Member News

In celebration of their 60-episode diamond anniversary, James and Mark are looking back over the past 18 months at the highlights and the more dubious moments, mostly consisting of Mark’s tenuous/terrible musical links! 

Impromptu Business Chat (IBC) launched in May 2020, in response to the ever-changing financial support available to businesses, and the changes to our everyday personal and business lives. Their aim was to create a bitesize, helpful and FREE business advice platform that was presented in a relaxed and fun way. 

The podcast was an instant hit and has evolved to include special feature length guest episodes, where James and Mark chat to top business leaders and experts on not just their pandemic experiences, but business in general. The podcasts provided a sanctuary for so many listeners; knowing that there was help out there and that they were not alone. 

They have spoken with BBC presenter Simon Mundie on how sport is a metaphor for business; Sue Liburd MBE and former Rugby Union international Andy Nichol on diversity in the workplace; leading psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick on how to communicate effectively with your customers; former Red Arrows pilot Dan Lowes; wellbeing expert Louise Newby and many more! 

During this special episode they play clips from past interviews and top tip episodes, demonstrating just how far they have come as presenters, learning along the way from their guests’ advice and their own findings. They highlight the value of the lessons they have learned, throughout their combined 30+ years in business, and as leaders through a global pandemic. 

If you’ve been wondering what Impromptu Business Chat is all about, this episode is a great place to start. You can access the episode vault on Listen here!

Rhino Building Supplies, Acle are very proud to be associated with East Anglia Brickwork Ltd in their drive to support young people wishing to begin a career in the construction industry as apprentice bricklayers. Darren Critchlow, Director of East Anglia Brickwork Ltd, Zoe Gabriele of Rhino and Gary Smith the onsite apprenticeship teacher & mentor met for a chat about their exciting new apprenticeship programme. 

So tell us a bit about the apprenticeship programme:

I wanted to bring in qualified brickwork teachers willing to work on a live site mentoring and laying bricks/blocks alongside apprentices.  We have set up the programme based on 4/5 apprentices with 3 or 4 bricklaying mentors onsite.  We plan to build the programme each year – adding 4/5 apprentices. The apprenticeship is 2 years training to achieve the new brickwork standard level 2 which has taken the place of the old NVQ level 2 qualification. The training is all on site and the benefit of having a qualified bricklaying teacher is that the theory work can also take place onsite. This means that on wet days when they are unable to work onsite –  they will then use the onsite classroom for theory – allowing the apprentices to utilise the good weather days to polishing up their practical skills.

We are keen to expand into multiple programmes and to do this we are looking for:

1. Brickwork Teacher – willing to teach theory on the wet days and work hands on mentoring and laying bricks alongside the apprentices on dry days. This position will be full time employment with bonuses for each apprentice that achieves qualification of the programme.
2. Bricklayer Mentor – willing to work hands on mentoring and laying bricks alongside the apprentices. The benefit to this is that they will be able to pass on knowledge and watch the apprentices develop into a quality bricklayer with all the key principles to improve our industry. This is a full time, self-employed position with bonuses for each apprentice that achieves qualification of the programme.
3. Apprentices – Anyone of any age keen to pursue a career in brickwork. The programme accommodates up to 6 months paid trial period before committing to the full-time employed apprenticeship. This is basically up to a 6-months probation period where they will learn labouring and basic brickwork skills. This allows us to get to know the candidate and the candidate can get a good feel for the company and our principles. The apprenticeship is fulltime employment for 2 years with the opportunity to progress as a bricklayer with East Anglia Brickwork Ltd.

Why did you want to do this and include mentors to bring along new people?

“Gary Smith our Teacher on site worked training apprentices at RG Carters Academy for 15 years and I was trained by him when I completed my apprenticeship at RG Carter. I hold the same passion as Gary for helping people who are passionate about the trade I love. I also like the fact that we have created an opportunity for the more experienced bricklayer to become a mentor and not worry about having to lay a quota of brick or block to make their days money. It’s a great option to put less stress on their body and mentor the apprentices who will in turn cover the quotas to make the programme works on a financial basis – making this programme sustainable ”    – Darren                                                                    

“Darren is now running a successful brickwork contracting company and providing work for approx. 45 bricklayers and for that I am really proud and happy to be involved in this idea working as a mentor for these apprentices.”    – Gary

“I always wanted to be a bricklayer when I was young but I struggled to get an apprenticeship. At that time I was taken on by RG Carter and completed my NVQ L3.  These days it has all changed and classed as a brickwork standard L2. I enjoy seeing others progress and do well and in my experience investing time into development and training can only be for the good.  It does give a certain amount of loyalty but even if the guys when they finish move on to work for others or start their own business or move away we would have done our bit to help improve the industry”   – Darren

“The apprentices I met on site at the time of my visit all seemed keen to learn and be involved. Cameron told me that East Anglia Brickwork were the last people he tried and was starting to lose hope as every previous phone call had said they were not taking on apprentices”  –  Zoe

What is a key benefit to this type of apprenticeship programme?

“Darren and Gary both told me that they both recognised that even with the apprenticeships it was a challenge to spend time to observe the proper skills without designated mentors. With some apprenticeship schemes the apprentice would be sent away off site to college and taught there but apart from photographs it was hard to get a feel of the flair or competency of the individual. Training and working alongside the apprentice’s day in day out was so much easier and brings about lots of positives. We personally and strongly believe this is the best type of apprenticeship to offer in brickwork”

Does the programme run every day?

“In the trade when you are faced with wet days as a bricklayer often you have to pack up but the beauty of this scheme is we can now do theory work in a designated classroom based on site resulting in them continuing their learning and maximising the weather issues we face in our trade.”                                             – Gary

“On the site I visited this is still work in progress as they intend to include a covered area just outside the classroom to allow for practice sessions. I spoke with my cement supplier Southern Cement who were also happy to get involved and offered a free pallet of cement to assist with the course.”  – Zoe

Can most building methods be covered in this way?

“Definitely, for example in Norfolk there is a preference for Flint work in many areas of the county but finding someone who is able to train people in how to do this can be problematic. We have some great flint layers in our company.  We often have flintwork projects which we can include within the programme –  this is where the mentors can help and it gives the apprentices a broader range of experiences which they can then draw upon throughout their careers.”  – Darren

Has there been any help to you in setting this up?

The opportunity for funding via Government Schemes is there now in regard to apprenticeships but there has been some setting up costs. Rhino have offered to help us to communicate what we are doing and support us with materials. We have set up a container on site as our classroom and fully furnished it, providing full toolkits for the apprenticeships.  We also employ quality officers which a lot of other contractors do not provide because we recognise that the quality of our work needs to be good. Our aim has always been to be the best brickwork contractor we can be and create a great working environment with a team feel. Now our aim has grown to train and create the best bricklayers in our area for EAB and our industry.”     – Darren

What would you say to anyone who may be interested in getting involved?

“I would say drop me a line.  I think there are a lot of willing people out there who may not have considered this type of career but want to work hard and gain a qualification – this is a huge opportunity for you.  I also really encourage mentors and trainers who are keen to pass on what they know and are genuinely interested in training others to get in touch. The most important piece of this programme is the mentors – the programme doesn’t work without mentors. We are able to employ you on a full time basis or on a self employed basis and we really need your level of expertise. My email address is eastangliabrickworkltd@gmail.com”  – Darren 

Our Best Employers Eastern Region 2021 awards conference took place virtually on Thursday 30 September. We were delighted to host this year’s conference alongside our co-founders’ eras Ltd, and partners Birketts and Archant. Congratulations to all the winners and organisations which were accredited.

What’s Best Employers?

Best Employers Eastern Region brings together companies from across the East of England to encourage economic growth through better employee engagement. Beginning as an employee survey, it’s now become a community designed to help leaders develop their organisations’ cultures, engagement levels and workplace environments.

The awards conference is the final event in this year’s programme. Launched in March, it also included a culture and values survey by eras, and a programme of eight virtual events and webinars.

90 people joined us online to hear the award and accreditation announcements. They were also treated to speeches from Hamish Taylor, former head of brands at BA, CEO of Eurostar and Sainsbury’s Bank, and Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams.

Lynn Walters, Executive Director at Pure, kicked things off by thanking all the organisations that have still taken the time to listen to their people during what’s been a challenging year for all of us.

A tribute to Alex Pearce

The conference was dedicated to Alex Pearce, cofounder of eras Ltd, who sadly died in 2020. Lynn said: ‘I think Alex would be incredibly proud of what your team and our team have all achieved together. And that we’ve been able to carry this on as your legacy.’

Through the programme and participants’ generosity, we donated over £11,000 for the charities Nelson’s Journey and Winston’s Wish. Both of these organisations supported Alex’s family during a very difficult time.

Who were the winners?

We presented 10 organisations with Best Employers Eastern Region 2021 awards. They won these after getting exceptional results in the employee engagement survey, where they were rated on a range of factors by the people who know best – their own employees.

Here’s a full list of the winners.

• Alex Pearce award for the most improved  – The Big C Cancer Charity
• Best large company  – Treatt
• Best medium company – Beckett Investment Management Group
• Best small company – FutureYou Cambridge
• Best hospitality and retail – Holkham Estate
• Best digital and technology – TigerEye
• Best business and professional services – PolicyBee
• Best not-for-profit – Centre 33
• Best manufacturing – Thurne
• Best healthcare and pharmaceuticals – IPRS Group

Which organisations were accredited?

As well as the award winners, we presented 31 organisations with either platinum, gold or silver accreditations. These were awarded to employers who scored in the top 25% of the Best Employers Eastern Region employee engagement survey (they also showed us evidence of their working practices to back this up).

You can find the full list of accredited organisations on the Best Employers’ website.

About our speakers

With Best Employers we aim to inspire organisations with insight and ideas – all to make the most of their employee engagement. And we’re pleased to say that our two keynote speakers did exactly that.

Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams, shared his story of innovation through lockdown, but explained that it was actually much bigger than that. He said:

‘What’s the role for me as the leader in all of this? I could do only three things – pick the right team and continue to develop it even when working through a crisis, establish their priorities, and catalyse action. So [I would] encourage them to act, and then get out the way and let far more talented people than me do their stuff.’

He continued:

‘We were very glad about having a progressive culture. And as Peter Drucker said all those years ago, “culture eats strategy for breakfast” – and so it proved. Mike Tyson also had a really good phrase: “everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face.” And COVID was quite a punch in the face. But our progressive culture really supported our organisation through this. We continue to celebrate the achievements of the company and individual members of staff every week. [For example] we had a roll call of staff’s birthdays [and] made sure that every member of staff got a birthday card from the directors.”

Hamish Taylor, former Brand and Innovation Director at BA, CEO of Eurotunnel and Sainsbury’s Bank talked about how companies should focus on the things they have in common when engaging employees, through the concept of ‘ruthless simplicity’. Drawing on his experience, he said:

‘I’ve worked with lots of organisations in lots of different places. And what interests me is the commonalities, rather than the differences. If you look at the work environment that we’re in at the moment, we’re all facing the same challenges – even before COVID came along. When it comes to things like how we move forward, we can learn from the experiences of other organisations, particularly in the area of customer engagement. And for me, getting back to this theme of ruthless simplicity, that’s the really simple way that I look at the employee engagement.’

Lynn wrapped things up by saying:

‘We’d like to congratulate all our winners and accredited organisations. I really hope many of you are going to really enjoy sharing the news with your teams and celebrating. With our partners eras, Birketts and Archant, this has become a fantastic Best Employers year, during a time of significant change. We had no idea what to expect when we set off, so I really appreciate you giving your time and supporting Best Employers. I hope you and your teams enjoy celebrating your achievements.’

Need some help with employee engagement?

At Pure, our consultants can support you with your recruitment and employee engagement strategies. Contact our team today. You might also like to find out more about Best Employers, including how to sign up for next year’s programme.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued new guidance for any business who makes environmental claims.

The guidance is applicable for goods and services and for any business.

The purpose of this guidance is to help businesses understand and comply with their existing obligations under consumer protection law when making environmental claims. We hope it will give confidence to those businesses whose products are genuinely ‘green’ to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions.

See link to guidance and press release here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-claims-code-making-environmental-claims

I would like to share my story…   I am the founder of Globally Onward, a not-for-profit organisation based in Norwich, which supports and empowers highly skilled immigrants and refugees to restart their careers here in the UK. We also exist to encourage businesses to value diversity and inclusion, and we aim to become an organisation that can bring employers and professional immigrants and refugees together to meet each other’s needs.   In the initial phase we will be concentrating most of our effort on East Anglia and we are interested in working with local employers for talent acquisition, get in touch with us at info@globallyonward.org

Did you know that last year there were 693,000 workplace first aid incidents in the UK?

This is a staggering 19.2% increase from the year before which suggests that it’s becoming more likely that you could have to face a first aid emergency in your workplace!

If not managed correctly, these types of incidents can end up with your name plastered all over the news, whilst ruining your business’ reputation and destroying your customer base.

If this isn’t bad enough, further statistics show that the average fine from the HSE, if handled poorly…is £110,000 per incident!

Norfolk-based first aid training supplier Medical Training Solutions have teamed up with Norfolk County Council to offer training that is 75% funded under their new ‘Employer Training Incentive Programme’ (ETIP).

Their award-winning first aid training courses have been designed to provide businesses with the knowledge and skills needed to deal with a wide range of first aid situations and keep you and your business safe, legally compliant, and free from media scrutiny (which include the latest COVID-19 changes to first aid!)

How does the scheme work?

If you are a Norfolk-based SME, you should qualify for the new ‘Employer Training Incentive Programme’ (ETIP) led by Norfolk County Council (NCC).

This new scheme means that NCC will pay 75% of your training costs up to £1,500.00 per business!

Medical Training Solutions are one of few training providers who have been authorised by NCC to deliver first aid training under the scheme meaning that you can book the following courses today:

Emergency First Aid at Work (1-day for small/low-risk businesses) £121.10 ex VAT £30.27 ex VAT pp

First Aid at Work (3-days for medium to large/high-risk businesses) £268.21 ex VAT £67.05 ex VAT pp

Blended First Aid at Work (1-day e-learning and 2-days classroom for medium to large/high risk businesses) £268.21 ex VAT £67.05 ex VAT pp

All of these courses are HSE compliant, nationally recognised, and last for 3 years!

What will these courses allow my staff to deal with?

1. A customer who’s collapsed.

1. A client who has stopped breathing.

1. A customer who is choking.

1. A client who has cut themselves and is bleeding badly.

1. A customer who has slipped over and broken a bone.

1. A client who is having a heart attack or a stroke.

1. A customer who is having a life-threatening allergic reaction.

1. A client who is having a fit.

Are there any other benefits of having qualified first aiders in my business?

1. Show of confidence to customers on your premises which can increase sales and revenue.

1. Reduced first aid anxiety which means more confident, productive, and high-performing staff.

1. Heightened brand reputation as an employer who invests in the health, safety, and wellbeing of their staff (we supply FREE social media packs to help you show this off!).

1. Increased legal compliance which means you’re less likely to suffer hefty HSE fines and medico-legal prosecution in the event of an incident.

What will I get if I book?

1. Award winning training that is HSE compliant in order to protect you and your business.

1. Free-onsite parking to ensure that you arrive in a relaxed state and ready to learn.

1. Supply of stationary, textbooks and handouts to support your learning and set you up for success.

1. COVID-19 PPE so that you can focus on your learning in a safe and secure environment.

1. FREE Career and workplace risk assessment advice to help you achieve legal compliance and avoid costly fines.

1. On-site refreshments to help keep you and your team in the best state to learn and achieve.

1. Training with realistic medical prosthetics that help reduce the risk of making errors in real-life.

1. Unlimited assessment attempts to reduce exam related anxiety and give you the peace of mind needed to perform at your best.

PLUS, every delegate will receive 1 x vehicle first aid kit that has been specifically designed to go in the boot of their car to give them the power to administer lifesaving first aid to their friends, family, colleagues, and other road users!

What are my next steps?

For more information about how to claim this limited time offer please see their ‘Your 5 steps to claim this limited time offer!’ infographic.

Medical Training Solutions Ltd are an award-winning first aid and medical training provider based in Snetterton, Norfolk. To date, they have worked with numerous multi-national clients supplying industry-leading first aid and medical training.

Business owners, people thinking of setting up on their own, or individuals who are looking to turn a hobby into their career are being asked to share their thoughts on pop-up spaces:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7CQ8NJX

Respondents are asked to think about what type of facilities they might need from a pop-up space, and more generally, what business support they would welcome. The feedback gathered in this survey will directly inform a project looking at pop-ups in King’s Lynn that is being led by Discover King’s Lynn, the King’s Lynn BID.

Vicky Etheridge, Manager of Discover King’s Lynn explained: “The research that we’ve carried out through Vision King’s Lynn over the last few years, and from the BID’s own work with businesses in the town, has revealed a real interest in, and appetite for, pop-up spaces.

“We know that pop-ups are a great way of giving small businesses a launch pad to trade and thrive and so we are really keen to look at what we can offer here in King’s Lynn.

“But we need help from businesses and potential traders to tell us what they need, what they think, and what they would like. Whether you’re in business now or thinking of setting up, we want to hear from you – please do have your say.”

The closing date to take part in the survey is 5pm on Sunday 24 October.

Earlier this year, £25M in Town Deal funding was announced for King’s Lynn and seven Town Deal projects have now been approved by the government. Business cases and detailed plans for each of these projects are now being developed, and engagement and consultation – such as this survey – will help to shape the plans.

In this episode, Ian Fitch chats with Ian Mather, so it’s less a tale of two halves, and more the tale of two Ian’s! Sit back and listen to them ‘kicking around’ thoughts on what it really means to pursue a second career. Ian Mather is a retired solicitor and former partner at Mills & Reeves, but decided that retirement wasn’t for him, especially once the job of CEO of Cambridge Football Club presented itself.

Ian specialised in employment law and was an advocate of mediation over expensive litigation throughout his career. With the skills he learnt in how to mediate successfully and to manage his own company and staff, Ian felt he had a sound basis to step in and guide the football club to promotion.

Ian talks about the benefits of having a clear strategy and the importance of communicating this with your teams, especially when you’re new to a business. Ian looks back to the beginning of lockdown and reflects on how important it was to develop quick decision-making skills; which led to developing the idea of fan bubbles and Cambridge FC being the first club in the UK to welcome back fans.

Ian considers the key to his ongoing success is treating people decently and listening to them. During his first few months with the club, he focused on observation; what was working well and what wasn’t, and he developed his relationships with the team which helped guide them out of a turbulent time.

Ian believes passionately in clubs engaging with their communities by actively taking part in youth groups, adopting sustainable practices, engaging fans and helping out with community work. The club signed up to Fair Game, a regulatory initiative supported by Government, to make clubs more accountable. This involves closer financial monitoring to avoid closures, and creating a sustainable business model for football clubs. Ian discusses how the current financial model in our national game is broken, and provides insights into why more and more clubs are signing up to Fair Game.

This episode is a fascinating listen for business leaders and football fans alike and provides a great example of how taking risks by transferring your skills and talents to a new role you are passionate about, can be fruitful and fulfilling.

There are no red flags in this episode, only golden boots, so join us in this peek behind the scenes of the beautiful game and learn from a man working to turn its financial credibility around.

We would love it if you could subscribe wherever else you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss out on any future episodes! If you could also leave us a review we would love to hear from you, and it helps others find our podcast. 

Show notes Fair Game Cambridge United FC

podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk

Listen here!

The B2B Exhibition returns on Thursday 14 October and is Norfolk’s largest business-to-business exhibition. Free to attend and attracting hundreds of businesses on the day, B2B is a highlight on the Norfolk events calendar.

The Co.mmunicate hub is the place where businesses can talk one-to-one with business specialists to help grow their business. Experts from a range of specialisms will be available for 15-minute slots throughout the day (more information on who and how to book coming soon). The hub is part of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce’s Knowledge Hour, which encourages businesses to allow employees to take 1 hour a week for learning and development.

Matthew Downing, Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial at Spire Solicitors LLP, said: “Norfolk Chambers does a great job of supporting local businesses throughout the year and this event will be an excellent opportunity for the local business community to finally see each other again after such a long time apart. We are proud to be sponsors of the Co.mmunicate Hub, which incorporates Knowledge Hour and Norfolk Knowledge Hub, and we look forward to seeing you all at our stand on the day.”

For exhibitors and visitors, the event gives the opportunity to meet new potential clients, catch up with existing contacts and have a presence at this prestigious event.

Alongside the Co.mmunicate hub, you can also meet a plethora of businesses in the exhibition, take part in speed networking sessions throughout the day, go to a free workshop or seminar, relax in the Proudly Norfolk food hub and join us for the B2B after party (ticketed event).

 Free tickets to the exhibition are now available so that you can gain fast-track entry on the day. Register here: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/b2b

The much-anticipated Budget Statement has been released on Tuesday 27 October, giving the current Chancellor the opportunity to announce the latest Budget without national restrictions in place. Whilst we’re still feeling the impacts of COVID-19, we can now see the start of an economic bounce back, with forecast revenues ahead compared to the Budget announcement in March 2021, there comes a new optimism in the Chancellors announcement. Some of the key policy changes announced were: Increased spending for –

• Transport – £6.9bn (however this is only £1.5bn as it includes the 2019 promise of £4.2bn)
• Health – £5.9bn to tackle the backlog in the NHS
• Health research – £5bn over the next 3 years to help R&D
• Education – £2.6bn to create new school places for those with special education needs, with a £1.6bn over 3 years for the rollout of new T-Levels

Although there are no major increases, there is a continued effort to focus on investment and growth, whilst keeping the books in balance in a recovering economy. During the Budget Statement the Chancellor further announced:

• Inflation is likely to rise in the new year
• There will be a new Charter for Budget Responsibility

There were no increases to mention in tax, other than the previously announced Health and Social Care Levy which is in effect a 1.25% tax increase on all earnings and dividends. Other highlights include:

• Removal of the public sector pay freeze
• Increase in the National Living Wage to £9.50 from April 2022
• The 100% tax relief available to businesses on the first £1m of capital spend will be extended until 31 March 2023
• Cuts on Air Passenger Duty rates for domestic flights from April 2023
• Retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors will receive a 50% relief on business rates in 2022/23, with a cap of £110,000
• Alcohol rise cancelled, and lower strength alcohol will receive a drop in rates, with a further relief for draught sales and sparkling wine to be equal to still wine, based on wine strength
• The planned tapering of Universal Credit will be cut by 8% with the aim of slowing the cut by December 1, to help those relying on the claim

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the latest Budget announcement, please get in touch, call 0330 024 0888 or email enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk. Richard Proctor Tax Partner at Larking Gowen

KING’S LYNN TOWN CENTRE’S INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND BUSINESSES ARE JOINING IN WITH THE TOTALLY LOCALLY NATIONAL FIVER FEST – AN INNOVATIVE CELEBRATION OF OUR INDEPENDENT HIGH STREETS KING’S LYNN IS PART OF THE TOTALLY LOCALLY NATIONAL FIVER FEST 9 – 23rd October. To show the importance of supporting our high streets, King’s Lynn is joining with other independent High Streets across the UK to put on very special £5 offers across two weeks in October, in the TOTALLY LOCALLY FIVER FEST. FIVER FEST is a free to join campaign, devised and run by Totally Locally, a Grass Roots High Street organisation that has been helping businesses and High Streets to help themselves since 2010 with incredible results.   For Fiver Fest, Totally Locally is partnering with Visa, and together, they are calling on shoppers to divert £5 of their weekly spend to support the small businesses in their communities. Fiver Fest is based around the now-famous Totally Locally £5 message: “If every adult in King’s Lynn spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, it would mean £8.3 million per year going directly into our local economy. Which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger economy & a nicer place to live. Makes you think doesn’t it?!” Spending just £5 a week in King’s Lynn can make a big difference to our High Street, the “Fiver Fest” promotes this message. “We know Fiver Fest isn’t going to change the world”, said Chris Sands of Totally Locally, “But small changes in spending habits can really make a difference to our high streets. Just by diverting £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them a fighting chance to thrive. The Pandemic has shown just what an amazing contribution they make to our local communities. It’s a conversation worth having! It is for this reason, that the sixth National Fiver Fest is taking place. This time it’s even more important than ever, after how our world has changed during 2021. YouGov research has shown that 59% of shoppers have used more local shops to support them during lockdown. And they want to keep on supporting them. Fiver Fest makes that even easier.   Just some of the offers available in King’s Lynn Town Centre: • All starters £5 at Soul Café & Restaurant – lunchtime only. • £5 installation fee on all household appliance purchases at Cooper & Elms – washing machines, dishwashers, cookers etc. Saving up to £35! • A cinema ticket and a medium popcorn OR hot drink for £5 at the Corn Exchange Cinema – everyday 10am-5pm • Selected cocktails £5 at the Duke’s Head Hotel • Coffee and cake for £5 at The Wenns Chop & Ale House and The Bank House • Standard A1 prints for £5 at Prontaprint • Bacon sandwich and a hot drink of choice for £5 at Nice & Tasty Patisserie • £5 meal deal at Bitson’s Fish & Chips • Waffle and hot chocolate for £5 at Pretty Little Bistro • Selected designer pencil cases for £5 at Designs • Gin and mixer for £5 at Gin Saloon • 2 bath bombs or 2 soap slices or 1 bag of wax melts for £5 from Jaine’s Gift Box   For details of more local offers, visit: www.discoverkingslynn.com/whats-on. For any independent business based in King’s Lynn Town Centre wishing to participate in FIVER FEST, please contact Discover King’s Lynn at info@discoverkingslynn.com. For further information please see www.totallylocally.org and www.fiverfest.co.uk

Norwich Airport is celebrating the return of year-round flights to Tenerife today (September 30) with holiday company TUI.

The popular Canary Islands destination offers huge beaches and year-round sunshine. And with up to two direct flights a week from Norwich, is perfect for a winter sun break.

Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “We’re delighted to be relaunching year-round holidays to Tenerife with TUI, giving local holidaymakers the opportunity to escape to the sun with the ease and convenience of flying from their local airport.

“TUI has already confirmed its summer 2022 schedule from Norwich Airport, with flights to Spain (Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, Tenerife), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Cyprus (Paphos), and Turkey (Dalaman) resuming in May 2022 and all bookable now.”

For anyone seeking early autumnal sunshine in addition to Tenerife, flights to Corfu are currently operating every Friday from Norwich Airport (last departure 22 October) and flights to Majorca every Saturday (last departure 23 October).

In total, Norwich Airport has announced 19 domestic and international destinations in ten countries for 2021/22 and last week confirmed the start of direct flights from Jersey next summer with Channel Islands-based airline Blue Islands.

For a full list of destinations from Norwich Airport and details of how to book, click here.