What's cooking at The Clare School ?

Something will be cooking at a special school in Norwich when the pupils return from their summer holidays!

The Clare School is about to have its old kitchen ripped out and a new one installed, partly funded by a £20,000 donation from Norwich based solicitors, Rogers & Norton.

It is a mixed, day Community Special School for pupils aged 3 to 19 years with special needs usually associated with physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments; many also have complex medical needs and learning difficulties.

“The current kitchen dates from the 1970s and presents us with a number of health and safety issues,” said Head Teacher, Nigel Smith.

“Now everything is being taken out and we will be having new windows, floors, cookers, units a special teaching area and all designed to be disability friendly.

“Cooking and food preparation is a vital part of the curriculum and to have modern, up-to-date facilities will greatly enhance the experience for our pupils. We will even have talking microwaves and scales to help visually impaired children.

“Work is just about to start and it will all be ready for pupils when they return to school in September.”

Added Graham Knights from Rogers & Norton, “We always look to support a local charity or good cause through money collected at our many fund raising events. The Clare School was mentioned as falling into that category so we came and met Nigel and were very impressed with the work he and his team do.

“The kitchen certainly needed some work done to bring it up to modern standards so we are delighted the money is going to such a worthy project and I look forward to coming back in September to see it finished.”

http://www.clare.norfolk.sch.uk/

Inaugural Business Leaders Lunch produces lively debate

On the 24^th June 2009 Rogers & Norton held its first Business Leaders Lunch at Sprowston Manor in Norwich. The event was attended by nearly 70 delegates who had lunch and then listened to guest speaker Richard Ellis of the East of England Development Agency.

Richard spoke about the opportunities that are available to businesses in the eastern region at the current time and considered the need to develop any business during times of recession, focusing upon approaches to marketing and in particular continuing to use the benefits of locality which remains very important to potential customers.

Commenting upon the future Richard highlighted the need for businesses to consider the wealth of young talent that is emerging from our educational institutions and give consideration to graduate recruitment. “It is important not to lose the hotbed of talent that exist in this region”.

Following Richard’s presentation he was joined by a panel comprising of Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and Paul Hill, Business Editor of the Eastern Daily Press. The panel, chaired by Rogers & Norton’s Managing Partner, Richard Etheridge took questions from the floor and this provoked lively debate on topics covering the networking abilities of local business, predictions as to when the economy will emerge from the recession and the benefits available to businesses in the Eastern region from the 2012 Olympic bid.

The intention is to arrange a further lunch later in 2009 with a further guest speaker.