We managed to get five minutes with busy Kathryn Horton, Chief Executive of our Stratgic Partners, Turning Factor. We asked Kathryn, ‘What are the positives your business has seen in 2021′? In 2021 we have had considerable growth in our own business. We have opened a new office and also launching a new arm of the business which is aimed at improving the standard of trainers through the UK. WE have seen many positives with other businesses, growing and innovating and also exploiting new markets. There is a real energy especially with technology and for those businesses that have survived COVID, there is a real sense of ambition for 2022 and beyond. What does 2022 look like for Turning Factor? We are excited about 2022! There is a lot of funding to support businesses with skills and training. We are currently heavily involved with recruiting new people to join the business and also we have new partnerships which will expand our business further and product range. Why is your Strategic partnership important to you? The importance of being a strategic partner for the chamber, is that we are passionate about making a difference for businesses performance in Norfolk. It is key that working with the Chamber we may have opportunities to work with companies to improve their performance and fortunes by improving the skills and leadership of those companies.
Submitted on Fri, 17/12/2021 Larking Gowen This week’s episode is all about coping with Christmas! James and Mark look back nostalgically on bygone years, and have musical references aplenty to keep spirits up. They have been inspired by recent guest Chris Anthony, and in the spirit of Christmas, decided to devote this episode to the mantra of ‘being in service to others’ and offer their wellbeing tips for coping with the festive period. How can you actually switch off, cope with burnout, and set realistic expectations? Many will be feeling the ‘pressure of Christmas’ after another challenging year, and James and Mark are here with their top tips on what you can do to manage expectations and pressure. We want to wish all our listeners a happy holiday season, and a prosperous new year! We will be taking a break for a while as we reboot in the new year – make sure you are subscribed to the Impromptu Business Chat channels on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible and more, so you don’t miss the exciting announcement on our revamped series, coming early 2022! You can also contact the team at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk if there are any topics you think we should cover in the future, or if you think you are an expert in your field, and think we should chat to you on a special episode! Show notes Tip1: 03:00 – Set realistic expectations, add a sense of realism, and create a routine Tip 2: 09:00 – Set a few hours aside to plan aims for the new year but only if you have had some down time! Tip 3: 12:49 – Think about the people around you – who might not be looking forward to this period, and what can you do to show them that you care. IBC – How to succeed with New Year Resolutions – WOOP there it is!Listen here!
Greater Anglia has made its website a ‘Safe Space’ for survivors of domestic abuse. Online ‘Safe Spaces’ are untraceable web pages with information on specialist domestic abuse support services, national helplines and other resources developed by the charity, UK SAYS NO MORE. The train operator has added the charity’s ‘Safe Space’ widget to its home page at greateranglia.co.uk to enable those experiencing domestic abuse to discreetly access support and information while carrying out daily online tasks. The ‘Safe Space’ webpage does not appear in internet browsing history and has a quick exit function. It can also be read in most languages using a quick access translation tool. Greater Anglia’s Commercial, Customer Service and Train Presentation Director, said, “Christmas can be a time of year when incidences of domestic abuse increase. As charities prepare for an increase in cases, we want to use our services to help those affected to escape abuse.” In addition, Greater Anglia, along with train companies across the country, offers free train travel for survivors of domestic abuse who are travelling to refuge accommodation. This is done through the ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme, a partnership between the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, and Women’s Aid Federation England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Womens’ Aid and Imkaan. Survivors of domestic abuse who would like to access the Rail to Refuge scheme, or need other support, can get in touch with Women’s Aid through their Live Chat service, open Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm: https://chat.womensaid.org.uk
Our Business Health Checks are designed to cover key areas of legislation and compliance in both Health and Safety and Employment Law. With legislation and best practice changing regularly, HR and Health and Safety policies and practices can quickly become out of date. We offer a customised HR and H&S health checks for your business. Contact us to arrange your FREE Health Check: sarah@ignitepeoplesolutions.co.uk
With the stunning city of Norwich, bathed in festive lights and famous for its beautiful independent shops and historic attractions, just a few minutes away, Barnham Broom is the perfect place for a dose of festive escapism this New Year’s. This year we are offering a very special three night break at our resort, which includes tickets to our spectacular James Bond themed New Year’s Eve party. If you are looking to celebrate New Year’s Eve in style with a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement then look no further than Barnham Broom. Situated in the heart of the Norfolk countryside and surrounded by two picturesque championship golf courses, the setting for your New Year’s escape is a tranquil one, with access to The Edge Health & Fitness Club and a 25-minute spa treatment included in your stay. There will also be plenty of festive fun for you to enjoy with our exceptional James Bond themed party, as well as pre-dinner drinks and dining in our Brasserie restaurant for two nights. Other activities will also be available including a master cocktail class and get ready for a flutter at our race night! We look forward to welcoming in 2022 with you! If you wish, we can bespoke your stay so please do get in touch for more options. Three night stay | 31st December 2021 – 3rd January 2022 From £450 per person based on two sharing New Year’s Eve Party in Norfolk A stylish evening paying homage to all things 007. Enjoy canapés on arrival, delicious dining, live music and more at this exceptional New Year’s celebration in Norwich. Come to Barnham Broom this New Year’s Eve for an excellent evening of entertainment with our James Bond themed party. Soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a martini at the bar (shaken not stirred, of course!) Then sit down to an outstanding four course dinner prepared by our talented chefs. Local Norwich band, Agent Orange, will be performing their live set to take us up to midnight and then our resident DJ will be taking over the stage into the small hours to keep the party going! Drinks packages available. Arrival from 7pm | Carriages at 2am. From £99 per person More details: https://www.barnham-broom.co.uk/new-years-eve-party-stay-norwich-norfolk
What does your role involve? I’m responsible for sourcing new deals, marketing the company, and the efficient management of the loan process. But we’re a small team of four, so we all do everything really! How long have you worked for RQ Capital? I’m a new recruit, having joined in April as the first new director since the inception of RQ Capital. The range of skills I’d grown through my previous development industry work on both the agency and landlord sides led me to this job. Having used finance in previous roles lent itself well to working on the funding side now. What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role? There’s a good variety, and I love meeting people. The main thing I really enjoy is going out and seeing the developments coming out of the ground. When I worked in the agency world, I’d just sell the property and never see the end product. It’s great to be involved in the development process, speaking directly to the builders and contractors – at the sharp end of the property market. And what do you find most challenging? Converting interest into tangible leads. We get a lot of interest, but it’s the conversion that’s the most challenging and most rewarding. What led you to a career in the industry? I started out in property development in 2004. I’ve always liked the industry – it’s interesting seeing new products being built, or utilising old products in conversions. I’ve worked on both the agency and landlord side, and now this is the third side – funding it. It’s definitely the most interesting one of the lot. What do you think differentiates RQ Capital from the competition? We’re a small team, so everyone knows everything about every loan. When you work with us, you talk directly to a decision-maker. What the directors say will happen, will happen. If we say we’re going to do something, we will deliver. Also, we’re very friendly and willing to solve problems that someone may have during a loan. We always work with people, rather than against them. What advice would you give someone who wanted to work in property development? You need to have good management skills. There are many different elements to property development: you’ve got to buy the land, fund it, find the contractor, understand how they work and find the money! You’ll be juggling a lot of balls – finance, delivery, selling. Where we fit in is being a good, friendly finance arm that will work with you – making the finance bit easy, so you just have to manage the development. And you need people skills – although you’re building something, like anything it’s a people business. Especially at the moment – there’s a massive pinch point on equipment and material. The builders who have good, trusting, friendly relationships with the merchants are managing to find supplies a bit more easily. It’s become really apparent who has good relationships within the industry. A good relationship with finance is crucial too. When we lend to a developer, we make sure that their builders are paid on time – because otherwise they won’t want to reappear! What do you like to do in your spare time? I’ve got a good work-life balance, although most of my spare time is spent looking after three kiddies! When I’m not doing that, I’m playing cricket and getting out and about in the countryside. We live in north Norfolk, and we’ve got a little boat which we take out to sea. And golf, if I get a chance! Quick Fire RoundAny TV recommendations? I’m enjoying watching Succession at the moment. And Clarkson’s Farm! Read any good books lately? I’m reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo, which is very good. I’m also a big fan of war books – I particularly enjoyed reading all Ben MacIntyre’s books about various spy operations… Your dream dinner party guests? Because I read a lot of boring books about the Second World War, Churchill would have to be there. I would love to meet Sir David Stirling who founded the SAS and I think would have some pretty interesting tales to tell. I never met either of my grandfathers, and they both had very interesting wars. One was in the Great Escape, and the other was in the navy and sunk a few times so I would love to hear first hand what happened. So we could have a great wartime discussion. What did you want to be when you were growing up? A vet. Favourite film? Withnail and I. Business pet peeve? Too many emails. Describe yourself in three words? Approachable, friendly and loyal. Describe RQ Capital in three words? Efficient, personable and bespoke.
*SPOILER ALERT* FOR NO TIME TO DIE! If you still haven’t seen the latest Bond film, please skip to 02:58! James and Mark are watching over the news this week, and playing pop culture catch up, as James’s self-imposed ‘No News November’ ends, and they discuss what the new COVID variant Omicron could mean for businesses as we head into winter. They discuss how we need to lean on the skills and lessons we have learnt during the last 18 months including how to adapt, lead by example, and empower people to take responsibility. *Please note this episode was recorded before the Government update on COVID restrictions made on 8.12.21* Top tips 06:58 Tip 1 – Adapt – “Planning is important, but plans are a waste of time” Winston Churchill 10:50 Tip 2 – “Sweep the sheds” – nobody is too senior to roll their sleeves up 13:30 Tip 3 – Take responsibility, act like a leader Show notes:David Marquet’s talk on ‘Greatness Leadership on a Submarine’Books:Scrum – Jeff SutherlandJames Kerr – LegacyDavid Marquets Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Building Leaders by Breaking the Rules If you’re enjoying our content, we would love to hear from you! Get in touch at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk
Last Thursday another highly successful Future of Women in Business Network (FWB) event took place, the last of these before Christmas! Despite it being the festive season, we were delighted to see lots of new faces as well as those who had previously attended. We were lucky enough to host a panel of three brilliant guest speakers; Jeanette Wheeler and Julie Gowland joined us from Birketts, alongside Nova Fairbank from the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce. The panel covered a wide variety of topics that regularly impact women in the workplace. These included juggling a career and family, finding a relevant mentor and how to improve mental wellbeing. All answers provided were raw and honest, creating a thought-provoking night. The event was a huge success thanks the fantastic engagement from our members and the panel. We look forward to the next event which will be hosted on Thursday 20 January; please feel free to get in touch if you would liek further information or are interested in attending. We hope to see you there! Rebecca Campbell – FWB Founder Contact: r.campbell@lovewell-blake.co.uk P.S Check out our Linkedin page here!
A video demonstration of the VR tour is available here:https://youtu.be/4XXLZaFJS1I Train operator, Greater Anglia, is launching a series of virtual station tours to help people travel with confidence – which is especially useful for disabled customers wanting to check how accessible their journey is. The tours have been designed to support journey planning, to give customers a clearer picture of stations before they travel and reduce anxiety about how they’ll get around from car park to platform. The company has created 360-degree virtual tours for ten of its busiest stations. Cambridge will be the first to go live on Friday 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Bishops Stortford, Broxbourne, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich, Shenfield, Southend Victoria and Stansted Airport will follow a few weeks later. Using the virtual station tours, people can find out how to get to all public areas of the station including lifts, toilets, customer service desks, platforms and anywhere else they might need to visit at the station such as car parks or drop off areas – making it easier for them to plan their journey in advance. Detailed 360 degree photography has been used to map the station, capturing all public spaces which people can navigate virtually even visiting the toilet or the waiting room before going to the platform. Aerial photography and an interactive map has also been used to show the location of all the customer facilities in relation to each other. Members of Greater Anglia’s Accessibility Panel, a group of disabled customers who meet regularly with the train company, offered feedback during its development and have been supportive of the project. The web-based online virtual tour offers autopilot or manual choices for navigating the station, an interactive map to see the entire station layout with ‘hot spot’ links to specific areas of the station. There is an aerial view showing the car park, cycle park, bus stop and taxi rank / drop off location. Key features such as tactile paving – textured paving on the edge of platforms – assisted travel meeting points and toilets and individual platforms can also be navigated to directly through a drop down menu system. The ‘autopilot’ tool gives users the option of selecting their destination location within the station and being automatically guided to it or if preferred through a series of clicks. The technology was provided by The Virtual Tour company and the tours software has been designed to be accessible. A spoken scene guide with closed captions plays on the home page at each station entrance and it features an accessibility widget that enables the user to change to high contrast, large font size or audio transcribe. Future developments will look at incorporating British Sign Language videos as part of Greater Anglia’s commitment to improving customer information. The tours can be viewed at https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/virtualtours on any device and the addition of more stations is planned in the future. Greater Anglia’s Accessibility Manager, Rebecca Richardson, said, “The idea was to create a tool for customers to assist them with their journey planning and reduce the anxiety about whether the station would create any accessibility barriers. We want to give people who may not have travelled by rail for a while or maybe not at all, to do so with confidence. “We are committed to making rail more accessible and providing quality information to enable more informed journey planning. Neil Henderson, Managing Director of Virtual Tour Experts, said, “We’ve really enjoyed working on this project to create a number of industry firsts. The world of VR is developing fast but until now that development has not given due consideration to online accessibility. “This tour is the World’s first to incorporate an accessibility widget, guided tours, subtitled scene guides and there is much more to come. The user-first attitude of the team at Greater Anglia provided the perfect base for development and will ensure the platform continues to evolve.”
Greater Anglia customers are urged to check their journeys over the festive season as there are some revisions to the usual timetable. On Christmas Eve last trains will run earlier than normal, with most of the company’s services, which run between London and Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire finishing by 22:30. The final trains are due to leave London Liverpool Street to Norwich at 20:30, Hertford East at 21:12, Clacton-on-Sea at 21:18, Cambridge at 21:28, Ipswich at 21:30, Southend Victoria at 21:35, Colchester at 21:38 and Stansted Airport at 22:55. The last trains are due to leave Chelmsford to Norwich at 21:00, Braintree at 21:22, London Liverpool Street, Stratford and Shenfield at 21:40, Clacton-on-Sea at 21:52 and Colchester at 22:12. The last trains are due to leave Ipswich to Peterborough at 17:42, Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds at 19:13, Lowestoft at 20:17, Felixstowe at 20:58, London Liverpool Street at 21:10, Colchester at 21:28 and Norwich at 21:41. The last trains are due to leave Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze at 20:56, Walton-on-the-Naze (changing trains at Thorpe-le-Soken) at 21:16, Norwich at 21:21, London Liverpool Street at 21:30, Clacton-on-Sea at 22:16 and Ipswich at 22:20. The last trains are due to leave Tottenham Hale to Hertford East at 21:25, Audley End and Cambridge at 21:40, London Liverpool Street at 22:35 and Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Bishop’s Stortford and Stansted Airport at 22:37. The final trains of the evening are due to leave Cambridge to Norwich at 20:20, Ipswich at 20:47, Norwich (changing trains at Stowmarket) at 20:47, London Liverpool Street at 21:02, Stansted Airport (changing trains at Bishop’s Stortford) at 21:02, Tottenham Hale at 21:02 and Ely at 22:36. The last trains of the night from Norwich will leave to Bury St Edmund’s via Ely at 18:23, Lowestoft at 19:02, Cambridge at 19:27, Sheringham at 19:55, London Liverpool Street at 20:32 and Great Yarmouth at 20:40. Customers are reminded to check their travel over the holiday period as Network Rail are undertaking vital improvement works across the Greater Anglia network on certain days. Rail replacement buses are running between Shenfield and Colchester on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December due to bridge work in the Chelmsford area. No e-scooters, e-cycles or full-size bikes can be transported on the replacement buses. The Stratford to Meridian Water service is not running on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December and Saturday 1 to Monday 3 January due to platform works at Stratford. Trains running between London and Hertford East and Cambridge will be diverted into London Liverpool Street. Across the whole of the Greater Anglia network, trains that are running will operate a Sunday-style service on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December and Saturday 1 January. A Saturday-style service will operate on Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 December. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, said: “We would urge customers to double check the times of their trains on Christmas Eve so they don’t miss their last trains home. “Engineering works are affecting some routes between Christmas and New Year, with rail replacement buses running to ensure you can complete your journeys. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. “We would like to wish all our customers a very happy Christmas and New Year and look forward to welcoming them back in 2022.” Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “We’ve got a huge package of work planned this Christmas and New Year that will reduce delays, maintain safety and improve reliability across the rail network and we’ve been able to plan this to keep most of the network open. These works are crucial to keep services running safely and reliably. I’d like to thank our passengers and our line side neighbours for their patience while we carry out this important work.” Under current Government guidance, all rail passengers should wear a face covering while on stations, trains and rail replacement buses unless they are exempt.” Visit www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/service-disruptions/christmas-2021-service-summary for an online summary of last trains and engineering works.
Fine Arts students took inspiration from landscapes surrounding the Wherry Lines railway thanks to a collaboration between Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), The Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and the Water, Mills and Marshes Landscape Partnership Scheme, led by the Broads Authority. Five students from NUA travelled by train from Norwich to Berney Arms for a walk around Halvergate marshes to see the Halvergate Mills trail which is currently in development by the Water, Mills and Marshes team. Berney Arms is the region’s smallest and least-used station offering access to a unique landscape of marshes, windmills and grazing animals that offers many beautiful walks. Wherry Lines Ranger tickets were provided by the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership to enable to students to reach the station, which is only accessible by foot, boat or train. For the students, the trip was an opportunity to discover how art and the community can collaborate together on projects and also find inspiration from the surroundings. Martin Halliday, of the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, said, “We were delighted to support the work of Norwich University of the Arts and their students to come and see the stunning scenery that is so easily accessible by train from Norwich. “It’s a short journey but you feel a world away and I hope that in turn, the students’ artworks will encourage even more people to take advantage of the great value Wherry Lines Ranger tickets and come and see these unique landscapes for themselves.” Roisin Delaney, Intern Water, Mills & Marshes, said, “The walk aimed to inspire and provide students with the opportunity to step outside their usual surroundings, exploring the environments and communities they are a part of during their studies. “I’m pleased to see that the students found stimulation and a sense of peace during the walk; giving them a thoughtful break from their studies.” Andrew Farrell, Programme Manager Water, Mills & Marshes, said, “The Wherry Lines are a vital part of the Broads and have been for more than 175 years. “We are grateful for the support offered by the Community Rail Partnership and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to show these students that this gorgeous, world-renowned wetland is so easily accessed by the railway. “We hope that they continue to be inspired by this unique landscape and that more people will leave their car at home and take the train to visit the Broads National Park and all that it has to offer.”