GoGo Gorillas is a fantastic art project which will hit the streets of Norwich at the end of June 2013 – for those who remember Go Elephants in 2008 (yes, it really is that long ago!), a colourful, community of Gorillas will take residence on our streets, in our parks and open spaces for local residents, area visitors and tourists to find.
Our Gorilla has been designed by Gillian Kenny and represents NCFC in vibrant, ‘Zingy’, yellow and green.
Find our Gorilla when the trail launches in June, tweet us your pictures posing with our gorilla @ZingInsights for your chance to win some fab prizes – We’re looking forward to seeing some creative posts!
For the second consecutive year Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure), a leading recruitment consultancy in eastern England, has been shortlisted for the Recruitment Firm of the Year Award at the 2013 FDs’ Excellence Awards.
Nominated by a record-breaking 1,380 chief finance officers, financial directors and other senior financial decision makers within the UK’s finance sector, the Excellence Awards applaud service providers including recruitment firms, auditors, business banks and financial software suppliers.
“We are very proud to again make the shortlist for this prestigious awards category,” said Lynn Walters, Director of Pure. “The nomination means a lot to us because it is based on the opinions of our clients. It is a true reflection of our services and it is great to know that our personal approach is highly valued by the people we work with. And, as a regional recruitment consultancy, we are honoured to be shortlisted alongside big players that operate nationally.”
The shortlisted businesses were judged on a range of criteria including business knowledge, innovation and quality of advice. Over the last year, Pure has continued to build on its reputation as an expert in its field by offering clients guidance and information on a variety of subjects, from recruitment and retention to employee engagement.
Pure has always strived to develop new and relevant initiatives within their region that add value. Recent examples include the Senior Finance Forum – a career development network for finance professionals – and Best Employers, Eastern Region – a survey that identifies and promotes the best employers and encourages employee engagement in the East of England.
The ceremony, taking place at the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square on May 9th, will be hosted by ICAEW Chief Executive, Michael Izza, and the CBI’s Director-General, John Cridland. Also with comedian Fred MacAulay as compere, it promises to be a superb, entertaining and inspirational event.
To find out more about Pure’s professional recruitment services, contact Anna Hill, Marketing Manager, on: 01223 209888 or [email protected]. Or visit www.prs.uk.com.
For more information about the FDs’ Excellence Awards and the full shortlist visit: www.fdsawards.co.uk.
The legal aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (the Act) came into force on 1st April 2013. It makes significant and wide ranging changes to the legal aid scheme and removes legal aid alltogether for most aspects of family law.
Are there any areas of family law which will not be affected?
There will be no change to legal aid for injunction proceedings such as non-molestation orders (which are aimed at preventing a person from using or threatening violence, intimidating, harassing, pestering etc) or occupation orders (which regulate whether a person can live in the family home or aim to prevent a person entering the surrounding area.)
Legal aid will also continue to be available for child abduction cases and also in cases concerning forced marriages. There will also be continued assistance for family mediation and separating couples are encouraged to attempt to resolve issues in that way.
Which areas of family law will be affected?
Most other private family proceedings such as divorce, the financial matters relating to divorce and matters relating to children (such as where a child should live or what contact a child should have with the other parent) will be affected. Initial publicly funded advice will only be available to those people who not only meet the previously existing legal aid criteria but who have also been the victim of domestic violence or, in private children proceedings, where the child is at risk of abuse by the other party.
Simply put, if the domestic violence or child abuse criteria cannot be met then a person will be unable to obtain legal aid in connection with a wide range of family law matters such as those set out above.
What constitutes domestic violence?
The definition of domestic violence within the Act has recently been amended to read as follows: “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (whether psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between individuals who are associated with each other”. Therefore domestic violence is no longer limited to physical violence alone.
How to prove domestic violence or child abuse
In order to qualify for legal aid an applicant must provide evidence of the alleged domestic violence or child abuse by the other party.
The Act sets out a number of ways in which domestic violence or child abuse may be evidenced. The scope of this article is unable to list each of those or address them in detail but they broadly include (but are not limited to) circumstances such as; where the other party has an unspent conviction for a domestic violence or child abuse offence, a police caution within the past 2 years for a domestic violence or child abuse offence, is subject to ongoing criminal proceedings for a domestic violence offence or child abuse offence or has been subject to a non-molestation or other relevant injunction within the previous 2 years.
The Act also enables an applicant for legal aid to prove domestic violence or child abuse where there has not been any police or legal involvement. For instance by providing a letter or report from a health professional setting out certain information, a letter or report by social services in respect of domestic violence or child abuse or by providing a letter or report from a domestic violence support agency confirming that within the past 2 years the application was admitted to a refuge for at least 24 hours.
If you are able to prove that you have suffered from domestic violence you may be eligible for legal aid. If you are unable to do so then you are unlikely to be able to claim legal aid to assist you with your family matters.
Where do the changes leave me?
There is clearly now an issue in that people who are unable to prove that they have suffered domestic violence, or in cases of private children proceedings that the child is at risk of abuse, will be unable to obtain legal aid in connection with their family matters.
Cases involving issues such as divorce, finances and children issues are often very complex and many people will understandably feel that they require assistance in navigating both the procedure and the law. Many people will consider that they would be unable to afford legal advice without the assistance of legal aid. However, there are options which should be explored.
Our family team at Leathes Prior offers free initial consultations with clients at which we can discuss your situation, give some initial advice and talk through your options. We can give an estimate of the likely or possible costs of taking a particular course of action to meet your needs. In certain circumstances we may also be able to agree a fixed fee for work or flexible payment options.
After months of scrupulous checks the Brook Hotel has just been approved to join the Best Western Group. The joining of the group means that not only are we a face you can recognise, you also have the quality assurance that the Best Western brand demands in order to be a part of their program. We hope that this will attract more corporate and leisure guests to the Best Western Brook Hotel here in Norwich which will in turn mean we will be able to employ more staff to boost the local area. We are delighted to have been accepted and look forward to the advantages this will bring. In case you are not aware, the hotel was purchased by new owners just over 3 years ago and has already benefitted from an investment of over £500’000 and this is still continuing! The Hotel not only offers 80 bedrooms but the Brook also boasts a fantastic restaurant open 7 days a week, a lounge and bar with Sky TV and the capability for 6 event rooms or one large suite for up to 200 delegates/guests. If you are interested in coming to have a look around the hotel or have any requirements that you would like to discuss our Sales Manager – Sarah Jones would love to hear from you, call her on 07436 162397 or mail [email protected] General Manager – Gareth Stone is always available at the hotel for you to speak to if you are passing and would like to pop in.https://www.brookhotel.co.uk
NORWICH, Tuesday 23rd April 2013 – Cologne Christmas Markets in a Day!
Festive treat in store direct from Norwich!
Those who look to get their Christmas Season off to a ‘flying’ start can look forward to a very special day out in December, with the news that Newmarket Holidays is to operate a day excursion to the great German city of Cologne, with flights direct from Norwich International Airport.
Priced at £339 and including transfers as well as the exclusively chartered flight, the festive day-trip, scheduled for Saturday 7th December 2013, will offer opportunities to explore the historic Rhineland capital that is home to perhaps the world’s most famous Christmas Markets, and to enjoy a festive lunch in one of the city’s famous brewery houses.
Following the early morning flight, the day will include a walking tour of Cologne, with its 2000 years of history. Set beneath the soaring twin-towers of its famous Dom cathedral, the hub of the city is the lovingly restored Old Town, or Altstadt, home to just one of several colourful markets, each with its own characteristics and traditions.
The largest and most varied is held on the ‘Dom Platz’ itself, in the shadow of the cathedral and an almost equally lofty Christmas tree. Over 150 wooden pavilions bustle with trade, and the convivial atmosphere is always added to by the waft of glühwein and the delicious aromas coming from the numerous ‘sweetmeat’ stalls.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International said: “We are delighted that Newmarket Holidays has chosen to offer this unique opportunity to visit one of the world’s most famous Christmas markets from Norwich. This day trip offers the region’s travelers a great opportunity to experience the nostalgic festive atmosphere”
For further information please contact Newmarket Holidays on 08743 3161129 or visit www.newmarketholidays.co.uk
The past couple of weeks have been a mixture of French language consultancy and stretching my comfort zone through learning & development on top of the BAU tutoring.
There are so many aspects of my work that I find rewarding and the consultancy support is right up there. This was a client of mine who I supported in the past, He needed to work with a solicitor due to resolving some questions with estate following the passing of his wife last year. In France the laws are a little different when it comes to estate compared to the UK. I always tell my clients that I am not a legal specialist but I am a French language specialist. My French mother tongue skills allow me to deep dive and properly understand a situation that perhaps someone with a different French language skills set can’t cope with. I can listen to and understand both the client and solicitor’s perspective and then, acting as the intermediary, present solutions, options, risks & opportunities for both parties to work towards. The consultancy work opens up all sorts of different avenues and in the past I have supported business clients in preparation for bid work and technical work as well personal clients.
I have pushed myself and my comfort zones by undertaking learning in Business Administration and Leadership. As a sole trader I don’t get the same learning opportunities as large organisations so I was happy to take the opportunity. It’s 3 days a week over a number of weeks and so far we have covered leadership & management, project management and AI & it’s implications in the working environment. There are plenty of great learns to take but the AI subject has been absolutely fascinating in particular. We have been looking at prompting AI correctly and the need to be very precise to avoid AI tools having what are called ‘hallucinations’ and returning error strewn results. We’ve also been using AI to prepare business plans which has complimented some of the great support that I get through the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. I must admit though, I’m not used to being the student and maintaining a laser guided focus for 6 straight hours has been harder than I had remembered last time around!
And I’m working with all sorts of clients in terms of tutoring too. The students that I have who are based in Singapore have been fast approaching their French oral mock exams so we’ve been focusing on spoken French. Another of my clients is following the IAL (International Advanced Level) which I am also experienced with. IAL is similar to A-level but targeted specifically for schools abroad. One of their exam requirements is translation exercises from English to French so this has been another different focus for me to adjust to.
Internationally I have also been working with a student in Switzerland who needs to catch-up with his French to achieve a certain mark in his A-levels so that he can go to his preferred university. We have decided to increase the number of lessons he does each week in preparation for upcoming exams.
I have 2 new client based in Dubai too. With 16th February representing the start of Ramadan I am trying to be mindful of busy calendars and cultural requirements as well as the impact fasting has on students and their ability to learn so I’m adapting my tutorship accordingly.
I continue to support a GCSE student who is also taking the mock exams. This time the focus is on written French so, as I do with everyone I work with, I have tailored my instructional method accordingly.
I’ve also taken on a new student from much closer to home, Norwich in fact. This is an 8 year old and whilst I typically do not target this age group, I have decided to blend my primary school teaching degree methodologies with my French language specialisms to tailor a different style of learning for someone so young.
And my adult aged clients continue their lessons with me too, typically preferring to use current affairs as their subject matter as the basis of their lessons. Current affairs are a good topic to work with because they are relevant, they are current and the client can understand the subject in English which aids the learning process. A theme from my senior aged clients seems to be their worries over what’s happening far & wide across the world.
I volunteer as a local Town Councillor. I really enjoy listening to people in my community, representing their needs and helping shape a better place for us all to live and work in. Last week I joined other members of the council in meeting Ben Goldsborough MP. We talked about the increasing number of solar farms, the Long Stratton Enterprise Partnership, accessing funding streams through parliament sources via Ben and ways to improve the ‘old village’ centre and wider town.
Whatever your motivation, whether you are starting from new and always wanted to learn the language, whether you are more experienced and want to develop your conversation, you might be looking for guidance in-country with healthcare or house buying or perhaps you are looking for support for your business, give me a call with no obligation on 07930 444 078 or email me on [email protected] anytime.
Ahead of the start of the summer season, Norwich International Airport has invested in new generation x-ray screening equipment and reconfigured its main security search area.
The new layout aims to ensure that individual passenger screening times are kept to a minimum making the security process a much speedier and efficient process for all passengers.
To improve the processing of inbound passengers the airport has also invested in an additional UK Border Agency desk to ease congestion on arrival.
Jamie Price, Airport Security Manager said: “The improvements within our central search will not only enhance security, but also the overall passenger experience at the airport.”
Andrew Bell, CEO said: “We are committed to making the airport experience an easier, speedier and less stressful one for all of our passengers and we hope that these improvements will enhance their journey through the airport”
We are so pleased to be able to finally announce the results of our Ofsted inspection in February.
Our leaders and staff of Swarm Training CIC have been working hard to develop a very strong provision for our clients and learners during their time with us on their apprenticeships. We were able to demonstrate to Ofsted the quality of our courses, our support and care for learners and employers, our additional personal development provision and our team.It was a very busy week of inspection but everyone pulled together to showcase the very best of Swarm.
We won’t spoil the surprise too quickly as to what our final result was but we are so excited to share with you the full story and incredible feedback we received.
Epic Studios is looking for TV presenters to be part of our exciting plans for the future. Epic Studios is fast becoming the premier venue in Norwich for a variety of live performances. We also stream many of our performances as well as creating dozens of music videos every month. We’re now looking for presenters for the next stage of our programme development. We are looking for someone who is confident in front of camera and who will work on a variety of projects, including but not limited to: • Live performance shows, with compere skills and ability to interview • Discussion and magazine style programmes • To introduce Epic videos for a highlights show • to host a magazine and discussion programme • to interview audience members before, during and after performances • to interview artists live on stage Our core requirements are for a male and female presenter to become the face of our channel and brand. In addition, we may also recruit other presenters for genre-specific formats. We will be holding an appointment-only audition process in May. To apply, please submit, where available: • Pictures (portfolio where possible) • Examples of front of camera work • Examples of performance, presenting, interviewing in front of camera • CV with specific reference to media experience. If you do not have any of these items, please explain in your application why you think you might be suitable for the position and why you should be invited to the audition. Include in your application reasons why you think you would be suitable for the position and include any programme ideas you may have and how you can contribute to the development of the Epic TV channel. Please email [email protected] with your application by 1pm on Friday May 3. Screen tests will take place the week after. We will reply to every application.
On Sunday 28th April East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices Royal Patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge supported Children’s Hospice Week with her first ever video message.
In her inaugural message, The Duchess of Cambridge states: ‘As Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices I have been fortunate enough to see first hand the remarkable work that they do for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families’.
The Duchess of Cambridge also encourages viewers to ‘recognise, celebrate and support the inspirational work of hospices’ to ensure ‘children and their families can make the most of the precious time they have together’
Join Atlantic Holidays and Travel Norwich Airport for a Taste of Madeira event, and enjoy all that Madeira has to offer on Wednesday 1st May 2013 at Norwich Airport.
Dino Toouli from Atlantic Holidays will be hosting informal presentations at 10:30am, 12:30pm or 2:30pm which will include essential destination advice for a holiday to Madeira.
There will be some fantastic offers for any bookings made at the event including:
5% discount
FREE car parking on all Norwich International Airport departures
FREE introductory tour of Funchal
Complimentary refreshments and car parking will be provided to those attending the event. Places must be registered by simply calling Travel Norwich Airport on 01603 4284700.
Children’s Hospice Week runs from 26 April to 3 May and is the UK’s only awareness and fundraising week for children with life threatening conditions – it’s theme is Be a Hero!
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices Royal Patron – HRH The Duchess of Cambridge in her first ever video message says ‘I hope you will join me this Children’s Hospice Week in supporting your local service.’
So why not be a hero for EACH’s Quidenham hospice here in Norfolk and consider the following ways of pledging your support:
Take on your own personal challenge and raise money for EACH.
Take part in an EACH event like our Ride for Life (or Walk) being held in Thetford Forest onSunday 19th May.
Hold an event for EACH at work.
Give 2 hours of your time to EACH to help with a supermarket collection.
Donate a bag of unwanted items to our shops.
As a company you could go one step further and pledge to make EACH your Charity of the Year for 2014.
For more information please visit our website www.each.org.uk or call the Norfolk FundraisingTeam on 01953 666767.