Member News

Dear Reader,

I am pleased to announce the addition of another Director to one of my companies, JADER Ltd.

One Simon Watts of Beccles fame.

He has a wealth of industry experience in the computing arena, and can be found on Linked in for more information.

He is of great benefit to the JADER Ltd enterprise.

He only lives 4 miles form me and it is good to be able to keep an eye on each other.

We first met at Clinks Care Farm, when I was becoming a volunteer there.

Our friendship has grown and I trust him more. Not, very wisely, I state, completely 🙂

KR

David

Managing Director

JADER Ltd

PS This is actually old news, because he has been a director for several months now. 🙂

It can be tricky for any business to find the time to keep your website up-to-date. For some, the solution to that is to work with a marketing agency who can take care of that for you.

But how does it work when you are the marketing agency?

“It’s a challenge! We’ve been chipping away at our new site for months, but client work always come first. However, there comes a time where you just have to go all in on your own business, and our seventh anniversary was the perfect self-imposed deadline!”

So says Emma Raines, owner at Example Marketing and Web Design, who have recently launched their own new website. After a team-wide push to get everything finished, the website went live on the 18th November, the same day as the company was celebrating seven years in business. Emma continues:

“We wanted to create a site that reflected our focus on understanding our clients’ businesses and working flexibly to provide a service that works for them. We also wanted to get across our personality, so it’s a bit quirky, a bit fun. We’re pleased with the finished result.”

Check out their new website at www.examplemarketing.co.uk, and if you fancy an upgrade yourself, why not email hello@examplemarketing.co.uk and speak to a member of the team.

Help light up the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Giving Tree this Christmas by buying a virtual light, bauble or Christmas present. You’ll be able to leave a personal message with your donation, and can upload a photo too. Watch as the Virtual Giving Tree gradually lights up with gifts over the Christmas period!

By buying a virtual light, bauble or Christmas present, you can help pay for a gift of care for the life-threatened children and young people we care for. For example:

• £5 could pay for fifty sheets of coloured card, used by children and families in Art Therapy or memory-making sessions.
• £18 could pay for ten hand and footprint kits, used by families to help make precious memories they can keep.
• £45 could pay for one hundred feeding bottles, used to help the many children at EACH who are tube-fed.

Help us decorate the tree: https://visufund.com/each-christmas-giving-tree

Businesses that have been forced to close during the second national lockdown and were not eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant, can now apply for the Additional Restrictions Grant and receive a one-off payment.

The Additional Restrictions Grant is also available to businesses that have been allowed to stay open but have had a significant financial impact because of the national lockdown restrictions. It is these businesses, along with those outside of the business rates system and were forced to close which the scheme seeks to prioritise. Examples include businesses which supply the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors or businesses in the events sector.

The grant is available for businesses that are operating within the boundaries of Great Yarmouth Borough Council and had been actively trading before 4 November 2020. The grant was open to applications until the end of the current national lockdown but has now been reviewed subject to local restrictions and has been extended to 14th December 2020. Businesses that have been allowed to stay open through the national lockdown restrictions but have been financially impacted because of reduced footfall, bookings and loss of contracts and therefore had a significant reduction in income for the period of restrictions can also apply for the grant. The council will administer and pay out these latest grants as soon as possible. If you are a business with any immediate concerns, then please get in touch. Lots of information and support about the grants, eligibility criteria and further business advice.

Visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-businesses for the link to the online form, information and support about the grants, eligibility criteria and further business advice. For advice relating to the grants, call 0808 196 2240. For other business advice, contact the Growth Hub via 0300 333 6536 or www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk.

What happens when an award-winning chocolate company and an award-winning photographer work together? An award-winning and very tasty looking advertising image, of course! Norfolk’s premium vegan chocolate and ice-cream provider Booja-Booja commissioned local advertising photographer Joe Lenton to create their Christmas advertising image for Vegan Food & Living magazine. Having seen examples of his creative chocolate photography, the Booja-Booja marketing team knew that Joe would be a good fit for their creative designs. 

Lauren & Simon from Booja-Booja created a cocoa Christmas tree with decorations out of chocolates, nuts and honeycomb. Lauren wrote the message “Be More Booja This Christmas” in the cocoa and gave a final flourish with chocolate drizzle. Joe built the lighting setup to create the feel that they were after. The tree’s decorations needed highlights while the cocoa needed a good amount of contrast to make the writing stand out and be easy to read. Joe then edited the final image to complete the vision and this became the final advert that would adorn the back cover of the magazine.

After the magazine came out, Joe then entered the image into the Advertising section of The Societies of Photographers competition. Everyone was thrilled when the image was awarded “highly commended”. It joins over 70 other international photography awards gained by Joe and is a proud achievement. Booja-Booja have also won numerous awards for their chocolates and ice cream. The partnership has continued with new adverts being created for 2021. Keep an eye out for these food based works of art! 

In this week’s episode, Mark and James reflect on 2020, and look ahead to 2021 and the inevitable New Year’s Eve Resolutions. They impart advice on how to make change stick for the long term, referring along the way to melting icebergs, Princess Gabriele and Mark’s “B” in GCSE German! 

Listen here!

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!

Norfolk County Council have produced a briefing for retailers looking to trade safely during the Tier 2 restrictions. Coronavirus infection rates are still high in Norfolk. You could have customers on your premises who are infectious but may not be aware they have the virus and may have no symptoms.  As a retailer, you have a lot of influence with your customers. Please play your part to encourage safer behaviour in the community. The less face to face contact between people the less chance of them catching or passing on the virus. As a responsible retailer, you can help by:

• Encouraging your customers to shop online and use delivery / click & collect. If you don’t have your own online shop, you could sell via one of the established websites such as Etsy or Not on the High Street (others are available) or your local district council may offer support for getting a digital offer off the ground. Promoting online browsing or offering virtual shopping appointments online can reduce the amount of time that customers need to be in the shop. 
• Limiting the number of customers on the premises at any time. Staggering or expanding opening hours where possible can help so that footfall isn’t concentrated.
• Encouraging your customers to use hand sanitizer, wear face coverings (unless exempt) and socially distance whilst on your premises.
• Ensuring that any forming queues are socially distanced. Outside your premises, marking 2m boxes on the floor with tape can be effective for social distancing.  
• Encouraging a continuous flow of customers around your premises (and so avoid gatherings).
• Avoiding promotions that will encourage increased footfall likely to result in crowds (such as one-day only offers).
• Ensuring your staff:
  • know what is expected of them to operate in a Covid-secure way
  • know what you want the customers to do 
  • are trained to encourage Covid prevention among customers

Following Covid prevention actions will always be better for business than having to manage an outbreak or have to move to tighter restrictions, so please do all you can. For further help and support visit the Norfolk County Council website.

Working together to protect Norfolk

Working closely with our communities has been a key focus for every district across Norfolk during the Covid 19 pandemic.  With the Tiers coming into place on Wednesday 2 December, Covid marshals and support officers will continue to be recruited and deployed across the county.  Their aim is to advise, educate, and engage with businesses and members of the public around the restriction, working together to tackle the threats we all still face and bring us down into Tier 1. As well as providing support to the communities they work in, they also act as the eyes and the ears of the districts, reporting back improvements that could be made, concerns and repeat offenders.

While they all share similar role profiles (see examples attached), each district is using their marshals, support officers or support advisors slightly differently. The funding for the roles has been provided by the central government Covid Outbreak Management Fund.

Highlighting the importance of the role Tom McCabe, Norfolk’s Resilience Forum Chair, said:  “Many Covid-19 marshals and support officers have been in place for some weeks now, supporting businesses and helping to encourage, engage and educate people in how to protect themselves and those around them.

“The feedback on their role has largely been really positive, with our communities recognising that these officers are working with them to keep us all safe. The role is likely to evolve over the coming weeks and months as we move different types of restrictions with the expected changes to local and national regulations, but they will continue to be out on the streets and will be happy to help where they can. “

Breckland Council has recruited 10 Covid Support Staff – one Lead Covid Support Officer to coordinate and supervise a team of nine Covid Support Officers – with officers in post before the end of the current restrictions period. The role of this team will be to provide advice and support to businesses, engage with residents and support with the track-and-trace and door-knocking work in the community.  They will be a flexible resource that will move between the work on the high street and contact tracing, dependant on the priority at the time. Breckland has also recruited two Covid Compliance Officers to support the new enforcement powers that districts have been given.

Broadland and South Norfolk have interviewed and made offers of six month fixed term contracts to 10 Covid Support Advisors who will start on Monday next week, following the attached role profile. They will be managed through two district team leaders, due to be interviewed shortly, who will provide daily briefing and tasking from their offices in Thorpe St Andrew and Long Stratton. It is important to note that these are support and advice roles rather than enforcement roles. Enforcement will be picked through their existing regulatory teams, however, as most Covid issues, things are moving at pace and there may be changes to this position at short notice. All Covid related roles will liaise closely with district command policing and – on the ground – with beat managers.

Great Yarmouth has had Covid support officers in place since early October, with an average of six officers patrolling each day. They have proven to be so effective in educating, advising and engaging with businesses that Great Yarmouth is currently recruiting for more on a six month contract basis. The aim is to have 10 FTE support officers along with a team of flexible officers to support when needed. On a daily basis the team talk to businesses and the general public, assist with social distancing at schools and leaflet drop where appropriate.

Norwich have Covid 19 Support Officers, who during lockdown have been a core group of four to six patrolling the city each day between 10am and 4pm. The officers have been working with those businesses that are permitted to open to ensure that they are maintaining high levels of Covid protection and have been identifying businesses that may be trading when the legislation requires them to be closed. The team is managed by their Events Team and any issues that are identified by the support officers are relayed to the Environmental Health Enforcement Teams.

As the city reopens, they will be increasing the number of Covid19 Support Officers to pre-lockdown levels of up to 20 people on duty per day. To increase the impact of the officers, they will work in two shifts to cover the daytime business economy of 9am to 6pm. They will work to increase their interaction with the public and focussing on the key messages of hands: face: space. Street signage will be improved and there will also be the provision of information booths offering hand sanitiser and face coverings.

North Norfolk are building on their successes during the summer and will have six Covid-19 Support Officers working in their market towns and seaside resorts including Holt, Fakenham, Cromer, Sheringham, Wells-next the Sea and North Walsham. They will be a visible presence in areas of high footfall across the district from Wednesday, working six days a week. The Covid-19 Support Officers will provide advice, guidance and reassurance to residents, visitors and businesses on the latest Covid-19 restrictions. They will promote the important public health messages such as hand washing, social distancing,  and the wearing of face coverings and will provide a vital link between communities, their Environmental Health Team and policing colleagues, providing information which will allow them to focus their resources more effectively.  

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk have recruited a number of marshals, including some who are contracted SIA qualified security staff. They also have staff from alive Leisure and students from the college supporting them.  They are following the 3 Es and referring to EHOs for enforcement. They are visiting all parts of the borough, including retail areas, shops near schools, school gates where issues have been reported and providing people with up to date advice and guidance on the latest guidance, signposting to other sources of support such as funding, and how to develop a click and collect service.  This enables the finite resources EHOs to be focussed more effectively where enforcement is unfortunately required.

• New charity Hopestead has launched its Christmas appeal to support local charities and organisations across the region this winter;
• The Hope At Christmas 2020 appeal is seeking a variety of donations including food, clothing, toys, and vouchers;
• It comes after Hopestead, part of Flagship Group, officially launched in October with the aim of ending homelessness in the East of England.

A Christmas appeal, launched by new charity Hopestead, is inviting donations from the public to benefit good causes across the region this winter.

The Hope At Christmas 2020 appeal is seeking donations of food, vouchers, and clothing such as jackets, jumpers, and socks. In addition, Hopestead – which aims to end homelessness in the East of England  – is collecting new and unwrapped toys for all ages, helping to make sure no-one misses out this festive season.

Practical donations such as supermarket vouchers, are also sought, as well as second-hand mobile phones and tablets, pocket torches, and flasks.   The appeal is also seeking foil and plastic food containers and reusable cutlery and paper bags

And, furry friends on the streets are not forgotten with requests for LED light up dog collars, dog blankets, and dog treats.

Alternatively, people can make cash donations via the Hopestead website from 14 December (www.hopestead.org) or they can choose items from the Amazon wish list: Amazon.co.uk (and select ‘Hopestead’s gift registry address’ for items to be sent direct to their head office).

Marie-Claire Delbrouque, MD of Hopestead, said: “With the pandemic, this winter poses even more risks and challenges for people who are experiencing, or are at or on the brink of homelessness. That’s why we are absolutely committed to offering support through our Christmas appeal.

“Our collection will support some of the amazing grassroots organisations which are making such a difference within local communities, and which we are proud to be partnering with.

“We know how generous and supportive people have been during the pandemic, giving donations and time to help others. We would ask, if you can, please do get involved with our Christmas appeal: your donations could make a big difference for someone.”

To collect people’s donations, the Hopestead vans will be stopping at Flagship offices across the region. Anyone wishing to support the appeal can drop off their donations – safely, and in a socially distanced manner – at the following locations between 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm:

• Monday 14 December – Michael Chaplin House, Station Road, Dereham, NR19 1DA
• Tuesday 15 December – Cedar Lodge, Chiswick Avenue, Mildenhall, IP28 7BD
• Wednesday 16 December – Station Road, Riduna Park, Melton, Woodbridge, IP12 1QT
• Thursday 17 December – Tom Moore House, Cromer Road, North Walsham, NR28 0NB
• Friday 18 December – 31, King Street Norwich, NR1 1PD and Coppice House, 5 Greenwood Court, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7GY

People will also be able to make monetary donations via card at these drop offs, should they prefer to do so.

Or donations can be posted to Hopestead, 39 Montagu Drive, Saxmundham, IP17 1FL

Some of the organisations which the Hopestead Christmas appeal will benefit are:

• The People’s Picnic, Norwich
• FABB (Food and Beverage Buggies), Norwich
• Ipswich Winter Night Shelter
• Salvation Army
• Winter Comfort for the Homeless, Cambridge
• Street Vets.

This appeal comes after Hopestead officially launched in October with two drive-in cinema events that raised almost £4,000 to support those who are experiencing homelessness, or are at or on the brink of homelessness.

Prior to this, Hopestead had begun operating an initiative earlier this year when it became clear that the pandemic had the potential to increase homelessness. Since then, Hopestead has awarded in excess of £350k to support nearly 700 Flagship Group families who might be at risk of losing their homes.

Now the charity’s fundraising efforts are focused on its Christmas appeal. With the winter months ahead, and Covid-19 likely to impact further on homelessness, Marie-Claire Delbrouque emphasised just how vital the support provided by the Christmas appeal will be. She said: “This year has already posed so many difficulties for people and unfortunately, the coming months, look set to be equally challenging.

“That is why we would ask people to please help in whatever way they can. We want to provide resources and support to these brilliant organisations which are making a difference throughout Christmas, and beyond.

“This appeal is just one step towards achieving our overall goal of ending homelessness in the East of England. By working in partnership with likeminded organisations already working hard to eradicate homelessness, we know that we can achieve this together. Because we believe that everyone deserves a place to call home.”

You can find out more by visiting www.hopestead.org or Hopestead on Twitter @_hopestead or Instagram @_hopestead and Facebook Hopestead | Facebook

The full list of donations being sought through the Christmas appeal are:

• Men’s jackets, and jumpers
• Men’s tracksuit trousers and jeans
• New and unwrapped toys for all ages
• Stationery and crafts
• Puzzles, word searches, board games
• Second hand mobile phones and tablets
• Greggs £5 food vouchers
• Supermarket vouchers
• Foil and plastic food containers,
• Reusable cutlery and paper bags
• LED light up dog collars, dog blankets
• Dog food and treats
• Tinned food of all varieties
• Coffee, hot chocolate sachets, and tea bags
• Hand warmers, and socks
• Pocket torches and flasks.

Donations made to the Just Giving site (live from 14 December) will be used to buy vouchers and top up additional items required.

On entering Tier Two in Norfolk after the second national lockdown, we are able to open our office to the public once again including for client meetings from Wednesday 2 December.

We remain respectful of the government guidelines and will ensure all required cleaning, hygiene and social distancing measures are in place for both face to face meetings with clients, and for our staff. We also will continue to offer alternative solutions to meeting face to face including virtual meetings by video call or telephone, plus correspondence by email.

Please ensure you have an appointment in advance before arriving at our office and you will be required to wear a face covering. You can book an appointment via your usual Hatch Brenner contact, call 01603 660 811 to speak to our receptionist or email info@hatchbrenner.co.uk

Please do not attend the office if you are unwell. In line with the most up to date guidance:

If you have coronavirus symptoms:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste

Get a test and stay at home.

We will continue to review the government guidance throughout the pandemic to ensure the utmost safety for our clients and staff. Many thanks to all our clients, contacts and staff for their continued support this year. If you have a legal issue which you would like to discuss with our team, please call 01603 660 811 and we would be delighted to assist.

Christmas and New Year closure 2020

Please note, we will be closing the office this year between Christmas and New Year. We will be closed from close of business at 5.15pm on Wednesday 23rd December until 9am on Monday 4th January.

Hatch Brenner Solicitors on Theatre Street is once again celebrating after being ranked as among the top firms in the UK for Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury work by the legal directory Chambers and Partners for their 2021 edition.

Chambers and Partners has been the leading source of legal market intelligence for over 30 years, with 85 experienced researchers ranking law firms and solicitors in the UK, providing a wealth of localised knowledge and market insight.

Hatch Brenner Solicitors has been recommended for Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury in the latest rankings released in October 2020 following a submission by former Morgan Jones Pett specialists Sara Westwood and Simon Bransby:

Clinical Negligence – mainly Claimant – Norwich and surrounds

Hatch Brenner Partner Sara Westwood is ranked in Band Two and noted for her strength in birth injury, delayed diagnosis and failure in treatment cases. One market source points out that she “gets to grips with the medical evidence, identifying the strengths and weaknesses,” adding: “She is very practical in her approach and gets good results for clients.”

Personal Injury – mainly Claimant – Norwich and surrounds

Hatch Brenner Chartered Legal Executive Simon Bransby is ranked in Band Two as a notable Personal Injury practitioner. The guide recognises the firm’s reputation for having a solid team handling a range of claims with particular expertise in workplace injury cases and expertise regarding road traffic accidents, as well as trips and slips.

Simon Bransby’s extensive work portfolio is referenced, including cases involving workplace injuries and RTAs. Commentators appreciate that “he is persistent in fighting for his client.”

If you would like to discuss a potential personal injury or clinical negligence legal claim with our highly regarded team of specialists, please call 01603 660 811 or email info@hatchbrenner.co.uk

If you’ve started thinking about whether an electric car might be right for you, you probably have lots of questions. If you’ve never driven electric before, you might be wondering about the day-to-day practicalities of owning an electric car. And with the formal announcement expected soon to bring forward the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-fuelled cars to 2030 – five years earlier than previously planned, this is a subject that many are talking about right now.

So to help our customers make an informed decision we decided to put electric cars to the test and answer some of the most frequently asked questions with the help of Motoring journalist, Andy Russell.

Andy Russell has more than 30 years of experience as a motoring journalist, editor and content provider, for both print and online, and has driven around 2,000 new cars. He has seen huge changes in the automotive world and is particularly interested in new technology and excited about the advent of electric vehicles, having driven his first electrified car at the start of the new millennium. He is also a keen, and hardy, all-year motorbike rider and has passed both advanced car and motorcycle tests.

So, if you are thinking about going electric for your next car but not sure whether to take the plunge, then this video could give you the answers you need!

We cover a range of questions, including some of the main topics:

• What is an electrified vehicle?
• Why are pure electric vehicles becoming more popular?
• How far can an electric vehicle travel on a single charge?
• How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle?
• How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle?
• How long do the batteries last?
• Some electric vehicles are based on traditional petrol and diesel models. Do they differ apart from the power source?

If you would like further information or you would like us to help you with a finance quotation on an electric car then please get in touch on 01603 381955 or e-mail sales@credoassetfinance.com