Member News

The East of England has been at the heart of the UK’s energy landscape for over 50 years, and the region certainly isn’t slowing down as renewables take centre stage. The region is a global hub for energy activity, becoming specialist in the energy transition and leading the way towards Net Zero. This is great news for sustainability in the region, propelling the green economy forward with millions of pounds worth of investment, creating hundreds of jobs and business opportunities all within the clean energy agenda. EEEGR’s SNS event brings together operators, developers, and supply chain companies from across the region in one place, allowing you to get face-to-face with industry leaders and decision makers in a rare opportunity. A large part of the event focuses on promoting the East of England as a clean energy producer. The infrastructure and potential already in place; the vital task ahead is to drive that message and ensure the region is at the heart of the energy transition with a clear voice at Westminster. SNS 2022 Energy Integrated in the East focuses on the entire region, offering the Cambridgeshire supply chain and wider business community valuable prospects and the chance to learn how their business fits into the energy mix. The event is supported by some of Europe’s leading operators alongside prominent organisations and projects including ScottishPower Renewables, GENERATE, Vattenfall, OPITO, Equinor, Oil & Gas Authority, Proeon Systems and Sizewell C. Two day access delegate tickets can be purchased from the EEEGR website, along with single or table tickets for the SNS 2022 Conference Dinner on 25th May 2022. There are a limited number of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities remaining. Find more information at https://www.eeegr.com/events/sns2022/.

A tireless volunteer has been rewarded for her long service after clocking up two decades supporting East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). Linda Gidley is a linchpin of the charity’s shop in Norwich Road, Long Stratton. Her main responsibility is overseeing clothing donations, steaming items and double-checking their quality before they head out to be sold. Linda’s time with the charity dates back to 2002, when the shop was run by volunteers to raise funds for EACH’s former hospice at Quidenham. To mark her loyalty, she was recently presented with a special 20-year long service award by shop manager Rachael Fretter. “The charity has grown so much over the years and it’s such an incredibly worthwhile cause,” said Linda, who celebrated her 70^th birthday in January. “The people who work and volunteer here are lovely, not to mention the customers. “I like making sure the shop looks the best it can and one of my main tasks is steaming clothes on a Friday afternoon, so they are ready to be sold on a Saturday. “Helping out is something I’d recommend to anyone and I certainly plan to continue as long as possible. “While I’m fit and able, there’s no reason to stop and I’ll keep volunteering until they don’t want me anymore! “I’m happy to turn my hand to anything. Give me a job and I’ll do it. “It gives me a chance to meet so many interesting, amazing people and it’s such an outstanding charity. “I always used to find it inspiring going to Quidenham and it’s the same with EACH’s amazing new hospice, The Nook, at Framingham Earl. “I try to put myself in the position of the parents who go there. “It must be so difficult for them, but at least our charity gives them comfort. “So many amazing things happen at the hospices and even just provided some respite care gives them a chance to recoup and recharge their batteries.” By her own admission, Linda’s volunteering is “another world” from her busy full-time job working for BT in London. Everything changed after being given the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy when she was 45. Husband Alan, who worked in a bank in the city, had been made redundant the previous year. “We decided the best thing we could do would be to move somewhere new and build a fresh life for ourselves,” said Linda. “Norfolk was somewhere we loved, having previously visited for vintage motorcycle rallies. “We knew it well and decided to buy a house and move to Long Stratton. That was in 1997. “I’d worked full-time all my life and certainly wasn’t ready for a pipe and slippers existence at the age of 45. “I needed something worthwhile and also wanted to mix with people. “Initially we were busy doing up our house and garden, but after that I became aware of the shop. “It was right on the doorstep, in our village, and for such a great cause. I wanted to do what I could to help and it got me out of the house. “My hectic, full-time working life seems a lifetime ago – like it happened to someone else. “It’s also amazing to think how things have changed. The charity has grown so much and all for the better.” For more information about volunteering for EACH, head to www.each.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering or email volunteerservices@each.org.uk Anyone interested in helping out at Long Stratton can pop into the shop, email Rachael via Rachael.fretter@each.org.uk or call 01508 531507.  

Larking Gowen has appointed a new Director, to its Tax Advisory Group. Gillian McGill joins the regional accountancy and advisory firm from RSM, in Bury St Edmunds, where she spent eight years. Originally from Scotland via Southampton, she began her career with PwC in Norwich, where she trained and qualified in Corporate Tax, subsequently working at Grant Thornton across Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge. Gillian says the key to working with VAT as a specialism, is being able to translate its implications into a language that clients can easily understand. “VAT is a very live tax, requiring decisions to be made in real time. You have to be available to clients and to give an opinion, sometimes at very short notice. For large transactions, particularly involving land, this can involve large amounts of money and risk. “Understandably, clients don’t have VAT at the forefront of their minds or necessarily a lot of experience of the tax. Where we can assist is to set out what options are available, then give our recommendation on how to proceed with the benefit of our specialist experience,” she explains. “I’m very much looking forward to getting to know Larking Gowen’s clients and, hopefully, getting out to see them in their ‘natural habitats’ when we can. “Having worked with a number of Larking Gowen’s people in the past, I know that I’m joining an excellent team and that we’ll be working collaboratively to ensure our clients receive holistic advice,” Gillian adds. Tax Partner, Richard Proctor, says, “We’re very pleased to welcome Gilly to her new role in the Tax Advisory Group. As a VAT specialist, she’ll be working for clients across the region, with her knowledge and experience adding further to the strength of the advisory team. In particular, Gilly will work closely alongside current Director Dominic Carter, who will become a Partner of the firm from the 1 April.” Gilly joins the firm on 14 March.

The purpose of the role is to direct and support the internal sales team in delivering a first-class support role to the external sales team, whilst being at the forefront of offering first-class customer service to introducers & clients. This is a 100% internally based role, with potential for development within the team. First-class service to other sales staff, and to clients & introducers that you may work with is integral to this role. For a full job description please contact Mark Skipper on 01603 703180 or mark@credoassetfinance.com Please apply in the first instance to Mark Skipper – Operations Director with a copy of your current CV to Mark@credoassetfinance.com

Girlguiding Anglia Treasurer & Trustee Girlguiding Anglia, which owns Hautbois Activity Centre, is looking to recruit an active member of its region executive committee. Are you interested in gaining experience of strategic management and governance whilst making a positive difference to the work of the charity? The Treasurer & Trustee will have oversight of the charity’s finance function and provide guidance on matters of finance and investments. Working in partnership with the finance manager and team, the role will involve strategic planning, measuring impact, monitoring major risks and ensuring that the executive committee is fit for purpose. The opportunity is open to applications from all over the Anglia region, male or female, and you do not have to be a current Girlguiding Anglia member. Find out more and apply via Girlguiding Anglia. The deadline is Sunday 10th April.   Girlguiding Anglia enables girls and young women to develop their potential and to make a real difference to the world. The charity is one of 9 regions established as administrative areas in 1970, covering a swathe of eastern counties and extending to Lincolnshire and Oxfordshire. Anglia owns the residential Hautbois Activity Centre set in 28 acres of beautiful countryside, on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. It has over 12,000 dedicated volunteers, delivering amazing opportunities for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers every week. It supports volunteers to give girls and young women a safe space where they can be themselves, have fun, build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills, and make a positive difference to their lives and their communities.

A brand new ‘job bus’ is hitting the roads across Norfolk and Suffolk – to help people find work and start a new chapter in their career journey. Contract Personnel, one of East Anglia’s leading independent recruitment agencies, have launched their new vehicle – which has already been popping up in places including Lowestoft, Thetford, Norwich, Wymondham and Great Yarmouth. The vehicle is fitted with a seating area and desk – so the team of recruitment experts can carry out registrations and interviews across the region. This means that candidates, who do not have access to their offices in Norwich, Thetford and Great Yarmouth, can still be registered for work. The ‘job bus’ also has kitchen and toilet facilities on board and is emblazoned with the Contract Personnel designs, colours and logo. The firm will also soon be revealing exciting plans to appear at local events, iconic landmarks and at towns and villages across the area. To co-incide with the launch, Contract Personnel are also encouraging people to ‘spot the bus’ for the chance to win some fantastic prizes – including Norwich City football tickets. Safely using the hashtag #cplbus and tagging the company on social media is the best way to enter the contest. Contract Personnel has been established for 33 years and they offer both temporary and permanent roles – specialising in Driving, Industrial, Commercial and Engineering roles. With offices in Norwich, Thetford and Great Yarmouth, new and exciting jobs are always being added to their website. Sarah Hooper, Managing Director at Contract Personnel, said: “We are all extremely excited that our ‘job bus’ is out on the road. “We would really encourage people to follow us on Facebook to see where we are visiting and tag us for the chance to win! “Get in touch if you would like us to come to you – this is a collaborative idea and we want it to benefit as many people as possible.” Contract Personnel are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are widely known for their slogan – ‘recruitment that works for you’. If you would like to find out about the latest vacancies, visit www.contract-personnel.com or you can call the Norwich Office on 01603 764044.

Efforts to segregate more recycling at Greater Anglia’s Crown Point rail depot in Norwich have helped to improve the company’s overall rate of recycling. A whopping 1,600kg of mixed recycling such as cardboard, plastic bottles and cans, has been collected since January as the train operator works to become even more sustainable. This is equivalent to the amount of waste produced by an average household in a year. Overall the company seeks to recycle as much waste as possible. However this can sometimes be challenging due to the nature of waste produced from the railway which is often non-recyclable or  considered “contaminated” if mixed with food, liquid or non-recyclable items. The company has encouraged all depot users to think about changes they could make to improve recycling and has implemented changes that have boosted recycling in just a few weeks. Stephanie Evans, Greater Anglia’s Environment and Energy Manager, said: “Rail is already the greenest form of transport and we are working hard behind the scenes, together with the rest of the industry, to reduce our impact and move towards net zero. “More initiatives like this will help us to reach our recycling targets as we strive to become even more sustainable, reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency across our trains, stations and depots.” Greater Anglia is currently reviewing all waste produced across its network and plans to implement similar initiatives at other key locations and depots.

Extra donations are needed to support the work of a charity shop in Norwich. Staff and volunteers are on the lookout for more items to sell at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) store in Bowthorpe. Donation levels have dipped since last year and it is affecting both shop sales and profits from the charity’s eBay and Amazon operation. Manager Michelle Hinton also hopes to receive more items for her bric-a-brac section, as well as CDs and DVDs. She said: “I’m not sure why it’s happened but certainly something we need help with, by encouraging people to bring in more sellable donations. “At one point, towards the end of last year, we were receiving 70 to 100 bags of donations a day but now that figure is more like 40. “We’re particularly short of items for our bric-a-brac section and could do with more things like CDs and DVDs. “The same goes for small electrical items and perhaps people don’t realise we take that kind of thing. “The only thing we can’t accept is furniture, because our shop isn’t big enough. “However, we’re grateful to receive anything else – as long as it’s in good condition and something we can sell.” The shop is one of four in Norwich, with others in Aylsham Road, Plumstead Road and Unthank Road. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It has three hospices, including The Nook at Framingham Earl. “Being short of donations affects our shop but also has a knock-on effect, because we also supply items to the EACH shop in Unthank Road,” added Michelle. “It also means we’re short of things to sell on our eBay and Amazon shops. “This is why we need some help from the local community and surrounding area.” Michelle is also keen to hear from anyone interested in volunteering at her shop, which is based at the Bowthorpe Centre in Wendene. To find out more, email Michelle via michelle.hinton@each.org.uk or call 01603 732874. Photo credits EACH – Image of Bowthorpe volunteers Linda Meager, Ann Seaman and Margaret Fiddy and the outside of Bowthorpe shop

8 March is International Women’s Day. “We cannot underestimate the extraordinary and indispensable contributions of women across all sectors. Women need to be given equal opportunities in leadership and decision-making roles and efforts must be made to reduce gender inequality.”  Check out the Inclusion Calendar 2022 here: https://bit.ly/3LFDkRL Do you need advice on equality in your workplace?  Get in touch: sarah@ignitepeoplesolutions.co.uk

Malcolm Hunter, a former Senior Engineering Manager at the BBC, has succeeded in obtaining a substantial settlement from his former employer following his mesothelioma diagnosis in December 2020. His lawyer is Martyn Hayward, an asbestos-related disease claim specialist at East Anglian solicitors Ashtons Legal. Mr Hunter, 78, retired in 1997 and moved to North Norfolk after a long career with the BBC, which took him not only across the UK but also Europe, Africa, Mexico and the USA. He joined the organisation in 1962 and worked his way up from Technical Assistant to Senior Engineering Manager, retiring in the late 1990s. Mr Hunter worked at Daventry Short-Wave transmitting station and in July 1963, he moved to Television Centre for a year and then moved to television Outside Broadcast a year later. Television Centre 2, some 40 years later, was subject to an asbestos removal programme. Between 1964 and 1996 Mr Hunter worked on numerous outside broadcasts including political conferences and major sporting events. These included the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel, Brighton that was bombed by the IRA, and at further political conferences including the Blackpool Winter Gardens. He remembers being aware that there was asbestos in all of these venues at that time. He also recalls working at Wembley Stadium for the European Championship and Millwall Football Ground when scaffolders were drilling into asbestos-clad walls. At no point does he remember being offered any sort of protective equipment or specific training about how to deal with asbestos. Mr Hunter started to notice a serious shortness of breath after minimal exertion in 2020, accompanied by extreme discomfort when he lay down. In December 2020 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma by specialists at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital. He has since undergone both chemotherapy and immunotherapy but is acutely aware that mesothelioma is a terminal cancer. Martyn Hayward comments: “The nature of Mr Hunter’s career meant that he was certainly in contact with asbestos on many occasions and had the misfortune to inhale asbestos dust. As is usually the case, this lay dormant for several decades before manifesting itself in mesothelioma. The BBC has now admitted causing Mr Hunter’s illness and conceded that their procedures in relation to protecting him against asbestos exposure were inadequate. While no amount of money can really begin to compensate someone for a reduced life expectancy, this settlement will help Mr Hunter to be as comfortable as possible for the remainder of his life.” Malcolm Hunter adds: “The motivation for sharing my story is to raise awareness of the continued dangers of asbestos. My case shows that you cannot always trust your employer to protect you. Everyone, please remember, there is still a serious risk to one’s health from asbestos, even though exposure might have occurred decades ago. I would like to thank Martyn Hayward of Ashtons for his dedication and perseverance in bringing my case to a conclusion. I cannot praise Martyn or Ashtons highly enough and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.”  

The University of East Anglia (UEA) and Alan Boswell Group are proud to announce the launch of the Alan Boswell Group Prostate Cancer Research Fellowship. One of the biggest challenges facing doctors treating prostate cancer is predicting which tumours will become aggressive. This makes it difficult to decide on the most appropriate clinical pathway for many men. For every man whose life is actually at risk, up to 17 men go through potentially devastating treatment for a cancer that would not have killed them. Researchers from UEA believe they have discovered a way to distinguish between aggressive and harmless prostate cancer. In partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital they have developed two tests which could solve the gap in prognostics. It is hoped that the clinical studies undertaken as part of this fellowship will prove the efficacy of the tests and close the gap in prognosis, meaning more men getting the treatment they need and sparing thousands from suffering needless side-effects. The Fellowship will provide UEA with significant funding, enabling a scientist to solely work on these clinical studies for the next three years, building on UEA’s excellent work to date. Dr Rachel Hurst, member of the Cancer Genetics team at UEA, has been awarded the Fellowship and will be taking the research into prostate cancer prognostics tests forward. You can find out more about her work here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/giving-to-uea/our-causes/prostate-cancer-research/interview-with-dr-rachel-hurst If successful, it is hoped the tests will become accredited by national and international committees and be used by clinicians to ensure that the right course of treatment is selected more rapidly for men undergoing assessment for prostate cancer. David Ellis, Director of Development at UEA said “This very generous support from Alan Boswell Group will really help us deliver medical research which aims to revolutionise aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis and get our new tests into hospital clinics worldwide — making a huge difference to patients.” This grant is being made directly by Alan Boswell Group but compliments the existing charitable work done via the Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, which has seen more than £1m awarded in grants over the past three years. Alan Boswell, Executive Chairman at Alan Boswell Group said “While survival rates for prostate cancer continue to improve, there is still a huge impact on men’s quality of life, often unnecessarily. It is likely to have an impact on all of our lives in some way, as one in eight men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. My hope is that this Fellowship will help to improve diagnosis and men’s experience of cancer treatment.”

Flights between Norwich and Exeter resumed yesterday (7 March) with Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, reconnecting the two major cities for business and leisure travellers alike. The direct service between Norwich and Exeter will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays until 25 March. Flights will then increase to four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for the spring and summer season. Operated using a 49-seat Embraer 145 regional jet, the route will see fares starting at just £64 one-way from Norwich. Richard Pace, Managing Director at Norwich Airport, said: “It’s fantastic to see the link between Norwich and Exeter has returned. This is a key route for business travel, leisure travel and those visiting friends and family. “With the growth of the staycation market, we’re delighted to have this domestic route running as it re-establishes key connectivity between East Anglia and the South-West and makes a trip to Devon really appealing.” Reservations for Loganair’s service between Norwich and Exeter can be made by visiting www.loganair.co.uk, by calling Loganair’s Customer Contact Centre on 0344 800 2855 or via your local travel agent. The full list of destinations reached directly from Norwich Airport in 2022 is: Bulgaria (Bourgas), Cyprus (Paphos), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Italy (Bergamo, gateway to the Italian Lakes), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Spain – Balearics (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca), Spain – Canaries (Tenerife), and Turkey (Dalaman). Plus, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Exeter in the UK, a summer service to Jersey, with Blue Islands and day trips and short breaks to Lapland. Plus, connectivity to over 150 destinations worldwide with KLM via Amsterdam. Find out more at: https://www.norwichairport.co.uk/flights-holidays/