They Blog For You

Diss is becoming the base for a wide variety of small high-tech businesses such as BERU f1systems, which I visited recently.

The company supplies performance engineering solutions such as wiring harnesses, tyre pressure monitoring systems and lightweight composites to motorsport, automotive, aerospace and marine industries.

The company’s products are used at the high end of the automotive industry, with Aston Martin, Bugatti and Lamborghini among its customers.

BERU f1systems is also adapting much of its advanced technology to produce safer, stronger and more fuel-efficient transport for the broader market.

The company has also branched out into using advanced carbon fibre to make ultra high tech bikes and is now helping the British cycling team for the 2012 Olympic Games.

These are exactly the type of high of high tech jobs we need to see in Norfolk. Well done to BERU f1 managing director John Bailey, who is now employing 65 people locally.

LET'S GROW

Last Friday, I presented new gardening equipment to pupils at Harleston Primary School as part of the Let’s Grow programme organised by Morrisons.

Seeds and gardening equipment have been distributed to schools and nurseries across the country in exchange for vouchers collected from family and friends.

The equipment on offer ranges from greenhouses to trowels, rakes and gardening gloves and aprons.

Now in its third year, Let’s Grow is a great way to encourage children to take up gardening and to learn that growing their own fruit and vegetables can be fun and rewarding. Children love to get their hands dirty so planting, watering and picking the food gives them the perfect excuse. I hope they will be persuaded to eat more healthy fruit and veg too!

SAFETY FIRST

I dropped into Hempnall Primary School to see progress on the new extension and I was pleased to see that things are going well. The school has coped valiantly with cramped conditions for far too long.

Mansells Construction Services, which is building the extension and also revamping the existing Victorian schoolrooms, have become part of the family at Hempnall.

The company has presented all the children at the school with hi-viz safety jackets – scaled-down versions of the type used by Mansells Construction employees to keep them safe on building sites. The children will wear their jackets when they leave the school premises for outside activities such as nature walks or PE in the village hall, to ensure they are highly visible.

This is a great example of industry and education working together for the common good.