Are you looking for a tailored, individual Diversity and Inclusion initiative to support your business strategy and objectives? Do you want build and enhance your employee experience and create a platform for growth? Please get in touch to arrange FREE consultation over a virtual coffee to explore your diversity and inclusion agenda and how we can support you on this essential journey: sarah@ignitepeoplesolutions.co.uk
Norwich High School for Girls Sixth Formers win ‘best presentation’ at the GDST LEAD Showcase for their recycling company ‘Bin-Go Norwich’
The Norwich High Sixth Form LEAD team have recently returned from the GDST LEAD Showcase at LSE Generate, the enterprise arm of the London School of Economics. Three of the team members, Lola Morgans, Lily Wearing and Clarice Nassif, share more about their experience: What is GDST LEAD? GDST LEAD is the Leadership & Enterprise Advanced Diploma run by our parent group of schools. We chose to take it as part of the lower sixth activities programme sessions. Most of the team don’t study Business or Economics, so LEAD gave us the opportunity to step outside of our comfort zones and work towards an accreditation from the London School of Economics. The programme is a combination of Leadership and Enterprise helping develop skills in leadership and entrepreneurship. Half the programme saw us working through leadership modules and learning how to implement these key skills in everyday life. The main part, and where our business idea came in, was for the enterprise element. We were tasked to come up with our own business plan for an original sustainable business idea. Our teacher, Mrs Wells, and our mentor from the programme supported and advised us through the business planning process and up to the final Showcase Event which took place last week at LSE. What was your idea? The hardest bit of the entire programme was coming up with our business idea! We started working on quite a few concepts which were eventually scrapped as either the team didn’t like the idea or following market research the ideas were not popular. It took a few weeks to come up with our plan. Our Business, Bin-Go Norwich, developed from our research that looked into issues affecting Norwich and our local community. Lots came up related to the environment – pollution, littering and recycling – with climate change obviously a huge issue for us all. This led to our idea centred around recycling bins using smart technology to encourage people to recycle. The bins, which we see as being suitable for use in major cities, include a weighing scale in the bottom and a scanner connected with a loyalty card app. People scan their card after having dropped in their recycling, and the weight of their recycling is registered. They can accumulate points for money off in a supermarket chain. We spent quite a bit of time working through this concept, and researching the different UK supermarkets and which causes they support to identify a potential partner chain. In the end, we chose Morrisons and approached them about our idea, speaking to several departments including their community champion and sustainability divisions. What happened at the Final Showcase event? The build up to the Presentation day was so exciting. Having been apart from students at our family of GDST schools through the pandemic, it was so nice to travel to London to all get together in person. Some of the team were nervous before we presented Bin-Go Norwich to the other schools and a panel of judges, but we felt confident in our idea. The presentation went so well – we all smashed it! The judges probed our business plan with great questions but as the idea was robust, we could answer and we had great feedback given that our business is rooted in sustainability with such a positive environmental benefit. We were so thrilled to win the best presentation award on the day. We think our idea stood out as it was targeted to fix a real problem, which was different from how many of the other teams approached their business plan, many of which were product based. Everyone did so well though, it was great to watch the other teams present. What is next for the Norwich High LEAD team? We’ve come to the end of the programme now, but there are so many things we are going to take forward. Having learnt so much about leadership and enterprise and having the opportunity to work through business plan ourselves has made us appreciate entrepreneurs and value team work. We’ve gained so much confidence in public speaking and have a great sense of achievement and accomplishment. It was brilliant for the programme to culminate in the event in London, and it’s great that we’ve got an accreditation from LSE as well. Whilst we were all really conscious about environmental issues before getting involved with the project, through the research we’ve undertaken on recycling and sustainability, we are now more passionate about the issues and have a heightened awareness around climate change. We know that Norwich High plan to run the programme again next year, and we are keen to transfer our knowledge and along with Mrs Wells look forward to helping the team next year. GDST comment: Cathy Walker, Head of Education Development, Innovation & Learning at GDST commented: “I am so impressed with and proud of the LEAD cohort who came to LSE for the LEAD Showcase. The students were all, every single one of them, quite outstanding. Their ideas, the professionalism with which they presented, their collegiate approach and warm support for their GDST peers, the appreciation of the effort that had gone into the event – they were wonderful. The best ambassadors for each school and for the GDST. “The Showcase judges couldn’t get over how mature and clued up the students were and kept checking they had understood correctly that these were 16/17 year olds. The mentors, who are all entrepreneurs linked to LSE Generate, were also delighted with them and expressed what a worthwhile endeavour they felt this was for the students’ future careers. “We are also incredibly grateful to the fantastic school-based LEAD coordinators for all their work and commitment; they have invested so much time and have supported and inspired the students to produce creative and high quality business plans.” Read more: GDST and LSE Generate partner to launch new diploma to inspire the female founders of the future
Following up from his lecture yesterday at the St George’s Guildhall in King’s Lynn, Paul Martin of ‘Flog It!’ famed popped into Fawcett HQ in the midst of his tour to wander & wonder at the Captain’s very own ‘Marvellous Barbershop Museum’. Suffice to say both the Captain & Crew were simply delighted to welcome Mr Martin to the world of barbering ephemera, behind the scenes and beyond. All on the QT as it were, but an exciting opportunity may be in the pipeline. Watch this space!
The Norwich High Sixth Form LEAD team have recently returned from the GDST LEAD Showcase at LSE Generate, the enterprise arm of the London School of Economics. Three of the team members, Lola Morgans, Lily Wearing and Clarice Nassif, share more about their experience: What is GDST LEAD? GDST LEAD is the Leadership & Enterprise Advanced Diploma run by our parent group of schools. We chose to take it as part of the lower sixth activities programme sessions. Most of the team don’t study Business or Economics, so LEAD gave us the opportunity to step outside of our comfort zones and work towards an accreditation from the London School of Economics. The programme is a combination of Leadership and Enterprise helping develop skills in leadership and entrepreneurship. Half the programme saw us working through leadership modules and learning how to implement these key skills in everyday life. The main part, and where our business idea came in, was for the enterprise element. We were tasked to come up with our own business plan for an original sustainable business idea. Our teacher, Mrs Wells, and our mentor from the programme supported and advised us through the business planning process and up to the final Showcase Event which took place last week at LSE. What was your idea? The hardest bit of the entire programme was coming up with our business idea! We started working on quite a few concepts which were eventually scrapped as either the team didn’t like the idea or following market research the ideas were not popular. It took a few weeks to come up with our plan. Our Business, Bin-Go Norwich, developed from our research that looked into issues affecting Norwich and our local community. Lots came up related to the environment – pollution, littering and recycling – with climate change obviously a huge issue for us all. This led to our idea centred around recycling bins using smart technology to encourage people to recycle. The bins, which we see as being suitable for use in major cities, include a weighing scale in the bottom and a scanner connected with a loyalty card app. People scan their card after having dropped in their recycling, and the weight of their recycling is registered. They can accumulate points for money off in a supermarket chain. We spent quite a bit of time working through this concept, and researching the different UK supermarkets and which causes they support to identify a potential partner chain. In the end, we chose Morrisons and approached them about our idea, speaking to several departments including their community champion and sustainability divisions. What happened at the Final Showcase event? The build up to the Presentation day was so exciting. Having been apart from students at our family of GDST schools through the pandemic, it was so nice to travel to London to all get together in person. Some of the team were nervous before we presented Bin-Go Norwich to the other schools and a panel of judges, but we felt confident in our idea. The presentation went so well – we all smashed it! The judges probed our business plan with great questions but as the idea was robust, we could answer and we had great feedback given that our business is rooted in sustainability with such a positive environmental benefit. We were so thrilled to win the best presentation award on the day. We think our idea stood out as it was targeted to fix a real problem, which was different from how many of the other teams approached their business plan, many of which were product based. Everyone did so well though, it was great to watch the other teams present. What is next for the Norwich High LEAD team? We’ve come to the end of the programme now, but there are so many things we are going to take forward. Having learnt so much about leadership and enterprise and having the opportunity to work through business plan ourselves has made us appreciate entrepreneurs and value team work. We’ve gained so much confidence in public speaking and have a great sense of achievement and accomplishment. It was brilliant for the programme to culminate in the event in London, and it’s great that we’ve got an accreditation from LSE as well. Whilst we were all really conscious about environmental issues before getting involved with the project, through the research we’ve undertaken on recycling and sustainability, we are now more passionate about the issues and have a heightened awareness around climate change. We know that Norwich High plan to run the programme again next year, and we are keen to transfer our knowledge and along with Mrs Wells look forward to helping the team next year. GDST comment: Cathy Walker, Head of Education Development, Innovation & Learning at GDST commented: “I am so impressed with and proud of the LEAD cohort who came to LSE for the LEAD Showcase. The students were all, every single one of them, quite outstanding. Their ideas, the professionalism with which they presented, their collegiate approach and warm support for their GDST peers, the appreciation of the effort that had gone into the event – they were wonderful. The best ambassadors for each school and for the GDST. “The Showcase judges couldn’t get over how mature and clued up the students were and kept checking they had understood correctly that these were 16/17 year olds. The mentors, who are all entrepreneurs linked to LSE Generate, were also delighted with them and expressed what a worthwhile endeavour they felt this was for the students’ future careers. https://www.norwichhigh.gdst.net/norwich-high-school-for-girls-sixth-formers-win-best-presentation-at-the-gdst-lead-showcase-for-their-recycling-company-bin-go-norwich/
Ashtons Legal is delighted to announce the appointment of its new CEO, James Tarling from 1 April 2022. James joined Ashtons in 2015 as a Corporate and Commercial partner and most recently has taken responsibility for the development of the firm’s future strategy. James takes on the CEO position from Ed O’Rourke who is remaining with the firm, initially in a new role to further develop the business client group within Ashtons. James says: “I am proud to be taking on the role of CEO of Ashtons Legal at an exciting time for our business. The firm has seen significant growth recently including through strategic acquisitions of a franchise consultancy, an HR consultancy, a specialist French legal firm, an insolvency team and most recently the full-service business of Steeles Law at the end of 2021. A key part of this growth has been the result of the work that Ed has done to establish an open and progressive culture within Ashtons Legal”. James adds: “We have ambitious plans for further growth of the Ashtons business over the next three years. We are looking to recruit further talented and ambitious individuals and teams who share our vision to be an exceptional professional service provider putting our clients at the centre of everything we do”. He adds: “I am lucky to be taking on the role in a flexible, inclusive and progressive business with the support of a fantastic team of individuals who are all focussed on working together to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients”. Ed O’Rourke adds: “I have enjoyed my time at the helm but it is time for new blood and fresh ideas and James is the best possible person to drive Ashtons forward”.
A leading children’s hospice has joined forces with two similar organisations to donate critical medical supplies to war-torn Ukraine. East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) showed solidarity for refugee patients by offering unused personal protective equipment (PPE). EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions, worked in tandem with Luton-based Keech Hospice Care and Farleigh Hospice, in Chelmsford, Essex. The organisations sourced medical supplies and equipment to be sent to Sheptytsky Hospital, in Lviv, the largest city in Western Ukraine and just over 40 miles from the Polish border. In addition to caring for refugees, the besieged hospital is taking patients from other medical centres to free up beds for the military. Staff have been asked to expand their adult palliative care unit and start a children’s palliative care unit. EACH Chief Executive Phil Gormley said: “We’re watching on with a sense of shock and horror at the devastating scenes in Ukraine. “The medical teams out there are doing the most remarkable job in the most extreme, challenging circumstances and have our upmost respect. “Our hearts go out to everyone caught up in the conflict and hope this contribution helps in some way. “We’re only too pleased to do whatever we can to support the international aid effort and I’m grateful to our staff who made this happen at such short notice.” EACH’s care and retail teams rallied round to gather the PPE, which was collected from the hospices by van driver Glen Hammond, based at the charity’s Retail Distribution Centre (RDC) in Thetford. He went from RDC to The Treehouse – EACH’s hospice in Ipswich – and then onto Milton, before dropping the equipment at St Mary’s Church, in Clophill, Bedfordshire, on Wednesday. He then returned to pick up more PPE at Milton and took it to the church – a central point near Keech Hospice Care – before returning to RDC. Ambulances were due to deliver the medical supplies over the weekend. Earlier this month EACH announced plans to gather warm-weather clothing to be sent to civilians in stricken Ukraine. Staff and volunteers sorted through coats, hats and scarves that would normally be heavily discounted and sold in the charity’s end-of-season sale. They were then handed to two Norfolk haulage businesses, who transported donations to the Ukrainian border. *Photo of van driver Glen Hammond
Three shop sales assistants have hailed volunteering as a perfect springboard into paid employment. Paul Watson, Jayne Fry and Maria Clark gave up their time to work in East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shops in Sheringham, Fakenham and Halesworth respectively. Now they have been rewarded by becoming paid members of the team. Paul and Jayne started in their roles earlier this month and Maria in January. They say volunteering was an ideal launchpad and would recommend it to anyone with designs on a career in retail. “Things have worked out brilliantly,” said Paul, 53. “I got involved a couple of years ago, after spotting an advert asking for someone to become an eBay Champion at the EACH shop in Sheringham. “I have a degree in photography and liked the idea of taking pictures of items to be sold on eBay and Amazon. “It was great and, in time, I started doing more and more, including working on the till. “I was at a bit of a loose end and began coming in most days, because I enjoyed it so much. “I didn’t have any previous retail experience but learnt new skills and loved being around customers. “Now it’s led to this, working two days a week, and it’s something I’d recommend to anyone. “First and foremost, it’s a very positive and rewarding feeling working for a charity that supports a children’s hospice. “However, it’s also a great thing to do on a personal level and I’ve found it extremely beneficial.” Paul, who lives in the town, works in the shop two days a week, just like Jayne at Fakenham. She started volunteering two years ago, shortly before COVID struck, in January 2020. The 61-year-old mum of three, who lives in Dunton, had been made redundant from her job is customer services just before Christmas. She said: “Losing my job was a huge blow, but I knew I wanted to do something with my time. I didn’t want to be stuck at home. “As a customer, I’d always loved the shop in Fakenham. “I’d always found it nice and friendly so jumped at the chance to volunteer, even though I didn’t have any retail experience. “I was ready for a change and now having this job is fantastic. “It’s been a breath of fresh air and everyone has been so helpful and supportive. “I’m over the moon and would definitely recommend it to others. Volunteer, bide your time and see what happens – you won’t regret it. “Volunteering in a shop like ours is a perfect way to gain experience, hopefully leading to paid employment. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. “It’ll certainly help career-wise but I also know volunteering makes the world of difference to charities like EACH.” Maria, 56, was a volunteer in Halesworth, where she lives, but has worked one day a week since January. She said: “I’d wholeheartedly recommend volunteering to anyone. “It’s great fun, interesting and gives you the chance to meet some wonderful people, from customers and colleagues. “There’s a fantastic sense of team spirit and you build strong relationships with people who have a real passion and vested interest in EACH. “The offer of a paid role was a real bonus and it’s something I’ve enjoyed very much, because it gives you a chance to see things from the other side of the fence. “It gives you a different perspective and dimension, in terms of the way our shop and the whole organisation is run. “I didn’t have any retail experience and had spent my working life doing very office, admin-based roles. “This, in contrast, is much more hands-on and it’s something I’ve enjoyed very much.” EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It has 44 shops dotted across East Anglia. For more information about volunteering, head to www.each.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering or email volunteerservices@each.org.uk *Photo – Sheringham shop manager Naomi Munro and Paul Watson, Photo – Jayne Fry
The move to cloud-based systems is an inevitable move for all businesses and with the payroll year end fast approaching now is the time to make the change. We are pleased to announce we will be moving to FreshPay on 6th April 2022. FreshPay is a solely cloud-based software which benefits both us and our clients.
With this exciting news, we are offering Norfolk Chamber of Commerce members 10% discount off our payroll services for a limited time! Take full advantage of the FREE consultation and 10% discount by quoting CHAMBER10 when you get in touch on 01508 333040 or send an email to office@abcabacus.co.uk https://freshpay.cloud/
We’d like to kindly ask you to complete the following short survey. It will take 5-15 minutes. The survey is part of a wider study funded by New Anglia LEP, which aims at gaining insight on the challenges that companies in Norfolk & Suffolk are facing to achieve net-zero. This survey is undertaken by a team of researchers from Norwich Business School (NBS), UEA. It is carried out by the following NBS researchers: Prof Naresh Pandit, Dr Usha Sundaram and Dr Vanya Kitsopoulou. The survey is anonymous, no individuals or companies are identified or tracked. Please help us understand where companies in our region stand on their net-zero journey by taking part. You can access it via computer, mobile phone, or tablet by clicking on this link: https://nbsuea.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bl067ua719WcZKK Our findings will inform a Communications Strategy on best practices and how to overcome challenges that companies in our region are facing. If you have any questions, comments, or want to hear more about the study, please contact us at v.kitsopoulou@uea.ac.uk. We will be happy to hear from you or provide clarifications.
2021 was a year when the team at Walking With The Wounded pulled together and continued to work tirelessly to ensure that our support services were available to veterans and their families. It is without a doubt that 2021 was another challenging year for all of us. The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact our daily lives, and we found ourselves yet again, facing restrictions and uncertainty. That said, 2021 was a year when the team at Walking With The Wounded pulled together and continued to work tirelessly to ensure that our support services were available to veterans and their families. Last year, our team:
It was also the year when our Grenadier Walk of Oman expedition team (*Reimagined in the UK) trekked from Wales to London to demonstrate how anyone can overcome adversity and injuries, whether physical or mental, Brian Wood MC ran 635 miles in just 30 days in memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, our annual Cumbrian Challenge event saw hundreds of eager teams climb the fells in the Lake District and raise a phenomenal amount to support those who served and President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden met with our Walk of America Expedition team whilst they were visiting the UK. Our achievements would not be possible without our supporters and people like you. Thank you for continuing to support Walking With The Wounded, whether that’s by signing up to our events, donating or simply subscribing to our newsletter.
Norfolk based commercial photographer Joe Lenton has become one of just 5 photographers in the world to hold the FSICIP title. Joe earned his Fellowship with the Society of International Commercial & Industrial Photographers at The Societies of Photographers Convention in March 2022. His panel of 20 prints of guitars was approved by the judging panel for the title of Fellow. Joe’s theme of choice was guitars. Before being diagnosed with MS after experiencing frightening symptoms in 2012, Joe was a musician and guitar teacher. Photography grew as a therapeutic hobby to help him come to terms with the illness. Now, 10 years later, he has created a guitar themed panel of prints to celebrate the new career that came out of adversity. Joe is a freelance advertising photographer specialising in product photography and architectural photography. He is an Ambassador for The Societies of Photographers and taught 2 Masterclasses on product photography at the 2022 convention. From small local businesses to international brands, Joe works with a variety of clients to help them get noticed and increase sales. With a background in languages and cultural studies, Joe views images as communication tools that do an important job for businesses. The achievement of Fellowship is the highlight of his career so far, which to date has also included over 80 international awards and several Associateships with other societies. He is currently in training as a Junior Judge with The Societies of Photographers. For examples of Joe’s work, please visit his website https://www.joelenton.com Presentation & Judges Images courtesy of Barnett Photo Studio © 2022 All other images © Joe Lenton 2022
We are delighted to announce that the Norfolk Combined Youth Football League (NCYFL) and Upp Broadband are to team up and work together for the 2022-23 season. Upp aim to deliver fast and reliable broadband to underserved areas. Upp’s full-fibre network is built for speed, using fibre optic cable, not just to your street, but all the way to your home. So the speed offered is the speed you can expect. Plus, full-fibre is more reliable – as well as more sustainable – than existing copper networks, making dropouts and buffering a thing of the past. As part of the partnership, the league cup at each age group will be known as the Upp Cup. NCYFL clubs and families will also be able to take advantage of the offering of Upp’s high speed broadband as their rollout continues across the county. Upp’s partnership with NCYFL stemmed from the company’s desire to support grassroots organisations and encourage young people to join local teams. Edward Money, Head of Brand and Communications at Upp said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Norfolk Combined Youth Football League for their next season. As we expand Upp’s network across Norfolk, it will be a great chance to get involved with the local communities and provide more than just high-speed broadband!” Darren Iles, NCYFL Chairman said, “We are very proud to have Upp Broadband as one of our new partners with the league. We will run a competition throughout all our age groups with Upp. We can’t wait for the new season to start with Upp onboard!” You can find out more and sign up for information on Upp’s rollout of full-fibre by visiting www.upp.com