In a sector where technical know-how often takes centre stage, the real differentiator for high-performance organisations is strong leadership and culture.
Energy Ignite is a structured, modular leadership and management development programme designed specifically for the energy sector (and its supply chains).
What is Energy Ignite?
Energy Ignite is an open course leadership and management training framework from Blue Heron Training. It’s tailored to meet the unique challenges of the energy industry, where processes, change, and safety are foundational but where employee engagement, communication, and leadership are equally critical.
There are two key programme tracks:
●Management Spark — a 3-day programme for team leaders, supervisors, line managers, or those stepping into leadership for the first time.
●Leadership Boost — a more advanced 3-day programme aimed at senior and middle managers who are tasked with driving change, culture, and performance.
Each course includes coaching, peer support, action planning, feedback, and follow-through elements.
Why It Matters for the Energy Sector
●Subsidised pricing for the energy sector: Energy Ignite is offered at a reduced rate compared to standard leadership programmes, making it more accessible for energy businesses.
●Bridging the skills gap: Many companies struggle to find, or develop, leaders who can combine technical excellence with people management. This training helps close that gap.
●Transformative impact: Participants have credited the programmes with boosting confidence, motivation, and practical capability, leading to positive changes in team structure, communication, and workplace culture.
●Scalable for growth: By building leadership capacity internally, organisations become better positioned for sustainable growth and change.
Prioritising your eye health whilst so much time is spent on digital platforms in lockdown.
So many people in January start the new year with great promises of keeping fit, eating healthily and reducing their alcohol consumption. But how many people prioritise their eye health?
Working from home, education and even catching up with friends via video calls is vital during lockdown and many people have seen a complete change in their daily lives, as they become more reliant on digital platforms. Blue light emissions are not dangerous to the eye if it is in moderation but with time being extended on digital platforms it is important to give your eyes a break from the screen.
Local independent Coleman Opticians, in their 76th year, are used to providing knowledge to their patients on the 20-20-20 rule to improve eye health but how many people are doing it? The advice means you should stop every 20 minutes, to look away for 20 seconds to something 20 feet away and allow your eyes to focus.
Many of the patients at Coleman’s have reported difficulty in reading and increased headaches as well as poorer night vision during lockdown, and it is imperative that people should still attend their regular health checks as well as calling if they have red eye, floaters or disturbed vision.
Opticians are often missed off the essential health providers list but have been open throughout the pandemic catching many emergencies and being able to fast track them to the right department at the hospital as well as reassuring patients when all is well. Additional stress during the last year has thrown up a range of eye sight issues and the one thing people should definitely do is prioritise their sight.
Early 2020 the team invested in two OCT 3D eye scanners, giving a 3D image of the eye, enabling them to identify any changes in the patient’s eye health, enabling them to identify changes in patients’ eyes, and giving them record of any problems as they arise that can be sent to the hospital if further attention is needed.
Helen Hillis, director of Coleman Opticians, ‘It is essential that people do not put off changes in their sight during lockdown, as we can identify many health issues by seeing patients early. We have fast tracked many patients to the hospital during lockdown, and we would always encourage people to contact us rather than ignore symptoms, as it could be serious’.
So, whilst you may be focusing on full body workouts with Joe Wicks or going outside to get your daily exercise the message is to also spend some time on your eye health during this challenging time and make this a priority.
Sight tests, hearing tests, ear wax removal. Established 75 years ago and recent winners of the AOP National Health and Wellbeing award in 2020, as well as the National Optical award for Family Optician of the Year in 22019.
As we reflect on our
recent participation in the Royal Norfolk Show and our ongoing conversations
with local businesses, a clear picture is emerging from Norfolk’s SME landscape
in 2025. Businesses across sectors are navigating a complex environment — but
many are also showing remarkable resilience and adaptability.
Confidence in
Innovation and Community Support
We spoke with dozens of
business owners and professionals during the show, and one encouraging theme
stood out: confidence in innovation. Many SMEs are investing in new
technologies, digital tools, and creative service models to stay competitive.
There’s also a strong sense of community — businesses are increasingly
collaborating with peers, sharing resources, and engaging with local networks
to stay informed and supported.
The Pressures Keeping
Business Owners Awake at Night
Despite the positives,
several recurring challenges were voiced:
Cash Flow Constraints:
Late payments, rising supplier costs, and uncertainty around interest rates
continue to affect liquidity.
Staffing Struggles:
Recruitment and retention remain difficult, especially for skilled roles. Many
employers are feeling the pressure of higher wage expectations and competition
for talent.
Regulatory Burdens:
From tax changes to sustainability reporting, many SMEs feel overwhelmed by
administrative demands and compliance risks.
Change as a Catalyst
for Support
One major takeaway from the show: business
leaders are more open than ever to talking about problems. The stigma around
seeking advice is gradually
shifting. This openness is a promising sign that more businesses may reach
out before problems escalate.
A new electric vehicle strategy is set for discussion next week as county councillors consider practical ways to help boost the uptake of carbon cutting electric vehicles across Norfolk.
In April there were already 2631 electric vehicles registered across Norfolk, however there are big differences between parts of the county with 22% of those in South Norfolk and only 5% in Great Yarmouth. There are also relatively few public chargers, with Norwich home to 44 of the 198 currently across Norfolk as a whole.
Cllr Barry Stone, Chair of the Infrastructure and Development Select Committee and Member Champion for Carbon Neutrality 2030, said: “We are looking to make sure that the benefits of switching to electric vehicles are realised as quickly as possible in the county. Switching to electric vehicles has been identified in the latest draft Local Transport Plan as one of the most effective policies in reducing carbon emissions from transport.
“While we can’t make that happen on our own, the strategy identifies things that we can do to accelerate take up and help remove some of the barriers to electric car ownership, specifically regarding charging.
“We want to make it easier for people to charge their electric cars at home, seek funding for more public charge points in Norwich, and make it easier for local communities to access public chargers across the county.”
The electric vehicle strategy is one part of the work underway by the county council to achieve its ambitious target of net zero carbon by 2030. The strategy will complement other sustainable transport initiatives to boost active travel and cut carbon outputs, such as the hire schemes for e-scooters and e-bikes in Great Yarmouth and Norwich, and new zero emission buses.
The report to be considered by the committee highlights that the county council can play an important role in helping to increase the uptake of electric vehicles by not only ensuring that the necessary charging infrastructure is in place but also by setting a good example to local businesses and organisations as a result of electrifying its own fleet.
The strategy also proposes placing a requirement on developers to ensure every new home with a parking space has access to an electric vehicle charge point.
The new Electric Vehicle Strategy will be discussed by the Infrastructure and Development Select Committee when they meet on Wednesday, 15 September. Read papers for the meeting online.
Norfolk County Council’s Adult Social Services are advising businesses in Norfolk to be aware that their employees carrying out works at any kind of care home will be required, from 11 November 2021, to prove that they are double-vaccinated. From this date, proof of vaccination with an approved COVID-19 vaccine will be necessary for entry.
Councillor Bill Borrett, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health said: “The mandatory vaccine regulations will help to ensure that all care home residents, who may be vulnerable to COVID-19 are better protected against the virus.
“We also hope that the local businesses, who are valued providers of services to our care homes across the region, will be able to support us with this new requirement.”
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccine regulations apply to any person working in a CQC-regulated care home in England which provides nursing or personal care, subject to certain exemptions.
The list of persons includes:
All workers employed directly by a care home (on a full or part-time basis)
All workers employed by an agency and deployed by a care home
Volunteers deployed in a care home.
Anyone going into a care home to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, CQC inspectors, hairdressers and beauticians.
There is still time for anyone who has not yet had their vaccination(s) to get them before the deadline, provided they get the first vaccine by 16 September. A list of vaccination centres with locations is available online at: https://norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccination-programme.
Unfortunately, care homes will be unable to admit unvaccinated persons after 11 November 2021 unless the individual is exempt for the following reasons:
Medically exempt
Providing emergency assistance
Carrying out urgent maintenance work
If individuals have been vaccinated by the NHS in England, they can demonstrate their vaccination status using the NHS COVID Pass service via one of the following methods:
An NHS appointment card cannot be used as proof of vaccination status.
Individuals vaccinated in Scotland can find information on how to obtain a record of their COVID19 vaccination status from www.nhsinform.scot
Individuals vaccinated in Wales can find information on how to obtain a record of their COVID-19 vaccination status from www.gov.wales
Norfolk County Council is aware that some people will have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland and in other countries outside Great Britain. The government is working on a solution for accepting evidence of this and will provide further guidance as soon as possible.
We at Breakwater are excited to share that our Cyber Security Conference will make its physical comeback on Thursday 9 December following the online event in 2020! The event will be held at The Space, Norwich, 08:30 – 12:00. Book here.
Cybercrime continues to rise exponentially. With new threats emerging daily, we want to help keep you and your business safe. That’s why we hold this annual conference. It is designed to educate, inform, and inspire change in the way you approach cyber security. We’ll be joined by professionals in the field who will share their stories and expertise.
You don’t need to be an IT or security expert to attend. Just a will to protect your business from cyber threats.
Keynote Speaker
Now is the time to get excited as we’ll be joined by tech expert, author and presenter, Jamie Bartlett.
Jamie is the author of three books: The People Vs Tech (2018), Radicals (2017) and the best-selling The Dark Net (2014). He founded the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think-tank Demos, where he specialised in online social movements and using machine learning to study the impact of technology on society.
He is also a regular commentator on national and international media outlets, and a regular writer on technology for The Spectator.
Jamie is an expert in cyber security, digital transformation and technology and is set to deliver a fascinating and insightful talk. Details on his talk will be revealed as we get closer to the event so keep your eyes peeled!
In addition to our keynote speaker, Jamie, we will also welcome experts from other experts in the field. This includes our event sponsors, Datto.
Event Details
Thursday 9 December 2021 | 08:30 – 12:00 | The Space, Norwich | Book here
Ticket Information Tickets are free for all businesses to attend. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can book so get your team involved and learn how to keep them safe online! If you have any questions about the event, please get in touch: events@breakwaterit.co.uk | 01603 709300
GoGoDiscover’s 21 T.rex sculptures have stomped off the streets after nine weeks of bringing colour, fun, discovery and beautiful art to Norwich this summer. Discover the impact that the trail had in numbers and when the T.rex will return with teeth…
GoGoDiscover has been delivered by local charity, Break, in partnership with Wild in Art. Based on the number of trails maps printed, distributed and digitally downloaded from the Break website, the GoGoDiscover project team estimate a minimum of 300,000 visitors took on the trail this summer.
The free trail has raised thousands in fundraising for children’s charity Break, who provide lifelong support to children and young people in care, on the edge of care or leaving care. The charity has seen a big increase in visitors to their website, as well as increased engagement across all Break and GoGoDiscover social media channels.
Talented local and national artists decorated the 2 metre sculptures and nearly 50 volunteer trail rangers gave up their time to help support Break and look after the T.rex.
Artist Sophie Li-Rocchi is Head of Art at Gresham Prep school and this year designed and decorated two T.rex – Dino Hunter and SNAP!, and said: “It has been wonderful to be involved as an artist on the GoGoDiscover trail. I had loads of fun painting SNAP! and Dino Hunter in lockdown, and it has been an absolute pleasure to see them on the streets of Norwich this summer. Every time I have walked past them, it has been brilliant to see so many people with trail maps and completing the trail, with lots of selfies being taken on the way! It has obviously been a great success for Break and has certainly provided people with an excellent excuse to explore the streets of Norwich, my favourite city, engage with art, and, of course, meet some pretty friendly dinosaurs along the way! The trails not only provide some great family friendly fun, but also provide artists with a brilliant source of inspiration, with fantastic opportunities to create and exhibit, whilst supporting a brilliant cause. I can’t wait to see them out again next year!”
21 businesses from across the region sponsored the T.rex sculptures.
Chantry Place is a presenting partner of GoGoDiscover and had three T.rex at the Centre this summer, including one it sponsored. Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, said: “GoGoDiscover has been incredibly positive for Norwich this summer with many locals and tourists visiting the T.rex across the city and in the Centre. We’ve really enjoyed having them and seeing all the positive reactions and smiles they have had from all ages – and they have certainly brought lots of colour and fun to Norwich. We love supporting Break’s fundraising charity trails and we can’t wait to see the T.rex sculptures back next year in even larger numbers and the new Steppe Mammoths across the county. It is a great way for people to explore all the gems we have right here on our doorstep, support tourism and the local economy, and, most importantly, raise funds for this wonderful charity.”
And, the GoGoDiscover dinosaurs won’t fade into extinction. They will return this October Half Term for one week only for a special ‘Farewell for Now’ event at Norwich Cathedral, which coincides with Dippy the Diplodocus’s last week in Norwich.
Then in the Summer of 2022, the dinosaur sculptures will return with even more T.rex in the city, while Steppe Mammoth sculptures will take over Norfolk and link to the discovery and exploration of Norfolk’s deep history coast.
A GoGoDiscover 2022 Learning & Community Programme, in partnership with Dipple & Conway Opticians, is also taking place and the smaller T.rex sculptures, named Breakasaurus, will join the larger sculptures on the GoGoDiscover trail in Summer 2022.
Peter Marron, GoGoDiscover project manager for Break, comments: “This trail could not have come at a better time to help boost the city and its wonderful retailers and tourism, and we have had many businesses telling us that the dinos have brought them extra footfall and trade. It also has been wonderful for families to come together and all ages have enjoyed seeing these beautiful pieces of art – everyone seems to love the T.rex. We are so excited to bring an even bigger trail to Norwich and Norfolk in 2022, raise more vital funds for Break and work with some new sponsors and artists. The schools project is an integral part of the success of our trails and we can’t wait to see all the creative talent and ideas from all those involved.”
Many of the T.rex and Steppe Mammoth sculptures will be auctioned off at the end of next year to raise much needed funds for Break.
For more information about Break visit break-charity.org
Text TREX to 70085 to donate £3. Texts cost £3, plus one standard rate message. #GoGoDiscover
James and Mark chat about the new challenges facing businesses emerging from furlough with a growing need to manage hybrid teams working from home and the office. They provide 3 top tips and take inspiration from John Seddon’s book Freedom From Command & Control, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s New York Time’s bestseller Extreme Ownership, and 1970’s American disco group The Village People! We would love to hear from you – you can get in touch with us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.ukIf you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast! Show notes:Freedom From Command & ControlExtreme Ownership
Greater Anglia (GA) will continue to operate train services in East Anglia for the next five years after their owning group, Abellio, signed a new contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to run rail services across the region.
The new National Rail Contract (NRC), begins on Sunday 19 September 2021, when the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (‘ERMA’) with the DfT ends, and will run to 20 September 2026. It replaces the previous franchise agreement, which was set aside at the start of the pandemic when train operators were underwritten by the DfT, as passenger numbers fell markedly when travel restrictions were put in place.
The new contract will see the continuation of Greater Anglia’s major investment programme to deliver better rail services for the region including :
Completion of their transformational project to introduce new trains across the entire Greater Anglia network
The continuation of their extensive upgrade programme for stations and maintenance depots in the region
Further initiatives to maintain the record-breaking high levels of punctuality they have delivered over the last 18 months
Ongoing improvements to customer service standards, ticketing, accessibility, timetables and energy efficiency
Greater Anglia will also be fully focused on maximising the return of passengers to the rail network and supporting the sustainable economic development of the region, as the UK recovers from the pandemic.
They have already introduced new electric trains on their intercity and Stansted Express services and new bi-mode trains on their regional services in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and the Marks Tey to Sudbury line, with all 58 trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler already in service. Meanwhile the first 29 of their 133-strong fleet of 5-carriage electric commuter trains for services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia routes (built by Alstom, formerly Bombardier, in Derby) are now available for passenger service, with more and more services in these areas progressively benefitting from the state-of-the-art trains.
Greater Anglia have also improved service frequency on a number of routes in recent years; introduced other timetable enhancements, such as the Norwich in 90/Ipswich in 60 services and the Norwich to Stansted Airport direct service; carried out many improvements at stations – with Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich all winning “Best Station” awards in recent years; introduced smart ticketing; worked closely with communities – including Community Rail Partnerships and station adopters – to enhance stations and services in line with local needs; improved accessibility for disabled customers; improved integrated transport links and achieved better environmental performance – with reduced energy usage and increased biodiversity at stations.
In addition, the GA teams have delivered a very reliable service for rail travellers throughout the challenging pandemic period.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, commented :
“We’re pleased to have agreed our new National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport. We’re looking forward to continuing the positive transformation of train services in our region, completing the roll out of our new train fleet, maintaining recent excellent performance and further raising customer service standards. Our team is fully committed to keeping up the ongoing cycle of improvements in East Anglia and delivering the best possible service for customers and communities on a consistent basis.”
Date: Thursday 15th November 2018 Venue: Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Road, Norwich With Norwich City Football Club as our new Norwich venue for Sleep Out 2018, we invite you, your friends and colleagues to join us for what we hope will be our biggest Sleep Out to date. We want to end youth homelessness and we are tackling the problem locally by providing a home and support to over 100 vulnerable young adults each night. We give the young people stability and support their education, training and careers and ensure they have life skills such as shopping, cooking and being able to budget their money so they can leave us to forge an independent life. Your support at Norwich Sleep Out will help make this happen. Whether you wish to take part as an individual or in a group, you can help us to keep vulnerable young adults off the streets by fundraising and gaining sponsorship for your challenge. The event is also a great way to build awareness of the issue of homelessness in our region, whilst raising much-needed funds, which are used to deliver the work we do to tackle youth homelessness in Norfolk. Register for Norwich Sleep Out 2018: https://benjaminfoundation.co.uk/sleep-out-2018
Greater Anglia (GA) will continue to operate train services in East Anglia for the next five years after their owning group, Abellio, signed a new contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to run rail services across the region.
The new National Rail Contract (NRC), begins on Sunday 19 September 2021, when the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (‘ERMA’) with the DfT ends, and will run to 20 September 2026. It replaces the previous franchise agreement, which was set aside at the start of the pandemic when train operators were underwritten by the DfT, as passenger numbers fell markedly when travel restrictions were put in place.
The new contract will see the continuation of Greater Anglia’s major investment programme to deliver better rail services for the region including :
Completion of their transformational project to introduce new trains across the entire Greater Anglia network
The continuation of their extensive upgrade programme for stations and maintenance depots in the region
Further initiatives to maintain the record-breaking high levels of punctuality they have delivered over the last 18 months
Ongoing improvements to customer service standards, ticketing, accessibility, timetables and energy efficiency
Greater Anglia will also be fully focused on maximising the return of passengers to the rail network and supporting the sustainable economic development of the region, as the UK recovers from the pandemic.
They have already introduced new electric trains on their intercity and Stansted Express services and new bi-mode trains on their regional services in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and the Marks Tey to Sudbury line, with all 58 trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler already in service. Meanwhile the first 29 of their 133-strong fleet of 5-carriage electric commuter trains for services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia routes (built by Alstom, formerly Bombardier, in Derby) are now available for passenger service, with more and more services in these areas progressively benefitting from the state-of-the-art trains.
Greater Anglia have also improved service frequency on a number of routes in recent years; introduced other timetable enhancements, such as the Norwich in 90/Ipswich in 60 services and the Norwich to Stansted Airport direct service; carried out many improvements at stations – with Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich all winning “Best Station” awards in recent years; introduced smart ticketing; worked closely with communities – including Community Rail Partnerships and station adopters – to enhance stations and services in line with local needs; improved accessibility for disabled customers; improved integrated transport links and achieved better environmental performance – with reduced energy usage and increased biodiversity at stations.
In addition, the GA teams have delivered a very reliable service for rail travellers throughout the challenging pandemic period.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, commented :
“We’re pleased to have agreed our new National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport. We’re looking forward to continuing the positive transformation of train services in our region, completing the roll out of our new train fleet, maintaining recent excellent performance and further raising customer service standards. Our team is fully committed to keeping up the ongoing cycle of improvements in East Anglia and delivering the best possible service for customers and communities on a consistent basis.”