Member News

A £1.4m landmark renewable heating project for housing association Flagship Homes, part of Flagship Group, in Felixstowe has dramatically cut heating bills and carbon emissions for more than 100 homes. The new six-phase communal ground source heat pump system – the largest in the region – has been installed by Norfolk-based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm in partnership with East Anglia’s largest heating company, Gasway Services, also part of Flagship Group.

Key features of the project:

• Reduced heating bills by 70%
• Cut carbon emissions by 70% compared to storage heaters
• System will last in excess of 30 years – more than three times a conventional boiler
• Encourages customers to heat their homes, positively impacting on their health and wellbeing

Managed by Flagship Homes, the 113 houses, flats and bungalows on Runnacles Way in Felixstowe, plus two private residences, had previously been heating their homes by expensive and inefficient electric storage heaters. Having successfully completed two other award-winning district heating schemes for Flagship, Finn Geotherm was appointed, alongside Gasway, to undertake its largest heat pump project to date, to transform the way residents heat their homes and receive hot water.

Finn Geotherm installed six large scale district heating schemes for this project. The schemes each use a central ground source heat pump system to generate all the heat and hot water required for one section of the estate – around 20 homes. Heat is collected from the ground using bore holes – a total of 14,000 metres was carefully installed by Finn Geotherm underneath parking and grass areas in the estate. Finn Geotherm also installed underground, highly insulated primary distribution pipes to the individual houses. Gasway then connected each home to the primary distribution and installed the new radiators. Each phase of the project has a standalone plant room, which enables the heat pump system to be monitored and serviced centrally, without the need to disturb any of Flagship’s customers.

By installing this renewable energy heating system, customers at Runnacles Way are now enjoying cheaper energy bills – costing around 70% less than before. Energy use has also been cut by 70%, making a significant impact on carbon emissions and providing a more affordable and efficient living environment for Flagship customers.

In addition, the installation qualifies for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a Government scheme which assists with the project’s capital cost by providing quarterly payments for 20 years, allowing Flagship to roll out the much-improved heating systems for more customers in the future.

Madeleine Jefferies, Head of Housing at Flagship Homes said: “Last year was challenging for everyone and we know that many people really struggled to pay their energy bills. Fuel poverty is a serious issue which can affect the wider community, and we’re always looking at ways to make our customers’ homes more affordable and giving people some breathing space when things get tough. Our customers in Felixstowe have already seen a difference in their prices and we’re delighted that we can help to make a difference.”

Megan Gonsalves, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Flagship Group said: “As a Group we’re embracing a greener, cleaner approach to our homes and across our business, to improve the future for our customers, and our planet. This has been a fantastic project; we’ve made progress in reducing our carbon footprint and we’re hoping to continue to improve heating systems in the communities that we serve.”

Guy Ransom, Commercial Director for Finn Geotherm, said: “We are delighted to complete this installation that demonstrates district heating schemes using ground source heat pumps can be installed for existing housing stock without having to first undertake massive changes to the housing infrastructure such as putting in additional insulation. This has been our biggest and most challenging project to date but we are so pleased with the result, which proves just how smart and effective district heating schemes are. We hope that more housing associations will follow Flagship’s excellent example.”

Tony Hunt, Renewable Projects Manager at Gasway, said: “We’re really proud of this project because large heat networks of this scale can really benefit customers, as well as having a positive impact on the environment. We’re keen to continue to deliver projects like this across the East, to help create sustainable communities.”

For more information on ground and air source heat pumps and details on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.

• The Hopestead Community Champions initiative is open to anyone in East Anglia who has been making a difference during the pandemic;
• People are invited to nominate their friends, family, neighbours, or themselves;
• Nominations can be made in a number of ways, including on social media with the hashtag #HopesteadChampions

A new initiative is set to spread some positivity this winter as it celebrates the fantastic efforts of individuals within their communities.

The Hopestead Community Champions initiative has launched today to recognise, celebrate, and thank people in East Anglia who have made a positive difference in their communities during the challenges of the last year.

Nominations are open for anyone in the region who has gone the extra mile in their communities during the challenges of the last year. And, people in Norfolk are being encouraged to nominate their friends, family, neighbours, or themselves.

The initiative has been set up by Hopestead, which launched in 2020 with the aim of ending homelessness in the East of England.   It comes after the charity ran its hugely successful Christmas appeal, collecting donations worth thousands of pounds to help grassroots organisations and charities across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridge.

Marie-Claire Delbrouque, Managing Director of Hopestead explained:

“At Hopestead, we believe in community and we were so inspired by the community spirit and generosity that was so evident in our Hope at Christmas appeal and by the stories of the nominees in the Stars of Norfolk awards for which we were honoured to judge the Community Hero award. And we know that so many people have been doing great things in their communities.

“As we start this new year full of hope, we want to recognise, celebrate, and thank our Hopestead Community Champions. This is our opportunity to share incredible stories of support and shout about the efforts of those who have made a difference at such a difficult time.”

Nominating is simple, and can be done by emailing Weare@hopestead.org  or by visiting www.hopestead.org. Alternatively, people are also encouraged to post pictures and their nominations on social media with the hashtag #HopesteadChampions

The deadline for nominations is Sunday 14 March and all nominees who have been making a difference in their communities will be recognised and rewarded. Hopestead will also seek to announce and feature the Hopestead Community Champions on their social media channels.

Marie-Claire Delbrouque added: “At Hopestead, we believe in the power of community and we know that individual acts can add up to a big difference. By working together with each other, we can help communities to thrive.

“We can’t wait to receive people’s nominations and we’re excited to recognise, celebrate, and thank those who have been making difference in their communities during the pandemic.”

Ashtons Charitable Trust, the charitable trust set up by law firm Ashtons Legal seven years ago, has recently donated £11,000 to ten charities and causes across the Eastern region and one in Leeds where the firm also have a team trading as Heslop & Platt.

The money was raised in the main in the 2019/20 year through Ashtons Legal branded corporate and charity fundraising events, but also through staff supporting internal activities such as bake sales and social events. The highly regarded Cambridge Treasure Hunt was the last fundraising event to take place on 26th February 2020 before the national COVID lockdown was imposed.

The Ashtons Charitable Trust was set up in 2014 with the aim of giving something back to the communities which the firm’s staff live and work in. By way of grants and donations, the Trust supports charitable causes and community groups in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Leeds (where Ashtons’ have offices). These charities and causes are supported in two ways – by staff nominating and voting for their Charities of the Year who receive an annual donation, and by direct applications from charities and groups which are considered once a year in the Autumn.

The six chosen Charities of the Year for 2020 were East Anglian Air Ambulance, Zoological Society of East Anglia, Inspire Suffolk, Suffolk Mind, Sunflowers Care Limited in Cambridge and St George’s Crypt in Leeds. Collectively, they received a total of £8,800 from the Trust with the remaining £2,200 being split between four direct applications from Star Throwers, a cancer charity in Wymondham, Norfolk, Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Cambridge, Something To Look Forward To, another cancer charity in Cambridge and Norfolk SEN Network.

The Ashtons Charitable Trust, following an overwhelmingly positive vote by staff, has decided to continue to support our Charities of the Year for a second term throughout 2021.

Chairperson of the CSR Committee, Janette Wand, said: “Due to the pandemic and the huge loss in only what can be described as a time of crisis for most charitable organisations in the UK, it is more important than ever to offer our support to the charities and causes that our staff chose. We all therefore felt it was vital we shared existing funds and we really hope to be able to fundraise to support these causes again in 2021.”

In this weeks episode Mark and James discuss the booming self help industry and the promises it makes to solve life’s problems. Looking back on their own experiences, they come up with 3 top tips, and along the way they name check the Dalai Lama, Mark Manson and Mark’s growing library.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, please like us, and leave a comment. We would love to hear what you are enjoying about the podcast, and it helps others to find us!

Listen here

We are delighted to introduce you to our new Junior Designer, Bella Elsworth. A recent graduate from Norwich University of the Arts, she tells us about her passion for interior design and the challenges of starting a new role during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more here

Train operator, Greater Anglia, has launched a new online ‘green hub’ which includes a new carbon calculator to help travellers see how much they could help the planet by switching from car to train. The hub at greateranglia.co.uk/GreenerAnglia offers information about why it’s more sustainable to travel by rail and lets people calculate the environmental impact of different transport modes, showing them how much they can reduce their CO2 emissions by travelling by train. According to the Department for Transport*, road transport is the biggest driver of CO2 emissions in the UK. In 2019, domestic transport was responsible for emitting 122 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This means transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas emissions, producing 27% of the UK’s total emissions in 2019. Of this, the majority – 91% – came from road transport vehicles. Rail, however, accounts for just 1.4% of transport emissions despite representing 10% of all journeys – and the industry has a target to become net zero by 2050. Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Jamie Burles, said, “We want to help people build back better as we emerge from the pandemic and get life moving again. Our green hub is available to provide people with all the information they need if they are interested in living more sustainably and playing their part in tackling climate change. “The railway in East Anglia can lead the green recovery from the pandemic by being a much greener way to travel – and our new fleet of trains will contribute even more thanks to their more environmentally friendly features which reduce CO2 and particulate emissions in the region further still and offer a convenient, comfortable alternative to the car.” The carbon calculator reveals that for most journeys, going by car emits four times more CO2e than going by train, so big reductions can be made. For example:

• A journey from Norwich to London Liverpool Street saves 28.14 kg of CO2e (equivalent to powering a house for 32 hours)
• A journey from Cambridge to Norwich saves 12.95 kg of CO2e (equivalent to boiling 185 kettles)
• A journey from Ipswich to Lowestoft saves 8.74kg of CO2e (equivalent to 90 hours of TV)
• A journey from Colchester to Clacton-On-Sea saves 3 kg of CO2e (equivalent to boiling 42 kettles)
• A journey from Bishop’s Stortford to Tottenham Hale saves 4.84 kg of CO2e (equivalent to powering a house for 7 hours)
• A journey from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street saves 7.68 kg of CO2e (equivalent to boiling 109 kettles)

Greater Anglia has joined the rest of the rail industry in pledging to make stations across Britain more sustainable. Action to reduce waste, support local wildlife and cut the carbon footprint of railway stations will be informed by the industry’s new Sustainable Stations: Best Practice Guide, which details ways in which train operators can meet this commitment in support of global goals of decarbonisation, reducing waste and supporting local plant and animal life. The document will also be used by train companies when agreeing future contracts. Face covering compliance is high on trains and stations and Greater Anglia is asking people to follow the Government’s recommendation and keep on wearing them when it’s busy. As more people return to rail, Greater Anglia is seeing some trains and stations getting busier. Customers are encouraged to use the full length of trains and platforms and check the operator’s ‘Less Busy Trains tool’ at greateranglia.co.uk to opt for a quieter train. Trains are well ventilated either by air conditioning which replaces air inside the train every six to nine minutes or by open windows. Doors also open at every station. Greater Anglia is also continuing with enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations. Full details of the revised timetable and measures Greater Anglia is taking to keep people safe are available from www.greateranglia.co.uk

Businesses across west Norfolk are being encouraged to complete a new coronavirus business impact survey, to help the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk and other agencies focus their economic response and recovery efforts on current and emerging issues.   Cllr Graham Middleton, Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Cabinet Member for Business Development said: “We are acutely aware of how challenging it is for many businesses at the moment. We need businesses to take part in this survey so that we can fully understand the nature of those challenges and what sorts of things might help them now and in the future.” The survey is available online at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/2021CouncilSurvey and should take around 15 minutes to complete.  Businesses can complete the survey more than once if circumstances or their views change. Survey response data is non-business-specific and will directly inform both our conversations and our economic response and recovery work with partners from Government, New Anglia LEP, other local authorities and local business groups. Cllr Middleton added: “The more we understand about the pressures local businesses are under, the more we can tailor support to help them recover from the pandemic.  The survey will be open for a while and we would urge businesses to complete it more than once if they are affected by changes in government guidance etc.  We recognise that this is not a static situation, but one that is ever-changing.”

Organisations across Norfolk are being asked to sign up to a countywide campaign to help victims of domestic abuse

The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Group in Norfolk (DASVG), which involves councils, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk (OPCCN), police and health organisations, launched the HEAR campaign for White Ribbon Day on 25 November 2020 and the 16 Days Against Domestic Abuse that followed.

The campaign asks organisations to pledge their support and make simple changes to policy which will help any employees who might be suffering domestic abuse.

So far some 35 organisations including Norwich City Football Club, Norfolk County Council, the UEA, the James Paget Hospital, Norfolk Constabulary as well as a number of smaller companies including Phoenix Events, Norfolk Community Law Service and Moore Networking, have signed up to the pledge representing more than 23,000 employees.

Companies and employers have an important role to play in helping to prevent domestic abuse where it impacts on the workplace – and when a victim’s work, productivity and safety are affected – whether working at home or in the office and more organisations are being urged to take part.

Gavin Thompson, Chair of the DASVG and Director of Commissioning, Policy and Communications at the OPCCN, which has also signed the pledge, said: “White Ribbon Day is a crucial way of raising awareness of domestic abuse while helping victims and survivors know where to find support.

“However, we must work together to prevent abuse and make sure our communities and homes are safe for everyone 365 days of the year.

“With more people having to work from home due to the pandemic, it is incumbent upon us as employers to ensure those at risk of abuse know they will be heard and help is out there.

“I would encourage organisations, no matter how large or small, to sign up to the HEAR pledge, together we can all help make a difference by saying #NoToDomesticAbuse.”

HEAR stands for Help, Educate, Awareness and Respond, with organisations being asked to pledge to:

• Help

Every employer has a duty to provide access to organisations who can help employees: We will ensure colleagues affected by domestic abuse are given access to the right specialist support.

• Educate

Every employer should ensure the right training is provided: We will make sure the right training is provided to staff to know what steps to take to support colleagues.

• Awareness

Every employer has a responsibility to be aware of domestic abuse: We will not tolerate domestic abuse in any form and will provide a supportive workplace for colleagues who experience such abuse.

• Respond

Every employer should ensure the right policies are in place to respond to domestic abuse: We will review our policies and processes and ensure they are implemented correctly.

Norwich City Football Club was one of the first organisations to have signed up to the campaign.

Zoe Ward, Norwich City Football Club’s Business and Project Director, said: “Domestic abuse is occurring every day in our community and the pandemic means that victims are having an even harder time accessing the support they need.

“Employers have a responsibility to create a safe and supportive environment and, by committing to educate and raise awareness amongst our colleagues, we can play our part in tackling domestic abuse together.”

Mandy Proctor, Chief Executive of the domestic violence and abuse services charity Leeway, added: “This is a very important campaign, raising awareness of domestic abuse and encouraging organisations to take an active role in tackling it.  

“We all have a part to play to stop domestic abuse and to break the silence that so often surrounds it.

“By signing up to the pledge, employers will ensure the wellbeing of their staff, helping them to access support at an earlier stage as well as highlighting their commitment to tackling domestic abuse.” 

Employers can sign up to the HEAR campaign here>> Sign up to the HEAR campaign

In England and Wales, Hestia, providers of refuges for victims of domestic abuse, estimate a cost to employers of £14m per year due to reduced productivity and lost output due to time off work.

During the pandemic in Norfolk, and particularly during lockdown, victims/survivors of domestic abuse are more likely to be vulnerable. At the moment, some vulnerable children and adults may be particularly isolated, meaning the family, community and professional networks they usually rely on may be unavailable or harder to access.

At the same time, any restrictions in place may increase the pressures that can contribute to abuse. This inevitably impacts on work and colleagues as well as the victims themselves.

On signing the pledge, a campaign toolkit is available for employers to download with information on help and support for staff, guidance on drafting policy about domestic abuse, internal communications and a campaign poster.

British bike share and e-scooter hire provider Beryl and Norwich-based B Corp digital agency, Selesti, have today announced an initiative that will see the shared bike and e-scooter service in the city free for all key workers during the current COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Aimed at increasing socially distanced transport choices for journeys between home and work, key workers will be able to access the scheme by signing up to the Beryl App. This will provide them with free rides, up to 60 minutes via bike and 30 minutes via e-scooter, for all bay to bay rides in the Norwich service area.

During the first lockdown Beryl supported over 10,000 free journeys for key workers across the UK with a series of initiatives across their services. Phil Ellis, CEO of Beryl said “As the COVID-19 crisis continues, many people can’t stay home as they’ll be working to protect and aid the general public. We want to ensure these essential workers can still be mobile and maintain safe distances from others while travelling to and from their places of work. As such, we’ve partnered with Selesti to make Beryl bikes, e-Bikes and e-scooters temporarily free for NHS staff in Norwich, to help them get around and to say thanks for the important work they’re doing.” 

Ollie Blackmore, CEO of B Corp Certified digital agency, Selesti, said: “We’re delighted to support this initiative which will give our local key workers a free and flexible transport option. Not only does this help support them by saving money, it is an excellent way to reduce carbon emissions and stay fit and healthy.  By providing 20,000 minutes, which Beryl will double to 40,000, we hope this is a small but important gesture that says thank you to all NHS staff in Norwich.”

Selesti initially pledged 10,000 minutes of free transport to key workers which Beryl matched, however after this initial offer was snapped up within hours, both companies decided to double the amount of time provided, increasing accessibility to even more key workers across the city. Councillor Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport said, “We are delighted with the popularity of the Beryl scheme since its launch last year and it’s fantastic that local key workers will once again be able to use it for free. Every car journey we replace in this way improves local air quality, reduces congestion on our roads and our overall carbon footprint, which is exactly what the scheme is about.”

The initiative is live from today and will continue indefinitely with Beryl and Selesti monitoring the free rides throughout the duration of the UK lockdown.

To cater for demand, Lloyd Evans has moved to a larger and more prominent shop at 1-3 Moss Grove in Kingswinford.

Lloyd Evans joined TaxAssist Accountants in 2012, and has, since then, gone on to build up a practice with more than 730 small business clients around Halesowen, Wolverhampton and Kingswinford, alongside his team of eight staff.

As part of his plans to expand his services in Kingswinford and surrounding areas, Lloyd has now opened a 1,236 sq.ft shop, in a prominent parade of shops, that no local small business can miss! “It really is a great looking shop, in a fantastic location,” explains Lloyd. “Small businesses need the services of a quality accountant more than ever before, during and post the coronavirus pandemic, so the move to this more visible location hits the mark in terms of promoting our range of services as widely as possible. “I am passionate about supporting and adding value to small businesses and have more than 30 years’ experience of doing so. It was this desire to use my skills and expertise that led me to join TaxAssist Accountants which specialises in this sector. “I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our services to get in touch for a free initial consultation. We provide a comprehensive tax, accountancy and advisory service including business planning and cash flow forecasting. We can talk clients through a range of software solutions to help clients to select the right package for their needs.” For more information about Lloyd’s services, please visit his website https://www.taxassist.co.uk/Kingswinford or call on 0800 05 23 555.

Employers passionate about developing their organisation’s culture, engagement levels and workplace environment, can now sign up to take part in the new Best Employers Eastern Region 2021 Programme.

Best Employers Eastern Region is a community for organisations that believe success is achieved through their people. It brings together employers from across the East of England to develop fresh ideas to keep their culture fresh, enabling your people to thrive.

From its roots as an employee survey, Best Employers supports leaders to continuously develop their organisation’s culture, engagement levels and working environment. It encourages collaboration and provides the opportunity to hear from global industry speakers who have experienced similar challenges first-hand. Best Employers also supports organisations to develop their employee brand through awards and accreditations.

Lynn Walters, Executive Director at Pure and co-founder of Best Employers Eastern Region, said: “Following a year of incredible change, this is a great forum to share experiences and learnings – to learn from each other and understand how the change has impacted our employees, our organisations priorities, culture and values. As a professional recruitment consultancy for our region, we have seen first-hand the significant impact that the pandemic has had. Engagement, culture and values are essential to retain and attract the best talent and despite the recession, top talent in specialist areas are still in high demand.”

Through a programme of inspiring online events and webinars, participating organisations will have the opportunity to learn and hear from international speakers and business leaders across our region. They will share their experience and what they learnt from leading through a challenging time.

The Best Employers survey, provided by co-founders, eras Ltd, will give organisations the information they need to understand their current levels of engagement. George Sik, Consultant Psychologist at eras ltd says, “The timing of the Best Employer survey couldn’t be better. The opportunity for organisations to gather feedback from their staff at this time, when we have many people working remotely, is invaluable and we expect to see some significant shift in the levels of engagement. The opportunity to track your progress and benchmark your organisation against other top employers is incredibly valuable.”

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

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

Hosted by Best Employers co-founders eras ltd, there will also be a series of workshops available to participating organisations that will show you how to set up your Best Employers survey.

Best Employers was born out of a collaboration in 2012, between Alex Pearce, Managing Director of eras ltd and Lynn Walters, Executive Director of Pure. 

Alex very sadly and unexpectedly died in October 2020, and to mark his legacy, Best Employers 2021 will raise money in his memory. 50% of the net proceeds raised through our 2021 programme will be donated to Winston Wishes and Nelsons Journey.

By participating, organisations enhance their profile and employer brand and commit to creating progressively engaged organisations.  The prestigious Best Employer awards and accreditations have become an exceptional showcase of the businesses people want to be a part of. In 2018, almost 150 organisations and 15,000 people took part with eight Best Employer awards and over 30 gold and platinum accreditations presented.

For more information on Best Employers Eastern Region visit – 

www.best-employers.co.uk.