We’re supportingThe Timber Projectthroughout the whole of October by promoting an urgent donation drive across our full network of screens in Norwich. The Timber Project is a non-profit organisation devoted to providing basic shelter and hygiene facilities for refugees stranded in Greece and along the Balkan route.
While the situation is complex, their work is simple: the team design and buildtimber structures that offer small pieces of solace, protection and dignity to those forced to flee their homes. Their projects are aimed at addressing the most urgent needs of refugees along the Balkan route. The Timber Project have built shower units for a camp of 500 people in Serbia and a learning centre for the children in Kelebija. They also strive to improve conditions in the camps by designing and building children’s playgrounds as well as communal structures that have been used to create women friendly spaces and wifi stations amongst many other applications.
The team have managed to raise just over £8,000 of their £10,000 target. So lets reachtheir goal plus more and help the thousands of war torn refugees get some shelter over their heads before the dreaded winter comes. Any donation is fine, small or large, every pennyhelps!
On the weekend of the 24th-25th September, accountants from East Anglian Accountancy firm, Aston Shaw headed to the Lake District to undertake the firm’s most challenging charity event yet – all in support of local children’s charity, EACH and their Nook Appeal.
Unfortunately, the weather was not on the team’s side and they had to endure heavy rain, hail, and 60mph winds. The treacherous weather only made what is already a gruelling challenge all the more difficult. Despite these difficult conditions, the team pushed on and covered some 44 kilometres (33 miles) and climbed a total height equal to half that of Mt Everest, all this within a combined time of 24 hours!
“I’m aching so much, but it was well worth it. An amazing weekend!” – Sophie Towler, Assistant Client Manager, Norwich
“Amazing determination and enthusiasm by all involved, through injuries, gale force winds, hailstorms and heavy rain. It was a great challenge to be part of especially as we have raised money for such a good cause.” – Vincent Crouch, Audit Manager, Norwich
“Seeing the team carry out the 24 peaks challenge was a great experience, everyone at Aston Shaw put in a great effort battling 60mph winds, rain and of course the tough terrain! I was pleased to be part of the team effort.” – Christopher Lock, Client Manager, Ipswich
Through this event and other fundraising initiatives taken by the firm, Aston Shaw has now almost reached their goal of raising £10,000 for EACH. With donations continuing to trickle in, Aston Shaw has hopes of raising more money this year than the previous one. You can help Aston Shaw raise money for EACH by visiting their JustGiving page and making a contribution: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Aston-Shaw
This is not the first time staff members from Aston Shaw have taken on a daring challenge for charity. Last year, the firm committed to raising £10,000 through a sponsored skydive alongside various other fundraising activities.
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and relies heavily on donations from fundraising activities. The money raised will largely go towards the nook appeal; EACH is raising money for a new, bespoke hospice to be built in the heart of Norfolk. The new hospice will be much better equipped to provide the services that the children need, and will bring new facilities for the children to enjoy.
TaxAssist Accountants’ business model has helped its first franchisee in Australia, Avendra Narayan, enjoy a highly successful six months providing small business services to Sydney’s Liverpool district.
Since opening his welcoming and highly accessible shopfront on Scott Street, in March 2016, Avendra along with his daughter Priya Narayan and two members of staff, have already signed up more than 20 small businesses. With a fee bank in excess of $30,000, Avendra’s shop is already well ahead of his one-year target projections.
Avendra said: “I could not be happier with the way my business is growing. Following TaxAssist Accountants’ shopfront business model has worked superbly as having a highly visible business encourages walk-in clients. The shop concept combined with the high referral rate from clients who have been impressed by the level of service they have received, means that my business continues to grow.
“The marketing and technical support I have received from the TaxAssist Accountants’ team has been excellent, and I am keen to expand my business further by acquiring a second exclusive territory and shop in the near future.”
Terry Murphy, the Master Franchisee for New South Wales, Queensland and ACT has been delighted by the success of his first franchisee.
“I have been most impressed by the exceptional start Avendra has made. He really is a great ambassador and standard-bearer for the TaxAssist Accountants’ brand as we begin our expansion across New South Wales and beyond.
“Avendra has taken on board all of the training and advice provided to him, and has networked with enthusiasm, building strong working relationships within his local community. I could not have asked for a better example for other franchisees to take inspiration from.
“We are also delighted that two more franchisees have joined TaxAssist Accountants in Chatswood and Sydney CBD since Avendra started trading, with further expansion planned in the near future.”
Oursuccessful Women’s Leadership Programme has opened its application for thefirst programme of 2017 and will be taking place inJanuary and March 2017.
Developed by Pure and People and Performance, the programme has been designed to develop talented aspiring female leaders, equipping them with the tools needed to evolve organisational culture at the same time as removing workplace barriers, the programme will be in two modules held in January and March: Module one taking place on Wednesday25 and Thursday26 January and Module two taking place on Wednesday 22 andThursday 23March 2017.
Held over two modules, the programme is beneficial for organisations and delegates alike.
For organisations, the programme sets to challenge how your culture defines gender equality strategy; helps identify and sponsor talent; be aware of unconscious bias and how to remove it from your organisation as well as support women to be authentic and effective leaders
For delegates, this course will: provide a support network with peers facing similar issues; help define your ambition and provide tools and practical examples to realise this; empower, support and guide – through mentoring and strategic modelling – the future leaders. Why women only? Historically women have tended to be the primary carer in the household, making their experience and opportunities very different to mail counterparts. This environment encourages women to share and explore their experiences within a supportive setting, without being judged, whilst stretching them to step fully into their authentic leadership style.
Lynn Walters, Co-founder and Director of Pure, comments: “The programme’s generous sponsors could help two aspiring women fulfil their career ambitions, while helping to make positive change and setting standards and expectations for other women. Diversity is widely understood to be fundamental to the sustained growth of any business and therefore, having a talent pipeline of future executives including both male and females will lead to increased future profits and help boost the bottom line.”
To find out how to apply and check their eligibility for the places, candidates should email[email protected]orcall Pure on 01473 250990.
Pure runs the Women’s Leadership Programme in partnership with People & Performance, a strategic HR consultancy.
Monthind Clean LLP is pleased to announce that they have successfully achieved exor accreditation, demonstrating their ability to meet the rigorous pre-qualification requirements within the private and public sectors.
The East Anglia-based firm recently received accreditation from exor, whose standards are recognised as being amongst the highest in their industry. Tony Felgate, Monthind Partner, said: “At Monthind, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients; exor accreditation demonstrates our capabilities and further underpins the trust our clients place in us.”
Established in 1997 to supply an efficient, outsourced supply chain service, exor understands that the management of risk is a central issue in the procuring of goods and services, adopting a thorough and robust approach to independently check and validate supplier information. Only suppliers and contractors that can attain and maintain these high standards will gain admission to the approved exor supplier database.
John Kinge, Technical Director of exor said, “Organisations need to be able to ensure that their supply partners are reliable, financially stable and compliant with all relevant legislation. A third party accreditation scheme can be an efficient way in which to manage complex compliance issues such as these.
With robust supplier management in place, the company at the top of the supply chain will have the confidence they need to outsource vital services, which removes the hassle of verification and gives piece of mind that they are adhering to regulation and industry best practice.”
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, viability and compliance with legal requirements and current codes of practice is presented.
The exor accreditation scheme assesses, reviews and audits suppliers’ procedures and documentation; suppliers can then be included on a database which demonstrates they have met the highest standards in the market place in procurement risk management.
A start-up micro-company targeting safe, clean, local and sustainable lead-acid battery recycling in India and other parts of the developing world has moved into laboratory space at Norwich Research Park.
Citrecycle – based in the Accelerator Suite at Norwich Research Park’s Innovation Centre – has developed a sustainable process to profitably revolutionise the recycling of lead-acid batteries, a procedure that currently has a damaging effect on human health and the natural environment in many developing countries.
Chief Executive Officer Joshua George said Citrecycle is now seeking funding to establish its first plant in India, where recycling lead acid batteries is big business – much of it conducted by unregulated operators. The template could be scaled and adapted for use anywhere in the world.
“Our focus is the safe disposal of batteries and a clean, green way of recycling the lead they contain,” said Mr George. “Our process is more sustainable, more environmentally friendly and benefits the local community.”
“Recycled lead is highly prized because of its value, but it is very toxic to anyone who handles it without proper protection. The high temperature smelting process used to recover the lead, releases a lot of harmful particulate into the air which can have a catastrophic effect on the health of people who breathe the air and drink the water,” he said.
“Our process for recycling lead is more efficient, more profitable, more sustainable and more environmentally friendly.”
Mr George and his colleague, Chief Technical Officer George Lane are delighted to be based at Norwich Research Park’s Accelerator Suite.
“The Accelerator Suite is great as it gives us access to both equipment and business support. Everything was ready and waiting for us when we arrived which enabled us to get to work straight away,” said Mr George.
Major companies involved in the lead-acid battery industry have shown interest in Citrecycle’s emission-free process which uses natural solvents while reducing carbon output by more than half.
“It’s a win-win,” said Mr George. “It doesn’t pollute the environment or adversely affect the health of the local community. It’s less hazardous for the collectors and recyclers – and it is more profitable for them.”
Dr Kenny Lang, Business Development Director at Norwich Research Park said: “The Accelerator laboratories and offices were developed to help businesses at the start of their journey. A shared environment, we offer access to support and access to equipment to ensure new businesses are given the greatest possible chance of success.
“Accelerator has been really well received and I am delighted to welcome our latest occupier Citrecycle to the Park.”
Picture Caption: Business Development Director Dr Kenny Lang, welcomes Citrecycle innovators George Lane (centre) and Joshua George to Norwich Research Park
With over 135 customer sites in Norfolk and employing over 190 staff in the County, Norfolk has always been an important region in Monthind’s portfolio. The opportunity to support a local fundraising event, whilst raising money for its chosen charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, led the company to join over 2,500 cyclists of all ages and abilities and enter a team in the Tour De Broads. Between them, Simon Biggs, Tony Payne and Chris Brown raised an impressive £2000 for the charity.
Monthind’s Sales and Marketing Business Manager, Tony Payne, says: “The Tour de Broads is a fantastic event; you can choose to ride just three miles or up to 100 miles, and the longer routes incorporate 16 Broads, four rivers and countless beautiful Broads National Park villages. The hardest part is not stopping off to enjoy your surroundings for a few hours, but it opens your eyes to the amazing countryside on our doorsteps, and I now have a long list of day trips planned.”
As East Anglia’s leading contract cleaning company, Monthind Clean LLP wanted to work with a charity that resonated with all of their 1000 + staff across the region. Statistics show that one in four people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point, so it is almost inevitable that everyone will be affected by the disease, either directly or indirectly, during their lifetime. Monthind teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Support in 2015 and such was the success of the partnership it has continued to work with them this year. Tony explains; “In June last year some of our management team took part in the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge. We also held a Charity Golf day at Ipswich Golf Club, a cake sale, and a coffee morning. These and other fundraising ventures meant that last year we managed to raise almost £10,000 for Macmillan.”
Monthind has two regional offices in Norfolk, in Norwich and Gorleston, which is the home of its Specialist Cleaning Administration Hub. The company’s team of highly trained operatives provide East Anglia’s biggest corporations with a full package of services including daily office cleans, specialist window cleaning, biohazard, deep and forensic cleans, janitorial supplies and services along with property maintenance, concierge services and caretaking operations. Tony concludes: “It is important to us, as a company, to balance our corporate goals with our social responsibilities; we involve ourselves in local events, and raising money for a national charity that brings benefits to local people is a high priority for us.”
For more details on future Monthind Clean events in aid of Macmillan, as well as the services the company provides, please call 01206 215300.
Businesses in Norfolk are losing out on millions of pounds of tax credits as the latest Government figures are released.
HM Revenue & Custom’s recentstatistics show that East Anglian companies accounted for 10% of 22,445 Research & Development tax credits claims in the tax year ending 2014-2015.
HMRC paid back £250 million to companies in the east of England out of a total of £2.45 billion tax relief paid out nationwide under its R&D tax credit scheme.
Many owners of small and medium limited companies are still unaware that they could claim back or save thousands of pounds in corporation tax from the Government
The figures show that over the last five years the east of England is lagging behind other regions in terms of the increase in numbers of claims by small and medium businesses.
Since 2010, the amounts claimed by east of England small and medium businesses have only increased by 198% compared to the North East at 438% and London at 364%.
The country’s leading R&D tax credit specialist Jumpstart now has a Client Engagement Manager based in Norfolk to raise awareness of the scheme across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
Jumpstart’s Client Engagement Manager Lee Williams is appealing for businesses to come forward to apply for tax credits for any project where there has been an advance in technology or science – not solely scientific advances.
Relevant sectors which are eligible also include software and IT, manufacturing and engineering, energy and food and drink.
There are two schemes; The SME scheme and Research & Development Expenditure Credit scheme for larger companies and retrospective claims can be made up to 2 years.
The figures show that 75% of claims were made from the ‘Manufacturing’ ‘Professional, Scientific & Technical’ and ‘Information & Communication’ sectors.
Mr Williams has almost 30 years of financial sector experience helping SME’s reach/exceed their goals said: “These latest HMRC figures show that there is still more work to be done in promoting the tax relief scheme for small and medium sized companies”
“Furthermore, local companies could be under claiming or over claiming because their technical project activities and expenditures are not being accurately interpreted against legislation. As well as the introduction of increased scrutiny by HMRC, the process of claiming is very much a technical assessment, so it is important that companies instruct a specialist advisor.”
Since its inception, Jumpstart has helped its clients recover almost £80 million in R&D tax relief and has identified nearly £404 million in eligible R&D expenditure.
To find out more please contact Jumpstart’s Client Engagement Manager for East Anglia on [email protected] or ring 07794 201990
Representatives from across the Norse Group recently attended training to become Dementia Champions for the business.
The commitment followed a call to action during Dementia Awareness Week in May when Managing Director Mike Britch, whilst outlining the Group’s commitment to have a Dementia Friends Champion in every location across the business, encouraged staff to sign up as Dementia Friends.
Dementia is an important issue for the Norse Group as Mike Britch explained: “We live in an ageing society – we are all living and working longer, so supporting older people is one of the key strands of The Norse Way, our Group Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. Most people know someone living with dementia – it may be a colleague, a family member or a friend, so it was important that we used the experience of colleagues who are caring for people living with dementia every day. We feel strongly that we can all become more dementia-friendly and grow our understanding of how living with dementia may affect our colleagues, customers and communities.”
The training was delivered by Kate Grange, Dementia Lead for the Norse Group which has a number of homes that specifically care for people living with dementia. She explained the role of a Dementia Friends Champion: “A Dementia Friends Champion is someone who encourages others to make a difference to people living with dementia in their community. I work with people with dementia every day and know what a difference it makes if those around them understand even just a little bit of what it might be like to live with the condition.”
Volunteers learnt about different types of dementia, took part in games and activities to heighten their awareness of what it’s like to live with the condition, and gained understanding about how being more aware of dementia could impact their own jobs.
Members of the Group’s catering division were told how different colours influence how appealing food is to people living with dementia, and how individuals’ tastes change, e.g. how they crave more sweet things. Tom Crowther from the group’s Mechanical and Engineering team learnt about how dementia affects building design, heating and cooling.
Keen to volunteer as a Dementia Champion, Donna Owen commented: “The opportunity to improve my understanding and help diminish stigma around dementia was very important to me.” Helen Fisher added: “I’m supporting large numbers of staff on a daily basis and this is something that could affect them.”
At the end of the session, participants came up with ideas to take back to their workplaces and share some of what they had learned with colleagues. These included relaying their knowledge at team meetings, developing an e-learning module, volunteering in a care home and inviting the Alzheimer’s Society in to do an information session. They will also be developing local activities to celebrate Older People’s Day on 1 October.
Reflection PR is delighted to announce the appointments of Nicky Barrell as Account Director and Kelly Pointer as Senior PR Executive.
As a NCTJ-trained journalist, Nicky has reported for both daily and weekly Archant titles across East Anglia. She has developed, produced and marketed entertainment and documentary series for ITV, Channel 4, Discovery and Sky including producing a weekly BBC current affairs programme live from Reuters in New York.
Nicky’s PR and marketing experience was honed with managing Open Day recruitment at the University of East Anglia. More recently Nicky has worked in PR, Communications and Marketing for Norfolk & Norwich Festival – one of the top five festivals in the country.
Kelly was first introduced to Reflection PR during a work experience placement with us in 2012 and later returned to lead our awards division after obtaining a first class degree in Media, Communications & Cultural Studies from Newcastle University.
Previously working in event management, Kelly has experience of writing compelling award entries for a number of businesses.
We hope you will join us in wishing them both all the best.
Our latest newsletter has just been sent out. In this month’s newsletter we look at;
– Recent Feedback from our Colleagues
We often receive great feedback here from our colleagues but we rarely mention it on social media…
– Ermine – Sandler Training Events The Sandler Training team will be holding a number of events here at No.8 in October…
– Food and Flavours, It’s a Science Things
Food and Flavours is a charity fundraising meal on behalf of the Teacher Scientist Network (TSN)…
– Charlie Hodson Champion of the Norfolk Food and Drink Festival
We are very proud of our coworker Charlie Hodson for being awarded the Champion of the Norfolk Food and Drink Festival prize this year…
– Sarah will be Sleeping Rough in aid of Youth Homelessness
Our Sarah will be taking part in the annual Sleep Out Norwich for the second year running. The aim of the event is to help raise awareness and stop youth homelessness.
If you would like to read our newsletter click here
There is certainly no stopping our young Mr Soanes. At the beginning of September, he took onthe Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA)2016 PremierLeague. He did fantastically and stormed through to secureoverall Series High Gun and furthermore, his team, Barrow Heath, also gained the overall Premier League Champions title too.
We are beaming withpride tosupportsuch a skilled and determinedyoung man. In additionto our sponsorship, as a result of his prowess, Charlie wasapproached by The Clay Pigeon Pigeon Company(CPC). A renowned and high end manufacturer, CPC fabricate the Laporte range and for this reason, are considered one of the industries finest traps and clay pigeons producers.
Charlie Meets Top Athletes
Furthermore, Charlie met both George Digweed and Richard Faulds. They are both huge names within the sport and the pair hold MBE titles. Their careers have spanned decades and many notable achievements. George has won countless National and European titles in addition to beingWorld Champion 26 times! Richard has earned numeroustitles over the years. Perhaps his highest achievement was taking Gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
England Selection Shoot Feature
In addition, Clay Shooting magazine ran a feature on the England Selection Shoot at Barbury Shooting Ground. Featured in the article is a picture of Charlie and a short write up towards the end where they state thathe is akeen and able shot, who will be one to watch in the future. With so much at stake, the comingyear will be tough for Charlie but his dedication to his sportwill go a long way to achieving his dream.