About Chesterfield

Get your nominations in for county’s 2017 Sports Awards

31st July 2017

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.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Mitchells welcomes new university placement undergraduate

31st July 2017

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

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Flying the flag for Chesterfield’s parks

27th July 2017

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.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Women in Business Network group set to launch in Chesterfield

27th July 2017

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.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Community radio station expands ‘Team Spire’ with exciting new changes

26th July 2017

Spire Radio, Chesterfield Champions and local community radio station, have recently announced a number of exciting new changes to ensure the survival of the stations legacy as they move forward after a successful first 2 years on air.

A focus on strengthening involvement in the local community has been a main priority for the station, with links now forged between the Derbyshire Times, Chesterfield Food Club Community Trust and the Chesterfield College Performing Arts and Media Departments. The station has also recently offered work experience to local schools and colleges.

To keep at the forefront of local business, Spire Radio have also recently joined the Chesterfield Champion network. Chesterfield Champions are a group of 170+ local businesses who work together to support the development of the local economy, shape the future of the town and showcase all that is good about it.

To showcase how vital the business community is in the development of the town, Destination Chesterfield, who run the Chesterfield Champion scheme, and Spire Radio have joined forces to showcase these local businesses with a new show to air from late August. The show, which will air on Tuesday afternoons, will see Champions interviewed about their business and their views on topics relevant to the town.

A number of new appointments have also been made to strengthen their Directorship and Management team.

Joining the Current Directors Chris Walters (Programme Director), Stephen Mahoney (Technical Director) and Amy Hartshorn (Director of Finance and Human Resources), Spire Radio are proud to announce the appointment of Andrew Payne, Presenter of the Generation Game, Local Business man and long standing supporter of Spire Radio as a Director.

Other appointments include Matthew Squires (Presenter of SquiresonSpire) as Training, Compliance & Development Director, Simon Barnett (Presenter of Anthems) as Media & Communications Director and Mark Judge as Technical & Web Development Director.

David Trickett, local legend and fundraiser will also join the team as Charity & Community Event Director to oversee that all of the stations operations are within the remit of not for profit and in the best interests of Local Community & support local charitable organisations.

Alongside the recruitment of the new directors the station are also looking to grow their listener-ship with the introduction of a host of new shows and presenters.

George Drummond will be the new host of Spire Breakfast (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday). George has years of experience of online radio to bring to Spire.
‘Debs & Denise’ from LOL Laughter yoga have been announced as the presenters of the Wednesday Breakfast Show. Denise and Deborah from LOL are a dynamic duo bursting with energy to share the wonderful benefits of laughter and how it can be used to facilitate change.
Adrian Lings joins as presenter of the Weekend Wind Up Show (Fridays 10am – 1pm). Adrian is a well-known Sheffield DJ and compere and does swing work with Sheffield live, Hallam fm and many others.
Martyn Gillie will present the Community Slot on a Friday (2pm – 3pm). His show will focus around local heritage and history as well as playing music from the 50s.
Lee Brade will join as presenter of Friday Drive Time and Tracey Leeds will present a new show on Sundays (1pm – 4pm)

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Region celebrates 73% increase in foreign investment

26th July 2017

New figures from the Department for International Trade show that foreign investment into the Sheffield City Region (SCR) leapt by a massive 73% in the financial year to the end of March compared to previous 12 months.

The Government figures, produced annually, show that there were 46 investments by foreign businesses, creating 2308 new jobs and safeguarding another 217.

Chesterfield Champions, Ferdinand Bilstein, being amongst the top five project successes taking on 150 employees in the last year alone.

This makes it the most successful year for international investment in the region since the SCR was created.

Teams from the regeneration departments of the nine local authorities are supported by the region-wide SCR Trade and Investment team to work together to attract foreign companies from overseas, and others already based in the UK looking to relocate and expand.

Rachel Clark, Director of Trade and Investment for the SCR, said:-

“These excellent figures are the exciting result of collaborative work with our local authority and business partners and the Department for International Trade. It’s rewarding to see a team effort bringing in such fantastic returns in terms of jobs and economic growth.”

Further examples of other recent investments in the SCR include:

Peak Resort, the £400million tourism and leisure destination which is underway with £2.9million infrastructure funding from the SCR. The project will create 1,300 jobs.
A new 44,595 sq metre facility at the Markham Vale Enterprise Zone for Great Bear will create 400 new jobs serving the UK domestic market. A second distribution operation at Markham Vale is the largest development at Markham Vale to date.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Thousands celebrate Chesterfield’s medieval past

26th July 2017

Thousands of people flocked to Chesterfield town centre for the annual medieval fun day on Tuesday 25 July.

The popular event, organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, saw a host of activities to celebrate the middle ages.

There was a medieval encampment in the grounds of the Crooked Spire church with troop marches and skirmishes.

Chesterfield market place hosted a market with charity stalls, street food and traders from Chesterfield’s general and flea markets.

Traders got into the spirit of the event by wearing traditional costumes and crowds were entertained by a court jester, medieval beggars, goblins and dragon.

Chesterfield Museum also opened specially with an event entitled ‘A day in the middle ages’.

Visitors to the museum found out about medieval arms and armour, religion and battlefield surgery and learn about the diseases, illnesses and curses the people suffered from in the middle ages.

St Mary and All Saints’ Church, the ‘Crooked Spire’ hosted an open day featuring tours of the tower.

Councillor Steve Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy said:-

“Each year, the medieval fun day brings thousands of people into Chesterfield – and this year was no exception.

“Not only was this a great day out and a chance to learn about history together but also a great boost for businesses in the town centre.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Dronfield’s first ever Arts Festival set for 2018

26th July 2017

The Dronfield Arts Festival will take place over four days from the 4th-7th May 2018 and will be packed with not just art, but also live music, street performance, street vendors, markets and more. You’ll find Dronfield buzzing with excitement and full of people.

The festival will bring amazing and captivating arts experiences to Derbyshire focusing heavily on local talent. With over 60 events planned they’ll be a fantastic mix of performances and workshops including; music, drama, poetry, visual art, dance, crafts, food, talks, literature and much more. The festival is designed to appeal to all ages and tastes; to local residents and bring visitors to Dronfield’s vibrant community.

Alan Powell Chair of Dronfield Heritage Trust, said:-

“The festival will have an accessible and lively programme that embraces the wider performing arts, with broad appeal for Dronfield, engaging the wider community and our valued visitors. The events will take place across the exciting range of social and community spaces that Dronfield offers. The festival will also provide the perfect platform for the community and those further afield to engage with the arts.”

The Arts festival is a requisite part of the Heritage Lottery Fund project to restore Dronfield Hall Barn and will be a big catalyst to making the Barn fully self-sustainable once the project finishes in 2018. Due to this, the festival is more of a community project, managed in conjunction with FWD Motion (a local digital design agency, and Chesterfield Champion) using volunteers in and around Chesterfield, with the majority of the entertainment and performances made up of local talent.

In addition to income from ticket sales and national and local funding partners, the festival is also heavily reliant upon the help and support from its army of volunteers, and the ongoing generosity of its friends and sponsors.

To find out how you can get involved and benefit from the festival’s promotional activities visit
www.dronfieldartsfestival.co.uk

The Festival will be supported by a widespread media campaign, targeting press, radio and online sources across the bordering counties. The full programme of events will be announced at the end of January 2018.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield Food Producer shortlisted as Pig Farmer of the Year

25th July 2017

Chesterfield Food Producer, Moss Valley Fine Meats, have recently been announced as finalist in the ‘Pig Farmer of the Year’ category for the Farmers Weekly Awards 2017.

Top technical performance was the common theme across all three finalists this year, which ranged from the largest pig producer in the country to a family-run farrow-to finish farm marketing their own produce. They stand against GSK Pigs in Norfolk and British Quality Pigs in Suffolk.

Stephen and Karen Thompson of Moss Valley Fine Meats, produce pork, bacon, ham and sausages in their own butchery from pigs bred and reared on their farm in the beautiful Moss Valley on the edge of Sheffield.

A rare little gem is how you could describe the family-run Moss Valley Fine Meats, which is home to 200 sows and is producing about 6,000 pigs a year. They have also recently gain planning permission to triple the size of the butchery with a LEADER application being undertaken for EU funding. This will allow the farm to expand across the country and hopefully internationally.

Moss Valley have developed a brand that is well-known with top chefs and at farmers markets in the Sheffield area; supplying around 70 restaurants, delis and shops in the local area. They have also been approached to supply large volumes of sausage for a schools contract.

A representative from the Farmers Weekly said about the farm:-

“A smaller-scale, family-run pig operation makes Moss Valley Meats really quite rare in the industry today. They have built a brand that is well known in the Sheffield area, has excellent performance and is carbon neutral.”

The winner of the awards will be announced in a black tie awards ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Mayfair in October.

Alongside being shortlisted for such a prestigious national title, Moss Valley are also celebrating being shorlisted as finalists in the first ever English SME Business Awards 2017.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

Markham miners remembered with memorial unveiling 80 years after first tragedy

25th July 2017

Eight new life-size steel figures have been unveiled as part of a memorial to miners who lost their lives at Markham Colliery marking 80 years since the first disaster at the site.

The figures were unveiled as part of the ‘Walking Together’ memorial, which we led on, and will eventually feature 106 figures stretching between the village of Duckmanton in Chesterfield and the former pithead.

Each figure is part of a walking trail which symbolises a miner’s journey to the pit and back home again and represents the 106 men who lost their lives in three accidents at the site.

On 21 January 1937 an underground explosion claimed the lives of nine men and in 1938, 79 miners lost their lives and 40 were seriously injured in a second explosion.

Eighteen miners died and 11 others suffered serious injury in the third disaster at the colliery when the mechanical brake on a lift carrying them to the coalface failed on 30 July, 1973.

Derbyshire County Council have reclaimed the former colliery site with Henry Boot Developments and it’s now home to the Markham Vale regeneration scheme which is working to create 4,100 jobs for local people.

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

“Markham Colliery was at the heart of Derbyshire and a place where great friendships were made and generations of families worked.

“The miners were a very close group who had a strong bond and supported each other through the good and bad times.

“This memorial is a place where the miner’s community spirit can be remembered and where families, friends and future generations can come together to pay tribute.

Councillor King added:-

“The site is now home to 42 businesses and more than 1,000 new jobs have been created so far but it’s important that we don’t forget the site’s mining history, the challenging jobs the pit workers had and the sacrifices they made.”

Each figure carries a tag with the name of one of the miners, along with their age and job role.

These most recent additions have been dedicated to Ralph Marsden, 41, Stallman, Joseph Furniss, 28, Stallman, Edward Baggaley, 34, Stallman, Edmund Smith, 29, Stallman, Frederick Roddy, 25, Cutterman, Thomas Jones, 49, Contractor, Enoch Jones, 21, Contractor and Joseph Geary, 55, Dataller.

Relatives of the miners commemorated at the unveiling also attended the event to pay tribute.

There are now 27 figures at the site − the first two were unveiled in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973 disaster.

The latest figures have been sponsored by a number of businesses including Noonah Experiential and GH Motors − both based at Markham Vale.

Henry Boot Developments − the private sector property partner at Markham Vale − and their consultants have also sponsored three of the figures.

A grant of £7,500 has been awarded to the ‘Walking Together’ memorial from the Duke of Devonshire’s Charitable Trust for the next phase of the project which is set to be unveiled later in the year.

The Walking Together memorial has been designed by Cheshire-based Artist Stephen Broadbent.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield business leaders sought after to drive forward the work of the Sheffield City Region

24th July 2017

Dynamic individuals with an understanding of business and a taste for a challenge are being sought to help drive forward the work of the Sheffield City Region (SCR).

Four members of the Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership – or LEP – have reached the end of their three-year term and applications are invited for the vacancies.

Today Sir Nigel Knowles, Chair of the LEP Board, said:-

“I’m tremendously grateful to our retiring members. They have given us a huge breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding of this region and its strategic economic needs. They have given their time and expertise most generously and we all have a great deal to thank them for.”

Several Board members will be joining a booming region that is smashing its own targets. It aimed to see 70,000 new jobs in the decade from March 2015 – but just two years later 27,000 have already been created.

The Local Enterprise Partnership Board, founded six years ago, has built an enviable reputation as a business orientated and pragmatic private-public partnership. It leads a region now well placed to take advantage of greater localism – one of the key points of the Government’s Industrial Strategy – and to accelerate the rebirth of the economy.

The LEP drives trade and investment activities, transport improvements, housing developments, and skills and training. With LEP support two global giants, the supercar maker McLaren Automotive and aero manufacturer Boeing, voted with their feet and began building bases in the region this year, and another two such major announcements are confidently expected in the near future.

Now the SCR is looking for a three-year commitment from a new round of businesspeople prepared to sit on the LEP Board, giving their time and expertise to advise and guide the executive, working closely with the region’s local authorities.

The retiring members are Simon Carr, MD of Henry Boot Construction; Deborah Egan OBE, Arts Director; Paul Houghton, Partner at Grant Thornton; and Chris Scholey, former Chair of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Nigel Brewster, Vice Chair of the LEP, added:-

“I can honestly say being a LEP Board member is one of the most rewarding things I do. You learn a tremendous amount, meet fascinating people, and at the end of the day you can feel you’ve done some practical good for the region.

“Members serve for three years and we are using this opportunity to look for people who are willing, unpaid, to represent the wealth of different businesses, geography and population we have in this region. We are working on a new Strategic Economic Plan which will be our road map for the next 10 years, and it brings a whole new set of exciting challenges – so we are looking for the brightest and the best from across the whole of the region.

“We’re a region that’s booming, and now is an amazing time to join us.”

For more information on how to apply please click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business