Chamber News

The fastest ever train service between Norwich and London started on Monday 20 May 2019 – cutting down the scheduled journey time to just 90 minutes.

The launch of faster trains between East Anglia and London was heralded as “the start of the transformation of rail services in the region”.

Greater Anglia is now running four extra services between Norwich, Ipswich and London Liverpool street.

Fastest journey times between Norwich and London are now 90 minutes and just 55-57 minutes between Ipswich and London on these extra four services a day.

Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Greater Anglia said: “The launch of our new faster services between Norwich, Ipswich and London, is another big step in the transformation of our railway in East Anglia.

“For the launch we travelled on our existing trains, but this service will run on our brand new Intercity trains as we replace all of our existing trains with brand new state-of-the-art modern trains.

“As customers speed through East Anglia into London they’ll be able to enjoy longer trains, with more seats, USB and plug points, wifi, better passenger information and improved accessibility.”

Businesses and politicians in East Anglia have been calling for faster journey times between Norfolk, Suffolk and London for ten years.

The service was championed through the East Anglian Rail Prospectus and Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce, which was represented on the first journey by Chris Starkie, chief executive of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and also key member of the Great Eastern Mainline Taskforce.

The 90-minute services will depart Norwich at 09.00 and 17.00, calling at Ipswich at 09.33 and 17.33, and London Liverpool Street at 11.00 and 19.00, calling at Ipswich at 11.55 and 19.57, and will operate on Mondays to Saturdays.

They will shave 12 minutes off the current fastest journey between Norwich and London and cut the fastest journey between Ipswich and London by 4 minutes.

These are introductory times, which could change in subsequent re-issues of the Greater Anglia timetable, which should see many other journey times cut when all new trains are in place.

Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said: “Norfolk Chambers has been campaigning for an improved rail service for many years and we are delighted that Norwich in 90 is now becoming a reality.  The new Greater Anglia timetable with the first two services for Norwich in 90 are the first steps towards delivering a transformation of rail services for commuters and business travellers alike, which will be worth billions of pounds of investment to Norfolk and East Anglia.”

Priti Patel, MP for Witham, said: “Having established the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce in 2013 and worked closely with rail user groups, local businesses, and MPs, I am delighted to see these new services getting underway today.

“The new ‘Norwich in 90’ and ‘Ipswich in 60’ services are another major achievement for the Taskforce and featured in our original rail investment prospectus to the Government for the Greater Anglia franchise.

“These new services build on GEML’s other recent successes including the launch of Delay Repay 15, passenger refunds for late running services over 15 minutes, and the securing of more than £1bn funding for new Greater Anglia trains due to come into service within a matter of weeks.”

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail Anglia’s route managing director, said: “Delivering these faster services for passengers into the new timetable has been a real joint effort, and along with Greater Anglia, we know that Norwich in 90 will provide better journeys for the people who live and work in the region as well as supporting the local economy.

“Recent performance on the route has been some of the best in years, and together we’re working on various initiatives to make journeys better for everyone.”

A fantastic way to start to your day is at our Great Yarmouth Networking breakfast, especially when it with a view of our beautiful Norfolk Broads!

With many local businesses attending on the 20th June,  it was a full room with plenty of coffee and chat! Our Guest speaker was Ian Hacon, Founder of Energise Me, and he gave us his tips for getting 20% more energy! We all took note and drank down our waters (maybe even planning to ditch our kitchen snack drawers). There were 8 top tips that Ian talked about ranging form getting more sleep, to getting out of the office to go for a walk!  It was great to be joined by our event charity, Kickstart and the team Matthew and Diana. We were looked after by the team at The Boathouse and it was great to see so many new faces and catch up with our members in a great location.

Our Apprenticeships and T Levels HR Forum, in partnership with City College Norwich, was an intimate affair held in their Start Up Lounge. Delegates were treated to an afternoon of learning about Apprenticeships and the incoming T Level qualification by the college’s expert team.

Ruth Royle, Apprenticeship Delivery Manager, was up first discussing how to get the most out of Apprenticeships, she began with an outline of how they’re delivered and what subjects are covered, before moving on to how course funding works for organisations of different sizes and different ages. Ruth highlighted the importance of using the standards outlined in the course specification when recruiting an apprentice, the support you can expect to receive from City College, and pointed delegates in the direction of a number of platforms for advertising apprentice vacancies. She also outlined some of the expectations City College has of employers and the ways they can help support with these, which included having a mentor available for progress review meetings and a detailed action plan outlining work to be completed between visits.

Before delegates were given a brain break, Laura McLean, Director of Strategic Development and Implementation, gave an overview of the incoming T Level qualification. This included information on what they actually are – equivalent to 3 A Levels, developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, and a mix of classroom learning and “on the job” experience in the form of an industry placement of 315 hours. She explained they are part of the reaction to the need for a simplified system of post-16 education that includes more emphasis on technical education. Laura wrapped up the first session by explaining the grading system used for T Levels and the expected timetable for a variety of courses to be released.

After a short break we had the pleasure of Jenny Bach, Industry Placement Lead, presenting to on industry placements. She explained the requirements the college has of employers prior to a student starting with them (including health and safety checks and the provision of a manager or mentor to support the students) to ensure a supportive environment for both the student and the employer. There is no prescribed model for industry placements and Jenny explained this means that the college can be flexible about how they’re structured, although it usually works out to be one day a week with the occasional block week. She showed the group videos of both students and employers talking about how useful they had found them and the positive impact they had on both parties.

The afternoon finished with a short Q&A session and some free networking time which happened, unsurprisingly, around the cookies and hot drinks! Overall it was a really informative afternoon which saw delegates take away some useful information and food for thought around Apprenticeships and T Levels.

If you’re interested in attending our next HR Forum in September, you can find more information here, more details will be released soon!  

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Monday) released its latest economic forecast, upgrading its growth expectations for the UK in 2019 to 1.3% (from 1.2%). However, the leading business group has downgraded its growth forecast for 2020 to 1.0% (from 1.3%) and to 1.2% (from 1.4%) in 2021.

The leading business group has slightly upgraded its growth forecast for 2019, driven by the exceptionally rapid stock-building early in the year. However, the immediate boost to UK GDP is forecast to come at the cost of more subdued growth in 2020 and 2021 as the unwinding of historically-high inventory levels, coupled with weaker business investment, weigh on economic activity.

Business investment is forecast to contract at a faster rate in 2019 and recover more slowly in 2020 than expected in our previous forecast. The continued Brexit impasse, including the growing possibility of a no-deal exit, together with the high upfront cost of doing business in the UK and the running down of excess stock, is expected to suffocate investment activity over the near term.

Trade is projected to make a negative contribution over the forecast period as exchange rate volatility, Brexit uncertainty and a subdued global economy, weaken trading conditions for UK exporters. In contrast, consumer spending is expected to remain resilient with earnings growth forecast to continue to exceed price growth over the forecast period and unemployment forecasted to remain low by historic standards.

The BCC’s latest forecast is a clear warning sign that the next Prime Minister must set out a clear roadmap for how the political impasse in Westminster can be broken and an agreement reached to prevent further slowdown in the economy.

The Chamber Network is also calling for a strong and clear strategy on the domestic agenda, including urging the next government to use the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review to affirm its commitment to delivering major infrastructure projects, such as HS2, that underpin economic growth.

The BCC forecast assumes that the UK avoids a messy and disorderly exit from the EU. Another scenario would lead to revisions in the next forecast.

Commenting on the forecast, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“The revisions to our forecast suggest that the UK economy is likely to remain on a disappointingly subdued growth path for some time to come.

“It is increasingly likely that the temporary boost from historically high stockpiling in Q1, which has marginally improved the growth outlook for this year, will be surpassed over the medium-term by the negative impact from the running down of these inventories. The downward pressure on business activity and investment intentions from the unwinding of stocks is likely to be exacerbated somewhat by increasing cost pressures and Brexit uncertainty, slowing overall economic growth across the forecast period.

“The deteriorating outlook for business investment is a key concern as it limits the UK’s productivity potential and long-term growth prospects. On the upside, household spending, a key driver of UK economic output, is expected to be supported by relatively low unemployment and positive real wage growth.

“A messy and disorderly exit from the EU remains the main downside risk to the UK’s economic outlook as the disruption caused would increase the likelihood of the UK’s weak growth trajectory translating into a more pronounced deterioration in economic conditions.”

Responding to the forecast, Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, added:

“While politicians are distracted, businesses are left with no choice but to try and prepare for the unwanted possibility of leaving the European Union on 31st October without a deal and transition period. Businesses are putting resources into contingency plans, such as stockpiling, rather than investing in ventures that would positively contribute to long-term economic growth. This is simply not sustainable. Business communities expect the next Prime Minister to quickly find a sensible and pragmatic way forward to avoid a messy and disorderly Brexit. 

“The UK’s low-growth trajectory makes clear that we can’t afford for Westminster to keep turning a blind eye to the domestic agenda. The upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review is an opportunity for the next government to affirm its commitment to support economic growth, including investment in the skills and training system and infrastructure projects, such as high-speed rail and the city regeneration schemes linked to them. Businesses will also be expecting action to alleviate the heavy burden of upfront costs, which stunt growth.”

Key points in the forecast:

• UK GDP growth forecast for 2019 is upgraded from 1.2% to 1.3% and downgraded from 1.3% to 1.0% in 2020 and from 1.4% to 1.2% in 2021
• Quarter-on-quarter GDP growth is forecast to slow to 0.0% in Q2 2019, down from 0.5% growth in Q1
• Forecast for business investment growth been downgraded to -1.3% for 2019 (from -1.0%) and to 0.4% for 2020 (from 0.6%), before growth of 1.1% in 2021
• BCC expects export growth of 1.6%, 1.6% and 1.7%, compared to import growth of 4.3%, 1.8% and 2.2%.
• Forecast for growth in household consumption been upgraded to 1.4% for 2019 (from 1.3%), followed by growth of 1.4% in 2020 and 1.5% in 2021
• Average earnings growth is expected to outstrip inflation over the period, with growth of 3.0%, 2.9% and 3.0% respectively, compared with inflation of 2.1% in 2019 and 2020, and 2.0% on 2021
• UK official interest rates are expected to remain at 0.75% throughout 2019, before rising to 1.0% in 2020
• In terms of sectors, growth in services has been upgraded to 1.4% (from 1.1%) in 2019 but downgraded to 1.2% (from 1.3%) and to 1.4% (from 1.7%). Growth in manufacturing has also been upgraded for 2019 to 1.0% (from 0.5%) in 2019 but downgraded to 0.5% (from 0.7%) in 2020 and 0.7% (from 0.8%) in 2021. Construction sector growth is expected of 1.0%, 0.9% and 1.0% respectively.

There are over 350 Employee-Owned businesses in the UK delivering around 4% of GDP and the sector includes companies such as John Lewis and more recently Richer Sounds, so when Risk and Policy Analysts decided to take the step to becoming employee-owned they were in good company. At our South Norfolk Networking Breakfast at Park Farm Hotel on June 13th we were very lucky to have Peter Floyd, former Managing Director, with us discussing their journey and the factors that led them to taking that step.

RPA has been going for over 30 years and was originally set up by Pete and his wife Meg providing policy consultancy to the European Commission, chemical industry, and public bodies across a number of different areas. They grew from nothing to having 30 employees based in Loddon with a £3m turnover. For the past ten years Pete and Meg have been looking for the right way to move away from the business in order to take a back seat while still looking after their employees. As Pete highlighted, when you start a business no-one explains that success also means you’re responsible for other peoples’ mortgages, children, and livelihoods so closing the business and making people redundant wasn’t an option.

They tried several times to sell the business but often found that the new owners wanted them to stay on for a period of time and the process was complex. They explored the options available to them for employee ownership and found that advice differed expert to expert, employee ownership is still evolving, and advice was costly. Once they had made sense of the advice given to them they came up with criteria for employee ownership that would make it right for RPA so the company is owned and influenced via the Employee Ownership Trust with no buying and selling of shares so the process of joining and leaving the company remains straightforward and profits are shared fairly based on length of service and salary.

The main thing delegates were left thinking about was that there is no “right” way to exit your own business, it has to be right for you and your employees and that getting advice from a number of advisors means you can decide on the best approach for you. All in all it was a really interesting morning learning about a route that more and more businesses are looking at as a viable option to retain their independence.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the country’s oldest wildlife trust, were our feature charity for the morning and were the inspiration for our networking activity “if your business were an animal which animal would it be and why”… They look after over 50 nature reserves across the county and provide a number of education services. 

Why not join us at our next networking event? Take a look at all our upcoming events here.  

Norfolk County Council and partners, Norfolk Chambers and the Growth Hub, are working with the Swedish energy group, Vattenfall to encourage local Norfolk businesses to engage with and bid for contracts associated with big infrastructure and other complex projects. 

Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm projects aim to supply 10% of the UK’s domestic electricity needs and represent potentially multibillion pound investments into the East of England over their thirty year operational lifespan. The range of goods and services required to build and operate the projects successfully is huge, from onshore surveying and preconstruction preparation, to cable joining to hospitality services, to fabrication, to marine logistics.   

The onshore work for Norfolk Vanguard is likely to be out for tender in early 2021 and Norfolk Council and its partners are developing a programme of assistance to encourage a wider range of local companies to understand, prepare, engage and ultimately successfully bid for elements of the work planned. 

Rob Lilly, Procurement & Supply Chain Manager for Vattenfall said:  

“Over 70% of companies wanting to supply to the renewable energy sector, listed the ability to engage with the developer, as an area they needed support with.  This is a great opportunity to meet the people behind the project, who can give you a great insight into what Vattenfall are looking for from our suppliers. Sustainability is something we consider and local companies, being part of a local supply chain make perfect sense.” 

This programme will create a model, which will assist in the development of small to medium size companies (SMEs) in our region, to enable them to take advantage of major contracts as they appear, not just the current windfarm projects.  Vattenfall, as a key partner of this project, are committed to helping with this development process as much as they can. 

Vattenfall have already held two major supply chain events in Norfolk to start the conversation with Norfolk SME’s.  Over the next 6 months, the partners are planning a series of smaller events/workshops in co-operation with Vattenfall, to raise awareness, increase business readiness and address supply chain and business development. 

Norfolk County Council and partners are inviting Norfolk SME’s to grasp this opportunity by making themselves aware of the opportunities available, reviewing their capabilities and capacity and planning their development to be able to bid for and win major contract work such as this. 

Commenting on the upcoming workshops, Tom Humphries, Skills Policy Manager for Norfolk County Council said:

“Many SMEs don’t recognise that they have the skills or capabilities to enter the supply chains of larger projects or infrastructure developments. In partnership with Vattenfall and the Norfolk Chambers, Norfolk County Council look forward to working with interested small businesses to identify and support these skills and to take advantage of future contract opportunities.” 

Asked why local businesses should consider attending the free supply chain workshops, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said:

“Many local SMEs do not realise that they have the capability to be part of a large scale supply chain. Our workshops are designed to highlight what they do need to be involved and will also help identify any areas that the SME may need to adapt/upgrade to be able to compete.  We will also be looking to see how we can support those businesses to gear up to be ready.  Whether that is help with upskilling, access to finance for new equipment or support for their management teams.” 

The first events are planned for Dereham on 02 July and North Walsham on 03 July and will focus on business awareness in relation to the opportunities presented by the Vattenfall windfarms.  

To find out more and book your place, please click on the below links: 

Dereham – 02 July 2019

North Walsham – 03 Jul 2019   

Following the workshops will be an opportunity to talk directly to the UK Supply Chain Manager – please register your interest to be allocated a slot by emailing: futuresupplychain@vattenfall.com

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe (COBCOE) announce that they have reached an agreement that will see 24 additional British Chambers across Europe become part of the BCC’s Global Business Network – significantly expanding the leading business organisation’s reach and practical, real-world support for trade between the UK and the Continent.

The agreement means that the BCC Global Business Network now includes 49 British Chambers around the world – doubling the strength of the network in markets worldwide.

The move creates new connections and support for both UK and European businesses, at precisely the time they need them most. 

With the nature of the UK’s future relationship with the EU still uncertain, the British Chambers of Commerce and COBCOE have taken a strategic decision to bring their networks together – ensuring that firms have a front door not just in every region and nation of the UK, but in major capitals and commercial centres across the European continent as well.

Thanks to the move – led by BCC President Francis Martin and the COBCOE Board – both UK firms and European firms will be able to harness opportunities for trade and access practical advice, support and connections to keep trading across borders, regardless of political change.

Francis Martin, President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“We are delighted to welcome so many new members from across Europe into BCC’s global business network.

“From Manchester to Madrid, Aberdeen to Amsterdam, and Belfast to Bucharest, the British Chamber network will be best-placed to help firms trading across borders in Europe and beyond.

“Our Global Business Network supports two-way international trade and provides practical solutions to trading challenges. Expanding BCC’s membership to include overseas British Chambers across Europe means that we will now be able to assist businesses practical support, advice and connections in almost 50 countries all around the world.

“As we face the challenges and opportunities of Brexit, we can think of no better business response than delivering practical, real-world connections between countries all across Europe and the regions and nations of the UK.”

Garry Parker, Chair of COBCOE, said:

“The fusion of COBCOE members into the BCC’s Global Business Network creates an unrivalled business network with a truly global reach.

“British Chambers of Commerce across Europe have a long and important history, supporting businesses trading across boundaries for many decades, and representing the interests of both British and European businesses. 

“This agreement – which was unanimously approved by COBCOE’s membership – will enhance and grow those connections, boosting connectivity between UK and European businesses and creating new opportunities at a time of great political uncertainty.”

Our flagship technology conference makes its return to The Space Norwich this September, but time is running out to get your hands on early bird tickets! Ending on Friday 21 June, the ticket discount applies to tickets for both Norfolk Chambers members and non-members. The conference is open to all businesses who are looking to improve and advance on the ways they use technology in the workplace, as well as learn about upcoming trends and tools. 2019’s conference will bring together over 20 industry experts through panel discussions, keynote speakers and workshops to enhance your knowledge on specialist subjects, following our theme of ‘myth busting’. Every business is adopting new technology, every business is becoming a technology business, but what are the myths and barriers that hinder those transitions? That’s what our guests on stage will be joining us to answer.  New speakers are being added to the line-up every week, meaning a wide range of topics will be covered, and your questions will be answered by those with the knowledge. Panel discussions will be brought back this year following their popularity at 2018’s conference, meaning you can ask your questions live to our panels.  There will also be a technology themed exhibition at the conference and a networking lunch to follow the main talks.  Talking Tech 2019 is sponsored by Breakwater IT and Naked Element. To find out more about the event, see the speaker line-up or book tickets, please click here.

We are back at Norfolk’s largest two-day county show, which takes place on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th June at the Norfolk Showground.  Organised by Chamber members the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA), The Royal Norfolk Show offers visitors an unmatched range of activities, displays and experiences. Following a successful return to the show in 2018, we are back and we want you to come and get involved.  We’ll be on stand 82 on Third Drive, same location is in 2018 so you can find us easily! We’ll also be bringing back our colourful deckchairs (if the weather is nice!) and some new, pink flags to welcome you to our marquee – you won’t miss us! We have a jam-packed schedule of activities throughout the two days, all of which we encourage visitors to the show to come and take part in. We’re bringing back our networking breakfasts both mornings of the show, as well as extending our popular gin hour to both days at 2pm. We’ve also added some networking games, a Netwalking route around the show to visit our Members and an evening celebration event on the Wednesday night.  On top of all of this, we’ll also be working on something really exciting in our marquee that we want you to get involved in – Norfolk’s Voice! Our new digital platform is coming soon and we want you to come create exciting content with us at the show ready for its launch. Tickets for the show must be purchased to attend the show, but once inside you can visit us anytime! If you’re a Chamber member, you can also get 10% off two day and one day adult tickets! Just email us or give us a call on 01603 625977 to get the code. To see our full schedule of activities and what we’ll be up to on stand 82, click here.

Our Women in Golf networking event got off to a fantastic start on Tuesday!

Set in the middle of the beautiful South Norfolk countryside, Barnham Broom Hotel was the perfect place to be to celebrate Women in Golf Day.

Sarah Jones and Karen Woodrow welcomed us with coffee and pastries, in the newly refurbished Barford Suite, which looked out over the large golf course. Karen Woodrow, Head of Golf at Barnham Broom shared her golfing story, and it was interesting to hear the statistics on how many women are taking up the sport.  It was great to hear that this is changing, and that more women are taking up the sport, and that it does not have to be expensive.  We headed out onto the course with Allan Helmsley, a lovely chap and very experienced  Golf Pro. Allan went through some of the basics, correct stance, swing and Irons. We paired up and putted our way through some fun exercises. Our group was a mix of those who regularly played Golf  and those who had dabbled (I was grateful for my own extensive Pitch and Putt experience), so there was additional support on hand.   The smaller networking group was a definite positive, and it was an opportunity to have more one to one chats. So, an enormous thank you to all the women (and Matt) who came along, it was fantastic to spend the morning with you! Thanks also to Sarah Jones and Karen Woodrow for looking after us.    If you are interested in Golfing lessons, or hitting the course at Barnham Broom you can find out more details here. Karen and Allan will be more than happy to chat with you.

Following on from the success of last year’s celebrations, Norfolk Day is back! This year Norfolk Day will be held on Saturday 27th July. With this in mind, and supporting our great county, it is a great opportunity to showcase our brilliant businesses. Several organisations will be celebrating with events being held on Friday, which is an ideal chance to involve your staff, and fit around the working week too.

Last year over sixty of you; our members shared your #15SecBiz, these films were a fantastic insight, and inspiration into the great work being achieved in our county, on a daily basis. So, this year, whatever you are planning, we want to hear about how you and your staff members will be celebrating Norfolk Day this year. Maybe you are planning something big or small to mark this day. Keep us posted so we can support you with the promotion of this and potentially link up other members with you too.

Do get in touch with us at the Chambers dominique@norfolkchamber.co.uk and the EDP are really keen to hear about what you have got planned too norfolkday@archant.co.uk so we can all spread the word!

Remember you can always use #NorfolkDay share your stories and spread the word too.

Help us give a warm welcome to the newest members of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce for the month of May.

Visit their business to explore what they have to offer. Click on a business name below to view the full listing in our Member Directory.

Birdie Fortescue The Birdie Fortescue brand is based on a rich heritage of global inspiration interpreted into a range of textiles and interior accessories designed to suit classic contemporary living.

Clapham & Collinge LLP Clapham & Collinge is a local, leading firm of expert solicitors based in Norfolk. With offices in Norwich, North Walsham and Sheringham we provide a full range of legal services for businesses and individuals.

Motiv8 At Motiv8 Exercise and Fitness our philosophy is to give you a core set of disciplines and values to integrate into your lifestyle so that you can enjoy living stronger and living longer.

Parker Planning Services We are specialist Planning Consultants and Multi-Disciplinary Specialists providing a wide range of planning and specialist services required for planning applications and developments. 

REAGIT The Revamped East Anglian Group for Industrial Training

Soul Church “We’re passionate about our city and we want to make a real difference to the people of Norwich. One of our aims is to build a warm, welcoming community where anyone can feel right at home and can access the support they need, whatever it may be.”

Tombland Bookshop Our shop is a fine, 15th century building opposite the Cathedral in the centre of Norwich. We are the largest bookshop of its type in East Anglia with a constantly changing stock of secondhand and antiquarian books on most subjects displayed on two floors, whose price ranges from £1 to over £10,000. We also carry a significant stock of specialist and academic books.

The Norfolk Farmhouse The Norfolk Farmhouse is a large detached Georgian Farmhouse which dates back to the 1800’s and was originally part of The Gunton Estate.

The Tree Academy The Tree Academy are dedicated to the learning, growth and development of people. As a team of specialists with broad industry backgrounds we are catalysts for excellence.