JMS Grouphas had the great pleasure of working with Roys for over 30 years -we have an entry in our ancient invoice bookfor a radio commercial produced for them back in 1984! So it’s great that our two brands continue to work together well into the 21st Century. Our most recent campaign has been promoting the fashion labels that Roys department stores sell – big names including Superdry, Clarks, Joules and Laura Ashley. A 10 seconds 3D animated TV commercial was produced for broadcast on ITV1 Anglia for the May Bank Holiday to drive customers to the Wroxham store and create awareness of the brand during half term.
Cozens-Hardy LLP is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the 2015 Norwich Food & Drink Festival.
This two-day festival celebration of food and drink will be held in Chapelfield Gardens over the weekend of 12th and 13th September and is set to be the flagship event for the newly re-branded Norfolk Food & Drink Ltd. The gardens will be turned into a food and drink village featuring a producers’ marquee, City Farm, Feast on the Street, a cookery demonstration theatre, live music and street entertainers. An undoubted highlight will be the Battle of the Bangers on Sunday.
The firm is also pleased to confirm that it is continuing its sponsorship of the hugely popular Moveable Feast event in aid of Parkinson’s UK.
Jane Anderson, Senior Partner:
“As a significant supporter of the food and drink industry in Norfolk we welcome the opportunity to support the Norwich Food & Drink Festival and to extend our sponsorship of the ever popular Moveable Feast to a fifth year. As a local firm of solicitors, we are proud to have looked after generations of farming families and this is a terrific way for us to help showcase our region’s valuable food and drink industry to people in the county and further afield.”
Sarah de Chair, Chair of the Board of Norfolk Food & Drink Ltd:
“Norfolk Food & Drink is absolutely delighted to welcome Cozens-Hardy solicitors back as sponsors once again this year – and we are particularly thrilled that they will be sponsoring our reinvigorated Norwich Food & Drink Festival. We anticipate that this event will attract around 20,000 people over the two days and it’s thanks to Cozens-Hardy’s support that we are able to deliver such a terrific event to the people of Norwich and Norfolk.”
Further details about the Norwich Food & Drink Festival weekend can be found at www.norfolkfoodanddrink.com.
Further information about the unique dining experience that is Lloyd Addison’s Moveable Feast, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, can be found at www.moveablefeastnorwich.org.
On 30 January, a high-level delegation from the Department
for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) visited Norwich Research Park, to
see the cutting edge research and innovation in Engineering Biology that is
being conducted on campus.
The team, led by Dr. Isabel Webb, Deputy Director for
Technology Strategy and Security, visited Norwich Research Park’s BBSRC (Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council) research institutes – the Quadram
Institute, Earlham Institute and John Innes Centre.
Hosted by Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership,
the campus management company for Norwich Research Park, the delegation initially
met with the directors of the research institutes for a strategic discussion. Roz
highlighted the opportunity for the campus to participate in, and where
appropriate lead, transformative programmes of work that she termed ‘bio-transitions’.
This term describes the work being undertaken by the large
cluster of microbiologists, based on campus, where they are making new
discoveries to tackle climate change, food security and the health of the
nation. This ‘bio-transitions’ work, to create new innovations, will ultimately
support the Government’s growth agenda by creating new high-value jobs and
improve productivity.
The department’s team were given a detailed presentation and
tour of the Earlham Institute’s technologies, where they met Director of the
Earlham Institute, Neil Hall, and the Head of Plant Genomics Anthony Hall. The
DSIT team was particularly interested in the use of the BioFoundry and its
advanced capabilities.
A networking lunch was held where they were introduced to many
of the entrepreneurs who have set up successful companies at Norwich Research
Park including Colorifix, Tropic, Alora and Inspiralis.
Lunch was followed by a series of presentations from the
John Innes Centre, including a progress on the Next Generation
Infrastructure (NGI) project, the work of the Insectary and the work of
Professor Anne Osbourn’s lab on plant natural product biosynthesis.
Next was a visit to the Quadram Institute where they were
hosted by Dr Patricia Hart who explained the ground-breaking research being undertaken
which included several aspects of engineering biology, from environmental
applications to human health and plant biotechnology.
The DSIT visitors were introduced to PhD student Brenda
Mionki who talked about her research into how gene-edited tomatoes could
provide a new way of supplementing vitamin D for individuals lacking this
important vitamin and Dr Rokas Juodeikis, a Quadram Institute Bioscience
Fellow, who is developing novel strategies to improve health and address
nutrient deficiencies using bacterial extracellular vesicle (BEV) engineering.
The visit to the Quadram Institute was concluded by a discussion with Prof Mark
Webber and his team around their use of functional genomics in Engineering
Biology.
At the conclusion of the visit, Roz said, “This was a great opportunity
to showcase the ways in which Norwich Research Park is leading the Engineering Biology
scene in the UK, in terms of the critical mass of activity, the diverse range
of work, the deep-tech nature of the curiosity-driven science and applied
science, and the way in which the campus is supporting new spin-outs and
industry partners to maximise the impact of publicly-funded research which is
creating jobs and generating growth for the economy.
“With further support from our partners, in government, we
will be able to create growth in the economy through ‘bio-transitions’
workstreams which involve all areas of industry and society and which will help
mitigate the impact of climate change, ensure food is nutritious and that
people stay healthier for longer.”
Richard, Dax, Luke & Connor attended the National ACR & Heat Pump awards ceremony on March 6th in Manchester at the Midland Hotel.
We won Air Source Project of the Year for a retrofit air source heat pump installation in a riverside townhouse in Norwich and Heat Pump Installer of the Year 2025.
R A Brown Heating Services have been awarded national Heat Pump Installer of the Year, 5 years out of the last 7 years, the other 2 years we were runner up, receiving highly commended accolade from the judges. We have to admit to being very proud of this successful track record and want thank the whole team for all their efforts.
We are thrilled to be continually recognised for our work. The recognition of Heat Pump Installer of the Year, recognises more than just our work installing heat pumps, it also includes our work in the heat pump industry supporting apprenticeships and colleges in Norfolk & Suffolk and also being a voice in National discussions to champion the industry and heat pumps to achieve carbon reduction.
If you would like to discuss installing a heat pump, then give us a call on 01603 898904.
Leathes Prior Solicitors has partnered up with Swardeston Cricket Club to sponsor their growing youth section.
Swardeston can trace its club history back over 150 years and in 2010 were crowned the ECB’s Cockspur T20 national champions after claiming victory under the live Sky cameras at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground. The club has also won the East Anglian Premier League title three years running.
Swardeston Cricket Club now fields four adult Saturday teams, two on Sundays and has six junior teams from Under-9 to Under-15. They are also actively growing the girls’ section.
Leathes Prior will join existing Swardeston sponsor The Parson Woodforde. The firm’s Business Development and Marketing Manager Charlotte Disney said: “We are delighted to be able to support Swardeston as youth section sponsor and look forward to supporting the club’s developing role in the local sporting community.”
Under the deal, Swardeston’s youth coaches will wear Leathes Prior branded kit and the firm will explore opportunities via the club’s weekly summer Tuesday night coaching sessions which regularly attract about 90 youngsters.
Swardeston chairman Mark Taylor said: “We are thrilled that Leathes Prior has agreed to become our youth sponsor. The youth section has been growing steadily at the club for a number of years. 2014 saw the formation of a girls section and we are pleased to announce that we will also be running an additional team at Under-13 level this summer.
“We are determined to continue building a club which thrives at the heart of a community and as such we are thrilled that Leathes Prior’s backing has also enabled us to offer discounted coaching in three local schools this season. Swardeston coaches will be working with the pupils at Mulbarton Junior School, Cringleford CE VA Primary School and Avenues Junior School.”
As of today, 26 May 2015, law is in force which prevents employers who utilise zero-hours contracts from having exclusivity clauses in those contracts, or enforcing such clauses if they are already included in the contracts. Employers will no longer be able to enforce any clause or provision in a zero-hours contract which:
prohibits a worker from doing work or performing services under another contract (or any other arrangement); or
prohibits a worker from doing work or performing services without the employer’s consent.
It is important to stress that in spite of all the hype and media attention that they attract, zero-hours contracts are still legal. They can be a useful tool for employers, in particular those who require a flexible or seasonal workforce. What is clear, however, is that what employers can do under a zero-hours contract is changing; further laws and regulations on the use of zero-hours contracts are expected later this year. The Government had discussed introducing legislation to create a new protection from detriment for zero-hours contract workers who take jobs under other contracts, however as yet no such legislation has been brought into force.
In addition to the new changes for zero-hours contracts, the maximum financial penalty that can be imposed on employers who fail to pay their employees the national minimum wage has increased. The penalty imposed can now be calculated on a per worker basis (rather than on a per employer notice basis) up to a maximum of £20,000.
If you are concerned about zero-hours contracts or any other aspect of this article you should first speak with a member of our Employment Team on 01603 281153.
Note: The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.
An employment tribunal can decide whether to make a costs order. The recent case of Chadburn v Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospital NHS Foundation Trust makes it clear that, in making its decision, the tribunal will not only consider what the claimant can afford to pay at the time the costs award is made but may take future income into account.
Background
Mrs Chadburn brought claims for unfair dismissal and race discrimination against her employer, an NHS trust. The employment tribunal considered the unfair dismissal claim was “reasonably pursued” but found that she had fabricated the discrimination claims so that the tribunal could hear her complaints for harassment.
The tribunal made a £10,000 costs award against Mrs Chadburn for unreasonable conduct, holding that the employer’s costs were increased by approximately £35,000 in defending the discrimination element of her claim (out of a total of £72,500 excluding VAT).
Despite evidence that Mrs Chadburn had limited means to pay, the tribunal made the costs award considering that she was 39 years old and would be likely to improve her financial position in her future years of work. The tribunal also noted that Mrs Chadburn’s future divorce was likely to improve her financial means.
Mrs Chadburn appealed, arguing that that her debts were greater than originally represented and that the tribunal should not have taken into account her future divorce.
Decision
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) dismissed her appeal. The award was made on the grounds that Mrs Chadburn’s financial position was likely to improve in the future, as she would be able to earn enough to pay it. The tribunal did consider that the future divorce might play a part in discharging the costs award but this was not their main consideration.
The EAT further held that the tribunal did not have to take Mrs Chadburn’s financial means into account at all. The question of costs did not have to be decided on what Mrs Chadburn could afford when the costs order was made and the tribunal was right to consider Mrs Chadburn’s future ability to pay.
Comment
This case does not establish new principles but serves as a reminder of how tribunals may exercise their broad discretion to make costs awards and do not have to make a precise assessment of what each claimant can afford. The decision also illustrates to employees the dangers of exaggerating or inventing claims, as the rules on costs can operate harshly against them.
Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) were delighted to hear they had won an award at the first annual Jostle Awards for their vibrant and engaging intranet receiving an enviable 80% or more engagement level each week. This award celebrates its people, and reflects its knowledge and values.
Launched in 2009 with a focus on employee engagement, Jostle provides cloud based intranet software to companies in 110 different countries with a quest to make workplaces more vibrant and productive. Jessica Hollander, Director of Marketing from Jostle said “As an organization Pure Resourcing Solutions exemplifies what it means to live your culture. This can only be achieved with strong vision and engaged leadership. The Jostle Awards allowed us to recognize their achievements, which we felt were extremely noteworthy. So much so, that Jostle created a unique culture award specifically for Pure, outside of the set awards categories. The Vibrant Culture Award – something Pure has demonstrated in spades.”
Gill Buchanan, Director from Pure said: “With offices in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich, it is important for us to have a clear way of communicating internally and we have found Jostle to be a great way of doing this. Every member of staff contributed to this award as all are able to contribute, allowing them to share news and announcements, host instant group discussions and access the Jostle library which contains all our company information”.
For more information about Pure or their Jostle Award, contact Gill Buchanan on 01223 209888 or gill@prs.uk.com.
In this weeks Impromptu Business Chat, James and Mark share the time management difficulties they’re encountering as they return to face-to-face meetings. Many people are, for the first time, managing their workloads and diaries with a mix of face-to-face and virtual meetings, placing new challenges and stresses. How do you overcome this? As usual, James and Mark come up with 3 top tips, cross-referring to musical links whenever they can!
If you are enjoying the series, we would really appreciate it if you could follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts! If you have feedback, questions or think you might be a great guest on the podcast, please get in touch! Email the team at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk
Fendercare Subsea Services have successfully completed their UXO project on behalf of Sandbank Offshore Wind, a joint venture from Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest operator of offshore wind farms and Stadtwerke München, one of Germany’s utilities heavily involved in renewable energy.Unexploded ordnance (UXOs) are explosive weapons (bombs, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, etc.) that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.
The UXO project was conducted at the Sandbank offshore wind farm which is the second largest power generation project undertaken by Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München in the German North Sea. The operation itself identified 120 potential contacts of which 26 were highlighted as UXOs and disposed of in controlled environments.
Fendercare Subsea Services’ role as an operator was to relocate the contacts using state of the art surveying equipment, excavation of contacts using dredging tools on the Work class ROV, identification of contacts by qualified UXO experts and disposal by their experienced Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Due to the controlled, ROV based disposal method and the robust safety approach of all parties, the operations were conducted without an incident in which the safety of personnel was at risk.
By having the means of identification and disposal on board at the same time, Fendercare Subsea Services were able to switch quickly between the two different types of operations, resulting in time and commercial savings for their client.
The Sandbank project area is located 90 kilometres off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, and in total, 72 Siemens 4-megawatt class wind turbines will be erected there. With an overall capacity of 288 megawatts, the wind farm will start generating low-emissions power in the German North Sea in 2017.
Fendercare Subsea Services is a new division from the Fendercare Marine Group, bringing together established world class diving and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) brands to provide solutions to their customer’s subsea requirements.
This successful Sandbank project was carried out as part of a joint venture between Fendercare Subsea Services and GSS Hansa Offshore GmbH. The joint venture enables the Group to provide fully compliant diving solutions and UXO identification and recovery in accordance with German Federal laws.
Martyn Muntingh, Fendercare Subsea Services Director commented “Working with GSS Hansa, we now have the capability to detect, identify, remove and dispose of the UXO’s using experienced and qualified personnel who bring an extensive portfolio of successful live operations to the fore. We are delighted with the success of this ground-breaking project which was completed safely without any incidents and proud of our involvement in supporting the Sandbank project.”
Norwich based IT solutions company Tiger Eye announce the appointment of Matthew Cleverdon as new director with responsibility for business development. Mr Cleverdon joins Tiger Eye from HP Autonomy where he was Subject Matter Expert Legal EMEA, and he brings twenty years of experience in the legal IT sector to the new role.
Matthew Cleverdon will be working with Tiger Eye director and founder Dave Wilson to continue Tiger Eye’s growth across the UK and into Europe. As Matt says
“My appointment with Tiger Eye is to build on Tiger Eye’s success by developing the business to offer more solutions, services and innovation to our customers and prospects.”
Dave Wilson added
” As compliance regulations become tougher, firms are finding they have to upgrade their IT systems and we want to continue to give the best advice. Matthew will help us do that”.
Before joining Tiger Eye, Matthew Cleverdon worked with the sales and marketing team at HP Autonomy advising legal clients across Europe and the Middle East on how to make the most of their systems. Prior to that, he was IT director and Partner at law firm Wright Hassall where he was responsible for the IT strategy of the business. Mr Cleverdon also has experience from his time as a consultant at Interwoven, software development at Wragge &Co and pre-sales at Greystone Systems.