11 million jobs so far and has already been extended twice with a further extension recently revealed until the end of September as part of the Budget for 2021. The price of not extending it would probably lead to a further rise in unemployment, which has already reached a new rate of 5.1%, the highest figure for five years.
What is furlough?
Employers might need to put some or all of their employees on temporary leave (‘furlough’) during the coronavirus pandemic. This means an employee can agree with their employer to be put on furlough to stop work temporarily but remain employed or to work some of their usual hours and be put on furlough for the hours they did not work; this is ‘flexible furlough.’
Who can be furloughed?
Employers can put someone on furlough provided they were employed on or before 30 October 2020. They do not need to have been on furlough before.
Employers can furlough employees who are temporarily unable to work because they are shielding, they have childcare responsibilities whilst the schools are shut or if they are caring for a vulnerable person in their household.
Extension of The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Under the latest extension, employers will pay 10% of the furlough in July and 20% in August and September.
From 1 July 2021:
the government will pay 70% of wages, capped at £2,187.50
the employer will need to contribute 10% (up to £312.50)
From 1 August to 30 September 2021:
the government will pay 60% of wages, capped at £1,875 each month
the employer will need to contribute 20% (up to £625)
As with the Scheme when it was first introduced back in March 2020, the employer should decide whether they will top up furloughed employees’ wages to 100% however, they are not obliged to.
Redundancy Pay and Notice Pay
When calculating Statutory Redundancy Pay or Statutory Notice Pay for furloughed staff, the employer must use the employee’s full normal pay, not their reduced furlough rate.
What furloughed staff can and cannot do
Furloughed staff can do:
volunteer work – as long as it is for another employer
training to keep their skills up to date
Furloughed staff cannot:
do tasks or activities that make money for their employer
provide a service for their employer
How many people have been furloughed?
11.2 million jobs have been supported by the scheme since March 2020
About 4.7 million people are currently on furlough (up to 31 January 2021)
The highest take-up rate has been in the hospitality industry with 1.2 million jobs furloughed (as of 31 January 2021)
4 out of 10 employers are using the furlough scheme
What help are self-employed getting from the government?
A fourth grant from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will be available from April 2021.
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is set at 80% of 3 months’ average trading profits, paid out in a single instalment and capped at £7,500. The fourth grant will take into account 2019 to 2020 tax returns and will be open to those who became self employed in the 2019/20 tax year – the rest of the eligibility remains unchanged.
Who can claim the fourth grant?
You must be a self-employed individual. To work out your eligibility, your 2019 to 2020 Self Assessment tax return is first looked at – your trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to your non-trading income. If you are not eligible based on your 2019-2020 Self Assessment tax return, the tax years 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 are then looked at.
You must have traded in both tax years:
2019 to 2020 and submitted your tax return by 2 March 2021
2020 to 2021
You must either:
Be currently trading but are impacted by reduced demand due to coronavirus
Have been trading but are temporarily unable to do so due to coronavirus
You must also declare that:
You intend to continue to trade
You reasonably believe there will be a significant reduction in your trading profits due to reduced business activity, capacity, demand or inability to trade due to coronavirus
The UK government also announced that there will be a fifth and final grant covering May to September. You will be able to claim from late July if you are eligible for the fifth grant. The fifth grant will be determined by how much your turnover has been reduced in the year April 2020 to April 2021.
The fifth grant will be worth:
80% of three months’ average trading profits – capped at £7,500 (for those with a turnover reduction of 30% or more)
30% of three months’ average trading profits – capped at £2,850 (for those with a turnover reduction of less than 30%)
In this week’s episode of Impromptu Business Chat, James and Mark chat about the likely challenges businesses will face as lockdown restrictions are eased and hopefully removed as the UK moves targets its “VC Day” on 21 June 2021. As usual they come up with 3 top tips to prepare businesses for the ‘new normal’, and along the way they take inspiration from MHA Larking Gowen, Silicon Valley, and Madonna.
Staff safety solution Safepoint has been appointed by the East of England Co-op – the fourth largest consumer co-operative in the UK – to offer a tech-based safety solution to protect its growing fleet of lone delivery drivers. Each delivery driver is now equipped with a wearable Alert Button allowing users to request emergency help – anytime, anywhere – with a single tap.
The East of England Co-op has recently partnered with grocery delivery app Snappy Shopper to offer home delivery from 32 of its 122 food stores across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. This new service enables Co-op customers to purchase items and have them delivered directly to their door in as little as 30 minutes.
During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the UK government added food delivery drivers to the list of UK key workers, demonstrating their importance in society. Whilst drivers are working long hours to meet increase in demand, they are also at a high risk of infection – delivering to those self-isolating and asymptomatic – potentially exposing themselves to the virus. Delivery drivers are recognised as carrying out an essential role, but compared to their counterparts, are in some cases offered the least protection.
Callum Coombes, CEO of Safepoint, says: “Protecting lone workers in transport is not only a matter of safeguarding your employees but your business too. Safepoint is extremely proud to be partnering with the East of England Co-op to provide a solution which will ensure their fleet of delivery drivers feel safe when out on the road and delivering to their valued customers”.
Lee Hammond, Head of Security for the East of England Co-op, says: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is always our first priority. With the introduction of our home delivery service, we wanted to make sure our colleagues felt safe as they travelled across our trading area”.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimate that ‘up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve someone who is at work at the time. This may account for over 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week’. Driving on the roads will always present a danger – but for delivery drivers there are additional risks to consider when working both on-site and with the public.
Safepoint’s safety solution makes use of automated alarms with no need for a mobile phone signal – ideal for rural areas in the East Anglia region. Alerts can be triggered in a number of ways – if the user taps the panic button on the app or Alert Button, if the device detects a fall, or if the user fails to check-in within a limited time. Alerts are then monitored and received at Safepoint’s GuardianPlus Response Centre – a fully accredited state-of-the-art monitoring and alarm receiving centre (ARC), manned by a team of highly skilled and qualified experts, trained to deal with emergency situations.
Lee Hammond adds: “As a fellow local business and having collaborated with Safepoint for some time at the ARC, we’re extremely proud to be strengthening our relationship. The technology they have in place is incredibly easy to use, which is important for our colleagues when they are out on the road. Allowing us to track the progress of our delivery drivers and respond swiftly to any calls for support, is a comfort to our colleagues as they carry out their vital role for our communities.”
Callum Coombes concludes: “The convenience sector has really ramped up their online and delivery offerings as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We know how important these services are for people, particularly when they are unable to leave their homes for essential items. We’re happy our technology can help play a part in keeping not only the delivery drivers safe, but the public too”.
Safepoint’s partnership with the East of England Co-op is alongside the rollout of the Snappy Shopper online home delivery service across 32 of its stores in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, with plans to roll out the service to further stores over the next 12 months.
Akcela are delighted to confirm that James Adams and Matt Lawley have joined Readingmate as advisors and shareholders as the company begins its journey towards accelerated growth.
Readingmate offers parents a unique approach to encouraging and developing the love of reading in children. This is achieved through a three-pronged approach; the Readingmate app (to encourage and inspire children to read), the Readingmate learning Hub (to empower parents and educators) and the bookshop that gives back (through donations to schools and charities).
Speaking on the engagement, James Adams – Director of Akcela was delighted to be involved with such a worthwhile cause. “Readingmate brings together two incredibly powerful elements. Firstly, as a cause it’s something that resonates with people easily. There’s a clear outcome to what is trying to be achieved. Secondly, we have been able to work together to create a clearly defined differentiated value proposition. The next few months are going to be incredible exciting for Readingmate, and we are delighted to be a part of that.”
Co-Founder James Rix has been impressed by the work Akcela have achieved in bringing Readingmates’ core value proposition to a commercialised offering and implementation strategy so quickly. “We knew we had a great product, we knew what we wanted to achieve, but we had hit a bit of a wall in terms of commercialisation and next steps. There’s been a lot of work with our system, what we know it can do, what separates us from the others. We’ve been able to revisit this and reframe that at the centre of what Readingmate is. That’s exciting, because you can see the goal, you can see it’s achievable, but we also have milestones to make it happen.”
Co-Founder Hannah Rix was focused on how recent developments help deliver the foundation that Readingmate was set up to achieve. “We have a real sense of purpose with Readingmate, how we strive to develop the opportunities of young people through the love of reading. We will soon be actively engaging schools in and around Norfolk to discuss the business in more detail. When we look at what every party gains by being involved, it really is a win-win-win situation. We think we have something special with what we want to do.”
With dates for the 2021 GoGoDiscover T.rex trail set to be announced very soon, Break has revealed that this year’s event will form the first half of a two year trail of prehistoric proportions, with even more T.rex and another gigantic species to discover next year!
The 20 T.rex forming a Jurassic jaunt around Norwich in Summer 2021 won’t fade into extinction, and will return in Summer 2022 for 10 weeks, with more new T.rex friends and a mighty herd of Steppe Mammoth – and this time it will go county wide!
Bringing colour, fun and beautiful art across Norwich and Norfolk, GoGoDiscover is delivered by East Anglia based charity Break in partnership with Wild in Art and the 2022 trail will celebrate the Deep History Coast.
The new Steppe Mammoth sculptures tie into Norfolk being home to the discovery of the largest and oldest mammoth ever found in Britain. The T.rex and Steppe Mammoth sculptures will be decorated by local and national artists and sponsored by businesses from across the region.
Following the 2021 and 2022 GoGoDiscover family-friendly trails, a charity auction of most of the sculptures will be held in October 2022 to raise vital funds for Break; transforming futures and changing lives of vulnerable children and young people across the region.
Break will be announcing some of the partners and sponsors who have already stomped on board for 2022 very soon, but is now calling out for other businesses to get involved by sponsoring a T.rex or Steppe Mammoth. Peter Marron, GoGoDiscover project manager, comments:
“We are so excited to once again be working with Wild in Art to bring a two year art trail to Norwich and Norfolk, which will bring tourism and economic benefits to the region, put smiles on people’s faces, encourage adventure and exploration of our beautiful county and raise awareness and vital funds for Break. Money raised from the trail will support young people right here in East Anglia. We’ll also be launching a Learning & Community Programme to get even more people involved and getting creative! The 2021 T.rex all have sponsors already and look amazing – we can’t wait to start sharing more news and sneak peeks of them very soon! But now is the time for businesses to sign-up for 2022 and be part of this truly unique and exciting event, while supporting Break.”
Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said:
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Break and unveil our latest project, which will be brought to life across Norwich and Norfolk, giving new audiences the chance to enjoy public art in a fun and engaging manner. We passionately champion the importance of art for everybody and the social, cultural and educational benefits which it provides. We hope that through GoGoDiscover we can introduce new businesses to the arts, inject additional funds into the creative sector, and encourage people to explore the cultural offer in Norfolk.”
Businesses and community groups interested in getting involved in GoGoDiscover should visit the page or email [email protected]. GoGoDiscover follows the success of GoGoHares in 2018, GoGoDragons and GoGoGorillas. Previous GoGo sculpture trails have raised over £1million for Break.
Employee satisfaction survey reveals staff have risen to the challenges posed by home working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the third year running, above benchmark results compared to businesses of a similar size and industry, has led to TaxAssist Accountants being named as a ‘5 Star Employer’, following completion of an anonymous Support Centre Staff survey by independent research agency WorkBuzz.
Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director, said: “In what has been the most unprecedented of years, we are incredibly proud that TaxAssist Accountants has once again received this award.
“The 60 members of staff at the Support Centre have seamlessly adapted to working from home and have done a fantastic job during the pandemic, pulling out all the stops to maintain truly exceptional levels of support to our network of accountants and their clients. I really cannot praise them highly enough.
“It was a pleasure to learn from the survey that 98% of staff are proud to work for TaxAssist and 96% would recommend the Support Centre as a great place to work. I hope this gives our franchise network reassurance that they are fully supported by a happy and engaged workforce who are committed and dedicated to helping their businesses thrive.
“We always value feedback, and the results from this survey will help us to understand what matters most to our staff, so we can respond to their needs.” Steven Frost, CEO of WorkBuzz, said: “For several years, we’ve been helping leading organisations gather feedback from their employees, to improve employee engagement and reduce staff turnover. Through the WorkBuzz 5 Star Employer awards, we will now be able to recognise employers who are truly leading employee engagement to improve the working lives of their people.”
For more than 30 years ASAMS has developed its reputation for accuracy, reliability and professionalism with friendly service. One of the next goals is to develop our focus on sustainability. This means addressing the impact that ASAMS has on the environment and society. As one of the UK’s leading metallurgical laboratories, we believe that reviewing our practices such as our carbon footprint, water usage, community development efforts and team diversity will have a positive impact to drive our business. Our focus is to “Do well – run a profitable business” and “Do good – influence social and environmental problems in a positive way”. We believe that this should enable us to continue to support clients in line with their sustainability goals. Sustainable Metallurgy We probably all recognise that metallic materials have been critical to human development over thousands of years. The unique properties of metallic materials mean that significant demand is forecast to continue. The processes to extract and manufacture these materials are energy, resource and waste intensive. Dependent on the material, significant savings in energy can be achieved by recycling metals and there is a large focus within industry on creating a circular economy, where resources are continually reused and recycled. There are also great efficiency savings being made with near-net shape manufacturing methods such as additive manufacturing and metal printing.
Although the material testing part of the manufacturing process is a small component of the supply chain, it is important that all parts of the supply chain contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the process. Some examples of what we are doing at ASAMS to have a direct and indirect impact on sustainability in metals testing are: Any waste produced by ASAMS is sorted and separated to ensure as much waste material is recycled as possible. In excess of 95% of waste produced by the company is currently recycled. We work with clients to enable them to develop increased product. longevity by ensuring materials exhibit the correct properties. We also ensure that test pieces are extracted efficiently, minimising any waste produced. The ASAMS laboratory in Great Yarmouth uses green heating solutions and 30% of the energy used by the company in 2020 was from renewable sources. It is our intention to convert the company fleet to all electric vehicles by the end of this year. The move to electronic reporting has saved paper and the resources required to deliver hard copies of reports to the client. ASAMS has begun the journey to gain accreditation to ISO 14001, along with ISO 45001, we hope to complete the accreditation process by the end of 2021.
Every year ASAMS supports the community and in recent years has donated funds to local sports teams, Cancer Research and Nelson’s Journey, a charity that supports bereaved children. Most recently we have supported the Great Yarmouth Food Bank, The Salvation Army “Toy and Tinsel Appeal” and Norfolk Headway. All staff get involved to decide which organisations to support as it is a key part of the staff engagement culture. “The effect the company has on the environment and community around ASAMS is an important part of what the company does. As a company with over a 30 year history, it is important to create a long-term sustainability culture.” Thomas Whiskin – Director (pictured)
Small business specialist accountant Tony Hall, who runs TaxAssist Accountants Beverley, has now expanded his practice to include Hull.
Experienced accountant Tony Hall has recently bought TaxAssist Accountants Hull, from Darren Tomlinson.
FCA qualified Tony, had 14 years’ experience working with a range of businesses, before launching his practice in Beverley three years ago. He is now looking forward to sharing his expertise to ensure that existing clients continue to receive the high-quality service they have become accustomed to, as well as meeting with new clients in and around Hull.
“The pandemic has certainly challenged us all, in so many ways, and my services have never been in such demand,” comments Tony.
“As a small business owner myself, I know and understand what pressures businesses are facing right now, and it is vital for small business clients to stay close to their figures and take expert advice and guidance to help them to navigate through these unprecedented times.
“This is where we can help. Clients have access to our full range of services, including Self-Assessment Tax Returns, Year End Accounts, Payroll and Bookkeeping, as well as help with furlough and grant applications, R&D Tax credits, employment law, business-starts ups and debt recovery. We also offer advisory services, assisting with business planning and Cash Flow Management, using the latest software, with all of the time saving and efficiencies this brings.
“Small business owners need a good pro-active accountant now more than ever before and I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our services to contact us for a free initial consultation – either face-to-face, by telephone or online,” said Tony.
Tony Hall is based at 623 Spring Bank West in Hull. Please contact him on 01482 563312 or via his website www.taxassist.co.uk/hull
TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network providing tax and accountancy advice and services specifically for small businesses. There are more than 395 TaxAssist Accountants offices nationwide, providing services to 77,000 customers, including sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and personal tax payers.
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