Member News

Delta-Simons are now able to complete works under the Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL) after Unit EcologyManager, Charlotte Sanderson, recently qualified as a registered BLICL consultant, one of 120 suitably experienced ecologists in the UK that are certified to offer the service. The BLICL aims to reduce the administrative burden on Natural England when assessing and issuing European Protected Species Mitigation Licences (EPSML), where development works are proposed to impact bat roosts of low conservation significance.

As part of Natural England’s earned recognition project in collaboration with the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), the Bat Low Impact Class Licence permits works that have an impact on roosts of low conservation significance occupied by a small number of bats of common species. As an example, this could apply to a commercial building where a day roost of a couple of common pipistrelle bats has been found.

Launched at the beginning of April 2015, the BLICL offers a much efficient and proportional approach to licensing for sites that meet the criteria:

Faster processing of licence applications: 10 working days as opposed to 30 working days;

Reduced burden for clients affected by delays to works and increased costs;

Robust legal approach: not requiring completion of Reasoned Statement, however necessary planning permissions must still be in place.

The Bat Low Impact Class Licence still requires full surveys to be carried out to determine the bat species as well as the type of roost present, so contact us to discuss whether a Low Impact Bat Class Licence is appropriate for a site under consideration.

View all Delta-Simons ecology services.

Contact: Charlotte Sanderson, Unit Ecology Manager

Photo: Common pipistrelle

Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner is calling on the business community to play their part in keeping the county safe by breaking down barriers to employment for ex-offenders.

PCC Stephen Bett is asking 100 organisations to pledge to offer a new opportunity to someone with a criminal conviction, with the aim of getting those individuals into long-term employment.

“Repeat offenders are responsible for a significant amount of the crime we have in Norfolk,” Stephen said. “We know that having a job can reduce the likelihood someone will go on to reoffend. But for many, the difficulty they face in finding employment can be a huge barrier to leaving their offending past behind them.”

The PCC brought 50 business representatives from all over Norfolk together at The Great Hospital to enlist their support for the Gateway to Employment campaign, launched in partnership with the Department of Work and Pensions.

Launching the campaign, Stephen said: “75% of employers will use the declaration of a criminal record to discriminate against a job applicant. Yet many of them have a skills shortage and would benefit from an increased pool of suitable candidates from which to recruit.

“There are 10 million people in the UK with a criminal record. Many of these people could be dedicated, trained and reliable workers. They just need to be given the opportunity to prove themselves.

“We are asking our business community to show their support for Gateway to Employment by pledging to offer a new opportunity to someone with a criminal conviction. That could be an apprenticeship or work experience, or a training, mentoring or job opportunity.”

Among those already supporting the campaign are Chloe Smith MP, Clive Lewis MP, Richard Bacon MP and Will Styles and Steve Rodford, governors of Norwich and Wayland Prisons respectively. Gateway to Employment is also being backed by Sam Delcoure from Norse and Davina Tanner who set up Norwich’s Britannia Café – providing work experience and skills training for serving prisoners.

“There is a compelling business case in helping ex-offenders to turn their lives around by finding employment”, Stephen added. “The opportunities, skills and hope our businesses provide for people with convictions can help break the cycle of offending, which means fewer victims and less cost to public purse of the revolving prison door.

“If businesses support this campaign and offer the tools needed to secure a job for the future, in return, they’ll get a wealth of ability, loyalty and hard work.”

More information on Gateway to Employment can be found at www.gtoe.co.uk

A Norfolk PR, marketing and design agency is celebrating two clients winning Business of the Year awards on the same night in two counties.

EPIC International and Ivy House Country Hotel, both clients of Great Yarmouth-based TMS Media, each won the overall trophy at their respective award ceremonies in Norfolk and Suffolk.

EPIC International, an offshore engineering company that employs up to 100 people from its Great Yarmouth base, was named Business of the Year in the EnterpriseGY Spirit of Enterprise Awards at Great Yarmouth Town Hall last Friday.

Across the border in Suffolk at the same time, Ivy House Country Hotel was named Business of the Year in the Lowestoft and Waveney Chamber of Commerce Awards, at the gala event hosted by the Oulton Broad hotel in its new Ivy Hall function room.

Earlier in the evening, EPIC International, set up 15 years ago by managing director Dave Rowan, had also scooped the Spirit of Enterprise Great Engineering/Manufacturing Business and Great New Business Idea awards.

Meanwhile, Ivy House Country Hotel was presented with the chamber’s Business Investment Award for the £1.6m injected into refurbishing the 20-bedroom hotel, building Ivy Hall and Eve’s Bar by owner biochemist and entrepreneur Dr Adrian Parton MBE.

Ivy House was also among the three finalists in the EDP Visit Norfoolk Tourism Awards on November 26, awarded highly-commended.

TMS Media managing director Steve Scott said targeted award entries was an important element of the companies’ PR strategies to shape and raise profiles of both businesses in their communities and respective industries.

“EPIC and Ivy House are two very different businesses operating in very separate arenas, both with impressive achievements, which we believed the community and their industries should know about.

“We have been working closely with them to shape media coverage for their projects, business values and ambitions as well as seeking out other PR opportunities. Community and industry awards are an increasingly important part of the PR mix.”

“We are delighted that their efforts were recognised concurrently on the same night, even though it presented some logistical difficulties!”

TMS Media has worked with regional, national and international businesses for 26 years, offering PR, design, website development and exhibitions and event design and construction.

Ivy House Country Hotel is also a one of three finalists in the Best Independent Hotel category of the EDP Tourism awards.

Another TMS client, Britannia Fire, the UK’s last remaining fire extinguisher manufacturer, was among the three finalists in the EDP Business Awards Business Development category.

“Award entry writing is a new work steam for us. That independent judges spotted the excellence in our clients gives us great satisfaction.”

TMS Media clients include the East of England Energy Group, Fred. Olsen Windcarrier, the East of England Energy Zone, the Pier Hotel, Gorleston; OrbisEnergy and Great Yarmouth Tourism.

In what has been a year of unprecedented growth for leading accountancy practice Aston Shaw, the firm are pleased to announce the acquisition of a local tax practice ownedbyRichardHarris after he retires on 1st December 2015. This deal marks the second practice acquisition in under 6 months for the firm, continuing Aston Shaw’s ever growing presence in the East Anglian region.

Richard Harris is a seasoned tax advisor with a notable background as an HMRC Inspector, tax lecturer, in-house trainer and tax manager for some of the UKs most high profile firms such as PWC, KPMG,BDO & Grant Thornton, before setting up his own tax practice in 1994. The Norwich based practice boasts an impressive 350 strong client base and offers a full range of specialist tax related services to both individuals and SMEs in Norfolk.

Commenting on the transaction, Richard Harris said: “The practice has been a big part of my life for more than 20 years. I am delighted to have found a successor with such an enviable reputation for expert technical tax advice, that is ideally placed to continue to consult and implement intricate tax strategies for my clients.”

Mark Noakes, Director of Aston Shaw added: “The acquisition is a strategic move for us, taking advantage of the improving economic climate within the region and driving forward our plans for continued sustainable growth. The deal complements Aston Shaw’s core assurance, advisory and tax capabilities – we work closely with clients to create and maintain an optimal tax position that is of benefit to them and their business.”

This is the latest in a series of moves to drive expansion of the 6 office regional firm – with even more developments in the pipeline before the end of the year.

The Chancellor’s Spending Review has delivered a huge boost for business as Norwich Research Park is named as an Enterprise Zone site.

Currently home to over 12,000 people and more than 40 businesses, the development will allow the thriving science and technology Park to further develop by enabling businesses to tap into a wide range of benefits, including business rate discounts and simplified planning processes.

Focusing on supporting more spin out businesses in the food, health, IT and plant science sectors, Norwich Research Park is one of ten innovative locations named in the Autumn Statement this week which will make up the new Norfolk and Suffolk Enterprise Zone.

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, chief executive officer, Norwich Research Park said: “This is tremendous news for the region. Enterprise Zones are internationally recognised as areas which support businesses by offering tangible assistance such improved access to superfast broadband and reduced business rates.

“Enterprise Zone status will enable us to build upon our existing foundations and further strengthen our position as a leading destination for innovative businesses.”

John Fuller, Leader of South Norfolk Council, the district authority in which the 25-hectare Enterprise Zone site is located.

“The work done at Norwich Research Park leads the world in addressing the challenges facing humanity in food, health, energy, the environment and genetics.The Enterprise Zone status will help turn this basic research into products that people at home and abroad want to buy to generate jobs and wealth for Norwich & Norfolk,” he said.

The combined bid for one of the Government’s prestigious new Enterprise Zone sites for Norfolk and Suffolk was co-ordinated by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and local authority partners.

Its chairman, Mark Pendlington, said: “This is fantastic news for companies locally, nationally and internationally looking to capitalise on the expertise of the East – from world-class food and health research, our thriving all-energy sector and innovation in ICT and digital – this zone will be a magnet for inward investment, help create thousands of jobs and drive our productivity.”

Norwich Research Partners LLP was formed in 2012 and has outline planning permission for over 160,000 sq m of research, health and ancillary buildings. A partnership between theUniversity of East Anglia, theNorfolk and Norwich University Hospital and four independent world-renowned research institutes – the John Innes Centre,Institute of Food Research,The Genome Analysis Centre andThe Sainsbury Laboratorylinked to theGatsby Charitable Foundation. The John Innes Foundation and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council are also partners.

Peter Lawrence from Human Capital Department shared his views on the impact of low oil price on HR strategies with a panel of experts.

The OPEN Venue on Bank Plain in Norwich are establishing a comedy clubwith the first event taking place next Februaryand looking for a sponsor.

If you would like to have your organisation name associated with the Comedy Bank at OPEN, please give either Peter Marron, Venue Development Manager or Hayley Gerrard Marketing Manager a call on 01603 763111.

Reflection PR is an ambitious PR consultancy in Norwich. We’re a small team making a big impact and our work includes PR and social media campaigns, videos, awards and website design.

We work with fantastic clients in the consumer, food, drink, leisure and tourism sectors.

We’re now looking for a Senior Account Manager or Account Director to join our team and help us to reach the next stage of growth.

More information about this role and how to apply ishere.

Closing date is 7th December- we look forward to hearing from any interested candidates.

Over 30 Health and Social Care, Childcare, Hospitality, Sports and Motor Vehicle students from City College Norwich stepped into a range of job roles on Friday 20th November as part of the national Takeover Challenge.

Several different groups of students came together to take part in a takeover at The Parkside School in Norwich. At the additional needs school, which has pupils aged 7 to 17, 14 level 3 Health and Social Care students provided classroom support to pupils. In addition Childcare level 3 students Katie Dade and Estee Anema shadowed the school’s headteacher and deputy head throughout the day.

Childcare Level 3 student, Estee Anema, 17, who spent the day working with the deputy headteacher, said: “It’s been amazing experiencing all of the sorts of different skills you need to deal with the things that happen in a school just in one day. It’s made me think more about the special needs aspect of childcare.”

Health and Social Care Level 3 student, Jordan Smith, 18, spent the day supporting pupils in the classroom in a teaching assistant role. Jordan commented: “It’s been really wonderful. I was nervous at first, but now I love it! I would like to come back and do my additional needs work placement here.”

Meanwhile 6 Sports students helped out with afternoon PE lessons at the school, and the school’s kitchens were staffed by 3 Food Studies students who prepared 132 school lunches for pupils. Three more Food Studies students worked at the school’s White Lion Café in Norwich city centre.

Elsewhere, at Heathersett Fire Station, 6 Motor Vehicle students worked alongside Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service staff. Following an induction the students worked in the ladder department (checking and servicing the equipment), with the critical equipment department, and off-shore fire equipment. As well as getting hands-on with equipment servicing, the students also joined a road test of one of the station’s fire engines.

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Level 2 student, Harry Clayden, 17, said: “It’s been great. I thought all they did was just put fires out, but I’ve learnt there’s a lot more than that. They’ve got someone who looks after the ladders, people who service and repair the trucks, critical equipment people, a parts manager, electrician, and a control room who handle the 999 calls.”

The Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Day is a national event involving 44,000 people across England. It is a day where organisations all across England invite children and young people into their organisations to “takeover” their roles and be involved in decision making. It promotes Article 12 of the UNCRC, which says all children should have a say in matters that affect them.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our ‘domination screen’enabling us to reach in excess of 350,000 people per week. The screen is situated at the main pedestrian entrance of the Riverside complex, viewable by all traffic on this major commuter link and bus route, as well as passing footfall and those accessing the Train Station or en route to Carrow Road football ground. The screen will also benefit from peak audiences due to events such as Norwich City FC home games,major Odeon cinema film releases, school holidays, rush hour etc.

With the launch of the third screen, we are now running two different advertising packages. We have our ‘Gym Circuit’ – comprising of two well-respected branded gyms, both with excellent membership numbers and footfalls. And our ‘Domination Circuit’ – comprising of both the gym screens and the domination screen located at Wherry Road, viewable to the public and switched on 24/7.

We are also happy to announce with a BIGwelcome tointu Chapelfieldthe latest Norfolk based business to our digital signage networks across Norfolk!The ad is displayed on our domination circuit and was designed byFOUR Agencycreating a fun and festive advertisement, aiming to entice consumers to the late night shopping hours the shopping centre has to offer throughout December. By using a combination of motion graphics and informative content, FOUR agency certainly created an advertisement we find indulging. Using bright vibrant colours and the implementation of some playful props the ad is certainly brought to life. We simply LOVE IT!!

TaxAssist Accountants is pleased to announce it has now reached the milestone figure of 200 franchises in the UK.

The franchise which is this year celebrating its 20th Anniversary, continues to successfully recruit new franchisees, and has finished off the year with a flourish, taking on 6 new franchisees on its last course of the year.

There are now over 250 modern, welcoming TaxAssist shops and offices around the UK, and 24 in Southern Ireland. TaxAssist has seen huge interest in its franchise model in Australia and is hopeful the first franchisee will sign up shortly.

Karl Sandall CEO of The TaxAssist Group comments “I am very pleased with the way the franchise network has grown. TaxAssist has a good track record and a solid, successful business model which means we have always outperformed many other franchises and accountancy networks in terms of growth. We already have a lot of interest in our next course in February 2016, and I would urge anyone interested in the franchise to get in contact to see if their preferred territory is currently available.”

TaxAssist has franchise opportunities available all over the country, and has recently opened up new territories in Central London. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Jody Fiveash on 0800 0188297 for a confidential chat, before booking onto a discovery day.

November 2015

We always enjoy being asked to judge the Best Employer category at the Eastern Daily Press Business awards. It always proves to be extremely inspiring and it’s a fantastic way to find out more about the exceptional examples of employee engagement being implemented by businesses in our region.

Here at Pure we are real supporters of employee engagement. It doesn’t just add to the bottom line, it also creates a great place for people to work, helping organisations to attract and retain the best talent. The Best Employer award is all about celebrating the businesses which have demonstrated a clear vision and understanding of what keeps teams motivated and engaged.

Our congratulations go to Norwich’s online wine retailer, Naked Wines, which was presented with the 2015 award earlier this month. As judges for the award we were looking for demonstrable evidence of employee engagement tactics including: personal development opportunities for staff; strong communication; innovative ways of recognising, rewarding and thanking staff; empowering teams to make a difference for charity or their local community; flexible working and staff wellbeing; diversity and openness to feedback; and truly living their values.

Naked Wines was able to demonstrate exceptional examples of all these criteria and proved to be extremely inspiring winners, here’s three of the top reasons why:

1. A motivating office space

It was clear that having fun while working hard was a core part of the company ethos. They have incorporated some fabulous ideas to make the office a fantastic place for their staff, including a slide linking the first and ground floor, office pool tables and a coffee/beer bar which becomes a social hub at 5pm on a Friday. Our physical working environment affects our ability to work, so spending time and effort on creating a great office space is a worthwhile investment. Anyone looking for additional inspiration can find some more ideas in our previous blog post on office space.

2. Empowered employees

Creating an effective culture for employee engagement requires empowering leadership, strong values and shared vision. It was clear that the leadership team at Naked Wines is completely committed to empowering its people to deliver exceptional customer service. Their employees are given the freedom and flexibility to be able to tailor solutions to individual customers. They are also encouraged to come up with new ideas and projects to improve the business.

3. Commitment to values

Over the past year Naked Wines has undergone a change of ownership but it has stayed true to its values. It has continuously sought innovative ways to keep staff motivated and rewarded. This includes quarterly incentive schemes and free food Fridays. It also has strong links to charities which, as we’ve previously highlighted in another blog, can also help to make a great place to work.

We would also like to congratulate Lintott Control Systems and Selesti, who were both incredibly worthy finalists in this category. Both organisations should be exceptionally proud to have been shortlisted from over 300 businesses which entered the awards this year.

Achieving these types of Best Employer accolades really helps to raise your employee brand, which will inevitably help to attract future talent to your organisation. If you’ve been inspired by these awards you can discover more about employee engagement by visiting our Best Employers Eastern Region section of the website, which also explains how you could win one of our Best Employer awards in 2016!