Chamber News

As part of their work to improve digital connectivity across our region, the Norfolk County Council submitted an Expression of Interest for Local Full Fibre Network (LLFN) funding to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in September 2018.

Their application was successful and they now need to submit a full funding application.  As part of the application, they need to collate a series of support letters from the local business community to submit in conjunction with the funding bid.

If successful, the funds would enable 410 sites across Norfolk to receive a gigabit fibre to the premises solution.  This will benefit both businesses and residential properties, including rural sites, business parks and industrial estates, schools and care homes.

Please see a letter from David Dukes, Economic Development Manager at Norfolk County Council, explaining the full benefits of the funding and why he needs your letter of support.  To help make it easy, there is a template support letter which we would ask you to complete and return to Norfolk County Council by email: [email protected].

Help ensure our county has great digital connectivity and send your letter of support before 31 December 2018.

One of the oldest accountancy in Norwich, Larking Gowen began back in 1888, originally set up by Charles Larking in Norwich, then in 1969, the company merged with another Norwich accountants Harman & Gowen, thus Larking Gown was formed and has continued to grow into the company we know today.  Now one of the UK’s top 40 accountancy firms with eight offices across the region. It is a company that has certainly managed growth and seen a number of changes in all our working practices over the years.  Staff wellbeing is certainly now at the heart of Larking Gowen since they launched their wellbeing programme. This programme is continually evolving and developing through engagement with their staff and Wellbeing Champions. It is great to see Larking Gowen’s forward thinking and investment in their staff support.  This has gained them recognition and is now part of their working culture. Selected as the Regional winner of Workplace Wellbeing Award, Larking Gowen met all the BCC Judges criteria below; •    Evidence that the health and wellbeing of your employees are embedded in your businesses culture •    The activities that your organisation undertakes to promote and encourage the positive health and wellbeing of your staff •    How you assess your employee’s health and wellbeing needs •    The impact that your health and wellbeing initiatives have had on your employees and the wider business.   The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is delighted for Larking Gowen winning this award and we wish them well in the next stage of the completion. https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/events/chamber-awards

The ‘Norfolk Business Brexit Sounding Board’ is a Norfolk County Council forum for Norfolk businesses to raise and discuss issues impacting on them as a result of Brexit.

It works in collaboration with partners including Norfolk Chamber, Norwich Airport, the FSB, CBI, University of East Anglia and some well-known local businesses such as: Kettle Foods, Lovewell Blake, Birketts, Saxon Air and Regional Freight. 

On 14th November, the UK and European Commission jointly published a draft Withdrawal Agreement (WA) and outline of the Political Declaration (PD).  These documents represent the agreements reached by the UK and EU officer-level negotiations. For full details and more information click here.

Following the publication of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Brexit Sounding Board wants to understand how the local business community is feeling now.  We would like you to take part in a short survey – it only takes a few minutes and your responses will help form the basis of the discussions for Brexit Sounding Board going forwards.

Complete the survey now

The deadline for completing the survey is Monday 10 December 2018.

We’re now about to enter the final week of the campaign and Small Business Saturday (1st December) is only just over a week away. The theme for the final week is Shop Local. This is all about encouraging audiences to support and/or purchase from small businesses and to use the Small Business Finder to do so. Small Business Saturday is an independent grassroots movement that the government are supporting. The campaign aims to promote the value of small businesses to local communities; provide support to small businesses; and encourage the public to shop small and shop local. Why support Small Business Saturday?

• Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy
• Over 99% of the UK’s 5.7m businesses are small
• We want to highlight government support on offer to help small businesses start-up and grow
• Government support is available for small businesses and entrepreneurs

How can you support?

• Share local stories of small businesses on your channels
• Follow us on twitter (@HMGEast) and retweet and like our regional case studies. We’d love to spread the message about how brilliant the small and local businesses in the East of England are.
• Share the image attached to this email.
• Like Small Business Saturday on Facebook
• Shop Local!

Founded by Ali Clabburn back in 1998, Liftshare has grown in strength from its early days back in Bristol. Liftshare is a national company now based in Norwich, employing over twenty people. Focused on a sharing economy, and having a positive impact on the environment, Liftshare’s heart is certainly in the right place.

As a company Liftshare’s foundations are based on several highly successful fundamentals such as creating new communities, fewer cars on the road, reduction in CO2 emissions, saving money and of course making new friends for your Christmas card list too- that’s a fact!

 A large part of the company’s provision is also ‘Liftshare for work,’ which support about 700 businesses nationally to get their staff safely to work, through creating a successful environment for sharing. This offers the wider benefits for each business, their staff, and employers, such as a reduction in parking and demands for parking too, corporate social responsibility, staff’s wellbeing, and financial savings too.

As an employer, Liftshare has a growing staff team, so winning the Regional East of England Employer of Year reflects the Liftshare’s commitment to its own staff. Praised by the BCC Judges for ‘building a culture where staff are 100% committed and happy, which in turn continues to enhance the growth of Liftshare.’  This clearly reflects that Liftshare is on the right tracks.

Selected as the Regional winner of Employer of Year, Liftshare met all the BCC Judges criteria below;

•    Why learning and development is important to the organisation

•    How training needs and skills requirements are assessed

•    Investment, commitment and support given to staff

•    Direct benefit gained by both individuals and the organisation

Liftshare has clearly been working hard to develop as a successful employer. The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is thrilled for Liftshare winning this award and we wish them well in the next stage of the completion. https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/events/chamber-awards

Last Thursday night was one of Norfolk’s biggest events in the annual business calendar, with our gold Patron’s Anglian Water sponsoring the event, and over five hundred people attending from the business community. This certainly showcased the talent and innovation in our county. Host, Katherine Ryan certainly added a new dimension to the evening and demonstrated a real fondness for the county too, as well as being a great hostess!

We are so happy for our members who won the category’s below, a very big well done!  

The Small Business Award- Indigo Swan  

The Best Employer Award- Maids Head Hotel

Skills of Tomorrow Award- Net Matters

Large Business Award- Mills and Reeve

Knowledge Pioneers Award- Chadwicks ltd 

Outstanding Achievement Award- Norwich Research Park

JD Cooling Group scooped the overall winner, Business of the Year 

Norfolk County Council wants to create a Norwich Western Link to improve travel between the A47 and the western end of Broadland Northway (formerly the Northern Distributor Road) and to tackle transport problems in the area. They published four potential routes for a Norwich Western Link earlier this month and have now made further information about them available to coincide with the consultation opening. You can find out more about the options online via www.norfolk.gov.uk/nwl or by coming to one of their staffed events taking place in local communities throughout the consultation period. A full list of these events is below. Once you have looked through this information, there are a number of ways you can respond to the consultation. If you are responding on behalf of an organisation or in an official capacity, they would encourage you to respond in writing, as follows:

• by email to [email protected]
• by post to Norwich Western Link, Infrastructure Delivery Team, Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Floor 2, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH

You can also respond online by completing the consultation questionnaire  or in person at one of our consultation events. A list of these events is below and all the events will run between 2pm and 8pm unless otherwise stated:

• Wednesday 28 November at Ringland Village Hall
• Monday 3 December at Drayton Village Hall
• Tuesday 4 December at The Forum, Norwich (12-5pm)
• Wednesday 5 December at Hockering Village Hall
• Monday 10 December at Easton Village Hall
• Tuesday 11 December at Taverham Village Hall (12-6pm)
• Wednesday 12 December at Hall for All, Weston Longville
• Friday 14 December at Salvation Army Church, Fakenham
• Tuesday 8 January at Aylsham Town Hall
• Thursday 10 January at Diamond Jubilee Lodge, Hellesdon
• Friday 11 January at Great Witchingham Village Hall
• Monday 14 January at The Costessey Centre
• Tuesday 15 January at Dereham Memorial Hall
• Wednesday 16 January at Honingham Village Hall

It’s really important that they receive your views on the four options for a Norwich Western Link – all the consultation responses will be used to help them identify a preferred route for the Norwich Western Link in Spring 2019.

Your response to the consultation must be in before midnight on Friday 18 January 2019.

Commenting on the announcement that the UK government and EU Commission have agreed a Political Declaration, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“While we welcome the fact that more flesh has been put on the bones of the proposed future UK-EU relationship, the reality is that the clarity and precision businesses need to plan for the long term can only be delivered when the details are hammered out and fully agreed. There are still big questions to answer – including whether businesses will be able to conduct trade between the UK and the EU without significant new barriers or costs.

For business, this is just the end of the beginning of the Brexit process. Our trading firms will be paying close attention to what happens next, particularly as the proposals are debated in Parliament over the days ahead. Businesses remain deeply concerned about the potential for a political stand-off that leads to a messy and disorderly exit from the EU next March. 

“We have raised a number of important questions with the Government on behalf of business communities across the UK, and their responses will inform our continuing assessment of the proposed agreement and its implications for business, investment and the wider economy – as captured in our practical Business Brexit Risk Register.”

Norfolk Chamber recently welcomed Phil Eckersley, the Bank of England’s Agent for the East of England to Norwich City Football Club, where he provided on off the record overview of the UK economy, including the impact of Brexit on the economy, since the Referendum in 2016.

In front of over 80 business leaders, Mr Eckersley answered questions on growth, investment, productivity, trade barriers and the international potential for the UK.  He also noted that the Bank of England stands ready to meet both the opportunities and the challenges that may arise from Brexit.

Commenting on the lunch, Fiona Ryder, President of Norfolk Chamber said:

“It was a fantastic opportunity for Chamber members to hear the latest thoughts directly from the Bank of England and we would like to thank Phil Eckersley for joining us for lunch and providing some very relevant economic insight.”

Entries are now open for the King’s Lynn Mayor’s Business Awards categories

The Mayor’s Business Awards publicly acknowledge outstanding business achievement and the contribution that businesses make to the west Norfolk economy.

Established in 1989, by former mayor Cllr Les Daubney, the awards recognise the achievements of local businesses. It provides them with the perfect opportunity to showcase their success. We have joined forces with the Lynn News to make the awards bigger and better than ever.

There are nine categories to enter. Businesses can enter as many as they wish:

• Mayor’s business of the year award
• Employee of the year
• Apprentice/trainee of the year
• Customer care
• Innovation
• Independent retailer
• Leisure and tourism
• Small business of the year
• Businessperson of the year

In addition to supporting the overall awards, we sponsor the Mayor’s Business of the Year Award. This prestigious award acknowledges businesses that have made a noteworthy achievement during the last year or during a period culminating in the last year.

The nominations for this year’s awards are now open. They will be open until 30 November 2018, and the awards will be presented to the winners on 1 March 2019.

Enter online here 

Founded by Ali Clabburn back in 1998, Liftshare has grown in strength from its early days back in Bristol. Liftshare is a national company based in Norwich and employs over twenty people. Focused on a sharing economy, and having a positive impact on the environment, it’s heart is certainly in the right place.

As a company Liftshare’s foundations are based on several highly successful fundamentals such as creating new communities, fewer cars on the road, reduction in CO2 emissions, saving money and of course making new friends for your Christmas card list too- that’s a fact!

 A large part of the company’s provision is also ‘Liftshare for work,’ which supports about 700 businesses nationally to get their staff safely to work, through creating a successful environment for sharing. This offers the wider benefits for each business, their staff, and employers, such as a reduction in parking and demands for parking too, corporate social responsibility, staff’s wellbeing, and financial savings too.

As an employer, Liftshare has a growing staff team, so winning the Regional East of England Employer of Year reflects the Liftshare’s commitment to its own staff. Praised by the BCC Judges for ‘building a culture where staff are 100% committed and happy, which in turn continues to enhance the growth of Liftshare.’  This clearly reflects that Liftshare is on the right tracks.

Selected as the Regional winner of Employer of Year, Liftshare met all the BCC Judges criteria below;

•    Why learning and development is important to the organisation

•    How training needs and skills requirements are assessed

•    Investment, commitment and support given to staff

•    Direct benefit gained by both individuals and the organisation

Liftshare has clearly been working hard to develop as a successful employer. The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is thrilled for Liftshare winning this award and we wish them well in the next stage of the completion next week on Thursday 29th November at the Awards Gala Dinner in London. https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/events/chamber-awards

A summit which brought together leading businesses, public sector organisations with mobile network operators and their trade body has been hailed as a good first step in identifying and addressing the problem of mobile not-spots across the eastern region.

Held in the Guineas suite at Newmarket Racecourses, the ‘by invitation’ summit was hosted by Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) – the first of its kind under the latter’s nationwide ‘No More Not-Spots’ campaign.

The campaign aims to mobilise everybody with a role to play in improving our digital infrastructure – from network operators to local planning authorities and consumers themselves – to identify and address poor or non-existent mobile voice and data coverage. The initial stage of the campaign has identified over 1500 not-spots across the UK with nearly 400 of these located in the East of England.

Delegates heard speeches from Rt. Hon Matt Hancock MP, the current secretary of state for Health and the previous secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Hannah Essex, co-executive director of policy & campaigns at the BCC, Mobile UK’s head of policy & communications, Gareth Elliott and Geoff Connell, head of IMT at Norfolk County Council.

These speakers outlined the impact on businesses of poor or non-existent mobile coverage, the level of investment being expended to address the problem and proven ways of working in partnership to more rapidly identify and solve not-spot issues.

The delegates also engaged in roundtable discussions to look in detail as to how businesses themselves, local planning authorities and the mobile operators can address specific not-spots in future months.

Chris Sargisson, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive, said:

“This was a very positive summit that allowed suppliers and customers to come together and start identifying areas of common concern – and possible solutions.

“Mobile not-spots are a barrier to doing good business and the East of England seems to be especially affected. In Norfolk, key areas identified so far are: Hunstanton; areas along the A47; around the A11/A47 Thickthorn junction; Wells-Next-to-the-Sea; and Hingham.  In short, this summit points the way to collaboratively working together to deal with these issues.”

Norfolk Chamber is working with the BCC to pull together the ideas from the summit into an action plan of improvements over the next year.  but we still need more people to log their Not Spots: Click here to log your not-spots