This May, leading independent insurance broker Alan Boswell Group unveiled a new incentive scheme, rewarding customers with up to 10,000 Avios for taking out an insurance policy.
The company will award Avios to new customers that buy a home, landlord (buy-to-let) or business insurance policy as part of the Avios Travel Rewards Programme. Avios can be used on a wide variety of rewards, including towards flights, hotel stays, holidays and airline upgrades, as well as a wide range of days outs and experiences. 10,000 Avios, for example, can be redeemed towards a return flight with British Airways, Aer Lingus or Flybe to destinations across Europe[1] such as Amsterdam, Paris and Milan.
Personal Lines Director, Heath Alexander-Bew says: “One of Avios’ core values is, ‘how does this help the customer?’ which reflects how we do business; we’re dedicated to providing friendly, expert advice every time, putting the customer at the heart of what we do. This partnership allows us to give something back to our customers, so they can make the most of their time out.”
Oliver Currell, Head of Partnerships at Avios, adds: “We’re thrilled to announce the start of this relationship with Alan Boswell Group, adding to the variety of ways that customers can collect Avios to enjoy the travel rewards we offer. Thanks to the strong collection rate on offer, one transaction alone could give homeowners and landlords sufficient Avios to be used towards return flights to a wide choice of popular destinations.”
With improving rail and road links in Norfolk, plus the many proposed developments, such as the proposed expansion of the University and Norwich Research Park, there are likely to be a lot of new people moving to the area.
This has led to a large number of new homes being built. Norwich Sunblinds noticed that people often plan all their finance around buying their new home but forget to budget for essentials, such as window dressings. “We decided to create packages so that customers could have fitted blinds in their new home at a set price,” says Fiona Garwood, a director of Norwich Sunblinds. The packages are available for various sizes of flats and houses, based on the number of windows and type of property. There are also executive packages available which include real-wood shutters and roman blinds. Of course, the house doesn’t have to be new-build. The packages are available to anyone who is moving home and needs new blinds, curtains or shutters for all their windows. “There is so much to think about when moving home,” says Fiona “we can at least take away the stress of fitting blinds to all the windows. We visit, measure, make and fit the blinds for our customers. After all, you want privacy as soon as you move in.” If you are excited about the colour scheme for your room, you will love the range of fabrics to choose from. Norwich Sunblinds is an independent family business, so is not tied to any one fabric supplier. However, if the thought of looking through fabric leaves you cold, Norwich Sunblinds can help you choose colours and styles to suit your home. It is this personal service, quality products and their 5-year guarantee, that gives rise to their 99% satisfaction rating on the Norfolk County Council Trusted Trader website. “Norwich Sunblinds have just installed vertical and roller blinds in my home and I am so pleased with the service provided by them, the quality of the blinds is outstanding and the installer was so polite and very neat and tidy; I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Norwich Sunblinds to anyone!” Norwich Sunblinds can be contacted on 01603 334047 or book an appointment online for your free home visit.Click here for details of package prices.
Eye Film are very excited to have been nominated in two categories at the Royal Television Society East Centre Awards, being held in Norwich on May 25th. We have our Leighton Park School film entered in the Best Promotional Programme category and our documentary Alderney: The Evacuation, nominated in the Best Factual Programme category. Do visit our website at www.eyefilm.co.uk to see more about the projects and good luck to all those who have been nominated.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has approved an exciting commercially-realistic vision to enhance the historic town centre for the 21st century as a destination where more people choose to live, work, invest and spend their leisure time and money.
The Town Centre Masterplan illustrates how, through close partnership work, Great Yarmouth’s unique central spaces, and the links between them, can transform over the coming decade to strengthen the town centre as a commercial and cultural hub, meeting the needs and aspirations of communities and the challenges all town centres face.
Shaped through two public consultations, positive discussions with a wide range of partners and careful commercial testing, the core aim of the Masterplan is to build confidence, highlight assets and opportunities, and secure investment, by setting out a clear, coherent, compelling vision, which is led by the borough council and backed by the community and key partners.
While the borough council will continue to take the lead, close partnership working is needed to bring the Masterplan to life, and the borough council is now set to bring together key players on a Partnership Board to guide the regeneration activities and monitor plans and progress.
The Masterplan is the longer term element of the borough council’s Town Centre Initiative to boost the town centre, a key public priority, which has already delivered enhanced town centre events, better marketing, visual and environmental improvements, plus a shopfront improvement grant scheme.
The six key Masterplan projects are:
Strengthening the Heart of the Town Centre By 2025, the heart of the town centre – around the junction of King Street and Regent Road – has regained its vitality with a range of new occupiers and operators including a leisure-based anchor (for example a cinema), cafes, bars and restaurants.
Improving the market and Market Place By 2025, trade and custom in the 6- & 2-day markets is greatly improved, supported by new stalls and service facilities and by the newly-paved Market Place. Together with the improved frontages this has created a beautiful setting for an expanded programme of events.
Transforming the Conge By 2025, The Conge is transformed, with new mixed-use development lining both sides of the lower half of the street, and the next phase ready for delivery connecting it to the renewed Market Place.
Creating a sense of arrival at the town centre By 2025, the setting of Fullers Hill, Acle New Road, the roundabout, train station and quayside creates a new sense of arrival at this key junction of road, rail and water, linked to the new development on The Conge.
Unlocking the potential of Hall Plain By 2025, the council has adopted guidance to ensure existing buildings are conserved and developed appropriately. With the 3rd river crossing near completion, there is significant commercial interest in refurbishment and new development.
Linking it all together By 2025, wayfinding is improved across the town through investemnt in key parts of the network of Rows and streets, with footfall significantly increased and commercial vacancies significantly reduced.
During the public consultation in January on the draft Masterplan, the council received more than 150 individual responses, with about 100 people attending workshops. Improvements made as a result of feedback include bringing forward the timetable of works for Hall Plain, expanding the station gateway project to include all gateways into the town centre and expanding the Masterplan area to include Great Yarmouth Minster.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Kay Grey, Cllr Trevor Wainwright and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Our vision for Great Yarmouth town centre is that, by 2025, new investment and employment in the town centre is generating renewed pride in Great Yarmouth and building confidence for the future.
“The public tell us that boosting the town centre is a top priority and we are responding. The Masterplan represents a powerful statement of intent from the borough council and community to make a positive change, to work together and make a compelling case for investment, setting out commercially-realistic yet flexible ambitions, and highlighting the unique features that make our town centre so unique and valuable.
“This exciting high-level vision has been shaped collaboratively, involving a wide range of individuals and organisations, and this approach and commitment will need to continue as we now focus on progressing the Masterplan together. These are big, challenging projects requiring significant investment and joint working, but we know they are deliverable and we urge everyone to remain positive and patient while work continues ‘behind the scenes’.”
Local marketing agency Example Marketing and Web Design had the pleasure of revamping the website of social enterprise Buy Local Norfolk.
Buy Local Norfolk’s purpose is to highlight the importance of supporting businesses that are proudly local to Norfolk. Having seen huge growth in recent years, now with over 200 members and new business joining every month, they felt it was time to give their website an update. Example Marketing has been a member of Buy Local for over 3 years and jumped at the chance. Emma Raines, owner at Example, explains more:
“We love Buy Local Norfolk. We wholeheartedly agree with what it stands for, and the Directors and members are a thoroughly positive bunch of people. We were keen to help develop a new, vibrant website that works for members and other interested parties alike.”
Every member of Buy Local has a business profile on the website. One of the main challenges for the new site was making it as easy as possible for visitors to find businesses they’re interested in. Emma explains:
“We spent a lot of time categorising members and then putting measures in place that enable people to search through the directory in several different ways. As well as improving user experience, we also wanted to simplify the back end of the site so the team of voluntary Directors could make updates more easily. We think we’ve achieved that.”
There has been positive feedback from members so far who are particularly pleased that visitors to the site can now rate and review members’ businesses. This feature, along with other updates to business profile pages, aims to make the site a really powerful resource for anyone who is interested in supporting local businesses.
Martin Lake, one of Buy Local Norfolk’s Directors, summarises:
“It was crucial for us to work with a website company that completely ‘gets’ our enthusiasm and pride for Norfolk, a company with the technical skills to deliver the functionality and accountability we need, and a company with the design skills to make our site look stunning, engaging and easy to use. In Example Marketing we got all this and so much more. Delivered on time and on budget, we are absolutely delighted with our new website.”
Visit the new website at www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk
At Swarm Training we’ve been looking back at 2025, how we’ve made a difference and what we can be doing to build on this in 2026. Not just in an internal facing way, but also what we’ve done with our learners, employers, partners and local community. Earlier this month we visited Ormiston Victory Academy to donate a set of laptops to their students. We wanted to share this with you, not as a ‘look at what we did’, but to encourage everyone to think about how we can all support the community in our own way. Corporate Social Responsibility can sometimes sound like buzzwords or a box ticking exercise, but as Chamber members it’s what we are all about. Supporting each other, and our local community.
Our CEO at Swarm Training, Jennifer Perry, said, “As a CIC we are always looking for ways to support the local community. Community support doesn’t need to be complicated and is within every business’s reach to have something to offer.”
So what could you do? Maybe you have some surplus equipment or, you could offer a bit of mentoring time or share something you’ve learnt that’s helped you and your business. Also think about what aligns with your values. There are so many things we can give or do that could make a real difference. Whether it’s supporting young people, environmental projects or staff volunteering days, let’s do whatever we can to create a stronger local community for 2026 and beyond.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones, from everyone at Swarm!
Amaya Reynolds (top), Tanya Jones (right) and Vicky Matthews (left)
The BBSA is the leading member organisation for the shading industry. It keeps its members up to date with product performances, laws, new systems etc, and puts on the exhibition bi-annually, attracting trades from all over the world.
There are some amazing speakers – Phil Spencer (location, location, location) and Tony Hillary (Hillary’s blinds) among others, and this year will be the first ‘women in shading’ panel session. I’m honoured to be invited as one of 3 female shading business owners.
More than 60 business people from across the Eastern region attended Pure’s second Women’s Leadership Alumni event to continue discussions on progressing gender equality in organisations of all sizes and sectors.
The event, held at The Jockey Rooms in Newmarket on 24 May, brought together past and present delegates of the Women’s Leadership Programme, and their employer sponsors, as well as others interested in inclusive leadership.
The Women’s Leadership Programme was first developed in 2014 by professional recruitment specialists Pure, in conjunction with strategic HR consultancy People & Performance. It has already helped more than 65 aspiring female leaders in the Eastern region to strengthen their leadership skills, develop their confidence and to work with their employers to remove any barriers to progression.
Guest speakers at the event included Dr Andy Wood, Chief Executive at Adnams, who described how the renowned regional brewing business keeps its people and values at the heart of the organisation through their inclusive culture. Despite a backdrop of significant competition and a declining market, Adnams has continued to grow and evolve and Dr. Wood still considers the business to be ‘a 145-year-old start-up’ with the same level of focus still placed on the people and culture behind the business as when it was first founded in 1872.
David Britain, a strategic HR Consultant also led a workshop on aligning culture and values and Bree Sherwood, Director at PwC, gave a fascinating insight into the latest findings on gender diversity in the Eastern region. Lynn Morgan, CEO at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC) and Donna Talbot, Fundraising Director at the charity and previous programme participant, also attended to share the story of ARHC raising £10m to build the spectacular new, award-winning hospice which opened in Cambridge last year.
Lynn Walters, founder and director at Pure, said: “As well as supporting the continued development of aspiring female leaders in our region, this event provided an opportunity for all those involved with our Women’s Leadership Programme to continue discussions on developing a culture of inclusive leadership and building diverse talent pipelines. We were to delighted see a significant number of men at the event who are committed to building inclusive work environments where men and women will thrive and, in turn, the region as a whole will benefit. Our aim to inspire organisations across the region to create inclusive work environments, where any barriers to progression are removed and everyone can work in a way that makes them feel productive and engaged.”
The next Women’s Leadership Programme which begins in June is full. Dates for the November and January programmes have been released. For more information contact Lucy Plumb: lucy.plumb@prs.uk.com
The Royal Norfolk Show takes place over 28-29 June and is the largest annual gathering of businesses and traders in Norfolk. A few opportunities remain to be part of the Show and to connect with 81 000 visitors. Join us to celebrate Innovation and Enterprise at the region’s biggest county show. Be part of our new Retail look and feel.
Traders benefit from:
Biggest county show in the region
81 000 footfall
55% AB (70% ABC1)
45% visitors directly engaged with Food, Farming and the Countryside
17 sectors and themed areas
Business to business and networking opportunities
Highly effective brand exposure
Corporate hospitality and sponsorship opportunities
Briar Chemicals are excited to announce they have been shortlisted for the Chemical Industry Association’s Reputation Award.
The prestigious Reputation Award is in recognition of a company who demonstrates excellence in enhancing a positive external reputation with key stakeholders, and that of the chemical industry.
Briar is passionate about encouraging young people to develop their interest in science and achieve their ambitions and actively encourages their staff to share their knowledge and skills by mentoring.
Susan Brench, Head of Commercial said: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the CIA Reputation Award. We’re extremely proud of the work we do within our local community and are delighted that all the hard work has been recognised.”
Established as an independent company in 2012, Briar Chemicals are proud of the relationships with its neighbours and has excellent community relations, engaging with stakeholders through a varied and proactive programme of external activities.
The ethos of their education programme is to Explore, Inspire and Achieve; encouraging all stakeholders to play a part in the education of the next generation of scientists.
A new initiative, the ‘Farm to Fork’ campaign, is being introduced into local schools to teach children about the life cycle of crops and how Briar play a part in helping farmers maintain healthy crops and increase yields.
Briar also launched its 13th annual poetry competition, aimed at 8-11 year olds, this month for schools across the region. This year’s theme is ‘Planet Earth’ and young writers have been asked to take their inspiration from their surroundings and write creatively about their perception of the world.
The winners will be announced at the Chemical Industry Awards Ceremony which will take place at the Queens Hotel, Leeds on Thursday 15th June.
Briar Chemicals Young Poets of the Year competition launches to schools across the region.
This year’s theme is ‘Planet Earth’ and youngsters are asked to take their inspiration from their surroundings and write creatively about their perception of the world.
The final stage judge for the competition is Evolutionary biologist and TV presenter Ben Garrod. Ben has presented shows including Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur with Sir David Attenborough, his award-winning Secrets of Bones series and most recently The Day the Dinosaurs Died on the BBC broadcasted earlier this month.
The competition, now in its 13th year, is part of Briar’s Science in Schools programme, which aims to make science learning fun, informative and create opportunities for children to learn about science and the environment.
Tim Green, Site Manager at Briar Chemicals said: “Children are intrigued about their surroundings from an early age. This competition encourages them to use their imagination; helping create an interest and understanding of how science is all around us in our everyday life.”
Briar has been shortlisted for the UK’s Chemical Industry Associations Reputation Award for recognition of their involvement within the community and will be attending the awards ceremony in June.
The competition has two age categories; eight to nine year olds and 10 to 11 year olds and schools across the region are invited to take part. The competition is open to pupils from schools within the EDP circulation area. All entries should be submitted via the schools which will be receiving forms soon.
The winner of each age category will receive £100 and each of their schools will receive £500, courtesy of Briar Chemicals. Briar will also donate £500 to help support Mr Garrod’s chosen charity, the Marine Conservation Society. The winners will also have the opportunity to spend a morning at the EDP.
First stage judges this year are Prof Anne Osbourn from the John Innes Centre and founder of the SAW Trust (Science, Art and Writing, Lauren Cope from the EDP, and Sarah Piercy from Briar Chemicals.
The closing date for the entries is 21st July 2017, with the winners announced around National Poetry Day in September. For more information about the competition, email poetry.competition@briarchemicals.com.
We currently have the following two job vacancies:
Legal Secretary (Job Share)
We require a hard-working and organised legal secretary to offer high quality support to our Real Estate team. You will have a minimum typing speed of 70 wpm, excellent IT skills and very good spelling, punctuation and grammar. You will also be confident dealing with clients face-to-face and on the telephone, be very well presented and have a calm and professional persona.
21 hours per week ~ 9.00am – 5.00pm ~ Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Insolvency NQ or 1-2 PQE Solicitor/Equivalent Fee Earner
We require a hard-working Newly Qualified or Post Qualified Solicitor (or equivalent fee earner) to join our busy Insolvency Team. Reporting to the Insolvency Partner, your duties will include assisting with the Partner’s caseload and running your own caseload. You must be confident in your ability to advise clients face-to-face, on the phone, by email and written correspondence, as well as have the ability to accurately scrutinise business accounts.
The ideal candidate would have excellent academics, demonstrate good commercial awareness and grasp the team’s objectives and the industry it operates in. You will be able to understand our clients’ needs, have the ability to tailor advice appropriately and adapt quickly and easily to changing client demands. You will take personal responsibility for learning on the job and keeping your knowledge up to date and have excellent legal research and computer skills. A flexible attitude and a willingness to work extra hours to meet job demands is essential. Your own car and a full driving licence is desirable.
To apply please demonstrate how you meet the above criteria and send your CV and covering letter by email to Anna Godfrey, HR Manager (agodfrey@leathesprior.co.uk)