Member News

We are pleased to announce that the content and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) teams at Tudor Lodge Consultants are working with Dicendum Group. An exciting company comprising two core businesses; Capital Advisory Services and Martin Tiano & Co accountants, Dicendum are already proving to be an exciting client and partner.

A logical combination, at Dicendum’s core is the corporate finance side of the group that works hand in hand with the other half; established accountants in Edgware, North London. These are two services which are hugely popular and regularly work in tandem across the UK. Dicendum have combined the availabilities of both, working across a plethora of customers and clients of all sizes and from all around the world.

The Challenges of Their Website

Uniquely, the Dicendum Group website contains both businesses under their own section. This means that each side of the business needs to be properly and strongly focused on whilst paying attention to the overall domain and its authority and strength. Positively though, this has also meant that positive SEO actions on one side of the website filters through to the other and the overarching domain.

The Dicendum Group website is also a new website which has meant facing the challenges of having what is for all intents and purposes, a blank canvas with which to work. More established websites have an increased degree of website and domain authority whereas newer sites need to find their feet and establish themselves from scratch.

This has meant that our teams are required to work with the in-house development team at Dicendum Group to update both the build of the site as well as the user engagement factors such as calls to action and otherwise.

What we are Doing for Dicendum

As part of this ongoing campaign of work with the team at Dicendum Group, we have undertaken in-depth and detailed keyword research to identify targets and new as well opportunities for both sides of the group. This has meant looking online at both respective industries and which terms drive the most and highest value website and online traffic. We are also working on a comprehensive content strategy across the website as the content offering at present is fairly bare.

Subsequent to the keyword research, we have also applied fully optimised meta data (comprising meta titles and meta descriptions) to all website pages, auditing each on their merit and targets. This has already had a very positive and beneficial effect on the website as a whole. Additionally, on site is the work we are carrying out to optimise the speed and performance of their website. Speed and performance are one of the key factors in on site SEO with users spending longer and engaging more with sites which perform faster and better. Those with slower speeds see increased bounce rates and reduced overall numbers of website users.

Further to this we are working on a range of online PR opportunities. This has already helped Dicendum Group climb up the Google rankings for various brand terms and searches in a short period of time. We are continuing to work with partners and relevant websites and publications to get the Dicendum Group name out there. This has also helped us improve their domain authority with various PR pieces providing follow links as well as some no follows to the Dicendum website.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, our teams are continuing to work with the development team at Dicendum to continue this path of progress. We will be continuing to increase and improve the on-site content, website performance factors and off site PR opportunities to maximise the exposure of this truly exciting company online. Having already moved up Google by more than 5 pages for some terms, we look forward to continuing our work with all of the team at Dicendum.

A team of PhD students from the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) School of Pharmacy has won both the Biotechnology YES Prize and People’s Choice Award at the national Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) competition final hosted at the Royal Society on Tuesday 12 December. 

YES is designed to develop business awareness and an understanding of entrepreneurship in UK postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers. This goal is achieved through a competition where the participants prepare a business plan for a hypothetical company in one of three categories, Biotechnology, Engineering and Environment. 

The UEA winning team CryoThaw, made up of NRP Bioscience DTP students Lučka Bibič, Mahmoud Abdelhamid, Oliver Cartwright and Samuel Walpole, came up with a solution which allows a donated heart to be cryopreserved, stored/transported and then reanimated back to a fully functional state. Cryopreservation is a technique which involves rapidly freezing the organ, without damage to the tissue, hence extending the time it remains viable outside of the body. This would allow for more heart transplants to be carried out and also improved post-transplantation outcomes.

At the final, CyroThaw had to pitch their idea and the business plan to a panel of investors. The pitch had to address all areas of the business including financial strategy, IP strategy and marketing. They won £2,500, trophies and invitations to the BioIndustry Association’s gala dinner. For the people’s choice award they will receive corporate training provided by Indigo Business solutions.

Lucka Bibic, CEO at CryoThaw, said: “I am so delighted for the whole team, the success of CryoThaw was definitely down to our team effort. YES17 was a fantastic chance to network and a great opportunity to learn how to think like an entrepreneur. Now we can hopefully apply and further develop these skills in our future career paths.”

The Norwich Research Park Doctoral Training Partnership contributed to the financial costs, which enabled the students to participate. 

Another UEA team, Active Plant Protection, were also successful at the final as team member Sophie Harrington won the Best Presenter Award. Sophie Harrington is a John Innes Centre (JIC) student who was funded through the Rotation Programme.  

Brown & Co are delighted to announce that all nine candidates who sat the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) examinations this autumn have passed and are now Fellows of the CAAV. The two-day examination process held each autumn sees candidates thoroughly tested on their practical, written and oral knowledge of valuation and professional work related to rural business. Managing Partner, Charles Whitaker said “We are very proud to announce the formal qualification successes of this group of chartered surveyors. It reflects excellence of our staff and those that contribute to our innovation, training and development effort internally and externally to seek to be at the forefront of the provision of services to add value to our clients’ property and businesses”. Charles Birch, head of Land Agency added “I am delighted that we have such talent within the firm and that all nine taking these difficult exams have passed. It demonstrates the candidates’ commitment to the exams themselves and is encouraging for their continuing careers within Brown & Co, which we are keen to develop for the future. The success of our business revolves around enthusiastic and excellent staff to look after clients in what is an increasingly specialist rural environment, so an expanding group can only help”. Personal congratulations for all their hard work and achievement to: Sarah Barker – Melton Mowbray Anita Riggall – Brigg Emma Houghton – Grantham Tom Phillips – King’s Lynn Rowley Barclay – King’s Lynn Felicity Thornett – Norwich Jamie Seaman – Norwich Sophie Hardy – Spalding John Smithson Whitehead – Spalding A number of candidates also sat their RICS APC qualifications this autumn, with the following achieving MRICS status: Anita Riggall – Brigg Land Agency Emma Houghton – Grantham Land Agency Jon Clampin – Huntingdon Land Agency Anna Smith – Norwich Commercial

On Friday East Anglian Recruitment specialists, Cooper Lomaz Recruitment announced its exciting plans to expand their office network with a third office location which will see them open in Colchester on 5th March 2018.

The new location in Colchester will work alongside their existing office network in Bury St Edmunds and Norwich.  Cooper Lomaz Recruitment have confirmed that they will be opening the new office with four new to the business staff who will exclusively recruit across the Engineering and Manufacturing sectors throughout the Essex region.

Cooper Lomaz Recruitment currently recruits in technical and professional sectors across Essex from their existing offices.  However based on the success of these existing teams and increased demand from clients in Essex the business decided to take the step and open a physical office in the region. 

Whilst the new office settles into the business and focuses on Engineering and Manufacturing Cooper Lomaz Recruitment will continue to recruit Finance, Food, IT, Sales & Marketing, and Supply Chain roles from their Norwich & Bury St Edmunds offices.

Simon Brown Managing Director for Cooper Lomaz who announced the news to the business on Friday said: 

“We are really excited to be opening a third office, especially into such a great region of East Anglia in Colchester.  Opening the third office at this time in a new location is an important step to helping to grow our brand presence in the Essex area.  I am pleased we will be hiring four new people in Essex into our business, a number which I am sure will grow further before the end of 2018.”  

The office itself will follow the same direction as their other two offices by being in a central location with great transport links, and plenty of activity around it. Naturally, it will also be fully equipped with the latest technology to allow the consultants based there to help recruit top candidates for the Essex area.

Sales Manager Donna West says “I’m absolutely thrilled to be asked to launch & manage the new Essex office and create a new branch of our already successful Engineering Recruitment team.  I have worked across Essex throughout my recruitment career and can’t wait to get back there and work with the great clients and candidates the region has.”

Following on from the success of a technology trial at 10 Flagship properties earlier this year, Phase 2 of the project benefitting hundreds of customers has launched this week (Tuesday 5 December). The second phase aims to reduce fuel poverty and rent arrears, prevent damp and mould, increase digital usage and improve boiler maintenance at 493 properties across 11 towns in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is anticipated the technology will also have a significant impact on Flagship’s housing and asset management costs in the long-term. Smart technology company Switchee are providing smart thermostats, installed by Gasway Services Ltd. The pilot first phase involved Flagship and a number of local companies working together to demonstrate that the technology works and gauge the potential benefits of using smart technologies in the ‘real world’. The pilot resulted in the following main benefits: – Income generation as the new technology allowed for faster housing benefits to be claimed leading to earlier payments – Allowed for digital payment reminders to be used, leading to quicker collection of missed payments – Preventative action could be taken where the devices showed a high risk of mould/damp, poor insulation and faulty boilers – Positive customer feedback as they found it easier and more convenient to contact Flagship and felt more secure in their homes – An increase in the number of ‘Log A Repair’ requests online resulting in a reduction in calls to Flagship’s Contact Centre Marie-Claire Delbrouque, Director of Housing and Customer Insight at Flagship said: “We’re really pleased with how the pilot was received by our customers and it’s fantastic we’re now rolling out the project to more people. “There are lots of potential benefits including helping our customers tackle fuel poverty. A worrying number of families across the UK, including our own customers, suffer as a result of rising fuel costs. We anticipate this project will create cheaper fuel bills, helping people to pay their rent and ultimately keep them in their homes.” Matt Brazier, Director of IT at Flagship said: “It’s exciting to be at the forefront of using technology in such a pioneering way. The pilot has already demonstrated that this technology can work so we anticipate the wider rollout will make a huge difference to us as a business, our customers, as well as the housing sector as a whole.” Ian Napier is Commercial Director at Switchee, which helps families reduce their energy bills with their Smart Thermostat for social housing. Ian said: “We are thrilled that Flagship are rolling Switchee out on a much larger scale following the success of the initial pilot. Phase 2 of this project will result in a material reduction in fuel poverty across the 493 selected homes and help Flagship to better diagnose repair issues in their housing stock, continuing the shift from reactive to pre-emptive maintenance. Switchee data will lead to quicker and better repair outcomes for residents and significant efficiencies for Flagship.”

Take part in our anuual Owner managed Business Survey and be in with a chance of winning a Jarrold Christmas Hamper for you or one of your clients.

Many thanks to those businesses that have taken part in the survey so far. We are confident that the results will prove to be very beneficial and allow us to provide you with future help and advice.

For those that haven’t yet been able to participate, we hope that you can find a few minutes of your time to complete this simple survey.

The survey will take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and will close on Wednesday, 13 December 2017.

If you’d like to see a copy of the survey report from last year please click here.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Workplace Pension: Do you need to consult employees on contribution changes?

Ryan Oates, Corporate Financial Adviser, SG Corporate Services says

“Changing a pension scheme’s rules or terms and conditions to increase member contributions normally requires employers to consult with the scheme members. ” Consultation is only necessary if: • An employer has 50 or more employees, which is determined by calculating the average number of employees in the previous 12 months. • An employer wishes to amend the scheme rules to increase member contributions at a different time or rate than originally set out. The consultation period must not be less than 60 days. However, where the scheme rules are already set to increase contributions to the minimum levels, either in April 2018 and 2019 or earlier, the employer will not need to consult members. You should still notify them that increased contributions are due to be taken. If the change is being made to ensure the scheme remains qualifying – that the rules or terms and conditions are being amended purely to reflect the minimum increases set out in law – the employer will not need to consult.” Further information can be found here: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/employer-duty-to-consult-on-scheme-changes.pdf

Join together with colleagues and take part in the 2018 Active Workplace Challenge and be in with a chance to win prizes!

Active Norfolk’s 2018 Workplace Challenge is back for eight weeks, running from January 8th with the aim of encouraging you and your colleagues to reduce your stress, improve your wellbeing and re-energise by building in 10-minute bite-sized chunks of activity into and around the working day.

Just adding small chunks of activity throughout the day can all add up; switching the lift for the stairs, walking to work, challenging the boss to a table tennis rally or taking part in a Midday Mile. So together let’s make every minute count!

Throughout the eight weeks there are some amazing local and national prizes up for grabs thanks to our sponsors.

It’s free to get involved! Click here for more information.

As he launches the 2018/19 police budget and council tax consultation, Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lorne Green, is asking ‘Would you pay more council tax to help fund policing?’

PCC Lorne Green will soon have to decide whether to increase or freeze the policing element of council tax to fund next year’s policing service, and he wants to know what the Norfolk public thinks.

By law, the PCC can only raise policing council tax by a maximum of just under 2% – a cap fixed by central government. But, as well as giving Norfolk’s communities the chance to vote for a freeze or a 2% rise for 2018/19, for the first time Lorne will be asking if they would be willing to pay even more if the central government cap is lifted – a possibility in mid-December.

“What I am asking is do you support a freeze, keeping policing council tax at last year’s level or do you support a rise? And, if so, please tell me the maximum amount you would be prepared to pay,” said Lorne.

“I am now 18 months into my work as your PCC and, during my time in office, I have become increasingly aware of just how challenging the financial situation is for policing in our county.

“Grant funding from central government continues to reduce year on year but policing costs are increasing, along with demands for service. If austerity continues, Norfolk Constabulary will need to make cuts of between £2 million and £3 million every year just to cover inflation. The Government has made it clear it expects me to increase the policing element of council tax by the maximum I can to help bridge the gap. That budget gap in 2018/19 is estimated to be £6.8 million.

“The Chief Constable has recently announced a new policing model for Norfolk which he says will ensure the Force is best placed to tackle the biggest threats to the safety of our communities, while also maintaining neighbourhood policing and being more sustainable in the current financial climate. He also says, however, that further difficult decisions will be needed to balance the 2018/19 policing budget.

“I, along with other PCCs, have been lobbying central government to look again at police funding and lift the council tax limit above the 2% maximum. This would allow PCCs more flexibility to set council tax levels in response to funding challenges and local policing needs.

“To help inform my budget decision if that were to happen, I would like to know what you would be prepared to pay next year for policing in Norfolk.

“Some 58% of Norfolk’s policing budget is funded by central government, meaning your council tax makes up the rest so I want all Norfolk residents to have the opportunity to have their say.”

You can have your say now by taking the online survey at www.norfolk-pcc.gov.uk.

You can also share your views by telephone on 01953 424455, by email to TellLorne@norfolk.pnn.police.uk, or by writing to the PCC at OPCCN, Jubilee House, Building 8, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, NR18 0WW.   

Flagship staff across the business are once again helping those in need by filling and decorating charity boxes with food. In total 16 boxes will be delivered during December as every working day a local Flagship Ranger will take them to one of the following charities: St Martin’s Trust in Norwich, The Woodbridge Salvation Army, Newmarket Open Door, and the Norwich, Mid Norfolk and Thetford Foodbanks. The boxes full of non-perishable food items will be given to people in time for Christmas, many of which would go hungry at this time of year. St Martins Housing Trust will use the food as part of their annual Christmas meal for their service users and other members of the community. Any surplus food will be given to people using their ‘Under-1-Roof’ resource centre which aims to provide them with skills they need to help compete for jobs. As a housing provider for people in need, some of Flagship’s customers may themselves receive the charity boxes. Deputy Chief Executive at Flagship Helen Walsham said: “Last year was a huge success as our staff were really enthusiastic about decorating and filling the boxes. I’m really pleased we have decided to do something similar again for some fantastic charities who make a huge difference to people who are less fortunate than us.” Once the boxes have been delivered by Flagship, the charities will distribute them among people in their communities. Derek Player General Manager at St Martins said, “The people we support are facing a major crisis in their lives, whether they are sleeping rough, sofa surfing or in temporary accommodation. Flagship’s donations will be welcomed by our service users and will help them feel valued and remembered at this time of year.” Hannah Worsley, Project Manager at the Norwich Foodbank said: “Flagship’s donations last year helped us to provide the equivalent of 187 meals to local people in crisis – this is such a help to us, as December is our busiest month; we expect to give out over 1,000 food parcels during December this year. We’re delighted that the staff at Flagship are getting behind us and other charities once again, thank you all for your support.”

Exciting opportunities – 2 x Project Manager posts 

Passionate about property and devoted to development, you’ll discover all kinds of inspiration here on the beautiful East Norfolk coast. Our area is rich with heritage and famous for its unspoilt beaches, charming villages and breathtaking countryside. You will be at the heart of ambitious plans to shape a future every bit as exciting as Great Yarmouth’s storied past.

Great Yarmouth is firmly in the centre of the European shipping and offshore energy industries. The town boasts world-class knowledge in the offshore industry, with deep water outer harbour. Great Yarmouth boasts a growing retail experience and leisure market which the Borough Council is at the heart of supporting. 

Our current projects:

Exciting project opportunities within the Project Management Office include:

·         Town Centre redevelopment in line with the Masterplan.

·         Seafront redevelopment, incorporating the potential delivery of a new leisure centre for the Borough.

·         Preservation of the Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake, having secured more than £1.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. 

·         Preservation and renewal of the historic and nationally significant Winter Gardens.

Role:

As a member of our newly developed and expanding Project Management Office, you will enjoy a real influence on the continued growth and prosperity of the borough. Roles will be instrumental in the economic growth of the Borough with varied remits.

Project Manager:  

Degree standard & PRINCE2 essential

2 Posts – Permanent and 2 Year Fixed Term Contract

Full Time or Part Time – all applications considered

Band 7: £28,485 to £31,601

The Project Manager role will have responsibility for a varied portfolio of projects, particularly in relation to the delivery of the Town Centre Masterplan, with the opportunity to expand and develop within the team. Your knowledge and experience is key and should include: PRINCE2 project management, an ability to process complex information, deliver against competing deadlines, communicate amongst many internal and external stakeholders, as well as influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills.

For this role, it is the pride you take in achieving ambitious goals that will set you apart.

The role will be in line with priorities identified in the Council Corporate Plan and the economic growth of the Borough, and regeneration projects.

For an informal chat, please contact Michelle Burdett on 01493 846812 or Kate Watts 01493 846547.

Closing date:  8th December 2017  

Presentation to Panel will be held on 4th January 2018 and, if successful, you will be invited to attend an interview on 5th January 2018.

We offer a friendly working environment with attractive terms and conditions including generous holiday entitlement, flexible working and membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme. You can apply online at gybc.engageats.co.uk.  Please note CVs are not accepted. The Council operates an equal opportunities policy and we welcome applications from all parts of the community and all personal circumstances. We are open to any potential applicant, whether the post holder is seeking temporary employment for a specific period of time, or has specific circumstances that means full time work is impractical (those returning to work after a period of time off / requiring school hours / compressed week). 

Norfolk County Council is excited to host a free Work and Health Event at The King’s Centre in Norwich on 2 February 2018 from 9.15am to 4pm (lunch included).

This free event is for businesses that would like to improve the health of their workforce. Stress, depression and anxiety, as well as some physical conditions such as back, shoulder and knee pain are amongst the biggest causes of absence from work.

Improving the health of your workplace will not only reduce the number of working days lost, it will also create a happier workforce with higher morale and better mental health. This can lead to increased productivity and better staff retention rates.

Featuring prominent speakers, including the Chairman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as workshops, you will have the chance to:

• Learn how to deal with workplace health issues
• Explore different forms of workplace health provision
• Understand how to increase your disability confidence
• Find out the tools available to help assess your company’s health needs
• Learn how to address skill shortages in your workplace
• Find out about untapped labour markets to help survive labour shortages
• Network with other businesses

Our new workplace health provider, Thriving Workplaces, will also talk about their innovative free service that aims to support businesses to improve their workplace health.

Their range of services includes: Strategic workplace health analysis, digital diagnostic tools, workplace health champion training and support, policy development, mental health first aid training. They can also facilitate access to NHS Health Checks for employees.

To secure a place at this free event, please book here by Friday 19 January 2018 where you will find more details including an outline agenda for the day.

If you have any questions about the event please email michele.taylor@norfolk.gov.uk

This event is brought to you by Norfolk County Council’s Public Health department in collaboration with the Employment and Skills team.