Business

Virtual careers fair launched for Chesterfield and North Derbyshire school leavers

An innovative online careers and employability platform, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched today (20 August).

The launch has been timed to coincide with the release of the GCSE exam results, and whatever the outcomes, this platform is aimed at helping school leavers in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire make important decisions about their future amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Developed by Chesterfield Borough Council, in partnership with Destination Chesterfield and the D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub, the My Future platform aims to provide free careers information to Year 11 and 13 young people.

The virtual careers fair platform aims to give young people across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire access to the widest range of high-quality careers advice, employment support, skills and educational programmes, by showcasing up to 100 businesses, education and training providers across 10 zones.

Using innovative 360expo software, the My Future platform has been developed in partnership with Chesterfield-based Oasis Studio. It has been created in just a few weeks in order to provide support for young people facing uncertainty in their future as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ahead of the launch, the D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub has worked with careers leaders from 21 schools and colleges across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire, to reach out to all Year 11 and Year 13 school leavers encouraging them to access the My Future platform.

To encourage young people to visit the platform, the North Derbyshire Careers Hub is also giving away an iPad to one of the first visitors to the site who finds the golden spire which will be hidden within one of the virtual stands.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Whether you’re finishing GCSEs, A-Levels or college courses, what you have achieved this year is remarkable, especially given the extra challenges you have faced due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Whatever your results are, you should be especially proud of yourself.”

“Now is the time to start thinking about the future and what that next step is, and the My Futures platform is the perfect way to get started.”

“My Future has led to a truly innovative digital platform that provides access to a wide range of careers advice, employment support, apprenticeships, skills and training programmes, all under one virtual roof. I hope that My Future will help young people to build the career and future that they want, so that we can continue to build a thriving borough together.”

James Brand, D2N2 LEP board member and Managing Director of United Cast Bar, a Chesterfield-based business which is featured in the engineering and manufacturing zone on the platform, said: “My Future is a fantastic platform which we were delighted to get involved with. It’s a great opportunity for businesses to reach out to young people during these challenging times. The platform will offer real support and guidance to school leavers who have been unable to access the careers information they would normally have had to help them make informed decisions about their future.”

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager explained: “Everyone has worked tremendously hard to get the platform up and running. We have been overwhelmed by the support and involvement of businesses and training providers to make My Future happen and support local school leavers during this challenging time.”

D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub Lead Dan Heffernan said: “In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to ensure our young people are given high quality and relevant transitions support.  My Future will ensure that we continue to inspire our future workforce, give them advice on their future career prospects, and showcase the types of next steps that are available.

“On behalf of D2N2 LEP I want to thank all of the organisations that have contributed to this project so far, all of whom are helping to transform the skills and employability agenda across North Derbyshire.”

There are around 100 virtual exhibition pods active on the platform across 10 zones, including careers and transition, regeneration, enterprise and employment support, digital and technology, engineering and manufacturing, financial and professional services, health, community and public service, property and construction, logistics and distribution and tourism, hospitality and retail.

Young people can take control of their future by visiting My Future and learning about the many opportunities available to them at www.myfuture.org.uk from Thursday 20 August. The mobile app can also be downloaded here.

My Future Virtual Careers Platform

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Home

Virtual events provide medal opportunity for Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon runners

Runners will have an opportunity to claim a 2020 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon medal this year despite the event’s cancellation due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Virtual events have been confirmed for the original event weekend of 16th to 18th October, with participants invited to run a Half Marathon, Five Mile or 10k distance before publishing post-run pictures and/or times on the page’s Virtual Events Facebook page, or tagging the event on Instagram and/or Twitter.

The Redbrik Half was cancelled due to Covid-19 creating safety concerns, with the brand-new Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10k replacing the event from 2021.

Entrants into the originally-planned 2020 Redbrik Half Marathon who have deferred their entries to the new Chesterfield 10k will receive a medal free of charge on completion of one of the Redbrik Half Marathon Virtual Events – as will those who have already entered the 2021 Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10k.

Runners who have not entered either event but want to claim a Virtual Event medal can also enter online for a small fee, with details to be announced soon.

With the Redbrik Half Marathon’s charity partners – Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice – due to miss out on funds pledged by those running this year’s Half Marathon events, organisers have encouraged Virtual Event participants to raise funds for good causes which would ordinarily have received tens of thousands of pounds in donations.

John Timms, Event Director said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing people take to the streets safely for the Redbrik Half Marathon’s Virtual Events weekend.”

“This is a fantastic way for those disappointed at the event’s cancellation to still claim a medal and be rewarded for all the training and efforts they have been putting in over the last few months preparing for the event.”

“It’s also vitally important that we continue to pledge funds for great causes such as Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, which have both missed out on huge chunks of funding following the cancellation of events due to the pandemic.”

“It won’t quite replace the incredible buzz of the Chesterfield Half Marathon, but this is our chance to give back to those who supported the Redbrik Half in the three years since its inception, and those who have already pledged their support for the Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10k.”

Mark Ross, Managing Director of Redbrik Estate Agents, said: “It’s great that entrants into the 2020 Redbrik Half Marathon still have a chance to claim a medal despite the event’s cancellation – it’s certainly unusual and something I’ve not seen a lot of cancelled events offer to entrants.”

“It’s also a fantastic way in which people can still generate much-needed funds for causes such as Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, two charities which have done unbelievable work during the pandemic and continue to serve local people and communities despite the current circumstances.”

“We’ve been proud to support the Chesterfield Half Marathon since its re-launch in 2017 and look forward to seeing people take part in this year’s virtual events, as we head towards the all-new Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10k in 2021.”

The Redbrik Half Marathon’s Virtual Events will be supported by Pronto Paints, a leading regional industrial paint manufacturer.

Pronto Paints Managing Director, David Beckford, said: “We’re delighted to continue supporting the health and wellbeing of the people of Chesterfield and the surrounding areas by pledging our support to the 2020 Redbrik Half Marathon’s Virtual Events.

“We love the idea behind the Redbrik Half Marathon’s Virtual Events and getting behind the event despite the ‘real’ Half Marathon being called off fits within our company ethos of continuing to support the health and wellbeing and physical activity of the community.

“We can’t wait to see medals being awarded for all those who take on the Virtual Redbrik Half Marathon.”

To find out more about the Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10K, click here.

Image credit: Paul Horton Photography

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

University of Derby invites local businesses to sign up to employee mental health support scheme

Local businesses are being offered the chance to boost productivity by working with the University of Derby to provide better mental health support for employees.

The Mental Health and Productivity Pilot will see the implementation of new workplace interventions at pilot organisations and the rollout of existing approaches in small, medium and large businesses across the Midlands Engine region.

The programme aims to:

  • contribute to the reduction of mental health distress
  • break down the barriers to accessing care faced by people experiencing mental illness
  • support their continuation in and return to work
  • make a positive contribution to organisational productivity, in terms of wellbeing and economic outcomes

Dr Paula Holt, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Health and Social Care at the University of Derby, said: “The cost to the economy of mental health across the Midlands could be in excess of £45bn this year. Yet research shows that for every £1 invested in supporting the mental health of employees, the return to the employer in productivity is £5. Those returns are greater still when employers take preventative, rather than reactive steps to help their staff.”

Around 1,900 employers took part in the first phase of project, exploring the issues of how mental health and wellbeing are currently dealt with in the workplace and its impact on performance.

Around a third of those taking part reported sickness absence among staff due to mental health issues, and a similar proportion recorded presenteeism, particularly in the hospitality and business services sectors.

Factors negatively affecting mental health of employees include:

  • Lone or remote working
  • Client expectations on time, quality and cost
  • Job insecurity
  • Recruitment practices

Dr Holt added: “A healthy and inclusive workplace is essential for all businesses, so providing  appropriate support for employees, creating a culture of openness and tackling discrimination and stigma, will help to remove some of the barriers to growth and development for firms.”

“The research we have carried out shows that employers recognise that understanding how to address mental health issues effectively can boost morale, engagement and motivation, but also reveals that they are not always sure where to obtain the help they need.”

The pilot will link employers directly to initiatives such as Every Mind Matters, This is Me and Mental Health First Aid, which all provide expert guidance.

Once embedded into an organisation, the guidance aims to help reduce the prevalence of mental health difficulties and increase productivity among the workforce.

The University is now offering businesses of all sizes and from all sectors in Derbyshire and the surrounding areas with the opportunity to work with them integrate effective mental health provision into their organisation.

Training courses which not only help to raise awareness but could be used to support continuing professional development (CPD) are also available.

Businesses taking part will be asked to commit to an initial meeting to discuss how the programme would work for their company, creating a roadmap for its success, and promoting their commitment to the pilot in the workplace.

To find out more about the pilot, click here.

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

The University of Derby’s Chesterfield campus, St Helena

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

UKATA announces first Corporate Associate

A brand-new Corporate Associate partnership with the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) means that thirty thousand SMAS Worksafe members now have access to industry-leading asbestos training.

SMAS Worksafe, a leading health and safety assessment company, is UKATA’s first Corporate Associate following the launch of the strictly invitation-only scheme last year. It is open to like-minded associations, charities and not-for-profit organisations, professional and industry registers.

The partnership recognises the aligned aims of both organisations and comes at a critical period for the UK construction industry. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, workers in the sector are having to play catch-up with asbestos training that they were unable to complete during lockdown.

Commenting on the new partnership Craig Evans, UKATA Chief Operating Officer explained: “It made absolute sense to invite SMAS Worksafe to become a Corporate Associate.  Like us, they have a commitment and support to continued improvements and developments within the asbestos industry, in particular training.”

As well as upskilling SMAS Worksafe members, the partnership will also see members of each organisation benefit from an ongoing information share between UKATA and SMAS Worksafe of best practice in their respective fields.

The partnership will also enable members of SMAS Worksafe to respond to growing demand from construction companies for contractors to demonstrate their compliance with Environmental and Quality Management.

Trish Meyer, Business Development Manager at SMAS Worksafe, said of the partnership: “The aim of this partnership is to raise standards in asbestos across the industry. I look forward to working with the team at UKATA to ensure that our members are kept up to date with all the relevant asbestos information and know how to identify relevant and accredited training.”

Craig added: “Our collaboration recognises the quality standards of both organisations and aims to assist members and the wider industry alike to demonstrate their commitment to workplace safety.”

With around 5,000 deaths per year as a result of exposure to asbestos, it is imperative that the relevant workers have the appropriate level of asbestos training to help prevent putting themselves or others at risk in the course of their work.

Asbestos-related health issues, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, are not identified immediately after exposure to asbestos as it takes a minimum of 15 years and up to 60 years, before deadly asbestos-related diseases present themselves.

A majority of UKATA-approved training providers are now fully operational and either delivering training courses by video conference, e-learning or within the classroom whilst observing social distancing guidelines.

UKATA supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

New local radio station launched for Chesterfield, Matlock and North Derbyshire

Launching as a local radio alternative to big national brands; Radio Rewind is a new digital age radio station for the communities of Chesterfield, Matlock and North Derbyshire.

The aim is to provide a professional-sounding radio station with friendly and familiar presenters who care about issues and events across Chesterfield, Matlock & North Derbyshire.

The station has been founded by two locals; Andrew Haslam and Joseph Turton, who both grew up in the Chesterfield area, surrounded by local radio and media. Between the two, they have previous experience working at online radio stations, an extensive history with a range of live events and knowledge of the broadcast media space.

Andrew Haslam and Joseph Turton

As a part of the station’s big plan, a local drive time show has been penciled in to start later this year, as well as putting several other local show slots together ready to be filled with local talent. One of which is local radio presenter James Hilton, who has over 20 years of radio experience.

Playing a range of music, from timeless 80s hits, right through to the latest charts and local music, with other shows dedicated to Rock, Blues, Late Night Love Classics and Dance Music, Radio Rewind is designed to appeal to radio listeners in the area, and fill the gap that has been left behind.

Radio Rewind’s Station Manager, Andrew, said: “As someone who grew up listening to local radio in Chesterfield, I am excited to be working on this new local radio station, and hope that we are supported by people and businesses in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire so we can work towards bringing local radio back on the dial, as well as online.”

He then added: “With more than half of radio listening now being via digital platforms such as DAB, smart speakers and other online sources, now is the right time to launch Radio Rewind, which is proud to stand as a local station.”

Co-Founder, Joseph Turton said: “A goal for us with Radio Rewind, is to be able to offer a professional sounding local radio station which endeavours to support local businesses, community groups and residents. As a station we pride ourselves on offering high quality and entertaining shows, along with, travel updates, local content & national and local news.”

“As support and listening increases for the station, we can bring on more and more local shows.”

To help make a difference in the area of North Derbyshire, Radio Rewind runs ‘Local Focus’, which is designed to help promote local events and not-for-profit organisations looking to showcase their groups and encourage people to join in with activities. Local Focus is free for any non-commercial group in the area and features will run regularly across the day.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield people urged to join the Refill Revolution and cut down on waste

The Plastic Free Chesterfield community group are encouraging Chesterfield people to join the Refill Revolution and bring their reusable water bottle, coffee cup or container to fill up on the go, rather than buying a single-use alternative.

With the school holidays, staycations and summer day trips in full swing as lockdown has eased, a new Summer of Refills campaign to help cut down on litter has been unveiled.

In the town, you can refill at more than 20 venues including Bottle & Thyme, Fred’s Haberdashery, The Cheese Factor, Stephensons Tea and Coffee House and Chesterfield High Street Award nominee Steph’s Sustainable Stuff. Plastic Free Chesterfield is highlighting a different business a day on their social media channels.

Simon Davidson, Owner of The Cheese Factor, said: “The Cheese Factor is joining the Summer of Refills campaign so people can start to help the planet by refilling containers not throwing them away!”

Steph Mannion of Steph’s Sustainable Stuff said: “I’m taking part in the Summer of Refills campaign to help the people of Chesterfield reduce their dependence on single-use plastics. Bringing their own containers for food, toiletries and cleaning products can save money and cut down on waste.”

Greg Hewitt, Community Lead of Plastic Free Chesterfield, said: “As the public get back out and about, enjoying their summer holidays, I hope they will choose to reuse and bring a reusable water bottle, coffee cup or container with them. We can all join together to make a difference and reduce single use in our community.”

The list of all Chesterfield businesses taking part can be found here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

New appointment for Bridge Help

Chesterfield-based short-term commercial finance company, Bridge Help, has expanded further with the appointment of David Fielding.

David joins the business as an underwriter bringing nearly 30 years’ experience in the banking sector to his new role. He began his career in banking as a clerk before moving to a customer adviser role and then onto mortgage administration and credit reports, before progressing to a relationship manager position with RBS in 2001.

A self-confessed ‘number cruncher’, David commented: “I like working with maths and numbers and particularly enjoy the analytical side of credit.”

Within the newly created role at Bridge, David will be responsible for preparing the credit reports for the initial assessment of loan applicants with the Bridge Help loans committee.

He added: “I am delighted to join the company. Bridge Help very much has a can-do attitude making it particularly agile within the market. It’s tremendously exciting to part of the company’s growth and decision-making process.”

David, who lives in Rotherham, joins at a time of growth for the business which was established just 18 months ago by former solicitor Chris Sellars who welcomed David to the Bridge Help team. He said: “I am delighted to welcome David onboard. He represents a significant step forward for the business and our plans to grow our market share.

“Despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, loan applications remain strong as people look to invest in the UK commercial property market. Our loan book remains unaffected by the crisis and we are moving ahead with further recruitment in 2020.”

David is one of three new appointments made recently by Bridge Help to push forward the company’s growth ambitions within the bridging finance market. Further recruitment, and also a move to new premises, is planned for later this year.

Bridge Help supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Chris Sellars

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

Confidence in Chesterfield’s recovery plans

Ten years ago the country was in the depths of a financial crisis and Chesterfield Borough Council responded with forward-thinking, throwing its weight behind the establishment of the town’s marketing campaign, Destination Chesterfield.

As the then vice chair of Destination Chesterfield and councillor, John Burrows, said: “We could have chosen to bunker down and ride out the recession, but we didn’t. We chose to be proactive and forge ahead with our marketing plans.”

And history, as they say, is repeating itself will the launch of the council’s ambitious Economic Recovery Plan which aims to support and rebuild the town’s economy in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This cannot be the job of the council alone. It has to be a team effort and it is encouraging to see that the council is not alone in its efforts to support the high street’s recovery. As well the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme to support the hospitality sector, locally grown initiatives like the Twist & Save Card scheme, are also encouraging local people to use local shops and services and drive that all important footfall.

There are encouraging signs for the town’s recovery already. Chesterfield’s retail scene is fully re-open and we have even seen a number of new independent shops open since lockdown.

The structural steelwork frame for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

More encouragingly, during lockdown we saw developments move forward. Construction began on the Innovation Centre at Saltergate and Peak Resort took a step forward with the announcement that the UK’s first fully serviced national park gateway will be opened there.

This lays a very firm foundation for the growth of Chesterfield’s tourism and hospitality sector which will enable us to make the most of the increased popularity of staycations.

This summer, the country as a whole has truly seen the value of a staycation, and Chesterfield’s proximity to the Peak District is delivering immediate benefits to our economy. The opening of the gateway facility at Peak Resort will turbo charge the benefits of having the Peak District on our doorstep.

Out of crisis often comes opportunity and entrepreneurialism. Chesterfield has the raw ingredients to support this – from office and retail space and development land to funding and expert advice. Teamwork is key.

There is no denying that we all have a long road ahead of us in our recovery, but I am confident that Chesterfield will once again respond to the challenge, and the borough will continue to thrive.

Peak Resort David Loyd Leisure Site Cleared

Peak Resort – David Loyd Leisure Site Cleared

Posted in Blog, Business, Destination Chesterfield

Work progresses on site of Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

The erection of the structural steelwork frame for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre marks a major milestone in the development’s progress.

Work on the site has been progressing safely through the Coronavirus pandemic with work on the foundations beginning in April and now the steelwork is being erected, which means that the new Enterprise Centre is on track to be completed and will be a key contributor to the town’s economic recovery.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, who visited the site said: “This is both an exciting and an important development for Chesterfield, and I’m pleased that work is continuing to progress despite the current challenges.”

“This Enterprise Centre is key to ensuring that Chesterfield remains a thriving borough and will create lots of new opportunities for local businesses and people, supporting the sustainability of the town centre.”

The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is an important development in Chesterfield’s post-Coronavirus economic recovery plans. It is also a key part of the plan to regenerate this key area of the town and to ensure the town continues to thrive.

Robert Woodhead Limited’s Project Manager, Daniel Cove, said: “Our current works on site centre around the installation of the steel frame and are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. This will then allow us to bring back the ground workers, install the lift pit, the underground tanking and the perimeter blockwork to allow for the installation of the ground floor slab. We are also expecting to receive delivery of the pre-cast concrete stair and the composite metal decking at the end of August to allow for the installation of the roof and expect to be watertight by mid-October.

“We are working with local companies on this project, the ground worker we have contracted for the works is DJ Newbury who employ a number of Chesterfield residents. Going forward we hope to engage with local supply chains for a number of trades including dry lining, flooring and painting and decorating.”

Andrew Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, said: “As a local practice we are delighted to see progress being made on site.”

“The Enterprise Centre is an important part of the Northern Gateway regeneration in Chesterfield, providing a new and unique commercial offer which is designed to be a catalyst for further investment and development.”

As well as providing high quality facilities for businesses wanting to locate in the town centre, the architecture will provide a new contemporary landmark which will enrich the urban fabric of the town. This building is further evidence that Chesterfield can deliver its ambition and realise a building fit for a long and sustainable future.

Scheduled for completion in Spring 2021, the new building will provide 32 high-quality offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors. It offers a shared reception and lobby area, meeting rooms, first floor break out area, bicycle store, shower and changing facilities, air conditioning throughout, lift access, internal bin store, kitchenettes on each floor for use by occupants, individually metered power supplies, access control to all office doors, CCTV coverage to internal communal areas and external area. IT fibre connection into building with maximum speed multi bandwidth and WIFI is provided throughout.

Office space is offered on easy in and out letting terms and tenants at the Enterprise Centre will also benefit from access to a range of other council services and venues, including business support and corporate rates for leisure passes, parking permits and conferencing facilities.

With its town centre location, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is easily accessible by car, train, bus and cycle users. It’s situated opposite the new Saltergate multi-story car park and close to all major bus routes and Chesterfield Train station.

The building has been designed to have sustainability principles at its heart, minimising its impact on the environment and achieving considerable efficiencies in energy use.

The new centre is an important addition to Chesterfield Borough Council’s commercial property portfolio and will hopefully be a key component in Chesterfield’s post COVID 19 recovery.

The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre project has benefited from grant funding support from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

To find out more about your business being based in the Enterprise Centre email either claire.cunningham@chesterfield.gov.uk or hannah.ramsdale@chesterfield.gov.uk.

To find out more about the Northern Gateway development, click here.

Architects for the centre, Whittam Cox have produced a virtual walkthrough of the building which you can watch below:

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Manufacturing, Summer

D2N2 Growth Hub to receive cut of £20 million in grants to boost small business recovery

The Government has announced a support package of £20 million specifically aimed at SMEs to help them recover from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

It comes on top of an unprecedented package of Government support to help businesses to recover. The support will be fully funded by the government from the England European Regional Development Fund and distributed through local Growth Hubs.

The funding will come in the form of a grant from between £1,000 – £5,000 which can be used to support one or a combination of the following activities:

  • Access to technology or new equipment in order to get back on track or diversify
  • Access to professional advice such as HR, legal or financial to aid business decision making and risk management

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP, said: “Businesses will be able to use these new grants to pay for the expertise, equipment and technology they need to adapt, recover and rebuild.”

“Small and medium sized businesses are the beating heart of communities; they provide employment and contribute significantly to local economies and we are determined to give them the support they need to continue to thrive.”

The D2N2 Growth Hub is currently working hard to finalise the application process for these grants and will provide further information on the eligibility criteria as soon as it’s available. EU procurement regulations will apply to this funding.

Chris Pook, D2N2 Growth Hub Manager, said: “These additional grants are welcome news to support some of our local businesses to recover from the impacts of the Covid pandemic. Whilst there is a finite amount of funding to give out, the scheme will help businesses to become more resilient for the future by allowing them to source external advice or implement new technology to diversify their operation in response to COVID 19.”

The expectation is for the scheme to be available at the end of August. If you would like this information when it is published please click here and complete the form.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

Small businesses hit by the pandemic to access support from University of Derby Business School

The University of Derby Business School is working with the Small Business Charter to deliver a specialised government funded programme for leaders of small businesses to survive and thrive in the coming months.

This new scheme comes as part of a £20million package the government is providing to help small businesses in the long term.

To aid business resilience and future growth in the current climate, the Small Business Leadership Programme will create peer groups to develop stronger leadership, innovation, operational efficiency, marketing and finance.

Derby Business School was accredited by the Small Business Charter (SBC) in January 2020, a national accreditation awarded by small businesses to business schools who excel in supporting SMEs and the local economy.

Coronavirus has put untold pressure on directors and CEOs of small companies trying to navigate unchartered waters.

The government has made up to £30 billion available to support economic recovery ahead of the Autumn and businesses can continue to draw upon a range of financial support during this challenging time, including loans, tax deferrals and cash grants. The SBLP will help businesses to bounce back from the impact of coronavirus and prepare for any future disruption.

Speaking about the Small Business Leadership Programme, Professor Kamil Omoteso, Pro Vice-Chancellor  Dean of the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby, said: “I am delighted that the University of Derby is working with the Small Business Leadership Programme to aid economic recovery and support small businesses affected by Covid-19.

“Across the region we have a high number of sectors affected by the pandemic and we are working closely with the city and the county to tackle its impact. Our aim is to support the re-skilling of people post-Covid, help businesses access our large talent pool of students and graduates, and share our expertise and funding to take the knowledge created within the University and embed it in businesses, partnerships and other organisations to help them innovate and grow.”

The practical syllabus provides business leaders with access to small business and management experts from Derby Business School. The Small Business Leadership Programme is free and fully funded by the Government to enhance small business resilience and recovery from the impact of COVID-19 and develop potential for future growth and productivity.

The short and focused programme will be delivered online through a structured course of eight 90-minute webinars over the course of 10 weeks and will provide the knowledge needed for businesses to tackle crisis situations. It will also give businesses the opportunity to strengthen their business network.  Participants will develop strategic leadership skills and the confidence to make informed decisions to boost business performance.

Anne Kiem OBE, CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, said: “As we continue to grapple with the Coronavirus crisis it is also essential we look long term to ensure small businesses are supported to build resilience, survival and growth. Business schools can provide the expertise and knowledge all business owners and directors need to continue to thrive in uncertain times.”

Small Business Minister, Paul Scully, said: “The strength of small businesses up and down the country will be vital as we begin to bounce back from coronavirus and re-build our economy. The Small Business Leadership Programme will help to equip small business leaders with the leadership and problem-solving skills they need to grow their firms in the wake of this pandemic.”

Find out more about the Small Business Leadership Programme and how to apply here.

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Click here to find out more about the University of Derby’s Chesterfield Campus

St Helena’s in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home