DigVentures, who organised the dig in partnership with the site’s guardians, music school Pro Corda, has just announced that the worldwide funding campaign has closed successfully at over 100% funded.

According to Lisa Westcott Wilkins, Managing Director of DigVentures “We have been completely overwhelmed by the support from around the world for this project.  We’ve got diggers coming from Norway to New Zealand and beyond – as well as plenty of local residents and people from across the UK.”

Andrew Quartermain, CEO and Artistic Director of Pro Corda said “All of us here at Pro Corda are thrilled with the result of the campaign.  Our students are incredibly excited to see what the team finds, and we couldn’t be happier that so many people will be coming here to experience this magical place”.

• The dig will run from 2nd to 14th July including weekends.  You must be 17 years or older to dig, or 15-16 years if accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian who is a registered participant.
• Free site tours will be held on the site every day during the dig.  Check the website for details www.digventures.com

If you’d like to read the full Press Release please click on Leiston Abbey Dig Funded

The past year has seen the opening of Tesco and extension of Waitrose which has increased traffic and visitors to the town and galvanised the independent retailers into action to increase footfall into the high street and market square.

A newly formed sub-committee of BoS, championed by Charlotte Ford, Director of the highly successful interior design and soft furnishings specialists, The Cotton Tree; and Sarah Pastor who owns The Store supplying a tempting selection of fashions, gifts and items for the home, held their first meeting this week. The Cotton Tree showroom was heaving
as an unprecedented number of people attended to represent the wide range of products and services available in
this historic town which boasts cafés, restaurants and bistros; a working jeweller; butcher; home hardware; electrical appliances; clothes, shoe shop and fashion accessories; Post Office; haberdashery; interior design; picture framers; barbers and hairdressers; stationery suppliers, a factory shop and much much more.

The meeting focused on both short and long term goals to make the town more attractive to residents and visitors alike. Suggestions included redecorating shop fronts and business premises throughout the town; upgrading the signage to increase awareness of the offering throughout the town and the availability of alternative parking at the station; and working with the school and landlords to fill empty premises with artwork or a pop up shop.

Longer term plans will see the introduction of an indoor farmers market by the Town Council; fresh promotional material and closer working with the community newspapers and groups to build the awareness and relationships with the residents. A benchmarking exercise, financed by the Heritage Coast Market Towns Initiative and facilitated by the business community, will identify the town’s strengths and weaknesses which can then be built on to the sustain this quintessential Suffolk Market Town, and allow our grand children the pleasure of shopping in independent shops.

Benefiting from the play on words, Independence Day on 4th July will see the independently owned and run shops and businesses in the vibrant high street, supported by the thriving Aldeburgh Business Association, enticing shoppers with special offers, discounts and samples. The town is full of local businesses that serve the community’s everyday needs where you can buy everything from fresh bread, wine, meat, fish, olives, stationary, clothes, pharmacy goods and unusual gifts.

Free 10 minute master classes throughout Thursday 4th and Saturday 6th will be held on the street offering tips on how to make pastry, joint a chicken, style your outfit for a special occasion or make a flower decoration. Live music from the Broadside Boys and buskers will add to the festive atmosphere and when you’re ready for a sit down there’s a wide range of restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, traditional pubs or the well known fish and chip shops, catering for all tastes and budgets.

Expanding on the success of 2012′s celebrations organisers Sue Fletcher from Caramel and Claire Bruce-Clayton from Lawson’s Delicatessen are dedicating a 2nd day to joining the business community with local charities. A light lunch will be served at The White Lion Hotel on Friday 5th with a quiz designed to test the participants’ knowledge on their home territory and a presentation of photos of Aldeburgh in bygone years.

Executive Director of the Fairtrade Organisation, Michael Gidney, will give guests an insight into the organisation and how consumers can work towards making trade fair.  There will be many opportunities for people to enjoy the day whilst benefiting St Elizabeth Hospice, Aldeburgh United Charities and Assisting Charities in Suffolk. The Cinema is entering into the spirit of the day with short films and drinks in the foyer and many of the shops, restaurants and businesses will be raising money with raffles and draws for their chosen charities.

The Aldeburgh Business Association and Town Council are supporting the celebrations and encouraging all businesses in the town to participate. Well known high street brands enjoy the benefits of an eclectic mix of goods which make the town so special and non retail businesses are invited to have a stall on the high street for the day with Holiday Cottage Agencies welcoming visitors to have a nosey behind the doors of idyllic self catering properties which are such an integral part of a seaside town.

Sue and Claire are asking everyone to buy at least one item from an independent retailer over the three days to help safeguard the future of the hight street and support the local economy. Sue said “Research suggests that a pound spent in a local business stays in the local economy for five more transactions, whereas a pound spent in a national business lasts just two”

To encourage shoppers to arrive in style a 1929 vintage bus will be shuttling residents between the outskirts of Aldeburgh and the high street. The timetable and full details of the events can be found on the Aldeburgh Business Association website www.aldeburghsuffolk.com

After a long cold winter, make the most of the longer, warmer days and celebrate the summer with a picnic hamper from Lawson’s Delicatessen.  Four different hampers are available including one which is perfect for children or you can mix and match the contents to create a hamper full of your favourite things. They can even add a bottle of fizz, chilled white wine or rose and will hire you a traditional wicker hamper so you arrive at your picnic spot in style. So, if you are planning a family gathering on the beach or a romantic day out for two, call Lawson’s on 01728 454052 or email info@lawsonsdelicatessen.co.uk and get them to pack up an alfresco feast.

The picnics are made from locally sourced ingredients, prepared by Lawson’s talented chefs, and include a bottle of still mineral water. They come packed in a cool bag with good quality eco cutlery, plates and tumblers and can be ordered for one, two or more people, including a vegetarian option.

The Lawson’s Delicatessen picnic hamper pick up point will be right on the beach, between the lookout towers, so you won’t have to worry about lugging heavy bags to your picnic spot. You will be able to collect your picnic between 6.00pm and 7.45pm on the evening.

To choose your picnic hamper menu, priced at £26.00 per person, click here.

This survey is being undertaken by Oxford Brookes University on behalf of EDF Energy.  It is part of ongoing investigations to help EDF Energy plan for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear development. The purpose of the survey is to find out whether and to what extent local businesses have benefited from the current station outage at Sizewell B.

 Station outages for planned maintenance activities at Sizewell B take place every 18 months. These outages tend to have a duration of about 50 days, but they involve a large increase in the workforce at the station, with around 1,000 additional workers moving into the area during each outage. These additional workers require local accommodation and also spend money locally on catering, food and drink, petrol, etc. The current outage at Sizewell B started in late April and is due to be completed in June.

This survey aims to assess the importance to local businesses of the increased worker spending in the area during the current station outage.  Oxford Brookes, on behalf of EDF Energy, is also interested in finding out about any negative effects that your business may have experienced as a result of the outage activity.

The information provided by this survey will be useful in planning for the proposed Sizewell C development.  If you want to find out more about the potential business opportunities for local suppliers from the Sizewell C development, the following link may be useful: www.sizewellcsupplychain.co.uk

HCMTI would appreciate your time in completing this survey which may influence decisions to the benefit of our community in the future.  Please click here to complete the survey which will take approximately 5 minutes.

All of your answers will be treated in the strictest confidence by Oxford Brookes University and will not be passed onto EDF Energy who will be provided only with a summary of the overall survey findings.

As a note of appreciation from EDF Energy a donation will be made to Marie Curie Cancer Care for every completed survey returned.

The Framlingham-based cloud telecoms and mobile telephony provider became the 100th business to sign up to the Framlingham Business Association (FBA) as it continues to strengthen its links to the local community.

The FBA aims to bring like-minded owners of local businesses together to share drive and determination, forge valuable partnerships and make a real difference to the community and its future.

With its headquarters in Framlingham and success built firmly on Suffolk roots, X-on now boasts clients around the world, but Managing Director Paul Bensley was pleased that the company will now be able to play a more direct role in the future of the town.

“We recognise that our presence in Framlingham, both as an employer of local residents and as a tenant of the Technology Centre, has a knock-on effect to both the local economy and the environment.”

“By joining the Framlingham Business Association, we will now be able to build and strengthen our relationships with other businesses in and around the town, whilst exchanging support and expertise with the other members, for the benefit of the town as a whole.”

Reaching the historic landmark of 100 members is a significant achievement for the FBA, which works closely with the other towns in the Heritage Coast Market Towns Initiative. Chairperson Jenny Stockman was understandably both thrilled and immensely proud to reach the landmark, which shows the ongoing strength of the Association.

“100 members is a significant milestone for the Association and we are proud that a global organisation, such as X-on, recognises the importance of engaging with the local market and the important role that the Business Association can play in that.”

“Through the Association we are able to connect and signpost county wide to support, funding and potential customers, and through our connections we are even able to lobby at government level to make sure our member businesses voices are heard.”

“We look forward to having X-on in our midst as we continue to strengthen the local economy and make this a great place to work and live.”

For more information on X-on, visit www.X-on.co.uk, or to find out how the Framlingham Business Association can support your business go to www.FramlinghamBusiness.co.uk

The fortnight will provide a national spotlight on markets across the country & is being supported by both the markets industry & Government. The main aim of the campaign is to recruit new market traders and also to demonstrate the importance of
the market as a community asset. The campaign aims to build affection and support for markets and enhance their status within the local community.

During the fortnight it is hoped that over 3000 new traders will take part. Markets are encouraged to offer incentives to new traders during the fortnight with many last year offering stalls for a tenner or even less. NMTF (National Market Traders Federation) are offering incentives through their First Pitch campaign. As well as new traders there will be a focus on encouraging social enterprises into the market sector during the fortnight.

Long Farm, an innovative modern take on the Suffolk long barn tradition was a major project for the Framlingham-based construction firm and a virtuoso-style build demanding great technical abilities, traditional skills and extreme attention to detail. The property’s synergy and engagement with its own rural salt marsh landscapes, its family friendly vision and excellently crafted execution are all attracting significant levels of attention across the building industry.

The property’s owner-architect, Lucy Marston, praised her construction colleagues: “The awards are a real tribute to us all, to Robert Norman Construction and their superb Suffolk craftsmen and our structural and landscape designers. The regional craftsmanship award for Class A New Build 2013 is superb recognition for the dedicated care and attention which the build team put in to every aspect of their work.”

Speaking about Long Farm at the Grand Designs awards, celebrity presenter Kevin Mc Cloud who together with Phil Coffey, Lisa Allen and Naomi Cleaver made up the jury, said: “It is affordable, sustainable, modern, clever, sensible, practical, beautiful. It is a really interesting benchmark for other buildings of its type. We voted with our hearts because we all wanted to live in it.”

Construction Director at Robert Norman Construction, Bob Page, accepted the award at last night’s ceremony at Trinity Park: “We are truly delighted. Two years ago one of our projects at Reydon, Bavent House, came away with a ‘Highly Commended’ at the Grand Designs awards. Lucy Marston had engaged us to convert her barns, then watched us through the Bavent House build, and came back to us to work with her on the development of her vision for Long Farm. It has been a most rewarding project in so many ways.”

And there are likely to be more rewards yet to come.

Having triumphed over some 150 other entrants in the Grand Designs awards, the Long Farm project is shortlisted alongside high profile developments such as Colchester’s firstsite:newsite visual arts facility in the Royal Institute of British Architects regional awards for the East. It is also a contender for the National Federation of Builders, New Build of the Year award – all to be announced over the coming weeks.

For more information about Long Farm or to find out more about previous award-winning projects, visit www.robertnormanltd.co.uk or call 01728 720071.

The first part of the review is for the Commission to consider the right number of councillors to represent Suffolk Coastal in the future.
How many councillors?

The Commission is asking you whether your council should be represented by 43 councillors in future – twelve fewer than under the current arrangments.

Before they take a firm decision, Community Action Suffolk want to hear your views.
■ Do you think 43 councillors is the right number for the council to be able to
take decisions for Suffolk Coastal effectively?
■ Could more, or fewer, councillors effectively represent the interests of all
Suffolk Coastal’s various communities?

Find out more about the review at www.lgbce.org.uk

Have your say
You have until 3 June 2013 to submit your views to:
The Review Officer (Suffolk Coastal)
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
Layden House, 76-86 Turnmill Street
London EC1M 5LG

Have your say directly at consultation.lgbce.org.uk
or email: reviews@lgbce.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @LGBCE