Ashtons Legal is delighted to announce the appointment of its new CEO, James Tarling from 1 April 2022.
James joined Ashtons in 2015 as a Corporate and Commercial partner and most recently has taken responsibility for the development of the firm’s future strategy. James takes on the CEO position from Ed O’Rourke who is remaining with the firm, initially in a new role to further develop the business client group within Ashtons.
James says: “I am proud to be taking on the role of CEO of Ashtons Legal at an exciting time for our business. The firm has seen significant growth recently including through strategic acquisitions of a franchise consultancy, an HR consultancy, a specialist French legal firm, an insolvency team and most recently the full-service business of Steeles Law at the end of 2021. A key part of this growth has been the result of the work that Ed has done to establish an open and progressive culture within Ashtons Legal”.
James adds: “We have ambitious plans for further growth of the Ashtons business over the next three years. We are looking to recruit further talented and ambitious individuals and teams who share our vision to be an exceptional professional service provider putting our clients at the centre of everything we do”.
He adds: “I am lucky to be taking on the role in a flexible, inclusive and progressive business with the support of a fantastic team of individuals who are all focussed on working together to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients”.
Ed O’Rourke adds: “I have enjoyed my time at the helm but it is time for new blood and fresh ideas and James is the best possible person to drive Ashtons forward”.
Hatch Brenner Solicitors on Norwich’s Theatre Street has elected a new Managing Partner. The firm’s partnership has selected the Head of Dispute Resolution and leading brain injury solicitor, Colin Cook, for the role as the firm approaches its 130th anniversary. The current Managing Partner, Dawn Parkes, stands down following eight years in the position.
Dispute Resolution Partner and Personal Injury specialist, Colin Cook joined Hatch Brenner Solicitors in 2005 upon moving to Norwich and was appointed to the partnership in 2012. With over 25 years’ experience in personal injury litigation, Colin has handled landmark cases, including the recent nationally reported mild traumatic brain injury case – Long vs Elegant Resorts, securing over half a million pounds in compensation for the client following a fiercely contested trial.
Qualifying in practice in Lancashire, Colin was a Partner at a London firm prior to joining Hatch Brenner Solicitors. Throughout his career Colin has helped hundreds of clients to receive the compensation they are entitled to. His cases range from several thousand to over a million pounds with many high-profile settlements. As an active member of the Norwich community, Colin sits on the board of trustees for brain injury charity Headway Norfolk and Waveney.
“It is a truly exciting time to be taking the firm forward in the post COVID era. With formidable teams across all areas of the business, there is a world of opportunity to look forward to. I am honoured to be taking over this role from Dawn whose contribution and leadership over the last 8 years has been invaluable. We will continue to advise our clients, providing the highest levels of excellence and service,” comments Colin.
“I’m really looking forward to leading Hatch Brenner Solicitors into its next phase and on behalf of the firm, I would like to thank Dawn Parkes for her years of service as Managing Partner”.
Commenting on Colin’s election to the role, Dawn said: “I would like to congratulate Colin. I’ve witnessed his dedication to the firm and our clients over the past 17 years. I know that he brings the right qualities, skills, and experience to lead the partnership and Hatch Brenner Solicitors to continued success. The firm is in good hands.”
Retail managers from across the region gathered to celebrate a record-breaking 12 months for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The event was held at Culford School, near Bury St Edmunds, and attended by staff from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and relies heavily on profits generated from its 44 shops.
It also has a fast-growing ecommerce operation.
Retail income for the last financial year was just over £6.5 million, with like-for-like sales up 17.4% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20.
EACH Director of Retail Ian Nicolson said: “We came together to celebrate and say thank you for the incredible hard work and dedication of our shop staff.
“The team have dealt with such adversity in a year of constant change and we recognised their amazing efforts by handing out awards, including eBay, Amazon and Gift Aid Shop of the Year.
“We also wanted to recognise and celebrate those who have done amazing work in their community and supporting their volunteer teams.
“It was a great day and lovely for managers to meet up with colleagues and counterparts from different shops and counties.”
Among those to speak during the team-building day was EACH Chief Executive Phil Gormley.
EACH 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.
Ian added: “We also want 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 children and families.
“We’re hitting great numbers to start the year but now the celebrations are over and we step into the new financial year, so it’s a case of here we go again. We’re excited by the challenge ahead.”
Cyber training is a powerful tool available to all organisations. When building cyber security defences it’s important to ensure that one of your greatest protective assets, your people, are invested in and able to do everything possible to protect valuable data, information and systems from the wide range of threats posed by cyber criminals. Unfortunately no organisation is safe from these threats, no matter what size your operation is, or the industry you are in, cyber criminals will be seeking ways to get in to your systems and cause damage. We see so often that this route in is via staff.
We’ve put this video together to explain the range of things that can happen in any organisation, all of which can lead to the need for cyber training. Staff at all levels will benefit, and we see first-hand just how much of an impact training has. We don’t want to spoil it for you…so why not take a couple of minutes out to have a watch, and if you like it make sure you share it with your colleagues and contacts!
Don’t just take our word for it though…there are lots of stats out there about how organisations need to invest more in staff training, the latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey highlights how little training is taking place – if you want to better protect your organisation talk to us today.
Caring Together is a charity helping unpaid carers across Norfolk. Local children as young as 5-years-old are helping look after a family member. The charity is raising funds this Christmas to give these children a break, days out and time to simply have fun! You can make a donation at https://caringtogether.enthuse.com/Christmas-Appeal#!/
Help us support children who look after someone, giving them time off to have fun and simply be a child.
Do you live in or within a few miles of Happisburgh or Reepham? Join the dialogue to shape the Community Benefit Fund – this week!
Reepham, Cawston, Great Witchingham, Oulton & Ingworth
Happisburgh, Witton & Ridlington, East Ruston, Lessingham, Walcott & Honing
Don’t miss this chance to help shape the £15 million Norfolk Zone Community Benefit Fund at an early stage, and discuss the ways in which it might work best for your community.
This week we’ll be focusing on the communities in and around Reepham on Wednesday 11th May and Happisburgh on Thursday 12th May. Attendees are welcome to participate in person or via online meeting links. Full details and registration links can be found below.
If you aren’t based in or near these areas, please don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to contribute to the discussion in the coming months. These are just two of a series of localised meetings and we’ll be arranging more of them in due course. If you’d like to get involved in helping us with that, please feel free to drop us a note. We’d love to hear from you.
If you have any questions about the events please contact us directly using the email address: [email protected]
Welcome to the first episode this new podcast series! This week, James & Mark examine our own perceptions of why things happen in our lives, whether we think we can control them, and how it informs our behaviour. With a focus on the well-known psychological theory ‘Locus of Control’
Content:
Welcome to the first episode this new podcast series, sponsored by Larking Gowen. There will be three different episode styles in this new series, expert guest interviews, special bitesize gems, and these deep dive episodes. James and Mark will be ‘deep diving’ into a specific topic each week. If you were a listener of Impromptu Business Chat, you’ll be familiar with their casual, fun and informative discussions. Now they’ll be focusing on how listeners can further put the advice and themes they explore into action.
This week, they examine our own perceptions of why things happen in our lives, whether we think we can control them, and how it informs our behaviour. With a focus on the well-known psychological theory ‘Locus of Control’ they discuss the importance of learning to focus on what we can influence, and not what we can’t, like the weather! They look at our power of embracing failure, monitoring our own language and how to spot our own personal triggers ahead of time. Are you a victim, or do you take responsibility? Developing our own locus of control can help build stronger relationships, be that with our families, customers or our teams. How you cope in times of stress can have a huge impact on your overall wellbeing, so let’s see how you can find the power to take control and create positive change…
To listen to the podcast, see the show notes and contact us, please click on the Listen here link below.
M+A Partners has seen some recent changes to its senior leadership team following the retirement of Managing Partner, Jeremy Robson, after sixteen years with the firm.
Jeremy joined Martin and Acock (as it was then) in 2006, and since then a new name, change of Norwich premises, growth at the Attleborough office and the addition of M+A Partners Cromer are just a few of the strategic moves he has managed.
Phil Webster has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the strategic and operational direction of the firm to enable the Partners and the wider M+A team to be as effective as possible in the delivery of their services to clients.
Jeremy Robson said:
“It has been a privilege and pleasure to have been at the helm of M+A Partners for the last 16 years. I hope that in some small way, I have done my bit for the firm and that I leave it well positioned to face the future and to continue to go from strength to strength.
None of what has been achieved could have happened without the wide help and support of so many and I would like to thank my fellow partners, staff and all of our clients who have been at the heart of what makes M+A Partners so special.
I wish Phil every success and I know that he will provide the leadership, stewardship and care that the firm needs in this next phase of its life”.
Phil Webster said:
“I am delighted to have joined M+A Partners in the role of Chief Operating Officer and to be able to carry on the work of our highly regarded Managing Partner, Jeremy.
I am looking forward to working with the talented team we have here at M+A, delivering our operational responsibilities whilst still being committed to the future development of the firm and our people – creating opportunities for progression and helping us to evolve to meet the changing requirements of the industry and future ambitions of our clients.”
Chantry Place will transform into Chantry Palace to celebrate the Queen’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee and will have The Royal Guard on Chantry Square, as well as celebrate the Queen’s favourite dog breed with a free corgi trail for families throughout May Half Term.
The free ‘Walkie corgi trail’ will take place from Monday 30th May until Sunday 5th June, with families tracking the Queen’s corgi characters which have escaped the palace! Spelling out a Jubilee-themed word, entrants will be entered into a competition to win a right royal day out, worth over £300!
Outside on Chantry Square, visitors will discover Chantry Palace, an amazing photo opportunity with a Royal Guard on sentry duty over the four day holiday weekend between 2nd and 5th June.
A royal throne and red carpet, complete with an incredible royal backdrop, will also be situated on the lower ground floor from 2nd to 5th June, so visitors can enjoy being a King or Queen!
Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, said: “We wanted to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign and have lots of fun at the Centre to celebrate! We can’t wait to welcome people to Chantry Palace to meet our Royal Guard and the photo opportunities on offer will delight all the family. This and the self-led Corgi character trail are all free, and we have lots on offer for everyone visiting, as people make a day of it and enjoy all the family-friendly retailers and restaurants we have at the Centre.”
Chantry Place is home to brands including House of Fraser, H&M, Smiggle, Langleys, Build-a-Bear and more.
For more information on Chantry Place, visit www.ChantryPlace.co.uk or follow chantryplacenorwich on social media.
Greater Anglia, along with train companies across the country, is extending free train travel for survivors of domestic abuse for another year.
The move comes as figures show four survivors a day nationally, on average, have been using the scheme and reports show that abuse has worsened during coronavirus restrictions.
Since March 2020, when the scheme was introduced, train operators across the country have provided free tickets to 3,118 people, including 874 children. 65% of people who used Rail to Refuge to date said they would not or could not have travelled if the journey hadn’t been paid for, with an average journey for recipients costing £73.
The ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme is a partnership between the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, and Women’s Aid Federation England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Womens’ Aid and Imkaan.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, said, “We’re proud to be a part of this vital scheme which is making a real difference to survivors of domestic abuse.”
Survivors are supported by Women’s Aid Members Services and when they are offered a refuge place, the service can book the ticket(s) they need, with train companies covering the cost. Tickets are also provided for their children, if required. They can be used as e-tickets on a phone or can be picked up from stations with a debit or credit card. The scheme allows survivors to board a train and travel without having to explain their situation to anyone.
Survivors of domestic abuse who would like to access the Rail to Refuge scheme, or need other support, can get in touch with Women’s Aid through their Live Chat service, open Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm: https://chat.womensaid.org.uk
Greater Anglia has also made its website a ‘Safe Space’ for survivors of domestic abuse.
Online ‘Safe Spaces’ are untraceable web pages with information on specialist domestic abuse support services, national helplines and other resources developed by the charity, UK SAYS NO MORE.
The train operator has added the charity’s ‘Safe Space’ widget to its home page at greateranglia.co.uk to enable those experiencing domestic abuse to discreetly access support and information while carrying out daily online tasks.
The ‘Safe Space’ webpage does not appear in internet browsing history and has a quick exit function.
Apprenticeships Norfolk has launched a survey as part of a wider research project to capture insights and feedback from Norfolk businesses, in terms of understanding the challenges and barriers they face when considering setting up an apprenticeship in their organisation.
All businesses can fill it in – while we are very interested in the non-levy (SME) sized businesses in Norfolk, insights from larger organisations are also welcome. A business can complete the survey if they have had apprentices before, or if they haven’t – and the best bit, it is very quick to complete, under 3 minutes on average. The survey is completely anonymous (unless you choose to leave details if they would like us to make contact – however, this is completely optional).
The survey responses will help us shape future service offers to provide solutions that our Norfolk businesses tell us they need. Please could you help us to gain Norfolk-wide insight, by completing the survey? The link is here: https://forms.office.com/r/4DW6tAz1WP
As always, thank you in advance for your help/support – we really appreciate the opportunity to work together to understand more about our Norfolk businesses and how we can support increased apprenticeship activity.
Break has released details of its GoGoDiscover 2022 Learning & Community Programme, sponsored by Dipple & Conway Opticians, and is calling for schools, colleges and community groups from across the county to stomp on board and sign-up to get creative with a T.rex sculpture.
Once decorated, the smaller T.rex sculptures, named Breakasaurus, will join the larger sculptures on the GoGoDiscover trail in Summer 2022. The Breakasaurus sculptures will be exhibited across public spaces in cultural and leisure hubs across Norwich, before being returned to the schools and community groups who decorated them.
Peter Marron, GoGoDiscover project manager for Break, comments: “The learning and community programmes have always been an integral part of the success of our previous trails and I know that this one will be just as important and exciting for everyone involved. Norfolk is filled with so much creative talent and this project really offers young people the opportunity to show off their skills. The activity also inspires learning in the classroom and, in addition to receiving the amazing T.rex sculpture, the package includes a creative educational resource pack for teachers filled with lesson plans and fun activities for everyone to really sink their teeth into.”
Packages are available now with an early bird offer until 1st July 2021. However, there are a limited number of Breakasaurus sculptures available, as Peter continues: “The main objective from all the trails and this Learning & Community Programme is to raise vital funds for Break, so that we can continue giving children and young people living in care, on the edge of care or leaving care across the region, the time and support they need to achieve their full potential. I am grateful to Dipple & Conway for sponsoring the Learning & Community Programme and excited to be working with them to bring this wonderful educational programme to life. It is thanks to all our sponsors and partners who support the charity, that we can deliver such a fantastic programme of events.
The GoGoDiscover Learning & Community Programme is delivered by East Anglian based children’s charity Break, in partnership with Wild in Art. The main sponsor for the programme is Dipple & Conway Opticians, with support from Roarr! and Norfolk Museum Services.
Matthew Conway is a director of Dipple & Conway Opticians. “We loved being part of GoGoHares back in 2018 and being able to help Break to support local children and families,” says Matthew. “We knew we wanted to get involved with GoGoDIscover and the Learning & Community Programme sits perfectly within our values and ethos as an independent, family-owned business. We’re committed to providing the best possible clinical care, and eye-health education, to our clients and to playing an active role in the communities where we’re based. We are looking forward to working with Break, local schools and community groups over the next 18 months to help people discover their county and explore their creativity.”
Schools and community groups interested in getting involved in the Learning & Community Programme should visit break-charity.org/gogodiscover-2022
The first GoGoDiscover T.rex trail this summer takes place from Monday 12th July until Saturday 11th September 2021 and then the trail goes larger with even more T.rex and a new Steppe Mammoth sculpture to discover across Norfolk. Dates for the 2022 trail will be announced soon.
For more information about Break visit break-charity.org
Text TREX to 70085 to donate £3. Texts cost £3, plus one standard rate message. #GoGoDiscover