Omega Holidays hosted a very special flight to view the Northern Lights from Norwich International on the evening of Friday 21st November.
During the experience passengers took a journey through a star studded sky, and heard about folklore legends in a quest to see one of the most spectacular natural phenomena known to man…….The Northern Lights.
Guest astronomers guided the passengers on a voyage of exploration and discovery through the winter night sky to view natures very own spectacular light show from the aircraft. The flight has proven to be extremely popular, with Omega Holidays already making plans to repeat the flight during 2015.
Dino Toouli, Head of Trade Sales at Omega Holidays commented “.It’s great to see such a strong demand for our Northern Lights flight from Norwich. This is probably the best and cheapest ways to experience the lights, above the clouds at 30,000 feet!” Toouli added, “The Norwich flight has been one of our best performing flights and I see no reason why we won’t be doing more flights next year.”
Andrew Bell, Chief Executive of Norwich International Airport, said “It is fantastic to be able to offer this excursion for the first time from Norwich International and we are delighted that it has proved popular. Our objective is to provide an ever increasing range of destinations and products to the travelers in our region. The addition of this special flight compliments the services we currently offer. Following the success of this flight we are hopeful that Omega Holidays will build on this and introduce further options for local travelers in 2015.”
Abellio Greater Anglia has launched a new website to improve its customer service and information provision to the 30,000 people who visit daily.
The new site, which launched on Monday 10th November, will run parallel to the existing site at www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk while the train operator listens to feedback from customers and ensures the new site is running smoothly.
The new site is accessible from the home page of the existing site, which will continue to be available for the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
The new website, designed and built by marketing agency, Jacob Bailey, will improve the service offered to Abellio Greater Anglia customers as it is able to adapt to a range of different devices and offer the same level of functionality whether the customer is using a smartphone, tablet or PC.
It will also respond to each device differently, ensuring that pages fit correctly and that the most important information is on screen for the user (eg, for mobile phones it will condense the information on the home page to show mainly travel information and updates).
There are also more links from the homepage and the site has a new ‘Commuter Zone’ and ‘Business Zone’ to make navigation easier and faster.
Abellio Greater Anglia’s Commercial Director, Andrew Camp, said, “It is extremely important that we have the ability to provide customers with information when they need it and the ability to offer a fast, consistent website that is easy to use across a number of devices means that customers will be able to access accurate and timely information on the go.”
LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for online networking, job seeking and researching employers. Once a niche social media platform, in November 2014 it recorded more than 332 million members in over 200 countries and territories!
Clearly, the site is a big player when it comes to being seen by the right people: recruiters, employers and other important contacts.
But are you on LinkedIn? If not, and you are looking for new opportunities maybe it’s time to sign up and show the world your expertise, experience and qualifications. You may well attract recruiters like Pure’s consultants who are looking for someone with your background. Or an employer who frequently browses profiles, keeping an eye out for new talent.
LinkedIn is forever evolving, adding handy functions. We’ve taken a good look at its features for you, and highlighted the ones that we think will make your profile shine.
1. Customise your profile URL Creating an easy-to-remember and readable URL on your LinkedIn profile makes it easier for you and other people to share. If you don’t do this, the website will generate a generic URL, which looks clunky and untidy. A customised URL looks like this: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomearl. It’s a very straightforward simply edit the URL underneath your profile photo.
2. Join a professional group LinkedIn groups are ideal getting your name out there and keeping up with industry developments. By answering other people’s questions and contributing to online discussions you’ll be demonstrating your enthusiasm and expertise. As long as you think carefully about what you’re going to say before you start typing, it can be a very valuable tool.
3. Choose your skills carefully You can select key skills that you want other people to endorse. But be careful what you choose since recruiters and employers may judge you on these. People who’ve worked with you will endorse the skills that they’ve seen you use. So if you’ve selected ‘project management’ and you’re genuinely experienced in this area, you’ll probably see ex-colleagues endorse that skill on your profile. The ones with the most endorsements will take priority on your skills list.
4. Make your headline snappy When it comes to adding the relevant careers information, lots of people only focus on employment history, education, qualifications and training courses. But you also need to work on your headline. Click on ‘edit profile’, then go to the little pencil icon next to your headline (that’s the bit underneath your name), and write something that sums up what you offer to employers. You’ve only got 120 characters, so make it snappy!
5. Ask for an introduction If there’s someone you’re dying to get in touch with, perhaps a mutual contact can introduce you. Just like networking in the ‘real world’, asking someone to introduce you to a third party can be a powerful tactic. LinkedIn has an online version of this. Remember to be professional when you make a request, and be clear about why you’d like to be introduced since the message may be forwarded on to the new contact.
6. Who’s checking you out? This useful LinkedIn feature lets you see who’s viewing your profile! Not only is it fascinating to see who’s reading your information, but you can also see how many profile visits you’re getting. Simply hover your cursor over ‘Profile’ at the top of your homepage, and ‘Who’s viewed your profile’ will automatically drop down. Click on this to see who’s visited. You can connect with new people who are already familiar with your skills.
7. Use your updates Make the most of your updates. Add a useful website article or a video for other people to view. This increases your visibility on the homepage, potentially catching the attention of your connections – and your connections’ connections!
8. Look the part Don’t use a personal party snap on your profile! Get a friendly, professional-looking head shot taken. Since people’s eyes are naturally drawn to images on the web, your photo needs to give the best possible first impression.
We think that you’ll agree that these LinkedIn features are just brilliant for your professional reputation. But remember there’s no substitute for getting off the internet and picking up the phone to speak directly to recruiters who have a wealth of available jobs in the East of England.
Agricultural update: Ensure your compliance with changes to rules on Plant Protection Products
The law and regulation on using a plant protection product (PPP) is a rapidly changing area. As new chemicals and technology develop, so too does the governance of their use and application.
‘Grandfather rights’ ceasing
In 2015 ‘grandfather rights’ (which allow anyone born before 31 December 1964 to use PPP’s authorised for professional use without holding a certificate of competence) will come to an end. The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 (The 2012 Act) allow ‘grandfather rights’ to continue until 26 November 2015. After this date, everyone who uses PPP’s authorised for professional use must have the certification required for that PPP. Practically, this requirement is likely to have greater effect on small farms where there are no certified employees or contractors carrying out crop protection work. Those who are currently relying on ‘grandfather rights’ are advised to get the relevant training and qualifications well before 26 November 2015.
Obligations on PPP buyers
Even if farmers do not apply PPP’s themselves, The 2012 Act creates an obligation on those buying the PPP’s to ensure that those applying them have an appropriate training certificate (or will be working under the direct supervision of someone who does). Clearly, if the buyer is using the PPP’s himself, he must ensure he holds the required certification to use them. Likewise, buyers must also ensure that any employees using the PPP’s have the correct certification (including those who previously made use of ‘grandfather rights’). This obligation is likely to be a particular issue for farmers who buy their own chemicals and then get a contractor to apply them. The contractor must have the correct certification and farmers will need to be assured of this when the chemicals are purchased (practically, it is best to ask to see contractors’ certification before hiring them).
Storage and Disposal of PPP’s
According to The 2012 Act farmers have a duty to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the storage, handling and disposal of PPP’s, remnants (old chemicals and unused tank mixes), packaging and cleaning of equipment does not endanger human health or the environment. All PPP’s should be stored in a chemical storage unit which is lockable and reduces the risk of unwanted releases.
It is advisable to keep up to date on which chemical licenses are being withdrawn, for example the recent EU ban on neonicotinoid compounds. It may be that approval for a PPP is withdrawn whilst it is in storage on the farm. Often there is a period during which stored supplies of a withdrawn substance can be used but this is not guaranteed and storing products that are no longer approved can constitute an offence. This highlights the importance of seeking legal advice wherever there are concerns.
Disposal of PPP’s is highly regulated, particularly for out of date products or products classed under the Hazardous Waste Directive (European Council Directive 91/689/EEC). After a product has been used, its container should be thoroughly rinsed and the empty container should be kept in the chemical store until it is disposed of properly. Farmers should engage a licensed hazardous waste removal contractor to dispose of left over, restricted or out of date chemicals or take the waste to a licensed waste disposal site. Your local authority will be able to provide information on sites with such facilities. Whichever method of disposal is used, farmers should record what has been disposed of or ask the waste removal contractor for a consignment sheet detailing what has been taken.
Inspection and maintenance of equipment
The 2012 Act has also introduced a requirement of owners of PPP application equipment to have the equipment inspected. The inspections will make sure the equipment has been maintained correctly and is in good working order. The requirement applies to people who own, or lease, sprayers and all other application equipment (except for handheld and knapsack sprayers). It is important to note that equipment that is not in use or is not used for applying pesticides is not affected. Equipment that is 5 years old or more on 26 November 2016 will need to have one inspection before that date. From 26 November 2016, equipment must have an inspection every 5 years and, after 26 November 2020, inspections must occur every 3 years.
Professional users must conduct regular calibrations and technical checks of the PPP application equipment they use. When doing this, they must have regard to the nature of the equipment and carry out checks in accordance with the training that they received to gain certification.
Clearly, some of the requirements implemented by The 2012 Act and developments in regulation will involve significant costs to farmers, particularly regarding training and proper disposal of PPP’s. However, the possible ramifications of non-compliance are great, not only in expense, but stress and damage to reputation.
Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.
If you need any advice on the above please contact our Agricultural Team on 01603 610911. The team has extensive working knowledge of PPP Regulations, the practical implications of The 2012 Act and experience in protecting businesses against enforcement action taken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Following a recent successful challenge against the actions of the HSE inspector the business owner said: “Thanks to our outstanding legal team, headed by Darren Bowen a Partner in Leathes Prior’s Dispute Resolution and Agricultural Teams, we can now start trading again”.
SMS growth results in construction of larger manufacturing facilities Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS), a subsidiary of Alderley plc, officially announces today its plan to relocate to larger facilities to accommodate company growth. SMS are internationally renowned in the oil and gas industry as leading specialists for the supply of hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems.
The £3 million state of the art building will be constructed on a 100,000 sq.ft. plot at the Beacon Park business park in Great Yarmouth, almost double in size to the existing base on the Harfreys Industrial Estate. In addition to the main plot SMS have purchased adjacent land for future expansion. The construction of the workshop and office facilities will commence at the end of November 2014.
The much needed increase in capacity will allow SMS to service the needs of its expanding client portfolio as well as strategically introducing new product lines ensuring SMS maintains it full growth ambitions.
The larger purpose built facility will feature two dedicated test bays for pressure testing and operational testing with modern observation zones for improved safety and the workshop will be equipped with a built-in overhead lifting crane. The move is expected to create at least 50 new jobs in engineering and manufacturing in the region.
Dave Howlett, Managing Director of SMS comments. “This investment by the Alderley Group underpins an ongoing support and commitment to the growth and development of SMS and will help strengthen SMS’s position and expand its offering to the oil and gas industry worldwide. We have a strong and talented pool of people that have helped us achieve our current success and, with larger production facilities, we as a team look forward to continuing our expansion in order to meet the rising global demand for our products and services.”
Cllr Trevor Wainwright, the leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “The fact that so many businesses in the energy sector supply chain are continuing to grow within and expand into the Great Yarmouth borough represents a huge vote of confidence in the local economy, the skills of the workforce, the port and business park facilities, and the Enterprise Zone status.
“The borough council is pleased to welcome the news that SMS Ltd have chosen Beacon Park for the development of their prestigious new office and production facility. The council looks forward to the doors opening for business and sees the news as support for its continued promotion of the park as the location of choice for businesses expanding in the borough.”
“Now is a particularly exciting time for Beacon Park, as construction on new units continues apace, new occupiers move in, and work starts on the new A12/A143 link road, thanks to both private and public investment, including a significant contribution from the borough council.”
2015 is forecast to be another busy summer for Thomson at Norwich International Airport with the introduction of a new weekly service to Menorca every Saturday May to October, bringing their total number of seats on sale to circa 36,000, an increase of 11% on prior year.
Norwich International Airport is delighted to be included within the new Thomson ‘discover your 2015 campaign which has recently been unveiled and tells the story of a well-loved bear called Miles who has been ground down by everyday life, before he is whisked away on a Thomson Holiday. From this week Miles is bringing a smile to Norwich International passengers and visitors alike with new artwork adorning the front of the main terminal entrance.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International commented, “We are proud to be working closely with Thomson to promote their holidays from our airport. The addition of Menorca to Thomson Holidays product range from Norwich International such prominent branding is most welcome and further demonstrates the strength of the growth in charter flights. We are certain this popular destination which is already selling well and ‘Miles the bear’ will prove a hit with our customers. The image of Miles will make a great backdrop to family photographs depicting the start of a holiday from their local airport and we actively encourage our passengers to share these with us”.
Last week Wayne Rooney, the Captain of the England Football team, was given a special treat in preperation for his 100th England cap when he spent an afternoon with the guys from Lambda Films.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t quite like that…
On Wednesday 12th, Lambda Films headed down St George’s Park, the 330-acre English Football Association’s national football centre, in Burton-upon-Trent. There, the Lambda production team worked with the The FA, Vauxhall and YouTube football celebrity Steve Roberts of STR Skill School to produce an exclusive one-on-one interview with the England Captain about his upcoming 100th cap, and his top five goals.
The video was edited overnight and released the following morning to take advantage of Rooney’s impending 100th game. With the help of tweets and Facebook updates from the FA, the England Football team, Vauxhall and Rooney himself, the video garnered over 83,000 views in just a couple of days and continues to increase.
As well as the interview, the Lambda team worked with Steve Roberts and Wayne Rooney to produce a series of football tutorials for the STR Skillschool YouTube channel, one of the most successful football channels in the world.
Norwich Sunblinds have been donating a £1.00 for each curtain, blind and roman fold sold to a charity each month.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance was the charity for the month of October 2014 and we managed to raise £1128.00.
Alan Smith received the cheque on behalf of The East Anglian Air Ambulance he gave the staff at Norwich Sunblinds a brief talk about the work the Air Ambulance and crew manage to do and the work that he as a volunteer does to get funding. Very worthwhile cause, we were very proud to be able to contribute to them and their work.
Norwich International Airport has become one of the first in the UK to transition to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) aerodrome regulatory regime, underlying its growing reputation as one of Britain’s most progressive airports. Only the fourth UK site to transfer to the system, which all European airports must adhere to by December 2017, Norwich is among a small group of pioneering aviation hubs setting the pace for the industry.
“Norwich has always worked hard at being one of the country’s most progressive airports, which is why we agreed early this year to become part of a pilot initiative mapping the approach required to transition to the new European wide system,” said Richard Pace, Operations Director at Norwich International Airport.
“While our existing procedures and approach to safety made the process relatively straightforward, taking the initiative not only kept us ahead of the game, but will also enable airports around the UK to learn from our experience and best practice.” EASA is the centrepiece of the European Union’s aviation safety system, working alongside the European Commission and the National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) to improve standards. The Agency develops common safety and environmental rules, monitors the implementation of standards through inspections and provides the necessary technical expertise and training to support the system.
All UK Aerodromes open to public use and which serve commercial air transport and where operations using instrument approach or departure procedures are provided fall within the scope of the EASA regulations, which came into force on 6 March 2014. Norwich participated in a pilot scheme designed to identify best practice for UK airports transferring to the scheme early this year, then became one of the first to formally make the switch a few weeks ago.
Richard Pace added: “I felt it was important for us to play a key role in the process. Despite their importance to local communities and economies regional airports are often drowned out by the noise generated by larger sites, and we wanted to ensure that our voice would be heard.” Norwich owner Regional & City Airports (RCA) – the airports division of Rigby Group PLC – believes that the announcement will also deliver benefits for its operations at Coventry and Exeter.
John Spooner, Director of Airport Management at Rigby Group’s airports division Regional & City Airports (RCA) said: “One of the key benefits RCA offers its airports is shared experience and expertise. With Norwich having so successfully completed its role as an industry pathfinder, the knowledge gained during the exercise will greatly ease the transition process at Coventry and Exeter Airports.”
Norse Commercial Services and Great Yarmouth Borough Council have formed a new Joint Venture Company to manage and maintain the council’s community housing stock.
GYN Asset Management Services took over the asset management and building maintenance of the Borough Council’s stock of 6,000 houses as of October 1st.
The 10-year agreement is initially worth around £6 million a year, and is expected to rise over the coming years. It extends Norse’s partnership with Great Yarmouth Borough Council – GYB Services, another joint venture between the two organisations, handles local services including refuse collection, cleaning, grounds maintenance, pest control, and other frontline services.
The new partnership will take over Strategic Asset Management, Responsive Repairs, Voids Maintenance (housing stock that becomes vacant), Major Works, Planned Improvements, Cyclical and Statutory Maintenance, Neighbourhood Plans and New Builds.
There will be significant investment in new vehicles, and in IT aimed at improving efficiency and responsive repairs timescales.
“We are really pleased to be building on our long-term relationship with Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which goes back to the formation of GYB Services in 2002,” commented Norse Managing Director Peter Hawes. “This new partnership takes the number of joint ventures Norse Group has with UK local authorities to twenty-three, with a combined annual turnover of more than £140 million.”
Cllr Penny Linden, the borough council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “This new joint venture company aims to make sure all maintenance and improvement work is done to the highest standards, in the most effective, efficient and economic way.
“By operating more efficiently, the borough council will be able to make savings, which will benefit tenants as the savings will be re-invested in council homes.
“And the new approach will also mean improved waiting times, a better quality of work, and overall better customer care, while providing a range of apprenticeships and increased opportunities for local businesses.”
This partnership follows the recent formation of Newport Norse, a joint venture in South Wales, and the company expects further significant growth over the next few months. Norse Sales Director Geoff Tucker said, “With these new partnerships, and a large number of contract awards across the UK, we have seen a 15% increase in turnover this year, and we expect this success to continue.”
18 additional staff TUPE transferred into the new company.
When the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) timescale was announced, Norfolk County Council appointed Norse Commercial services to project manage the implementation. Two months into the new service, the company has produced a summary of what it involved.
With less than 12 months to review, plan and deliver individual school needs that ranged from additional cutlery and supplies through to complete kitchen builds and refits in the county’s 373 primary and infant schools (including all those in the Broadland area), Norse Commercial Director Terrance Isaac-Griffiths (TIG) and his team recognised that they had their work cut out.
“We knew the only way was to conduct detailed site visits, and document the essential requirements needed to handle the increased number of meals each school was likely to be providing after September 2014,” he explains. “Having completed then initial audit, we had to ensure that we managed the Head Teachers’ expectations, and during the next phase regular updates and consultation were key to achieving this.”
Copies of the Needs Assessments were sent to Head Teachers after the initial visit so they had details of what equipment was to be ordered for their school and when delivery could be expected.
Norse has its own engineering division dedicated to supporting the educational catering operation and this team played a major role in fulfilling the installation programme. However the volume of work and the tight timescales meant that the company also used some outside contractors to assist with the refitting.
“Our main challenge was availability of the equipment from suppliers; Norfolk was not the only county placing orders,” said Sonya Smith, Service Engineering and Catering Equipment Supervisor at Norse.
The whole project generated considerable economic benefit in terms of work for local and regional suppliers and contractors.
Norse Account Managers also offered support to the Head Teachers with regard to the logistics of managing the increase in meal numbers. In addition, 150 new jobs have been created in school kitchens, and kitchen staff hours have been extended in nearly every school.
On the 4th September 2014, the first day of the new academic year in Norfolk, all of the county’s primary schools were serving children with hot meals.
There were a handful of schools that required power upgrades in their kitchens before Norse could install their required heavy equipment. For these schools, the company worked closely with the Head Teachers and kitchen staff, and where necessary, put contingency plans in place.
The feedback from Mrs Binks Neate-Evans Head Teacher at West Earlham Infant and Primary School, which had a complete new kitchen/server installed, is typical of the praise schools had for Norse.
“From a school perspective it went very, very smoothly, particularly given the timescales,” she says. “The contractors were well organised and the kitchen was ready to cook from on the first day of term. We have benefitted enormously from having an experienced chef who quickly adapted from essentially being a restaurant chef to being able to deliver up to 300 meals per day. He was supported by an experienced Norse member of staff to help induct him into cooking for schools.”
The task finally over, and six weeks into the new regime, looking back at the achievements TIG commented, “The team worked tirelessly over the preceding 12 months to achieve a near 100% completion. But even in the very few schools where we had to wait to have the 3-phase power connected, our contingency planning ensured all pupils could receive a free midday meal. It is a real credit to all parties involved that their co-operative approach and the jointly agreed goals delivered such a successful start to the introduction of UIFSM.”
Some Key facts:
373 schools visited and fully audited
170 site visits to assess gas and electrical supply for additional ovens, fridges etc
New equipment installed/delivered
95 x Fridges
58 x Freezers
92 x Ovens,
67 x Hot Cupboards
259 x sets of Cutlery
59 x tables/chairs sets
25,200 service engineer team man-hours
Meals uptake up from 34.3% to 57.6% with growth set to continue as winter months approach
Shield Health & Safety are now able to offer Abseil Escape from VNA/Man up/MEWPS
“Trucks that are designed to elevate the operator position more than 3000mm above ground level shall be provided with means by which the operator can reach the ground safely in the event of the operator position becoming fixed in the elevated position”
In an emergency situation it is important for your staff to have the correct knowledge & training to escape from working at height equipment as safely as possible.
Some of these machines are already equipped with a rope evacuation system, where this is the case, regular practical training is necessary on the correct use of the system.
Our courses cover an introduction to the specific equipment as fitted to your machine followed by controlled escapes and descents from increasing heights until your staff are happy and proficient in the use of the equipment.
All of our training is risk assessed, carried out to a safe system of work and uses back-up support systems where necessary.
All our training is conducted ‘on-site’ as this is the real environment that your employees will be using on a day-to-day basis. We can deliver training and assessment courses, including periodical re-assessment or re-training where necessary.