Norwich-based jewellery and accessories retailer, Lisa Angel, is relocating its current store at Chantry Place this autumn to a larger unit. The relocation follows on from the ongoing success of Lisa Angel at Chantry Place, including The Norfolk Flower Room pop-up, featuring Lisa Angel’s gorgeous dried flowers and bouquets, and to allow for more products and personalisation opportunities in its store. Lisa Angel plans to relocate this autumn, remaining on the lower ground floor of the shopping centre but taking over a larger unit next to Oliver Bonas and opposite H&M HOME. Lisa Angel, founder of the gifting and lifestyle brand which shares her name, said: “Our journey within the centre started with selling on the dining terrace in 2006 and evolved to the opening of our current store – so I’m thrilled to be continuing the Lisa Angel story there with our new location. We remain committed to supporting the high street and encouraging people to shop independent, and are grateful to our wonderful customers for their support, without which this wouldn’t have been possible.” The company’s Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager, Jenna Crush, added: “We are really excited to be able to offer a selection of new curated lifestyle products, ranging from gardening gifts to soft furnishings. Sitting alongside our signature handstamped jewellery and beautifully crafted dried flower bouquets, our new store will hold thoughtful gifts for every occasion.” After having a stand at Chantry Place for over 10 years’, Lisa Angel opened a permanent shop at the Centre in 2018. The Lisa Angel brand has continued to go from strength-to-strength and is sold across the world. Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, comments: “Lisa Angel is a local home-grown success story and is such a hit with our customers who love the quality of the on-trend products and personalisation options, so we know they will be delighted to hear that this relocation will offer them even more choice when shopping with us. We would like to thank Lisa Angel for their continued support and investment in the Centre.” The official opening date of the Lisa Angel store at Chantry Place will be announced soon. For more information on Chantry Place, please visit www.ChantryPlace.co.uk or follow chantryplacenorwich on social media. For more information on Lisa Angel, visit www.lisaangel.co.uk or follow @lisaangeluk on social media. Image credits Lisa Angel
How Passkeys could be about to improve our way of working! In May we told you about Passkeys, the the soon to be replacement for Passwords. We didn’t know when they would arrive, but we have heard that Apple are looking to start rolling Passkeys out in with IOS16 and across the coming few months. There has been some confusion around this though. Apple are marketing this feature hard, and people are thinking it is exclusive to them. That is not true. Passkeys are the brain child of a joint effort to increase cyber security from Apple, Microsoft and Google. The only reason Apple are pushing it so hard, is to make people aware and to use it. Microsoft and Google want to get the word out there just as much, so people understand how passkeys will function. The more people use it, the safer they will be and so will your business. Passkeys, which will also be known as FIDO authentication (Passkeys is much easier to say), let you log into an application, piece of software or website with your username and an authorised device, which is likely to be your phone. The device will produce a ‘cryptographic token’, which is the other half of the cryptographic key pair. As long as they match you will be allowed in. In real world terms, when you login you are going to use your phone to prove it is you. On your phone you can use you fingerprint, face or code to unlock it. As long as your phone is within range of the Bluetooth, and Bluetooth is turned on, it will work. No password needed. It is going to be far more secure for accessing you software, apps and websites. It will keep you data safe from cyber criminals. the Cryptographic will never be seen, so you can not record it and takes away the issue of having it stolen. A cyber criminal will need your physical devices, making it much harder to hack or steal data. If you are using Windows Hello, passkeys are already supported. It is not going to be long before the big three tech giants are rolling out support across their entire ranges. Before this all happens, if you would like advice or help in securing your devices or date, please get in touch with us today. Image provided by Uptech
Whether you are working from home or in the office, here are some tips to help keep common aches and pains at bay.
If you are working from home, curled up on the bed or the sofa with the laptop balanced on your knee – stop it now! Your back will not thank you for it.
A chair with good lumbar support and at the correct height for you will make all the difference. If you have an office chair, this will be easier to achieve but even if you are at home sitting on a dining room chair, there are things you can do to improve your seated position. You do not need to sit bolt upright, in fact, that will probably cause you more aches and pains. Your spine has a natural curve, support your lower back with a rolled up towel if you do not have the support built into your chair.
Make sure the chair is at a height where your feet comfortably reach the floor or if that isn’t possible, invest in a footrest or even a box under the table and no crossing your legs!
Your computer monitor should be at a height where you do not have to tilt your head down or up to read what is on the screen. A good tip is for the header bar at the top of the screen to be at roughly the same level as your eye line. Also, if you stretch out your arm, you should just be able to touch the screen with your middle fingertip.
Eye strain is a common problem. Check the brightness of your screen and make sure you take regular breaks away from looking at the screen.
Good lighting will also help alleviate eye strain or headaches.
Eat well, if you’re really organised, prepare food to take with you to work and of course, make sure you stay well hydrated with plenty of fluids (ideally more water than coffee)
The biggest killer is being sat down all day. Set the alarm on your phone to ping say 10 minutes every hour to make sure you get up and move around, even if it’s only to go to the kitchen or have a walk around the office, have a conversation with a colleague, but stretch those legs.
Talking of stretching, here are some easy exercises you can do at your desk in addition to getting up:
Raise your arms in the air and stretch as far as you can reach. Then take your arms over to one side, pause, come back to the centre and then do the same the other way.
Slowly roll your shoulders back and forwards, either together or individually really squeezing your shoulder blades as you go.
Don’t forget your legs and feet. March in your chair, get the blood flowing, and circle your ankles or if you can find something like a tennis ball, roll that under your foot.
If your job involves driving there are simple things you can do if you are stuck in stationary traffic (please don’t do these when the car is moving!)
Shoulder rolls mentioned above can easily be done in the car.
Gripping the steering wheel move your upper body forward tensing your pec muscles as if you are doing press ups
Roll your muscles by moving from one bum cheek to the other (sorry, no other way to describe that one)
This one you can do if you are on the move or not – sing your heart out! You choose if you have the windows down or not but really exercise those vocal chords, it feels great.
The important things are to get up and move when you can, make sure your desk is set up as ergonomically as possible, and keep well fed and hydrated. Oh, and have a good sing song! Image credit: Chambers Canva Pro 2022
Did you wake up this morning and immediately check your Apple Watch or Fitbit to see how many hours you slept and whether it was good quality sleep? Have you managed a minimum of 250 steps in the past hour? Is your phone or computer ‘pinging’ your schedule and deadlines for the day, reminders of what you need to do to achieve your daily tasks? Technology is great, isn’t it? Keeping us on track in every area of our daily lives both at work and play, there seems to be an App for everything. But are we ruled by technology, has it taken over our lives for the good or to the detriment of our wellbeing? It certainly has its advantages professionally, keeping teams in touch with online scheduling and online meetings, streamlining administrative tasks, and completing projects. But it doesn’t stop in the workplace, it has spilled over into our leisure time too so we are constantly relying on a screen to tell us what we should be doing and how we should be doing it. Ways to embrace technology but not let it rule our lives:
We all need downtime from our screens, too much staring at the screen creates eye strain which in turn may cause headaches. Use technology to set a time say, 10 minutes each hour to just stop, get up and walk away. Take a breather. Even this short amount of time helps to clear your head and gives your eyes a rest.
Emails are a great way to communicate but could a phone call also work? There are times when it is just so much easier to pick up the phone and speak to the person instead, discuss what needs to be done, form an action plan and then just confirm details by email. It can save time rather than trying to type it all out, wait for a response etc. We have forgotten the art of talking whether that is on the phone or face to face, let’s start a revival!
Downtime during the working day is important not only for taking a breather to clear your head but also to encourage you to get up and move. Use technology to find an App or use an online workshop to do some simple stretching exercises for 5-10 minutes on a regular basis throughout the day or schedule 15 minutes at the end of the day as a way of winding down.
Get outside and walk/run/cycle and make the most of the fresh air and natural environment. Use an App such as Couch to 5k, or a cycling challenge, anything that will benefit your physical and mental health, but not obsessively. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t reach a certain goal or number of steps in a day. It is easy to feel you have ‘failed’ if you don’t reach a target, do not let it rule you. The fact that you have done some activity or exercise is an achievement. Be proud of yourself.
Technology is great if we use it to our advantage but going back to basics is also essential to achieve a balance. Don’t be ruled by that screen, the number of steps, do what is best for you and celebrate your achievements no matter how big or small. Image credit – Pexels
Youngsters let their imagination run free during a day of fun and discovery at The Nook. Seventy people visited the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) base in Framingham Earl, near Norwich. For some families, it was their first time back at the hospice for a day of fun, and for two recently referred families it was the first time they had stepped through the door. The event, which included arts, crafts, food and activities, was held in collaboration with Together for Short Lives, a national charity that supports the UK’s 54 children’s hospices, including EACH. During the day, families and carers were invited to sit down and answer questions about hospice care. The aim of the sessions was to find out more about people’s experience of hospice care and what could be better. EACH was one of ten children’s hospices chosen to take part across the UK. Families were introduced to all the hospice has to offer, all with the hope of exploring and collaborating with families in a fun and enjoyable way about how they felt when they were offered support from the hospice, and any barriers they faced in accepting support. Together for Short Lives is keen to use this information to understand why there is a gap between the total numbers of children with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and those who are accessing their local hospice services. Among the highlights, children and parents enjoyed a craft activity where they made princess tiaras and there were also cream teas, cakes, bubbles, a treasure trail and garden games. They left with beautifully-designed stencil creations on their hands and arms. “The families were very relaxed and really enjoyed the day, despite the sweltering conditions,” said The Nook Care Manager Emma Chilvers. “Being able to welcome people back like this was wonderful and it felt like a pre-Covid event. “We opened the bi-fold doors and families enjoyed being able to make use of the space available to them, both inside and outdoors. “The Nook is such a beautiful place and an event of this nature gave us a chance to showcase just how special it is. “I was blown away and we’ve had some great feedback both from families and Together for Short Lives.” Thirty-seven children attended, along with 33 adults. They were able to explore The Nook’s sensory room and soft play area, as well as being treated to a session with Jeff Sharkey, from Musical Keys. Children’s hospices are often described as a “lifeline” for families that access their local hospice. They provide a range of services from symptom management, short breaks in the hospice or at home, therapy services, sibling support, hydrotherapy, emotional and spiritual support through to end of life and bereavement care. Together for Short Lives hope that through this fun, activity-filled discovery work they will be able to understand the reasons why families sometimes find it difficult to take up referrals to children’s hospice services, and that together they will be able to support families on this journey. Dr Helena Dunbar, from Together for Short Lives, said: “We are enormously grateful to all the children’s hospices for organising such a fun day for families, so we can better understand how families feel about being supported by their local children’s hospice. “We know first impressions are so important, which is why we hope these amazing activity days shine a light on all the incredible support the hospice has to offer.” EACH supports families and cares for children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Hobbycraft, Together for Short Lives’ longstanding partner, kindly donated materials for families to enjoy during the fun day, which took place on 13th August. Image credit – Karen Self/EACH
A Cromer shop manager proved the ‘bearer’ of good news after handing over a giant teddy to lucky four-year-old George Vanni. Little George won the paw-some toy after winning a ‘guess the name’ competition in the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shop, in Tucker Street. The contest was part of the store’s carnival week celebrations and his winning entry was the name Smudge. George, from Northampton, was on holiday in North Norfolk with seven-year-old brother Charlie and grandparents Steve and Trudi. Mark Buller, EACH relief and support manager for the north and east region, said: “It was my pleasure to present our giant bear to George. “He was delighted, as you can tell from the picture, and it was also lovely to meet his brother and grandparents. “Our staff and volunteers got in the spirit, joined in the fun and enjoyed the carnival celebrations. “As well as running our week-long teddy competition, we also had lots of special offers that proved a hit with customers.” George is pictured with Mark and Cromer shop volunteer Patricia Goodwin. The competition raised £125 and Cromer Carnival Week ran from Saturday, 13th August to Friday, 19th August. Image credit – EACH
Evander, the UK’s leading glazing and locksmith solutions provider, whose central operations are located in Norwich with a network of distribution centres across the UK, are celebrating after landing an internationally recognised award for demonstrating high standards in health and safety. Evander has received a RoSPA Silver Health and Safety Award for their commitment to ensure its colleagues return home safely to their families at the end of every working day and that they never put their customers at risk. Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world leaders in health and safety practice. Every year nearly 2000 entrants seek to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards. Graham Pye – Safety and Compliance Director for Evander said “we are delighted to receive this recognition and it is testament to every colleague for understanding the importance of our policies and to implement them on a daily basis, that has contributed to us receiving this award. For many years we have been championing procedures that have placed safety at the forefront and we are committed to lifting safety off the page. We joined RoSPA as a member earlier this year, with the want to continually improve our health and safety practices and to help us on our journey to become market leaders in this area, not just in physical safety but mental wellbeing too”. Julia Small, RoSPA’s Achievement Director said, “This is a fantastic and well-deserved accomplishment. All of our award entrants demonstrate their unwavering commitment and passion for keeping people safe at work. By receiving this recognition, Evander join liked minded business and organisations worldwide, who represent the very best in their approach to Health & Safety”. For more information about Evander visit www.evander.com For more information about RoSPA visit www.rospa.com/awards Image – left Health and Safety manager, right Safety and Compliance director. Provided by Evander
This April to June 2022 report brings together key business, economic and labour market intelligence to provide a regular insight into the current state of the Norfolk economy. Data is correct to 30 June 2022. Find out more here.
Captain Fawcett Ltd and Jordan Fitness have been limbering up to announce a brand new collaboration. Both companies are forged in King’s Lynn, West Norfolk, the launch pad for each to build global brands celebrating the finer things in life. Captain Fawcett is home to a simply delectable range of ‘First Class Gentlemen’s Grooming Requisites’ and Jordan Fitness provides premium gym equipment plus cutting edge training kit. The brand new partnership kicked off with a YouTube promo filmed on location at Jordan Fitness. It features Fawcett Ambassador Extraordinaire, model Ricki Hall, who is shown taking part in a tough free weights drill before using products from his top selling Captain Fawcett Signature Series ‘Booze & Baccy’ to freshen up post workout. Richie Finney, founder of Captain Fawcett says ‘As a West Norfolk Champion, Captain Fawcett loves nothing more than collaborating with fellow King’s Lynn chums and Jordan Fitness is a most excellent fit! As a supporter of male mental health initiatives, Captain Fawcett has long shared the belief of the Ancient Greeks, that a healthy body fosters a healthy mind. Furthermore, for millennia it has been known that physical well-being not only reduces the risk of depression, it also enhances one’s self esteem, which is very much the meeting point for quality gentleman’s grooming and a sophisticated gymnasium specialist! Indeed, on another note, a chap attempting to nurture his facial follicles should note that increasing blood circulation is essential for stimulating hair growth, so a quality exercise regime is a must for your beard growing hormones. Weightlifting & strength training can also boost testosterone temporarily, thereby enhancing hair health. Huzzah!’ Zak Pitt, Managing Director of Jordan’s Fitness says ‘We have always been a champion of local businesses and are delighted to be partnering with Captain Fawcett, combining first class grooming with premium fitness. We are excited to see how our partnership develops in the future as we both continue to expand.’ Meanwhile, we are delighted to offer Jordan Fitness and Captain Fawcett customers 10% off both websites: www.jordanfitness.com & www.captainfawcett.com using code: JFCF22
Hi and welcome to our weekly Web Insights newsletter, which aims to share our knowledge at Bigfork in creating successful websites. If you haven’t already subscribed to the Web Insights newsletter then please click the ‘Join the Conversation’ button at the end. What types of website are there? A website is not just a website! A website has a job to do, and that job depends on your objectives. You’ve may have ticked the “website done” box, but without clearly defined goals, it’s just a website drifting in the vast expanse of the internet. Whether you are a business, public sector organisation, or a charity having a website is a requisite. A clear understanding of what you want to achieve is essential so a web designer can build the required functions and create a stunning design to find, connect and engage with your target audience. What type of website do you actually need? There are different types of websites and the one you need will depend on what your goals are. Your website isn’t limited to one purpose and can wear many hats, for example an ecommerce site may also need information pages and a blog for SEO. Here are some of the most common types of websites: Information websites Informational websites are as a resource to communicate information. These sites are usually based around include long form content and provide in-depth information to their audience. Effective website navigation tools such as multi-level menus and search facilities are essential for information websites. It’s easy for users to get lost when your site has hundreds (or thousands) of pages, so a strong structure is essential. Information websites are widely used by local authorities, schools, colleges, and government departments. Information website case study: Windsor Academy Trust With twelve websites (and counting) Windsor Academy Trust is a family of schools covering education for children from 2 to 18 years old. They contain a vast amount of information about the schools, curriculum, policies, applications, latest news and job vacancies. Windsor Academy Trust Case Study > Lead generation websites As the name suggests, lead generation websites focus on generating leads for a service or product. These websites are used by companies providing services such as financial, legal, or design – anyone who wants to generate leads for their business. Lead generation also works for businesses who provide a “made to order” product that doesn’t have a fixed price. For example, bespoke kitchens, furniture, or large engineering / construction products. Because they can’t sell these direct, a lead generation website is needed to generate enquiries. A lead from your website can come in many forms; a phone call, email, enquiry form, online chat, booking an appointment or requesting a quote. You can also capture data through email newsletter signups and downloads to generate leads. Tracking conversions of your lead generation tools is essential to understand which methods work best on which pages. Lead generation case study: Vincent Burch Vincent Burch is a national mortgage broker who specialise in a range of products with expertise in buy to let mortgages. Positioning, straightforward messages, and clear calls to action were key to increasing lead generation and conversion rates. See Vincent Burch Case Study > Ecommerce websites In its simplest definition, ecommerce websites and online shops are sites that sell goods and services to customers online. Ecommerce sites are used by small and medium sized business, national and international brands to huge online marketplaces such as Etsy or Amazon. Ecommerce sites are usually either business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C). Most businesses typically use an ecommerce platform such as Shopify or Woocommerce. These platforms are ideal for small businesses on a budget but are also used by big companies. Ecommerce isn’t limited to online shops though, it can apply to any online transactions. For example, you could use ecommerce to take subscription payments online, or set up your website to receive invoice payments. Ecommerce case study: My Fish Delivery My Fish Delivery is an online shop for wholesale fish merchants Brown & May, and is a perfect example of how a small business can sell online. Read My Fish Delivery Case Study > Blog website A personal or business blog should inform, entertain, educate, and engage your audience. When regularly updated, a blog with relevant articles, videos, and images not only is a great read, but can boost your website traffic and send quality leads to your website. Search engines love fresh content and blogging is the perfect opportunity to target your audience while demonstrating your expertise and knowledge. Blog posts are also great content for email marketing and social media, and the perfect backbone for a content marketing strategy. A great example of a blog website is The Hoot. It’s a niche blog aimed at School Governors, with regular posts help to inform and support their audience. Membership website A membership website is a site that includes members-only content. They are often used by non-profit organisations, clubs, associations, and businesses to “gate” content that only members have access to. This offers additional value to the members and encourages others to sign up or become a member to access information. The Association of Average Adjusters is a membership organisation and a good example of a membership site. It allows members to register and renew their subscription online, and book onto events and examinations. The members-only areas provide information around latest industry news and regulations, with different levels of access depending on the membership type. Take a look at the case study for The Association of Average Adjusters > What else? We’ve covered the main types of websites, however this list is just the start. The web is a powerful tool and can do so much, for example Gmail, Facebook, and your online banking portal are (among other things) websites. Don’t think your website is limited to a few pages of information, a contact form, and some awkward mugshots. It can do so much more. Need a new website? Then please get in touch. Mark Ellaway, Bigfork PS – You can find more great successful website insights on the Bigfork website. Images provided by BigFork
Welcome to a new series of content from Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of performance car manufacturer Lotus. With regular updates over the coming months, the team will explain its portfolio of capabilities and its key priorities as the automotive world moves to an all-electric future. It will also share how yesterday’s successes – some you might not be aware of – are inspiring the projects of today and tomorrow. Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. The three core pillars of its expertise and its commercial offering are Platforms, Control Systems and Technical Services, which includes intelligent design, product concept development, attribute development, advanced engineering and even whole-vehicle manufacturing. The Platforms pillar is very simple to explain; it’s the commercialisation of Lotus’ vehicle architectures, so other businesses can develop their own cars through an accelerated timescale and with reduced investment. Lotus has four unique vehicle platforms, three of which are fully electric, plus the chassis on which the petrol-powered Emira is built. In addition, what Lotus Engineering calls ‘legacy architectures’ – on which the Elise, Exige and Evora were built until last year – are also available. Platforms is an area where Lotus Engineering has significant and high-profile experience, for example, the Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220 launched by General Motors’ European divisions in 2000. Working side by side with the client, Lotus Engineering commercialised the platform of the acclaimed Elise to create a two-seater sports car designed to source a new type of customer for the twin brands. While the styling was done by Opel and GM engines were used, the project centre and manufacturing were at the Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, In total, more than 7,000 Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220 sports cars were manufactured, in the same production facility as the Lotus Elise and Exige. Mark Stringer, Commercial Director, Lotus Engineering, commented: “We had our pioneering extruded and bonded aluminium small-vehicle platform which, with its great flexibility, efficiency and versatility, could be successfully re-engineered to form the basis of another car, in this case the Opel Speedster. The result was a unique and award winning sports car for GM which carried the Opel and Vauxhall DNA and which was manufactured efficiently and to globally recognised quality standards. It’s an excellent illustration of how our clients can benefit from the all the work Lotus has already carried out, reducing costs and time-to-market.” Although platform-sharing is a common practice within global OEMs with multiple brands, Lotus Engineering provides solutions to third parties with both low and higher volume requirements. An added benefit is access to Lotus’ full suite of product development services, including manufacturing. Mark added: “Today, one of our key selling points with clients is that Lotus has transitioned quickly to electrification in its own range of vehicles, from the Eletre SUV to the Evija hypercar and the Type 135, our future EV sports car. It means we can make those segments accessible to clients who are looking to ramp-up to electrification quickly with reduced investment, while also supporting with our technical services.” The three fully electric architectures available means Lotus Engineering can support development of vehicles across a range of segments. There is also technical flexibility in the architectures themselves, and how they, and the integrated components, can be adapted to suit clients’ needs. “Our commitment to lightweighting provides a great basis for adaptation, and there are high levels of flexibility in each platform so we can work with the client to develop unique attributes to embody its own DNA,” explained Mark. “Like everything Lotus Engineering offers, manufacturing is also scalable because our all-new production facilities have been created with additional capacity to enable third party work.” Images owned by Lotus