Member News

Wymondham based Swarm Apprenticeships welcomes Shannon Watkins as their newest team member and enterprise apprentice.

Shannon joins the team as the Operations assistant and will be working in all areas of the business but primarily working with our employers to find the right potential young apprentices to fill their vacancies.

“Shannon in her first few days has already proved that she has the mind-set to be very effective and has already starting to take ownership of how she will bring in a return on investment for the business. We look forward to supporting her through developing the role and bringing new creative ideas into the business which will be encouraged as part of the Enterprise qualification. “Says Jessica Juby Operations Manager

Chris Perry Swarms managing Director Comments, “I am really proud that Swarm has grown from what was initially a result of feedback from SME’s in 2013, to now a team of 5 people with a vision to redefine the way business apprenticeships are delivered”

Joining the business on the 22nd October, Shannon has already learnt a great deal and looks forward to the challenge of being a Swarm team member and also a Swarm Enterprise Apprentice.

“Well so far I have constantly been enthralled by everybody’s enthusiasm to get things up and running and it has been quite exciting. I am glad to be in a training position again because I just feel that there is so much more that I need to learn. I look forward to growing the role with Swarm and in helping to grow the business” Says Shannon

ENDS

Let’s face it, Americans love all things British, from the Royal Family to our history and heritage, they just can’t get enough. The American consumer market is no different, as the demand and trust for quality British products has never been higher.

As such, it came as no surprise when a client of ours recently tasked us to turn their product packaging from B2B (Business-to-Business) to B2C (Business-to-Consumer), with the intent to break into the US market.

World leaders in pressure casting technology, our client wanted a brand and logo for their ceramic water filters that not only said something about what their product does, but also had an underlying sense of ‘Britishness’ about it.

We were heavily inspired during the creative process by the Queen’s Guards, a British staple and even went as far as to call the product ‘Coldstream’, a name synonymous with the British Army. A real feature was transforming the ‘A’ in Coldstream into an image depicting the guards, bearskin hat and all. The end result (boasting like a true American) created one of our most on-brief and patriotic branding to date.

The branding followed orders, hit all the right marks and we have received ‘stand to attention’ responses. So if you are looking to add a quality ‘Britishness’ to your packaging, want to march to a different tune, or would like help to stream your brand into international markets, don’t get caught off guard, just drop us a line.

01603 766888https://thelineagency.co.uk/

Any pressure that Sam Lacey, Group Director of Leadership and Engagement at Circle Housing, felt upon returning from maternity leave quickly dissipated, thanks to being offered the opportunity to work part time by her employer. Not only that, but not long after smoothly sliding back into her role, she got a promotion to her current job.

This story is evidence of Circle Housing’s commitment to its employees who deliver essential front line housing and care services to people in the East of England, London, Surrey and Kent.

Eastern Daily Press ‘Best Employer’ Award

Among the accolades the organisation has won for its approach to responsible business is the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) Business Award for Best Employer. Sponsored by Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure), the award recognises an employer that demonstrates an understanding of engagement such as keeping teams motivated, capturing workers’ ideas and opinions, and charity support.

Pure is the perfect sponsor of this category; the leading recruitment consultancy firm runs its own Best Employer initiative, which promotes and recognises good employers across the East of England. It includes a festival, survey, seminars and its own awards this October – one month before the EDP awards.

Bringing business benefits When Circle Housing scooped the EDP award in 2013, it validated the organisation’s approach to putting people the heart of its business. Sam recalls: “Winning the award was fantastic. It helped underpin our mission, and to demonstrate that Circle Housing is a brilliant place to work, and it helped to build a sense of pride among our colleagues.

“This in turn has helped in our recruitment in Norwich, not only attracting more candidates for each role, but a much bigger range and quality of candidates who perhaps before would not have been attracted to the housing sector.”

News of the award was circulated within Circle and each of its sites was encouraged to celebrate and promote the win in its own unique way. Internal communications included a big thank you to everyone involved in the award application, and a web link to the Mustard TV coverage was emailed to everyone’s inboxes.

Engaging staff to help manage change The judges were impressed with Circle Housing, since despite going through a prolonged period of change, the organisation demonstrated that it is managing the situation well, ensuring that disruption is at a minimum, and that employees are kept informed, involved and that they feel secure.

“Circle Housing recently expanded significantly and quickly, so we need to manage change very effectively,” explains Sam. “We run a number of initiatives to help with this, such as the ’60 Change Champions’. Staff volunteers receive training to engage with their colleagues to give them a voice during the change process, and to provide coaching and support. “Such projects enable staff to develop and use skills that they may not have had the opportunity to use in their everyday roles, while helping to manage change at work.”

Looking after staff and customers Circle Housing takes its responsibility for its work with vulnerable people in local communities very seriously. Its customers include people in need of social housing, care and support, so it is essential that its employees on all levels understand the issues involved, and how to engage with customers in the right way.

The business’ development programme, ‘Customers and People at the Heart’, aims to give staff the know-how to maintain positive customer relationships, and to support engagement between managers and their teams. Both are integral to Circle Housing’s mission of enhancing people’s life chances.

Circle Housing also provides opportunities for secondments, paid sponsorship for professional qualifications and its People of the Year Award recognises an employee who truly makes a difference. The organisation also offers flexible and remote working, long service awards, performance-related bonuses, and free counselling and legal advice.

Sam offers this advice to future entrants: “Be authentic. When the judges came to our office, we provided them with a genuine experience. In fact they visited on a Dress Down Friday – we didn’t ask staff to wear suits since we wanted to show the judges the reality of our workplace. Our staff talked to the judges and because they were relaxed, they talked passionately about our organisation.”

Circle continues to aim high Since winning the EDP award, Circle Housing has succeeded in boosting its Investors in People accreditation, and continues to achieve excellent standards in its employee engagement work. But the hard work is not over for Circle Housing as big changes continue. It plans to support and develop its staff – from apprentices to directors – so it can deliver its crucial services to a high standard despite the deep and ongoing transition.

We would like to wish everyone at Circle Housing the absolute best for the future, and the best of luck to this year’s EDP Business Awards ‘Best Employer’ hopefuls! We look forward to seeing you at the event at the Norfolk Showground on November 6th.

Steeles Law has boosted its busy wills, probate & tax team with the recruitment of a Trainee Legal Executive and a Paralegal.

Cathy Savvas joins the solicitors having completed her Chartered Institute of Legal Executive (CILEx) studies whilst working at two other local firms. Also a graduate from the University of Kent, Cathy specialises in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, probate and Court of Protection applications and is due to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2015.

Katherine Bearman, a 2014 Law graduate from the University of Lincoln, also joins the team as a Paralegal. Katherine is undertaking her CILEx training and will qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2018.

Stephen Drake, CEO at Steeles Law, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Cathy and Katherine to our long established private client team. As a firm, we’ve always strived to identify and nurture the best young legal talent – ensuring that our firm is future proof”.

In a further nod to investment in the future of the business, Steeles Law has recently undergone a striking rebrand, working in partnership with local agency Armstrong Design.

Congratulations to Ryan Powley of The Hewett School for his winning design! Ryan’s design was chosen for its professional design, simplicity and clever use of our logo and colours. Congratulations also go to George Ribbons of Aylsham High School (2nd place) and Emily Buckle of Flegg High School (3rd place).

In February this year, Petans launched its Helicopter Design Competition at 5 schools in Norfolk (The Hewett School, Aylsham High School, Flegg High School, Sewell Park College and Wayland Academy). Our training helicopter needed a new coat of paint and we invited aspiring graphic designers to give it a fresh new look.

Petans is a registered charity and one of our aims is to invest our time and resources into education and skills. “We are undertook this project to raise awareness amongst school children of the oil and gas and wider energy sector in Norfolk and Suffolk” said James Wortley (Business Manager) “We feel it is important that local children are aware of the industries on their doorstep and the opportunities that are available to them.”

During his internship Ryan produced a new design for our 2015 course calendar which is now live on our website. The new design is consistent with our brand and provides a fresh new look. “I feel like I’ve gained a lot of confidence from the internship, as I was handed an important task and I feel like I completed it to the best of my ability, I also learnt what it’s like to work in an office as part of a larger company and I think these are 2 skills that will really help me in later life” said Ryan.

Ryan’s teacher, Matthew Bilverstone (Faculty of Arts and Design) said “We’re delighted that Ryan won the competition. He produced a really simple design which fulfils the brief perfectly. It was a great opportunity for the students to work in a real life context and to see the results of their work come to fruition. We’re going to use the prize money to buy a new printer for our Graphics and Art students to use.”

We hope the competition and internship provide a platform for Ryan to develop his career in graphic design.

https://www.petans.co.uk/

East Anglia, October, 2014: Aston Shaw, one of the major accountancy and financial services firms practising in East Anglia, are very proud to announce that they have been shortlisted for the Practice Growth of the Year category in the AccountingWEB Practice Excellence Awards 2014.

To qualify for this recognition, the firm had to produce evidence of its past growth statistics and detail the key drivers of its future growth strategy – highlighting the areas that drive sustainable growth and profitability. Over the last 12 years, Aston Shaw has grown ten-fold, and is now a significant competitor in the marketplace, with 5 offices across East Anglia and a team of over 70 staff. The recent merger, re-brand and marketing strategy that have been implemented is set to propel Aston Shaw to new heights, with even greater growth levels forecasted over the next few years.

Dominic Shaw, Director at Aston Shaw commented; “I am absolutely delighted that Aston Shaw have been shortlisted for these awards, particularly as we have been recognised for our significant growth rate which is solely down to us ensuring a high level of satisfaction and loyalty with our clients. One of our core objectives as a firm is to develop quality client relationships which we maintain by consistently delivering a first class, efficient, caring and continuing professional service to our clients.”

The winners of the Practice Growth category will be announced at the Practice Excellence Awards on Thursday 6 November, which will be hosted at Dexter House, Royal Mint Court in London.

For more information: www.astonshaw.co.uk

Innovative Norwich chocolate maker Gnaw is challenging the general public to come up with four exciting new flavours for a brand new range of 50g chocolate bars.

Gnaw owner, Matt Legon, said: “Our chocolate is fun, original, and we have created a host of imaginative flavours such a Lemon Meringue, Banoffee Pie and Chilli & Lime! We want the new 50g bars to be just as enticing – so we thought we would run a competition to ask the region’s chocolate-loving public to put on their creative thinking caps and come up with some funky new flavours.”

Since it opened its creative kitchen in 2011, Gnaw has been phenomenally successful, and become globally recognised as one of the most innovative creators of fun, new chocolate ideas and the leader in its field. And, of course, it’s all handmade in Britain. They now have over 1000 outlets in the UK and export to 25 countries. Gnaw was also the winner of the EDP 2012 Best New Business Award.

With its compelling, colourful packaging and dedicated workforce of ‘squirrels’ who love their craft, Gnaw’s values are simple, but very effective – chocolate should be fun; only the finest ingredients will be used; and they will lead the way in terms of chocolate creativity and innovation.

“This competition is the chance for everyone – young and old – to indulge their wildest chocolate fantasy,” explains Matt Legon. “Maybe people dream of chocolate that tastes of their favourite dessert, or an exotic fruit, or something sweet from their childhood that they loved? We want people to imagine intriguing flavour combinations – so the call to action is; be creative, be innovative, make it fun, delicious and quirky.”

The four winners will each receive a hamper of Gnaw chocolate worth £50. They will also be invited to Gnaw’s creative kitchen in Norwich to see their new flavour being made into chocolate.

Matt Legon adds: “We’d love the public to help us continue to create the most exciting chocolate and be part of our success.”

To enter, send flavour ideas (one per email only) to [email protected]. For inspiration, go to www.gnawfolkchocolate.co.uk. Closing date 31 October 2014.

KLM UK Engineering is pleased to announce that it has obtained its FAA Approval this year, expanding its portfolio. KLM UK Engineering is one of the first UK based MRO’s to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration since the US Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration prohibition stopping the FAA issuing any new foreign repair station certifications was lifted early this year.

Arjan Meijer Managing Director of KLM UK Engineering comments “KLM UKE has always had the expertise and facilities to accommodate the required work. It has been a long process, but now we are very pleased to have obtained FAA certification. This new approval allows us to expand and develop our current maintenance activities and we look forward to welcoming new customers to our hangars”.

ESE Direct are changing the standards of cloakroom seating with their new web-based cloakroom configurator.

With this unique configurator, available from their site www.cloakroomseating.co.uk you can create your own changing rooms completely from scratch with fully customisable room sizes and layouts, allowing you to add benches across their budget, versa and club ranges.

The new software, the brainchild of ESE Direct MD Simon Francis, has been in development for a few months, before being released to the industry at the start of October. When asked about the inspiration behind the configurator.

“Having been manufacturing our benches here in Norfolk since 1990, we wanted to give professionals an effective and easy tool to make the best from our range of cloakroom furniture, and I’m very proud of the results.” – Simon Francis, MD.

The configurator was created with architects and specifiers in mind to create accurate and well thought out changing room designs using our British manufactured benches, enabling fast and accurate specifications to be created.

You can accurately position the benches to scale and once you are have created the perfect layout; you can save, print or share designs, as well as submitting it to us directly for quoting and ordering.

And just so there are no hidden surprises the configurator also generates a list and price of all the materials you have selected, although multi-price discounts are available by contacting their sales team.

Why not give it a go today, visit www.cloakroomseating.co.uk.

Local business procurement group – Affinity – will launch its new cost reduction analysis service on Wednesday 15 October.

The valuable new offering, which will be on show at the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce B2B Exhibition being held at Norwich City Football Club, could lead to long term savings and efficiencies for scores of companies across the region. Cost reduction analysis involves an in-depth evaluation of a business and provides cost saving opportunities across a wide range of products and services, including utilities, telecoms, office supplies, energy and fuel.

The service will involve a member of Affinity visiting each business to identify procurement opportunities and proposing plans for improvement. They will then continue to evaluate the company’s purchasing to ensure that the plan remains effective. Affinity, which is part of the Anglia Farmers group (AF), is able to drive down costs for businesses by utilising AF’s £250m purchasing power and the market knowledge of its specialist buyers. “Cost reduction analysis has real potential to save the region’s businesses money through better supply chain management. Affinity has access to more than 50 industry specialists, who combined with an extensive network of suppliers, provide effective procurement solutions.

“Our specialist buyers, who are recruited from the industry that they represent, leverage both market knowledge and significant purchasing power. Members are often surprised that Affinity can help with every aspect of their business,” said Affinity general manager, Louis Clabburn. Reassuringly, buyers continually track the markets to ensure that products continue to be sourced at a competitive price.

Louis added: “Affinity is helping to both add value and improve the balance sheet. A growing number of businesses are coming to us to talk about the full range of products and services available. Cost reduction analysis helps to deliver more benefits than traditional product and service procurement.”

Affinity, which was launched in 2009 to deliver the benefits of group purchasing to both homes and businesses, has grown rapidly, with more than 160 businesses joining in the past twelve months.

Pure are big believers in the power of mentoring. In fact, they recommend and include mentoring on their Women’s Leadership Programme, to help more women find executive jobs in the East of England.

Traditional mentoring is becoming more popular with younger people seeking a more experienced, trusted advisor. But another form of mentoring is emerging – reverse mentoring.

Created by the former General Motors CEO, Jack Welch, in the late 90s to help top management become internet savvy, reverse mentoring involves younger employees supporting older workers in enhancing their skills.

The benefits are numerous when a junior employee gets together with someone higher in the ranks to update their expertise. In fact, this combination is proving to be a huge success at major corporations including Cisco Systems, Proctor & Gamble and General Electric.

The key to reverse mentoring is doing away with any out-moded ideas that younger people have nothing to teach senior staff. They actually bring vast amounts of knowledge of the latest innovations and up-coming cultural trends. This is extremely valuable to a senior worker who has little or no exposure to the younger generation.

Curious? Great! Read on for some of the benefits that reverse mentoring can bring to both mentor and mentee.

1.Learn about future trends, today

As employees move up the career ladder they may lose touch with new and emerging technology. Yet they can learn from younger people who have grown up with digital media that’s forever evolving. Social media and the concept of sharing information is the obvious example. And since industries are now so reliant on such new trends and behaviours, it’s crucial that decision makers understand how it works so they can engage with customers, and stave off competition.

2.Experience beyond peer groups

Both the mentor and mentee can benefit from working closely with someone who works outside of each other’s peer groups. They see life through very different eyes, and both learn how to build relationships and communicate with colleagues at different stages of their careers.

3.Shaping our future leaders

Although it’s the mentor’s job to share knowledge with the older mentee, the younger person also benefits. They have a ‘hotline’ to the director they’re working with, and can learn the key skills of leadership, putting them a steps ahead of other junior colleagues. The mentee also feels the reward of helping to shape a potential future business leader.

4.Savings on development

If your organisation is limited on training and development budget, this more informal approach could be ideal. It’s based on the relaxed style of mentor and mentee getting together now and again for coffee or chatting via Skype. With agreed objectives, this can be a great way of learning without busting the all-important balance sheets!

5.Senior mentees get a break from the routine

Since reverse mentoring can be a relaxed affair, it gives the busy mentee a welcome break from the norm. It takes the executive out from behind their desk, and gives them an injection of inspiration from someone with sparky energy and fresh ambition.

6.Reaching outside your organisation

The mentee doesn’t have to come from your own organisation. Personal contacts or networking groups for young professionals can help bring mentors and mentees together. This can help both parties take on new approaches and perspectives, developed in different corporate cultures.

7.Raising professional profile

Younger mentors may be the ones offering most of the knowledge, however, they can make it a mutual exchange by being proactive and asking their mentee for career advice and opportunities to network with other senior employees. The mentor’s own teams will probably respect their director for doing something about staying in touch with new innovations and learning new skills.

World leading marine products and services supplier, Fendercare Marine recently received praise for their fendering support to a flotilla of NATO warships in the Port of Cardiff during the NATO summit.

Yokohama pneumatic fenders were supplied by Fendercare Marine for the two largest vessels – the French anti-submarine frigate La Motte-Picquet and the Royal Navy’s newest warship, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan.In total, 16 Yokohama pneumatic fenders (measuring 2.0m diameter. x 3.5m length) were used on the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and 8 Yokohama pneumatic fenders (measuring 3.3m diameter. x 6.5m length) were used on the French anti-submarine frigate La Motte-Picquet.

Following the NATO summit, Commodore AJG Miller CBE, Royal Navy said “I would like to take this opportunity to offer my gratitude for the support that all those at Fendercare Marine provided to my men and women on the ground in support of the NATO Warships visiting Cardiff for the recent NATO summit. The final result was in no small part due to the hard work and commitment from yourself and all those at Fendercare.”

Fendercare Marine has been a supplier of fenders and marine hardware to the MoD since 1999 and also supports navies throughout the world, winning a $29 million contract with the US Navy in 2012. From a base in the Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth, their Naval Solutions division also provides fabrication, welding and coating services for the MoD, having worked on nuclear submarines, warships and naval support vessels.

Commodore Miller added “I am exceptionally grateful for the support offered…throughout both the planning phase and execution in recent weeks and days. (Fendercare Marine’s) positive and flexible approach to dealing with the unusual requirements of 6 warships entering a commercial dock ensured that both HMS Duncan and La Motte-Picquet achieved a safe and faultless arrival and departure.”