New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has welcomed three more business leaders to the panel of its flagship business support programme.

East Anglian Daily Times: Colin Randel, Thompson & Morgans vegetable product manager and potato expert Picture: THOMPSON & MORGANColin Randel, Thompson & Morgans vegetable product manager and potato expert Picture: THOMPSON & MORGAN (Image: Thompson & Morgan)

Jackie Potter, finance director at Gough Hotels, Dr Sumathi Sundram, director of healthcare at S&V Consultants and Daryl Griffiths, chief executive at Burnett Barker Solicitors take the number of private sector members on the panel to 10.

The Growing Business Fund offers grants of £25,000 to £500,000 for businesses which want to grow and create new jobs. To date, more than £20m has been awarded to more than 370 firms.

The LEP’s Growing Business Fund Panel makes decisions on allocations of funding on behalf of the full LEP board. The committee comprises a total of 10 voting members, all from the private sector.

Jackie joined Gough Hotels in 2001. She is responsible the financial strategy of the group, which consists of the Angel Hotel, Bury St Edmunds, Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich, and Southwold Pier. The group currently employs 240 people.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Suns Peter Seabrook, left, presents Colin Randel with engraved garden fork and spade Picture: THOMPSON & MORGANThe Suns Peter Seabrook, left, presents Colin Randel with engraved garden fork and spade Picture: THOMPSON & MORGAN (Image: Thompson & Morgan)

Sumathi has more than 25 years’ experience in the health sector including as a director of finance in the NHS. She has also advised on UK health policy through Department of Health resource allocation working groups.

Daryl has almost 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. He led a management buyout at the firm in 2016 having risen through the ranks, and now mentors business leaders.

Product manager and vegetable expert Colin Randel has celebrated 50 years with Ipswich-based mail order seeds and plants firm Thompson & Morgan.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sarah Healey Pearce, Scrutton Bland Picture: SCRUTTON BLANDSarah Healey Pearce, Scrutton Bland Picture: SCRUTTON BLAND (Image: Archant)

To mark the milestone, he was presented with an engraved commemorative garden fork and spade by veteran gardening writer Peter Seabrook of The Sun, who has known Colin for many years.

Peter said: “Colin is a real treasure.” Commercial director Chris Wright added: “We’re very lucky to have benefited from his incredible fount of knowledge over the years.”

East Anglia-based financial services firm Scrutton Bland has welcomed Sarah Healey Pearce to its accountancy practice.

East Anglian Daily Times: Wates Construction has expanded its regional team with the appointment of Leanne Evans as project director in a move to expand its project delivery across the East of England Picture: VERVEWates Construction has expanded its regional team with the appointment of Leanne Evans as project director in a move to expand its project delivery across the East of England Picture: VERVE (Image: Verve)

Sarah, who qualified in 2000 as a chartered accountant, joins the firm as a director and will work out of its Cambridge and Ipswich offices looking after clients across the region.

She has more than 20 years’ experience in advising firms on a wide range of accounting and tax issues. Managing partner Jason Fayers said he was “delighted” to welcome her.

Leatherhead-based construction firm Wates Construction has expanded its regional team with the appointment of Leanne Evans.

East Anglian Daily Times: Simone Robinson, regional director for Institute of Directors East of England Picture: RICHARD MARSHAMSimone Robinson, regional director for Institute of Directors East of England Picture: RICHARD MARSHAM (Image: Richard Marsham - RMG Photography Tel - 07798 758711)

Leanne will be project director as the firm seeks to expand its project delivery across the East of England.

She has more than 20 years of industry knowledge in a career which began following completion of a BSc Hons in building, construction and management. She will take each project from tender stage to project delivery through to client aftercare.

Simone Robinson has been named the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) first East of England regional director.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kerrie Stephens - WSC Apprentice of the Year Picture: CLARITY/STEVE DUNLOPKerrie Stephens - WSC Apprentice of the Year Picture: CLARITY/STEVE DUNLOP (Image: ©2018 Steve Dunlop All Rights Reserved)

Simone, who has held previous directorships with a number of small and medium-sized firms, has worked across media, marketing, and the charitable sector in locations including Hong Kong and South Africa.

She was head of regional relationships for the IoD in the East of England. The region has challenges such as transport and digital infrastructure, she said.

A Bury St Edmunds teenager has been named Apprentice of the Year at a prestigious event.

Kerrie Stephens, 19, from Stowmarket, achieved the recognition at the annual ‘Brighter Awards’ in Manchester, organised by business travel experts Clarity, after just one year working at the company.

Kerrie joined Clarity’s office in Bury St Edwards as a business travel consultant after achieving top grades in her Level 3 Travel and Tourism course at West Suffolk College.