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Global markets push higher on growing signs of recovery

Global equity markets largely pushed higher this week on positive economic data. The Nasdaq hit a new record high, as did the gold price, while the S&P500 is now less than 1% below its February peak of 3386. Global purchasing managers’ indices, which are used as a way of measuring how businesses are performing, showed improvements in most regions suggesting we are on the road to recovery. 

Please here to read this week’s market summary in full.

Delia’s Canary Catering at Norwich City Football Club are delighted to confirm reopening plans for all conference and meeting spaces at Carrow Road from Thursday, October 1.

After a long period spent away from your team and colleagues, we are thrilled to be able to offer you the space to bring everyone back together for the first time.

We are so fortunate to have a wealth of space available, with 17 function rooms of varying sizes, and 41 executive boxes ideal for breakout sessions, small meetings, or even temporary office space.

Our unique venue means we have a suitable space for all requirements.

Across the stadium, we have four stands each with their own entrance which also allows us to offer you the opportunity to book a stand that is entirely self-contained, should you require it.

Following an investment in 2019, our rooms now feature state of the art technology to complement your meetings and ensure it is an interactive experience. This includes: HD projectors and screens, PA systems and microphones as well as the facilities for video conferencing, allowing us to host “hybrid” events.

We also must mention that under the Delia’s Canary Catering brand, all of our menus are created from Delia’s very own published recipes, and everything is freshly prepared in-house to ensure that dining at Carrow Road is not only a safe experience, but a truly memorable one.

The safety of our customer remains our number one priority, and as a result of government advice and guidance, we have put a number of procedures in place across our venue to ensure you are as safe as possible. For a detailed list of guidelines, click here.

We are really excited to be able to offer a really safe and unique environment for clients looking to hold corporate events such as training courses, meetings, away days, as well as private events such as family dinners, anniversary, wedding or birthday celebrations. 

To book, visit the Delia’s Canary Catering website or call 01603 218704.

As people turn to accountants for advice and guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, TaxAssist Accountants registers its highest ever number of July new business client leads.

In the most turbulent of times, small business specialists TaxAssist Accountants have proved to be an essential hub for local business communities as a result of unsurpassed levels of support and communication.

With over 230 franchises across the UK looking after more than 76,000 clients, TaxAssist Accountants has seen its services in demand like never before.

The Norwich-based Support Centre team is working tirelessly to ensure its franchisees have correct and up-to-date information to meet its network’s clients’ requests for help, and the timely advice and online and centralised email campaigns offered by TaxAssist Accountants during the pandemic have been very well received from clients who have praised the proactive help and advice offered.

James Mattam, Group Business Development Director at TaxAssist Accountants said: “July was an unprecedented month for new business client leads generated by the Support Centre, with over 800 qualified by our team of call handlers.

“All of our accountants have been incredibly busy supporting their clients through the COVID-19 crisis, with grant applications, funding and furloughing claims and cash flow advice. As a result of the quality, responsive service our network has offered, we are receiving a huge number of new business enquiries and referrals from existing clients, happy to recommend TaxAssist’s services. We are also receiving calls from businesses looking to migrate to our network who are feeling unsupported by their current accountant in these challenging times.

“All of our accountants are open for business and offer flexible ways to meet, either over the phone, via video consultation or safely in one of our shops or offices. We provide a full service offering to clients utilising the very latest online software solutions, taking the guesswork out of managing financial business records. We regularly hear back from clients that they enjoy the ease and clarity of the software, coupled with the personal, local service that our accountants provide.

“I’d encourage anyone wanting to find out more about TaxAssist’s services, or to request a free initial consultation to give the team a call on 0800 05 23 555.”

Additional investment in train cleaning

As part of our continued focus on providing a safe, clean and reliable service, we have announced further investment in train cleaning today. The key initiatives are as follows:

• We are recruiting 28 extra cleaning staff to our train presentation team, to further increase our cleaning regime, to help keep passengers safe and prevent the spread of the virus.
• Train cleaners can also now wear new cordless vacuum cleaners, designed like backpacks (see attached photo), which have been sourced so that they can nip onto trains between journeys and give floors and upholstery a thorough clean on an even more frequent basis. These new PacVac cleaners are very manoeuvrable so that cleaners can easily reach under seats, tables and luggage racks.
• We are also buying special testing equipment to carry out random hygiene tests on trains, which quickly detects if surfaces have been cleaned effectively or need additional cleaning. This will enable the cleaning team to make sure that existing cleaning regimes are working and alter them if tests show they are not effective enough.

These new initiatives add to the extensive range of additional cleaning initiatives we are already undertaking in the fight against Covid. We are in the process of cleaning every single carriage with fogging guns – which disinfect all surfaces, including seats, arm rests, grab handles and windows – to supplement the extra cleaning already being implemented in these high contact areas.  We’re also carrying out extra cleaning at stations, where the fogging guns come in handy for larger indoor areas, such as waiting rooms.

Travel update

We currently expect the timetable position to stay the same for the foreseeable future.  As previously highlighted, we are running a full service on most routes, except on the Norwich to London intercity services – where most services are still operating (with our new, longer, 12 carriage trains), and the Stansted Express, which is running every 30 minutes.  Where appropriate and practical we’ve been providing extra carriages or extra trains on coastal routes on the busiest days, whilst still encouraging customers to spread their journeys to quieter times, where possible.  We will keep on monitoring customer numbers on a daily basis, to see if any adjustments or alterations are necessary, and be ready to make changes if appropriate.

It is mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, in stations as well as on trains, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or medical condition which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them. Most people are complying with the requirements, but the British Transport Police do have the power to impose fines of £100 for non-compliance, if necessary.

It’s still important to observe social distancing. We’ve introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to do so at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems.

We’re welcoming customers for any journeys, so please take the train wherever convenient. As outlined, we are doing all we can to ensure rail travel is safe, reliable and straight forward.

Performance

Despite the ongoing heatwave, we’ve delivered another good week of performance, with punctuality at 93% across our network which, given we have experienced one of the most sustained periods of really hot weather ever seen in the UK, is a significant achievement.  This follows on from a fourth successive period of very good performance in July, with punctuality of 96.2% across our network.

New trains

It’s been another week of intensive testing for our new suburban trains, both on our network, primarily on the Southend Victoria line, and on the West Coast Main Line, where some additional testing is taking place to help us complete the commissioning and testing schedules as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Things continue to progress well and we are looking forward to bringing the first ones into passenger service later this year.

And finally…

There’s more station investment underway. We’ve started work on a project to increase car parking at Attleborough in Norfolk from 30 to 86 spaces, with 5 motor cycle spaces, 20 bicycle spaces, provision for electric car charging, LED lighting and CCTV. The £500,000 scheme follows on from investment in restoring the station building with support from the Railway Heritage Trust. The station is set to see more passengers following the introduction of new trains and the extension of many of the Norwich to Cambridge services, which serve Attleborough, through to Stansted Airport, over the past 12 months.

Thanks again to everyone across Greater Anglia for delivering a very good service to our customers and communities across East Anglia again this week, with valuable support from colleagues at Network Rail, Siemens, Stadler, Bombardier and our other rail industry partners.

Our thoughts are also with colleagues at Scotrail and Network Rail Scotland, after the tragic accident at Stonehaven.

A fostering campaign for Norfolk County Council

JMS worked with Norfolk County Council Fostering Service to produce an advertising campaign across TV, Radio and Social Media.

The aim was to attract new foster carers to the profession.  

With the recent rise in people looking for a change in career due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, combined with an ever increasing demand for foster carers, Norfolk County Council Fostering and Adoption Service wanted to reach as many people as possible that either wanted to make a difference or take up a new vocation that is not only life changing for them, but for a child as well. NCC chose the Sky AdSmart platform to help reach as many potential foster carers as possible and encourage them to consider fostering.

With the tag line “It’s not what you can do for a living, it’s what you could do for a life” and “Open your heart, and open your home” the commercials appeal to those that could provide a child with a loving and stable home.

Making the most of a tight budget 

With funds being tight for public services, we needed to make the most of a limited budget.

Our campaign featured a mix of traditional advertising channels like radio, proven digital channels on social media, as well as newer forms of advertising such as addressable TV…

AdSmart from Sky allowed NCC to specifically target viewers in Norfolk, by District Council and profiling of their target audience defined which Mosaic groups would best fit our commercials. We ran two commercials one aimed specifically at adults who currently look after children such as Teachers, Teaching Assistances and Heads of Schools, the second advert was aimed at people who were looking for a change of vocation during the Pandemic.

The precise targeting of the AdSmart platform ensured limited wastage of the marketing budget, which enabled the use of Radio as well.

In contrast to a regular TV Commercial, AdSmart also has the benefit of providing fully trackable statistics based on performance, allowing NCC to fully evaluate the campaigns effectiveness and return on investment.

The ‘Enhanced Fostering Services’ video illustrates what the role of a foster carer entails. It doesn’t shy away from the fact that fostering can be a challenge. The video was used across NCC’s social channels and featured on screen text to ensure that the message could still be clearly communicated even if the video was viewed with the sound off.   Simple Sums, Seeking Foster Carers and Change Your Profession were all different creatives produced closely with NCC’s marketing team to use social media, AdSmart and radio in combination to get the message out locally.

“At the height of the pandemic the team at JMS went above and beyond to help create a series of creative and emotive TV and Radio adverts within a matter off days. Fortunately we had already been working on a separate project with JMS so they already had a key understanding of our service and messaging required.

The team produced scripts, storyboards which where discussed over conference calls where further ideas were brainstormed. I cannot thank JMS enough for all their help during such a critical time throughout the world. JMS made the process seamless and easy from initial brief to final delivery of our adverts. We saw a gap in the market and did not want to be left behind especially when we continuously require new foster carers to step forward and help change a child’s life.”

Scott McKay, Fostering and Adoption Marketing Manager – Children’s Services, Norfolk County Council.

 Norfolk County Council Fostering Service

There are children across Norfolk who need a foster parent. Children enter the care system for many different reasons. Although every child is unique, all children will require patience, understanding and stability from a good foster carer. You could play a significant part in the life of a child – whether you’re looking after the child for just a few days or a few years.

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer then please contact Norfolk Fostering Service on: 01603 306649

Website link: www.norfolk.gov.uk/fostering

Social links:

Facbook @norfolkfosteringservice

Twitter @fosterinnorfolk

A local ‘Customer Experience’ business has developed a unique solution to ensure team members can feedback their safety concerns when they return to work.

“We know from our own research conducted, that business leaders are worried about well-being and how their team members may be feeling about the safety of their workplace when asked to return to work. We also know team members are really concerned too, especially as more of their colleagues and customers re-engage,” says Judy Randon CX Specialist for Norfolk and Suffolk. “The reasons are varied and understandably, each person is different in regard to their perception and the different circumstances they are working in. With this system, we have that covered.”

To help, and to enable a successful and sustainable return to trading, insight6 has created a “COVID-19 Stay Safe Team Checker”. The feedback system gathers instant feedback with team members about their concerns, freeing up management time to invest in helping those who need help and running the business. The system will send an instant, real time notification to a nominated person in a business, so if a team member is worried about their safety whilst at work, it will trigger a dialogue between the leader and their team members who needs more support and reassurance to sustain their happy return to work.

The platform can be expanded to other parts of the business and gather customer sentiment and confidence levels too.

The team at insight6 HQ can have businesses set up and receiving feedback within 48 hours. To support all business types, the system is being offered at an investment of £150 plus VAT for three months with full and on-going support.

About insight6 Norfolk & Suffolk

Insight6 Norfolk & Suffolk specialises in helping forward thinking businesses to increase sales through consistently delivering a great customer experience to their customers. Judy Randon is based in Norwich and has 20 + years of business experience in a variety of sectors including food, tourism, leisure, hospitality and retail and will help you build and deliver a 6-step sustainable customer experience strategy, whatever your business type or sector. Across the UK insight6 partners and supports more than 800 businesses.

To find out more, or to arrange a virtual or socially distanced meeting please contact Judy Randon on 07909 542737

Hatch Brenner Solicitors have joined the Law Society and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners in welcoming plans announced by the Government to introduce temporary legislation in September 2020 allowing the digital signing and witnessing of wills in England and Wales.

The new legislation, which is being introduced following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, will be backdated to apply to wills made since 31 January 2020 and it is expected to remain in force until at least 31 January 2022.

Alexandria Martin, Trainee Solicitor within the Private Client team at Hatch Brenner Solicitors in Norwich commented: “As we all adapt to the ‘new normal’, it is vital that legal legislation keeps pace with the demands of social distancing and pandemic prevention measures. This temporary legislation allowing the virtual signing and witnessing of wills and codicils via video conference technology like Zoom or Skype should be welcomed. Particularly during uncertain times, the process of drawing up a legally valid will gives individuals peace of mind and ensures their wishes will be carried out in the event of their passing.

“It is worth noting that the government guidance states that digital signing and witnessing via video link should be a last resort and where individuals can sign their wills in the conventional way, then they should do so. Hatch Brenner Solicitors has procedures in place to allow our clients to physically sign wills – either in our office on Theatre Street or at their home, within social distancing and covid-secure guidelines.”

Read more: Confessions of a Private Client Solicitor: will signing during a pandemic

Until now, for a will to be legally valid, it must be signed in the physical presence of two independent witnesses at the same time, who must then sign in the presence of the testator of the will. The new legislation varies the requirement of “presence” to allow for those witnessing a will to include virtual presence via video link as an alternative to physical presence. The standard formalities for executing a will under The Wills Act 1837 otherwise remain in force. The legislation may remain in force for a shortened or extended period than initially announced as deemed necessary.

The Ministry of Justice has stated that there are no additional plans in the immediate future to further relax the strict protocols around will signing and witnessing – for example to allow electronic signatures or counterpart wills.

If you would like to enquire about making a will, we offer a fixed fee will service. Contact alexandriamartin@hatchbrenner.co.uk or call 01603 660 811.

Located in Hosham St. Faith, The Black Swan is just over six miles from the centre of Norwich and just a few minutes from the NDR. With ample off road parking and a full a la carte menu (also available for takeaway), coupled with ‘Cask Marque’ real ales, The Black Swan is the perfect retreat for couples and families to eat, drink and relax.

The Black Swan is part of the eat out to help out scheme whereby every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout August you can take advantage of a 50% discount on all food and non-alcoholic drinks (maximum £10 per diner). With no voucher required, no limit on how many times you come, no reservation necessary and no limit on your spend, why not treat yourself, your loved ones and your family to a long overdue trip out to the spacious and welcoming atmosphere at The Black Swan.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is highlighting worrying gaps in road safety knowledge as the key theme of Injury Prevention Week 2020 which is running from 17-21 August.

Research by YouGov commissioned by APIL revealed many parents were unconfident about their children’s understanding of how to stay safe on the roads. In addition, the research found most adults who do not drive did not know that white lights indicate a parked vehicle is about to start reversing. 

Colin Cook, Head of Dispute Resolution at Hatch Brenner and APIL accredited senior personal injury litigator and brain injury specialist commented: “We are pleased to be supporting the vital work of APIL in highlighting the importance of road safety. The Green Cross Code remains a key tool in educating children and young people about every day dangers on our roads. As we approach the back to school period, I would advise parents to take the opportunity to have a discussion with their children about being ‘roadwise’. 

“Whilst we remain dedicated to helping those who have sustained an injury and who are in genuine need both financially and in terms of rehabilitation, the ideal situation is for people not to be injured in the first place. Through their development of a national strategy for the prevention of needless injury and awareness campaigns like Injury Prevention Week, APIL champion avoiding unnecessary harm and suffering in our communities.”

Any accident which takes place on a public highway or other public place can be termed a road accident. There is usually a vehicle of some sort involved, either colliding with another vehicle, or with a cycle, motorbike or pedestrian.

A recent Department for Transport report found that those aged under 15 accounted for around a quarter of pedestrian injuries and deaths on British roads in 2019.

Hatch Brenner Solicitors advise on very simple or very complicated cases which will always be dealt with by a member of our experienced and qualified team, able to provide you with the best legal advice. We have experience in acting on behalf of individuals dissatisfied with the way in which claims have been handled by their own insurer panel firms. Our team has successfully recovered damages for individuals who had elements of their injury previously overlooked (for example subtle head injury and chronic pain). 

Contact Colin Cook, Personal Injury Solicitor and Head of Dispute Resolution at Hatch Brenner at colincook@hatchbrenner.co.uk or via info@hatchbrenner.co.uk

Mad HR recently interviewed Norfolk Chamber Members Expert Print Management as part of their Covid-19 Spotlight on businesses. Print management is owned and managed by Paul Youngs is a successful Norwich based business working with marketers and marketing departments of businesses throughout the UK. Paul has over thirty years’ experience in the print industry, and over that time has seen significant change and survived economic turmoil more than once, but nothing quite prepared him for 2020.

All three areas of the business – print, banners and promotional products – started to experience a slowdown in early March and by 20 March when lockdown commenced, all orders had stopped coming in.

“After a challenging 2019 influenced by Brexit, January and February had been buoyant. Just as it felt the economy was picking up, Covid-19 hit and stopped activity overnight. No one had a clue what was going to happen next,” remembers Paul. 

Paul had restructured in late 2019 leaving him running the business alone. This gave him the benefit of not having the worry of employees’ welfare or dealing with furlough, but it also meant he had no team to talk to or discuss decisions with. His positive attitude and determination to keep going provided the motivation that he needed.  

“I follow Brad Sugars so took his 12 Day Survival Guide course and kept reading coaching materials. I also rang around my clients and contacts that were still open, to find out more about what people needed and what has happening out there.  I realised it was important to speak to other positive business owners to keep a positive mind-set” says Paul.  He notes that for those who continued to work, some strong relationships have developed and is pleased with the attitude and mind-set local businesses have shown: “There is definitely an attitude of collaboration and working together for the common good, with a less selfish approach than before lockdown. I formed some great working relationships and hope they continue. The change in approach surprised me to a certain degree but is very welcome”.

Paul quickly realised that print alone was not going to be enough to keep the business afloat during the lockdown and that he needed to diversify. Those still operating needed floor stickers, signage and banners to support social distancing and hand hygiene,  which he was readily set up to provide.  Paul decided to take it to the next level; “If organisations needed signage about hand hygiene, they also needed sanitisation stations and the consumables to fill them. I decided to diversify into all Covid-secure products, not just the signage and print element”.

Paul set up a separate website, using the same branding of Expert Print Management but under the name https://www.covidessential.online/. He started looking for new supply chains and new markets. He opted for local suppliers where possible with the stainless steel sanitiser and hand sanitiser being made in Norfolk. The new website was put together and went live within five days.  Paul kept communication open and continued to blog, sharing Government advice and signposting businesses to support. There have been many long days, and early starts to get everything in place and Paul acknowledges it was a steep learning curve. “It started with the idea of providing Covid-secure print-related products and moved on to sanitiser stations, and PPE. In the future, I am planning to include all cleaning products and materials, eventually moving away from a Covid- driven demand, towards a more generic clean and hygienic work environment demand”, explains Paul.

Paul has taken advantage of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Small Business Grant Funding, that have helped to ensure both sides of the business are in a strong financial position moving forward.

The future is looking positive. The print business started to pick up again in mid-June and the Covid Essential business is increasing in range and clientele every day.  Paul has plans to develop and grow the business over the next three to six months, including the recruitment of a new team member and taking on warehouse premises.  “This is not something that I had planned or envisaged. I recognised a new demand in the market and decided to move quickly to fill it. Once the decision was made, I have just ploughed on.  The next few months are going to be interesting”, states Paul.