Fendercare Marineare proud to havebeen listed at number 37 in the Top 100 companies in Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Top 100 list, published by the East Anglian Daily Times and Eastern Daily Press, profiles leading companies based on turnover and profitability
Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) in Norwich hosted a fun-packed annual charity quiz night last Thursday (20th March 2014) at the De Vere Dunston Hall Hotel, raising £1,784 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Forty teams from local businesses with team names such as “Goodbye Doctor Who”, “We Thought It Was A Disco”, “Les Quizerables”, “The Scrambled Eggheads” and “Sew Smart…Not” gathered at the De Vere Dunston Hall Hotel for the annual charity quiz evening which was organised by Pure – a leading specialist recruitment consultancy businesses in the East of England.
Norfolk businesses including Heinz, South Norfolk Council, Parker Andrews, Broadland Housing, Wensum Tailoring and Larking Gowen came along for the evening of friendly rivalry. It was “TEAM Name” from Team Energy that claimed the quiz crown, with each lucky team member winning a bottle of champagne. A raffle also proved popular with superb prizes including a round of Golf for 4 at Dunston Hall, Booja Booja chocolates, Chapelfield shopping vouchers and Kettle Foods donated a large case of crisps. In addition, an iPad mini was generously donated by NHS professionals!
Gill Buchanan, Director of Pure, said: “The charity quiz evenings that we organise annually are always such an enjoyable occasion… Not only do they encourage local businesses to join together and contribute to such a fantastic charity as EACH, but also the amount raised always surpasses our expectations. I’d like to thank all of the businesses that contributed to the event. Our relationship with EACH is very important to us and we are so proud to be supporting a wonderful charity.”
Gary Cook, EACH Norfolk Fundraiser, said: “We are extremely grateful to Pure Resourcing Solutions, Norwich for once again supporting EACH with their annual quiz. We would also like to thank the local business community for getting involved in this fun event whether that is by entering a team into the quiz or supplying a raffle prize. The fantastic amount raised from the event will go a long way to helping us to deliver our services of caring for local life-threatened children and supporting their families.”
The quiz brings the total that Pure has now raised for EACH in the last decade to over £52,000. To find out more about Pure’s fundraising activity, contact Anna Hill, Marketing Manager on: 01223 209888 or Anna.Hill@prs.uk.com.
KLM re-introduces fourth daily frequency to Schiphol
Yesterday saw the reintroduction of a fourth daily KLM service from Norwich International Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol following a very successful introduction for summer 2013.
The increased frequency will provide better connections to destinations such as Dubai, Lima and Toronto. In addition, point to point business travellers can also benefit from the convenient flight schedule out of Norwich, which enables them to conduct a full day’s business in the Netherlands removing the need and cost of an overnight stay.
KLM, via their award winning hub airport in Amsterdam, offers local travellers over 100 worldwide destinations on its intercontinental network and over 650 destinations across KLM’s Skyteam partner networks. All accessible with just a one hour check-in at Norwich and baggage checked through to final destination.
The addition of the fourth daily service again this summer further cements Norwich’s position as one of KLM’s most successful departure points on its extensive UK network.
Andrew Bell CEO of Norwich International Airport commented, “KLM’s additional commitment to Norwich Airport is very welcome and we hope that business passengers and those wishing to travel to visit friends and relatives will take advantage of the improved worldwide connectivity”.
For more information on KLM visit www.klm.com or call 0871 231 0000.
ENDS
Arthur Jary & Sons Ltd. are having an ‘Open Afternoon’ at their memorial showroom and workshop, on Northgate Street in Great Yarmouth, on Friday 25th April. Please come and meet our staff, and see how our craftsmen create a lasting memory to a loved one.
The 2014 financial year has ended on a high for Norwich International Airport with final passenger numbers reaching over 465,000, an increase of 10% on the previous year.
Such a positive rise is attributed to growth in several sectors. The biggest increase was seen in holiday traffic, driven by Thomson/First Choice who doubled their summer 2013 activity boosting holiday charter passengers by almost 47%. Thus over 108,000 people enjoyed the benefits of flying to the sun from their local airport in the year.
The booming offshore industry contributed 19% growth in offshore helicopter traffic which accounted for over 100,000 helicopter passengers using the airport in the year. This cements Norwich as the busiest Airport for offshore helicopter passengers in the UK after Aberdeen.
KLM’s hub feeder service to the award winning Amsterdam Schiphol Airport had another strong year as a result of the addition of the fourth daily flight throughout summer 2013 which saw passenger numbers grow by 10% on this route. The fourth daily flight has already been reintroduced for this summer and forward bookings are looking very strong.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Norwich International, said, “2013/14 was a good year and I am satisfied with this significant increase in our passenger numbers. Not only did we achieve strong volume growth in 2014 but our drive for service excellence was recognised by Thomson/First Choice who awarded Norwich International first place in their national Airport customer service program. This focus on putting the pleasure back into flying will continue as we now move into the summer season, and I plan to build on the progress made last year. Furthermore, airlines such as Loganair are buying into our approach to doing business as demonstrated by their decision to base another of their aircraft at the Airport, thereby offering better service frequencies to passengers.”
Today, the new single Family Court comes into being and most of the family justice provisions from the Children and Families Act 2014 take effect. The legislation has been described as “the largest for a generation”.
Emma Alfieri, from Steeles Law’s family team, comments that these reforms bring about the introduction of a new single Family Court in England and Wales, intended to make the system easier, less confusing, to provide greater flexibility and to avoid delay.
The new Family Court is designed to ensure that the right level of Judge is appointed for a particular case, in the most suitable location. The idea being that this will reduce unnecessary delays caused by cases being transferred between Courts.
The most significant changes apply to matters concerning public law and care. The idea is that the reforms will result in a swifter system and give greater certainty to the children involved.
In respect of private children law matters, child arrangements replace contact and residence orders.
Emma commented that there has already been a lot of media coverage about the changes and the focus to the general public appears to be about mediation. This is in view of the fact that the Children and Families Act includes provision that parties wishing to go to Court in respect of a child dispute, or in relation to financial matters upon divorce, have to attend compulsory mediation before they may do so. However, Emma adds that in this respect little has changed, as in recent years family mediation has been compulsory to most in any event. Whilst family lawyers have actively been promoting mediation for some years, until now the general public appeared unaware of this option which could explain the mediation focus.
There are two practical points of note, which the public should be aware of:
1. Legal Aid is available to assist with the costs of mediation (for those that qualify). For further information visit: https://claonlineadvice.justice.gov.uk/about-cla.aspx
2. Some media reports are suggesting that parties seeking family law advice have to attend a session of mediation before they may consult a lawyer. This is certainly not the case. The situation remains the same as before, in that anyone wishing to seek legal advice may contact a lawyer at any point.
For further information regarding the changes, please contact us.
Give the gift of Park Farm Hotel, with one of our gift vouchers. You can purchase our vouchers online and use them to dine with us, stay overnight, indulge in some relaxing spa treatments and much much more. Buy a voucher for that special someone and have it emailed directly to them. Or receive the voucher yourself and wrap it up for them. Ultimately the choice is yours. Click the links below to purchase your voucher today.
Vouchers available for:
Top 10 marketing tips followed by Q and A’s
1-2pm Tuesday 6th May in Vernon Castle Room, 2nd Floor of Millennium Library
Sarah Greenfield, Best of Norwich will be there
Further details/book free appointment 01603 774740 or millennium.library@norfolk.gov.uk
Welcome to 2026.
Christmas and New Year are over and it’s time for your marketing teams to start pumping out content, but question is what to post?
I am here to talk about the one type of content we all consume, but don’t always think to create, and it will keep your audience engaged for longer. I am talking about content serialisation.
This style of content has been around for years from comic strips in news papers, to soap operas and now to social media. I have spoken to many businesses across Norwich and Norfolk and many of them find one of their issues is they are stuck for ideas and believe they have to re-invent the wheel every time they post which isn’t the case.
Over recent years across social media there has been a massive rise in serialised content to the point where they have almost become their own ‘shows’. Shows such as these are Subway Takes, Boy Room and one of the most popular ones from last year Career Ladder. All these show have a very simple proposition and cater to being a repeatable and unique every time which as a result leads to audiences coming back and wanting more. Shows like the Career Ladder are getting over 600 million views per month! The show is even getting to the point where it has allowed host Max Klymenko to interview guests such as Shaquille O’Neal, Toto Wolff and Sir Kier Starmer. And the concept for this show is simple, invites members of the public onto a step ladder to guess their job in 2 minutes or less. He has essentially made a modern day career version of Guess Who.
So I strongly believe every local business no matter its size can truly benefit from finding something they can turn into a video series and post an episode a week to socials. Whether it’s filmed on your phone, with a camera or using a video production company. Just create something. As long term each of these episodes compounds and keeps people coming back for more, just like with Career Ladder and it is something that we at Rolling Wave Media, are going to be working on with our clients this year too.
As you never know your new series could be the next Career Ladder.
With economic forecasts starting to look more positive, many employers are increasing their recruitment activity. It is important for employers to make sure that their recruitment processes are watertight, not only to increase the chances of selecting the best candidate for the job but also to avoid the risk of potential claims of discrimination by those who are not selected. Professional Support Lawyer Elizabeth Stevens looks at recent and forthcoming developments in this area.
One area that can prove tricky for employers to navigate is in relation to the duty to establish an individual’s right to work in the UK. This duty arises under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, and must be balanced against the individual’s right not to be discriminated against, contrary to the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
The 2006 Act requires an employer to carry out certain checks in order to establish whether an individual has the right to work in the UK, before the individual commences employment (not on the day they start). This involves checking original documents from an approved list of documents to establish eligibility to work, making copies of those documents and keeping a record of them for the duration of the individual’s employment and for a period of two years after employment has ended. For certain individuals who have limited entitlement to remain in the UK, checks must be carried out every 12 months.
If an employer negligently employs an individual without the right to work, the employer is liable for a civil penalty (a fine). From May 2014, the maximum civil penalty for illegally employing immigrant workers is doubled from £10,000 to £20,000, per illegal worker. An employer who knowingly employs an individual who does not have the right to work has committed a criminal offence, which can result in an unlimited fine or a prison term of up to two years.
New Code of Practice
The Home Office has recently published a new draft Code of Practice: Avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working, to assist employers in complying with both its duties under the 2006 Act and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. This draft Code, once finalised, will replace the previous Code issued in 2008. Whilst the Code itself does not impose any legal duties on employers, an employer’s failure to comply with its provisions can be used in evidence in legal proceedings.
The draft Code advises employers, as a matter of good employment practice, to have “clear written procedures for the recruitment and selection of all workers, based on equal and fair treatment for all applicants”. Having such procedures in place (and following them) is likely to assist an employer in the defence of a discrimination claim, not least by demonstrating that it took “all reasonable steps” to prevent discrimination from occurring.
In order to avoid a potential claim of discrimination, the Code advises employers to carry out the checks required by the 2006 Act in respect of all new recruits, not only those who may appear to be of non-British nationality due to their name, accent or ethnicity.
What if the individual does not produce the documents necessary to establish their right to work in the UK? The draft Code cautions against assuming that they are living or working in the UK illegally, and advises employers to keep the job open for as long as possible in order to give the individual the opportunity to demonstrate their right to work. However, the Code also acknowledges that this may not be possible if the requirement to recruit is particularly urgent. An employer who is not satisfied that an individual has the right to work in the UK can lawfully refuse to employ them on that basis.
Forthcoming training event
Employment law experts from Steeles Law will be examining a range of different issues relating to recruitment in more detail at the forthcoming Norfolk Chamber of Commerce HR Forum which is taking place at Dunston Hall on 18 June 2014, from 2pm. Click here for further information, including booking details.
Back in 2012 we ran the first ever Best Employer, Eastern Region (BEER) survey, when employers around the East of England invited staff to tell them how they truly felt about working for them.
The result gave organisations of all sizes the opportunity to identify what needed to change to keep employees happy, and to create a more positive working environment. Why? Well, satisfied people means better business!
The survey, which has just launched for 2014, covers a range of key topics, but one which many employers can easily overlook is that of innovation. You’d be excused for thinking that innovation is solely relevant to hi-tech start-ups and trendy software companies! It’s actually an area of business that can be used by all types of organisations to engage their staff and boost the bottom line.
Let’s take Benefit Cosmetics and creative agency Spring: both picked up 2012 BEER awards. Their survey results revealed that staff were happy partly thanks to the firms’ use ofinnovation in their daily work. Although one is a global brand and the other is a Suffolk-based SME, both harness the creative talents of their staff and encourage original thinking.
So what role does innovation play in keeping workers engaged? Read on to discover what you can do to create a culture of innovation, and develop a workforce that is utterly dedicated to your vision!
1. Make employees’ ideas count
Encouraging a culture of innovation means letting staff contribute ideas without the fear of being shot down. When people feel valued for their own small innovations, they are likely to feel closer to the organisation – especially when they see their ideas being put into practise.
2. Create pride in doing something different
Whether you’re a local charity, a manufacturer or retailer, innovation can get you ahead of the competition. And people enjoy working somewhere that has a reputation in its industry and community for taking a bold approach. It gives them a sense of pride when talking about their work and when dealing with customers. And on that note…
3. Innovation + happy customers = happy employees
Innovative thinking results in unique services or products, which attract customers who value your approach. It doesn’t need to be earth-shattering innovation, but coming up with unorthodox ways of solving customers’ problems can take you a long way. Not only that, but your employees can confidently go about their job knowing customers are going to love what they get. In turn, employees provide great customer service and the customers keep coming back. Spot the cycle?!
4. Provide a platform for ideas
Not everyone wants to pitch their latest ideas in front of their colleagues. So it’s very important to provide a platform open to everyone who’d like to contribute, creating a culture of inclusion. Your directors could have an ‘open door’ policy, where the more reserved staff members, who prefer a one-to-one chats, can still be heard.
5. Attract people who have the right talent
Developing a culture of innovation isn’t just about employing amazingly creative minds – you also need brilliant people who bring structure and practicality in order to make ideas reality. During the recruitment process promote your vision and be open about your expectations that employees will participate in shaping new ways of working.
6. Don’t be afraid to break from tradition
Why not let your people work in different environments to trigger the creative process? Away days can do wonders for the generating new ideas since the usual barriers and office-based politics become less dominant. Choose somewhere unusual: punting, a stately home or a picnic perhaps? Giving staff the chance to work differently, or remotely, sends a message of trust – a building block of mutual commitment.
So, you see, you don’t need to be Google to engage employees through innovation! You may not have the HR or research and development budget of a dotcom giant, but by making your people an integral part of innovation, you’re giving them more reasons to join you and stay with you.
Have you got a project that could use an extra pair of hands, or are you looking to inject fresh energy into your workplace? Then consider recruiting an enthusiastic and ambitious graduate from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The UEA has a pool of bright and intelligent individuals who are looking for an opportunity to prove themselves and make a difference within a local organisation, through a highly successful Graduate Internship Programme.
With this cost-effective and flexible scheme, internships can be full-time or part-time, for up to 12 weeks – or new this year, for 12 months. You could ask your UEA graduate intern to investigate new services, research and develop new products, launch e-commerce websites, evaluate marketing plans or materials, streamline processes, or implement a low carbon plan.
UEA graduate internships are paid at the hourly national minimum wage. As an example, hosting a graduate intern for 12 weeks at 37.5 hours per week would total around £3,119 plus VAT. This makes it a really cost-effective way of getting bright, new people into your team.
Recruiting a graduate intern is a great way for you to get a new or outstanding initiative off the ground or to address specific business or technical needs. The whole process is easy and straightforward to set up and the UEA team will do the advertising, payroll and paperwork for you.
Wayne Taylor, head of software development at EposNow in Norwich, has even found the programme to be a successful way of recruiting new team members. “The support provided by the internship team at the University makes the whole process so easy,” he says. “After taking part in the internship programme, it is difficult to see why businesses would recruit in any other way. Given the opportunity and guidance, our interns soon become valuable members of staff.”
To find out more about the programme, visit www.uea.ac.uk/business/working-with-students-graduates/internships, email internship@uea.ac.uk, or call 01603 593917.