For National Work Life Week (7 – 11 October 2019), Essential Site Skills (ESS) took time to recognise their hard-working staff members and their families, as well as their strong belief in a modern working ethos.

As an award-winning, nationwide training provider, ESS promote a working culture where the passion that their business was founded on is visible. They constantly encourage their employees to continue their professional development within their careers, making a point to always listen and offer learning opportunities where possible.

Excessive working hours and a lack of flexibility can lead to a lack of productivity and an unmotivated, uncaring workforce. Ensuring employees are supported in their working week creates a positive outlook, engagement, motivation and a loyalty to the organisation.

ESS are big believers in helping to ensure their employees’ wellbeing is supported both at home and at work. The whole team embolden one another, encourage engagement and champion each individual success – both in and out of work.

Meet Client Sales Co-ordinator, Laura Wagstaff with two of her children, Bronte and Olan.

Laura said: “Working for ESS has been a breath of fresh air for me. I have never felt at ease asking to nip off to children’s school events or appointments and was always weighed down heavily with the guilt, worried that this would affect my progression at work. That is not ESS at all, all managers are so supportive of my home-life commitments which has meant that I can still have a fantastic career as well as being a mummy!”

Meet Training and Consultancy Manager, Michael Harcourt, spending some quality time with his daughter Mila.

Michael said: “Working for ESS has enabled me to spend time at home with my daughter when I’m not out training. This is a huge benefit for me and keeps me motivated to work hard for the company. Work life balance is a big part of the ESS ethos and is actively promoted by my line manager.”

Meet Training and Consultancy Instructor, Matt Fletcher with his two daughters Esme and Lily.

Matt said “Creating a balance between work and family time is so important. ESS have always supported me and I’m given the flexibility to manage my own training diary, so that I can be around for school plays, sports days, drop offs and pick ups.  I really value this time with my children and wife. Your relationship with your employer is a two way street and I can honestly say, after the support I have received they will be repaid in my hard work and graft. That’s the key to a healthy and positive workforce, take care of them and they will give you everything back.”

Every team member at ESS has the opportunity to not only work flexibly, but also do what they enjoy, developing their learning with further training. ESS are a happy and forward thinking team; with a strong belief in the quality and integrity of the training delivered.

Click here to find out more about Essential Site Skills

The businesses shortlisted for the 2019 Derbyshire Times Business Excellence Awards have been revealed.

The awards honour the very best of trade and commerce in the area, as well as helping to recognise the outstanding contribution of local business leaders and entrepreneurs.

They have big-name backing, with Casa Hotels and Global Brands once again proud to be supporting the Derbyshire Times business awards.

A spokesperson said: “The awards allow local businesses to showcase their work and also encourage both well-established along with newer businesses to enter. We wish all nominees the very best of luck. ”

“Both Global Brands and Casa Hotels are committed to supporting the Derbyshire economy through both employment and investment.  As a business we know that Derbyshire offers the very best in location, benefiting from excellent transport links to all parts of the UK.”

“We feel that this is one of the key factors that have enabled our businesses along with various other projects to flourish in this wonderful area and we are extremely enthusiastic about our continued work with local partners in promoting and strengthening the Derbyshire brand for the future.”

The shortlist includes:

Innovation Award:
Jane-Louise Photography UK
UK Asbestos Training Association

Community Contribution:
Bookworms
Men-Talk
Move with Mumma

Customer Service Award:
Casa Hotel
Dales and Peaks
Morley Hayes
O’Connor & Co Removals Limited

Apprentice of the Year:
Carrie Price – KT Hair Academy for NJUK
Megan Thompson – Van Dyk by Wildes
Millie Walker – Auto Windscreens/ Markerstudy Group

Independent Retailer of the Year:
Adorn Jewellers of Chesterfield
OhSoBoss
Timeless Life Casting & Keepsakes

Leisure and Lifestyle:
Casa Hotel
Matlock Farm Park
Morley Hayes
Peak Edge Hotel, Red Lion Pub and Restaurant

New Business of the Year:
Edwards Employment Solutions Ltd
Jane – Louise Photography UK
O’Connor & Co Removals Ltd
Timeless Life Casting & Keepsakes

Professional Services Award:
BHP
Dales and Peaks
Mortgage 1st
Shorts

Small Business of the Year:
Dales and Peaks
Dawson Radford Solicitors
Moss Valley Fine Meats
Recruit 2 You Ltd
The Accountancy Recruitment Group

Excellence in Manufacturing:
H D Sharman Limited
Moss Valley Fine Meats

Charity of the Year:
Fairplay
Nenna Kind

Business Person of the Year:
Jon Stones – Mortgage 1st
Peter Botham – Shed Grounds Maintenance Ltd
Tom Currey – Dales and Peaks

There are also three prestigious awards where the winners are kept secret until the night itself. These are the People Development Award, the Lifetime Achievement award and the Business of the Year award.

The 2018 Business of the Year award went to local charity Ashgate Hospicecare (above right).

The Derbyshire Times Business Excellence Awards winners will be revealed at a glittering gala celebration event at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, on Thursday 14th November 2019.

The 2018 winners and runners-up join together for a group photograph at the end of the awards ceremony.

Housebuilder Woodall Homes has partnered with the 2019 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon to give away prizes for this year’s winners and goodies for all runners.

Providing prizes to the fastest female and fastest male for the over 40’s, over 50’s and over 60’s groups, the winners will be presented with a £25 John Lewis & Partners voucher from a member of the Woodall Homes team.

The Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon is taking place on Sunday 20 October for the third year in a row in aid of main charity partner, Ashgate Hospicecare. The race will also support North Aston based charity, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Dave Wood, Managing Director of Woodall Homes, said: “The Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon makes a difference to the lives of so many in our community and as a proud local housebuilder, I am pleased to get involved with such a momentous local event.”

“We hope that the winners enjoy their well-deserved John Lewis & Partners vouchers and there will also be goodies from Woodall Homes in the runner’s packs.”

“On marathon day we will have a stand where anyone can come on down and speak to our knowledgeable Sales Director, George Gordon, who will be able to provide customers with information and answer any questions about our developments.”

Constructing a range of new housing developments across Chesterfield and its surrounding areas, Woodall Homes is offering homes in Bolsover, Brimington, Calow, Chesterfield, Newbold and Long Duckmanton.

Now closed for applications, the local community can support runners at Queen’s Park from 9:30am or those participating in the race can arrive from 8:00am.

For more information about the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, including road closures, route maps and race timings, click here.

Photo courtesy of Charles Whitton Photography

Vine Hotels have renovated Ashgate Hospicecare’s Family Bedroom free of charge to ensure that families can stay together.

The Family Bedroom is now open for families and friends visiting patients on the ward. The newly renovated bedroom and en-suite provide a beautiful, homely, and comfortable space for families. It allows them to remain close to their loved ones at the hospice.

Julie Foster, Matron at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “This fantastic project has only been possible thanks to Vine Hotels, who have gone the extra mile to help transform their local hospice.”

Vine Hotels have created a comfortable, restful and beautifully furnished space for families and friends visiting their loved ones here at Ashgate Hospicecare.

The Family Bedroom is incredibly important for our patients. It provides the calming reassurance that their families and friends are able to stay overnight at the hospice and are near to them. For families and friends, the Family Bedroom provides all the facilities required to ensure a very comfortable stay without having to leave the hospice, especially when time is most precious.

On behalf of everyone at Ashgate Hospicecare, thank you so much Vine Hotels for enabling us to provide the excellence in care that we strive for.”

Dawn Langan, from Hastings, knows how vital the Family Bedroom is to people. She said, “When my mum came into the hospice, I was really scared. However, as soon as I saw how well my mum was treated here, it completely changed my mind about hospice care. The fact that mum could have her own room meant that she was able to maintain her dignity right up to the end. We could go to the other family areas at the hospice to relax and make a drink and to give mum the privacy she needed.

Being able to use the Family Bedroom made a huge difference to us in my mum’s final days. My children and I were able to spend much more time with her, rather than worrying about finding somewhere to stay or having to come back and forth to the hospice when we didn’t know how long we had left with her.

The staff would always check on us and they even kept sandwiches aside for us so that we didn’t have to worry about getting food in the middle of the night. We were able to spend those last days making more precious memories with mum and those memories will always stay with us. I know that having a beautifully renovated Family Bedroom will make a world of difference to so many families going through the worst time of their life.”

Garin Davies, Chief Executive of Vine Hotels, which has five hotels and venues across Sheffield said: “Ashgate Hospicecare provides a vital service to lots of families and we wanted to be able to help in some way. We were pleased to be given the opportunity to lend a hand and refurbish the room. We know how important the facility is and wanted to ensure that Ashgate could enable families to stay together.”

To find out more about how you could support this project, call Ali, Capital Appeal and Partnerships Manager on 01246 567250 or email alison.ward-foster@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk.

Yorkshire and North Derbyshire’s largest independent firm of Chartered Accountants, BHP, has received national recognition for its work championing cutting-edge technology to improve financial reporting.

The leading regional firm, which has offices in Chesterfield, York, Sheffield, Cleckheaton and Leeds, scooped Audit Team of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards – run in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

The award recognises BHP’s market-leading use of data analytics in audit. BHP is one of the pioneers of AI software, Inflo, which offers clients previously unobtainable insight into their business.

Inflo mines 100% of data meaning improved fraud detection, enhanced insight into anomaly transactions, and better assurance over business processes for clients.

Lisa Leighton, Joint Managing Partner at BHP, said: “We couldn’t be prouder of this achievement.”

“While quality, added-value and proactive advice have always been central in our audit work, we’re now standing out in our market for how we’re transforming our audit process with AI technology.”

“Not only are we pioneering the use of data analytics with our clients and fundamentally changing BHP as a business in doing so, but the firm is going further to actively champion this technology in the mid-size sector to help improve industry standards across the board.”

BHP is quickly becoming a thought leader in this area, speaking at industry events, conducting webinars and writing articles, and BHP’s Data Analytics Manager has been approached to support with a research project commissioned by the ICEAW.

The team at BHP also share their knowledge and learning internationally and have presented at the Kreston European Conference.

The British Accountancy Awards 2019 took place at The Grosvenor House Hotel on 25 September. Hosted by Sean Lock, over 800 guests were welcomed to celebrate excellence, professionalism, and innovation in accountancy.

Not only do these awards recognise key achievements in the market from an accountants in practice perspective but they also recognise excellence with practitioners working across the industry. Smaller regional practices and individual excellence are also celebrated with multiple awards for each.

Earlier this year, BHP was recognised by the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list – now in its 19th year, the hard-fought and nationally-celebrated list recognises the very best in employee engagement around the country.

BHP was also recently awarded Mid-Tier Firm of the Year and Best Employer of the Year at the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards and recognised with the Community Award at the Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards.

With more than 300 staff, including 33 partners, over the last 10 years BHP has increased turnover from £8m to over £22m.