Member News

Local IQ are hosting their inaugural EDP Norfolk Business Festival 2024, a series of events dedicated to fostering collaboration and growth across the Norfolk business community.

From 15 – 26 April 2024, they will be celebrating Norfolk’s vibrant business scene with a series of free to attend events, designed to bring sectors together, elevate local brands, and disseminate knowledge to fuel our region’s economic vitality.

They are inviting Norfolk businesses to seize the opportunity to get involved and host events during the festival.  Whether you’re a start-up or an established corporation, Local IQ are offering tailored packages to ensure your business can participate. These events, ranging from intimate seminars and networking sessions to expansive webinars and workshops, will cover diverse topics such as finance, leadership, and health sciences.

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and Norwich BID will be supporting the EDP Norfolk Business Festival by each delivering free to attend event.  Norfolk Chambers will hold an event in King’s Lynn during the first week of the festival and will use the Chambers media channels to showcase the festival opportunities to all Norfolk businesses and will also promote its members’ events that are part of the EDP Norfolk Business Festival on our website.  Norwich BID’s event will be held in Norwich during the second week of the festival.

The Chambers’ event (Levelling Up for Business – Challenges & Opportunities) at the College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn will be held on Wednesday 17 April.  It will help local businesses to discover how to enhance their business with partially-funded training, including a West Norfolk Training Grant covering up to 75% of costs, and learn about the Boost Project supporting skills development for 16 – 30-year-olds.  This session is not just informative, but also a perfect venue for networking, complete with coffee and bacon rolls.   Don’t miss the chance to be part of this dynamic festival click here to book onto the Chambers King’s Lynn event.

For more details and how to get involved in the wider EDP Norfolk Business Festival, reach out to Ben Hope at [email protected] or view the available packages here.

Chloe Chambers at Orchard Toys and Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place (Credit: Chantry Place) Orchard Toys partners with Chantry Place Norwich to bring families a brand new trail inspired by THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT™ this spring. The Peter Rabbit World Trail event is free for families, and will run at Chantry Place from Saturday 23^rd March to Sunday 14^th April 2024*. This fun trail is part of the launch celebrations for Orchard Toys’ new THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT collection – six stunning games and jigsaws developed under licence from Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. (Beatrix Potter’s publisher and owner of The WORLD OF PETER RABBIT).  The games are a creative hybrid of Peter Rabbit and Orchard Toys – blending the fun, educational and engaging gameplay of Orchard Toys with Beatrix Potter’s iconic characters to bring Peter Rabbit to life.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit has sold over 46 million copies around the world since it was first published in 1902 and THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT remains one of the most beloved children’s brands in the World. The free Peter RabbitWord Trail will be great fun for entertaining the children around the Easter holidays.  To get involved, pick up a the Trail booklet from Langleys or The Works at Chantry Place, before hopping off to collect letters and posting an entry in the postbox at Langleys Toy Store. All correct entries are in with the chance to win an Orchard Toys bundle of games and a £50 H&M voucher courtesy of Chantry Place. Plus, the first 3,000 children to do the trail will receive a free Peter Rabbit Word Trail badge. Adding to the fun, every day of the trail, children (together with their families!) can play the giant Orchard Toys Peter Rabbitfloor garden maze. Chloe Chambers, Senior Marketing Executive at Orchard Toys, says: “This is a fantastic free event for local and visiting families, and a really fun, interactive way to celebrate our brand-new Peter Rabbit collection with children and their parents.  We’re excited to see the trail come to life at Chantry Place”. Paul McCarthy, General Manager at Chantry Place, says: “We have been wanting to collaborate with local games and jigsaw brand Orchard Toys for some time and being able to partner with them on A Peter Rabbit Word Trail  is a real privilege for us. We know our visitors will love this free event, finding the charming characters on the word poster trail that the incredible designers at Orchard Toys have put together for us.” New for 2024, THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT collection from Orchard Toys will also be available to purchase at Langleys at Chantry Place while stocks last. *Excluding Easter Sunday due to the Centre being closed. For more information on Chantry Place, visit www.chantryplace.co.uk/news

Kate Gaskin, Victoria Kerslake & Lizzy Dring on site at an event. The team at Huxley Events has some incredible news to share with everyone. They have been named finalists for two prestigious awards at the Conference News Agency Awards 2024. Victoria Kerslake, a member of the team, has been selected as a finalist for the Event Producer of the Year award. The team is extremely proud of Victoria’s hard work, dedication, and innovative ideas that have impressed their clients. She is considered a rockstar in the event planning world. In addition, Lizzy Dring, another member of the team, has also been shortlisted for the Rising Star Award. Lizzy’s energy, passion, and creative thinking have contributed to the success of their events. The team is beyond excited and honored to be finalists in these awards. It is a reflection of their commitment to excellence and delivering unforgettable experiences for their clients. They express their gratitude to their clients for their trust and support. This recognition as finalists is a proud moment for the team as they have worked tirelessly to overcome challenges, exceed expectations, and create lasting memories. They thank their clients, suppliers, venues, and business friends for their continued support and belief in their abilities.

Lucas & Wyllys Solicitors is proud to announce its sponsorship of Acle Indoor Bowls Club, a prominent fixture in the local community. Acle Indoor Bowls facility was built in 1993 as part of the Acle Recreation Centre complex. The club offers its members a large array of internal leagues plus the opportunity to enter club, County or National competitions. The club was the first in the country to live stream its games. The sponsorship agreement reflects Lucas & Wyllys’ dedication to fostering strong community bonds. As a firm deeply rooted in the local area for over 190 years, Lucas & Wyllys recognises the importance of initiatives like Acle Indoor Bowls Club bringing people together and promoting social interaction. “We are thrilled to partner with Acle Indoor Bowls Club and contribute to its ongoing success,” said Amy Church, Lucas & Wyllys’ Managing Partner. “Supporting organisations like Acle Indoor Bowls Club aligns with our values of community engagement and wellbeing. We look forward to a fruitful partnership that benefits both the club and the wider community.” Denis Goodley, manager of Acle Indoor Bowls Club, expressed gratitude for the partnership, stating, “We are delighted to have Lucas & Wyllys on board as a sponsor. We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will bring and the positive impact it will have on our club members and the wider community.” The sponsorship agreement between Lucas & Wyllys and the Acle Indoor Bowls Club is a testament to the firm’s ongoing commitment to supporting local initiatives. Lucas & Wyllys, with offices in Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Blofield, provide a wide range of legal services including wills & probate, lasting powers of attorney, residential and commercial property, divorce & finances, and child care law. For more information about Lucas & Wyllys, please visit www.lucasandwyllys.co.uk To learn more about the Acle Indoor Bowls Club, visit www.acle-indoor-bowls.org.uk   Top photo: Edna Land, Acle Indoor Bowls Ladies President with Candice Barfield, Partner, Amy Church, Managing Partner, Nigel Craske, Senior Partner at Acle Indoor Bowls Club.

Nick Steven-Jones (left) and Tom Burdett of Jarrolds (Image: Jarrolds) Jarrolds has launched the Jarrolds Growth Fund in an effort to support local firms, with a pot of £100,000 released every year to Norfolk businesses looking to propel their growth. Businesses will be able to apply for a share of the funding, with successful applicants also benefitting from specialist expertise from the Jarrolds team. Nick Steven-Jones, chief executive, said: “We recognise the symbiotic relationship we have with Norfolk businesses. “Our training business wouldn’t be what it is without the thriving community of organisations looking to develop their staff, our food hall wouldn’t be the same without the array of Norfolk produce from our talented suppliers and our new logistics arm wouldn’t have the growth we envisage without the continued wave of high quality goods leaving the county to other parts of the UK. “The Growth Fund is a tangible commitment to invest in and help nurture growing businesses in Norfolk, through funding, access to a community of expertise and the window that Jarrolds can offer.”

Norwich team with national reputation sees sustained increase in demand. Law firm Howes Percival has expanded its specialist Development team with four new appointments following a sustained increase in new instructions. Established 12 years ago, the Norwich Development team has an impressive client portfolio that includes major UK house builders, as well as local and regional developers, landowners, and public sector organisations.  They have been involved with many of the region’s largest developments acting for developers, planning promoters and landowners in connection with major development projects. The team is part of the firm’s wider commercial property department which offers a ‘cradle to grave’ service for developers – from site acquisition through to disposal – and includes specialist lawyers in planning, real estate finance, environmental law, construction and social housing. Development team new recruits: James Henderson – Partner James has over 20 years’ experience advising developers, landowners, investors (including institutional funds), promoters and funders on all aspects of land acquisition, development and disposal. He is very experienced at working either within or as an extension of the client’s team, in collaboration with other advisors, to understand the important underlying commercial needs and drivers behind projects, providing specialist advice on option agreements, conditional contracts, overage arrangements and collaboration/partnering deals. James joins the team from Aviva Investors. Georgia Short – Senior Associate Georgia deals with a wide range of commercial property matters including all aspects of landlord and tenant law, acquisitions, disposals and refinancing, with experience advising landowners and developers on easements, overage, options and conditional contracts. She joins from Leathes Prior Solicitors. Brendan Cawley – Head of New Homes Brendan started his career in plot sales and property acquisitions, moving on to real estate investment, advising lenders and borrowers on security over development sites (residential and commercial), investment properties, owner occupied properties and property portfolios. His clients included all major high street lenders, challenger banks and private funders. As the Head of New Homes in Norwich, Brendan is focused on advising regional developers and ensuring the smooth delivery of service from site acquisition through to completion supporting clients from the Norwich and Cambridge offices. Emma Field – Apprentice Solicitor Emma joins the team as an Apprentice Solicitor from Howes Percival’s legal administration team. Chris Cubitt, Howes Percival Partner leading the Development team in Norwich, commented, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome James, Georgia, Brendan and Emma to the team.  Despite difficult market conditions ranging from systemic planning issues to inflation and higher borrowing costs, we continue to be very busy – seeing strong work flows in residential development and a growing client base in commercial development. “In residential development the suppressed supply of development sites following delays in planning due to Nutrient Neutrality and other planning system challenges means there is still high demand and high levels of work.  Commercial developers and house builders in difficult economic circumstances need expert advice on complex transactions, to help minimise risk and exposure, whilst maintaining commerciality. Having these specialist teams makes all the difference.  For housebuilders, our planning team has led on Nutrient Neutrality solutions, while our social housing team has delivered an excellent service to social housing providers, impacted by undersupply issues. “We are recognised for the quality of our commercial property offering in the East, with teams in Norwich and Cambridge. It means we can provide an outstanding service across the whole region and beyond.” Howes Percival has a strong reputation for its real estate work in the East – receiving top-ranking for four different categories in the 2024 Legal 500 guide: Commercial Property, Property Litigation. Planning and Environment and Social Housing. For more information visit: https://www.howespercival.com/services/commercial-property

New City Centre Meeting Room hire opportunities by Norwich City College.

New for 2024, Norwich City College is hiring out its meeting rooms at Norfolk House, located on Exchange Street.

There are a wide variety of room types from interview rooms/meeting rooms or larger training/seminar rooms. All equipped with fast Wi-Fi and high-quality IT resources.

Some of our rooms provide the ability to run hybrid meetings allowing users to live stream or record for a later date.

Pricing starts from £20 per hour. For all enquires and prices, contact [email protected]

HR consultancy MAD-HR has once again been named a winner of the prestigious Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award.

This is the second year in a row that the East of England business has been recognised with the accolade.

Feefo’s Trusted Service Awards acknowledge brands who are consistently delivering a world-class customer experience.

Reviews and feedback are analysed from customers and the rating serves an independent seal of excellence.

For MAD-HR, the 2024 award comes only a matter of months since the company was crowned winner of the EDP Customer Excellence Award, and one year after winning the category in the EADT Business Awards.

The business has grown rapidly in recent years and now has a total staff number of 10, with offices in Norwich, Ipswich and Chelmsford.

Founder and director, Carole Burman, said: “Receiving the Platinum Award for a second year in a row is a great acknowledgment of the huge emphasis we as a team place on delivering first rate customer service.

“We are always speaking to our clients, gaining feedback, and seeking ways we can enhance our service or deliver in a way which is most effective for the scale or situation of the business we are serving.

“HR can often be seen as something quite transactional, but it is so much more. It is about relationships and understanding, and that starts with how we as a team are relating to our clients and recognising what they need – perhaps even before they know it.”

Congratulating Carole and the MAD-HR team on winning this year’s award, Tony Wheble, CEO at Feefo, said: “With customers continuing to build resilience in a time of economic uncertainty, we’re delighted to showcase thousands of our clients who are continuing to go above and beyond for each and every customer.

“The Trusted Service Awards have always been about recognising companies that go way beyond the norm in customer service and in turn receive great feedback from delighted customers.

“A particular congratulations to MAD-HR for winning a Platinum Trusted Service Award by providing great customer service consistently over a number of years. I look forward to seeing them continue to achieve next year and beyond.”

Feefo presents Platinum Trusted Service Awards to businesses that have achieved Gold standard for three consecutive years. To receive a Gold Trusted Service Award, businesses must have collected at least 50 reviews with a Feefo service rating of between 4.5 and 4.9 between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022.

You can find out more about MAD-HR at www.mad-hr.co.uk

With offices in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, MAD-HR provides expert outsourced HR expertise, through adhoc, retained and strategic services.

Norfolk freelance advertising photographer Joe Lenton has been selected for the UK team for the 2024 World Photographic Cup. His image of a Skeleton Watch created for Vision & Time is representing the UK in the commercial section of the competition. Joe is thrilled to be part of the team, which is comprised of some of the UK’s finest photographers. As well as being assessed individually, the images receive scores that go towards the nation’s total number of points. The country with the highest number of points will be awarded the World Photographic Cup at a ceremony in Texas in April. Joe is a specialist in product photography, working with local, national and international clients. He is passionate about creating outstanding images and also loves helping other photographers to achieve excellence. 2024 also sees the launch of “Focused Professional”, his in-depth photography mentoring service that helps photographers to build businesses that suit their personality and passion. His experience as a qualified international judge and international level photographer are available to help others achieve their dreams too. Fingers crossed for the UK in April…!

Each year, our Boom! Young Carers take a residential trip, helping them escape their day-to-day pressures in a fun and friendly environment! With plenty of activities planned, such as high ropes, canoeing and a trip to the theatre they will have the opportunity to forge new friendships and create amazing memories. By donating or raising money through this campaign, you can make a direct impact and help us fund a residential trip for Boom! Hear from Alice, our Development Manager, on the importance of this annual trip: “I love being able to take young people away on residentials as it’s through shared experiences such as these that we see them forge lasting friendships. By having this opportunity to go away for a couple of nights the Young Carers step outside of their comfort zone and build resilience and confidence to be themselves.” For young people across Norfolk, Boom! Young Carers provides positive activities through specialist groups running throughout the year along with trips, visits and activities in school holidays. These groups develop confidence, independence and give the opportunity to try new experiences. Want to make your impact and support our Boom! Young Carers? Get in touch with us at [email protected] to learn more about how your business can get involved. You can also directly donate to our campaign here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/boomyoungcarers “That was the best weekend! I made some great friends and it was so nice to be able to get out and do some things I haven’t done before!”

Game for good this Spring and make your positive impact on local children, young people and families! With our estimates suggesting that 3-4,000 young people are at risk of homelessness across Norfolk and Suffolk, you can get involved and make a real impact on young people in your community! Taking place between 22^nd April and 5^th May, we are looking for local businesses to get collaborate with us through Gaming for Good! Whether you join The Benjamin Foundation for a gaming tournament, organise a monopoly marathon, take part in a 5-a-side football tournament, you can choose how you want to play! By getting involved in Gaming for Good you can collaborate with The Benjamin Foundation and make a difference in your local community. A charity for children, young people and families, we supported over 3,000 individuals last year, and with your support, we can continue our vital work! Learn more: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/g4g Want to game for good? Get in touch with us at [email protected] to learn how you can collaborate with us this Spring!

The Attleborough office of Chartered Accountancy and Tax Specialists M+A Partners is delighted to have started 2024 with a promotion in its senior team. Jemma Jackson has been promoted to Accounts and Tax Manager. Jemma joined the M+A team in 2020 in the role of Accounts and Tax Assistant Manager, building on her knowledge as an accounts and taxation specialist and working with a broad spectrum of clients. Jemma has over 20 years’ experience in practice and will continue to develop her client portfolio, working with sole traders and owner managed businesses through to larger companies. Jemma commented “I am excited about the future opportunities that come with my role as Manager and look forward to working with the rest of the team to ensure we are best placed to support individuals and businesses within our region.” Partner, Mary-Anne Sargeant commented “Jemma’s promotion is testament to her hard work and commitment and reflects our ethos to encourage career development and progression within the firm. We wish Jemma every success in her new role.”