Member News

There are so many ways that external organisations benefit from the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) world-leading expertise that it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where the University’s team of Relationship Managers come in – find out more below…. UEA’s relationship managers Your questions answered… What do the relationship managers do? The University’s team of Relationship Managers liaise with businesses and external organisations, helping them to access UEA’s expertise and facilities. They have a good understanding of business and industry, their sector (including external funding opportunities), and the full range of services offered by UEA. Which sectors do the relationship managers work in? They cover agriculture, business services, creative, digital, engineering, environmental sciences, financial services, healthcare, heritage, legal services, life sciences, marine science, medical sciences and social care. So, whatever area you’re working in, the chances are that one of the Relationship Managers can help you. What exactly can the Relationship Managers help me with? It really depends on your business and your needs. For example, it could be that one of the Relationship Managers help you to access funding opportunities. The University recently supported organisations to bid for funding through the Agrifood Launchpad and a future funding round is expected in April this year – so do get in touch now to discuss this, or funding opportunities in other sectors. Or, you could access academic expertise and develop your business through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), or by getting involved in UEA’s postgraduate research. If you’ve got a problem to solve or want to fine-tune an exciting idea, UEA’s consultancy service can help you – or, if you want to turn ground-breaking research into cutting-edge products, our licensing scheme provides invaluable support. UEA could also provide bespoke training for your organisation. There are many other ways that you can benefit from UEA’s expertise, so do get in touch to find out more. What if I don’t have a budget, or a clear idea on which UEA service to access? There is no fee for getting in touch, and the Relationship Managers will find out your needs and look at the best ways of supporting you to achieve your goals. It all starts with a conversation, so do get in touch. How do I get in touch with the Relationship Managers? You can see the profiles of the relationship managers, along with their contact details, on UEA’s website. And if you’re not sure who to contact, just email business@uea.ac.uk and the University will put you in touch with the right person.

Law firm Howes Percival has acted for Amy and Charles Barwick, on the acquisition of Southwold Pier.

The pier was purchased by the Barwick’s for an undisclosed sum, from previous owner Curious Pier Limited, which is part of the Gough Hotels group which also runs the Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds and the Salthouse Harbour Hotel in Ipswich, as part of their portfolio. The husband-and-wife team are the co-owners of Pineapple Events Solutions, which manufactures bespoke chalets and provides food and drink solutions and event management for visitor destinations such as Christmas markets, music festivals and sporting events across the UK. The original Southwold Pier was built in 1900 as a landing platform for the Belle steamships, which carried passengers to seaside destinations from London Bridge. The present main building dates back from major refurbishment in 1937 but most of the pier itself is modern having been rebuilt between 1999 and 2001 to a length of 623ft. Amy Barwick, new co-owner of Southwold Pier said: “Charles and I are so excited to become the new custodians of the pier and we look forward to running it alongside the fabulous team we’ve inherited, for many years to come.” Charles Barwick, new co-owner of Southwold Pier said: “We are looking at an initial light refurbishment in places, but this will be phased, as we plan to keep the other areas open to the public as we go. We have great plans to invest in the pier and its facilities.” Howes Percival advised the buyers on all the legal aspects of the deal, bringing in expertise from the firm’s specialist Leisure & Tourism sector team to advise on commercial property, employment, planning, licensing and regulatory. The team was led by Richard Turner (corporate) with support from Guy Houldsworth and Katherine Channell (Commercial Property), Laura Brown (Employment), Jamie Childs (Planning and Licensing) and Robert Starr (Regulatory). Howes Percival’s Richard Turner commented, “This was a great transaction to be involved in. We know it is a challenging time at present for many businesses in the leisure, tourism and hospitality sector and so it was even more rewarding to be able to support our client who has great plans to invest in the pier and enhance its reputation as being one of the best loved tourism destinations in East Anglia.” For more information visit: https://www.howespercival.com/services/corporate/

“We loved hearing from people who organised their own events. They clearly had great fun, while doing something simple to raise funds for such a worthy cause” – after a successful debut, EACH’s Big Tea Break is back for 2024. Fundraisers are being encouraged to brew-up, tuck into a sweet treat and raise vital funds for charity. The Big Tea Break is being organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and will take place between 23^rd and 29^th March. This is the second year of the popular initiative after it made a successful debut in 2023. It gives the public an opportunity to put the kettle on, share a cuppa and spend quality time together, while also making a donation to EACH. Community Fundraising Manager Tina Burdett said: “We’re excited to be organising another Big Tea Break. “It was a completely new venture last year and we were very happy with the way it went. “We loved hearing from people who organised their own events. They clearly had great fun, while doing something simple to raise funds for such a worthy cause. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a small group or whole communities getting involved. “It’s about bringing people together and the idea ties in with the wellbeing and support services we offer. “One of our key messages is that we help families create memories together. “There’s a direct link because we want to encourage our supporters to take a break and make their own memories with family, friends and colleagues. “Please spread the word and for more information, including how to register an event and download a fundraising pack, check our website.” Supporters are being encouraged to snap, tag and share their photos online and anyone wishing to donate, but unable to host or attend an event, can contribute £3 by texting BIGTEABREAK to 70085. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one message at your standard network message rate. This year’s Big Tea Break is being sponsored by TREATT.   For further information about this release please contact: Matt Plummer | Media and PR Manager | 07738 328058 | Matt.Plummer@each.org.uk

We are so proud to tell you that Wingfield Consultants are finalists in ‘The Mentoring Matters Awards 2024’. We have been nominated in the ‘Excellence in Mentoring Award’. What is particularly pleasing is that the nominations came from people and organisations that we support pro bono through the ‘Help to Grow: Management Course’ scheme.

“We’re confident it had a significant impact, gave families a space to talk and opened people’s eyes about the realities of children’s hospice services” – EACH’s ‘I wish you knew…’ campaign aimed to dispel myths and raise awareness A powerful awareness campaign focusing on the realities of children’s hospice services has been hailed an outstanding success. East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) teamed up with families for its ‘I wish you knew…’ initiative. They were asked to get involved by completing the sentence ‘I wish you knew…’ and the myth-busting campaign went live last month. A vault of powerful, thought-provoking responses was published on the charity’s website and different ones were shared via social media every day for three weeks. They tackled subjects including bereavement, accessibility in public places and the way people speak to parents after the death of their child. Others chose to raise public awareness by speaking about the invaluable help and support they receive from EACH. “We couldn’t have been happier with the exceptional range, depth and power of the responses received,” said Lois Livoti, EACH’s Senior Digital Communications Coordinator. “It wasn’t a fundraising campaign, so it’s impossible to quantify or measure success in terms of monetary value. “However, as an awareness campaign, we’re confident it had a significant impact, gave families a space to talk and opened people’s eyes about the realities of children’s hospice services. “In terms of feedback, comments and engagement, it was an outstanding success and lovely that parents shared their own very personal stories, often commenting on each other’s posts and sparking conversation. “One mum described the campaign as ‘vital’, while another said it was a ‘privilege’ to be involved.” There was plenty of local media coverage, including reports and interviews on both BBC Look East and ITV News Anglia. “One colleague told us the campaign had given families a voice, whereas before they’d only had a whisper,” added Lois. “Another told us she bumped into a neighbour while on a dog-walk and he mentioned the fact he’d heard about the campaign on the radio. “He wanted to find out more so went home and looked online. “That’s exactly the kind of response we were hoping for and it’s exciting to think of the difference it’s hopefully made, in terms of opening people’s eyes.” Across its various social media accounts, EACH has around 40,000 followers. In addition to running the campaign online, awareness posters and flyers were on display in its three hospices and staff were invited to share their thoughts. EACH’s range of services is comprehensive, for both bereaved and non-bereaved families. It includes expert nursing care and short breaks, symptom management nursing, family activities and events, physical therapies, wellbeing, care at end of life, bereavement support and practical help in the family home.

On 1st April 2024 CyberScale and Advanced Threat Group (ATG) formally recognised a strategic alliance aimed at providing their clients with an optimal combination of strategic advice and technical support around Cyber & Information Security. Effectively managing cyber related threats, and the resultant risks to business operations, reputation, and profitability, increasingly requires a combination of expertise and experience seldom available from all but the largest service providers. Our shared objective is to provide both the strategic, business focused visibility, advice and security oversight typically only available from a specialist security provider, coupled with the core security products, technical management and support provided by an experienced IT Managed Service Provider. Darren Chapman, CyberScale’s founder and Managing Director and Guy Pyle, ATG’s Managing Director have long been connected in a professional capacity and have both enjoyed success in their respective organisations. Darren and CyberScale bring a specialism and vast experience within the strategic advisory, governance, risk and compliance side of cyber & information security whilst Guy and ATG pride themselves on being a reputable business centric technological advisor. The collaboration of CyberScale and ATG will enable both organisations to offer their clients the most effective combination of products and services across IT Support and Cyber & Information Security management, delivered by true specialists in their respective fields. Darren Chapman said ‘a formal collaboration with ATG was an easy decision to make, we both work and understand technology and security but more so we both strive to ensure that the solutions we offer our customers are purely based on the best fit for the business’. ‘Guy and I have both observed a concerning trend of many service providers extending their service portfolios into areas outside of their core areas of expertise, to the potential detriment of their clients. We firmly believe that a collaborative approach between experienced organisations, specialists within their respective fields, offers a more effective solution to the ongoing challenges faced by business of all sizes’. Guy believes that working with CyberScale will bring a new and exciting suite of services to ATG as well as bringing security awareness and compliance to the forefront organisations IT strategy.

CallEEAST have supported Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for many years, providing 24/7 support to patients. Through supporting a large number of District Nursing teams across Birmingham, 24 hours a day, this alleviates Nurses from on-call duties to ensure focus remains on delivering exceptional care. The service CallEEAST provide to Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust includes triaging of patients, booking appointments, taking and dispatching messages, signposting patients and supporting them in navigating the NHS system. The CallEEAST team are experienced in answering District Nursing calls and have processes in place to ensure calls are answered promptly and efficiently. Around 15,000 calls are taken per month for the teams by CallEEAST. All calls are recorded, and the service is tailored to meet the needs of the team. Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust receive full support with regular stakeholder meetings in place, to discuss both additional supportive measures and innovations. CallEEAST offer a flexible approach and can adapt the service as and when required to build a service that is fit for purpose. Comprehensive reports are shared with the team to maintain communication between CallEEAST and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, ensuring the services continually meet objectives. Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said, “Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have worked with CallEEAST for a number of years. They work closely in partnership with us to ensure a positive patient experience for those accessing care and treatment via the Community Nursing Team. They are supportive and play a key part in service transformation and improvement across our service and are quick to resolve issues and provide solutions as required.” If you would like to find out more about our bespoke contact centre services and how they could support your District Nursing team, please visit https://www.calleeast.co.uk/contact-us, call us on 0300 790 6274 or email CallEEASTenquiries@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Delta Fire Ltd sweep up at Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards 2024! We’re absolutely thrilled and immensely grateful for this incredible recognition. It’s a testament to the passion, dedication, and hard work of every single member of our fantastic team! A  heartfelt thank you from Delta Fire to everyone who’s been a part of their journey! Business Innovation: Judges comments: Steve Earl MBE & Carly Earl of Panel Graphic said “Delta Fire is a manufacturing business that Norfolk should be proud of, there was a clear desire to supply world leading solutions worldwide. They are clearly setting the standards for others to follow, not just with the items that they sell but also from the manufacturing base they have established in Norwich and the talented long-standing workforce they have. The new products they have developed in conjunction with The Navy has catapulted the business and its clear to see this is only just the beginning.” Manufacturing Excellence: Judges comments: Delta Fire wowed the judges with the quality of their manufacturing and engineering, with cutting-edge technology, components manufactured onsite, a predominantly UK-based supply chain and state-of-the-art quality control, making them stand out in the industry. Environmental Impact: Judges comments: Manufacturers and suppliers of firefighting equipment to over 60 countries, Delta Fire’s primary aim is to be one of the most environmentally responsible suppliers within the global fire sector from their purpose-built factory with over 600 solar panels. Leading the way in sustainable manufacturing, from harvesting rainwater to reducing materials in manufacture, they are prioritising the planet over profit. Read full details on all awards here: Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards winners 2024 – Broadland and South Norfolk (southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk) Broadland and South Nporfolk Business Awards 2024. Photo credit ©Simon Finlay Photography.

The flooring industry as a whole produces huge amounts of waste each year, Dragonfly Flooring are constantly looking into ways to help reduce this waste and look to use new Flooring products that contain recycled materials and are produced in the UK to reduce the miles the product needs to travel. We have recently completed the flooring in this office using Carpet tiles that contained 50% recycled materials in the pile of the tile, 75% recycled materials to make the backing of the tile; these were manufactured in the UK. These look stunning and can keep up with the heavy use expected from any office area, with the added benefit of helping reduce environmental impact.

Nutrient neutrality is the requirement that in certain areas new housing builds should not contribute more nutrient pollution to the waters. Following reports that nutrient pollution needs to be monitored in Norfolk, planning permissions have been paused for new homes within the catchment area of the Norfolk Broads and the River Wensum. This applies to any new and existing planning proposals in this area and has been issued by letter from Government Advisors, Natural England who have concerns about the protected habitat sites and species that live in the area.  The Broads Authority details how “the Broads is an internationally important wetland and home to more than a quarter of the UK’s rarest species.” Home to birds such as marsh harriers, teals and sedge warblers as well as fish such as perch and pike and animals such as shrews and otters. Nitrogens and phosphates, which are excess nutrients make it more difficult for aquatic species to survive due to how these reduce oxygen in the water. How is this affecting the industry?  It is important to secure the welfare of environments such as the River Wensum and the Norfolk Broads, but this ban on housing production is having a knock-on effect on the construction industry. The stopping of planning permission has meant that smaller construction companies, including family-run businesses, are being hit hard. They are having to look at ways to muddle through this dry span. Some have no other choice but to let members of their team go and some are even having to close for business altogether.  A lot of these construction companies are not only producing new builds for families but also for the elderly who are looking to live independently. Yahoo News reported that “the building of thousands of new Norfolk homes for older people with social care needs has been held up by the limbo blocking new housing.” These houses were being built with the intention that the elderly could live independently and have access to social care needs simultaneously. To help overcrowding of retirement homes and to stop the reported build-up in hospital beds.  How can planning permission continue? This ban only applies to protected sites that are already in disadvantageous conditions because of nutrient pollution, such as The Norfolk Broads and the River Wensum. So if your development site falls out of this catchment area planning permissions should be able to continue. There are ways that developers can still get the planning permission needed. Finding a way to offset any extra nutrients such as washing machine water or sewage that may end up in the waterways would be the only way new housing could be permitted. Norfolk Environmental Credits is a not-for-profit company set up to help property developers reduce their nutrient load by building sustainably. They have said that “property developers in impacted areas must meet Nutrient Neutrality standards by law. Buying Norfolk Environmental Credits will address your nutrient requirements”. Norfolk Environmental Credits has created a budget calculator so that developers can calculate the amount of nutrient loads their new development will create. This calculator will then determine how many credits the company will need to purchase to “ensure there is no detrimental impact on phosphorus and nitrogen levels in Norfolk rivers.” Businesses must register their interest in purchasing credits and they will be updated as and when credits become available. This scheme is intended to benefit small and medium developments that will struggle to provide their mitigation on-site. At Rockthorn, we provide plant hire across Norfolk and are committed to supporting local projects. We hope that this article can help educate businesses on how to seek help during this time. For more information on this subject visit Norfolk Environmental Credits to see how they can help with any property planning you are currently undergoing.  Sources: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/homes-older-people-blocked-pollution-090000120.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJRoUUNRotnub7gKcudvzJIh-chsteI1-_tmws0kLYwxtiQ2zJnHFZuL3ldoYEd57voXTkGoQxa0xFL–FhUKZtvMyM0Rpo5n-Vc8UosbYMRDvCrs3VAkqhM34jX1jkLHHYZ9FCpOmiQRmMFGLybd2djUxeRpviFp6el-4FLOkOn https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/planning/planning-permission/broads-planning-guides/river-bank-stabilisation/landscape-and-wildlife#:~:text=Within%20the%20Broads%20are%20the,24%25%20of%20the%20executive%20area. https://www.norfolkenvironmentalcredits.co.uk/  

Local IQ are hosting their inaugural EDP Norfolk Business Festival 2024, a series of events dedicated to fostering collaboration and growth across the Norfolk business community.

From 15 – 26 April 2024, they will be celebrating Norfolk’s vibrant business scene with a series of free to attend events, designed to bring sectors together, elevate local brands, and disseminate knowledge to fuel our region’s economic vitality.

They are inviting Norfolk businesses to seize the opportunity to get involved and host events during the festival.  Whether you’re a start-up or an established corporation, Local IQ are offering tailored packages to ensure your business can participate. These events, ranging from intimate seminars and networking sessions to expansive webinars and workshops, will cover diverse topics such as finance, leadership, and health sciences.

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and Norwich BID will be supporting the EDP Norfolk Business Festival by each delivering free to attend event.  Norfolk Chambers will hold an event in King’s Lynn during the first week of the festival and will use the Chambers media channels to showcase the festival opportunities to all Norfolk businesses and will also promote its members’ events that are part of the EDP Norfolk Business Festival on our website.  Norwich BID’s event will be held in Norwich during the second week of the festival.

The Chambers’ event (Levelling Up for Business – Challenges & Opportunities) at the College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn will be held on Wednesday 17 April.  It will help local businesses to discover how to enhance their business with partially-funded training, including a West Norfolk Training Grant covering up to 75% of costs, and learn about the Boost Project supporting skills development for 16 – 30-year-olds.  This session is not just informative, but also a perfect venue for networking, complete with coffee and bacon rolls.   Don’t miss the chance to be part of this dynamic festival click here to book onto the Chambers King’s Lynn event.

For more details and how to get involved in the wider EDP Norfolk Business Festival, reach out to Ben Hope at ec.events@localiq.co.uk or view the available packages here.

Chloe Chambers at Orchard Toys and Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place (Credit: Chantry Place) Orchard Toys partners with Chantry Place Norwich to bring families a brand new trail inspired by THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT™ this spring. The Peter Rabbit World Trail event is free for families, and will run at Chantry Place from Saturday 23^rd March to Sunday 14^th April 2024*. This fun trail is part of the launch celebrations for Orchard Toys’ new THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT collection – six stunning games and jigsaws developed under licence from Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. (Beatrix Potter’s publisher and owner of The WORLD OF PETER RABBIT).  The games are a creative hybrid of Peter Rabbit and Orchard Toys – blending the fun, educational and engaging gameplay of Orchard Toys with Beatrix Potter’s iconic characters to bring Peter Rabbit to life.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit has sold over 46 million copies around the world since it was first published in 1902 and THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT remains one of the most beloved children’s brands in the World. The free Peter RabbitWord Trail will be great fun for entertaining the children around the Easter holidays.  To get involved, pick up a the Trail booklet from Langleys or The Works at Chantry Place, before hopping off to collect letters and posting an entry in the postbox at Langleys Toy Store. All correct entries are in with the chance to win an Orchard Toys bundle of games and a £50 H&M voucher courtesy of Chantry Place. Plus, the first 3,000 children to do the trail will receive a free Peter Rabbit Word Trail badge. Adding to the fun, every day of the trail, children (together with their families!) can play the giant Orchard Toys Peter Rabbitfloor garden maze. Chloe Chambers, Senior Marketing Executive at Orchard Toys, says: “This is a fantastic free event for local and visiting families, and a really fun, interactive way to celebrate our brand-new Peter Rabbit collection with children and their parents.  We’re excited to see the trail come to life at Chantry Place”. Paul McCarthy, General Manager at Chantry Place, says: “We have been wanting to collaborate with local games and jigsaw brand Orchard Toys for some time and being able to partner with them on A Peter Rabbit Word Trail  is a real privilege for us. We know our visitors will love this free event, finding the charming characters on the word poster trail that the incredible designers at Orchard Toys have put together for us.” New for 2024, THE WORLD OF PETER RABBIT collection from Orchard Toys will also be available to purchase at Langleys at Chantry Place while stocks last. *Excluding Easter Sunday due to the Centre being closed. For more information on Chantry Place, visit www.chantryplace.co.uk/news