Able Community Care Competition Winner

Christine Smith (left) from Trimingham is the winner of Able Community Care’s 30th anniversary competition, which appeared in the September edition of EDP Norfolk. Her prize, a pearl necklace sourced from Dipples of Swan Lane, Norwich, was presented to her by Angela Gifford, Able Community Care, on Friday, October 22.

Christine is originally from Leicester, and moved to Norfolk in 2009. She and her husband started taking regular holidays in Norfolk in 1981. Cromer Pier is their favourite location. An avid reader of EDP Norfolk magazine, she has been a subscriber since 2002 and enters most competitions. This the first time that her name has been drawn out of the hat!

Able Community Care http://www.uk-care.com/

LSI Architects Norwich Rated Top Five UK Construction Industry Employer

Norwich and London based LSI Architects LLP has been rated the third best UK construction industry employer in Building magazine’s Good Employer’s Guide 2010.

The Good Employer’s Guide showcases the best firms in the construction sector. For the first time the guide features the top five across all disciplines. LSI Architects was rated third. The guide is open to all companies nationally with more than 30 ‘non-administrative’ staff.

LSI Architects was also rated as a Top Five Architect and was included in the top five in five of the other six categories:

 Feel Good Factor
 Leadership
 Smarter Working
 Social Responsibility
 Ability to Contribute

Building magazine’s survey is compiled online direct from staff responses, making it a genuine reflection from the workforce, not the management’s ‘wish list’. To view the full Good Employer’s Guide 2010 go to www.building.co.uk.

“People at LSI see our practice as a community. Senior members of the practice recognise and reward staff for their contribution, engagement and efforts. Staff repay that recognition by responsiveness to our clients and commitment to the commissions we receive. We believe that sound business practices go hand in hand with raising the quality of our designs and satisfying the objectives of those who employ us.” David Thompson, Partner, LSI Architects LLP.

In June, David Thompson received The Prince’s Ambassador Award in the East of England Business in the Community Awards. LSI Architects was also given the national Big Tick for Small Company of the Year and was a finalist in the national awards. In addition LSI Architects received the regional best Business in the Community Award (small company) and was highly commended in the regional Sustainable Travel and Work Inspiration Awards.

In May, LSI Architects was awarded the Community Mark by Business in the Community, one of 34 business across the UK to be honoured with this accolade. LSI Architects was also a finalist in EDP Business Awards 2010 Community Impact category.

“For those that succeed in running a happy company, the rewards are great. Although it may be a year or two away an upturn will come and the companies best poised to take advantage of it will be those who have not only kept good staff, but kept their goodwill.” Deborah Duke, Editor, Building Magazine.

Tel 01603 660711, www.LSIarchitects.co.uk.

Norfolk Teachers Head for Space Mission

Four Norfolk teachers fly out on Saturday, October 23 for a weeklong space education experience at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The programme organised by the International Space School Education Trust (ISSET) is supported by NWES Exchange, which has awarded each teacher a bursary to help fund their trip.

The teachers, Alison Clark Hellesdon High, Olly Brown Flegg High, Suzanne Greening City Academy Norwich and John Hudson Methwold High will work with rocket scientists, astronauts and engineers to explore space’s educational potential.

Alison Clark, maths teacher at Hellesdon High said: “I am very excited to be going on the NASA visit. It will be wonderful meeting an astronaut and discussing training. I am a newly qualified teacher and this will be a great opportunity to learn about different teaching techniques.”

John Hudson, who teaches maths and physics at Methwold High said: “It is going to be very interesting finding out about NASA’s resources. I am new to teaching A level physics and will gather lots of ideas and education materials. I am really looking forward to the week, as I have never been to the U.S.A.”

Olly Brown teaches chemistry and physics at Flegg High and is also on his first trip to the U.S.A: “I have not been out of the UK since I was very small, so the visit to NASA will be an amazing experience. I am planning to find out ways to help liven science teaching and really inspire our gifted and talented students to study Space further.”

Suzanne Greening from City Academy Norwich teaches all three sciences as well as A level physics: “This is going to be a brilliant week. I will pick up lots of exciting teaching ideas which I will share with my students in the classroom.”

As well as working with education specialists and scientists and meeting astronauts, the programme includes visits to the International Space Station Centre, the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo launch sites, the Astronaut Hall of Fame Museum and the Shuttle Launch Experience.

Jan Cockburn NWES Exchange Events Manager said: “This is the eighth year that we have supported ISSET’s teacher programme. It is a fantastic opportunity for our teachers, who are able to explore space’s education potential to the full, and return with an excellent array of resources for the classroom.”

NWES Exchange is part of the NWES group and exists to support schools and businesses to work together in achieving effective partnerships.

NWES Enterprise Agency has been helping pre-start, start up and existing businesses since 1982. It offers a range of business support covering finance, advice, training and premises in the East of England aimed at anyone who would like help and support in starting or growing a business, www.nwes.org.uk, tel. 0845 60 99 991.

For more information on ISSET see www.isset.org.

Photograph left to right: Alison Clark Hellesdon High, Olly Brown Flegg High, Jan Cockburn NWES Exchange, Suzanne Greening City Academy Norwich and John Hudson Methwold High.

Norfolk Tourism Businesses Twenty-Two Nominations East of England Tourism Awards

Norfolk’s tourism businesses have an outstanding 22 nominations in the 2010 East of England Tourism Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. The awards dinner is at the National Trust’s Ickworth House on Thursday, November 4.

Kelling Heath leads the way with three nominations (Best Caravan/Holiday Village, Sustainable Tourism Award and Best Tourism Experience of the Year). Denver Mill and Wroxham Barns are both nominated in the Taste of England category and Cranmer Holiday Cottages and Fairhaven Woodland Garden join Kelling Heath in the Sustainable Tourism category. BeWILDerwood and Pensthorpe are battling it out for the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year accolade and Philip Search of Broad House Hotel, Wroxham is a finalist in the Outstanding Customer Care category.

The awards celebrate the best of English tourism - and are known throughout the industry as the ‘Oscars’ of tourism. Regional winners go forward to the national awards next spring.

Lydia Smith, Director Norfolk Tourism said: "To have 22 finalists in the East of England Tourism, England for Excellence Awards is simply outstanding. The nominees are all top quality businesses and great ambassadors for the county’s tourism industry. Congratulations to all the finalists and good luck on the night."


Norfolk’s finalists

B&B / Guest Accommodation of the Year
Bays Guest House, Hunstanton and Dairy Barns, Hickling

Self-catering Holiday of the Year
East View Farm Holiday Cottages, Ashmanhaugh

Caravan Park / Holiday Village of the Year
Deer's Glade Caravan and Camping Park, Hanworth and Kelling Heath Holiday Park

Small Hotel of the Year
Heacham Manor Hotel and Titchwell Manor Hotel

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
True's Yard, King's Lynn

Taste of England
Denver Mill and Wroxham Barns

Large Hotel of the Year
Marriott Sprowston Manor, Norwich

Sustainable Tourism
Cranmer Cottages near Fakenham, Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden and Kelling Heath Holiday Park

Access for All
Norfolk Cottages, Gissing

Business Tourism
Delia's Canary Catering

Tourism Experience of the Year
Go Ape!, Thetford, Kelling Heath Star Party and Treasure Trails, Norfolk

Outstanding Customer Service
Philip Search, Broad House Hotel, Wroxham

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
BeWILDerwood and Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

For a full list of finalists see www.eet.org.uk.

Norfolk Tourism is the county's established public and private industry partnership. Funded by its 55 partner organisations, the partnership is designed to act as a forum for all Norfolk's tourism businesses and local authorities, www.visitnorfolk.co.uk, tel. 01603 222846.

Fairhaven’s Halloween Spooky Trail, Sunday, October 31

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, South Walsham, is staging its 11th annual Halloween Spooky Trail on Sunday, October 31, from 6pm to 8pm. The trail will feature fireworks, magic and ‘strange happenings’.

Admission is adults £5, senior citizens £4.50 and children age three and over £2.50. Visitors can go round the trail as many times as they dare and should bring their own torch.

Fireworks will light up the night sky at regular intervals. Live music will be provided by The Rockin’ Monks. Watch out for a selection of new frights and terrors for 2010.

Hot soup, sandwiches and snacks will be on sale in the tearoom. For further information telephone 01603 270449 or 270683, www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, nine miles east of Norwich, signposted of the A47 at the B1140 junction. The garden is open daily all year (closed Christmas Day) 10am to 5pm.

De Vere Dunston Hall - the essence of Autumn

De Vere Dunston Hall hotel, Norwich, is encouraging guests to explore the beauty of the great outdoors this Autumn with the launch of unique family friendly initiatives designed to make the most of the surrounding countryside and city sights.

Guests taking a break at De Vere Dunston Hall can take advantage of the hotel’s Autumn activity package which includes free wellies for the kids to borrow; activity leaflets; guides to the best walking hotspots in Norfolk and flasks of hot drinks. The hotel restaurant will also be offering heart-warming seasonal specials, many sourcing products from local producers.

With the hotel set in one of the most picturesque parts of Norfolk, Dunston Hall is encouraging guests to get out and about and discover the sights. Local walking guides will be provided at the hotel, with guests even able to pre-order for just £5 a flask of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or soup to take on their walk.

There’s also plenty to keep the kids entertained as the Woodland Trust have supplied Autumn educational activity packs for the hotel. And, with free wellies available for the kids to borrow, as well as golfing umbrellas, hotel staff will ensure guests make the most of the great outdoors whatever the weather!

Denis McEvoy, general manager of Dunston Hall said: “Autumn is a wonderful time of year and we want our guests to immerse themselves in everything this season has to offer. The activities and additional extras we’re offering will create a unique and engaging experience that will enhance any break at our hotel and guarantee a memorable visit.”

De Vere Hotels are also offering some great deals this Autumn on rooms and mini-breaks, including one night breaks with dinner, bed and breakfast from £99. For the latest details about the offers currently available visit www.devere.co.uk or call the central reservation line on 0844 980 9950.

De Vere Dunston Hall Norwich - Tune into Business

De Vere Dunston Hall is tuning into local business with the launch of a new marketing campaign designed to bolster its meetings and conference sales and take advantage of the growing confidence in the UK’s economic recovery.

The hotel, just south of Norwich, Norwich is offering a free iPad for any business bookings over £25,000 (including VAT) contracted by 30th November 2010. To qualify for the iPad the meeting, incentive conference or event can be taken any time between now and December 2011.

“The Think Business, Think De Vere” campaign is being supported on line, via promotional flyers and through a direct marketing shot to Dunston Hall’s business to business data-base. The extra focus on the commercial conference, meetings and events sector also includes the production of bespoke brochures for Dunston Hall highlighting its unique facilities and the sense of space that can be found within the hotel’s stunning location.

And in order to inject some fun into business proceedings, delegates will also be able to help themselves to branded pick ‘n’ mix sweet bags and soda streams in all hotel meeting rooms, not to mention morning and afternoon sweet treats.

De Vere Dunston Hall competitive business rates start from day packages of just £35 per person or £135 per person for 24 hour, stay over packages.

Denis McEvoy, general manager of Dunston Hall, said: “We have a fabulous location where meetings and events can really come to life and believe that as business confidence returns the time is now right to step up our marketing to this important commercial sector.

“As well as providing an inspired environment for the business sessions our hotel features a terrific golf course, relaxing leisure and spa facilities and acres of grounds for team building or breakout exercises. The iPad is the must have kit for business and pleasure so makes an ideal gift for this promotion,” added Denis.

To support the marketing drive, and for a limited period only, De Vere is also offering £1 in iTunes vouchers for every event enquiry.

Businesses can find out more by calling 0844 980 9933; visit www.devere.co.uk or email meetings@devere.co.uk.

De Vere Dunston Hall Golf Seniors Raise £2000 for Variety Club

De Vere Dunston Hall Golf Club Senior’s section has raised £2,000 for The Variety Club Children’s Charity, the De Vere group’s charity for 2010.

Pictured left to right on Dunston Hall’s 18th Green at the cheque presentation are: Peter Briggs Golf & Leisure Operations Manager Dunston Hall, Mike Haszko Corporate Fundraising Manager The Variety Club, Ron Wade Captain Dunston Hall Seniors, Frank Allen Treasurer Dunston Hall Seniors and Denis McEvoy General Manager Dunston Hall.

Ron Wade, Senior’s Captain, chose The Variety Club as his charity of the year to support the De Vere campaign. The money was raised through hole sponsorship and the raffle at the Senior’s Charity Competition on September 14, plus the annual barbecue and raffles throughout the year.
Ron Wade, Captain, Dunston Hall Golf Club Seniors said: “I am very pleased that we have raised £2,000 for The Variety Club. We are hoping that the money will be able to fund a specific project like a sport wheelchair to help a young athlete.”

Mike Haszko, Corporate Fundraising Manager, The Variety Club said: “My thanks go to Ron Wade and the members of Dunston Hall’s Senior’s section for their fundraising work on behalf of The Variety Club’s Children’s Charity. I really appreciate their support for our work with disadvantaged children and young people.”

Seventy-six members and guests took part in the Senior’s Charity Day stableford competition. The best Senior’s golfer receives The Harold Harman Salver. This year Robin Lincoln took home the salver as well as winning the overall competition.

The Variety Club Children’s Charity, http://www.varietyclub.org.uk was founded in 1949 to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people. The charity has raised over £200 million in the last six decades, supporting more than one million children and young people. The Variety Club provides Sunshine Coaches, electric wheelchairs, days out, equipment for children’s hospitals and more.

For more information about De Vere Dunston Hall tel. 01508 470444 or visit
www.devere-hotels.com/our-hotels/dunston-hall.

Halloween – Spooky Times in Norfolk

There are lots of strange goings on in Norfolk in the run up to Halloween. Try Snagglefang's Spooky Spectacular at BeWILDerwood, Holkham Hall’s Halloween Ghost Hunt, the Halloween Spooky Trail at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden and The Fairyland Trust’s Real Halloween at Holt Hall.

Here are the county’s Halloween highlights:

 Bure Valley Railway – Spooky Express – Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31, free travel for children accompanied by an adult – competition to spot spooky items on the journey tel. 01263 733858, http://www.bvrw.co.uk/.

 Pensthorpe Nature Reserve – Spooky Halloween Half Term’ – Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31. Join in the ghoulish fun on our spooky trail. Find out more about local legends and freaky facts from the natural world, tel. 01328 851465, http://www.pensthorpe.com/.

 Wildfowl and Wetland Trust Welney, Spooky Children’s Day, Sunday, October 24, 10am to 4pm, Pumpkin carving, story-telling and arts and crafts, making edible jack o’lanterns, tel. 01353 860711 www.wwt.org.uk/welney.

 BeWILDerwood Snagglefang’s Spooky Spectacular, Monday, October 25 to Sunday, October 31 make your own masks and lanterns and join the lantern parade at the end of the day, tel. 01603 783900, http://www.bewilderwood.co.uk/.

 Oxburgh Hall (National Trust), Thing’s That Go Bump in the Night, Thursday, October 28, 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Geoff Hales presents an evening of ‘ghostly’ stories – Henry Irving’s ‘The Bells’, Dickens’ ‘The Signalman’ and other creepy pieces! (Age10+) Ticket £10, tel. 01366 328258, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/eastofengland.

 Norwich Puppet Theatre, Halloween Mask making Workshop, Thursday, October 28 and Friday, October 29 at 11am, create a monster, ghoul or generally scary mask to disguise yourself for Halloween, tel. 01603 629921, http://www.puppettheatre.co.uk/.

 Fairyland Trust – The Real Halloween in the grounds of Holt Hall, Saturday, October 30, 12noon to 6pm and Sunday, October 31 and 11am to 5pm make magic potions and witches pets, carve pumpkins, bob for apples, hurl pumpkins and face painting. Tel 01328 710165, http://www.fairylandtrust.org/.

 Halloween at Holkham, Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31 and 11am to 5pm – a Halloween Ghost Hunt through the spookily-lit rooms and corridors of the Bygones Museum seeking out the hidden ghouls, tel. 01328 713111, http://www.holkham.co.uk/.

 Blickling Hall (National Trust), Halloween at the Hall, Saturday October 30, timed entry between 6pm and 8.30pm. Family Halloween event with spooky story telling and ghoulish happenings in the hall. Booking essential,tel. 0844 800 4308, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/eastofengland.

 Fairhaven Woodland Water Garden 11th annual Halloween Spooky Trail on Sunday, October 31, from 6pm to 8pm. The trail will feature fireworks, magic, music and ‘strange happenings’, tel. 01603 270449, http://www.fairhavengarden.co.uk/.

For information about other events and activities and accommodation see http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/.

Norfolkbroads.com – Tourism Website Relaunches with Cutting Edge Technology

Norwich based www.norfolkbroads.com relaunches today (October 4). It is now the most sophisticated and cutting edge tourism directory website in the East of England, featuring fully interactive map navigation with an intelligent search facility, Google Street View, and video guides to Norfolk and Suffolk.

Over 600 local businesses work with Norfolkbroads.com. Each business has a five-pages in the site, offering the interactive map and Google Street View on an individual basis.

More than 1,500 hours have been spent building and coding the website. “The way that it has been created is unique,” said James Clabburn, Managing Director of Norfolkbroads.com. “We have taken the Google map and have built our own highly customised interactive search features, using an Open Source framework, so that our technical knowledge can be shared.”

“The Norfolkbroads.com directory was launched in 1997 and upgraded 10 years ago,” added James Clabburn, “but this latest development is in effect a brand new website. However, regular visitors will meet old friends like the ‘free what’s on listings’ and ‘free ads facility’, local area guides and Speakers Corner message board.”

The interactive map navigation gives visitors an intuitive search facility for holiday accommodation, boat hire, eating out, attractions and things to do by name, category or location. ‘What’s On Today’ information scrolls on the home page along with photographs of the best of Norfolk and the Broads.

Norfolkbroads.com is fully integrated with social media outlets and designed to work on the iPad. The website also scales automatically to fit the visitor’s PC or laptop screen size.

“We are very proud of the work that we have done over the last 13 years to promote Norfolk and Suffolk and support our business partners. We were determined to create a website that met the expectations of a 21st century audience and look forward to receiving feedback on bugs and functionality,” concluded James Clabburn.

For further information on www.norfolkbroads.com contact James or Ross Clabburn, tel. 01603 735573, email webmaster@norfolkbroads.com.

Other websites in the Norfolkbroads.com family: Innershed Website Design and Hosting www.innershed.com, Short Breaks www.shortbreaks.net and Weddings Guide www.weddingsguide.co.uk.