Member News

Walking With The Wounded’s volunteering programme OP-REGEN has been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

OP-REGEN, based in Greater Manchester, launched in February 2020 is a volunteering programme that offers a platform for ex-military personnel to recognise their inherent skills and empowers them to demonstrate these skills to the wider community. For those that have landed on hard times, the project aims to support these individuals and their families to reintegrate back into society and to have a meaningful positive impact on the environment in which they reside; additionally, for those not in employment the projects aims to assist in their journey back into the workplace.

Although focused on ex-military, more generally the project is supported by volunteers from all backgrounds including Corporate UK and encourages these individuals to work together, leading to a greater increase in community cohesion and safer neighbourhoods.

Fergus Williams, CEO of Walking With The Wounded commented: “OP-REGEN embodies the future ambitions of Walking With The Wounded to support ex-military seeking support and to find those that require support but are not actively seeking it.  I am immensely proud of the programme and delighted that the hard work and commitment of all those who have volunteered through OP-REGEN are being recognised by being awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

“OP-REGEN provides our clients, our corporate partners and ultimately, our armed forces community, with the opportunity to ‘serve again’ by utilising the inherent skills of the service leaver and showcasing the standards and values of those that have served.”

Walking With The Wounded is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

Veteran, beneficiary of WWTW and volunteer for OP-REGEN, Christopher commented: “I chose to volunteer with Walking With The Wounded after my Employment Advisor suggested it would help me if I engaged in OP-REGEN.  It’s helped me develop my confidence and add structure to my week which will ultimately support my journey back into employment which is my main goal.”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including an inclusive tennis club in Lincolnshire; a children’s bereavement charity in London; a support group those living with dementia and their carers in North Yorkshire; a volunteer minibus service in Cumbria; a group supporting young people in Belfast; a community radio station in Inverness and a mountain rescue team in Powys.

Representatives of Walking With The Wounded will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer. Furthermore two volunteers from Walking With The Wounded will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2022 (depending on restrictions at the time), along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

Creative Sponge has appointed a new Creative Director and Client Services Director in a reorganisation of its leadership team.

Agency founder Alex Tosh will again lead the agency on a day-to-day basis backed by Patrick Hennings and Martin Betts.

Patrick will take responsibility for Sponge’s Studio team and its output as Creative Director, while Martin will take overall responsibility of client relationships and oversee their projects as Client Services Director.

Joining the agency in 2017 as Art Director, Patrick has a wealth of experience working on branding and digital projects across multiple industry verticals.

He graduated from Colchester School of Art and has previously worked for one of the country’s leading property marketing agencies, undertaking projects for major residential housing developers.

Martin joined Sponge in September 2018 as Senior Account Manager before becoming the agency’s New Business Manager.

He spent 20 years working in journalism, publishing, and communications, before moving into agency-side marketing roles.

Alex, who launched Creative Sponge in 2004, said: “I’m excited to appoint Patrick and Martin as Creative Director and Client Services Director and help give the agency a fresh perspective and approach.

“They and I share a vision that will see us concentrate on the agency’s great pedigree and strength for developing powerful branding, exciting advertising campaigns, and engaging digital projects.

“We’ve seen a noticeable recent upturn in interest from existing and new clients regarding new projects, so making these key appointments, as well as adding another designer to our Studio team in the coming weeks, means we can look forward to the future in confidence.”

A multi-disciplinary construction consultancy with head office in Colchester, Essex is celebrating 75 years in business this year with a ‘charity challenge’ for staff launched this month.

Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP), with offices in Norwich, Colchester and London, launched their one-year challenge on Friday 24 September 2021, in an effort to ‘give something back’ as a lasting legacy.

The team of up to 30 DCP staff is aiming to raise £7,500 for Young Minds Trust (www.youngminds.org.uk) by walking, running, cycling and/or sailing 7,500kms over the coming 12 months – as a combined team effort, all logged on the Strava app.

Young Minds Trust is a leading UK charity fighting for a future where all children and young people have access to the best possible mental health support. They work to provide young people with tools to look after their mental health, building resilience and confidence. The Trust also works to empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives.

Commenting on the launch Robert Dale, Senior Partner at Daniel Connal Partnership, said: “We wanted to do something special to mark our 75th anniversary and with a few keen cyclists, runners and walkers among our staff we do like a physical challenge for a worthy cause!”

“Supporting the next generation is very important to our DCP family. With recent challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown having a particularly heavy impact on young people, we feel that the work of Young Minds needs to be supported now more than ever,” he added.

The 75th Anniversary Challenge will run for a full calendar year. At the launch event last week 25 members of the DCP team ­- 6 from the Norwich office – walked, ran or cycled around beautiful Dedham on the Essex/Suffolk border. The brilliant blue skies and blazing sunshine on the day really added to the occasion, which saw participants total 383km of the 7,500km total target.

A single Just Giving page for all participants in the DCP family has been set-up to collect charity fundraising at this link: Daniel Connal Partnership is fundraising for Young Minds Trust (justgiving.com)

Established in 1946, Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP) offers a range of specialist construction services right across the UK, with key expertise in education sector builds and public interest projects as well as specialist Health and Safety training. Find out more at www.danielconnal.co.uk

What does it really take to work in one of the most respected and well-known military branches in the world? And what can business leaders learn from the lessons it teaches?

James and Mark chat to former RAF Fighter Pilot and Executive Officer of the Red Arrows Dan Lowes, who reflects on his 16 years as a fast jet pilot and qualified weapons instructor (aka Top Gun School!) and how business leaders can learn from the resilience, mistakes, lessons and discipline it takes to make it to the Red Arrows. As he says, it’s not just about being the best pilot (although that does help!)

Dan knew what he wanted to be from a young age, skipping the opportunity to go to university in order to pursue his dream of taking to the sky quicker than others, after all, why do four years at university when the outcome would be the same, just later in life. Dan’s focus on his dream was what drove him forwards in his career, with his goal never wavering, something most business owners can probably relate to!

Dan talks us through the art of a good de-brief, why they’re more important than the briefing and how businesses should embrace them; why role play is a helpful tool for businesses to adopt, helping to road test potential scenarios; how the Red Arrows stop complacency created by repetition; classic goal setting; the true meaning of team work and of course, Top Gun!

We also learn about ‘Red-teaming’, the ‘Half error technique’, and why in briefings you are called by a number not by your name – the answer may surprise you! These are insights not to be missed.

Dan now works as a private jet pilot by day and as a keynote motivational speaker by night. He will soon be found alongside Scott Radford, hosting Performance Hackers, a podcast about discovering the actionable hacks and habits experts in their respective fields can offer to help others achieve their next goals.

We would love to hear from you – you can get in touch with us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever else you get your podcasts, and whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast!

Show notes:

Dan on LinkedIn

Dan on Instagram

RAF recruitment

Performance Hackers podcast

Dan’s book recommendations:

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action

The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance

Coherence: The Science of Exceptional Leadership and Performance

Time stamps:

• How to deal with complacency  – 21.20
• Working in a bubble – 30:30
• Focus and checklists – 40:00
• Brief – Mission – Debrief – 42:15
• Debrief hacks – 44:58
• Dealing with egos in a room – 58:34
• Take the situation seriously not yourself – 1:11:49

Listen here!

Here at EACH we are pleased to share with you our brand new edition of Footprints with a fresh new design this Autumn/Winter.

No parent wants to go through the grief of losing a child. Sadly this is the reality for many families we care for at EACH.

“When families arrive through the door of the hospice their world has been rocked. Every family’s experience of grief is different – we work with them as individuals, getting to know them as a family and help them find ways to navigate their way through this time.” – Amy, EACH Counsellor

In this issue we tell Annabel’s story. Annabel sadly passed away in June 2020 at just five-years-old with the rare condition Cockayne Syndrome. You can read how EACH stepped in to provide bereavement support to parents Kelly and Gary.

We also take a look at the opening of the new Jetty Courtyard at The Nook, the events that were finally given the go ahead over the summer, the re-opening of our shops and feature some of your fantastic fundraising stories.

If you would like to get involved in supporting EACH over the next few months take a look at our upcoming events and campaigns:

• £23 Challenge – it takes this much an hour to fund a Clinical Nurse Specialist. If you and your colleagues raise just £23 each think of how many hours you could fund!
• Happy Christmas Ipswich 2 – back again for 2021, Griff Rhys Jones is gathering his peers for another night of comedy and music at The Regent Theatre on 6th December.
• The Big Give – the Christmas campaign is happening again this year. Watch this space for more details on how your donation could be match funded.
• Ride for Life – *NEW DATES* – 3 Counties, 3 Days, 1 Challenge! Join us for a cycle ride across the beautiful East Anglian countryside, with one and three day routes available between 6th-8th May 2022.

The Greatest Christmas Party is coming to Barnham Broom

Get together with friends and colleagues to celebrate the festive season with a taste of The Greatest Show in Barnham Broom’s “big top”. The resort will be hosting spectacular themed evenings throughout the Christmas period, offering delicious food and drink with an exceptional three course dinner as part of the evening.

Alongside the excitement of The Greatest Christmas, the brilliant Agent Orange will be playing live music on selected dates and each event will also include a set from the resident DJ, ready for you to dance the night away in the festive Barford suite and themed marquee.

Find out more: www.barnham-broom.co.uk/christmas.

Tickets are now on sale. To book call 01603 759 393 or email events@barnham-broom.co.uk

Bespoke private events are also available: With four versatile event spaces, Barnham Broom can comfortably cater for groups of any size, ranging from two to over two hundred. All the rooms will be decorated for the festive season and a range of dining options are available for groups, meaning Christmas parties can be curated to suit individual requirements.

Click to View Barnham Broom’s Christmas Brochure 

The Norwich based Cyber & Information Security consultancy CyberScale has launched 5 new Cyber Security training courses and workshops to help businesses be more prepared to protect themselves against the risks of a cyber-attack.

Having developed bespoke training courses for a range of clients CyberScale identified a need for public training courses for organisations who are at different stages in their Cyber Security journey.  Engaging employees in any form of training can be a challenge.  Once a business has decided to invest in cyber security training it is important to ensure that what is delivered achieves the best possible engagement.  The result of this is that it is more likely to be taken back in to the business with enthusiasm.  Training should never be seen as a tick box exercise, especially when it comes to training that can and will protect your business from potentially damaging cyber-attacks.

Darren Chapman, Director & Principal Consultant at CyberScale, says that “As a cyber security consultancy we are very much led by our clients and their business needs.  We don’t have technical solutions to push and always begin with looking at their current technologies, policies,  processes, and people when it comes to assessing their position in relation to cyber security.  To this end, we listen to what our clients are telling us they need and ensure that we build services we think not only meet this need, but also deliver our experience and knowledge in the most effective and relevant manner.”

The new training services offering has been developed to cover a wide range of topics and are delivered by CyberScale’s Cyber Security Consultants who work on the front line of client businesses and are therefore able to incorporate personal experiences shared from their client work.  You can see the range outlined below:

• Cyber Security Staff Awareness
• Cyber Security for Business Owners and Leaders
• Incident Response Planning in Cyber Security
• Preparing for Cyber Essentials
• Preparing for ISO 27001

With a combination of public courses where attendees will be from a range of organisations, and bespoke solutions for your business, CyberScale are experienced in ensuring that what they deliver suits the needs of your business.

CyberScale understands the Business of Cyber Security, and how important an aware and alert workforce is in building the security culture into a business that can set it apart and drive it forward.

www.cyberscale.co.uk

info@cyberscale.co.uk

01603 339550

The roll-out of Norfolk County Council’s new technology that allows the county’s roads to flag up when they need gritting and its bins that they need emptying has been recognised at the Connected Britain Awards (21-22 September) at the Design Centre in London. The council won the Internet of Things (IoT) Award for its Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) for sending and receiving low power signals from digital devices and objects.

The first Connected Britain Awards were held in 2018 with the aim of recognising the leaders in the UK connectivity landscape. Since then, the awards have developed to cover a wide range of categories open to service providers, the public sector and charities, as well as suppliers to the industry. Norfolk County Council also won the award as Digital Council of the Year in 2020.

Following last year’s accolade, this year Norfolk County Council was nominated for the “IoT Award” for its work in developing our Internet of Things Innovation Network using LoRaWAN. Objects and devices in the LoRaWAN each have built-in sensors that capture small packets of data about their status or information from their surroundings and report the information via the network.

This technology allows roads to flag up when they need gritting, rubbish bins to say when they need to be emptied, rivers to say when the water level is getting close to flooding, and parking spaces to say whether they are empty or occupied. Sensors in the home can help people to keep living independently in their own homes for longer, and much more. All this extra information can allow cities, towns and rural communities to run smoothly, making them better places to live and work and, crucially, to help the more remote areas of our county to become better connected. It also creates an opportunity for businesses in Norfolk to innovate, develop expertise in this emerging sector and grow.

In just over two years, Norfolk has gone from having nothing in place to developing the biggest free-to-use IoT LoRaWAN network in the UK. This achievement was recognised by winning the IoT Award against a very strong field, where other shortlisted organisations included IoT Solutions Group, O2 Smart Metering, Pangea Connected and Vodafone.

Cllr Tom FitzPatrick, Cabinet Member for Innovation, Transformation and Performance at Norfolk County Council said: “I am delighted that the innovation and hard work of the Information Management Team team at Norfolk County Council has been recognised with this award. Our CIO Geoff Connell and our CTO Kurt Frary lead a fantastic team who go the extra mile to innovate and work for Norfolk. To have gone from nothing to having built the largest network in the UK in two years is a really excellent achievement. I would also like to thank the New Anglia LEP for their support for this every growing success story.”

Norfolk County Council and the Transport for Norwich (TfN) partnership are asking for feedback on proposed changes on Boundary Road. The aim of this scheme is to provide better connections across the busy outer ring road, making it safer and easier for travelling on foot or by bike.

What’s being proposed and why?

This project is part of a programme of infrastructure changes in the Greater Norwich area, which was agreed by the county council’s Cabinet last year and is funded by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transforming Cities Fund. As we deliver these projects, we are carrying out a series of public consultations to help identify any issues for consideration when finalising the plans we put forward for construction.

We are consulting on two options to improve crossing facilities. One option is to upgrade the existing junction at the B&Q car park, whilst retaining the existing pedestrian crossing on Boundary Road near the junction with Vera Road. The other option is to install a new cycle crossing connecting Vera Road to Rye Avenue, which would also retain the existing pedestrian crossing on Boundary Road near the Vera road junction.

Further details on both options are available by following this link where you will find a letter and plans at the bottom of the page.

How to comment

Share your views on these proposals via our brief online survey

For any queries, or to request hard copies or alternative formats please email transportfornorwich@norfolk.gov.uk

The deadline for comments in Sunday 10 October 2021.

James and Mark chat about the huge surge in vacancies across the UK and many parts of the world. They reflect on what businesses can do to help retain and attract the best talent, providing 3 top tips along the way.

They take inspiration from a recent article in Wired by Alex Christian, the experience of local chef and restaurant owner Iain McCarten, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and the late American actor Steve McQueen!

We would love to hear from you – you can get in touch with us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever else you get your podcasts, and whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast!

Show notes:

Wired article by Alex Christian

Local chef and restaurant owner Iain McCarten article

Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Listen here!

Last week we hosted our first in-person event in over 18 months and what a fantastic afternoon it was! ‘Lunch on the Green’, our annual summer charity and networking event, took place at our Norwich office on Wednesday 8th September and we are delighted to have raised a total of £5518 for Break.

Now in its 12th year and considered by many as the highlight of the Norwich networking calendar, we were thrilled to host our open-air summer event, with over 200 business representatives in attendance and 25 stand holders on the day. The event was in support of Break charity once again, having raised over £45,000 for Break since its humble conception in 2008. Break is an innovative charity that provides hope and support for vulnerable children and young people across East Anglia. They deliver specialist support services to ensure young people have the care they need, when and where they need it, for as long as they need it.

The event featured performances from local singers and musicians, lunch was provided by social enterprise The Feed, Break’s ‘CoffeeBreak’ van offered delegates a range of hot drinks, wine provided by Bijou Bottles, Woodforde’s beer, 7 Surrey Street offered summer mocktails, mini golf with Norfolk and Waveney Mind, floral displays by Libby Ferris Flowers and more.

Associate and Marketing Manager Louis Hilldrup-Boorman said ”Due to the unpredictable nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering this event wasn’t as straightforward as previous events, with careful planning and safety measures to consider, all to ensure attendees could attend in confidence. Despite the last 18 months, there’s clearly still an appetite for in-person networking. The sun was shining, the atmosphere was buzzing and it was great to bring the Norfolk business community together again after so many months!”

Sarah Bunn, Community Fundraising Manager at Break said ”We have been thrilled to be the charity partner for Clapham & Collinge’s Lunch on the Green once again; enabling local businesses to come together and support a local cause while enjoying the most wonderful summer networking. To raise such an amount is tremendous, and it goes a long way to funding much needed dedicated specialist support for young people on the edge of care, in care and moving on from care.”

Director of Johnston Logistics UK, Rob McIndoe, has thanked Full Mix Marketing for their support before, during and after the pandemic.

Having delivered their marketing since 2017, the full-service agency overcame challenges created by the lockdowns to drive forward the warehousing and logistics provider’s marketing.

“The first lockdown took everyone by surprise and created some capacity within our warehousing. Full Mix came up with a plan, reached out to brands and retailers and we’ve ended up having another very successful year” says Rob, who leads the Johnston Logistics UK team.   

Formally established in 2010, Johnston Logistics UK can trace their history back to 1978 and now handle over 320 million items each year. Half of all wine for Asda supermarkets passes through their 700,000 square feet of warehousing.

Over the past four years, Full Mix Marketing have delivered marketing which has helped increase Johnston Logistics UK’s appeal to larger brands and retailers. It has included social media, website development, online advertising, search engine optimisation and direct marketing to businesses across the UK.

In April 2021, Johnston Logistics UK launched a new website built by Full Mix Marketing to better communicate the logistic experts’ rising reputation and status.

“Due in many ways to the support of Full Mix, we’ve grown to another discernible level. The pandemic impacted their team like everyone, but you wouldn’t have known it. The support they’ve delivered has always been outstanding; before, during and after the lockdowns” states Rob.

Full Mix Marketing was founded by Sarah West in 2016 with the aim to deliver the right mix of marketing to create meaningful results. The company has grown to become one of East Anglia’s leading business-to-business marketing agencies, supporting companies in sectors including engineering, IT and business services.

“It has always been a pleasure working with Johnston Logistics UK. It’s all about trust. We know they’re excellent at logistics and they have faith we will do everything we can to spread the word using the most effective marketing. Their success is our success” says Sarah West, Full Mix Marketing’s Managing Director.

In the last year, Full Mix Marketing have delivered particular strong results for Johnston Logistics UK with content marketing, including press releases which have been widely published by the retail sector press. This has also boosted their website by increasing its appearance in Google search results, four-fold.

Full Mix Marketing continue to deliver a full mix of marketing for Johnston Logistics UK as the Snetterton-based firm considers plans to further expand their warehousing to meet rising demand.

“From the start, Sarah and her team came up with a well-reasoned strategy and delivered results. It’s no different to having a marketing team in-house. In fact, it’s better because they are so driven and full of ideas” concludes Rob.

More details of Johnston Logistics UK and Full Mix Marketing can be found at https://johnstonlogistics.co.uk/ and https://www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk/.