Member News

LSI Architects is delighted to announce that Associate Partner Peter Courtney is to become an Equity Partner at the Practice from 1st May.

Since joining the Practice in 2009, Peter has played an integral role in the development of LSI Architects London studio, successfully delivering projects such as the Lycée International de Londres, Brent Knoll School and Queensmill ASD School.

Peter has led EFA Framework, BSF, Diocesan and Independent sector school projects with a number of notable contractors, covering traditional and D&B procurement and both new-build and refurbishment work, including the Harpley PRU in Stepney Green, recipient of two BCSE national design awards.

Previous experience in other sectors has been invaluable to the ongoing diversification of work in the London studio, including a number of office projects for the London Borough of Islington, an office project in India, and commissions at several London teaching hospitals.

Peter Courtney commented “Over the past few years the Practice has gone from strength to strength. I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to play a leading role as we continue to improve our design and our service to the benefit of our clients. I believe that the exciting opportunities ahead reflect the importance the London studio plays in the growth and direction of the Practice.”

The Practice is also delighted to announce that experienced project Architects David Bannister and Daniel Pedley are both promoted to Associates.

Since joining LSI’s London studio in 2012, David has been involved in projects such as Brent Knoll School, St John’s Green Primary School and the SS Robin Visitor Centre, with current projects including Eltham Primary School. Over his time at LSI, David has gained particular experience designing spaces for Autistic children, with projects including the conversion of a 1990s office building into a school for Autistic children to accommodate the expansion of Blossom House School in Wimbledon.

Daniel is another experienced Project Architect who initially joined LSI’s Norwich office as a Part 1 student in 2006. Since then, Daniel has achieved his Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications whilst at LSI, working on projects such as the on-shore facility for offshore energy company SCIRA and the Moy’s End Stand at Peterborough United Football Club as well as numerous education projects. Daniel is currently involved with projects at Gresham’s School in Holt, including the development of a new sixth form and music school and boarding house.

East Anglia’s largest business rescue and insolvency practice McTear Williams & Wood, has raised £2,280 for charity at its 8th popular annual bowls tournament.

Twelve teams of professionals from across the region battled for the “McTear Williams & Wood Bowls Trophy” which was held at the Diss & District Bowls Club on Tuesday 26 April 2016. The winners were the “Hawks” team, Peter Hazell of George Hazell & Co, Liam Walker of Anglia Finance, Tracy England of Birkett Long and James Knights of Knights Lowe . In keeping with tradition the contestants wore an array of novelty slippers ranging from puppy dogs to monster claws. Funds raised from the event went to the Jubilee Sailing Trust, a United Nations accredited disability charity, promoting integration through the challenge and adventure of tall ship sailing, by providing life-changing adventures to people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of physical ability. The cheque was presented by Chris Williams to Sophia Adams of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, who has enjoyed several of the sailing trips herself. Chris’s father had done three trips with the charity sailing across the English Channel, Bay of Biscay and the Caribbean; in presenting the cheque Chris said “For my father to sail across the oceans again in his nineties was a dream come true for him.”

Once again McTear Williams & Wood extend their thanks to everyone who took part and to the Diss & District Bowls Club. Plans are underway to repeat the event next year.

City College Norwich is launching an innovative new course, the Level 3 BTEC in Information Technology and Computing, which has been designed in close conjunction with information technology employers to provide a pathway for young people into this diverse and exciting sector.

Starting in September 2016, this 1-year course is designed for 16 to 18 year olds who have an interest in developing their digital skills in order to move on to a wide range of tech careers.

There will be a chance for young people to find out more about the course, talk to College staff, as well as some of the employers who have been involved, at the Information Technology and Computing Open Event on Wednesday 11th May, from 5:30pm to 7pm, in the StartUp Lounge at City College Norwich, Ipswich Road, Norwich, NR2 2LJ.

On completing the course, students will have the key knowledge and skills sought by information technology employers and will be extremely well-placed to move on to IT and computing-based Apprenticeships, a second year of Level 3 study, or on to degree courses in areas such as computer science, computer programming and website development.

With technology sector job roles and opportunities changing so rapidly, City College Norwich staff have spent a lot of time talking to local employers to ensure that the course content, and the skills the young people will develop, align with the skills that employers are looking for in their industry.

The course covers key areas of information technology, including programming, website development, mobile app development, IT systems, creating management information systems, and using social media for business. There will also be the opportunity for students to carry out some work experience with the local employers who have helped shape the course.

In developing the course, staff at the College have also spoken to young people in local high schools to find out more about their current digital skills and their knowledge of the career opportunities in the information technology and computing sector.

As City College Norwich’s Principal, Corrienne Peasgood, explains, the course has been designed to take account of the feedback from both groups:

“Rather than simply offer an existing computing qualification, we have tailored this course according to the specific skills that information technology employers have told us they are looking for. At the same time we have been talking to tech-savvy young people to ascertain where their skills and interests lie, so that we can provide an effective bridge between the two. It’s about providing young people with the right skills to go out and secure the huge range of opportunities that exist both within the tech sector, as well as in IT-based job roles across many other industries.”

John Gostling, Operations Director at Norwich-based Breakwater IT, is one of those who has had an input into the new course. Mr Gostling commented:

“Our team of enthusiastic, committed and talented engineers play a central role in our business and I am really pleased to see that City College Norwich has developed this course with a clear focus on the skills that employers are looking for. As a former City College Norwich student myself, it was a privilege to be asked to be involved in the development of this exciting new course.”

For more information about the Level 3 BTEC in Information Technology and Computing, prospective students or their parents can contact the Advice Shop at City College Norwich on (01603) 773773 or email information@ccn.ac.uk.

Peerless Plastics and Coatings are very proud to announce a new addition to the family, Direct to Media Print. Based on the success of Peerless over the last few years, they noticed a need for large format,eye catching graphics and print which can be enhanced with a protective coating for everyday use.

The new partner company is based in the same HQ as Peerless in Thetford. Allowing seamless transition from the print bed to the coating line for afully protected, UV cured hard coat. Protective coatings can be applied in both clear gloss or matte finish and givefull protection against cleaning with even the most stubborn of chemicals. They also provideabrasion resistance.

A large print bed of 2.5 metres wide and the ability to print onto rigid media up to 50mm in thickness provides endless opportunities. Alternatively reel to reel printing is available on flexible media such as vinyl or canvas.

An integral design studio is also present. Full design is available including graphics, photo correction and multi panel layouts for large wall art and buildings.

For more information contact the DTM team on0845 643 5175 or emailhello@dtmprint.com.

Images – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/84epp28ut5a65la/AABB6OlLtlFE65pUwVbP1AUba?dl=0

Website – https://www.dtmprint.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/DTMprintUK

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/DTMprint

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DTMprintUK

About Peerless Plastics and Coatings Limited

A long standing plastics and coating company, Peerless specialise in plastic and applying protective coatings to it. Supply product and services to the likes of the NHS, Network Rail and Mercedes Benz Peerless have the knowledge and skills to find the right solution to any project.

About Direct to Media Limited

Incorporated in March 2016, Direct to Media Limited is a brand new company born to provide Direct to Media Services, specialising in print. Launching with a brand new Signracer 2500 H-LED Hybrid Printer for both rigid and flexible media.

Able to provide rigid printing on material up to 50mm in thickness or reel to reel print on vinyl and canvas for near infinite prints up to 2.5 metres in width.

LinkedIn has become the world’s largest professional network and it is a fantastic tool for job seekers and for employers looking for new recruits. Whether you’re actively looking for a new job, or just looking to build a stronger network of professional contacts, your LinkedIn summary can make you stand out from the crowd. It could even be how your dream employer finds you!

Employers who are researching candidates, or looking for new employees, will be searching the internet and LinkedIn profiles are likely to be in the top few results. The summary section is the most read piece of these profiles, so it should never be left blank. We all know that first impressions count, but with just 2,000 characters (and that includes spaces!) allowed, how do you create compelling content? Here’s our tips to writing or updating your LinkedIn summary.

1.Enticing summary

Start with an opening which will make people want to read on. This doesn’t mean you need to write something overly witty or clever. That often looks like you’re trying to hard anyway! Simply summarise who you are and what you do e.g. include the industry you work in, the level you work at, how many years of experience you have and examples of companies you’ve worked for. This will make people want to read on as it will quickly establish if you are someone with the skills and experience they want in their network, or within their organisation.

2.Avoid jargon and over-used buzz words

When you are putting words in black and white there is a temptation to use technical industry jargon, or to rely on over-used buzz words, because you are not sure what to write. This can sound really unnatural. Think about how you would describe yourself, and what you do, if you were chatting to someone face to face, and try to use a similar language and style. This will make your summary far easier to read and will come across as much more authentic.

3.Be yourself, just at your best

Just like your CV, your LinkedIn summary is a time to promote yourself. It’s important to highlight your achievements, experience and skills. Make sure it is an accurate reflection of yourself, but don’t be shy about showing what you have to offer new business contacts or potential employers. Always write in the first person, but if this makes you feel too much like you’re bragging, break it up with some external examples, e.g. people say I am…

4.Balance personal with professional

Your summary is a great opportunity to express your personality and to include details about your values, passions and life experiences. Potential employers will be interested in looking at how you would fit with their organisation’s culture, as well as at your skills and experience. Keep it balanced so your personal achievements don’t overshadow your professional ones by aiming for a 70% professional, 30% personal, split. You can also express your personality and personal working style when explaining more about your professional career path. Think about including references to why you love what you do, how you got into your career or why was it something you wanted to do from a young age.

5.Write for people – not robots

Many articles about writing LinkedIn summaries focus heavily on including lots key words to make it as search engine friendly as possible. There’s a danger that if you become too focussed on this you will end up repeating words unnecessarily or squeezing them in when they’re not really needed. This won’t sound natural, or make for appealing reading. As long as you include details about job roles, the industry sector you work in, the skills and qualifications you have, the key words which could help potential employers or business contacts find you will all naturally be in there.

6.Break it up

Even with a limited word count, it is important to make your summary as clear and easy to read as possible. Make the key points jump out and break up the text with sub headings, for example include a heading of ‘career highlights’ and then list examples in bullet point form.

7.Keep it up to date

Once you’ve gone to the effort of writing a good summary, make sure you keep it up to date. Your summary should evolve with you and your career. Don’t forget about it until the time comes to update your job or employer details. Review it regularly and add in any new achievements or highlights.

We’re working alongsideCommunity Sports Foundation&Sellebrity Auctionthis year to promoteJamie’s Game 2016at Carrow Road later this month.

Jamie’s Game, the Community Sports Foundation’s annual celebrity football match features stars of TV, music, film, and sport, as well as several ex-Canaries.

The event has raised over £200,000 for the Community Sports Foundation in total, helping the charity to engage with thousands of people every year, including disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages, using sport as the tool.

TV’s Calum Best and YouTube star Jim Chapman will each be a captain this year, and their teams will feature a number of surprise players to be announced in the build-up to the big day.

Since Jamie’s Game first launched in 2013, over 25,000 people have enjoyed the thrills and spills of high-scoring games, and some top half-time musical entertainment.

We’re over the moon to be doing our bit for this fabulous charity event. Tickets available –www.jamiesgame.co.uk/#!tickets-1/ce55

A BIG welcome toGravity Trampoline Park Norwichthe latest business to jump on board our digital signage networks across Norfolk. Gravity are using our network of digital screens to gain brand awareness leading up to the opening of the park at Riverside May 30th. Gravity have two parks already, one in Yorkshire & the other in Kent. Trampoline parks are becoming more popular across the country and are a fun way for both children and adults to keep active. The third park opening up in Norwich will be at the old Wonderland unit at Riverside and is great news for all involved.

GRAVITY is all about getting fit, keeping fit and most of all, having fun!! GRAVITY Trampoline Parks are a great way for people of all ages to exercise by just having fun! Wall-to-wall trampolines are connected together to form a huge open play area with those at the edge literally going up the wall! These amazing open expanses of bounceable space are used for a variety of activities including; free jumping, TrampoLEAN fitness classes, group entertainment and parties with an incomparable atmosphere. There are specialised areas for basketball and dodgeball, as well as foam pits and areas for learning new skills in market leading safety.

We designed the Gravity ad combining both video and motion graphics to capture our audiences attention and offer an interactive experience. Adverts with movement gain 371% more attention than a static image. The Gravity digital-out-of-home campaign can be seen on our Domination Circuit reaching 500,000 people per week!

We are proud sponsors of the next East Anglian Society of Chartered Accountants (EASCA) welcome event, which will be held on Friday 6 May to celebrate its recently qualified members.

As we specialise inAccountancy recruitment, we are always delighted to support events which champion the exceptional up-and-coming talent we have in this region. The EASCA’s welcome event is a fantastic opportunity for those who have worked incredibly hard throughout their Association of Chartered Accountants (ACA) training to celebrate their achievement with their peers.

The fun, informal event will take place on the River Cam and includes one of Cambridge’s most iconic activities – punting! Invites have been sent to those who have become professionally qualified in the last three years, encouraging them to attend the celebrations and to bring a guest with them.

As well as punting along the scenic river, the free of charge event also includes a Pimms reception on arrival. This will give guests the chance to meet with other recently-qualified ACAs from the region and to hear from Andrew Ratcliffe, national president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

The Pimms reception starts at 6pm at The Granta Pub’s beer garden, overlooking the river, followed by punting from 6.30pm. The evening will culminate with a barbeque and music from 7pm. If you haven’t yet booked to attend, it looks like it will be a great evening and we’d encourage you to come along. To register your place visithttps://bit.ly/1JKfwKn

The multi-award winning Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia picked up further accolades yesterday at the British Council for Offices (BCO) awards ceremony. Successful in two award categories; Corporate Workplace and Innovation.

Its 7th annual regional award, the BCO was established in 1990 and is the country’s leading forum for the discussion and debating of issues affecting the office sector. The recognition for The Enterprise Centre is testament to the quality of working space offered within the building to the business community. A visit to all buildings was an intrinsic element to the selection process and the judges’ visit to the building on 8th February clearly impressed them.

Offering flexible work space options from offices suites to co-working desks and virtual tenancy, The Enterprise Centre is an inspirational building. At near 100% occupancy since opening in June 2015 a vibrant and dynamic community has already formed. The original vision to become the location of the region’s most successful green business hub is already in evidence, primarily supporting the SME and start-up community.

Not solely concerned with office space, The Enterprise Centre is also a creative and impressive location for exhibitions, events and conferences with facilities including a stunning roof-top terrace, 300-seater lecture theatre,seminar and meeting rooms.

Following success at the East Anglia and Midlands ceremony on Thursday in Birmingham’s prestigious Town Hall, The Enterprise Centre will now compete at a national level in a bid to win the property sector’s highly respected ‘Best of the Best’ award at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House in London on 4th October.

Today (Wednesday 27 April) is known as Administrative Professionals Day, the perfect opportunity to recognise and celebrate the work of secretaries, PAs and all types of administrative assistants working all over the world.

Here at Pure we are strong advocates of all those working in office support roles. Because we recognise these positions as being integral to the success of an organisation, we’ve built a dedicatedprofessional office recruitment teamwith an outstanding track record of providing effective temporary and permanent office recruitment solutions.

Those working in professional office support roles are often the unsung heroes of many organisations and there are still many misconceptions among the general public about the level of responsibility which comes with these types of roles.

Nowadays many PAs and executive administrators make key decisions and manage big budgets every day. They work alongside chief executives and leaders and in a recent survey of more than 1,700 PAs and secretaries, 16% said their boss regularly took their recommendations on business decisions. In many cases, PAs in particular have become among the most powerful people in a company. Another recent survey showed that three quarters (76 per cent) of PAs were privy to confidential information such as mergers and acquisitions long before the rest of the company.

Our Professional Office Recruitment team is dedicated not only to helping local employers find effective temporary and permanent office support, but also to supporting the on-going career development of those working in this field. Many networking and training events held across the region are mainly designed for managers, directors or HR personnel. We believe the hard-working, ambitious people working in professional administrative roles should be included in the networking and training scene, and we have been hosting targeted events for a number of years now.

So, if you’re working in an office support role, keep an eye on ourevents pageand follow us onFacebookandTwitterfor details about future events we’ll be creating just for you – because we think administrative professionals should be celebrated all year round!

TaxAssist Accountants, the successful and award winning UK franchise with a Support Centre based in Norwich, is pleased to announce that it has smashed through two milestone figures, now servicing the needs of over 60,000 clients across the UK, with a combined fee bank of over £40 million. This news follows on from TaxAssist recently hitting another milestone, having recently passed the 200 TaxAssist Accountants mark.

Phil Sullivan, Group Operations Director of The TaxAssist Group, was full of praise for the Accountants in the network and the Support Centre staff. “Reaching these milestones is a phenomenal achievement. The figures are testament to the commitment of the accountants in our network and the dedicated staff at the Support Centre, who work so hard to provide a first class service to our accountants, who can in turn, offer a first class service to their clients.”

“We continue to see double digit growth year after year, and the pace of our growth is increasing. The latest 10,000 increase in clients has come in only 19 months, half the time it took to grow from 40-50k. These figures can only endorse our business model and strengthen the TaxAssist brand.”

TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network of accountants specifically servicing the needs of small businesses and the self-employed and is the UK’s leading accountancy franchise. It also operates in the Republic of Ireland and recently expanded to Australia. Further expansion is planned both in the UK and overseas.

Established in 1995, TaxAssist Accountants is now recognised as the UK’s 24th largest network of accountants in the UK. The head office is on the Broadland Business Park, just outside Norwich, where it employs 40 people. There are two TaxAssist Accountants operating in Norfolk, one in Norwich and one in Attleborough.

Seven business women have graduated from the highly successful Women’s Leadership Programme, run by Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) and People & Performance Ltd to help support professional women across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire to develop their leadership style and progress to more senior roles.

The Women’s Leadership Programme was first developed by professional recruitment specialists Pure, in conjunction with strategic HR consultancy People & Performance Ltd, in 2014 and over 30 organisations across the region have already participated.

The latest graduates to complete the programme are from both public and private sector organisations in the region including Suffolk-based Events under Canvas, Buckles Solicitors based in Peterborough and Victory Housing Trust based in Norfolk. The job roles of those graduating ranged from Learning and Development Managers through to Head of Finance. The seven exceptional graduates will now join a growing alumni network, developing across the East of England, of previous programme graduates and employer sponsors. This will provide a great forum for them to continue to build their leadership skills, boost their confidence and to develop a network of like-minded professionals.

A special graduation event took place at Paddocks House in Newmarket on Thursday [21 April] where the delegates and alumni network heard from guest speaker Steve Turpie, business transformation expert and founder of Bright Stars charity speak about the power of vulnerability in leadership.

Lynn Walters, Director at Pure, said: “I would like to congratulate all of our latest graduates and I hope that the programme has boosted confidence, developed their leadership skills and helped them on their own personal journey of becoming some of the best business leaders of the future. I would also like to praise the employers who have sponsored our latest graduates for taking such a proactive step to help to develop their female talent and on working with them to address any potential barriers or unconscious bias within their organisation’s progression pipeline. Diversity is widely understood to be fundamental to the sustained growth of any business and having an equal gender ratio within the talent pipeline will create more meaningful, purposeful businesses of the future.

The Women’s Leadership Programme consists of two modules which take place over a six-month period, encompassing a mixture of coaching, seminars and inspirational guest speakers.

Pure is offering the chance for one aspiring female leader, working at a deserving organisation in the East of England, to receive a part-funded place on the next intake of the Women’s Leadership Programme, with modules in running in June and September. The full cost of the programme is usually £2,750 but this will be reduced to £1,375 for the chosen delegate. Applications are open to charities, social enterprises or not-for-profit organisations across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex or Cambridgeshire. To apply for the place, or to nominate a member of your team, email lucy@prs.uk.com by 29 April with details of why you, or a colleague, should be awarded the sponsored place.