Member News

• Mattioli Woods recognised in second edition of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report 2015
• Identifies fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in UK
• Recognition of Mattioli Woods’ continued success in becoming one of the UK’s leading providers of wealth management and employee benefit services

Mattioli Woods has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses.

To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers. More detail on the methodology can be found in the report online at www.1000companies.com.

Mattioli Woods is one of the UK’s leading providers of wealth management and employee benefit services. Over the past 24 years, Mattioli Woods has created one of the most successful businesses in its area of expertise, becoming an AIM-listed company with over 6,000 clients. It now has offices in Leicester, Aberdeen, Glasgow, London and Newmarket.

Inclusion in the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain list comes off the back of recent strong results which saw the company report a 23.4% increase in revenue for the first half of this financial year.

Ian Mattioli, CEO, Mattioli Woods said: “We are delighted to be recognised as one of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. As we enter our 25th year, we are witnessing very exciting times for the business as we look to position ourselves as a leading 21st century financial services provider. Recognition like this serves to reinforce our ethos and rewards the hard work shown by our employees to get us where we are today.”

Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange Group said: “This report is a significant part of London Stock Exchange’s broader campaign to support UK high growth companies in their journeys from Start-up to Stardom and to create an entrepreneurship revolution. I’m delighted that a strong alliance between UK Government, financial market participants, investors, entrepreneurs and companies has been created to support these inspiring businesses.”

A full searchable database of all of the companies, along with a downloadable pdf of the publication, can be found online at www.1000companies.com.

Alan Boswell Group has been recognised by Norwich City College as winners of the ‘Overall contribution to apprentices and workplace learning’ award. The annual awards were hosted by the Principal at Norwich City College, Corrienne Peasgood, to recognise local businesses who are supporting apprentices through the College.

The event was run to coincide with National Apprenticeship week which celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy. Director of Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers, Heath Alexander-Bew, said: “We are delighted to have won this award. It reflects the excellent opportunities our scheme provides and how important nurturing young talent is to the organisation. The enthusiasm of the apprentices is also key to the success of the scheme and adds a real positive vibe to the business.”

Also attending the awards were some of Alan Boswell Group’s current and previous apprentices; Jess Read, Lydia Warnes and Tom Cullum. Lydia said: “The evening was a lovely event celebrating apprentices in Norfolk. It was great to meet and speak to other apprentices and employers about their experiences and how their apprenticeship scheme differs to ours.”

Alan Boswell Group will shortly be advertising the opportunity for two new apprentices to join the award winning scheme which is now in its sixth year. The programme spans three years and allows the individual to gain experience across the business including commercial business, underwriting and claims. Apprentices work towards an NVQ and the Chartered Insurance Institute Certificate in partnership with City College Norwich. If you are interested in applying or would like further information about joining the scheme please contact Gillian Anderson Brown on 01603 218015 or gabrown@alanboswell.com

KLM UK Engineering has been sponsoring the Rotary Technology Tournament for over 5 years and supporting them with a representative from our Technical Training College. This year Nick Jackson, Technical Training Instructor, represented KLM UK Engineering and assisted with the judging of the event.

The event challenge this year was tobuilda device that could carry supplies across a river using apack provided on the day. The competition comprised ofFoundation, Intermediate and Advanced level, withthe studentsproducinga portfolio of how they would tackle the task with example drawings.The judging teams werethere to encourage the studentsand to keep an eye on the event timings. The Rotarians had already produced the cable suspended on a rig for the carriage to sit on.Lots of gluing, drilling and testing ensued and at the end of theallotted time for construction, the teams came up on stage in their respectivecategories and tested their designs. There was a winner for each category with the overall winnersbeing Langley SchoolIntermediates (as pictured being presented with the trophy). Well done to all who took part

Fantastic new Business Rooms open – central location, elegant Victorian building with a moderen funky professional interior. super wi-fi and great facilities. Training and meeting rooms to hire- with interactive smart baords, magnetic glass writing boards and great refreshments

Ideal for all businesses; but also for coworkers and hot-desking

Research suggests that when you start a new job, it’s the first 90 days that can have a significant impact on your success in the role and organisation longer term.

You only have one opportunity, so it’s worth taking time to think about how you can use your first three months to make the best possible impression, and establish yourself in the job.

Your new boss and colleagues will be watching your initial decisions. So, whether you are joining a start-up, a blue chip company, a charity or a public sector organisation, what you do in your first quarter could be vital to your success.

Pure really cares about the people we place injobs across the East of England,and we do what we can to support them to get the most from their new roles. So, we have drawn on our 15 years of experience to give you a few tips for your first 90 days…

1.Make a positive impression

Since your new colleagueshave no basis on which to judge you, the impression you make could be fundamental to how people engage with you in the future. Start as you mean to continue: be professional and stay curious, be approachable and polite, and really pay attention to how things are done. In terms of getting to know colleagues, take interest in their roles and current projects, and get to know the dynamics between people and teams. This enables you to make your first conversations more personal, which helps build rapport.

2.Be patient

Although you are expected to deliver results eventually, you should be patient instead of rushing with ambitious goals. Since you will be developing your knowledge of the organisation’s industry, its customers, competitors, products, services and people, you simply cannot know it all from the start. If, initially, you are unable to answer certain questions or carry out more complex tasks, simply be honest, tactful and positive. When you have absorbed the necessary information, you will be in a stronger position to really start performing at your best.

3.Work with a career coach

Almost all of the most successful people we work with have benefitted from working with an experienced coach at some point in their career. Engaging the services of a Coach at the start of a new job, can have a huge impact in helping you make the best of your first 3 months with your new employer. They are a trusted third party who acts as a sounding board and can also help you shift perspective, so you can see the bigger picture. This helps you establish a focussed and purposeful approach to your new job. A coach can also help you avoid the pitfalls and increase your confidence, by providing an objective, yet compassionate ear, and trustworthy advice. It is worth working with a coach even before a new job starts, since this gives you time to build up a relationship with them and prepare for your first few days.

4.Establish team leadership

If you are a manager, take time to get to know your team as well as other senior colleagues. Begin your new role by building trust among your staff and listen closely to their experiences, ideas and opinions. Building relationships this way enables you to nurture a strong team spirit and establish yourself as a supportive leader from day one. Your team may also need reassurance, especially if they have gone through changes prior to your arrival. Also, trust gained in the early days will support a smoother transition when and if you want to make changes in the future.

5.Adapt to a new culture

You probably applied for your new job because you were attracted by the employer’s unique ethos. Since its culture will be new to you, use your first few weeks to absorb what goes on around you. For instance, look at how your organisation engages with its customers, its employees and the local community. Some of the behaviour could have strong roots in its history, so read up on that to gain a greater appreciation of its origins. Also, look at how new ideas are developed and implemented, and how the organisation communicates; it may use different vocabulary to your old workplace.

The first 90 days can be a challenging period, but our advice should help you settle in and make a positive impact. By giving yourself time to learn about your new organisation, the culture and colleagues, you are laying foundations for your professional success.

One of East Anglia’s leading recruitment specialists, Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) hosted a fun-packed annual charity quiz night last night (Thursday March 12th) raising £2,107 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH)

The evening saw brainy businesses gathering at Dunston Hall Hotel in Norwich to raise money for the East Anglian charity dedicated to providing support to families and care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Teams such as’My drinking team has a trivia problem!’ from Victory Housingand ‘Booja Bubbles’ from Booja Booja turned Einstein for the evening to answer brain-busting questions, however, it was Team Energy Resources, that claimed the quiz crown with each lucky team member winning a bottle of champagne. Second place went to Aquaterra winning Cinema City tickets and third place to NCHC winning a Hotel Chocolat goodie bag.

A raffle also proved popular with superb prizes including a silent auction offering a made to measure or off the peg jacket or suit from Wensum Tailoring. These were snapped up by a team member from Smithfield Foods and TRO with all proceeds going to EACH.

Joseph O’Sullivan, Manager of Pure’s Norwich Office, says,

“The quiz night was a huge success which is largely down to all the fantastic businesses that came along to support such a worthy cause. We’re delighted to have been able to raise such a wonderful amount for EACH. I would like to thank everyone that attended, donated and contributed generously to the event and hope they can join us again next year!”

Carol Plunkett, Fundraiser at EACH Norfolk, says,

“On behalf of EACH, I would like to thank all participating businesses and Pure for their support. All care provided from the hospice is free and available 24/7 and we rely on fundraising initiatives like this to continue to care for local life threatened children, and support for their families, helping them to make the most of life, no matter how short. “

Pure is committed to its charity partners across the region and has raised £83,304.68 to date. To find out more about their charity activity this year contact Anna Hill, Marketing Manager on: 01223 209888 orAnna.Hill@prs.uk.com.

Six months on from the merger and re-brand of Aston Shaw and Morgan Woods, the newly amalgamated firm has enjoyed higher than predicted growth since August 2014. The number of employees has risen from approximately 70 at the time of the merger, to almost 90 employees as of today. Over the course of the year Aston Shaw took on 17 apprentices with more current employees finishing their first year with exam passes.

Dominic Shaw, Director, commented: “The reaction from clients has been extremely positive and we couldn’t be happier with the way things have gone. Everyone has adjusted superbly and the new processes and systems put in place have been embraced by both staff and clients. It’s a big change for everyone who works here but it is a positive one – we’re really excited for what 2015 can bring”.

As a result of the merger, Aston Shaw now has 5 offices in Norwich, Cambridge, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth ad Dereham. This has given clients the benefit of less travel and easier access to their dedicated Client Manager.

One of Aston Shaw’s Norfolk based clients added, “We’ve been using Aston Shaw as our accountants for the best part of 10 years now and we are really pleased with the new changes. They have managed to keep the personal touch which made us stick with them and their added resource means my business is dealt with quicker than ever”.

To coincide with the merger Aston Shaw, re-branded and released a brand new website: www.astonshaw.co.uk.

KLM UK Engineering has been awarded Apprenticeship Employer of the Year for Large Company (over 250 staff) by City College Norwich at their annual Apprenticeship Awards. Andy Mackay, Operations Director, said: “We are extremely honoured to have received this award and look forward to our continuing cooperation with City College Norwich and, in the future, the new Norwich International Aviation Academy.” Photographed left to right – Arjan Meijer KLM UK Managing Director, Andy Mackay KLM UK Operations Director & Corrienne Peasgood Principle City College Norwich.

2 March 2015

Thousands of visitors came to find out more about farming during the sixth anniversary of a college’s lambing weekend. The event took place at the Easton campus of Easton and Otley College in Norfolk.

Farm Manager, Mark Robertson, said, “I’ve been involved in this event for a few years now and this was by far the busiest. It was a great couple of days out for all the family. Visitors got to see a host of attractions. We had lambs being born on our farm and turkeys were hatched at the campus thanks to a link up with Bernard Matthews. BQP attended and got to see how investment in their new pig unit was coming along – and overall the occasion was all about making agriculture seem real, diverse and most importantly fun.”

Highland cattle and sheepdog trials joined arts and craft stands on both days. Also, an information event (on the Saturday) attracted hundreds of students who got the chance to find out about the range of college courses on offer including non-land based options such as sport and construction.

Head of land-based studies, Marty Davey, (who thought about changing his job title temporarily to head of lamb-based studies for the weekend), said, “Visitors showed a lot of interest in Jimmy and Frank – a Suffolk Ram and a Norfolk Horn breed who had been sprayed in the colours of Ipswich and Norwich in the run up to local Derby on Sunday.” “Yet in addition to this, it was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the college and our courses.”

Former student Kathryn Mortimer who now works for one of the exhibitors BQP, said, “It was a great event and we were delighted to be involved. When I left Easton and Otley I went straight into work (with BQP) and I love my job as a field’s person. It was also great to attend as I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the college.”

Attendee, Christine Lorne brought her two sons along. She said, “We came along to see the lambs. Both my boys (George and James) are budding farmers so the day was great for them.”

A selection of photos from the weekend can be seen using the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.896948063690009.1073741844.104…https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/easton_college_lambing_weekend_1_397…

To recognise national apprenticeship week, LSI Partner Ben Goode (second from right) has shared his thoughts on the importance of apprenticeships and how LSI have been able to successfully implement an apprenticeship scheme within the company.

“The skills gap is hindering the development of every business. The skills gap exists because business are unable to or unprepared to take a leap of faith, and are judging potential employees based on skills, which they are unlikely to have. There is a disconnect between educational facilities and real industry that needs to be addressed, so that young people are taught skills that they need to succeed in industry, and not just in theory.

Apprenticeships are key to reconnecting our educational facilities to industry and in doing so helping to bridge the skills gap that is so damaging to industry.

A visit from our local MP, Chloe Smith, led to LSI thinking about how we could do more to offer opportunities to young people locally. Through Norwich4Jobs, a scheme set up to help young people into employment opportunities, 10% of our staff line consisted of apprentices last year, and we are currently in the process of employing another apprentice.

We are incredibly proud of our record of giving young people a chance and are seeing the benefits of this approach. All of the apprentices we have taken on have fitted in well because they have fantastic attitudes. They work incredibly hard, and are learning and improving all the time. We had no difficulties with their attitudes towards ‘work’, and have actually found their fresh energy and outlook to be inspiring. It has given our existing employees a morale boost to see that we are doing our bit to tackle a societal problem. They have been more than happy to engage with and help our young apprentices; both by making them feel ‘at home’ and by passing on their knowledge and expertise.

We do not view our apprentices as any less important than our full-time employees, and they are given work that is very real, albeit with all the support that they need.

Two of our apprentices, having completed their qualifications with us, have moved on to the next chapter of their careers. Another two apprentices, again having completed one stage of their qualifications, have stayed with us and will now start the next level of their qualifications.

At LSI, when we interview young people we look first and foremost for attitude. We know that we can train people, to provide them with the skills, but you cannot train attitude. If they have the right attitude to learn and improve then we always try our utmost to make sure they get the opportunities to do so.

We have built strong working relationships with many educational facilities. We’ve done this by making sure we engage with them as much as possible, so that they know what we need and we know what they need. We do our utmost to attend events, for example a recent college event aimed at construction students where we exhibited some work and some of the exciting new technology in the industry. We received encouraging feedback because we engaged the students, and hopefully inspired them to enter the industry.

Other initiatives include open office events, where we invite students to come and see what we do, or speaking at schools, colleges and universities to tell them about what we do and inspire them to do the same.

As a result of all this, we have been able to forge continuing relationships with educational facilities, and they know that at LSI Architects, providing they have the right attitude, their students will be given opportunities.

We hope that our approach, and the recognition that it has achieved can inspire other businesses to join us in investing in the future.”

Petans are pleased to announce that we have funded the uniform and equipment for the Potter Heigham Areas Community First Responders Group, helping them to aid and assist life threatening emergencies within the Catfield, Ludham, Potter Heigham, Martham and Hickling area. Our very own Jennie Douse (Financial Controller) has been a volunteer member at Potter Heigham group since August 2014 and instigated the relationship between Petans and The First Responders. Fellow members, Shelley Moore and Ashley McNeill came to the Norwich training centre to show off their new uniforms and equipment, along with Andrew Barlow – Community Partnership Manager for East of England Ambulance Service.

Petans have helped to fund 3 uniforms, and a response bag, a Welmed Ipad SP1 defibrillator, Pulse Oximetor and suction equipment for the team, helping the group to cover such an extensive area. Being a charity that’s top priority is to benchmark a high standard of safety within the energy sector; it is easy to see the importance of schemes such as the Community First Responders.

If you want to know more regarding First Responders please go to:https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/get-involved/community-first-responders.htmor emailresponderadmin@eastamb.nhs.uk

All photography bywww.bethmoseleyphotography.co.uk

March 9th is start of National Apprentice Week 2015 – a week dedicated to celebrating apprenticeships and the value they have for businesses, individuals and the economy. Between 2013 and 2014, the government invested £1.5bn into apprenticeships; increasing the businesses involved in designing the new apprenticeship standards, and the career paths available to potential apprentices.

The days when apprentices were considered the “tea makers” of a business are long gone, and the opportunities have widened dramatically – in fact, there are 1,500 different apprenticeships now available in over 170 industries!

GML Consulting Ltd., a creative web design, development and marketing company in Norwich, have recruited a number of apprentices over the years; positively impacting on the business and employees. These apprenticeships include roles in areas such as web development, IT, project management and marketing – showing just a few of the vast variety of apprenticeships on offer in the UK right now.

Gemma Howell, junior project and marketing coordinator at GML Consulting, completed her apprenticeship at the company 8 months ago and has been kept on as a permanent member of staff. She has this to say about the value of apprenticeships and working for GML;

“I had planned to go to university when I finished college; this had always been my plan since leaving high school. However, a month before I was due to go, I changed my mind. I had seen so many people struggle to get their dream jobs, after completing their degrees – and I realised that the main reason I was planning to go to university was because that’s what had been drummed into me at school. The business admin apprenticeship at GML gave me a year of in-depth learning and invaluable experience. When I completed the apprenticeship and was kept on as a permanent employee, it really made me appreciate how valuable apprenticeships really are. My knowledge has grown dramatically in all areas of web, marketing and management, and I have developed great working relationships with both my colleagues and clients. I can safely say that I love my job – something I thought I’d never say without having gone to university!”

GML Consulting have now enrolled Gemma on an Enterprise apprenticeship course to further her business and enterprise skills and benefit the business further, with Swarm Apprenticeships. Swarm are training providers who focus on developing young people, encouraging entrepreneurism and enabling apprentices to deliver the greatest return on investment for the businesses they work for.

Elliott Garner, currently enrolled on a Swarm marketing apprenticeship course at GML, said;

“The monthly Swarm training workshops definitely help, as they have taught me how to manage and make better use of my time. The assignments have also made me learn a lot through the research I have done for them.

Before I started my apprenticeship, I thought there may be a chance that I wouldn’t be treated equally, as I was fairly young and unexperienced. However, my colleagues have been extremely helpful, very friendly, patient and understanding. I now think that many young people leaving high school/college should do an apprenticeship as it’s unbelievably valuable and teaches the necessary skills needed in later life.”

Nikki Long, General Manager at GML said;

“GML currently have 4 apprentices and are recruiting for a 5th for a web development position. Over the years we have found that our apprentices have greatly enhanced the business with their ideas and enthusiasm for learning. When we employ an apprentice we always have a position available at the end of the course, meaning that if they successfully complete their courses, and fit in with our company ethos, we will offer a permanent positon.

We recently started working with Swarm Apprenticeships as they offer something a little bit different. Alongside the apprenticeship course, whether in IT, Marketing, Web Development, or their unique Enterprise Apprenticeship, Swarm offer business entrepreneurial training to ensure they have a grounding of how a business works, and how they can contribute to the business’ success.

GML look for people to come into the company and grow with it. This means there is ample opportunity for making ‘the job’ into what suits their goals and ambitions in life. Here at GML we give people a voice and the time to excel in their particular area of expertise”

Chris Perry, Managing Director at Swarm Apprenticeships;

“GML are a fantastic example of an enterprising business that recognises that investing in young people is also about providing real opportunities for them to be empowered to make an impact in the business.

Apprentices can make a big difference towards the growth of a business when given the right support and training. Swarm’s goal with any apprentice is to grow their commercial awareness and coach them so they can develop an entrepreneurial mind-set that helps look for the opportunity to stand out and deliver a return on investment for the business”

Norfolk Adult Education is holding an Apprenticeship Day on Thursday 12th March 2pm-5pm, which Gemma and Elliott from GML Consulting will be volunteering at, for school and college leavers, unemployed individuals, and business owners that may be interested in hiring an apprentice. The event will take place at Wensum Lodge, Norwich NR1 1QW. More info here – https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC162481.

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