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“We estimate that £60,000 goes unclaimed every year – equivalent to 3,000 hours of expert nursing care at our hospices” – new Retail app allows EACH supporters to carry a scannable Gift Aid card
Charity shop donors and customers are being urged to download a free app that could help generate tens of thousands of pounds for their chosen cause.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is launching on the My Charity Shop app, which allows supporters to carry a scannable Gift Aid card.
It means information will be stored on their smartphone, rather than having to remember their number when donating items to any of EACH’s 46 shops.
The app also gives the option to print off barcodes to attach to donation bags, has links to the charity’s shops and online stores and information about volunteering.
Gift Aid is a scheme enabling registered charities to reclaim tax on donations made by UK taxpayers.
It effectively increases the amount of the donation because charities like EACH can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated.
“With the new app, customers never need remember their Gift Aid number again,” said Retail Central Support Manager Genine Woodcock.
“Instead, they can have their donor card on their phone and that, in turn, will increase the value of their donations.
“We estimate that £60,000 goes unclaimed every year – equivalent to 3,000 hours of expert nursing care at our hospices in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
“This is another fantastic, useful development for our Retail operation.
“It’s brilliant and great to make use of this superb technology, while making things considerably easier for our supporters.”
To sign up for Gift Aid, call into any of EACH’s 46 shops across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.
Alternatively, visit www.each.org.uk/giftaid
EACH, which also has a busy Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford, relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and this year alone, in terms of shop income, needs to raise £6.5 million.
Genine added: “I’d like to say thanks to all the donors who continue to support us with their amazing donations of clothes and hard goods.
“They really are making the difference to the lives of the children and families who receive our care and support.”
Meanwhile, the team are also keen to hear from volunteers willing to spare some time and help in any of EACH’s shop.
All help is greatly appreciated and there are various roles available, to suit individual skills and interests.
For more information, email [email protected] or contact volunteer services on 01223 205183.
Renowned heritage festival returns September 2023, and locals have the chance to take part
Image Copyright Norfolk Heritage Open Days
England’s largest festival of history and culture is open for registrations: so local people, organisations, charities, venues, and sites can open their doors and share their stories.
Festival Dates: 8-17 September 2023
Norfolk Heritage Open Days (HODs) 2023 celebrates the unique history and culture of Norfolk. Now, people from across the county are encouraged to get involved and register to hold their own event in this free festival, which takes place 8-17 September 2023.
Coordinated by The Forum, Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2022 was once again the largest participating county across England. For 2023, the Norfolk Heritage Open Days producers are looking forward to welcoming new organisers, and firm favourites, as well as showcasing the county’s hidden gems.
The theme for 2023 is ‘Creativity Unwrapped’, celebrating England’s amazing history of imagination and artistic achievements. The Creativity Unwrapped theme gives organisers the chance to create an event inspired by creativity; from photography to art to fashion to craft to writing to architecture!
Katie Ellis, Norfolk Heritage Open Days Event Producer, says “Norfolk Heritage Open Days gives people from across the county the chance to explore and celebrate Norfolk’s rich history, and is always hugely popular with visitors.
“The Creativity Unwrapped theme is a fantastic opportunity for organisers to take advantage of Norwich and Norfolk’s rich history of creativity, from Norwich’s status as UNESCO City of Literature to the wonderful tradition of art and craft across the region.
“This year, we have already begun collaborating with heritage organisations, businesses and voluntary groups to create the programme. We would be thrilled to see new venues and community groups take part this year, so they can reach new audiences and promote their work.”
Heritage Open Days gives organisers the chance to tell the stories they’re passionate about, reveal hidden gems, and open their doors to new visitors. 91% of 2022’s Norfolk organisers would recommend other organisations take part in HODs.
Venues and organisers interested in taking part can register their interest by emailing [email protected] or visiting norfolkheritageopendays.co.uk/get-involved The registration deadline for inclusion in the Norfolk Heritage Open Days Brochure is 26 May 2023.
The Norfolk Heritage Open Days programme is coordinated and promoted by The Forum Trust with support from Norwich City Council, Broadland District Council, Thetford Town Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, South Norfolk Council, North Norfolk District Council, Visit North
Norfolk and many local organisations and individuals.
Images can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fl-7rtDRhXgLBPE5lPhlsY4aJIwl_8gK/view?usp=share_link
RSPCA Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk Branch Spring Newsletter
Don’t let the slumbering puppies fool you, we are back and in full swing this Spring!
In our first newsletter of the year, hear about the amazing things we achieved in 2022, meet some of our current residents and find out about the exciting events we have planned for you in 2023!
Last year, our staff and volunteers achieved some incredible things for animals and the environment including:
– Finding homes for 627 animals including goats, dogs, cats, guinea fowl and peacocks!
– Saving three double deckers worth of clothing, shoes and bric a brac from going to landfill through our charity shops
-Taking 5,400 enquiries from members of the public, providing advice and support
– Donating nearly 6 tonnes of pet food to local food banks!
We are only a local, small charity but are passionate about achieving big things for animals and pet owners in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Now let’s see what 2023 brings!
Puppy Pandemonium!
Our 2023 went off with a bang this year after we unexpectedly welcomed eight puppies from two separate litters! These little ones needed a lot of love and care from the team as they ensured that they grew up big and strong and were socialized properly. They were also very unusual pups in that one litter was a Chinese Crested Hairless/Pekinese so had furless bodies and hairy faces!
These little ones have now all found their forever homes and we are so delighted to see them meet their new families after watching their journey with us.
#AdoptDontShop
We have lots of animals in our care looking for their forever homes, these are just a few! Click on their photos to meet them or see who else we have available for adoption here.
Make a Smile Rollover
The Make A Smile rollover this week is an incredible £7500 – that’s a lot of Easter Eggs!
It only costs £1 per ticket and you can choose to play a single game, sign up to be a regular player or increase your odds by buying multiple tickets!
Every ticket helps us to help an animal in need and also gives you the chance to win big!
It’s a win win!
Urgent Stock Appeal
Our Charity Shops urgently need new stock including ladies and mens clothing, books, bric a brac and electrical items.
Your unwanted items provide a vital source of income and raise the money that lets us do our amazing work! By donating your items, you can help us to help animals and pet owners in need.
Sponsor our Golf Day on 21st April
We have sixteen tee boxes available to sponsor for just £50 per tee. In exchange, you’ll receive advertising on the day including within the programme, a digital display, on the tee and throughout the golf club.
This is a great opportunity to get recognition for your brand whilst supporting a local, innovative animal welfare charity.
What are you ewe doing here?!
Ewe might have been chilly in the snow but spare a thought for our Head of Animal Welfare and Animal Welfare Manager who spent a couple of hours in the freezing cold to rescue a sheep!
This young Soay sheep had been spotted wandering alone at a grain storage facility near Kings Lynn for a couple of weeks and given the harsh weather, we knew it was important to get him to safety. After a little planning, thanks to our team and the Inspectorate from the National RSPCA this handsome fella is now safe and sound in his new home.
Become a Junior Animal Champion!
How Cupid found love
This sleeping beauty is Cupid, a lovely black cat that didn’t have the best start in life.
Cupid and her family were dumped in a field in Norfolk in a tiny cage at the end of 2022. The poor things were underweight, covered in fleas and even had glitter glue on their fur. Due to it being the festive season, our team named them after Santa’s reindeer and got to work getting them care, treatment and ready for their forever homes. Cupid found her home last month and as you can see, she’s made herself very comfortable!
Did you know…
That several of our favourite springtime plants can be deadly to our pets?
Hyacinths, Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Tulips and Crocuses are all toxic to cats and dogs so be sure to avoid them outside and in any bouquets you bring into the house.
Sign up to the RSPCA newsletter here
Leadership & Life Chat – The best of Kevin Kruse’s secrets to success PART 2
Back in 2016, renowned entrepreneur and New York Times Best Seller, Kevin Kruse, published a popular blog that piqued Mark’s interest, and here we are seven years later, digging through the best bits of ’15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently’. His points are still as relevant now as they were then. There’s so much good stuff in Kevin’s work, that this is the second of two episodes, click here to listen to PART 1.
Kevin interviewed over 200 people who were considered highly productive, including billionaires, Olympians and straight-A students, and published his 15 secrets to productivity based on his findings.
Success can’t happen without productivity, so Mark and Becky break down their favourite secrets from the blog, and how they can be applied to our everyday lives. In this episode they discuss everything from the R.A.F.T method, to why you should only check emails 3 times a day!
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at [email protected]
We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us!
You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here
Show notes
Read Kevin’s article, originally published by Forbes magazine here
Book – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
Blog – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Productivity
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
© Larking Gowen LLP
“Ben and James enjoy the Bubble Rushes most. They’re another way of continuing to include Josh in our family” – the Howletts are ready for a day of foam-filled fundraising
A bereaved mum says signing up for a charity fundraiser is a fitting way to keep her baby son’s memory alive.
Rebekah Howlett, husband Philip and sons Ben, ten, and James, six, are taking part in this year’s Norwich Bubble Rush, being organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
They are raising funds for the charity as it supported them following the death of Rebekah and Philip’s second son, Josh, in April 2015. He was just four days old.
The couple made memory items and received help with funeral arrangements.
Rebekah had counselling for over a year and they attended a monthly bereavement support group together.
Now, eight years on, the couple are keen to give something back by signing up for a day of fundraising fun.
EACH’s foam-filled Norwich Bubble Rush is taking place at the Norfolk Showground on 16th July.
“Josh was only four days old when he died and all his life was spent in hospital,” said Rebekah, who first became aware of a problem when she was 30 weeks and four days pregnant, in April 2015.
“I realised Josh’s movements were different to usual and went to King’s Lynn hospital to be assessed.
“However, before I saw the doctor, I had a massive bleed and was rushed into theatre for an emergency C-section.
“It was several hours before I recovered from the anaesthetic and was able to go into the neonatal intensive care unit and see Josh.
“We were told he was doing well and that we’d be able to hold him soon, which we looked forward to.
“However, at less than two days old, Josh’s lung collapsed. Although doctors tried to get him breathing, he had Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).
“It meant oxygen was not getting around his body.”
Rebekah and Philip were told their baby needed to be transferred to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
However, the next day, scans revealed devastating news.
Josh had bleeds on both sides of his brain and his organs were starting to fail, so the couple were asked for permission to turn off his life-support machine.
“The doctor mentioned that EACH may be able to help,” said Rebekah, an accountant at Larking Gowen.
“We didn’t understand how at the time, but agreed for them to come and see us.
“The following day, we were able to hold Josh for the first time as he died in our arms.
“Together with two of the team from EACH, we spent time with him making memory items. I felt numb and struggled to take in what had happened.
“EACH then supported us with arranging Josh’s funeral, giving us ideas of songs, poems and music other families had used.
“I had counselling for over a year and we both attended a monthly bereavement support group.
“Ben also used to attend the children’s group, which he enjoyed.
“We were able to make more memory items and meeting other bereaved parents and hearing their experiences helped us enormously.
“We’ll always wonder what Josh would have been like.
“I remember looking forward to him joining our family and talking to Ben about having a little brother. He was only two at the time.
“We didn’t really get much time together which is why the memory items – hand and foot casts and handprints of Ben and Josh together on a plate – are so important.
“We all appreciate the support from EACH.”
Together with other families, Rebekah and Philip, a farmer on his family farm at Pentney, have organised coffee mornings and other events, as well as taking part in previous Bubble Rushes.
Now they are looking forward to more foam-filled fun in July.
The course once again features four bubble stations along a 2.5km route.
Participants can do one lap or double their enjoyment by completing the circuit twice.
Each bubble station has a cannon which pumps out coloured foam to create a four-foot deep bubble bath.
“We’ve also been to memory days and Christmas carol services organised by EACH,” said Rebekah, who lives in Holme Hale, near Swaffham.
“Both are a lovely way for families to remember their children – a place to be able to let the tears fall.
“Ben and James enjoy the Bubble Rushes the most, though. They’re another way of continuing to include Josh in our family.”
To sponsor the Howlett family, head here.
Click here for more details of EACH’s fun-filled 2023 Events calendar
“Our business is fast-paced and work can be stressful, so it’s going to be great spending time together, raising money and sharing a sense of achievement” – First Home Improvements colleagues sign up for EACH’s Pier 2 Pier walk
Determined colleagues are putting their best foot forward in the hope of raising thousands of pounds for charity.
Twenty-seven employees from Norwich-based First Home Improvements have signed up for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) Pier 2 Pier walk.
The 32-mile trek takes hardy participants from Cromer to Great Yarmouth, following a fully-marked route along the popular Norfolk Coastal Path.
Installations Manager Eddie Thompson is one of those lacing up his walking boots and he has a special connection to EACH as wife Becky is a nurse at The Nook.
He said: “For the last couple of years we’ve been pulling together, as a company, to take on a special charity challenge.
“We did the Trek 24 challenge for East Anglian Air Ambulance and then last year walked 57 miles along the Broads, raising money to support a young lad called Tommy Monument.
“On a personal note, I said that between the ages of 40 and 50 I’d like to try and help raise £50,000.
“That might be me organising the challenge, or just taking part.
“I’m 41 now and this Pier 2 Pier walk is a perfect event for 2023.
“I know what a difference EACH makes and see and hear things for myself, through Becky.
“Special people work in special places and the care and support families receive is second to none.
“Often they’re going through the worst time in their lives and in terms of respite care, it must be amazing to know their child is so incredibly well looked after. It’s an amazing charity.”
Eddie is being joined on the day by colleagues from different departments, including Directors and the company’s Managing Director.
“I can’t wait and love these challenges,” he said.
“Some will cope well while others will be out of their comfort zone, but we’ll all pull together to get everyone over the line.
“It’s so beneficial from a physical point of view but also mentally, too.
“Our business is fast-paced and work can be stressful, so it’s going to be great spending time together, raising money and sharing a sense of achievement.
“It gives colleagues from different departments an opportunity to have a chat and forge new contacts and friendships.
“We’re also looking forward to meeting lots of others on the day itself, as well as the team from EACH.”
The group is setting a fundraising target of £5,000 but have already raised more than £3,200.
To sponsor the First Home Improvements team, click here.
EACH’s Pier 2 Pier walk is taking place on 10th June.
The cost is £60 – £70 including a morning coach journey from Yarmouth to Cromer, so cars can be left near the finish – and sign-up closes on 14th May.
Entry includes lunch and hot food at the finish and regular refuelling stops with snacks and drinks.
Walkers, who are asked to commit to raising £250, will also receive a finishers’ medal and an EACH technical T-shirt.
For more details, head here.
“I’m honoured to be involved and will always do what I can to help, especially if it shines a light on the incredible work being done to help so many families” – Lucy’s stunning artwork is being sold by EACH
A children’s hospice shop is teaming up with renowned artist Lucy Loveheart.
The East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) ambassador is based in Norfolk and now a selection of her exclusive, hand-decorated prints are being sold in the charity’s Unthank Road store, in Norwich.
They range from images of enchanted, make-believe lands to others that depict nature and the wilderness, many adorned with glitter, stickers, hearts and flowers.
Proceeds from the prints will be going to the charity and Lucy said: “As I’ve said before, one of the greatest honours in my working life is being an ambassador for EACH.
“It gives me the chance to use my art to help raise much-needed funds and I’m excited to have been given this wonderful opportunity at Unthank Road.
“I’m honoured to be involved and will always do what I can to help, especially if it shines a light on the incredible work being done to help so many families in our region.”
Unthank Road Shop Manager Sarah McPherson said she was delighted to be working with Lucy.
The artist has been involved with the charity for many years, donating artwork and designs for stationary, giftware and Bags for Life that are sold exclusively in EACH shops.
“Lucy’s prints are of such a high quality and we’re thrilled to be selling them in our shop,” she said.
“We hope they prove popular and raise vital funds to help us continue our work supporting families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions.”
Lucy (centre) is pictured alongside her assistant, Lauren Hulme (left), and Shop Manager Sarah (right).
“They’ve had a chance to create lasting memories and it’s impossible to put a price on that” – Center Parcs announces a four-year charity partnership extension with Together for Short Lives to support children and families cared for by EACH
Families being supported by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) are set to benefit from a four-year partnership extension between leading children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives and Center Parcs.
Together for Short Lives supports the UK’s 54 children’s hospices, including EACH, and its relationship with the leading short break provider began in 2016.
In that time, the partnership has raised over £1.7m for the 99,000 children living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families in the UK.
As well as match-funding donations made by guests when making bookings, Center Parcs colleagues have taken on their own fundraising challenges across its five villages in England, including Elveden Forest, in Norfolk.
Each village is partnered with its local children’s hospice for fundraising and volunteering, ensuring colleagues can make a difference in their own communities.
This has included using their specialist skills to help maintain the hydrotherapy pool at The Nook, as well as treating children and parents to spa treatments.
Staff have also given their time to run pottery sessions, enjoy some karaoke fun, volunteer at themed days for teenagers and help at Christmas parties.
Center Parcs has also helped bereaved families and those caring for a seriously ill child have the chance to get away and make memories together.
Working with Together for Short Lives’ Family Support Hub, which offers practical, emotional, and financial support to families, Center Parcs has gifted over 100 breaks at its villages to families across the UK.
EACH Corporate Fundraising Manager, Caroline Allen said: “This is wonderful news and we’re extremely thankful for the continued support of Center Parcs.
“This relationship has a lasting impact and directly helps the children, young people and families in our care and support.
“It’s resulted in some wonderful fundraising and meant some of our families have had the opportunity to take a break and enjoy special, quality time together.
“They’ve had a chance to create lasting memories and it’s impossible to put a price on something as powerful as that.”
Nicky Richardson, Village Director at the Center Parcs in Elveden Forest, added: “Our colleagues are so enthusiastic about fundraising for Together for Short Lives and EACH, so I’m thrilled we’re extending our partnership for another four years.
“It’s amazing to see the impact our fundraising has on families in the local area and I’m so excited to see what the next four years brings for our partnership.”
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North and West Essex.
It has three hospices – The Nook, near Norwich, The Treehouse, in Ipswich, and at Milton, near Cambridge.
Image provided by EACH
CyberScale Launches Affordable One Day Assessment Service to Boost Cyber Resilience for Small and Micro Businesses
The specialist cyber security consultancy will provide comprehensive risk assessments and recommendations to help safeguard against cybercrime.
Monday 20 March 2023: Norwich-based Cyber Security Consultancy, CyberScale, has launched its One Day Cyber Assessment service to help strengthen resilience for small and micro businesses who have become prime targets for cybercriminals.
According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022, 38% of small businesses in the UK fell victim to an attack in 2022, and around four in five (82%) of boards or senior management rated cyber security as a ‘very high’ or ‘fairly high’ priority. Despite this, only 19% of businesses have a formal incident response plan and only 6% have the Cyber Essentials certification to understand what risks they face.
The One Day Cyber Assessment prioritises attack prevention by identifying gaps in security measures policies and offering expert advice on how to keep company and customer data secure. The tailored evaluations explore every aspect of a business across technology, people and processes. This includes network, email, laptops and mobile devices alongside staff and management awareness of the risks associated with business practices such as remote working.
Specialist consultants identify areas of potential risk and recommend remediation to reduce vulnerabilities, signposting free or low-cost resources that help improve cybersecurity measure. At the end of the assessment, they provide clear actionable reports to help business owners make improvements to their security controls and understand specific legal or regulatory requirements and any security frameworks relevant to their clients.
Darren Chapman, Founder and Principal Consultant at CyberScale said: “We identified a need to support those businesses who have no dedicated security resources and want to learn more about the risks they face. Our One Day Cyber Assessment will empower small business owners to make informed decisions about best security practices and help them gain a competitive advantage. Raising awareness among smaller businesses about the potential threats they face not only benefits them directly, but also the UK’s overall cybersecurity posture.”
The One Day Assessment is available at a discounted rate for small and micro businesses. For more information visit https://www.cyberscale.co.uk/cyber-security-assessments/.
Our one-day assessments, therefore, will retain the workshop element, and we will deliver these in largely the same way with the same experienced consultants that we use for existing assessments, but with the analysis and explanation all being completed on the day. We will optimise the reporting element by providing a short summary which gets straight to the point, is consumable for small business owners, and critically reduces the time required from a consultant and therefore the cost of the engagement.
We’ll be making our one-day cyber assessment available to book online via our website, and via selected MSP’s who see the value of these independent assessments to their clients – bearing in mind that our assessments cover people, process AND technology – all critical components of effective security. In most cases, the biggest improvements smaller companies can make to their security and resilience aren’t about spending more money on expensive software or the latest shiny security box. Improving processes, raising awareness, and doing fundamental things right are more important – but business owners don’t necessarily know what those things are or how to prioritise them. This is what the One Day Cyber Assessment will tell you.
One Day Cyber Assessments
Security assessments and small business
Since CyberScale’s inception almost six years ago, one of our most popular and arguably most important services has been our cyber security assessments. We undertake these for all sorts of companies, of various sizes across multiple sectors. The assessments provide them with a clear view of cyber risks within their organisations, how they pose a business risk, and provide them with an equally clear action plan to address those risks and gain competitive advantage over others in their industry who may not be taking quite so much care of the security and privacy of their, and their clients’ data.
At the core of these assessments is the understanding that business owners and leaders gain through engagement with our consultants. Our security assessments have always been conducted by one of our qualified, experienced Cyber & Information Security team, who advise SME as well as larger clients day in, day out. The assessments start with a workshop where the consultant leads a discussion with the appropriate people from the client organisation to obtain relevant information needed to understand the client business, identify risks and understand their potential impact on the business.
Throughout the workshop process, the consultant will ask questions, explain the rationale behind them, and help the client start to understand their risks – even before any report is written. We collect relevant information about the business operation, technology in use, policies and processes in place, employee and senior leadership awareness, interaction with suppliers and clients and many other things that contribute to the overall security posture of the organisation.
Once we’ve collected all the relevant information in the workshop, we take this information away and analyse it in detail and write up a comprehensive report which outlines what we’ve learned, the key areas of risk, and a prioritised list of recommendations.
We’ve always wanted to make these accessible to small and micro business owners who see the value in specialist advice, as these are in many cases the types of organisations that are most at risk from today’s cyber threats. However, consultants with the skills and experience needed to conduct these types of assessments and deliver an exceptional standard of advice are in high demand, which along with the time needed, contributes to what we need to charge for our assessments. This can put them out of reach for smaller businesses with limited budgets.
We’ve noticed more recently that there’s a growing awareness amongst small business owners of the need for specialist advice, but that our peers in the security industry typically have the same challenges as we do with cost.
How about automating assessments?
One way to reduce the cost to the client would be by leveraging automation, and this seems to be largely the trend in the industry. This typically means filling in a form consisting of several questions about your IT infrastructure and devices and current security practices, and receiving an automated report based on this information.
We’ve looked at this option carefully and compared it with how we deliver our assessments now, and what the key benefits have been to our clients, in considering our best approach. Here’s what we concluded.
Firstly, we can see the logic in providing automated reports. There are a lot more smaller businesses than there are larger businesses, which requires an ability to scale delivery. That means potentially more businesses helped, and a reduction in cost to provide assessments, therefore making them more accessible to smaller businesses.
There are however several challenges and limitations with these types of assessments and reports. They’re usually broad, designed for as large an addressable market as possible, and don’t take account of the specific challenges in different sectors, different working practices, company structures or other organisation specific context.
There’s no real way of telling whether the business owner or other representative filling in the form has really understood the questions correctly or has access to all the information required (often they would need to get this from an IT provider/MSP for instance). In some cases, there may be a motivation to try and get the best result possible from the report (treating it as a compliance exercise rather than a genuine effort to increase security), which may influence the answers. As you can imagine – the output of the report is very dependent on the input.
There’s also a lot of variation in the level and quality of questions, the logic used to generate the reports, and the output. In many cases, one might reasonably draw the conclusion that the questionnaire and output constitutes more of a lead generation tool, rather than something really useful for the client – particularly with the free versions that are widely available.
Secondly, and focusing on our own assessments, we looked carefully at where the value is. There are really two key aspects to the assessments that we deliver; firstly, the workshop and secondly the report. Many medium and larger organisations benefit from a detailed assessment report, which is something that we’ve always provided as a key deliverable. This is particularly the case where they need to share the findings of the assessment with other people internally or share with external parties such as insurance companies or clients to demonstrate their commitment to cyber and information security. But for a small business, we’ve realised that this may not be quite as necessary.
We believe that the most important aspect of our assessments is actually the workshop. When we conduct a security workshop with a client, we ask questions, often questions that have never been asked or considered before by the business owner and their teams. The experience of the consultant means that they can expand on questions, provide context and explanation, and make appropriate judgments where full information may not be available. During the workshop, we often see what we might refer to as light bulb moments where the client comes to realise the link between cyber security vulnerabilities and risks to their business.
When we compare the value of that workshop against a standard form and an automated report, we feel like our decision is pretty straightforward.
Enter consultant-led, one day cyber assessments
So, our key conclusions are:
- the experience of the consultant is vital;
- the workshop is more important than the report for small businesses; and
- we still need to reduce the cost for small businesses.
Find out how your team is feeling with Insight 6’s survey
Last week I offered a complimentary team survey to help you understand how your team was feeling. As we have all seen, things are changing rapidly and I am sure for many of you the situation for your teams will have changed over the last few days. It is vital that as things develop we change and adapt too. To reflect these changes we have updated the survey with new questions so that you can find out how your teams are feeling whether they are working from home, have been furloughed, or continue to come into work.
It is so important through the uncertainty that we continue to understand how our teams feel to enable us all to make the right decisions for them and your business. We will continue to update the survey as the world around us continues to change.
We have put together an update on the results of the initial survey which you can read by clicking here. If you would like your team to complete the updated survey questions, please either let me know or fill in your details on our website via this link.
Please feel free to share this link with other colleagues and friends who you believe would benefit from this free survey.
Judy Randon
m. 07909 542737
M&A activity in Manufacturing sector remains resilient, despite headwinds
- 793 manufacturing deals in 2022, up from 779 in 2021
- Buy-outs account for 19% of deals in 2022
- Top 5 sectors: Engineering Services, Manufactured Materials, Building Products, Food & Drink and Life Sciences
- Outward investment from the UK increased by 14% in 2022
- Strong market themes continue to underpin M&A strategies
UK Manufacturing M&A activity has been resilient despite considerable headwinds, according to research published today by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
UK manufacturers are continuing to progress M&A strategies, despite the volatile macro-economic landscape. In 2022, there were 793 transactions involving a UK manufacturer, compared with a similar number of 779 in 2021, up from 595 in 2020.
The impressive levels of deal activity is notable given the market headwinds, reflecting both resilience and optimism in the UK manufacturing sector. Private equity maintained strong interest in the market, with buy-outs accounting for 1 in 5 deals.
Proportions of deals across subsectors remained largely unchanged from 2021, with Engineering Services accounting for the largest portion. There was a substantial increase in Manufactured Materials, which saw its share of deal activity increase from 9% to 13%.
The share of deals in Food & Drink declined from 13% in 2021 to 10% in 2022, while Building Products and Life Sciences remained among the top five sectors with the highest deals activity.
In a story of contrasts, inward investment to the UK declined by 14%, with 184 UK businesses sold to overseas acquirers in 2022, while outward investment from the UK increased by 14% with 115 overseas businesses acquired. Investment from North America declined by 34%, but still accounted for 29% of all overseas buyers.
John Gethen, Corporate Finance Director, M&A at BDO LLP, said:
“The UK Manufacturing M&A market has been surprisingly resilient despite considerable headwinds. Investors, corporates and entrepreneurs are still active, making the most of strategic M&A opportunities to safeguard the future and position for growth. Major themes facing the market include cost pressures, supply chain resilience, the drive to Net Zero, innovation, and sustainability, alongside a wide range of political and economic macro factors.
“There is high scrutiny by investors across the board, but we see plenty of opportunities in the M&A mid-market, attracting high levels of interest, investment and value, particularly where there is a technology or sustainability play adding value.
“M&A strategies aligned with the major market themes of the moment can be a key driver to help businesses position for the future, access funding, attain greater resilience and competitive advantage.”
BDO’s full Manufacturing Deals Review is available to read on the BDO website: https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/manufacturing-deal-review
Image of John Gethen, provided by BDO LLP