Member Blog

A new concept to emerge from the Covid-19 lockdown has been ‘shielding’ – those who have been at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus who have had to minimise all interaction with others and stay at home as much as possible.

This has led to unforeseen daily difficulties for individuals who have previously been able to lead completely normal lives. For example, what happens if you cannot leave your home, but you need to visit your bank to complete an urgent transaction?

Is there anything practical individuals can do to protect themselves?

In these instances, Lasting Powers of Attorney (‘LPAs’) provide a useful tool to help facilitate an individual’s needs should anything arise in future leading to similar lockdown requirements.

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

An LPA is a legal document which allows an individual to appoint one or more ‘Attorneys’ to help them make decisions or act on their behalf. You must be over 18 and have full mental capacity to make a legally valid LPA. Your Attorney(s) should be someone you trust to make decisions in your best interests – this could be a friend or relative or a professional person if you have no one close to you who you would like to assist you. A ‘property and finance’ LPA will allow the Attorney(s) to sign documents on your behalf, discuss your accounts and investments and to transfer funds. If you do not want your Attorney(s) to have too much control, you can tailor the document to restrict what your Attorney(s) are allowed to be involved with.

Practical protection

Often, relatives and friends of elderly people take the step to draw up an LPA when their loved one becomes physically or mentally incapacitated. As we have seen during lockdown, an LPA can actually provide practical protection to a much wider group of people who are still very much in control of their own physical and mental capacity at the present time.

As long as your LPA does not contain a restriction that it will only come into effect if you loose mental incapacity, your Attorney(s) can use the document to act at your direction to do the things that you are unable to do – so with your consent your Attorneys would be able to move money around, do your shopping, pay bills for you, and manage your finances both due to shielding, or in hospital for any length of time or simply if you are due to go away on holiday.

It can be very sensible to get an LPA in place as a matter of course – perhaps if you are considering getting your will updated, you should arrange an LPA with your spouse, partner or trusted friend at the same time. You should also consider making a ‘Health and Welfare’ LPA which would allow your attorneys to make decisions about your day to day living, choice of medical treatment and where you should live – but only if you are unable to make these decisions yourself.

How we can help

If you would like to make an LPA now, we can assist in helping you do so while still observing the up to date government guidance regarding shielding, self-isolation and social distancing. Your LPA will need to be signed and witnessed in person, and we can advise on making this happen and are happy to come to you. We can also act as Attorney for a client who might not have anyone suitable to take on the role.

Once signed, we need to send the LPA forms off to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian which can take around eight weeks including a four week waiting period required by law. Due to the impact of Covid-19, we have been noticing longer delays on registration, so it is worth acting soon. If you need to appoint someone to act immediately, we can also prepare a ‘general power of attorney’ which will cover the interim period until the LPA is registered.

Our fixed fee Lasting Power of Attorney starts at £450 plus VAT for the preparation and registration of a Single Lasting Power of Attorney (Property or Welfare).

Contact Head of Private Client Caroline Billings at carolinebillings@hatchbrenner.co.uk or call 01603 660 811.

Read more: Lasting Power of Attorney

I am delighted to be able to announce that yesterday we became a limited company Norwich Nights Magazine is officially Norwich Nights Ltd

Like many businesses this time has been difficult for us, so I have been brainstorming like mad, and taking web training during my current time off. I am the Company Director of Norwich Nights Ltd. All the email and website addresses remain the same. We have axed the design service on office stationery for now, the prices for advertising remain fixed for till the end of the year. It is hoped that we can do a re-brand in January with a new logo and website.

We are excited about moving forward as a limited company, we would like to eventually add the option for supporters to become shareholders. But for now, our same great service and value remains key as does our intention to work on expanding our free circulation within Norwich, and eventually Norfolk. Enabling the great content, the magazine loves to deliver to reach more people locally.

Melissa Compton.

There are some industries that were born for the internet, such as the many business niches associated with social media. But then there are others that many of us thought would be swallowed whole by the digital age. Thankfully that’s not the case. These five traditionally bricks and mortar industries have not only adapted well to the online space, but have also flourished.

Bookselling

People will say that Amazon has a lot to answer for, but the world of bookselling was always going to go online with or without the incredible talents of Jeff Bezos. And online book sales have certainly flourished, and then some. While on-street bookstores are reporting a drop of in-store visits, online sales are going through the roof.

Despite the emergence of ebooks and the popularity of Kindle e-readers, people still want the feel of a genuine book in their hands. And while Amazon and other major online retailers can offer good deals, with strict pricing guidelines from publishers, local bookstores can still remain quite competitive with their online sales.

Gaming

By gaming we’re talking about the old favorites such as bingo and slot machines. These are the games that people have played here in the UK for generations. The very idea that the old bingo hall from the village would go online was laughable at first, but with practically the entire nation now having internet access, it’s not quite a stretch as we once thought.

Now, you might think that the online space is just for video slots and bingo, but there’s much more to the industry than that. In fact, there’s a myriad of casino games available online that include pretty much everything you encounter in a real-world casino. We’re talking poker, blackjack, and roulette. Anything that you can play in a live casino, you can now play online.

And people are playing online. The UK’s online gaming industry is reported to worth around £5.3 billion per year. That’s an incredible third of the entire gaming market value tied into online gaming. “Impressive” isn’t even the word.

Travel

Think about it. When was the last time that you walked into a travel agency and booked a holiday package deal? Okay, perhaps it wasn’t all that long ago, especially since we have an award-winning agency on our doorstep. However, the fact still remains that the vast majority of holiday-goers now book everything from flights to accommodation online.

The travel industry was one of the first industries to embrace the power of the internet with open arms and, as a result, we’re now spoiled for choice when it comes to booking a trip. This is the industry where comparison sites made their mark helping would-be tourists find the best deals on flights, hotel accommodation, and even tickets for local attractions.

We’d even go so far as to say that the internet and its associated technology has been something of a revelation for the travel industry. Travel agents can now answer queries in a matter of minutes, and customers have endless opportunities and the chance to save big on their travels.

Film

Okay, so it’s not a huge stretch to see the film industry adapting to the digital age, but it’s still quite impressive nonetheless. Who would have thought that one day we would have a company solely devoted to the online space that not only produces multimillion-dollar epics but also streams them directly into our homes.

It sounds like the imaginings of an 80s sci-fi author, but you know as well as we do that this is our new reality. The film industry will always want to support the cinemas, but the industry is moving more towards a streaming approach. This is particularly true now that Disney have jumped on board the streaming wagon alongside Netflix.

Groceries

Retail has always been big on the internet. We buy clothes, shoes, DIY products, and even medicine from online stores. However, the fresh food and groceries market is a relatively new, albeit late addition to the online space. For many years, supermarkets resisted the temptation to adopt an online model, particularly for its fresh produce, preferring to have customers in stores instead. But that has all changed.

Online grocery sales in the UK hit £13.6 billion for 2019 and that figure is expected to rise to over £19.8 billion by 2023. Better logistical management through new technology has allowed major supermarkets to deliver fresh produce on time and in great condition, and the British public have been quick to take advantage. We don’t expect to see any supermarkets close down, but they will become much quieter in years to come.

These are just some of the industries that have weathered the storm and flourished, despite their perceived unsuitability to all things digital. And that means that if they can do it, then so too can your business, no matter how big or small.

At Break we have been working hard during the crisis to safeguard our charity and continue to support all those we work with. Our young people in our services continue to do really well and I have to say that some have actually thrived in this period – the lack of to and from school transitions (especially for the young people in our disability services) has meant that each day they can focus on life learning and some of the stress is lessened. We have been able to continue to provide love and stability in some of the most uncertain times.

We are slowly getting back on our feet and have just had the most amazing first three weeks of trading in our shops. Although very down on our pre-Covid performance – we are so overwhelmed with our loyal supporters coming back to our shops with their lockdown clear outs and a willingness to shop with us once again. We open our third and final wave of shops on the 20th July. Our shops are essential in Break being able to offer the wide range of added value services; the exciting activities for young people with disabilities that ensure they have the same opportunities as everyone else; the therapy sessions that help heal the trauma experienced form early childhood abuse; and the lifelong support that is offered to all Break young people – because we all need a familiar someone to call on sometimes.

One young person, Curtis, has been able to get involved in his local community, volunteering to shop and dog walk and support vulnerable locals who cannot do what they would do in normal times. He is on furlough from his hospitality job and wants to do things to keep himself busy and to give back. He is resilient and has had his confidence built up over many years of being supported by Break. At 21, he is soon to move on from our project, but we will stay in touch with him (like any family would) until he no longer needs us.

We are planning a range of fundraising activities to support our recovery, and to continue to support young people like Curtis.

I have been challenged by my Leadership Team to lead from the front and do something out of my comfort zone. That something is to dye my hair flamingo pink for one month! This is happening on the 12th July and I am happy to share before and after photos.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachel-cowdry-pink

Could you challenge yourself to “Break” free from your comfort zone? If you want to find out more, get in touch with us at fundraising@break-charity.org.

I don’t know about you but I have been guilty of signing in to Zoom calls and secretly checking emails on my phone, keeping the screen on but really typing up a list of things I need to do. Are you struggling to keep your colleagues and clients engaged? Do you know if they are really watching whilst signed in?

Meeting rooms, lunches and afternoon teas are a great way to fully engage with your clients with the confidence that they are actually in the room with you.

Travelling from out of the area? No problem, overnight accommodation is available and if you are booking a meeting room or travelling on a regular basis we can arrange a corporate discount on the room rate.

Give me a call or email today to arrange a showaround or to discuss your requirements – Tel: 07449 805801 or Email   

Credit is something a lot of us still don’t understand, even though it can have a big impact on our lives in general. As a matter of fact, it was estimated that two-thirds of all Brits had absolutely no idea what their credit score was. This is pretty alarming, especially when considering the importance of credit, not only when it comes to financing, but day to day financial transactions and contracts as well. Let’s take a look at what bad credit means exactly, how it affects you, and a few tips to help you correct the situation.

What is Bad Credit?

Some people will assume that they have “bad credit” even though they have no idea what that actually means. The first thing you have to know is that there’s not a single universal “bad credit” score. All credit reference agencies have different criteria to judge credit, and a particular score could be considered bad with one credit agency and not so bad with another.

The three major credit agencies are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. TransUnion ranks credit scores from 0 to 710, Equifax from 0 to 700, and Experian from 0 to 999. The lower the credit score, the worse the credit.

For Experian, anything under 720 is considered poor. A score under 560 will be considered very poor. With TransUnion, it’s 565 and 500, respectively. Equifax will consider scores under 379 to be poor and 279 to be very poor. Also note that scores will be different across agencies, not only because of the criteria they use but because certain providers won’t report to all of them. However, as a whole, these should be fairly consistent.

Another thing you have to understand is that credit reference agencies are not the sole determiner of how good your credit is. You can also have an informal credit score with any institution you’re working with. If you get financing from them or a credit card, for instance, and were always good on them, your institution might give you opportunities you wouldn’t get elsewhere because of the good relationship you have with them.

How Does Bad Credit Affect You?

Obviously, having poor credit will make it harder for you to get financing for things like a mortgage, personal loan, or a car loan. But it can go much deeper than that.

For instance, having bad credit could affect your chances with landlords when submitting applications. They will routinely run credit checks on applicants to make sure that they’re trustworthy because that’s really how credit checks are often being used. Some employers will even look at a person’s credit score before hiring them to see if they would be a good choice. However, you should know that they can’t do so without your permission.

Another way that credit scores can affect you is when it comes to utilities. Some companies will refuse applicants who have bad credit scores, so that could be a major issue. Also, you should be prepared to pay higher fees and rates if you do end up qualifying for a credit card or a loan.

What Are the Common Reasons for Bad Credit?

Bad credit scores are usually a result of bad or insufficient credit history. Having a bad credit score because you have no credit history can be particularly frustrating. However, it’s understandable since lenders have absolutely no idea if you’ll be able to keep up with your payments and if you’re a risky customer.

The most common cause for bad credit scores is missed or late payments. Know that it can take only one missed payment, no matter the size, to cause a significant drop in your credit score. If you have a credit card, it’s advisable to pay it in full every month. If you can’t, then you should at least try to pay the minimum.

If you’re forgetful and often miss payments because of this reason, there are things that you can do. For instance, you can set up automatic payments and pay on paydays instead of due dates. If it’s for a credit card, you could decide to pay a fixed amount each month.

Another thing that will affect your credit score is if you go over your credit limit. This is one of the worst things you can do and a sign that you don’t have enough control over your finances.

County court judgments and bankruptcies are another thing you don’t want to see on your report. This is when a lender goes to court, and a judgment is struck saying that you owe money. From then, you should do everything that you can to repay this debt in a month or less. If you don’t, this will be on your credit report for a total of six years.

Then you have things that are a bit more complicated, like credit utilisation ratio, for instance. Your credit utilisation ratio is the amount of credit you use vs. the total credit you have available. The higher the ratio, the worst it is for your credit score. That’s why you should not overuse your cards and try to only use a few of them.

You should also note that making credit applications can also affect your credit score, but not as much as other factors. However, you might find it harder to get accepted if you make multiple requests for credit around the same time.

What Can I Do If I Have Bad Credit?

The good news is that everyone can improve their credit situation if they take the proper steps. The very first thing you have to do is get a copy of your credit report. Every Brit is entitled to one statutory copy of their credit report from all three major credit referencing agencies for £2. You then have to make sure that you check for irregularities.

There are some cases where a simple error could have a serious effect on your credit score. For example, it might be an account that was paid off or closed a long time ago. If you notice any errors, it’s important that you report them immediately. Each agency will have a clear procedure to dispute entries, so make sure that you follow them and get false entries scrubbed out quickly.

The next step is making sure that you repay the accounts you do have open. You also have to make sure that the repayment will be reported to the credit agency, and make sure this is written down on paper.

There are tons of other things that you can do to either establish or improve your credit. If you want more tips on how to do it, this post might help. New Horizons is a broker team that helps people with a bad credit score qualify for loans for bad credit scores. They have all sorts of tricks that you can use to increase your credit score, like using good debt and checking you are on the electoral roll, among other things.

Conclusion

Understanding your credit is essential, and knowing how it works could be your key to financial freedom. Make sure that you take the steps necessary to know your exact credit situation, and come with a clear plan of action to correct it.

If there is a positive to be taken from the Covid-19 lockdown period, it is in the very real resourcefulness which many have shown. I have experienced this personally in my role as Head of Private Client at Hatch Brenner Solicitors in Norwich.

In line with the legal requirements of the long-standing Wills Act 1837, a will must be signed in person and witnessed to be legally valid … pandemic or not.

The Wills Act states that for your will to be legally valid, you must:

• sign it in the presence of two witnesses who are both over 18.
• have it signed by your two witnesses, in your presence.

Whilst initially many in the profession claimed this was too difficult to carry out in practice, in reality, many clients have adapted remarkably well and worked with us to devise innovative solutions to get around this legal hurdle during lockdown and within social distancing guidelines.

In one very memorable case, a client of mine had to throw the bundle of legal documents over her garden hedge to reach her neighbour who had agreed to be her witness. On noticing that the client still had a signature left to complete, the document bundle was duly thrown back over the hedge, and again for the third and fourth time. Needless to say, the documents were slightly ruffled when they arrived on my desk, but legal and valid all the same.

In less dramatic cases, I have driven to various parts of our fine county to witness signatures myself, either in gardens – front and back, or else in the garage or other available shelter in more inclement weather.

Clients will be waiting for me at their door – armed with their masks and gloves, and with individual pens for everyone to use, plus a table to ensure a two metre gap between the parties.

There have been plenty of laughs along the way, but also an opportunity to build relationships with our clients, and it is very satisfying to be able to move forwards with completing a will for someone during a time which has been worrying and uncertain for many.

It remains to be seen whether, in the future, the Wills Act may be reviewed and updated to allow for online or video-witnessed signatures. The government have confirmed there are currently no plans to do so, with the strict rules in place to protect the vulnerable against fraud or undue influence.

We remain willing to be flexible, adaptable and available for our clients … whatever it takes! In addition, our office is now reopen for client appointments – call 01603 660 811 to book in or you can email me at carolinebillings@hatchbrenner.co.uk.

At Kavolini, our product is music. Our core members are the musicians of our string quartet which is our main ensemble.

Here we’ve linked a little sample video featuring a range of music from classical, to more contemporary pop tunes – please check it out to see how versatile the quartet can be.

The string quartet is such a brilliant, versatile type of ensemble for a wide range of situations.

It is more than able to hold it’s own as a vibrant, dynamic feature in it’s own right when performing directly to an audience on stage or in concert (considered by many famous composers as being one of the most sophisticated types of music). It’s also equally at home when creating a more gentle, atmospheric soundscape when used in an accompanimental role such as background music for functions / events such as dinners & ceremonies.

Besides the quartet we also offer string trio as a range of ensembles that add singers, drums, more string players or piano.

Many organisations are great at thinking strategically when it comes to their overall business but neglect to follow the same approach when it comes to Cyber Security, instead employing tactical “solutions” – or none at all.

This is a key reason why despite having made some investment in Cyber Security, organisations frequently suffer financial loss and/or reputational damage due to hacks, ransomware or other types of malware that somehow seem to circumvent the measures they have in place.

Over the last few years, technology, and our reliance on it to run our businesses has changed significantly and continues to do so  fast. That brings enormous opportunities -but also new risks.  As we rely more on technology, and particularly Data, so we suffer more if that data is unavailable or compromised. Compromise to the Confidentiality of data (think Personal Data under GDPR particularly) can lead to reputational damage as well as trouble from the ICO. There are many ways in which this can happen.

Our reliance on data and technology used to be less, and it used to be more straight forward to protect, before the advent of cloud-based file sharing, tablet and mobile phone access and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

Like many things, you can approach Security strategically, or tactically.

An effective Cyber Security strategy needs to:

• Be based on the risks to your business
• Focused on the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of Data and Systems
• Consider People, Process and Technology
• Consider ALL of the copies of data
• Evolve, constantly
• Include a plan to deal with incidents and breaches

The Cyber Security of many organisations is more tactical in nature, frequently based on technical solutions only. This leads to many gaps, which not only leave them vulnerable to ever evolving Cyber Threats, but also would likely fail the test of “appropriate” measures in the event of an investigation following a Personal Data Breach (if you’re not familiar with Article 32 of GDPR, check it out). 

Common reasons for this include:

• Belief that Cyber Security is just an “IT Problem” (Hint: It’s a BUSINESS problem)
• IT Security that has grown “organically” over time rather than to a plan
• Focus on Technical Solutions only (ignoring key things like policies and processes, user training and business continuity planning)
• Lack of investment (Time, money, skills)

So, What Next?

If you haven’t started approaching your Cyber Security strategically yet, here’s a quick outline of steps:

• Understand what data you have and where
• Understand what, and who accesses it
• Consider the threats (and weakest links)
• Assess the risks and impacts to your business (and to Personal Data)
• Plan to reduce, mitigate (or accept, where appropriate), the risk accordingly
• Document those decisions
• Implement the plan, record progress, and evolve

Whether you’re looking at Cyber Security because of GDPR or because your clients are asking more questions around how you secure data they share with you, or just because you’ve become more aware of the risks to your business, the important thing is to get started!

Start to assess where you are. If you need help just with that piece, an initial Cyber Security Assessment or audit can cover this for you.

Build a plan; start with simple steps and incorporate some quick wins to reduce your risks quickly. We’ll cover some common ones in another blog.  Include an Incident and Breach response plan.

Doing something is better than doing nothing.  Once you get started, you’ll start to build momentum, and all the time you’ll be gradually reducing your risk.

If you’re comfortable doing things yourselves, the NCSC and ICO (National Cyber Security Centre and Information Commissioners Office) websites are great places to start with some helpful content.

If not, why not book a 30 minute call with one of our Security Consultants to get some more detailed advice on next steps?

CyberScale

In the meantime, here’s a viola duo concert that Rachel & Simon recorded for The Belfry Centre for Music & Arts “Coronavirus Sessions” online concert series.

Kavolini are a group of passionate, professional musicians who have come together to make high quality music in Norfolk. We offer a range of musical services including String Quartet and additionally, a newly formed Band (with voice and drums).

Our talented and versatile musicians play for weddings, receptions, corporate events, parties, education workand more. We perform extensively throughout Norwich, Norfolk, Suffolk. In fact, we are happy to service the entire East Anglia region. Kavolini have played for hundreds of happy customers, thus becoming widely regarded as one of the regions leading providers of live string music.

From classical to current chart hits, our Norfolk based string quartet and trio bring an elegant ambience to any occasion. We perform both indoors and outdoors, for formal or casual events. Most importantly, our vast and varied repertoire covers genres from classical to current pop. Consequently, we can provide music to suit every occasion and taste.

Goodery. Organic goodness, delivered. Welcome to a new local home delivery service celebrating and supporting your favourite independent businesses in Norfolk and Norwich. In response to the impacts of Covid-19, our team came together to help deliver good stuff from good people, that’s good for the planet. That’s Goodery.

We’re starting with what people need right now: local fruit and veg boxes, plus everyday essentials, but we’ll look to extend this as we understand more about your needs. And we’ll be delivering direct to your door (whilst of course, using the latest recommended health and safety advice) – all with a focus on having a net-zero carbon footprint.

Our shared vision We want to create a new way of doing good business where people and the planet live together in harmony. We see a path to this future by deepening the connections between conscious consumers, local businesses, and clean energy. If everyone is supported, then everyone wins.

Our deliveries are powered by wind and solar energy, and rooted in a desire to help others. Everything we do is done with care for people and the planet.

We’d love you to have you onboard and get conversations going about how we can support you as customers, local independent businesses and individuals seeking meaningful work.

Take care and stay safe, whilst staying home. Let’s build something good together.

With love from the Goodery team x

Find out more at goodery.co.uk | Get in touch on social media, search @goodery_uk

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With ‘Super Saturday’ almost upon us, we’re looking forward to seeing more of our wonderful Norfolk business community return to work.  Whatever your premises, sector or business, our Covid Management Range is manufactured right here in Norfolk, ready to support your Covid-Secure return to work. 

Hand Sanitiser Station with Custom Graphics – From £149.00 Custom designed freestanding unit,1550mm high x 300mm wide. Individually branded with your company logo with editable message, choice of finish – (beech, wenge & white). Provided with option of refillable sanitiser dispenser, holder & sanitiser supply.

Screens for Receptions & Counters – From £169.00

Three varieties of protective screen designed for use at receptions, cash desks and counters, offering a choice of full screening or part openings for interaction. Easy assemble modular aluminium post system with window panel & choice of bases. Linkable to create larger/custom shaped screens.

Range of Full Height Partitioning Screens – From £299.00

Ideal for partitioning offices, hospitality venues, restaurants or retail spaces while preserving light, visibility & style. Our screens are supplied with graphics and optional window section. All use a sturdy easy assembly modular aluminium post system.  Graphics can be fully customised with a choice of branding, patterns or imagery to ensure style as well as increased safety. All screens are fully linkable to suit a variety of layouts & needs.

Safety Signage, Graphics & Displays

Clearly share safety messaging with visitors, colleagues and clients Floor, Wall & Desk Stickers – From £12.00 A-Frame Displays inc. Graphics – From £87.00 Banner Stands inc. Graphics – From £75.00

Check out our advice on Covid-Secure Reopening here