Member News

Attleborough based renewable heating company Finn Geotherm, has been shortlisted for two prestigious national awards following a heat pump installation at 17th century Raynham Hall near Fakenham.

Finn Geotherm is a finalist in both the Heating & Ventilating Review (HVR) Awards 2019, which have been championing innovation, excellence and achievement across the heating and ventilating industry for the past ten years, and The Energy Awards, which reward excellence in the energy business. Competing against projects from across the country, Finn Geotherm has been shortlisted in these two award schemes for its ground source heat pump installation at Grade 1 Listed property Raynham Hall.

Built in 1621, Raynham Hall is a spectacular property set in 5,000 acres. It is lived in by Charles, the 8th Marquess Townshend, who inherited the property in 2010. At £36,000, the annual heating bill was too expensive and the old and ineffective oil boiler desperately needed to be upgraded. Finn Geotherm specified and installed a ground source heat pump which has cut heating costs at Raynham Hall by 64%. The amount of energy consumed has been reduced by 72.6%. The installation also qualifies for the government’s Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, which provides quarterly payments based on the amount of heat energy used for 20 years. The system will pay back in around seven years.

Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for these two national awards with this installation which has made such a difference at Raynham Hall. Raynham Hall is an ideal illustration of the massive impact a heat pump can have in older properties. Period properties have so often overlooked heat pumps as there is still the misconception that all homes must have a good Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating for a ground or air source system to work effectively. This is simply not the case, as the installation at Raynham Hall proves. We hope that through initiatives such as these prestigious award schemes, we can encourage more people to consider heat pumps as a viable solution.”

“The previous heating system was terrible,” said Lord Townshend, owner of Raynham Hall. “However, results for the heat pump so far have been extraordinarily good. The house is now very comfortable. You put up with a lot when you live in a large house but there really is no need to go without adequate heating and hot water. It’s a huge problem we’ve been living with which has just disappeared. I am delighted to be using modern technology to heat my 17th Century home – it is the perfect combination.”

Winners of the HVR Awards 2019 will be announced on 24th October and winners of The Energy Awards on 21st November. For more information on Finn Geotherm’s installation at Raynham Hall, see www.finn-geotherm.co.uk/case-studies

We are over the moon to hear that we have been selected as a finalist for the:   

2020 AOP awards for: Health and Wellbeing Initiative

The winners will be announced on 26th January 2020 at the Excel London.  The award is judged 50% by the AOP and 50% by a public vote. In the event of a tie, the public vote is the deciding factor. Entering this award and being shortlisted is more than we could have imagined in December last year as the directors reflected on 2018 being their most challenging year to date.   The director team dealt with a diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, a seriously ill child, the death of a partner and a marriage break up.  Alongside this, they were struggling to hire new optometrists in Norwich as well as making a success of the second branch in Great Yarmouth, which sadly closed in December.    Sitting down at the end of 2018 and the directors said, ‘well, 2019 can’t get any worse!’  The only way was up and after a long to-do list for the business, the other focus was firmly on a health and wellbeing initiative for the whole team at Colemans.   It started small, with a fruit box being delivered weekly to the staff room, and a positive mindset towards healthy living, both at work and at home, and extended to encouraging people to take part in Park Run and other physical challenges.    The few simple changes developed and have seen the practice grow from strength to strength.  The staff are more happy, motivated and relaxed in the workplace, new professionals have been appointed and we have seen a 30% increase in last year’s turn over.   The director team, a lot leaner, happier and productive; are in good health and all their children are doing well, and have enough material to write a book on disastrous first dates in your 40’s! Coleman’s embarked on many National Campaigns, including eye health, recycling initiatives and help in the community, including supporting Keeping Abreast as their charity of the year. How brilliant would it be to bring home the AOP award for Health and Wellbeing Initiative 2020, and we will need your help with a vote.

If you think we deserve to win this award please can you vote via the VOTE button below.  You need to put in your name and submit, followed by selecting the award name, then click Coleman Opticians followed by cast your vote.  Thank you so much from the team at Coleman Opticians.

  https://colemanopticians.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=655368008d379a2f4b101e983&id=4aa1682f60&e=0096503f00

Previous head of marketing for Woodforde’s and Lacons Breweries and digital expert at Anglian Home Improvements for years, Judi-mae Alderton decided this year to set up her own consultancy business. After years of corporate employment, reshuffles and plenty of redundancies, she wanted the security of owning her own destiny.

So, Mae Day Marketing was born, and it’s different. It promises clients a full review of their existing direction before game changing strategic, tailored advice is given. The objective is to gain immersion into a business, its mindset and its customers, before creatively producing a plan which promises brand growth, greater consumer understanding and engagement, plus a whole load of exciting communications activity. Mae Day Marketing will then manage that ongoing strategy, constantly pumping new energy into it each month, so that business owners can focus on their important list of ever-changing demands.

A collaborative mindset approach ensures that whatever you sell, whoever you want to reach – your business ethos is at the heart of every suggestion made and every direction taken. Mae Day Marketing gets people – the inner motivations and psychologies which drive their behaviour, the irrationalities and the insecurities. Working with a business, Mae Day Marketing will be a consultant, a leader, an advisor, a psychologist, an analyst, a hard worker and without a doubt, a fine communications expert.

Mae Day Marketing can support business growth in a whole raft of ways, from creating an entire marketing plan to building a new website. With 15 years of experience working in marketing departments for large businesses, the pressure of constant optimisation has given Judi-mae an edge; she has the persistent urge to question the ways in which things are done, the itch to improve, the strong desire to continually learn and always strive for the best result.

Mae Day Marketing can review your existing website and provide you with copious amounts of feedback on its propensity to impress its users, its ability to convert to sale, its structure and content’s ability to see it ranking in the search engines. It can also build you a brand new one.

Your public relations (PR) activity can be critiqued, or even created, and all channels reviewed or set up for a blindingly successful approach going forwards. Social media management is so important yet it can often be a minefield and energy sap for companies, and Mae Day Marketing has the experience and energy to support you with that.

Judi-mae studied a degree in business and IT at the University of East Anglia, graduating in 2004 and going straight into a marketing assistant role at a local stainless steel manufacturing firm. With her personal background in computing and a fascination for psychology and digital technology, she quickly made some tweaks and increased online sales by 80%, utilising her creativity and implementing a range of targeted mailings to further increase direct sales by 35%.

Judi-mae has always pushed the boundaries, introducing businesses to new technologies and managing away any concerns about the unknown. She won an award for the best use of social media back in 2009 when the technology was just being picked up by businesses, and she was interviewed by a marketing magazine in 2010 about website conversion rate optimisation when it was a relatively unknown, tiny part of the marketing mix. She believes strongly in herself, her knowledge of the ways of the business world and her ability to make a difference.

Mae Day was born because Judi-mae wants to help businesses grow – and knows she can do it. Contact her today: judi-mae@maeday.co.uk.

You can read more about Judi-mae’s career history and experience on the Mae Day Marketing website: https://maeday.co.uk/about/.

You can also find Mae Day Marketing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

There have been five franchise resales in 2019 so far, with another expected to complete later in the year Purchasing an established TaxAssist Accountants practice continues to be a popular avenue for new joiners, who see the value in taking on a business where the brand is already established with an income stream from day one.

Jonathan Berks had been TaxAssist Accountants’ longest serving franchisee before he sold his practice in Royston, Hertfordshire in April 2019. He joined the franchise in December 1996 and, after 22 years and four months, realised his investment after deciding to retire.

Experienced accountant Tasnuva Tina, who purchased Jonathan’s practice, said: “I had always been interested in working for myself but did not know the best way to realise this ambition.

“As I had not run my own business before, being part of a franchise, where I can get the help and support of a strong network, was top of my wish list.

“I met with the Support Centre team and was impressed. I found out that the Royston practice was being sold by Jonathan, who was looking to retire. I arranged a meeting to find out more and followed this by speaking to several existing franchisees and completing my due diligence. The feedback I received highlighted how Jonathan had built up a strong client base and it would be too good an opportunity to miss. I am now looking forward to working with an excellent and supportive team and growing the client base further.”

Phil Cornish sold his 10-year-old TaxAssist Accountants practice in Altrincham, Cheshire to husband and wife team Samit & Preeti Gupta in August 2019. Following the sale, he said: “I’d like to thank all of the Norwich team for their help and assistance over the years.

“My experience as a franchisee has been excellent, I have never regretted making the decision to join and am pleased that the franchise continues to grow. We were able to build a good business and income and have now had the ability to realise our investment at a decent multiple, I have no doubts that being part of the TaxAssist network has been a significant factor in this success.

“I am very pleased to have been introduced to Samit and Preeti, who I am sure will make a great job of continuing the growth of TaxAssist Altrincham and Sale.” Karl Sandall, Chief Executive Director of The TaxAssist Group, said: “Buying a practice through a resale can provide many advantages, including investing in a ready-made business with a fee base, established premises, experienced staff and practice management systems in place.

“Incoming franchisees benefit from an immediate income stream with access to our full range of ongoing technical and business development support, advice and training enabling them to develop the businesses further. Added to this, the banks remain fully supportive of our business model because of the reduced risk of franchising and our proven track record and will typically lend 70% of the total investment required.”

The other three franchise resales in 2019 include Chesham in Buckinghamshire, Smarden in Kent and Godalming in Surrey.

If you are interested in finding out more about the current practices for sale around the TaxAssist Accountants network – please click here.

New-U Enterprises – Our Proposal to You What do we do We offer individualised work experience placements in a flexible and supportive environment, to long term unemployed young people to help them progress towards work, training or volunteering. We do this in our clothes and accessories swap shop in Castle Mall, Norwich

• We have helped 36 young people to better their lives so far in 2019 and aim to support at least a further 50 by December 2020;
• In 7 months customers have swapped 25,000 items of quality clothing & accessories;
• 44 people have used our Smart Clothes Loan scheme so far this year
• Swap tokens are regularly gifted to families and individuals in need of clothing
• Our ask to you
• We need funding to continue as we are ‘not for profit ‘ (soon to be a registered Charity);
• We are looking for sponsors to fund a young person’s journey towards work;
• Our base cost for each work placement is £1,500;
• We are always open to fundraising suggestions, if you can help in any way.

More about us 1) Our primary aim is to offer individualised work experience placements to long term unemployed young people, supporting them to move towards work, training or volunteering. We help build their confidence, self-belief and transferable skills. We support young people to realise their full potential and recognise their capabilities to meet challenges and overcome obstacles to progression. This includes onwards mentoring where needed. To date 88% have reported a positive outcome with 66% moving into work or apprenticeships. 2) Work placements take place in New-U, a clothes and accessories swap shop on level 2, Castle Mall, Norwich. New-U is an alternative way of shopping, offering an easy avenue for the wider community to contribute towards reducing the harmful effect of the textiles industry. In 7 months 25,000 items of clothing have been swapped, this equates to a saving of 4.5 billion litres of water and 3 million kilos of CO2 on the equivalent newly manufactured items. 3) We offer a free unconditional smart clothes loan scheme to anyone requiring clothing for any occasion. Items can be kept or returned. 44 outfits have been loaned. 4) New-U is inclusive and open to all in the community. Complimentary swap points are gifted to those in need of clothing. 5) We run workshops with schools and further education colleges stressing the importance of re-using textiles and the alternatives to buying new. Case Studies Luke Luke had a troubled childhood, he had a series of tragic personal events and has always been in care. His difficulties include ADHD and epilepsy. Unlike many of our young people Luke did not lack confidence and was willing to try anything from day one. His enthusiasm and boundless energy shone through, especially when appreciation was shown for the work he’d done. The things many of us take for granted were what Luke needed to progress towards work; he needed to feel trusted, to be given responsibility and to feel a valued member of the team. Luke has never worked and has few qualifications so the transferable skills he can now evidence and the reference New-U has provided will make all the difference to him when applying for jobs. Harley Customer feedback: “My mum and I regularly use your shop and I wanted to say how impressed we were with the young man who was working behind the till today. Although we could tell he was nervous, he came across as confident, really polite and made our visit really lovely” Before Harley started his work placement, he was socially isolated, having spent the best part of 5 years in his bedroom. Working hours and tasks were flexible and initially his preference was to be behind the scenes in the stockroom. Despite still suffering with anxiety, Harley has developed strategies to overcome this whilst in the shop. He has progressed towards independence and employment and recognises the positive difference this opportunity has made to his life. Jenny Home life was difficult for Jenny after she lost her father and her sister was admitted to hospital. She wanted to work but didn’t feel ready to cope with the pressures this might bring. We were able to offer her a placement where, when she needed a break or to talk, she felt able to ask for help. In the beginning Jenny was extremely low and overwhelmed by the simplest task. We soon discovered Jenny was great with customers and a quick learner, and eventually she believed this herself too. We allowed her to progress at her own pace and gave the encouragement that she needed to begin to confidently apply for jobs. We recommended her for The Prince’s Trust Get Into Retail course and as a result of this and the time spent with New-U Jenny successfully applied for a retail job in Norwich. We are so proud to see Jenny now living independently, working full time and enjoying life once more. Poppy Gentle reassurance in a supportive and encouraging environment helped Poppy progress towards her career goal. Poppy had a loving and happy childhood but had experienced a series of personal challenges between the ages of 16-19 which left her with no self-confidence and she felt she would never be ‘good enough’ to be offered a job. Poppy’s hours were set around public transport and she began with short days and the reassurance that she could take a break at any time if she felt overwhelmed or extremely anxious. Within a short time weeks Poppy was a changed person as she realised she was better than ‘good enough’ at many things, especially customer service. Poppy is now working full time as an administrator. To find out more, pop in or call Sue Buffin Strategic Director / New-U Enterprises Ltd / 75 Castle Mall / Norwich NR1 3DD / Tel: 07733 190728 www.new-ultd.co.uk @thenorwichswapshop @thenorwichswapshop1

New ‘not for profit’ Recruitment Agency, swarm-Be, will be making their first appearance at the B2B Exhibition this year. Visit Stand 84 to find out more about swarm-Be’s recruitment expertise and see if you can win a free “Motivational Map”. Used by 1,000s of organisations, Motivational Maps is an easy to use tool that explains your motivations in a profile report with clear actions to take.

swarm-Be was launched in May this year with a highly successful and experienced team of recruiters. From job advertising to our fully managed service, swarm-Be can help you in finding your next team member or aspring apprentice. swarm-Be will take all the legowrk out of recurimenet so you can carry on being a busy Be.

What’s more 100% of our profits will be re-invested into good causes.

We look forward to seeing you at B2B

https://www.swarm-be.org.uk/

tel: 01953 668 000

Leathes Prior’s 2019 intake of Trainee Solicitors have joined the firm  – Ellie Davies, Matthew Hodgson and Nicolas Price.

Prior to commencing the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in Cambridge, Ellie completed a degree in Law and Criminology LLB at the University of Sheffield. During her degree Ellie spent a year as an exchange student in Tasmania. She joins us via the firm’s Vacation Scheme, and will begin her training contract in our Residential Property Team. 

Matthew completed his Law degree at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2018 before completing the LPC in Cambridge. In his spare time Matthew enjoys playing rugby and is the current first team captain of North Walsham Rugby Club. Matthew will begin his training contract in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team.

Nicolas also completed his Law degree at the UEA and is completing his LPC in Cambridge during the course of his training contract, which he begins in our Commercial Property Team. Prior to joining Leathes Prior as a Trainee Solicitor, Nicolas has spent the summer assisting the firm with an archiving project. 

Leathes Prior’s Training Principal, Dan Chapman, commented “We are very pleased to welcome our latest trainees who all have impressed us throughout the recruitment process. The firm remains ever committed to recruiting and training the finest legal talent and we have high hopes for our 2019 year group, as they now commence this exciting new step in their careers.”

Simon Michlmayr, of Norwich clock and watch makers and repairers S Michlmayr & Company, returned to the scene of his first summer clock repair job as a 14 year-old – the Maids Head Hotel.

Forty years ago Mr Michlmayr, under the watchful eye of his late father Fritz, repaired the mid 19th century clock, which overlooks diners in the Maids Head Hotel’s 2 AA Rosettes Wine Press Restaurant. Now it was the turn of Mr Michlmayr to oversee his assistant, Esme Collins, who repaired and restored the clock.

“It has been really interesting to come back to the Maids Head and help repair this historic timepiece again,” said Simon Michlmayr. “I remember being very excited forty years ago as I embarked on my first official job.I am pleased that I was able to give the work to Esme.”

The Maids Head clock, which dates from the 1850s, is weight driven and runs for a week. It was originally a striking clock. The mechanism is accessed from a small cupboard in the hotel’s 18th century Assembly Room, now called the Minstrel Suite, which overlooks the restaurant courtyard.

Simon Michlmayr set up his own business 33 years ago, after his father died. He looks after City Hall’s clock and has worked on many of the church clocks in the area, as well as repairing domestic clocks and wristwatches.

Esme Collins has completed the first two years in the British Horological Institute’s Diploma in the Repair and Restoration of Clocks, with one more year of studying to come.

Christine Malcolm, General Manager, the Maids Head Hotel said. “It has been wonderful to welcome Simon Michlmayr back to the Maids Head to look after our historic courtyard clock, which has been a constant presence in the hotel for more than 150 years. With Simon and his colleague Esme’s expert work, the clock will continue to oversee proceedings for many more years.”

Rigby Group (RG) plc, the parent company for a portfolio of family-owned and highly successful businesses operating across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, has achieved another record set of results for the financial year ending March 31st, 2019.

The Group comprises six core divisions: technology, airports, hotels, aviation, real estate and finance, and has made further strategic acquisitions and divestments in the past 12 months.

Technology is the largest part of the Group and its continued growth is driven by demand from businesses seeking outsourced and cost-effective solutions for cloud and digital services. Elsewhere, the airports division continues to be a significant contributor of profitability for the Group and further double-digit growth is expected in the current financial year.

Group Highlights

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £2,771.7m (increase of £398.3m) • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, £65.4m (increase of £6.7m / 11.4%) • Consolidated net assets of £311.2m (increase of £17.9m / 6% • Pre-tax return of assets delivered 12.3% • Gross cash at year end was £380.4m  • The group continues to be active in the M&A markets across its portfolio interests.

Technology

SCC EMEA Group

SCC delivers IT to more than 2,500 customers in more than 50 countries, supporting five million users. They operate out of 75 locations in the UK, France, Romania and Spain. SCC delivered a solid financial performance with revenue growth of £322m to £2.15bn and EBITDAE of £46.6m (growth of £2m / 4%). The group remains well positioned to continue to benefit from digitisation as well as the move to cloud computing and the associated services and product streams. Notable highlights included ongoing investment in expansion of its data centres, major investments in new HR, service management and ERP systems together with further M&A investments such as the acquisition of AVS.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £2.15bn. • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, £46.6m.

Airports

Regional & City Airports (RCA) is the UK’s leading regional airport operator, led by a team with proven commercial and operational expertise in both the airport and airline sectors. RCA owns Bournemouth Airport, Coventry Airport, Exeter Airport and Norwich Airport, and operates Blackpool Airport, City of Derry Airport and Solent Airport Daedalus on behalf of their owners. The Airports division delivered solid growth in both passengers and profitability. Revenues reached £58.1m, an increase of £12.9m / 28.5% with EBITDAE growth of £9.8m to £17.3m. More than 200,000 sq. ft of new hangarage was acquired for clients in Exeter and Bournemouth as well as delivery of a new terminal expansion at Exeter. A major new hangarage development in Norwich was also secured. New carriers were secured for all airports.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £58.1m • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, £17.3m.

Hotels

The Eden Hotel Collection (“EHC”) is a well-established and widely recognised award-winning luxury hotel brand within the UK. EHC currently owns or operates eight luxury hotels in the Midlands, the Cotswolds and South West with Bovey Castle Hotel in Devon the flagship hotel for the group.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £19.6m. • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, (£0.1m) loss.

Aviation

The Aviation division provides a diverse range of services to the aviation sector through the operation of a fleet of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters underpinned by a safety culture which flows through every aspect of the business.   The aviation business continued to operate its MOD missions in the UK and the Falklands, as well as undertaking hundreds of patient repatriation flights and maintained aircraft through its MRO operations.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £20.5m. • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, (£0.8m) loss

Real Estate

Rigby Real Estate owns a diverse real estate portfolio with freehold properties, large scale commercial projects and bespoke residential developments. The Group has an active acquisition programme in place to continue the growth of the division across commercial land and residential property.

Highlights from the past year include securing outline consent for a 3.7m sq. ft. scheme in Coventry. The estate was 98% let in Bournemouth, where consent was also submitted for over 1m sq. ft. of new facilities. In Norwich, planning was submitted for 1m sq. ft. of development. The residential & yacht interior design part of the business was consolidated into Allect, with a healthy order book of over £50m across 50 worldwide projects.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £18.1m. • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, £0.4m.

Finance

Rigby Group’s financial division comprises Rigby Private Equity and technology finance leasing business Rigby Capital. The financial services division completed the year with its first private equity disposal of Fluidone. This business invested in during 2015, delivered a 2.1x return and 25% IRR. The investment in Nuvias continues with the business achieving revenues of £398m during the year. The organic investment in Rigby Capital continues to bear dividends with UK revenues of £84m and French revenues of €130m.

• Consolidated revenues from continuing operations, £508m. • EBITDA (before exceptional items) for the continuing operations, £7.1m.

Sir Peter Rigby, Chairman and Chief Executive, commented: “This is another strong set of financial results for the Group, which underlines our growth strategy. Increases in revenue and profitability have been achieved at a time when we have also continued to invest in our services, infrastructure and, most crucial of all, our people, ensuring we are in a position to meet our future group objectives.”

Steven Rigby, Group Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The past 12 months have been yet another period of successful growth and strategic achievement for the Rigby Group. Across our operations, we have witnessed key milestones which collectively have fed into yet another record set of financial metrics. We have made key acquisitions, as well as successful strategic divestments during the period. We will continue to look at further acquisitions if they add value to the Group. As we look to our current fiscal year, we have much to be optimistic about with ambitious plans across our six divisions and expect to maintain our strong growth trajectory.”

Norfolk and Suffolk’s world-class business offer will be globally marketed under a new brand which will help the region prepare it for a post-Brexit future.

‘Unlimited’ will promote the area as a place rich with investment opportunities and position it as the epicentre of clean energy in the UK and world-leading clusters in the ICT, tech and digital, and agri-food sectors.

The campaign is led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and will help deliver the ambitions of the region’s economic strategy to 2036. It is being delivered in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and has the endorsement of Department for International Trade.

Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited will be promoted at major international conferences, such as leading property event MIPIM UK in London, Offshore Energy 19 and Horecava in Amsterdam and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Business leaders and other key stakeholders from around the region will meanwhile become ambassadors for the brand, lending their weight to the ongoing campaign.

Companies can use the bespoke website www.norfolksuffolkunlimited.co.uk to access all key information they need and those making a direct enquiry will be connected to an expert team located at the LEP.

Statistics support Norfolk and Suffolk’s performance as a powerhouse in the key sectors at the heart of the campaign. The region provides 52% of the UK’s current 7.5GW capacity and its 1,000 wind turbines mean it has more installed offshore wind capacity than any other part of the UK.

The tech and digital creative sector has 4,000 companies employing 23,400 people and contributes £1.4 billion to the regional and national economy. Recognised tech clusters are centred on Norwich’s fast-growing digital creative hub and the centre of innovation in communications technology at Adastral Park and Innovation Martlesham near Ipswich.

Norfolk and Suffolk is also open to investment in agri-food. More than 80,000 people are employed in the sector and scientists are involving working at the leading-edge of new discoveries and technologies, in areas such as precision farming, animal health, crop disease control and prevention, and food in human health.

Jeanette Wheeler, a member of the New Anglia LEP board, said: “The strong and clear message to companies around the world is that we are open to you and the potential in this region is unlimited.

“We have a rich and diverse talent pool, a wealth of high-tech assets and excellent connections to the rest of the UK and beyond. The quality of life also makes it an attractive location for recruiting and retaining the very best people.

“New businesses survive and thrive here better than across the UK as a whole and our economy has grown faster than many of the ‘powerhouse’ areas. The businesses of the future are being created right here and we have the support networks in place to help other companies benefit from Norfolk and Suffolk’s unlimited opportunities.”

Phil Popham, CEO at Lotus in Norfolk, said: “Lotus is proud to support the Unlimited campaign, and we are absolutely behind the ethos of the initiative.  The region is very much poised for investment and growth, and Lotus is a great example this. 

“Our workforce has grown some 25% in the past 12 months and our recruitment drive continues. We are investing heavily in our global HQ at Hethel to prepare for the exciting future ahead of us. 

“Major works are now underway with new facilities for manufacturing, for our workforce and for customers opening next year. Lotus’s global expansion plan is underway, and our home in Norfolk is at the very heart of this.”

Lisa Perkins, director of research and applied innovation for BT at Adastral Park in Ipswich, said: “BT has a great history here and we have 125 companies resident with us in Suffolk. We are only an hour away from London and the UEA and the Norwich Research Park, so there is this triangle of connectivity and you are right in the heart of major research and development for the ICT industry.”

Kieran Miles, founder of Norwich-based urban sports clothing company Duco, said: “Times have changed and only those stuck in the past care what our postcode is. We’re operating in the age of globalisation with customers and suppliers across the world. We attract incredible staff who share our values, inspire customers who care about our products and we even kit out the GB Climbing Team from one of the flattest parts of the world. The opportunity is unlimited here.”

To find out more, visit norfolksuffolkunlimited.co.uk

Workplace expert, Acas East of England, has published new advice today for university students who plan to work part-time after they start university. Fresher’s Week begins at the University of East Anglia this week but once the festivities finish, many students may consider taking a part-time job to help with their expenses while they study.

Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive, said:”Fresher’s Week is a brilliant opportunity for students to meet new people, take part in various social activities and get settled into their new university life. Once the festivities are over, there will be students who decide to work part-time to help with living expenses. A lot of these jobs are likely to be casual, gig working or zero hours contracts. Whatever type of work it is, Acas can help with free advice and guidance to help students get the most out of work and make sure they know their rights.”

New Acas’ guidance gives some essential top tips on what to expect from a pay packet, what to wear and what kind of rights you can get from various jobs that involve part-time working, gig working or zero hours contracts. Top tips include:

• Part-time workers receive Holidays based on the hours worked, comparable to full-timers. This must be detailed in your employment contract. Check with your manager if you have questions.
• Zero hours workers are entitled to annual leave, the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage in the same way as regular workers
• Gig work usually means you are paid for the amount of ‘gigs’ you do which might be anything from delivering food to handing out marketing samples. But some gig work is self-employed, which does not entitle you to some basic workplace rights such as paid time off work.
• You may be asked to wear a uniform or the workplace may have a certain Dress code that is expected, this should be in your contract and explained to you before you start.
• You should expect an induction when you’re welcomed into a new organisation. This should include explaining your duties and introducing you to the rest of your team. If you’re not sure how to do something or why you’re doing it then ask your supervisor or a colleague.

For the full advice go to www.acas.org.uk/WorkingStudents

Acas also has advice for employers on employing young and new workers and settling them into the workplace.

Sustainable travel and car-sharing market-leaders, Liftshare, have announced a new partnership with innovative smart parking and intelligent mobility pioneers AppyWay.

The pair will develop new technology solutions that will enable large employers to both better manage their corporate car parking assets and deliver sustainable travel outcomes by driving greater adoption of car-sharing by employees for their daily commute.

For companies struggling with managing the demand for car parking spaces, a car-sharing scheme for employees to share the journey to and from work can deliver significant results. Liftshare saves it’s 700 clients over £20 million per year in parking costs, reducing the amount of spaces and land required to be leased.

Through a new integration with AppyWay’s smart car park solution, companies are now able to supercharge adoption of car-sharing through greater visibility and real-time availability parking bays and by allocating premium parking spaces, like those nearest to the office, exclusively for users of Liftshare.

Smart bay sensors, provided as part of AppyWay’s car park solutions suite, enable real-time availability of spaces to be visualised in their award-winning AppyParking mobile app, helping employees save time and reduce the miles driven finding parking on site.  Through their analytics tool, Insights, facilities teams are presented with the full demand lifecycle for parking, enabling data-driven decisions for how to optimise their assets.

The integration between Liftshare and AppyWay provides full visibility of bay usage for companies and enables real-time management of car-sharing only spaces, with verified Liftshare users pairing with the sensors in each bay. Liftshare for Work provides companies with a bespoke, branded car sharing platform for their staff to use to enable sharing. The dashboard records all of the data, so reports can be generated on real-time figures for CO2 reduction, amount of miles saved, and monetary savings by staff who cut their costs by 50%, just by sharing with colleagues.

Liftshare CEO, Ali Clabburn, said of the collaboration, “We’re very excited to be working with AppyWay. Innovation is in our DNA here at Liftshare and we’re constantly striving to offer our clients the best possible solution to encourage people to travel more sustainably. The opportunity to collaborate with companies like AppyWay means that clients get a well thought through, integrated solution that supports their goals and objectives when it comes to managing their car parks. Our goal of taking 1 billion miles off UK roads by 2020 is even more achievable when we work with others to share our vision.”

Dan Hubert, Founder and CEO of AppyWay added, “As cities and towns look for the means to tackle congestion and lower emissions, it’s important not to forget large companies and their workforce contribute to the challenge. We’re thrilled that through our collaboration with Liftshare, we can support companies with their sustainable transport goals and drive greater adoption of car-sharing, in addition to helping them optimise their parking assets and offer better experiences for their employees.”