Members news from around the county
Nurturing the next generation of wildlife conservationists
Students from the University of Essex got up close and personal with waterfowl at Abberton Reservoir thanks to the conversation team at Essex & Suffolk Water.   The field trip was part of the curriculum for the class of 30 second-year students, as they learnt more about protected nature site Read More
Chelmsford City Racecourse moves into top ten courses in England and Wales for raceday experience
We are delighted to announce that Visit England and The RCA have recognised Chelmsford City Racecourse as one of the top 10 racecourses for raceday experience in 2023. The Quality Assured Racecourse scheme was established in 2013 to assess raceday Read More
Why change leadership must pave the way for change management
When I was having a think about how best to describe the difference between change leadership and change management, I suddenly recalled a marvellous cartoon I once saw of a wrecked pirate ship strewn across the beach of a desert island, with the sheepish-looking Pirate Captain surrounded by his bedraggled Read More
Dunmow Group Selects with Samsara to Revolutionise Transport Operations through Artificial Intelligence and the Latest Cutting Edge Fleet Technologies
Dunmow Group, one of Essex’s largest waste management and recycling companies, has selected  Samsara, the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud to redefine the landscape of waste management operations by leveraging cutting-edge AI Read More
Embrace the AI revolution and let it propel your business to new heights
It wasn’t long ago that if I mentioned ChatGPT, the response would be “What’s that?”. But at my wife’s 2023 Christmas dinner with her friends, who come from a diverse range of industries, ChatGPT and how it could change the world was the hot topic. This shift illustrates Read More
Popular airport chaplain retires after a decade of service
A long-serving airport chaplain who has supported employees and passengers at London Stansted for more than a decade is retiring from his role. The Salvation Army's Major Sidney Pinches, who has worked for the chaplaincy since 2013, officially stepped down from his post on 30th January. Sidney's Read More
Legislative Changes to Paternity Leave
The Government has now published draft legislation in the form of the Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024. The new legislation will apply in all cases where the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) is on or after 6 th April 2024. Employers should look at updating their Paternity Leave policy Read More
Lower Thames Crossing: Community video newsletter - February 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of our community video newsletter – a short film designed to keep you up to speed with the latest project news and progress.  This edition is presented by Kat Ferguson, who is our Supply Chain Development Director on the Lower Thames Crossing.  Kat Read More
Payrolling Benefits
The government announced on 16 January 2024 that they intend to mandate the payrolling of benefits-in-kind from April 2026. While the government will further consult on these changes before implementation, this is a significant development in this area. Employers not already payrolling benefits will now need to familiarise themselves with the process, Read More
The Cotton Textile Company Appoints New Commercial Director
To kickstart 2024, The Cotton Textile Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Jackie Topham as Commercial Director.   In her new position, Jackie will play a pivotal role in working towards the company’s sustainable goals and focus on The Triple Bottom Line (people, planet profit). Read More
5 reasons to consider becoming an apprentice
Apprenticeships have been at the forefront of education going back into the 1500s and have remained popular in many professions and sectors to this very day. It was only in 1993 however that the “Modern Apprenticeship” was announced, bringing in the fair wage and the introduction of qualifications, Read More
Essex Police Business Crime Team launches Operation Pedlar
We’ve launched a new awareness campaign to make stolen goods too hot to handle within the retail sector. Our Business Crime Team and Licensing Unit want to stop thieves being able to sell shoplifted goods to shops, stores and other licensed premises in Essex. Since 1 January, our officers Read More
c2c achieves White Ribbon accreditation
East London and South Essex train operator c2c has achieved prestigious White Ribbon accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to tackling gender inequality, and violence towards women and girls.   White Ribbon is the UK’s leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against Read More
The great debate: Salary vs Dividends – What’s right for business owners today?
Revisions to corporate tax regulations have added complexity to the discussion surrounding the most tax-effective compensation choices for company directors. Emma Clifton, Associate Business Advisory Partner looks at the traditional remuneration strategies Read More
Crawfords Group Automotive Division Triumphs at Isuzu UK Dealer Awards 2024
A strong year for Crawfords Automotive saw their dealerships win awards at the Isuzu UK Dealer Awards 2024 in Glasgow. Crawfords Automotive was awarded Marketing/Social Media Dealer of the Year, while their Charing branch secured Regional Accessories Dealer of the Year. The Marketing/Social Media Read More
Time to Upgrade Your Van?
A question I frequently encounter is whether it's the right time to invest in electric vans. Many companies are eager to reduce their carbon footprint and lower running costs, making the consideration quite understandable. Amazon, for instance, has steadily expanded its electric van fleet in recent years, particularly for the final miles of delivery Read More
Simple sponge-on-a-string test, developed in conjunction with Europlaz, replaces need for endoscopy for thousands of NHS patients
An innovative test trialled by the NHS to help diagnose a condition which can lead to oesophageal cancer has reduced the need for invasive endoscopy in thousands of low-risk patients. The test was developed by Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, Director Read More
Micro Influencers - Are they a powerful tool for businesses?
The term ‘micro influencer’ is used to describe influencers that tend to have between 1,000 - 50,000 followers, a smaller following than your typical creator used for influencer marketing. So the question is, what has caused the rise of the micro influencer, and why are brands prioritising Read More
MORGAN SINDALL CONSTRUCTION HANDS OVER NEW LEISURE CENTRE EXPANSION SWIMMINGLY
Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business has successfully delivered a swimming pool extension at Eversley Leisure Centre, meeting the community’s demand for swimming facilities. Completed works have seen the delivery of an 864 sq ft Read More
ACL Essex launches new Skills Bootcamps
We’re excited to announce that in February we will be running our first Skills Bootcamps. These 12-week programmes are for individuals who are able to work at Level 3 and above (this is broadly in line with A-Levels) and who are looking to change career, enter employment or advance in their current Read More
Azets Barometer
The Azets Barometer January 2024 is now live, providing the latest business insights from hundreds of business leaders.  We regularly survey hundreds of business leaders to help equip our clients with information relating to business trends, economic outlook, financial performance, and emerging threats and opportunities. The Azets Barometer Read More
Payroll Giving Month: A Success!
Payroll Giving Month took place throughout February and Essex & Herts Air Ambulance celebrated the impact that this flexible, easy and tax-efficient initiative has for both employees and employers. Payroll giving allows employees to contribute to charities effortlessly all year round. Easy to set up with your payroll department, you can give Read More
Building a Powerful Construction Brand to Boost Sales
A lack of brand differentiation and new project leads can put a strangle hold on growth for built environment firms at this stage of expansion. We call it the “growth chasm”, the point at which the existing network becomes too small to deliver the number of new business ops required to Read More
PFCC welcomes launch of £100K ECC Community Safety Initiative Fund
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex has warmly welcomed the announcement of a new £100k Community Safety Initiative Fund by Essex County Council. Cllr Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council, announced the fund while on patrol with Roger Hirst, PFCC for Essex, and Read More
Drivetech urges fleets to prioritise driver training in new financial year to lower premiums
Nick Butler, Director at Drivetech urges companies to prioritise driver training in the next financial year to lower their premiums.  “As fleets and businesses plan for the new financial year, recent headlines that effective driver training Read More
Waste Not, Want Not: How Businesses Can Reduce Food Waste
In the UK, we produce around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste every year. And yet, only 1.8 million tonnes are recycled, resulting in more than 7 million tonnes heading to landfill. With 40% of this food waste contributed by businesses and the hospitality industry, its vital organisations understand Read More
Business offered Mental Health Toolkit from Mid and North East Essex Mind
Mid and North East Essex Mind, the local mental health charity, is launching an innovative toolkit to offer businesses the chance to support their employees’ mental wellbeing.   The Mental Health Toolkit has been developed by Suffolk Mind to help people manage their own mental wellbeing. Read More
Greater Anglia shows support for Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign
Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign launches as 1 in 2 of us admit to swerving someone we don’t know to avoid small talk.  Train operator Greater Anglia is reminding the public that small talk can save lives, and that people Read More
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