Author: Dom Stevens

Chesterfield College invite local organisations to say a ‘big hello’ to new students

Chesterfield College are inviting local organisations to say a ‘ big hello ’ at a special event taking place on Monday 18th September.

Designed to highlight the opportunities available to young people in the area, the entire Infirmary Road campus will be transformed into a festival venue for the afternoon and will feature live music, free food, entertainment and competitions for students to get involved in.

Faye Ellis, Events Officer at Chesterfield College, said:-

“There will be around 3,000 new students joining us in September and our Big Hello festival  is designed to welcome them in style, giving them a taste of what is on offer for them as a student in college and around the local area. It is a great opportunity to promote the products and services your business or organisation offers. So if you run a club students may be interested in joining, a place for students to eat or hang out, or even an organisation looking for student volunteers, we’d love to hear from you.

“Both local independent businesses and national chains based in and around Chesterfield are welcome to be part of the festival. You can book a free stand for the afternoon or if you  offer prizes, freebies or vouchers.”

Local businesses and organisations that want to be part of the festival can contact Faye Ellis on 01246 500500 ext 1580 or ellisf@chesterfield.ac.uk for more information.

big hello

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield’s first botanical gin room to feature in new Italian restaurant

Chesterfield’s first botanical gin room is set to feature in a new Italian restaurant for the town, Cipollini Ristorante Italiano.

The new restaurant, which specialises in homely traditional Italian cuisine, is set to offer a new experience in the already booming Chesterfield Food and Drink scene.

The restaurant will be situated on the mezzanine above the The All Saints Tap – a new food, drink and live sports venue, specialising in craft beers, cocktails, artisan burgers and pizzas which opened its doors last weekend.

A spokesperson from Cipollini said:-

“Our concept is simple, we’re not messing about with the classic recipes and ingredients that’s been served in Italy for century’s – no twists, nothing but fine Italian food done right by our chef Fabrizio.

“We pride ourselves on staying true to our Italian roots and recipes, and serving them with a smile.

“Our Gin room will be open at weekends for pre meal drinks and available to hire out for celebrations with your own bar tender and music of your choice.”

With a focus on the Italian tradition of families dining together, the restaurant are offering all children under 12 to dine for free at all times. Every Sunday they will also be offering half price pizza and pasta between 12pm-8pm.

The prominent building on St Mary Gate now home to The All Saints Tap was previously occupied by York House, in the buzzing and vibrant Real Ale Quarter just 50 yards away from the famous Crooked Spire.

The restaurant joins an number of new businesses that have recently opened in the town over the last year – including Odyssey, Spire by Stephenson’s and Bottle and Thyme – who are nominated in the Best Newcomer category at this years Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.

gin room

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Free help and support available for small businesses in Derbyshire

Small businesses looking to expand are being offered help and assistance through a free business health check from the D2 Business Advisory Growth Service.

Derbyshire County Council have contributed £36,000 towards the project to help small Derbyshire-based businesses to reach their full potential and a further £36,000 has also been contributed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The free business health check will:

  • look at where your business is now and where you want it to be
  • identify the areas where your business could benefit from additional help and support
  • identify what you need to do to achieve your goals
  • help you apply for grants that are available to businesses across Derbyshire

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at Derbyshire County Council, said:-

“We’re pleased to help fund projects that give small Derbyshire businesses the step-up they need to grow and develop.

“Small businesses play a vital role in boosting Derbyshire’s economy through supplying to other local, national and international companies, bringing in business to the county and employing local people.

“If you’re a small business looking to expand or have just started trading and want to progress to the next stage, don’t miss out on your business health check − it could be a great benefit to you and your company and it’s free.”

The D2 Business Advisory Growth Service is run on behalf of D2N2 − the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

For more information about business support for Chesterfield business please click here.

small businesses

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

More space at Markham for small businesses

Thirteen new modern units for small to medium-sized businesses have been built at the Derbyshire County Council and Henry Boot Development’s flagship regeneration site Markham Vale.

The units, ranging in size from 1,200 to 3,050 sq. ft, are available to purchase or lease and have been built by Barnsley-based property developer Priority Space in partnership with the Hunt Group.

An online campaign was launched by the company to name the new development and the winning entry was Wilson Business Park in memory of Johnny Wilson who lost his life while working on site as a miner in the former Markham Colliery in 1987.

The name was submitted by local Derbyshire resident Andy Carroll − Johnny’s friend and colleague.

Lee Buchanan, Director at Priority Space, said:

“We are delighted to have brought forward a new modern industrial scheme at Markham Vale and are extremely happy with the level of enquires that we are receiving. There will be an open day on the morning of the 5 and 6 September for people who would like to view the new units.”

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at Derbyshire County Council, said:-

“We’re delighted to welcome these new units to Markham Vale. They offer a great space for small to medium-sized businesses looking to either expand or start-up and have fantastic transport links being located just off junction 29A of the M1 motorway.

He added:-

“It’s an exciting time at Markham Vale − the site is now home to 42 businesses and more than 1,000 new jobs have been created so far. And we look forward to welcoming even more businesses over the next few months to join Markham’s thriving business community.”

Businesses interested in the new units can contact Stuart Waite from CPP Commercial Property Partners for more information by emailing stuart@cppartners.co.uk or by calling 0115 8966611.

Anthony Clitheroe from Henry Boot Developments − Derbyshire County Councils’ private sector property partner – said:-

“We are delighted to see the Wilson Business Park open for business and look forward to welcoming new businesses to Markham Vale in the near future.”

Scunthorpe-based construction firm Britcon (UK) Limited built the units on behalf of Priority Space and the Hunt Group.

Markham

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Have your say on proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour in Chesterfield town centre

Residents and local businesses have the opportunity to take part in a consultation on measures to curb anti-social behaviour in Chesterfield town centre.

The consultation, run by Chesterfield Borough Council, is open until Monday 25 September and gives people the chance to have their say on the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) the council plans to introduce in areas of the town centre.

Currently, anyone found drinking alcohol in Chesterfield town centre can be required to hand this over to an authorised officer or police officer. The new laws would require anyone drinking to hand over alcohol opened or unopened.

The new rules would also:

·         Ban positioning or occupying any tent or other temporary structure without the landowner’s permission

·         Ban any activity or behaviour causing nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person

·         Ban loitering around cash machines, shopping centre entrances, shop entrances or car park ticket and payment machines for the purposes of begging

·         Ban urinating or defecating other than in a facility specifically designed for such use – i.e. in public toilets

·         Ban leaving unattended any personal effects or belongings or any other material or paraphernalia.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We are aware that anti-social behaviour is a problem in the town centre which is why we are working with the police and partners to introduce measures to curb anti-social behaviour and make it a safer place for people to work and visit.

“The council recently co-hosted a summit with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Hardyal Dhindsa to look at anti-social behaviour issues in the town centre. Partners agreed to focus on enforcement, treatment and support, and welfare policies.

“I would encourage people to take part and let us have their views.”

The consultation is available at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/pspo.

Paper copies will be available at:

·         Chesterfield Town Hall, Rose Hill

·         Customer Service Centre, New Square

·         Queen’s Park Sports Centre

·         The Healthy Living Centre, Staveley

·         Chesterfield Library.

Chesterfield Town Hall spring

Posted in About Chesterfield

Apprentice reaps award number two for going above and beyond

Congratulations are in order for Jack Rigsby from AvantiGas, who has been honoured as an Apprentice of the Year by Chesterfield College for the second year running, this time being named Apprentice of the Year in BTEC Level 3 Mechanical Engineering.

Jack said that some of the work he’d done previously for A Level Maths had helped him in his BTEC studies, but parts of the syllabus were still challenging:-

“Thermodynamics was probably the most difficult. I’d never done anything like that before, but I still enjoyed it.”

Hydraulics and Pneumatics, another new subject, was also challenging but Jack clearly mastered these new disciplines to win Apprentice of the Year once again.

Neill Cordon, HR Director at Avantigas, said:-

“Jack is a great credit to AvantiGas and his success just confirms why we should continue our commitment to apprenticeships. We believe strongly that apprenticeships help us to meet the vital need to bring new talent into the LPG market to continue to serve off-grid homes and businesses.”

The college citation for Jack’s efforts was glowing:-

“Jack is an outstanding student.

“He is very capable across a range of subjects and he manages himself well. His work is always to a high standard and submitted ahead of deadlines.”

It goes on to say that Jack in fact completed his assignments for the year six weeks early but was happy to use the time he has gained to support his classmates, who value his advice and support.

Jack remains modest in the face of his award and the praise heaped on him:-

“I wasn’t expecting it. I just handed my work in when it was due and didn’t mess around.”

His advice to aspiring apprentices is:-

“Just to put the effort in and get your head down, and get yourself onto higher education if you can.”

“I have one more year to go on my BTEC then I hope to progress on to university after that. It would be studying one day a week, part-time, hopefully at Sheffield Hallam. But it will be worth it in the end.”

apprentice

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Life’s a gas as Nadiya samples Derbyshire oatcakes in the High Peak

Former Great British Bake Off winner turned author and TV presenter Nadiya Hussain’s flourishing career has reached a new peak – the ‘capital of the Peak’, in fact, as she came to Derbyshire to sample Ian Barratt’s authentic Derbyshire oatcakes for her new BBC2 series, Nadiya’s British Food Adventure.

The eight-part series takes her all over Britain to find local specialities. The Derbyshire episode which aired on July 24, saw Nadiya sampling Ian’s traditional fare and finding out how the oatcakes are made before devising her own improvised speciality – Derbyshire oatcake samosas!

Nadiya was certainly cooking with gas on the day – literally so, as Ian’s farmhouse and bakehouse at Owlgreave Farm in Combs, just outside Chapel-en-le-Frith, uses LPG from Chesterfield based AvantiGas for cooking and heating.

LPG fires up Ian’s gargantuan, vintage, 18-foot hotplate with its gas jets underneath which cooks up to five dozen oatcakes at a time, totalling 200-300 dozen oatcakes or thicker pikelets per shift.

Ian Barratt comments:-

“Gas has a nice moist heat which is what you need for the oatcakes. Electric hotplates dry them out too much.”

Ian showed Nadiya how he and his mother, Eileen, and assistant Sheila make the batter then griddle the oatcakes, ready for them to be delivered to shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants across three counties.

Then Nadiya came up with her own special twist on tradition:-

“She made vegetable samosas out of the oatcakes – and they were brilliant! She used flour and water to seal the edges and deep fried them, so they crisped up on the outside and had the moist and slightly spicy vegetables on the inside. I can see them becoming a whole new product line. They were absolutely delicious!”

Andrew Mann, Head of Marketing at AvantiGas, said:-

“We’re delighted that Ian is cooking his unique products with gas and finds it produces the best results, and equally delighted that Nadiya has sampled them and enjoyed them. We’ve been Ian’s supplier for many years now – and long may it continue.”

Ian has just had a third LPG tank installed too, because as well as his farmhouse and bakery, he fuels a holiday cottage with LPG and heats the toilet block on his campsite.

Nadiya

 

Posted in About Chesterfield

Get your nominations in for county’s 2017 Sports Awards

The Derbyshire Sports Awards are back for 2017 – and Derbyshire Sport want your nominations.

All nine local authorities in Derbyshire are running Sports Awards, where winners will filter straight through to be considered for the county event, held on November 9 at The Roundhouse, Derby.

That prestigious evening on the sporting calendar – The Derby Telegraph Sports Awards – is again being presented by the media group in partnership with Derbyshire Sport, Champions (UK) plc agency and Smith Partnership Solicitors.

Nominations for this year’s Awards are now open and Derbyshire residents are invited to nominate committed sports volunteers, dedicated coaches, community projects and talented athletes from the county who they feel are worthy of recognition.

There are 14 categories for the county Awards, including Lifetime Achievement Award, Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Disabled Sportsperson of the Year, Team of the Year, Manager/Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year.

Other categories inviting nominations are Community Award, Club of the Year, Active4Life, Junior Team of the Year, Young Sportsman of the Year, Young Sportswoman of the Year and Service to Sport.

In 2016 Adam Peaty, formerly of City Of Derby Swimming Club won the Sportsman of the Year Award for the third year running. He was honoured in 2016 after picking up Great Britain’s first gold medal of the Rio Olympics by winning the 100m breaststroke in emphatic style with a new world record and also picked up a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

Ilana Freestone, Director at Derbyshire Sport, said:-

“There are so many people who contribute in so many ways to sport and physical activity across the county, so it is really important that we take the opportunity to thank those working behind the scenes for their efforts – as well as applaud those who are competing at a high level.”

The closing date for the Active Chesterfield Sports Awards is August 21, 2017.

Derbyshire Sport

Posted in About Chesterfield

Mitchells welcomes new university placement undergraduate

Cementing its commitment to bringing on new talent in the accountancy sector, Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers has appointed Brandon Wazirali as an undergraduate placement student.

Brandon (21) from Mosborough in Sheffield, is an Accounting and Finance student at Sheffield Hallam University. As part of the third year of his degree he has joined Mitchells Corporate Services team full-time, on a 12-month placement in order to gain experience ahead of his final year and graduation.

He explained: “Accountancy opens doors to so many different careers, however my personal aim is to become a Chartered Accountant and undertaking this placement with Mitchells is a great way to gain experience as well as confirm my career ambitions.”

He is one of a long line of undergraduates to join Mitchells as a placement student; the majority of which are offered permanent roles with the firm on completing their degree. Partner Tony Hornsby joined Mitchells originally as a placement student in 2001 and has remained with the firm since graduating.

Commenting on his appointment, Brandon said: “I’m really enjoying it at Mitchells. Every day is different. I have always been good with numbers, so being able to apply the theory from my course in a practical, hands-on environment is giving me invaluable experience which will provide a great platform on which to build my career once I graduate.”

Outside work, Brandon who is a keen half marathon runner, enjoys playing Sunday League football with The New Bohemians.

The firm is looking to make further appointments to add to its expanding team of tax professionals and Chartered Accountants. If you’re looking for a career at Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, get in touch with Andrew McDaid by calling 01246 274121, or send your CV and covering letter to andrewmcdaid@mitchellsaccountants.co.uk

Brandon Wazirali

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Flying the flag for Chesterfield’s parks

Five of Chesterfield’s parks and open spaces have retained their prestigious Green Flag awards for another year, meaning they are among the best in the country.

The parks and open spaces, maintained by Chesterfield Borough Council, received the recognition from the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy after they inspected them against strict standards.

They decided to award Green Flags to:

  • Eastwood Park, Hasland
  • Holmebrook Valley Park
  • Poolsbrook Country Park
  • Queen’s Park
  • The grounds of Chesterfield and District Crematorium in Brimington, which are maintained by Chesterfield Borough Council on behalf of the Chesterfield and District Joint Crematorium Committee, which consists of Bolsover District Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and North East Derbyshire District Council.

The international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the spaces boast the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said:-

“We are extremely pleased to retain Green Flag Award status in these five parks and open spaces once more.

“One of the council’s top priorities is to improve the quality of life for local people and providing green space that people can visit, play in, use to get fit and active or see wildlife is an important way to achieve this.

“A lot of effort goes in to maintaining parks and open spaces and I would like to thank all our staff and the members of our friends of the park groups for all of their efforts throughout the year to achieve results like this year-on-year.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme.

“Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.”

The news come as Chesterfield is waiting to hear if it has been successful in retaining its gold award in the East Midlands in Bloom competition. The town picked up the honour for the first time last year. Judges visited Chesterfield earlier this month to judge if those standards had been maintained.

 

parks

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Women in Business Network group set to launch in Chesterfield

Capitalising on recent research – stating that nationally the proportion of women that went into business between 2013 and 2016 rose by 45% – the Women in Business Network (WIBN) are set to launch a new networking service for business women in Chesterfield.

The WIBN is a membership organisation for women who wish to gain new business opportunities through word of mouth. Whether employed or a business owner the network has a huge diversity of businesses involved.

Networking is widely seen as the most effective business tool to market any business or service. The WIBN has been offering businesses the chance to meet monthly to do business together, collaborate on projects and gain new leads for over 12 years. The Chesterfield group will be first group set up in Derbyshire after success of the group in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

The WIBN will meet for a two hour networking meeting held every month, starting from 5th October, where they will share lunch whilst allowing delegates the opportunity to increase business, brand and profile for their organisation.

Paula Grizzard, Director of WIBN North Derbyshire and Yorkshire,  said:-

“We are impressed with the drive for business in Chesterfield and keen to set up our newest WIBN Group here to be part of the growth and investment in the town.”

To find out more about the meetings please click here.

women in business network

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business