Awards round-up: East Midlands achievements spotlighted
Chesterfield College hosts Skillsfest honouring rising stars
On March 4, Chesterfield College proudly hosted the inaugural Skillsfest annual inter-college competition at its Infirmary Road Campus.
With more than 200 students from three colleges across the region taking part, the event saw competitors demonstrate their talents across 25 disciplines. The competition took place during Colleges Week, a national celebration of further education.
Students from Chesterfield College competed alongside those from Derby College and Burton and South Derbyshire College, with a medal and trophy ceremony held at the end of the day to recognise the winners. Chesterfield students secured first place in a number of categories, including brickwork, joinery, construction multi-skills, fabrication and welding, mechanical engineering, milling, hairdressing, art and design, games design and health.
After scores from all categories were combined, Chesterfield College was also named overall winner of the competition. All competitors demonstrated talent, commitment and teamwork throughout the day, creating an atmosphere of collaboration while showcasing the strength of further education across the region.
Julie Richards OBE, Principal and CEO of Chesterfield College Group, said:
“To host the first ever competition of this annual Skillsfest is a massive honour and I’m delighted, not just with how well today has gone, but also with how well each competitor has represented their college, they really are testament to the amazing further education sector.
To see so many unbelievable skills from the next generation on display all at once was something to behold and is so inspiring to see the upcoming talent pool in every sector.”
Chesterfield Care Home has been recognised among the East Midlands’ top-rated care homes
Belvedere House has been named among the Top 20 Care Homes in the East Midlands by Carehome.co.uk, based on reviews from residents and their families.
Each year, Carehome.co.uk recognises the highest-rated care homes across the UK, highlighting services that demonstrate exceptional standards of care, resident satisfaction and positive community impact. For Belvedere House, this recognition reflects not only excellence in care delivery but also the strength of its relationships with residents, families and the wider local community, a significant achievement that showcases the dedication, compassion and professionalism of the entire team.
Deputy Manager Claire Adsetts said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this Top 20 Regional Care Home award”
Kerry Smith, Regional Manager at Crown Care Group, said: “We are immensely proud of the team at Belvedere House and achieving this Top 20 recognition demonstrates the team’s professionalism, compassion, and commitment to continuous improvement. It is a well-earned achievement. As Belvedere House celebrates this milestone, the focus remains firmly on continuing to enhance services, invest in staff development, and strengthen its role within the East Midlands and Derbyshire community”
The award places the Chesterfield care home among the highest-rated facilities in the region, based on feedback from those who know the service best, residents and their loved ones.
Accountancy and Tax Advisory firm awarded Gold Employer Partner accreditation from STEP
Derbyshire and South Yorkshire–based accountancy and tax advisory firm, Shorts, has been awarded STEP Gold Employer Partner accreditation within STEP’s Employer Partnership Programme. This gold status recognises the strength of Shorts’ policies, practices, and structures supporting its growing Private Client offering.
To achieve Gold, organisations must demonstrate a strong culture of learning and development, alongside a positive work environment. STEP highlighted Shorts’ values-led approach, robust L&D governance, and best-in-class development support.
Lana Reid, Learning and Development Manager at Shorts, said:
“We are delighted to achieve STEP Gold Employer Partner accreditation; an important milestone for Shorts which reflects our ongoing commitment to learning, development and professional excellence. Recognition from STEP reinforces the quality of the learning opportunities we provide and the culture we have built around continuous improvement, collaboration and progression, helping our professionals be the very best they can be in their chosen career.”
BSP Consulting takes home tourism project award
East Midlands-based civil and structural engineering specialists BSP Consulting are celebrating award success after the statue it designed commemorating the Lancaster Bomber won the Tourism and Leisure Project of the Year category at the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026.
The life-size statue of a Lancaster Bomber, called On Freedom’s Wings, has been created to honour the Royal Air Force crews of World War II and Lincolnshire’s and Nottinghamshire’s aviation heritage.
Standing at 29 metres high, the art installation near the county border gives the impression that the Lancaster Bomber is in flight and heading home to RAF Swinderby, a former RAF station. Dubbed the ‘East Midlands’ Angel of the North’, it has already attracted global interest since it was unveiled in September 2025.
BSP Consulting’s structural engineers undertook the design work on the impressive monument on behalf of the Bomber County Gateway Trust. BSP Managing Director Carl Hilton said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that On Freedom’s Wings was announced as a winner at the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026.”
