Staff and students at Springwood High School are getting involved in Erasmu+ a European initiative for education, training, youth and sport. Visiting teachers from France, Germany and Iceland were at Springwood for a preparatory meeting last week preparing for an international cross-curriculum project. The aim is for students and staff to visit each country during the academic years 2015-17, taking part in a week’s organised activity in each venue. There will be a common theme “Healthy Living” with each country organising projects relating to a particular aspect and tradition of their country.
Kevin Baker, a driver on one of the Norwich Park and Ride buses operated by Norse Commercial Services, recently received praise for coming to the aid of a female passenger who had collapsed.
Laura Campbell, who was twelve weeks pregnant at the time, got onto the 17:00 bus to return to the Park and Ride site at Norwich Airport.
As Kevin’s bus drew into the site Laura collapsed; she had become overheated and her blood pressure had dropped to a dangerously low level.
“The bus driver was ever so helpful and lifted me up from the floor and sat me down on the nearest seat until I had recovered,” Laura said, “and he even offered to ring my husband on my behalf.”
“Unfortunately I never got this bus driver’s name at the time and I would really like to pass on my thanks and gratitude for acting so swiftly and professionally. He gave excellent service and helped me when I needed it, and I can advise that my 12 week scan the next day revealed that the baby is fine and has a good strong heartbeat,” she added.
Paul Bonham, Commercial Director at Norse, said; “Kevin’s quick and caring reaction is typical of our drivers’ customer service attitude. It is not the first time that he has received praise from passengers for his helpful, ‘can-do’ approach and we are extremely proud to have him as a member of our team.”
“We are also very pleased that Laura and her baby are doing well and hope she continues to have a happy and healthy pregnancy.”
With its in-built technology we are able to programme the machines to fit your own design, such as various colour display panels, company logo on design panel and renamed drinks, great for marketing.
Machines are purposily built for small, medium or large users.
The Department of Art History and World Art Studies at UEA is offering four Internships in partnership with the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (SCVA) as part of the MA Museum Studies degree.
This course combines the cutting-edge research and curatorial experience of academic staff in the School with the professional resources and experience of the SCVA. It brings together in-depth historical and theoretical approaches to museums with practice-based modules addressing the public role of the museum, collections management and interpretation, with an emphasis on topical issues and responsive engagement.
The Internships provide students with £10,000 towards fees and expenses and those who are successful will undertake a programme of workplace-based training as part of a team at the SCVA, alongside their MA studies.
Other awards are also available to those studying within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, including AHRC and MA-specific Scholarships, with deadlines falling between 1 March and 31 March 2015. Those who are interested can find details regarding eligibility and the application process on the University’s website.
…to make a promorional video for their website and social media, teling their story and showing how they manufacture such excellent furniture and kitchens for their customers.
This a good example of promotional story telling with video as it was shot on location, and in our studio and uses a client testimonial, a very potent way to promote your business, services and products today.
Another satisfied customer! Tenacity Interiors were very happy with the result and the video not only features prominently on their website but is used as part of their ongoing marketing campaign.
If you’d like to tell your story on video call Michael for a chat on 07977 493774
The festive season is a great time to thank your employees for their year-round dedication. Other than relying on the usual staff party, think about what other, more creative things you can do to let people know that you appreciate them…
If you’re on top of your employee engagement anyway, this should come quite naturally. But if you’re thinking of ramping up activities in this area, Christmas is perfect for trying out new initiatives.
We’ve gathered together a festive hamper of ideas for you, which go way beyond the tinsel and turkey lunch. And you can always add your own special Christmas magic to these techniques, making them unique to your workplace and your people.
So, read on to find out how you can show your gratitude in the most wonderful ways…
1. Hire a special surprise Since there’s all this festive joy in the air at the moment, why not make a few changes to the workplace to make the days leading up to Christmas Day more fun. How about renting a popcorn machine, hiring a professional coffee barista or running Christmas decoration making classes with a local artist? Or do something unconventional for this time of year – hire an ice cream van and let people indulge in gelato!
2. Put up a stunning Christmas tree Splash out on a lush Christmas tree this year. And why not give it a theme? Make it a ‘Downton Abbey tree’ and use glamourous antique-style décor. Or invite employees’ children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to come in and decorate it, and even meet Santa (we’ll let you decide whether that’ll be Dave in accounts or Tom in HR).
3. Write notes by hand Receiving a handwritten letter is always much more personal. Ask senior staff to write Christmas thank yous on notelets or small cards. This gesture will help put a caring feel to what’s seen as a corporate task.
4. Do a job swap This is a brilliant way for senior employees to show that they’re interested in what staff do. Could the CEO exchange places with a receptionist on a busy switchboard for a couple of hours? And how would the Finance Director handle an urgent press enquiry in PR? Let the head of IT have a bash at writing a job description with the recruitment team.
5. Give away a day’s leave in January January can be a bit blue as we recover from festivities and tighten those purse strings! So, staff will jump at the chance of having an extra day’s leave in the New Year. That one more day is very handy, especially if someone wants to hit the January sales or has children to get back to school.
6. Give staff the VIP treatment Make your staff feel as important as Wills and Kate this year! Give your annual Christmas lunch more prestige by having a local high profile chef design the menu and even cook the food. Or add a sprinkle of bygone style hold a vintage tea party in the office. Ask senior staff to dress in vintage aprons to serve food and drink; it’s a small but fun gesture of thanks.
7. Make a festive thank you video Hire a video production crew to put together a two-minute thank you film. If you’ve had events and activities filmed throughout the year, maybe they can create a montage with an amusing voiceover? Or film entertaining thank you messages from heads of departments, directors and the big boss? Or if you know someone with celebrity contacts, how about a one-off video message from that VIP? The more off-beat and unexpected your video is, the better!
8. Be inclusive Last, but certainly not least, remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas, or they might find it a difficult time of year. So bear this mind when you’re planning how you say your big thank you. A little bit of sensitivity goes a long way.
We’re sure you can create more Christmas cracking ways to show your appreciation. Break away from your usual habits as an organisation, and dare to do something different. Most importantly, have fun with the process.
Norwich Sunblinds presented a cheque to BREAK charity for £940.00 Each month we have selected a charity and for every blind, curtain and roman fold sold we donated a £1.00 to the charity, they were the charity for November 2014.
Joanna Storey from Break fundraising and her colleague Liz came to the shop in St Benedicts Street Norwich to receive the cheque on Break’s behalf. We were very pleased to be able to support a worthwhile cause.
Break have children homes in both Norwich and Cambridge, they ensure that children, young people and families reach their full potential and shape their own futures in a safe and creative environment.
On a crisp November evening at the Hostry, Norwich Cathedral, members of the business and construction community from Norfolk, London and beyond joined LSI staff in celebrating the career of Senior Partner David Thompson, who is set to retire at the end of the year.
On the 21st November this month, David reached the 20 year milestone at LSI and tribute was paid to the instrumental role he has had in LSI’s enduring success over the past two decades.
David Andrews, Partner at LSI, said “David’s legacy is one of great success with the practice this year named as an AJ100 Practice for the first time, as well as winning the AJ Award for the Best Employer in the Eastern Region…and shortlisted in the top 5 nationally. Locally we were delighted to win the EDP Design & Development Award just a couple of weeks ago. David should feel justifiably proud of the central part he has played in securing these accolades. David made it his mission to develop the education and healthcare sectors when he joined the practice 20 years ago, and today we have some fantastic projects in both sectors such as the UEA and UTC Norfolk, major teaching hospitals such as Addenbrooke’s, and work in the Capital at Guys & St Thomas’, as well as frameworks for Private providers that are taking us from the south coast to Scotland.”
The Partners at LSI would like to thank everybody who joined the practice on the evening and celebrated David’s distinguished career.
LSI was delighted to welcome a group of Year 1 and Year 2 students from City College Norwich into the Norwich office to learn more about what it’s like to work at an architectural practice. The students were given talks from architects, architectural assistants and architectural technologists, who have each taken different paths to arrive at LSI, to help students when making important decisions about their future careers.
Jordan Armstrong, Architectural Technologist at LSI, spoke to the students about his experience of studying whilst working at the Practice having been a City College Norwich student himself “It’s a great chance for young people to gain an insight into how an architectural practice is run and what it is like to work for one. It’s also nice to see young people paying an interest and constantly asking engaging questions. I know for a fact how valuable for the students these opportunities are as LSI provided me exactly the same opportunity only a few years ago.”
Chris Lappin took a slightly different route, studying full time at the University of Lincoln to gain his Masters before joining LSI as an Architectural Assistant this summer “It was great to be able to pass on my experience of the route I have undertaken to become qualified. Although I’m not a qualified architect just yet, it was good to impart knowledge to the students as an example of someone who is still training.”
James Johnston, course leader at City College, said “The links with LSI have been invaluable to students at CCN looking for careers in Architecture and Architectural Technology. Visiting the practice has given students an opportunity to get a real feel of what being an Architect is all about. When visiting the practice in Norwich students have been shown both a wide range of construction projects at different stages of design together with discussing diverse projects and career progressions. LSI have always been excellent in choosing employees to engage with students who have different backgrounds and are able to communicate their enthusiasm and professional approach to their work.”
Here’s what some of the students had to say about their visit to LSI;
“I learnt the working dynamics of a company full of creative people and how the work was disseminated and controlled.”Curtis
“It gave me an insight into a real architecture studio” Barhav
“I found the visit to LSI very beneficial, I got a clear image of how architects work and how their careers develop.” Filip
“It helped me decide on my future.” Ian
“It gave me the opportunity to see and understand what the real work consists of. By meeting the technologists who had done the Btec course then went onto become fully qualified gave me an awareness of which route I need to take and how hard I need to work in order to achieve my career goals and ambition. I was also able to meet different professionals and see how their work differed in the construction project.” Frank
SaxonAir have welcomed the first Nextant 400XTi light jet onto their operating fleet. The aircraft is operated under SaxonAir’s Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and will be available for commercial charter alongside flights undertaken on behalf of the owner.
This aircraft is the first of the latest 400XTi variant to be delivered into Europe, which sees it operating alongside six of the earlier successful XT variants, and the first of the type into the UK. The operation comes just months after SaxonAir were awarded the exclusive sales representation rights for Nextant Aerospace products throughout the UK and Ireland together with general coverage into many other areas of Europe.
The spacious feature packed cabin incorporating fingertip climate control, sculpted wide 4-axis lateral tracking club seats and an espresso machine has proven incredibly popular with passengers. Using the latest technology including modern Williams International engines enables the 400XTi to fly further and fastest then similar aircraft, yet offers a much quieter cabin and a significant reduction in operating costs.
“We’re really pleased to add the Nextant to our fleet alongside our already very popular Hawker 400XP. Our current customer base will be able to benefit from the Nextant’s outstanding range whilst also enjoying the same high levels of comfort. The Nextant has a charter range in excess of 1700nm opening up destinations such as Istanbul” says Lee McGahan, SaxonAir Charter Manager.
The project to gain approvals in the operation of the Nextant has come about from a collaboration of various departments and specialists within SaxonAir’s group of companies. In excess of 6,000 hours go into the remanufacturing of each aircraft and the type has now proven its capabilities on a global scale – with the combined fleet reaching a 50,000 flight hour milestone.
SaxonAir’s private charter fleet now consists of the Citation Mustang, Hawker 400XP, Nextant 400XTi, King Air 350 and two Hawker 900XP aircraft alongside various Eurocopter helicopters.
SaxonAir held their first showcase at their Business Aviation Centre on November the 20th. The Luxury Lifestyle & Travel event was held to present some of SaxonAirs latest services and aircraft and familiarise SaxonAir and SaxonAir core values.
The showcase also featured other bespoke luxury brands including Bell Helicopters, Kahn Design, Stratton Motor Company, Textron Aviation, Balblair Whiskey, Gillian Weir, Peter Watts Wines and many more. SaxonAir were delighted with solid attendance throughout the day, and were delighted with the positive feedback received by numerous individuals and organisations.
We are grateful to our luxury partners for providing such wonderful items on display and fantastic catering. Naturally, we extend our sincere thanks to all visitors and look forward to hosting a similar event in the future.
You can view pictures from the event on our Facebook Page.
Thomson and First Choice are doubling capacity at Norwich International airport throughout the 2015 winter season with the addition of a second weekly flight to Tenerife.
The move to introduce the extra flight is part of the UK’s largest tour operator’s strategy to ensure customers across the UK can fly from their local airport and stay at the best hotels in some of the most exciting destinations. This follows on from the recent announcement of the introduction of a weekly service to Menorca every Saturday for summer 2015.
This second weekly flight to Tenerife means local holiday makers will have the opportunity to choose varying durations including 3, 4, 10 and 11 night stays in addition to the traditional 7, 14, 21 and 28 nights which have been available for many years.
Tenerife is home to some of Thomson and First Choice’s most highly scoring flagship hotels including; the five star Thomson Sensatori Resort Tenerife, which gives customers a luxury holiday experience, featuring world class spas and gourmet dining and the First Choice Holiday Village Tenerife which delivers everything a family could want in one place – great entertainment, food, kids clubs and lots of activities to keep the whole family occupied.
Andrew Bell, the airport’s Chief Executive, said “We are thrilled that Thomson and First Choice have announced the additional flight to Tenerife next winter. This decision further demonstrates their commitment to the airport and reflects the high level of demand from customers wishing to fly from Norwich.”
Karen Switzer, Director of Aviation Planning said of the move: “Increasing our capacity from Norwich Airport demonstrates our commitment to the region. Following the success of the introduction of the Menorca route from Norwich this summer and similar routes across a number of regional airports, we know that the demand is there. “Expanding access to our portfolio of destinations and hotels as well as offering more frequent flights and flexible durations is a key part of our overall strategy. We hope that by adding an extra weekly flight to Tenerife it will enhance the holiday experience for our customers who will now have greater access to some of our key properties.”