Member News

Aston Shaw are pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted for yet another award this year – the Great Yarmouth Spirit of Enterprise Awards in the category of ‘Great Investment in Young People’.

The Spirit of Enterprise Awards celebrate all that is outstanding in business and enterprise within the Great Yarmouth area and features a variety of categories. The Great Investment in Young People category in particular, recognises businesses that show a commitment to young people and investment in their future.

Aston Shaw has a strong ethos of nurturing the talents of young people and see this as a key to its future success. The firm’s commitment to investing in the development and up-skilling young people in the local area is evident as in 2014, 17 apprentices were taken on and the firm has pledged to take on another 10 by the end of 2015.

Lee Stratton, Director said: “It’s great to see the firm receive recognition for the time, money and energy that we invest into young people.”

Mark Russell, Head of the Great Yarmouth office added: “Our team in the Great Yarmouth office alone has grown substantially, we have 15 members of staff in total – 8 of which are apprentices/trainees. With our continued guidance and support, the younger members of staff are now highly skilled and valued members of the team.”

Aston Shaw has long been a supporter of apprenticeships and has created dedicated apprenticeship roles in nearly all core departments, spanning across admin, tax, vat, accounts, payroll and bookkeeping. The firm fully funds and supports all staff through the training and the completion of professional accountancy qualifications – illustrating Aston Shaw’s commitment to expand the knowledge and skills of staff.

The awards ceremony will take place in the Assembly Rooms at the Town Hall (Great Yarmouth) on Friday 20th November 2015.

BBA Digital Media had the great pleasure to work alongside one of Norwich’s newest night life locations, BOND.28. Together we createdamotiongraphicvideo advert to increase brand awareness leading up to the opening of BOND NO.28 in November. Movement attracts: displays with motion advertising grabs the attention easier and gets more of a response from the viewer.in a new and innovative way.

The advert was displayed in front of our captive audiences at two different locations: one being at Carrefour Health & Fitness, located at Longwater, and the other screen located at 24/7 Fitness at the Riverside complex where audiences are both active and sociable.

The ad was put together by our creative partners JMS, creatinga 10 second eye catching video. The results speak for themselves, and are being enjoyed by our 40,000+audience each month.

‪DOOH‬ (digital-out-of-home) helps to strengthen the IMPACT of a campaign, by giving the ability to generate dynamic content through movement, enhancing the visibility of the message that is displayed.Digital signage adds FLEXIBILITY, by opening a whole new door to creativity. It offers the possibility to change creatives in real time, with an unlimited number of visuals. To advertisers, this means being able to offer powerful content and messages, that are adapted to the time of day, the type of audience, a special event, or spontaneous promotions.

BOND NO.28 opens its doors for the first time this November, offering you live music & chilled vibes along with premium spirits, champagnes, wines and a specially designed cocktail menu with a bit of a twist!

Paint out returns to Norwich next week and the MOA team will be on hand to photograph each artistsart, after each session. Thirty one artists will have just 3 hours to complete a piece of art in each session. The competition ends with an auction of one piece of each of the artists work but all pieces will be judged, prizes will be awarded and the art will be displayed in an exhibition at the Maddermarket theatre in St. John’s Alley. More details about the eventcan be found hereand an agenda of events here. Check the twitter feedshttps://twitter.com/paintoutnorwichor facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/paintoutnorwich

Paint Out is a juried “En Plein Air” competition based in Norwichand MOA Marketing help with the advertising and social media aspects of this yearly event. A new spin off event was hosted in Wells next the sea on the picturesc Norf Norfolk close this year. This included a public “Sunrise Event” where the artists were joined by members of the public and invited to paint the amazing colours of the early morning sun. The event culminates in an auction of one piece of the artists work from the event.

MOA are proud to have been involved with Break charity andthe GoGoDragons! project for the last 18 months. Working with this small charity with a big heart has been an emotional journey. We have touched many lives and given young people a better start in life as a result. We produced this short video as one of our dragons headed towards the auction from it’s home. The Artist John Stokes, a Shakespearean Actor who has performed at the Maddermarket theatre many times, an accomplished graphic artist and all round gentleman says farewell to GoGoMadder in his own style.

As a local companymanufacturing blinds in Norfolk, we support local businesses whenever we can – including, in this case, local food producers.

Don’t you just love the array of local food that is available in Norfolk? With our abundance of Farmer’s Markets, the promotion of local food by Norfolk Food and Drink Ltd and the general interest in buying locally, Norfolk is a great place to be if you are a “foodie”.

Did you know, for example, that a minimum of 150 local producers within 30 miles supply food directly to outlets in Norwich, reducing food miles and related pollution? (CPRE report)

Wemake all our blinds in our Norfolk factory using components and fabrics sourced in the UK, andhave been in business, employing local people, for over 30 years, so itseemed very apt, therefore, to have a “Produced in Norfolk” theme for our stand at the B2B Exhibition this year.

Anyone who visits our stand on the day of the exhibition will go into a prize draw to win a hamper of local food worth £100.

The hamper, supplied by Norfolk Food Heroes, will be full of treats such as local beer, Norfolk Cordial, Kandula tea, Candi’s Chutneys, biscuits, Crush Food, Grey Seal Coffee…..and the wicker hamper can be re-used time and time again for picnics or storage.

Visit us in the Enterprise and Innovation zone – stand 14.

A competition designed to showcase the work of researchers, clinicians and scientists and give the public an opportunity to engage with the diverse range of activity taking place on Norwich Research Park (NRP) has unveiled its winning images.

Twelve entries from the new on-line library which includes images from NRP’s Partners (John Innes Centre (JIC), Institute of Food Research (IFR), The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital (NNUH)) were selected from over 150 images of work which highlight some of the innovative activities taking place on the Park. An overall winner was selected by a panel of judges drawn from the worlds of science, media, art and business.

The striking winning image entitled ‘A New Planet’ was taken by Thomas Louveau, a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Metabolic Biology at the John Innes Centre (JIC).

The image was captured during the process of extracting complex chemicals, known as ‘saponins’ from plants. Saponins have many valuable properties and have been used by humans since the middle ages as cleaning agents and traditional medicines.

Thomas and fellow researchers are applying the concept of synthetic biology to produce saponins in a more sustainable way.

Thomas Louveau said: “I really like photography and quite often will take my camera with me into the lab. This is how I started a small series of pictures focusing on plant extracts in laboratory glassware. When dried and sitting in a round flask, leaf extracts look very colourful due to many different pigments. “Under the right lighting conditions, in front of a dark background, the bottom of the flask really looks like a little planet.”

NRP scientists work together at the forefront of research on global environmental change and its effects on biodiversity and on agriculture. Academic researchers also collaborate closely with doctors on the Park to understand the relationship between the food we eat and our health and identify how changes in our diet might prevent the onset of chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes. The chosen images represent the diversity of this research.

There is world leading expertise on the Park investigating the astonishing spectrum of complex chemicals made naturally by plants and microorganisms. Some natural chemicals are already harnessed for a wide range of purposes from curing major diseases to being natural sources of ‘green’ materials.

Dr Jenni Rant, project manager at the Science Art and Writing (SAW) Trust, a cross disciplinary science engagement charity co-ordinated the competition in conjunction with staff at Norwich Research Park. Jenni said:

“It is fantastic to see so many new images on the site and the array of interest in them. Developed just over a year ago by my colleague Joe Guynan, the site has continued to grow in popularity and as a result now has an enviable reputation as a creditable source of research images.”

Professor Anne Osbourn, director of Norwich Research Park Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Alliance (IBBA), and founder of the SAW Trust, chaired the judging panel:

“Scientific research generates a wealth of beautiful and interesting images that can provide a very effective starting point for building an interest in science. At Norwich Research Park we work on diverse scientific projects that address local and global issues and we want to share our projects with the wider public.”

Chris Hann, professional artist and principal art examiner for Cambridge International Exams who was a member of the judging panel said: “The quality and range of images submitted for the competition has been quite staggering. The image library is a great resource, and it illustrates the breadth of research that is being conducted on the Park and makes it accessible to a completely new audience.”

Norwich Research Park’s business development director and fellow judge Dr Kenny Lang added: “The image library will keep increasing its collection of compelling images as researchers at Norwich Research Park continue to tackle 21st century global challenges. It is a superb resource, which offers a very visual introduction to some of the ground breaking work being carried out here on the Park.”

Thomas’ winning entry will shortly be on display at NRP’s Centrum building and all twelve images will be published in the NRP 2016 calendar. The winning entries and many more images are available at images.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk

A competition designed to showcase the work of researchers, clinicians and scientists and give the public an opportunity to engage with the diverse range of activity taking place on Norwich Research Park (NRP) has unveiled its winning images.

Twelve entries from the new on-line library which includes images from NRP’s Partners (John Innes Centre (JIC), Institute of Food Research (IFR), The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital (NNUH)) were selected from over 150 images of work which highlight some of the innovative activities taking place on the Park. An overall winner was selected by a panel of judges drawn from the worlds of science, media, art and business.

The striking winning image entitled ‘A New Planet’ was taken by Thomas Louveau, a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Metabolic Biology at the John Innes Centre (JIC).

The image was captured during the process of extracting complex chemicals, known as ‘saponins’ from plants. Saponins have many valuable properties and have been used by humans since the middle ages as cleaning agents and traditional medicines.

Thomas and fellow researchers are applying the concept of synthetic biology to produce saponins in a more sustainable way.

Thomas Louveau said: “I really like photography and quite often will take my camera with me into the lab. This is how I started a small series of pictures focusing on plant extracts in laboratory glassware. When dried and sitting in a round flask, leaf extracts look very colourful due to many different pigments. “Under the right lighting conditions, in front of a dark background, the bottom of the flask really looks like a little planet.”

NRP scientists work together at the forefront of research on global environmental change and its effects on biodiversity and on agriculture. Academic researchers also collaborate closely with doctors on the Park to understand the relationship between the food we eat and our health and identify how changes in our diet might prevent the onset of chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes. The chosen images represent the diversity of this research.

There is world leading expertise on the Park investigating the astonishing spectrum of complex chemicals made naturally by plants and microorganisms. Some natural chemicals are already harnessed for a wide range of purposes from curing major diseases to being natural sources of ‘green’ materials.

Dr Jenni Rant, project manager at the Science Art and Writing (SAW) Trust, a cross disciplinary science engagement charity co-ordinated the competition in conjunction with staff at Norwich Research Park. Jenni said:

“It is fantastic to see so many new images on the site and the array of interest in them. Developed just over a year ago by my colleague Joe Guynan, the site has continued to grow in popularity and as a result now has an enviable reputation as a creditable source of research images.”

Professor Anne Osbourn, director of Norwich Research Park Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Alliance (IBBA), and founder of the SAW Trust, chaired the judging panel:

“Scientific research generates a wealth of beautiful and interesting images that can provide a very effective starting point for building an interest in science. At Norwich Research Park we work on diverse scientific projects that address local and global issues and we want to share our projects with the wider public.”

Chris Hann, professional artist and principal art examiner for Cambridge International Exams who was a member of the judging panel said: “The quality and range of images submitted for the competition has been quite staggering. The image library is a great resource, and it illustrates the breadth of research that is being conducted on the Park and makes it accessible to a completely new audience.”

Norwich Research Park’s business development director and fellow judge Dr Kenny Lang added: “The image library will keep increasing its collection of compelling images as researchers at Norwich Research Park continue to tackle 21st century global challenges. It is a superb resource, which offers a very visual introduction to some of the ground breaking work being carried out here on the Park.”

Thomas’ winning entry will shortly be on display at NRP’s Centrum building and all twelve images will be published in the NRP 2016 calendar. The winning entries and many more images are available at www.images.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk

Norwich based insurance broker, Alan Boswell Group, has been shortlisted to win the accolade of ‘Independent Broker of the Year’ at the annual Insurance Times Awards. The awards, highly regarded in the insurance industry, will see the local broker compete against two other finalists for the most prestigious award at the annual event.

Amongst the factors which saw the company shortlisted for the awards are the Group’s bespoke schemes which include a market-leading insurance policy for Broads based boats and highly rated landlord products which helped gain the broker the title of ‘General Service Supplier of the Year’, at the annual Landlord and Letting Awards.

But it is the decision of the Group to place their reputation in the hands of their customers by signing up with, independent review company, Feefo that really sparked the interest of the judges. The self-confidence that the Group has in its service provision was justified when their clients bestowed upon them a service score of 98%.

This positive feedback has established the broker in a strong position and by the end of the year they are expected to achieve ‘Gold Partner’ status with Feefo.

Lee Boswell, Marketing Executive at the firm, said: “We’ve had a great year and it felt like the right time to finally see what our customers truly thought of us. The testimonials we have received are absolutely outstanding.”

The broker recently received the ‘Overall contribution to apprentices and workplace learning’ award from City College and twenty two staff have passed a total of twenty eight Chartered Insurance Institute exams in the past twelve months alone, which signifies the training and development opportunities continually provided to its staff.

“By providing training we’re investing in our people.” commented Lee. “This equips them with the knowledge to provide the right advice for our clients whilst helping them personally develop at the same time. We’re very proud to have a staff retention rate of over 90% so it looks like we’re getting it right.”

Also very active in the community the company took part in a ‘Business in the Community’ programme. Designed to support local students at the Open Academy in Norwich, Alan Boswell Group accepted work-experience students and helped them develop their skills and CV writing to get them work ready.

The company also raises significant amounts for local charities and were awarded ‘Supporter of the Year’ at the annual Smiles Awards run by, local charity Nelson’s Journey. They are also set to raise over £10,000 for their current Charity of the Year, Break.

“Building trust within our community, improving the knowledge of our staff, having the best products and providing exceptional customer service. These are the fundamentals of our business and we’re thrilled that the combination of all these factors has been recognised by our peers.” stated Lee.

The awards will take place on 1st December at Battersea Evolution in London.

Regional & City Airports completes deal to guarantee winter and summer sunshine flights for Norwich International Airport

Regional & City Airports (RCA), the leading UK regional airport operator, has strengthened its strategic relationship with Flybe to introduce year-round scheduled holiday flights at Norwich Airport with seats available for booking from early November following the release of Flybe’s 2016 Summer schedule.

The partnership, which involves significant investment from both parties, will see the return of scheduled sunshine flights to Norwich for the first time in almost a decade.

Year round services from Norwich Airport to Alicante and Malaga will start in March 2016 in time for the Easter getaway, with the addition of Geneva expected later in 2016.

Sir Peter Rigby, Chairman and Founder of RCA owners Rigby Group, said: “Since taking ownership of Norwich Airport a year ago we have been firm on our commitment to invest in the future of the site. Today, with a milestone agreement guaranteeing the continued operation of scheduled winter and summer holiday routes from the airport, we have underlined that determination with some very concrete results.

“I am confident that this announcement, which provides tangible proof of the exciting future facing Norwich, will be just first of many positive developments.”

Andrew Bell, who heads up RCA (Regional and City Airports) the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC and owners of Norwich, said: “This is a tremendously exciting time. For nine years the issue of reviving scheduled sunshine flights from Norwich has been the number one priority issue raised by our customers, and to see them return from 2016 will be hugely welcomed across the region.” Richard Pace, General Manager of NAL, commented: “Ever since Rigby Group acquired Norwich Airport it has been our stated aim to protect existing routes while establishing new ones, and today’s announcement underlines that commitment. Not only does this partnership secure scheduled holiday flights from Norwich, but it also provides a firm foundation from which to build for future expansion.”

The partnership will see one of Flybe’s Embraer 195 aircraft return to the skies, and planning is already underway to maximise its use by the airport. The initial destinations will be available for booking next month, and RCA plans to investigate the possibility of adding additional routes where there is sustainable demand.

BBA Digital Media had the great pleasure to work alongside one of Norwich’s most exotic nightlife locations, Mantra Club & Lounge. Together we created a fantastic new video advert to increase brand awareness for their Saturday nights ‘The Saturday Club’ in a new and innovative way.

The advert was displayed in front of our captive audiences at two different locations: one being at Carrefour Health & Fitness, located at Longwater, and the other screen located at 24/7 Fitness at the Riverside complex where audiences are both active and sociable.

The ad was put together by our creative partners JMS, who took clips from life inside the nightclub and used it to create a 10 second eye catching video. The results speak for themselves, and are being enjoyed by our 10,000+ norwich audience each week.

Movement attracts: a displaywith motion advertising grabsthe attention easier and gets more of a response. Research says 72% of consumers recall advertising on digital screens, 86% of consumers say digital screens are noticeable and 80% of consumers find digital advertising screens to be informative.

The Chancellor George Osborne recently announced that paid parental leave is to be extended to working grandparents, who will be able to look after newborns so that their parents can return to work, making grandparents eligible for paternity leave benefits. The government hope to introduce legislation to implement this is 2018.

The plan would extend the current system of Shared Parental Leave, where both parents can share up to 52 weeks of leave. Families will also be allowed to share Statutory Shared Parental Pay which is currently £139.50 a week, or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

Research shows two million grandparents have given up a job, reduced their hours or taken time off work to look after their grandchildren. More than half of mothers rely on grandparents for childcare when they first return to work after having a baby.

Peter Lawrence from the Human Capital Department cautiously welcomed the change: “Grandparents will be a kind of “dad’s army” looking after the home front, and this should allow working parents to continue their day jobs, helping ensure business continuity”.

To contact Peter, and to find out more about the Human Capital Department, go to their website here: https://www.humancapitaldept.com/index.html

TaxAssist Accountants the national network of small business accountants has been awarded with ‘5 star franchisee satisfaction’, based on positive feedback from its network of 200 franchisees.

Karl Sandall CEO of The TaxAssist Group comments “I’m absolutely thrilled that TaxAssist has been granted this special honour for the third year in a row. It’s always pleasing to receive positive feedback from our fantastic network of franchisees, but rest assured, we will not be resting on our laurels. We take note of each and every comment that is made and will use this feedback to help us identify areas to further improve network performance and growth.”

The Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark is provided by Smith & Henderson, a leading independent franchise consultancy. It works by inviting existing franchisees to participate in an anonymous online survey which asks them 31 questions about their franchise ownership experience. The objective is to identify and understand how the franchise is performing through the eyes of its franchisees. This report covers the critical areas of training and support, product and services, marketing, franchisee-franchisor relations, stewardship and rewards.

Using a consistent methodology, the franchise is assigned an overall FSB score and the highest performing franchisors will be recognised later in the year, in the 2015 Best Franchise Awards, sponsored by RBS.

For more information please visit www.smithhenderson.com