Member News

We recently entered the Aviva Broker Community Fund to win financial support for one of the regions leading charities, the East Anglian Air Ambulance. After many hours of filming and production, we were able to enter a short video detailing the service the charity provides to our community and how they would spend further funding.

The good news is that nearly 200 brokers entered the competition and we are one of the few that have made it into the finale.

The Finale, where all the winners will be announced, takes place on 16th April 2013. For more information, please visit https://broker.aviva.co.uk/community-fund/

Thrill-seekers will once again have the opportunity to scale new heights for charity as East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) offers fundraisers a rare opportunity to abseil down one of Norwich’s tallest buildings.

EACH has launched a charity abseil event which will see participants descend 150ft down the Norfolk Tower. It’s one of the city’s tallest buildings offering participants breath-taking views across the whole of Norwich.

The abseil is very kindly supported by MAHB landlords of the Norfolk Tower, who have again offered EACH the use of the building free of charge.

The event, once again being managed by the Norfolk Army Cadet Force, will take place at The Norfolk Tower, Surrey Street, Norwich on Sunday April 14 between 10am and 4pm. It costs £25 to register and participants are asked to raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship. Only 60 places are available and are expected to be taken quickly so wewould urge anyone interested intaking partto sign up as soon as possible.

To enter online – www.each.org.uk/norwichabseil

Entrepreneurs in the county are now able to realise their business dream, thanks to ‘Enterprise Norfolk’, an exciting new support project for business start-ups. The programmeoffers practical help and support to anyone wanting to start new businesses in the county.

Enterprise Norfolk is led by Norfolk County Council with an investment of £400K over 2 years, working with Norfolk’s district, borough and city council partners. The aim is to help local residents realise their business potential and to create 150 new sustainable businesses in each year.

Local councils will be delivering services to residents in their areas. Service and activities available will include: – enterprise awareness events, one-to-one support sessions, enterprise workshops and business surgeries and clubs.

Delivered at a local level, Enterprise Norfolk allows greater coverage and access to individuals living in rural areas. The money will address the ‘full enterprise journey’, with support for existing businesses in the county and well as new ones.

Liz Young from Dereham has previously been supported by Norfolk County Council when she was trying to start up her two businesses Sparrow’s Rest and Steaming ahead which are a respite care business and an ironing company respectively. She said: “Getting business advice and help from the county council was invaluable at the time when I was considering what to do and how I could turn my ideas into reality. It gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to start out on my own and I haven’t looked back.

“The Enterprise Norfolk scheme is a fantastic idea and I would urge anyone who’s thinking about starting up a business to get in touch with the County Council as it certainly worked for me.”

For further information on Enterprise Norfolk courses in your area, visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk/enterprisenorfolk or call 0344 800 8020

NEW DUTCH ROUTE MARKS DOUBLE CELEBRATION FOR LOGANAIR’S NORWICH OPERATION

– Airline introduces new weekday Den Helder service almost a year to the day after launching first Norwich International Airport route to Manchester –

Flybe franchise carrier Loganair celebrates two landmark events at Norwich International Airport today (Monday, March 4) – the airline’s first anniversary of operations at the Norfolk-based hub and the launch of its scheduled service to Den Helder.

The new weekday route, the first scheduled operation to fly to the Dutch port city from the UK, is the latest addition to the airline’s schedule of services from Norwich International Airport.

On Monday, March 5, 2012, Loganair launched its first flights from Norwich to Manchester. The new Den Helder route is an extension of the Manchester to Norwich service, which flies three times every weekday and once on a Sunday.

Loganair also operates a direct Saturday flight between Norwich and the Isle of Man, which first took to the skies on May 26, 2012

Then In December last year, Loganair announced it would commence operations this coming spring on a new seasonal Sunday service to Guernsey.

Loganair will take over the route from franchise partner Flybe and is set to increase the number of flights from 19 to 25. Services to the Channel Islands holiday destination start on Sunday, April 28, and will operate until September 29.

The Scottish airline’s Norwich services to Manchester, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Den Helder directly support the employment of 15 locally-based pilots, cabin crew and engineers.

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Roger Hage, Loganair’s director of business development, said: “We are extremely proud, and it is entirely apt, that our first anniversary of operations at Norwich should coincide with the launch of the Den Helder service.

“Despite operating in what continues to be a difficult climate for the aviation industry, everyone at Loganair has worked hard to ensure our services in East Anglia continue to thrive.

“Our success at Norwich can be directly attributed to the efforts of our staff, as well as increased frequency levels and improved schedules we offer to our passengers.”

The first passengers travelling to Den Helder today will board the route’s inaugural flight at 10.20am, arriving in the Dutch city’s airport a mere 50 minutes later.

Loganair expects the Norwich to Den Helder service to act as an important transport link for passengers employed in the offshore oil and gas, maritime and horticultural sectors located in both the East Anglia area and in the Netherlands.

Flights from Norwich will depart weekdays at 10.20am, arriving in Den Helder at 12.10pm local time. Return flights will depart Den Helder at 2.30pm, returning to Norwich International Airport at 2.20pm.

Andrew Bell, CEO at Norwich International Airport, said: “Loganair’s first year of operation at Norwich International Airport has been a great success and we will be working closely together over the coming year to ensure this success continues to build”.

The Manchester, Guernsey and Den Helder services will be operated by Loganair’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Suckling Airways, using a 31-seat Dornier 328 turboprop aircraft. A 34-seat Saab 340 aircraft is used on the Norwich to Isle of Man service.

Fares for the Norwich to Den Helder service start from £79.99 one-way include all taxes and a free checked bag up to 20kgs in weight.

Customers will also receive a generous 6kg cabin baggage allowance as well as a choice of complimentary on-board snacks and refreshments served in-flight.

To book tickets on Loganair services from Norwich visit www.flybe.com or call 0871 700 2000.

On Sunday 10 March, three intrepid members of staff from Steeles Law will embark on the Devil’s Challenge 2013, a gruelling 7 mile 4×4 course over the notorious Devil’s Pit at Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire, to raise funds for the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Alliance.

The team, aptly named “Balls of Steeles”, includes Tom Bailey, Barrister from Steeles Law’s dispute resolution team; Marija Markovic, Trainee Solicitor; and Alison Beales, Team Assistant.

The Devil’s Challenge course – which consists of such dubiously named zones as “Punishing Obstacles”, “Climbs of Doom” and “Muds of Sorrow” – will involve a combination of running, wading through water and crawling through mud!

Commenting on the team’s forthcoming endeavours, Tom Bailey commented: “Neuroblastoma Alliance UK is this year’s nominated charity for the Devil’s Challenge and they do really vital work for very young children. We are all very excited about the event and very up for the challenge – let’s hope we make it back!”

Tom, Marija and Alison will be joined on the day by staff from Gorleston based office products supplier Pink Office, who are also participating in the Devil’s Challenge.

Anybody wishing to make a donation to “Balls of Steeles” can do so via www.justgiving.com/Alison-Beales. All funds raised will be donated to Neuroblastoma Alliance UK, a charity which funds children’s treatment costs, supports families and funds research into neuroblastoma, the most common cancer diagnosed within the first year of life.

Twenty of the region’s entrepreneurial business leaders joined Price Bailey’s business strategy team for the third meeting of PB Entrepreneurs at the Top of the City, Norwich City Football Club, last week.

The group has formed to meet each quarter, offering strategic insight and peer review to important clients and contacts of the firm who are looking to grow and improve their businesses.

“It’s a natural add-on to our chartered accountancy practice” says firm’s head of strategy and development, and lead business coach Nick Mayhew. “In getting to know our client’s businesses inside out from a financial perspective, we are also in a really good position to help them to build on their strengths and meet wider business challenges. PB Entrepreneurs offers a forum to support that”. PB Entrepreneurs Clubs are already established in London and Cambridge. “There are so many dynamic businesses, and business leaders in Norwich that we are really pleased to be able to extend the club to this area”.

The theme of the afternoon was growth – learning from the examples of high-growth companies including Zappos and SpaceX, as well as high-growth clients. Attendees worked through their own plans, before wrapping up with an hour focussed on the business growth plans of one particular member. Dr Vince Forté, the subject of the specific case study, said “It was such a privilege to be able to present our business case and receive so much valuable advice – all those top business brains working for me!”.

The group meets next in Norwich on 11th June, to discuss ‘Winning Strategies’.

Ashton KCJ Solicitors has announced that it will be supporting three local charities through a charity of the year partnership. From April 2013, the firm will be supporting Macmillan Cancer Support, Magpas and Norwich based Nelson’s Journey.

Each year, staff at the firm vote for the charities they wish to support. The firm aims to raise at least £10,000 during the year through activities such as dress down days, cake sales and by staff taking part in sporting events.

The firm has already exceeded its fundraising target for its current charities: EACH, Big C and Headway. The funds have been raised by staff taking part in a 125 mile bike ride, a sky dive, Santa Runs, Hats for Headway and much more.

Edward O’Rourke, CEO at Ashton KCJ, says: “We are delighted to be supporting three new charities this year, each of which provide vital services and support in the local communities where we live and work”.

Sue Bailey, Associate and Chair of Ashton KCJ’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team, added: “We recognise that the current climate is making fundraising for charities more and more difficult. We will be mobilising our staff to get involved in as many fundraising activities as possible throughout the year.”

A report published by the Legal Ombudsman today (28 February), entitled “The Costs of Separation”, has featured highly in today’s news. The report found that divorce lawyers have the highest number of complaints from clients, compared with other areas of law. The report also found that some divorce lawyers are failing to advise their clients to settle financial matters out of Court, therefore resulting in unnecessary costs.

Emma Alfieri from Steeles Law’s family team commented that she is “not surprised” by the report, having heard stories of previous experiences from her own clients, and added that, as a family lawyer, “you must provide your client with a fee estimate at the outset, and keep clients regularly updated with issues that arise later on during the case, which may have an effect on the initial fee estimate”.

However, Emma also feels that some media reports have been “an unfair generalisation”, based on the actions of a small number of unscrupulous individuals: “Nowadays we find that very few cases proceed to Court. The focus is now on settling matters out of Court, using alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as mediation. An application cannot be made to the Court until mediation has been attempted. Where mediation is not appropriate, or parties do not feel that they wish to attend, we can offer what is known as a “round the table meeting”. This is where both clients attend a meeting with their legal representative, in different rooms. This is another way of encouraging settlement without the use of the Court.

Family lawyers are now trained in this way and follow a code of practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems.

At Steeles Law we recognise that costs are an issue for clients going through divorce and separation. With this in mind, and due to the need for our clients to have certainty as to their costs, we have recently launched fixed fee divorce packages, which allow our clients to know from the start exactly how much the divorce is going to cost them.

We suggest to all clients that they attend one of our offices for an initial consultation and then, at that meeting, we can advise them whether they would qualify for a fixed fee service. This very much depends on the complexities of the case and bearing in mind that everybody’s circumstances are different. For example, a person wishing to bring a divorce (without children) would be offered a fixed fee of £650 plus VAT, plus Court fees of £385.

Emma Alfieri commented: “We also ask clients for partial payment at set times during the process. This enables clients to budget and know from the outset how much the whole divorce is going to cost. We also provide fixed fee financial settlements for clients wishing to finalise financial matters.”

For further information about fixed fees please contact a member of our family team on 01603 598000 or email family@steeleslaw.co.uk.

Our next open morning will be on Saturday 16th March, 9-11am.

A year group of students will act as your guides and you will have the opportunity to visit a Boarding House, all the Teaching Departments of the College and the Music, Drama and Sports facilities.

The Principal, senior staff members and Admissions Office staff will be available to welcome you and discuss the opportunities that the College can offer your son or daughter.

We look forward to welcoming you here!

www.wymondhamcollege.org

https://twitter.com/WymondhamCol

Pure Resourcing Solutions has expanded its Norwich team with the appointment of Emma Saunders who joins the recruitment consultancy’s Accountancy Division.

Joining the company’s Norwich office, Emma brings over 10 years experience in specialist consultancy recruitment to the role. She previously worked for Hales Group and has recruited in the Norwich and Norfolk market dealing with a range of organisations ranging from SME’s to large blue chip organisations.

On joining Pure Resourcing Solutions, Emma said: “My approach to recruitment is very much in line with Pure’s ethos of taking the time to understand the client’s business needs and expectations whilst providing a fast turnaround of quality candidates. It is great to be working with a team that takes an honest, committed approach, and places such an emphasis on developing long term client and candidate relationships, to achieve the best quality service.”

Emma, from Briston, will be responsible for temporary accountancy vacancies across Norfolk. These include Credit Controller’s, Ledger Clerk’s, Bookkeeper’s, Payroll, Accounts Assistant and Part Qualified Accountants.

Director of Pure Resourcing Solutions, Gill Buchanan, said: “Emma has solid experience in the accountancy sector, coupled with an impressive recruitment background. She is a motivated professional who will make a valuable contribution to the team – it’s fantastic to have her knowledge and expertise on board as we move into 2013.”

Pure’s Accountancy division covers the full spectrum of accountancy positions from accounts clerical – Purchase and Sales Ledger Clerks – to board level – Finance Director and CFOs – on an interim, contract and permanent basis. Our client base covers commercial businesses – from local SME owner-managed businesses to Blue Chip companies such as Aviva, Greene King, AXA, ARM and Willis – Public and Third Sector bodies – Charities, NHS, Housing, Education and Local Authorities – to firms of Accountants, ranging from small local firms to the Big Four.

The Click Design Consultants are delighted to announce that they have been appointed to create an advertising campaign for the National Trust.

The campaign will aim to highlight the breadth of offer, encourage repeat visits and communicate the Trust’s great outdoor experiences – as well as showcase the wonderful properties. Launching in May, the campaign will run across the East of England.

Creative Director, Bobby Burrage comments:“We’re extremely proud of our client list. Year on year it becomes evermore diverse with a wonderful array of organisations. It’s an honour to be able to name the National Trust as a client and we’re very excited about starting work with them.”

View The Click’s work here.

Bigfork have just designed and launched the new website for Archway Events, East Anglia’s leading corporate hospitality and events management company. The new website has a greatly improved navigation system combined with a modern, image led design promoting corporate dinners, sporting events, parties, golf days, theatre nights and so much more. You can see the new website here.

Bigfork Ltd

www.bigfork.co.uk

t: 01603 513080