A very big well done to our member, who was named as one of the ‘UK’s Top Ten Town Pub’ in the Good Pub Guide. The Bank House in King’s Lynn is going from strength to strength, as this is the fourth year in a row it has been highlighted by the Good Pub Guide, as a top place to visit creating “excellent, imaginative food.”
The recently refurbished, Bank House owned and managed by Michael Baldwin also won the prestigious ‘UK Town Pub of the Year Award’ back in 2016. Of course, all this positive success comes down to having a good team of staff, which Michael highlights “We are delighted. The Good Pub Guide is the industry’s bible and this award is a real testament to the enthusiasm and dedication which we and our team put into the running of Bank House.”
Find out more and read the recent article in the Lynn News . If your interested in visiting the Bank House do get in touch
Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband which is rolling out full fibre networks across rural East Anglia said:
“Today’s announcement highlights the importance of full fibre access for all. However, it also shows an alarming lack of understanding about the complex nature of full fibre rollouts and the fact that, unlike by comparison the rail industry that operates rail franchises, the industry has already invested billions of pounds in building its own infrastructure over which the service is delivered, in direct competition to BT.
“This proposal would almost certainly lead to delays, or at worst, derailment of existing full fibre investment and new network rollouts. It is a broad-brush, and makes no mention of how customers would be served and supported and provides no recognition for what has been achieved by the many Alternative Network providers who are currently active in providing a competitive full fibre solution.
“The competitive nature of the current market in the UK has meant consumers already benefit from one of the lowest cost broadband services in Europe. Broadband is an essential utility and whilst we share the ambition to bring future-ready full fibre connectivity to every home and business, we believe a mix of public and private investment is the only realistic strategy to deliver the service efficiently, without the need to bring significant cost to the public purse.”
Sir John Fenn (Rob Knee from the Paston Heritage Society) unveiled, on its 547th anniversary, a facsimile of the Paston Letter dated 22 November 1472, which gives the first mention of the Maids Head, the name of the inn that had taken over from the 13th century Murtle Fish. The facsimile is located just outside the entrance of the Maids Head’s Wine Press Restaurant.
Rob Knee was at the hotel to give a costumed Paston talk about the work of antiquarian Sir John Fenn from Dereham, who edited, over eight years, a volume of some 200 of the Paston Letters that had come into his possession in 1771. The volume was published in 1789 and the initial print run of 750 sold out within a week.
The Paston letters and papers were found in 1735 by Norfolk historian Francis Blomefield in the muniment room at Oxnead Hall, which had been the main seat of the Paston family since the 1480s. William Paston, 2nd Earl of Yarmouth, the last representative of the family, had died in 1732.
The first mention of the Maids Head was in a letter written by John Paston recommending the inn as a good place to stable a horse: ‘if he tery at norwyche ther whyls, it were best to sette hys horse at the Maydes Hedde.’
Christine Malcolm, General Manager, the Maids Head Hotel said: “I would like to thank the Paston Heritage Society for the gift of the facsimile of the 1472 letter. We have much enjoyed working with Rob Knee and his colleagues to mark the Paston Footprints project with events to celebrate Norfolk Day and the hotel’s November ‘birthday’ and look forward to further activities in 2020.”
In the face of the cost-of-living crisis and a financially challenging environment, small and medium sized business are trying to do all they can to support their customers. This requires access to liquidity otherwise an order may be lost.
Maybe you are an experienced exporter or considering scaling up by selling your goods to an overseas buyer for the first time. You will be concerned with being paid on time, managing quality and having goods delivered on time. This can be tricky when you have upfront costs as well as other overheads to pay.
But for businesses that occupy the ‘S’ in SME we are hearing that support from mainstream lenders is dwindling particularly for exporters.
We understand trade flows and how to mitigate risk providing the support, advice and consultancy that clients require.
We focus on the relationship with client, get to know the business that helps us understand the transaction being funded then connecting them with flexible funding partners helping them seize every opportunity that comes their way. No longer will you have to decline an order because you didn’t have the cash to make it happen.
Today SMEs are having to look for ways beyond traditional bank lending to overcome cash flow gaps. Trade Finance is a simple way to fulfil your businesses growth ambitions.
Whatever your requirement we have solutions that unlock working capital including international trade, new equipment and scaling up.
The first Festive Fair for King’s Lynn opened this weekend with music, entertainment, food, drink, crafts and a heated marquee!
With traditional Christmas market style sheds, children’s fairground rides, bandstand and heated marquee with craft activities, the Fair has something for everyone. It’s the place to pick up a quirky stocking filler or a treat for the festive period, at the same time supporting a small, local producer, and if you’ve had enough of shopping and need to rest your feet the Fair is the place to visit with friends and family. Catch up over food and drinks in the heated marquee, soak up the festive tunes, or bring the children and have fun making a Christmas decoration to take home.
Visitors can enjoy live music twice a day from bands including Jessie’s Ghost, Bear Club and The Georgia Shackleton Trio. Craft sessions will take place in the marquee on Thursday at 430pm and on Saturdays at 1100 and 1400.
Organised by Discover King’s Lynn (the Business Improvement District for King’s Lynn town centre) the idea behind the festive fair is to bring an extra serving of Christmas to the town centre.
“We want to give people an additional reason to visit King’s Lynn this Christmas, encourage them to stay a bit longer and leave feeling festive and wanting to come back.” Says Vicky Etheridge, BID Manager.
“The Fair is intended to be a hub of all things Christmassy, a place to relax, eat, drink, shop and enjoy the atmosphere with friends and family. We’ve got different traders every week, they are all local to West Norfolk and for most of them their craft is a passion and a hobby which they’d like to turn into a living so you’d also be supporting a local entrepreneur this Christmas, ” added Vicky.
Stallholders will vary week to week but will always include food and drink to takeaway, artisan food and drink gifts, as well as homemade crafts and jewellery.
The Festive Fair can be found on the pedestrian area of Tuesday Market Place and
is open on Thursday and Fridays from 4-8pm, Saturdays from 10-6pm and Sundays from 10-4pm until Christmas Eve. It will also be open on 23rd & 24th December.
Further details including the band schedule can be found on Discover King’s Lynn social media pages.
On Thursday 21st November Karl Sandall, Chief Executive Director of The TaxAssist Group, met with Sajid Javid and raised a number of issues concerning the small business community.
Sajid Javid, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was in Norwich on 21st November and took the opportunity to visit the TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre to meet Directors and Senior Managers to learn more about the concerns of small businesses.
“It was a very worthwhile meeting, during which we discussed a number of really important issues”, said Karl.
“The TaxAssist Accountants network of over 350 shops and offices looks after the needs of more than 75,000 small businesses across the country, and we used the time we had with the Chancellor to highlight a number of key concerns on their behalf:
IR35 and the changes scheduled for April 2020
The disproportionate costs and impact of compliance on small businesses
The advantage online businesses have compared to the high street as a result of the business rates system which is in need of a review to ensure a more even playing field
The lack of tax incentives for small businesses and the proposed cap for Research & Development tax credits which will hit innovative small businesses
The future for inheritance tax following ministers’ comments surrounding it’s future
The lack of support available to small businesses to help them comply with Making Tax Digital, such as access to compliant software and good internet speeds
The current arrangements for apprenticeship funding, which don’t help small business owners nurture new talent
“We are proud to represent small businesses, the ‘lifeblood’ of the UK economy and we will take every opportunity we get to speak up for their needs and concerns,” added Karl.
50 people are promoted across East Anglia at accountancy firm, BDO
Corporate finance specialist, Vinod Patel, promoted to partner in Transaction Services team.
Accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO has announced the promotion of 50 people across its team in East Anglia, including one promotion to partner.
Effective from 1st November, Vinod Patel, has been promoted in the Transaction Services practice, covering East Anglia as part of his remit.
Having joined the firm in 2003 as a trainee, Vinod has become an integral part of the national Transaction Services team and leads the East Anglia region, with experience in both acquisition and vendor due diligence on behalf of corporate and trade acquirers, private equity investments, debt financing and public market / IPO transactions. Despite the challenging environment, BDO has a strong pipeline of deals in the region and in his role, Vinod will work alongside John Gethen, head of M&A, to support privately owned, private equity backed and publicly listed businesses in East Anglia with their corporate finance and strategic initiatives.
Peter Harrup, partner and Head of East Anglia at BDO LLP, commented: “Vinod is an important part of a core area of the business that has significant scope for further growth, as we look to develop our regional offering. By bringing together expertise across key specialisms and offering our clients a complete proposition across the advisory board, we can support entrepreneurial and high-growth businesses across the piste.”
He added: “The raft of promotions we have made across the region is highly indicative of our continued desire to invest in our business while, at the same time, placing us in a much stronger position to support the businesses we work with as they attempt to navigate the macro-environment headwinds.”
In East Anglia, BDO has promoted 11 people in Cambridge, 30 people in Ipswich, and 9 people in Norwich.
Piers Harrison, partner and Head of the Cambridge office, said: “Every promotion represents BDO’s commitment to investing in our people and the future of our business in the region and nationwide, and we’re delighted to reward our people who have demonstrated true commitment, dedication and passion in their chosen specialisms.”
Staff wellbeing and the issue of mental health is increasingly important in business and the Norse Group is pleased to offer accredited Mental Health First Aid training for the staff of Chamber members in February at our bespoke training centre in Norwich.
A Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. The programme explores mental health, dispels myths, and most importantly gives candidates the tools to have conversations about mental health and support colleagues to seek help.
MHFA will not teach someone to be a therapist, but it will teach delegates to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and potentially stop a crisis from developing. Delegates learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health, and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone in a safe way. The programme is MHFA England accredited and delegates receive valuable resource materials and workbooks.
Qualified MHFA trainer Mark Surridge is running an open programme in Norwich on 18th and 19th February 2020 and a limited number of spaces are available at £270 each, which is £30 lower than the MHFA recommended rate. A recent delegate from Leathes-Prior commented: “Mark was an excellent trainer. He was incredibly engaging and clearly very passionate about the area.”
Follow this link here to access the course booking page.
We are one of only four Hotels to be announced as a finalist and one of only two Hotels in Norfolk to reach this stage of the awards.
Hotel of the Year, sponsored by Ensors Chartered Accountants, recognises both small and large serviced accommodation businesses, providing truly memorable guest experiences, demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business which includes but is not limited to: customer service, additional personal touches or offerings to ensure that each guest is made to feel like an individual, and the amenities and facilities provided within the hotel and guest rooms.
We are delighted to be recognised as one of the top hotels in Norfolk!
The judges commented on our exceptional service and client care, “whilst ensuring a solid commitment to the local community.” They went on to say: “A steady investment programme has ensured the property makes maximum benefit of its superb location and has enabled the owners to demonstrate their dedication to style and guest well-being. In addition, a commitment to using local produce and employing local staff has ensured the success of the business feeds right back into the heart of the local community.”
James Holliday, owner added: “The whole team are delighted to be finalists for Hotel of the Year! It is the culmination of six years hard work since we took over The Norfolk Mead in 2013! As an independent, family-run and local Norfolk business, we are proud of our relaxed luxury offering and strive for excellence in hospitality for every guest.”
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 27 February 2020 at Kesgrave Hall, Suffolk, presented by BBC1s Inside Out and BBC Radio Norfolk host David Whiteley. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
East Norfolk Sixth Form College has been at the forefront of preparing students for the future for nearly 40 years and we are now in the position to invite you to join us in preparing the workforce of the future!
T Levels are 2-year courses, developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, providing them with specialist knowledge in a range of sectors.
We are looking for employers to host T Level Placements which consist of 45 days across 2 years, in the following areas:
Digital production, Design and Development
Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Construction
Media and Broadcasting
Business
Legal
Finance
Health
Healthcare Science
How you can help us:
Offering work placements
Providing talks and workshops to give students insights into the industry
Educational visits
Sharing your experience of pathways into business
We can offer you:
Access to 1600 high-calibre students for short and long-term work placements
Opportunities to gain direct access to your future workforce and promote your business and career opportunities
Are you feeling festive and want to give something back to the local community this Christmas?
Why not come and support the friendly team at Blickling Estate by volunteering at the spectacular ‘Garden of Lights.’ As an Events and Projects Volunteer you could be doing anything from giving a warm welcome to visitors and supporting their journey around the beautiful garden of lights, to serving mulled wine and mince pies at the historic temple overlooking the lit Parterre garden.
From Monday November 28th – Sunday December 18th we’ll be celebrating the festive season here at Blickling Estate, creating unforgettable moments for our supporters and doing what we do best – making the world a more magical place.
If you enjoy talking to others and giving exceptional service and a friendly smile, this opportunity could be for you.
This survey is being carried out to help Norfolk County Council understand the needs of local businesses and to help inform the development of its emerging investment strategy.
This strategy is intended to achieve a “step change in pay, productivity and skills, to drive sustainable growth in the county over the medium to long term”. It identifies four challenges which need to be overcome in order to achieve this ambition. These challenges include:
· Grand Challenge 1: Opportunities for residents
· Grand challenge 2: Efficient public services
· Grand Challenge 3: Future–proof business clusters
· Grand Challenge 4: Protect from climate change
In completing this survey, we are keen to understand the appetite of businesses across Norfolk in relation to their future financing needs. We welcome your thoughts and views on the current funding landscape.
The survey should only take 10 minutes. Your views are key to helping the council to identify gaps in funding and investment for local businesses and social enterprises across Norfolk and different sectors and business stages.