Member News

Image credits – Mary Doggett, ETT Photography A grant of £100,000 has completed the fundraising effort for an extension and refurbishment of the Norfolk Events Centre. Previously known as the Norfolk Arena, the building at Norfolk Showground is the largest open indoor space in Norfolk and home to many well-known events throughout the year, including the Adnams Food & Drink Experience at the Royal Norfolk Show. The major grant generously provided by the Garfield Weston Foundation, and a smaller grant from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership of £25,000, means that the £750,000 project can now go ahead. The building works will add an extension to the main exhibition hall to provide space for break-out rooms, kitchens, bars, toilets, and equipment storage. The new extension will allow more conferences to utilize this space and transform the large space into two smaller conference venues. The venue will be able to host 600 dinner layouts and a smaller 300-seater venue. This flexibility provides a broader range of space for conferences. The Showground is conveniently located on the edge of the A47 providing easy access with ample free parking on site. Elements of the exhibition hall will be improved including, heating, lighting, and the ability to sub-divide the hall and enable two events to occupy the building at the same time. A tendering process is underway, and it is hoped that the work is completed by October 2023. Fearn Ainsworth, Commercial Development Manager, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association said: “The completion of this project will transform the Norfolk Events Centre making it a much more usable and versatile venue. Not only will the NEC be able to host large events at scale, but it will also provide a much more attractive venue for smaller events that it currently cannot host. We are enormously grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation and New Anglia LEP for their support.” The extension of the main hall at the Showground will bring new opportunities and experiences for visitors and event organisers including an increase in community use. New equipment for event use is also being purchased as part of this work and will be available for hire. The Showground already hosts many indoor and outdoor events throughout the year including music festivals, conferences, exhibitions and dinner dances. The site is owned by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and all income generated from events and hirings at the Showground is gifted back to the RNAA to support its charitable objectives of promoting food, farming and the countryside in Norfolk. The initial phase of the project, to install PV solar panels, has already been completed and is one of the largest roof-mounted PV projects in Norfolk. The installation will enable an average of 196,471 kWh to be generated each year and is a landmark project for Norfolk Showground. Norfolk Showground and Events Centre is set just outside of the city of Norwich, housing a variety of spaces available for events use and room hire, including 150 acres of landscaped parkland, meeting rooms, and indoor space, including a 3000 sqm arena. For more information please contact the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association on 01603 748931 or visit www.rnaa.org.uk

This month: creating immersive and motivational workout experiences through design, book your tickets for Elevate 2023, plus meet Layrd’s new Office Manager, Emily Gray. From industrial unit to energising workout space: Layrd’s scheme for Eventus22 In 2022, the Layrd team completed this interior design and fit out scheme for a recently rebranded gym in Bury St Edmunds.

The brief for the space was to create a bold and energising space that motivated the gym community – featuring a dramatic stairwell and a cohesive scheme across the changing rooms and facilities.

Read the case study The Layrd Design Blog In the era of large-scale chain gyms, exercise spaces have fallen prey to uniformity and practical blandness. So what do you need to think about when it comes to designing a gym space that immerses users and attracts new people through your doors? Read the blog Creating a multi-functional wellness space: Layrd’s scheme for Floatwell, Cambridge

Read more about Layrd’s welcoming interior scheme for Floatwell, Cambridge – a new floatation centre and wellness space featuring a Reception area, massage room, yoga studios, therapy rooms and kitchen.

Read the case study Meet Emily Gray, Studio Manager Meet Emily, our new Studio Manager, and hear what she’s looking forward to in the role. Read Emily’s blog here. See you at Elevate 2023? We’ll be at London’s Excel in June for the largest trade show dedicated to fitness, sport and physical activity. Registration is now live – be sure to book now! From changing rooms to spin studios, our expert interior designers will create a functional, user-friendly layout for your gym. Pop by our stand at Elevate to chat about creating inspirational and versatile gym interiors, and how you can make the most of your facility – or drop us a message today! Register here Coming soon…the reveal of the new Layrd Design office and the return of Future Spaces!

Photo: Dan McGrail, Chief Executive Officer at RenewableUK at SNS 2022 Energy Integrated in the East Credit: CHPV The East of England Energy Group’s (EEEGR) flagship Southern North Sea exhibition and conference is back for 2023, and tickets are available now. SNS2023 Vision 2030 takes place on 24th and 25th May 2023 at the Norfolk Showground in Norwich, attracting over 1,000 delegates from across industry’s decision makers including developers, operators, and the supply chain plus over 70 exhibitors each year. The region’s biggest energy event, SNS2023 Vision 2030 puts net zero centre stage as 2030 rapidly approaches. But it’s not just renewables on the agenda; as the largest celebration of energy in the East of England, the event will focus on the entire energy picture. From oil & gas through to rapidly emerging sectors like hydrogen and CCUS and, for the first, time onshore renewables, EEEGR understands all too well the importance of integrated energy to secure the UK’s energy security future and ultimately achieve net zero. Rob Bush, General Manager at EEEGR, said: “Our region is the UK’s integrated energy exemplar. With wind farms off our coasts accounting for 50% of the country’s installed capacity alone as well as exciting milestone projects like Sizewell C in Suffolk and hydrogen, solar and geothermal projects, we’re a region with lots to shout about.” “SNS2023 Vision 2030 isn’t about pitting sectors against each other. It’s about understanding how we can all work together to achieve a greater goal – net zero. We need the support and engagement of government, operators, developers, the supply chain, and the community to ensure we meet these goals on time,” he concluded.  The event, which takes place over two days in May at Norwich’s Norfolk Showground venue, is already taking shape. On day one of the event, delegates are invited to join their peers at a conference dinner at the Showground to enjoy a three-course meal and network with exhibitors and delegates before hearing from EEEGR’s keynote speaker (to be announced soon). Sponsored by industry heavyweights including ScottishPower Renewables, Vattenfall, Sizewell C, Ørsted, and Summit Energy Evolution, the event is also supported by sponsors Bethnic Solutions, Birketts, North Star Renewables, Proserv, and OPITO. GENERATE sponsor the popular Pitch, Pint, and Prosecco segment, introduced for the first time during 2022’s event. The full agenda for the event will be released in the coming weeks and is expected to include figureheads from industry’s biggest names. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the EEEGR website as well as tables and single eats for the conference dinner on 24th May 2023. EEEGR members receive a discount on their tickets, but the event is open to everyone: https://eeegr.com/events/sns23-vision-2030/  More images from SNS 2022 available here. All photos are credited to CHPV.

A new investment programme worth £1.275 million has been launched to boost growth in the creative industries across the East. Creative East: Create Growth Programme is an investment readiness and business support programme fully funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with Innovate UK the national delivery partner. Six regions were selected to deliver the Create Growth Programme across the UK. Creative East covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The local programme is led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in partnership with Greater Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, and delivered by University of East Anglia (UEA) in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), University of Suffolk (UoS) and Norwich University of the Arts (NUA). Creative industries across the East are on the rise; across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, employment in the sector is increasing three times faster¹ than the national average. Between 2015 and 2020, employment within the creative industries in the East grew by 21.8% (an additional 8115 jobs), compared to just 7.5% growth across Great Britain. The Create Growth Programme is looking to capitalise on the region’s specialisms within the creative sector, with a special focus on its core clusters: TV, film, and content production, plus IT, software, gaming and design. Organisations within this sector, who are keen to grow their business, are being encouraged to sign-up to the investment readiness programme, tailored to the creative industries sector, to benefit from expert advice, support and one to one mentoring to help them gain investors and boost growth. Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “Creative industries are really thriving in our region and this programme will support their ambitions for growth and help create the high value jobs we need to retain and attract the top talent.” Saffron Myhill is the Innovation Funding Manager at Creative East, she is excited about the opportunities this new programme will create: “The East is home to a lot of talent within the creative industries and we’re keen to develop the region’s clusters, especially within the gaming and film sectors. This programme will provide expert support and advice to help business founders gain the investment they need to bring their business goals to life.” The Eastern Clusters:

• The East enjoys a thriving film, TV, radio and photography industry, Norwich enjoys an international reputation and is England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. The city is also home to the National Centre for Writing, Norwich Theatre and has a demonstrable cluster of established businesses in TV and media, plus digital arts companies. Suffolk is also home to a rapidly expanding film industry. Screen Suffolk has over 550 film locations on its books and reports that each day filming adds £13,000 to the local economy.
• Cambridgeshire has also become a major hub for the games industry. Within Cambridge² 1800 people are employed directly in game development. The city also ranks third³ for gaming job opportunities in the UK and has the second highest number of gaming companies and third highest number of local gaming events per 100,000 people, making it an ideal area for future growth.
• Just outside Ipswich in Suffolk, lies the Innovation Martlesham cluster of high-tech telecommunication and technology companies. The cluster sits at the heart of the UK’s digital ecosystem, combining a national operation centre, test facilities and a global R&D unit, all set amongst a thriving community of collaborative technological innovation. In addition, the new 9.6m DigiTech Centre – a collaboration between BT and University of Suffolk will lead to further high value co-working opportunities, lab research and sector growth development. Partners are working with the Department for International Trade to maximise the prospects arising from the 5G and Digitalisation High Potential Opportunity.

The Create Growth Programme will run over two-years with training sessions being based in Norwich from April, Ipswich from September and in Cambridgeshire throughout 2024. Applications for the Create Growth Programme are now live, to apply please visit www.creativeeast.org.uk. To discover more, visit www.creativeeast.org.uk.

Leading-edge innovation taking place in Norfolk and Suffolk was hailed as world leading by Science Minister George Freeman as a new space tech cluster was launched at the Connected Innovation Conference. Representatives from Innovate UK, the Satellite Applications Catapult, BT, UK Space Agency, Tech East and other organisations addressed the showcase event at Adastral Park near Ipswich to highlight the exceptional research and innovation activity across businesses, innovation hubs and research institutes. George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, delivered the keynote address on a day when he personally visited Freeport East, Adastral Park, Norwich Research Park and Hethel Innovation. His visit was part of a tour to highlight the UK’s nationally significant innovation clusters. Read the full story here

Picture of Cllr Bills at the Beryl bike bay outside Hethersett Library The UK’s leading micro mobility provider, Beryl, and Norfolk County Council have expanded the bike, e-bike and e-scooter share scheme. The first new bay has been installed in Hethersett outside the library with three more due to be installed over the coming months. This makes the scheme accessible to thousands more people in the area and creates a fantastic sustainable transport link between Hethersett and Wymondham. . The extension of the scheme has been made possible thanks to funding from the Department for Transport E-cycle extension fund. It will take advantage of The Blue Pedalway, a cycle lane opened in July 2020 that connects Hethersett with Sprowston via Norwich city centre. It currently takes approximately 30 minutes to cycle 6.5 miles between the two locations. A 30 minute journey on a beryl pedal bike would cost just £1.50 or £3 on an e-bike or e-scooter when using a minute bundle. Councillor David Bills, Councillor for Humbleyard Division said: “I’m delighted to welcome the Beryl network to Hethersett. This will be a huge benefit to local residents with safe travel routes to neighbouring Wymondham as well as into Norwich. These bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters are a great option for those wanting to leave the car at home and travel more sustainably, which in turn will help to reduce congestion and improve air quality for all. ” Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “We want to encourage even more people to take up sustainable transport and extending our Norwich scheme to Hethersett will help make it even more accessible. “Norwich has excellent cycling infrastructure and, with the warmer weather and longer days on the horizon, I’m confident that even more people will now be encouraged to try the multiple modes we have in Norwich. “By getting more people out of the car and onto two wheels we can not only contribute towards improving public health but also cutting congestion on the area’s roads and improving air quality.” Since its launch on Tuesday 17 March 2020, the scheme has amassed 900,000 journeys across nearly 2,700,000km – the equivalent of over 67 trips around the Earth. Figures show that the scheme is going from strength to strength, with the overall number of rides in the last year up by 39% compared to the scheme’s second year and 379% compared to the scheme’s first year. User feedback shows that, on average, 23.2% of journeys have replaced road transport journeys such as using or being a passenger in a car, van, taxi or motorbike. According to industry calculations, that has saved almost 570 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions, the equivalent of almost 3329 flights between London and Edinburgh. The scheme now has a total of 118 bays across the Greater Norwich area including Wymondham, Hethersett and Drayton. You can hire a Beryl bike, e-bike or e-scooter through the Beryl app, available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users. Image provided by Norfolk County Council

It was billed as the budget which was set to focus on ‘getting people working’. For days prior to yesterday’s official Budget statement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, pundits had talked about a symbolic theme of trying to encourage more people to stay in work, get others ‘back’ to employment, and to make those of us in the workplace, feel more rewarded for doing so. On the face of it, and particularly from an HR perspective, this could surely only be beneficial to all. Here at MAD-HR, we’ve been digging through the detail, and there are certainly some key points which we feel deserve great scrutiny, or at least ‘watch and wait’ by employers and people managers. Let’s start with childcare. An increase in free childcare, to cover one and two year-olds, is to come in to effect from NEXT April. This shows great intent and a far better understanding of the challenges facing parents. Increasingly, parents of working age have been saying how much pressure they feel under financially because of childcare provision – to the extent that some make the decision NOT to return to work. As an employer, you’ll want to be mindful that the April 2024 date is just a starting point, with a phasing of introductions. All children over nine months old will be included in this measure by September 2025. When thinking about which of your employees this becomes applicable for, note that it is in respect of any household where all adults work for more than 16 hours a week. Sitting alongside this announcement is the news that funding for wraparound care for school-aged children is also to be increased. This means by September 2026, parents will be able to drop their children at school between 8am and 6pm. Again, it’s a step which should hopefully make it far easier for your employees to fulfil their working day as they would wish to. Next, we turn to health. Poor health has long contributed in a significant way to the British economy. The Budget revealed intentions to expand the pilot of an occupational health study for small businesses. It will consult on boosting UK occupational health in a number of ways, while at the same time looking to introduce a WorkWell programme aligning employment and health support. Apprenticeships also featured as a topic of consideration and dissection for employers. The government has announced that a new idea of ‘Returnerships’ will come in, to aid over 50s in learning new skills and returning to work. This, alongside increasing the tax-free allowance people can save in their pension pot, may well be a helpful concept for improving the level of more mature workers staying in place or seeking roles with your business. In summary, we like to believe this week’s Budget brings you, the employer and leader, great opportunity, hope and confirmation of intention. Of course, what history tells us, is that the promising narrative is one thing – and now we must of course wait to see the delivery. If the Budget and its various issues have raised any thoughts for you around areas of your employment processes and management of staff, please do take the opportunity to reach out to our team. You can contact us by clicking here. For a summary of the key elements from the Spring Budget – see here. This text was originally written by MAD-HR Ltd. Copyright © 2023 MAD-HR Ltd. All rights reserved: https://www.mad-hr.co.uk/blog/spring-budget-blog-a-mad-hr-perspective Image provided by MAD-HR

As a female leader in business, I often find myself conflicted about how I want to reflect on International Women’s Day. Do I shout from the rooftops about the amazing female team-members who are now part of MAD-HR and make me grateful every day that I am following this professional path? Should I recount all the past experiences in which I have had to overcome discrimination or question the level of gender inequality in my career? Or should I say nothing of International Women’s Day – because, perhaps, I should not feel there is a ‘need’ for a single day to mark out the accomplishments of women. This text was originally written by MAD-HR Ltd. Copyright © 2023 MAD-HR Ltd. All rights reserved: https://www.mad-hr.co.uk/blog/is-centred-leadership-the-key-for-women-other-aspirational-leaders. This year, I’ve chosen to take the opportunity to share with you about Centred Leadership, because, whether you be male or female, I absolutely believe it tells us so much about who can achieve and succeed in the world. For those who haven’t stumbled across this great concept, I urge you to take a look at the findings of McKinsey and Company, and in particular, of the truly inspirational Joanna Barsh. Joanna took it upon herself to interview many successful women leaders, and to create a model of understanding for why it is that certain people are able to ‘thrive’ professionally, and to become even more effective leaders. Her model is a fascinating ‘coming together’ of five core elements, which, in her words, allow a leader to ‘become aware of the mindsets and beliefs that drive us… then practice skills which allow us to achieve that vision’. These five ‘pieces of the pie’, are as follows:

• Meaning – Finding and building from our purpose
• Framing – Facing adversity with self-awareness, and shifting and adapting our behaviour
• Connecting – Establishing trust and inspiring others to trust us more so we build community
• Engaging – Owning who we are and taking risks
• Managing Energy – Generating (and restoring) energy in self and others

I’m sure, like me, you can read those five key themes and see areas in which you have great strengths, and also, where you might need to work hard, every hour of every day, at maintaining your focus or resolve regardless of your gender. Some of us are great at knowing our purpose and building trust, but we lack the element of risk-taking and standing tall for what we believe to be the right move. Others might be brilliant at the chameleon-like approach of adapting behaviour in the face of adversity, but we’re not so good at building community. If there’s a takeaway from this interesting research, I think it’s that we must all remember that individual skills and strengths work exceptionally well for us in different circumstances of our professional lives, but, glued together, we are able to find the consistent leader within us. My team and I welcome working with both men and women who want to embrace their leadership roles and produce the best outcome for their business, so if you would like to discuss this more, please do get in touch with us at MAD-HR. This text was originally written by MAD-HR Ltd. Copyright © 2023 MAD-HR Ltd. All rights reserved: https://www.mad-hr.co.uk/blog/is-centred-leadership-the-key-for-women-other-aspirational-leaders Image provided by MAD-HR

Back in 2016, renowned entrepreneur and New York Times Best Seller, Kevin Kruse, published a blog that peaked Mark’s interest, and here we are seven years later, digging through the best bits of his article, ’15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently’. His points are still as relevant now as they were then. Kevin interviewed over 200 people who were considered highly productive, including billionaires, Olympians and straight-A students, and published his 15 secrets to productivity based on his findings. Success can’t happen without productivity, so Mark and Becky break down their favourite secrets from the article, and how they can be applied to our everyday lives. There’s so much good stuff in Kevin’s work, that this is the first of two episodes! Look out for part 2 coming soon… GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk Show notes Read Kevin’s article, originally published by Forbes magazine here Book – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management Blog – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Productivity Book – Eat That Frog!: Get More of the Important Things Done Today Listen here! © Larking Gowen LLP

Peter Harrup, Partner and Head of East Anglia at BDO LLP, said: “Businesses were hoping for a roadmap to reduce corporation tax rates. Instead, the Chancellor said that companies could offset 100% of investment in IT, equipment, plant, and machinery in the UK against taxable profits, stating that it’s the most generous capital allowance scheme of any advanced economy. That said, there are practical barriers as businesses still grapple with supply chain challenges. As a result, people may struggle to get hold of the kit they want to invest in. “All year round, businesses tell us that access to skills is their biggest challenge. Hopefully, new initiatives and incentives will open up a deeper talent pool by attracting returners and working parents back to work. Support with childcare costs will also be well received by business leaders as a way of helping employees with the cost-of-living crisis. As part of our bi-monthly survey of 500 mid-sized businesses, one-in-six East Anglia businesses stated that they have already been trying to plug this gap, by providing other workplace benefits such as support with childcare costs for employees.” Image provided by BDO LLP

Greater Anglia is installing LED lighting at six stations to help tackle its carbon footprint and reduce the impact on the environment. The new lighting, which has been installed on platforms, on concourses and in car parks, is more energy efficient and will make stations look and feel brighter and more pleasant. Old wiring has been replaced and new LED lighting installed at Trimley, Great Bentley and Brimsdown stations and at Brampton, Attleborough and Mistley station car parks. Since 2018, Greater Anglia has replaced lighting with LED lights at 110 stations across its network. Simone Bailey, Greater Anglia Asset Management Director, said: “We do all we can do reduce our impact on the environment and this is the latest scheme to tackle our carbon footprint. “We aim to install LED lighting at all of the stations we manage. This will help save energy, create a more pleasant atmosphere for our customers and improve safety and security.” Greater Anglia has been working to reduce its impact on the environment, reducing carbon emissions by over 25,000 tonnes over the last two years with a series of energy and carbon reduction measures. Other green initiatives include introducing new more energy-efficient trains, cutting waste, increasing recycling, working with partners and communities on projects to improve sustainability and biodiversity at stations, offering free water refill points at stations, installing electric car charging points, increasing recycling and creating more cycle parking spaces. The company has also installed wireless energy management systems at selected rail stations to ensure heating and lighting are used efficiently, and taken steps to reduce water consumption.

Choc it out! A children’s hospice is giving the public an opportunity to explore its stunning grounds during a day of Easter fun. East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is welcoming visitors to The Nook, in Framingham Earl, on Saturday, 1^st April. There will be arts and crafts and an egg hunt, plus a tombola, raffle and refreshments. The fun day, taking place between 10am and 2pm, is the first community event to be held at The Nook since it was opened by EACH Patron The Princess of Wales – then The Duchess of Cambridge – in November 2019. “It’s very exciting and we can’t wait to welcome the public to our beautiful hospice,” said EACH Community Fundraiser Ellie Miller, who has jointly organised the event with colleague Megan Kemp. “It hasn’t been possible until now, because of the pandemic, but is going to be a fun-filled day for the whole family. “Although the public won’t have access to the care floor, they’ll be able to see and enjoy our grounds and I’m sure they’ll be impressed. “The Nook is a stunning place and this is an opportunity to showcase it, as well as raising awareness and perhaps changing perceptions. “People may hear the word ‘hospice’ and conjure up images of a scary, depressing, hospital-like environment. “In reality, nothing could be further from the truth and this is a perfect way to highlight that, while having lots of Easter fun.” The public can come and go as they please and do not need to book tickets, although they can register their interest via a special Facebook page. The Easter arts and crafts will be free but the egg hunt, which will be taking place in the gardens and courtyard, costs £3. There will also be live music from Norwich-based steel pan band Spangle. The majority of the eggs have been kindly donated by NIQ Brandbank, Tesco, the Cambridge office of Ensors chartered accountants, Wolseley Plumbing and Heating and Nationwide Building Society, in St Stephens Street, Norwich. Image provided by EACH