Member News

Series one of the Tourism Business Chat podcast is now wrapped up. In the spirit of the podcast itself, we’re taking time to look back on the themes and key points that have come from this first batch of fascinating conversations.

2020 was a tough year on the sector, and each of our guests had a unique insight into the last 12 months, and how to succeed in the sector. The series launched with guest Andrew Hird, from Woodland Holiday Park, who chose the path of optimism throughout. The park was financially secure, so he focused on staff wellbeing and planning for the future. Phillip Turner, MD of Chestnut, spoke about leaders’ frustrations with the Government handling of restrictions; Richard Hughes, from The Assembly House, hoped that the perception of jobs in the sector would change, and he also questioned whether Eat Out to Help Out was the right thing to do.

Ruth Knight, from Norfolk Broads Direct, has an infectious love for the sector and the Broads, which demonstrated how success comes from having a passion for what you do; and Richard Turvill, Managing Director of Camplings, spoke openly about Brexit and how it continues to provide obstacles, and how, alongside dealing with lockdown restrictions, there’s been a focus on staff.  

Each guest opened up about how they coped personally and professionally at the start of the first lockdown. Andrew Hird spoke of the worry that came with not being able to honor promises, how they had to ‘lick their wounds’ and write a new plan; Philip talked about his fear of the ‘long-term sick note’, the aftermath for furloughed staff, many of whom he fears may struggle to come back full time; Richard talked about retaining staff into the future, and how having confidence in the business was key for coming out the other side; Ruth spoke about how the worry was in the ‘not-knowing’, and the technology changes that were needed in order to operate; and Richard Turvill described how tourism essentially crashed, and having to tell people there might not be any work for them to come back to, was one of the worst things he’s ever had to do.

There were other hot topics discussed including the reduction of VAT; importance of planning; engaging with Destination Marketing Organisations; wellbeing of teams; the lifeline that was the furlough scheme; and interestingly, the opportunity that leaders in the sector have seen in the downturn of retail and how they can recruit from the job losses. Each episode finishes with their top-tip in business, and their message to those looking to get into the sector  ̶  invaluable to all, from budding entrepreneurs to managers and future maître d’s!

The aim of this series of discussions was to help others in the sector know that they weren’t alone in how they were feeling, and to inspire them in the battle for survival. All our guests predicted a boom in ‘staycations’, all are positive that the sector will recover, and that the public will look at the industry through new eyes, appreciating the businesses on their doorstep more than ever before. We all know now what it’s like to live without the opportunity to enjoy a day out, someone else cooking for us, weekends away or a quick pint after work. This series has highlighted that business leaders are working hard to make sure that jobs are secure, offerings better than ever, and that they are ready to welcome us all back. “You can always do more,” says Richard Turvill, “but we’ve tried hard.”

Tourism Business Chat will return in April 2021, with another exciting group of guests; including the team behind the hugely popular Thursford Christmas Spectacular; the breakout vegan stars Hanks Deli; and many more!

You can catch up with all episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you find your podcasts, or you can listen through our website at www.larking-gowen.co.uk/tourism

Steadfast Training offer a comprehensive package of pre-employment and in-work support, including non-accredited training and accredited qualifications in Employability; ICT and Social Media; Customer Service; Business Admin; Warehousing; Health Care, Mental Health & Wellbeing; LGBT in the Workplace, as well as Team Leading & Management.

All training we deliver to support young people develop their skills in the workplace is fully funded and comes at no cost to the employer.

Training can be offered as block provision (Monday – Friday) or 1 day per week over several weeks

For more information please contact 0845 223 2401 or email us on kickstart@steadfasttraining.co.uk

In the first episode of series four, Mark and James chat about the importance for business owners and their teams to take effective breaks to recharge their batteries. As usual, they come up with 3 top tips to help achieve this, and along the way they try out their Swedish pronunciation skills and draw inspiration from Gandhi, the benefits of meditation and the Black Eye Peas!

The link to the BBC article they discuss on ‘Little Saturday’ can be found here. 

Listen here!

Upper Sixth student at Langley School, Matt has signed a deal in principle with Ipswich Town Football Club, marking his first ever contract as a professional.

17-year-old Matt is an Academy player in the prestigious Langley Football Academy (LFA) run by former professional Grant Holt, alongside UEAFA A Licenced Coaches.

Langley Headmaster Jon Perriss comments, ‘We are so pleased about this superb milestone for Matt, who has been an integral part of our Langley Football Academy, where he currently receives professional coaching alongside his academic programme at A-Level. It is a pleasure to support Matt and we will all follow his career with huge interest.’

Ipswich Town took to Twitter to say, ‘The 17-year-old attacker has impressed since arriving at the Club in December.’

Follow the LFA on Instagram @langleyfootballacademy

Enquire about Langley School https://langleyschool.co.uk/admissions/

Girls, staff and parents of Norwich High School for Girls are thrilled to have received the highly prestigious ‘Independent Girls’ School of the Year 2019′ award, at the Independent School of the Year Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge, London.

The judges asked to see evidence of success stories that feature both innovative practice and individual success stories, adjudicated by a panel of 14 comprised of heads, governors, parents and representatives from across the education sector and chaired by Dr Helen Wright, former President of the Girls’ School Association and Vice-Chair of the Independent Schools Council.

 This year saw a record number of entries from a wide range of schools; from small rural pre-preps through to large urban Senior Schools in a broad range of geographical areas. There were 20 awards across the sector covering the arts, sports, outreach, student success and careers programmes, as well as the top individual school awards. Headmistress of Norwich High School and one of the EDP’s Top 100 Inspiring Women of 2019, Kirsty von Malaisé, attended the champagne reception and was thrilled to receive the top accolade for the school.

 “Norwich High School is an outstanding school and I could not be more proud that we have received national recognition of this, particularly with the exceptionally strong competition in this category. We were lauded not only for our pioneering Inspiring Females programme which has supported well over 3,000 young women from Norfolk and beyond over the last three years, but also for our bold ambitions for the girls in many other exceptional initiatives.’

 In addition, last Monday the school received ‘Apple Distinguished Schools’ status for 2019 to 2022, another prestigious award with only 32 other schools in the UK holding this accreditation, and the only Senior School in Norfolk to do so. This status not only recognises the outstanding work that Norwich High staff and girls accomplish on the iPad, but also includes benefits to the school including a published iBook showcasing the learning we achieve with technology at Norwich High.

 Moving from a figurative apple to a real apple, Norwich High has also been doing some excellent work on outdoor learning, ranging from launching a wonderful new Heritage Orchard on the site, which is managed by the girls and was home to four Wensleydale rams in the Summer, to conservation work on Mousehold Heath and clearing plastic from local beaches.

 Today, the whole school has been celebrating the success; the new award has been taken around the school and shared with girls, staff and even Casper the school dog.

 “Congratulations to all of the girls, staff, community and supporters of Norwich High who have worked with enthusiasm and passion over the last few years to make our school continue to excel – this award is for you all.”

 See the full EDP story here:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/norwich-high-school-for-girls-independent-school-olivia-colman-1-6315277

 See details of the awards here:

https://www.independentschoolsoftheyear.co.uk/2019-winners/

Published in the Eastern Daily Press – Monday 8th March 2021

Alison Sefton, the new head of Norwich High School for Girls, believes her past career as a soldier has equipped her well for life as a head. This International Women’s Day, she says her mission now is to empower her pupils to take on the world. 

You might think there are few similarities between being a soldier under fire in the Iraqi desert and being the new head of an outstanding girls’ school in Norwich. Having been both, I would beg to differ. 

In 2003, the year before becoming the first female officer of the Honourable Artillery Company, I was deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic. One of the roles I was assigned to was to act as a sentry, providing cover for the headquarters I was working in. The buildings were surrounded by a sand wall (berm) and my job was to keep watch over the berm, rifle in hand, and take action if we came under attack.   

Being a head in a global pandemic can feel a little bit like standing behind that berm again. Rather than looking for the approaching enemy, I sit behind a computer screen waiting for the next piece of Government guidance on reopening, examination alternatives or Covid-19 testing centres within schools. Putting that advice into action as we have, to make sure our school was ready to open safely to all students today, is not unlike a military operation. 

I have deployed all the skills I have learned in my varied career in these past few months. Skills such as resilience, adaptability, determination – forged and put to the test in that desert – are the skills I call on now as I deal with the demands of my headship.

On International Women’s Day, a day when we recognise the enormous contribution of women everywhere, I know it is these skills I want to pass on to the girls now in my care. 

I became head at Norwich High School for Girls six months ago. In that time, teachers, students and parents have been bombarded by messages in the media around ‘lost learning’, the need for ’extra teaching to catch up’ and gloomy predictions of a ‘lost Covid generation’. 

Yes, times have been tough, but they have been tough before and they will be tough again. Today, with students returning to schools, there really is light at the end of the tunnel. What is important now is that children are supported to develop the skills to survive and thrive when life is challenging.

I have talked to the girls in assemblies recently about life’s pathways; rarely are they straight. Mine certainly has not been – from chemistry degree to accountant to soldier to teacher to school leader. Every interaction I have had on the way, whether positive or negative, has shaped my career and who I am today as head.

I want the girls at Norwich High School to be confident and aspirational with the resilience to reach their goals and everything we do here works to support them with that. 

At Norwich High School we give girls the tools for a future world of work that will be skills rather than just knowledge based. From design thinking to coding, creative thinking and problem solving via online collaborations, we empower them for many different types of careers.

Each girl has her own iPad and is well prepared for using the Google Education suite – significant skills recognised in receiving Apple Distinguished School status. Daily collaborations with teachers and peers can all be done on one device. Live online lessons were a natural progression during lockdown. Girls are confident with tools like Google Meet and Classroom and a wealth of other apps used across the school to support teaching and learning. 

What I believe is most important in any school is an understanding of the individual student. Knowing what each student needs to flourish, what we can do to support them, both academically and pastorally, is the reason most of us became teachers. This is what we do, engaging, encouraging and enabling each girl to be the very best she can be. Norwich High School is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust, a family of pioneering schools where girls learn without limits. This is the ethos we live by. 

So, this International Women’s Day, I stand before each and every girl at Norwich High School as a former soldier and a head and tell them they are the agents of their own fortune. Life isn’t linear, it’s not just about grades, it’s about using your skills, experience and a little bit of verve to get where you want to go.

Do what you want to do, don’t accept the conventional path, adapt and do it differently. We create confident, fearless, forward-thinking girls at Norwich High School, and I have great faith in all their futures. 

See the original print article here.

See the online article here.

TaxAssist Accountants network continues to grow, with 240 franchisees around the UK.

Paul Simpson (Market Harborough) and Mano Nagendram (Swansea Central) have recently joined TaxAssist Accountants after completing their training online, the fourth virtual initial training course that the Support Centre Team has delivered.

Paul was originally looking for a part time business, but after attending a Discovery Day, he was so impressed with the entire TaxAssist Accountants set up, that he wanted to be a part of the family.

“I was blown away by the professionalism and openness of the entire management team, and so I decided to devote my time and energy to the venture full time,” said Paul.

“I realised that I needed the support of a franchise environment to allow me to develop and grow the business quickly and having all the processes and procedures in place makes starting a new business much simpler.

“I started planning my new business as soon as I had attended the Discovery Day and I have already signed the lease on my first shop, which is undergoing extensive renovation and refurbishment.”

Paul is full of praise for the training and the support provided to him so far: “Although, I would have preferred to be in Norwich with a group of people in the same position as myself, I do not feel that the virtual course has been a disadvantage at all.

“Everyone at the Support Centre has been incredibly supportive and nothing has been too much trouble. In some ways, I have benefitted, as I have been at home and able to continue to supervise my shop renovation. I am looking forward to visiting Norwich and meeting everyone face-to-face before too long.”

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director, said: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to Paul and Mano, who I know, are both very excited to be launching their practices.

“Our accountants around the UK have been very busy, and client demand continues to increase significantly, as business owners look for local, accessible accountants that can provide them with the advice and support they need to help decision making, implement change and plan for the future.

“Our Discovery Days continue to be well attended and I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our business model to contact our Recruitment Manager Nikki Haythorne to request attendance.”

While the initial training course is running virtually, TaxAssist Accountants is pleased to offer a cash back deal to new franchisees of £4000 on the franchise fee.  

Today, Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading and best-connected port operator, has announced its ambitious plans for the Port of Lowestoft, which will help create a competitive edge for companies across the Southern North Sea (SNS) energy sector and the wider East Anglia region. 

Over the next five years, ABP will develop the Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF), which will bring significant upgrades to marine facilities at Lowestoft’s Outer Harbour, creating key capabilities to support the UK’s journey towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. 

The project will deliver state-of-the-art port infrastructure to meet the offshore energy industry’s current and future demands, ensuring the port can accommodate the next generation of offshore support vessels. The facility will provide a site that is suitable for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities in addition to quayside suitable for construction support activities. 

Andy Reay, ABP Group Head of Commercial (Offshore Wind), said: “ABP is the number one host of O&M bases in the UK, providing infrastructure for operations and maintenance facilities to support offshore wind farms in Barrow, Grimsby and Lowestoft.

“Our LEEF project represents an exciting step change in our ability to service customers in the growing Southern North Sea energy sector. It will re-engineer existing quayside in the Outer Harbour and create the modern infrastructure needed to support a rapidly changing energy industry in a growing regional economy.” 

Centred around the Outer Harbour at the Port of Lowestoft, LEEF is a major opportunity, the first phase of which will require around £25m of investment. When complete, the project will provide 360m of berthing space for simultaneous use by three SOVs and deliver up to 8 acres of flexible storage and marshalling area. In addition, it will create around 5,000 sqft of new office space with direct quayside access. 

Andrew Harston, ABP Director for Wales and Short Sea Ports, said: “The Port of Lowestoft already plays a key role in supporting the local economy, contributing £30m annually and supporting over 580 local jobs. We’re looking forward to this role growing in future, with the rise in activity, new investments and new customers.” 

“The LEEF project has the potential to attract many supply chain companies to Lowestoft and create an energy cluster renaissance, bringing new jobs and prosperity to the area and supporting the substantial and strategically important investments being made in Offshore Windfarm developments off the Suffolk and Norfolk coast.” 

Building on its long history of servicing the offshore energy sector, the Port of Lowestoft provides a highly competitive package for offshore wind customers. In 2019, Scottish Power Renewables opened an Operations and Maintenance building in Hamilton Dock, to support the 714MW East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm. The port is also home to the O&M base for Scottish & Southern Energy’s (SSE) Greater Gabbard Offshore wind farm, which is located 23km off the coast of Suffolk, England. 

The port’s offer is complemented by Orbis Energy and PowerPark, where key offshore energy developers, operators and service providers are located, including SSE, ScottishPower Renewables, SLP and Turner Iceni. 

LEEF forms a central part of a new masterplan for the port, which provides a long-term view of how ABP will work with its partners to ensure that the prosperity generated by investment reinforces the wider development of the town as a superb place to live, work, visit and invest. 

Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, commented: “Lowestoft is strategically well placed to benefit from the wide range of opportunities available in the Southern North Sea, which include one of the largest clusters of offshore wind farms in the world, rich fishing grounds and gas fields in which to store carbon. 

“The Masterplan provides a framework for investment in Lowestoft Port that will attract business to the town, providing jobs for local people. I look forward to working with ABP in turning this vision in to reality.” 

Find out more about the Port of Lowestoft’s potential to support the Southern North Sea energy sector by visiting this link.

Best Employers has always been about helping companies in the eastern region to understand, support and develop their people to promote business growth. The significant impact of the past year has demonstrated how important employee engagement, culture and values are now, and are going to be even more important as our region’s businesses look forward to recovery and growth.

The 2021 Best Employers Eastern Region programme begins on the 22nd April, with a virtual launch event, where we are delighted to be joined by two world-class industry experts who will be sharing their knowledge and experience. 

Debra Corey 

Award winning Global HR leader and best-selling business author

Debra is a highly experienced and award-winning HR leader, world-class speaker, three-time author, and was recently named one of the top 101 global employee engagement influencers. She’s had a varied career, working at a senior level for global companies such as Gap Inc., Honeywell, Merlin Entertainments and Reward Gateway. She was Group Reward Director at Reward Gateway, where she’s developed and delivered HR strategies in a rebellious way, pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo to truly drive employee engagement. In 2019 Debra founded her own company as Chief Pay It Forward Officer, where she’s inspiring and helping others to bring out their inner rebel and drive business change.

Over the course of her career, Debra has been fuelling the employee engagement `rebelution’ through a variety of ways, including speaking at events and leading workshops around the world, teaching professional courses and writing. An accomplished author, Debra has published three books, the first one about employee communication strategy and best practice (“Effective HR Communication: A Framework for Communicating HR Programs with Impact“), the second one which talks about why and how to be an engagement rebel (“Build it: A Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement“), and her latest book which focuses on company values as a strategic and effective business tool (“Bringing Your Values Out to Play“).

Debra speaks at events around the world on a wide variety of topics relating to people, engagement, company culture, reward and recognition and the changing world of work.

Tamara Lohan MBE

Entrepreneur, CEO, Board Director

Entrepreneur and technology strategist Tamara Lohan is an inspiring, energetic leader with a track record of developing and building businesses. She has spent over 15 years leading technology and e-commerce in the travel industry.

Tamara’s experience building brands and businesses began in Brazil on the launch team for an energy drink. She then honed her marketing skills on both sides of the client/agency divide, working first with Honda, then at the WPP below-the-line agency Wunderman. In 2002 she left the corporate world to run and modernise the company her mother had founded – a dating agency – and start a new business.

Tamara co-founded the boutique hotel travel specialist Mr & Mrs Smith with her husband James. As CTO, she pivoted the business from book publisher to online travel agent, evolving the company’s digital infrastructure and expanding the business into new markets, opening offices in Australia, the US and Singapore. She has led financing rounds from a variety of sources, including the world’s first travel bond and one of the fastest, highest raises on the Crowdcube platform to date. Tamara and James were awarded MBEs for services to the British travel industry in 2014.

In April 2020, she became CEO of the company, now an iconic British brand and global organisation with a pre-Covid turnover of more than £100m. As CEO, she has been an active champion of diversity and inclusion within the business, and has intensified its focus on sustainability and responsible travel. She has proven herself a strong and resilient leader – a problem solver who can identify trends and opportunities, make tough decisions and inspire her teams. Alongside her understanding of the mass-affluent and luxury e-commerce customer, she understands how to manage the day-to-day operations of a global business through periods of growth and crisis, ensuring the right tools and people are in place to deliver on strategy.

Her consumer understanding, expertise in bilateral (marketplace-style) businesses and love of ambitious technology have also been put to good use at Not on the High Street where she serves as a non-exec director. She has helped steer the business through a change of CEO and a major tech disintegration project, hiring key members of staff, and shaping the growth strategy. NOTHS is a Covid beneficiary, giving Tamara the opportunity to see the business impact of the pandemic from both sides.

As the public face of the Mr & Mrs Smith brand and a highly regarded woman in tech, Tamara writes and speaks on disruption, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, women in technology and business. She also enjoys mentoring – she mentors a start-up called Inkpact and is a founding member of the Witsend network, set up to mentor and encourage other women in business. She has been featured in publications such as The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and Harpers Bazaar, hosted supper clubs for British Vogue and keynoted at conferences around the world. Tamara has also made TV appearances on This Morning, Sky News and Bloomberg.

The new 2021 programme will begin with a virtual launch event on 22nd April 202, which will also mark the opening of the employee engagement survey. This will be followed by webinars on:

• Engaging and leading remote and onsite teams
• Developing workforce resilience
• Fostering an innovative, hungry and progressive culture
• Recruitment, onboarding and rewarding your team

The programme will complete with an awards conference in September.

Best Employers Eastern Region is a community for organisations that believe success is achieved through their people.

For further information visit www.best-employers.co.uk. To register for this year’s Best Employers Eastern Region programme, click here.

Pure is excited to announce that we will be supporting our clients and contractors as the IR35 reform comes into place in April 2021 with the Kingsbridge IR35 Status tool.

Talking with our clients and following feedback from our seminars at the beginning of last year, we know that the off-payroll working rules* have been a concern, not to mention a minefield of regulatory change further delayed by the pandemic. We want to ensure that we support our clients, which is why we are confident that the Kingsbridge IR35 status tool will give businesses the confidence to continue to work flexibly with individuals who can provide services through their own limited companies or via agencies.

Annette Wyld, Head of Finance at Pure, says “I’m pleased that we are able to provide a comprehensive IR35 solution to our clients and contractors. By partnering with Kingsbridge, we can utilise the status tool and access to IR35 tax specialists to effectively manage the changes to the off-payroll rules, supporting Pure’s approach to IR35 to help our clients maintain a compliant and flexible workforce.”

This tool offers a hybrid IR35 status assessment that puts the best experience and support into one place for both clients and contractors. With this tool, clients can ensure transparency before and during engaging contractors and equally, candidates will have peace of mind that the placement they are entering into has been accurately assessed.

David Culley, Director at Pure says, “This tool cuts through the uncertainty and mystery surrounding IR35 status determination. Its quick, simple to use and gives colour coded diagnosis to help contractors and clients understand the reason for the determination status. I think this will make life easier for all parties.”

The Kingsbridge IR35 Status Tool, developed by Andy Vessey ATT, takes a best-of-both approach, combining a custom-designed automated process with in-house expert consultancy to provide the quickest, most accurate IR35 status result available. 

If it’s a clear-cut case, the tool generates an instant determination, as well as a comprehensive report that pulls through the notable positives or negatives of a given engagement, as well as an official Status Determination Statement (SDS). If it’s a borderline result, the answers given are manually reviewed by Kingsbridge’s in-house IR35 specialists.

To access our Kingsbridge IR35 Status tool, please email ir35@prs.uk.com.

Read more about Pure’s approach to IR35.

Huxley Events are delighted to say we are now proudly part of the

Popular activities include Virtually Killed (Virtual CSI Experience), Escape Rooms, Cookery and lots more!

A new cross border grant scheme being launched by Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council is set to provide welcome support to businesses contributing to the rural economy.

The DRIVE scheme (Delivering Rural Investment, Vital Employment) is a two-year project designed to encourage and support sound business investment decisions. The project has received £3million of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund.

Expert mentors will be on hand to help businesses develop strong project and business plans. And to help put those into action, businesses will then be able to apply for grants of between £5k and £30k.

The aim is to help boost jobs as all applicants will need to put forward job creation as a result of their grant application. The scheme is open to existing and new businesses.  New businesses looking to apply will have to be aiming to employ 3 new members of staff within the next three years.

Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for growing the economy, said: “DRIVE is part of a raft of support that we’re working to make available to help support Norfolk’s economy to emerge as strongly as possible from the current pressures brought by the pandemic.

“The focus of the DRIVE scheme is to help new and existing micro and small businesses who are aiming to grow. Creating new employment is a key driver.”

From 31 March 2021 businesses will be able to visit the project’s website to find a range of grants and funding that are available to eligible businesses: www.driveforbusiness.co.uk

Cllr. Nick Gowrley, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development said. “The last 12 months have been difficult for everyone, but the impact upon small and medium sized businesses across Suffolk has been keenly felt. It is my sincere hope that the DRIVE grant scheme will help rural businesses rediscover their confidence, dynamism and, with the help of the mentoring available, encourage them to invest in themselves and their workforce post pandemic.

“I have no doubt, given their passion, dedication and commitment to succeed, that we will see our rural business community recover and thrive once again.”