Derbyshire County Council Public Health Department are encouraging local support groups to take advantage of the Five Ways to Wellbeing Small Grants Scheme aiming to improve the mental well being of people living in Derbyshire.

The aim of the fund is to improve the mental wellbeing of people living in Derbyshire by
providing community based activities and services that help people to access the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’.

Mental wellbeing can take many different forms, but a useful description is ‘feeling good’ and ‘functioning well’. Mental wellbeing is more than just happiness, it includes feelings of contentment, enjoyment, self-confidence and self-esteem. Physical and mental wellbeing are closely related and so overall wellbeing involves both the mind and the body.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of national evidence-based actions (developed by the
New Economics Foundation) which promote people’s wellbeing. They are Connect, Be
Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. These activities are simple things
individuals can do in their everyday lives which have been proven to help improve people’s mental wellbeing.

Local voluntary, community or faith groups and organisations who deliver services in Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire are invited to apply for the small grant scheme.

Grants can be applied for, for up to £1500, on the condition that all grant money must be spent on the project within one year receiving the award. The grant scheme is administered by Chesterfield Champion, Derbyshire Voluntary Action and all applications must be sent to them by 5pm on Friday 16th February 2018.

Chesterfield FC have signed young defender Alex Whitmore on a permanent basis from Burnley.

The 22-year-old central defender arrives on a two-and-a-half-year deal from the Premier League club.

Manager Jack Lester is delighted with his latest signing. He said:-

“Alex is well thought of at Burnley and we can improve him. He is dominant and aggressive, with two good feet. He is also quick and reads the game well.”

After putting pen to paper, Whitmore said: “I got a call from Burnley to say there was interest and it felt right straight away.

“I met Jack Lester and got on really well with him and had a nice conversation with him. I knew this is where I wanted to come to and it’s nice to get it over the line.”

Whitmore has had several spells out on loan. He made 43 appearances for Morecambe last term and turned out 11 times for League One Bury earlier this season.

Photography Tina Jenner

Greater investment in research and development across the economy, strengthening the skills base to better engage with the digital revolution, and improving ambitious firms’ access to growth finance are key to enhancing science and innovation in the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership area, says a new study.

The Science and Innovation Audit for the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Area (or SIA) was commissioned and funded by the D2N2 LEP; the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services which promotes economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. A copy can be read online at www.d2n2lep.org/Growth/Evidence-Base

Science and innovation’s positive impact on the D2N2 area economy is examined in the research report, produced by leading economic and social development consultants SQW.

The study says an estimated 188,000 people in the D2N2 LEP area work in (what the Office for National Statistics defines as) the economy’s science and technology related sectors (2016 figures). The report looks at how targeted investment could help accelerate productivity growth in this area.

The D2N2 Science and Innovation Audit report highlights the D2N2 LEP area has:

• An estimated one-in-five jobs in (ONS defined) science and technology sectors.
• Three university partners (Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and Derby) whose research and business support have international reach.
• Three science parks, plus innovation centres and ‘incubator’ areas; all home to many innovative and technology-rich small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• World class advanced manufacturing firms including Rolls-Royce, Bombardier and Toyota; a growing life sciences cluster in Nottingham, anchored by Boots and BioCity; and also innovative future food processing and digital technologies firms. All sectors already identified by D2N2 among its eight key commercial sectors; with, for example, Nottingham’s new £30million life sciences building BioCity Discovery receiving £6.5m in investment from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund allocation.

However, the Audit focuses on the need for the LEP area to foster a stronger innovation culture amongst businesses, help ambitious SMEs access growth finance to bring new products or ideas to market, improve skills and training, and encourage major firms to drive more research and development activity amongst supply chain companies.

A D2N2 SIA Framework has been developed to highlight how the D2N2 LEP area’s innovation culture, local expertise – in advanced manufacturing and engineering, digital technologies and data, and integrating systems – and area market priorities , can interact and complement one another to support greater productivity growth.

The Audit study concludes that a strategy to boost science and innovation long term in the LEP area should concentrate on market priority sectors, where considerable advances have already been made, including:

• Next generation transport – The LEP area benefits greatly from having major employers Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier within its boundaries; each of which invests in their own research and development activity.
• Life sciences and healthcare – In addition to BioCity (mentioned above) the D2N2 area’s sector companies include major employer Boots, the MediCity life sciences cluster; and Concept Life Sciences in Chapel-en-le-Frith and N4 Pharma in Chellaston, in Derbyshire.
• Future food processing – The competitive food market is constantly hungry for new products and innovation here is seen as key. Food research is strong among D2N2’s university partners, but the LEP has also invested in innovation. With local industry body the Food and Drink Forum it is sharing the costs of the £7million Food Enterprise Advisory Support Team (FEAST) programme; to help businesses innovate and bring new products to market. D2N2’s funding comes from its €251m in European Structural and Investment Funds.
• Energy and Low Carbon – As part of D2N2’s strategy to pursue a more sustainable, less environmentally damaging economy a D2N2 Energy Strategy is to be published in spring 2018, looking at how opportunities in this sector could be unlocked. Current D2N2 backed-initiatives include D2N2 Growth Hub help for SMEs to take a more low carbon approach and assistance to low carbon businesses; for example, recent Growth Hub assistance to help Nottingham low carbon couriers, WEGO.

The SIA has been commissioned now to inform changes to D2N2’s Strategic Economic Plan, its blueprint for developing its area’s economy, which is currently being ‘refreshed’.

Matt Wheatley, Chief Executive of the D2N2 LEP, said:-

“Our ambitions for a dynamic and productive economy led by science, technology and innovation, and creating opportunities for all, is only achievable by pinpointing the changes needed and bringing partners with us.

“To do this we needed an in-depth study of our current position, which this Science and Innovation Audit provides. I thank SQW and the partners who contributed to it. The study will be extremely useful in ‘refreshing’ our Strategic Economic Plan, and in seeing how D2N2 supports objectives in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, but it is also being made available to LEP area businesses and organisations, to progress their research objectives.”

The SIA study draws on existing evidence for the area; including its universities’ research profiles and results, national Research Councils and Innovate UK information, analysis of latest Business Register and Employment Survey data, and information from local partners.

A workshop was hosted with a D2N2 Innovation Working Group, and discussions held, from August to November (2017), with companies and other stakeholders. Around 40 organisations and businesses – including the Food and Drink Forum, East Midlands Rail Forum and Boots, Toyota, Rolls-Royce and Bombardier – contributed to the study.

Ashgate Hospicecare has announced the appointment of Barbara-Anne Walker as the charity’s new Chief Executive.

The Chesterfield-based hospice works to provide specialist palliative and end of life care to local people and their families across North Derbyshire and the High Peak and Dales and is proud to be celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year.

The charity which has grown rapidly in the last five years, responding to the growth in demand from patients who are living with a life-limiting illness, wanted to secure an exceptional leader to continue its success in delivering excellent clinical services, and to uphold the Outstanding rating given to them by the CQC in 2015.

Barbara-Anne, formerly an Operations Director with the British Red Cross, joins Ashgate Hospicecare with 30 years’ experience within the voluntary and public sectors throughout the UK.

Jean Horton, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Ashgate Hospicecare, comments:-

“The Board of Trustees is absolutely delighted with the appointment of Barbara-Anne as our new Chief Executive.

“She has a proven track record of being a very successful senior leader, and her skills and experience are exactly what we need to lead our Hospice.

“Her passion about the work done by Ashgate Hospicecare and palliative end of life provision makes her determined to develop our services so we can reach as many people as possible who need our quality specialist care and support.”

Barbara-Anne began her career in the third-sector working in HIV and sexual health services; she has held management roles at Macmillan Cancer and British Red Cross and until recently she was Deputy Chair of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust.

Barbara-Anne said:-

“I am thrilled to join Ashgate Hospicecare in this 30th anniversary year. It’s a real privilege to become the Chief Executive of one of Derbyshire’s most cherished charities and to work with such a committed and special team of staff and volunteers. Their compassion and the warmth of their welcome shines through everything they do.

“For 30 years Ashgate has grown and developed services in the hospice and in the community to meet the needs of people with life-limiting illnesses. We are blessed with the support of many local people who give up their time to volunteer for the hospice and to raise the vital funds that we need every day to provide our services, including many generous donations from local businesses. I am passionate about making sure that Ashgate continues to be at the heart of the local community, whose generosity and goodwill has enabled us to respond to their needs and to provide outstanding care.

“There are exciting opportunities to build on the achievements of the last 30 years to take Ashgate Hospicecare into the future, putting patients and their loved ones at the centre of everything that we do. We know that there are still people who need hospice care, whom we are not yet able to reach. I am looking forward to working with my Ashgate team to ensure that we are able to provide our care and support to everyone who needs us.”

Roger Start, Consultant Histopathologist and Clinical Director of Pathology at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Ashgate Hospicecare Trustee, said:-

“I am delighted that Barbara-Anne is joining us as our new Chief Executive. She has worked for some of the biggest charities in the UK and I’m confident she will lead the further development of our vital services so that we can help more of our community who need us.”