Business

Very high-speed rail comes to Chesterfield

Talgo UK and Chesterfield Borough Council today (28th January) took another step forward towards bringing advanced rail skills and technology to the town.

Talgo is a leading specialized rolling stock engineering company mainly focused on designing, manufacturing and servicing technologically differentiated, fast, lightweight trains, with a presence in 44 countries.

Talgo UK recently established a Head Office in Chesterfield, and confirmed ambitions to develop an ‘Innovation Centre’, co-located with Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

The company has ambitions for the UK that include not only Chesterfield, but also a major manufacturing plant at Longannet, in Scotland. The two sites will work together to ensure that the expertise and knowledge needed to build and export ‘state of the art’ trains will be embedded in the UK.

Talgo UK has a philosophy of ‘true manufacturing’. Instead of assembling kits from overseas, the company intends to reinvigorate the UK supply-chain, and source from it wherever possible.  This approach upskills workers, protects jobs, and keeps more money in the local and national economies of the UK.

Now those ambitions are becoming a reality, with an anticipated ‘framework agreement’ between Chesterfield Borough Council and Talgo UK, and the delivery of a very-high-speed rail vehicle to the site, for training and education purposes.

Perhaps more Tangible to the casual observer, is the delivery of one of Talgo’s 250kph coaches, which comes with Talgo’s world-beating and unique ‘Rodal’ technology installed. The coach was today gifted to Chesterfield Borough Council.

Talgo is bringing its technology to the UK, as part of a programme to explain new technologies, to transfer knowledge to the UK and to boost UK domestic capacity for Research and Development. Chesterfield will play a key part in the process, coordinating efforts across the UK.

Carlos de Palacio, President of Talgo, said: “I am delighted to deliver a high-speed present from Spain today. This is part of Talgo’s plan to generate better understanding of Talgo’s technologies that are being used around the world, but which have so far eluded the UK.”

He added “I hope that it is not long before we see the next generation of Talgo’s products built in the UK, with technical knowledge and innovation being provided by a team headquartered in Chesterfield, and drawing on the knowledge and expertise of the whole UK’”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I am extremely pleased that Talgo remains committed to Chesterfield and shares our ambitions to maximise the opportunities presented by unprecedented growth in the rail sector and transformational infrastructure projects, including HS2.

I am delighted to announce that in February Chesterfield Borough Council expects to enter into a framework agreement with Talgo UK.

The agreement will recognise the recent establishment of Talgo UK’s Headquarters here at Barrow Hill and will set out the milestones for the delivery of an Innovation Centre from where Talgo will develop its ‘all Britain Strategy”.

Talgo’s proposals for the Innovation Centre follow a major piece of collaborative work, involving key partners including Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, Chesterfield College, The University of Derby, Newcastle University’s NewRail and Midlands Rail Forum.

The partnership has commissioning Focus Consultants and Maber Architects to progress a feasibility and RIBA stage 2 design study, bringing closer the ambition of DRIIVe (Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle).  DRIIVe encompasses a modern rail innovation and training centre that will deliver over 3400sqm of floorspace, 190 jobs and a complete pathway of rail provision from level 2 through to level 7 for 1800 learners over 10 years.

Talgo Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home

Jessica’s delight at Redbrik promotion

Leading estate agency, Redbrik, has promoted its very own Jessica Risorto to a senior management role.

Jessica will now serve as Area Manager for Redbrik’s Chesterfield Sales office, in what will be her fifth year with the award-winning estate agent, which was established in 2013.

Having risen through the ranks at Redbrik, Jessica is viewed by company directors as ‘perfectly placed’ to lead the Chesterfield Sales Office, having developed a thorough understanding of local homeowners and the challenges they face.

The 29-year-old, who has held every role at Redbrik from Viewings Representative to Property Consultant, commented: “I’m delighted at the progression in my role here at Redbrik and have loved every minute so far.

“Redbrik is a fantastic company to work for and offers so many opportunities for personal development. I am really excited to grasp this opportunity with both hands and look forward to helping Redbrik continue to achieve its objectives and exceed the expectations of our customers in 2020 and beyond.

“I have a real passion for providing exceptional customer service, a passion I know we all share here at Redbrik. To me, that means offering knowledge and personal experiences to our customers to help them make good choices in regard to property and solve any problems they may face.

“Working in many roles in my five years here at Redbrik has given me opportunity to contribute significantly to the team and the wider community, something which I am keen to continue. It’s such an exciting time for the company and for Chesterfield, I can’t wait to further my work in the town and am so excited about its ongoing growth and development in the region”

Mark Ross, Managing Director at Redbrik, said: “This promotion is fully deserved for Jessica – she’s well-equipped to take on the role and I can’t wait to see her thrive in it.

“In addition to our commitment to providing exemplary customer service, we also pride ourselves on being a fantastic company to work for – we really strive to develop our staff.

“With five valuable years of experience at Redbrik under her belt, Jessica understands homeowner needs and brings a lot to the table. She is also very engaged with the local community so in this new role, at the heart of Redbrik, she will further strengthen our relationship with the people of Chesterfield, as their agent in property.

“We are already excited about the opportunities for real growth in 2020, and for Redbrik to become more of an integral part of homeowners’ lives. We have always prided ourselves on our innovation and the ability to solve our customers’ problems, and we plan on doing so this year through the launch of new services to the property sector.”

Redbrik, which recently celebrated its seventh year in business, was ranked as the number one estate agent in the Yorkshire and Humberside region by the 2019 Best Estate Agent Guide.

Mark Ross, Redbrik Estate Agents

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Former RBS Commercial Director joins Bridge Help

Bridge Help has announced the appointment of respected former RBS Commercial Director Darren Marshall as Head of Risk and Underwriting at the firm.

Darren (right) has been enticed out of early retirement to join the rapidly growing Chesterfield-based bridging finance company which provides short term loans for commercial property.

He joins Bridge Help as a non executive director and brings a wealth of high level experience in the banking sector to the company.

His 38-year career with the RBS Group has given him a proven track record in business development which he now brings to the team at Bridge Help. His appointment will assist in driving forward the firm’s ambitions to lend £100 million per year both direct to individuals and through a broker network.

Prior to his early retirement in 2018, Darren covered South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire in his RBS role, building an extensive knowledge base of the local marketplace. After choosing to leave the finance sector through early retirement he and his partner moved from near Rotherham to the North Yorkshire coast from where he will continue to be based.

Darren explained: “Since choosing to retire I have received a number of job offers but the one with Bridge Help genuinely excited me for a number of reasons, but primarily because of the firm’s agility.  Working with Bridge Help also enables me to work remotely which suits my new lifestyle.”

Central to Bridge Help’s agility is video conferencing technology which is enabling it to deal face-to-face with clients, brokers and solicitors in order to speed up the application process.

Bridge Help’s Chief Executive Chris Sellars (below) welcomed Darren onboard, saying: “In my previous role as a solicitor in North Derbyshire, I had the privilege of working alongside Darren on a number of my clients’ deals and have long respected his professionalism and approach. It is a considerable coup for Bridge Help that we have been able to entice Darren out of retirement to join the team. His appointment represents an exciting stage in Bridge Help’s development in the marketplace.”

His appointment follows the decision of Chris Sellars earlier this year to fully commit himself to the business and leave a successful 30-year legal career to focus on the bridging finance firm.

Darren added: “I have known Chris a long time and the chance to work with him was too good to miss.”

For further information about Bridge Help visit www.bridgehelp.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Home, Manufacturing

Success for young Financial Services Apprentice in Chesterfield

Apprentice Ethan Noakes has been offered a permanent position and opportunity to progress at Chesterfield company Mortgage 1st after successfully completing his apprenticeship scheme.

Ethan left school in 2017 and was keen to get straight into the workplace instead of continuing in further education. He secured a position at Mortgage 1st in Chesterfield on their apprenticeship scheme, studying Level 2 Financial Services Customer Adviser through a local training provider.

Ethan worked within the Mortgage Processing Department and with the support of his line manager Carly and all his colleagues, he began to learn the role and expectations of a Mortgage Administrator.

After 18 months, he successfully completed his apprenticeship and was offered a permanent position at Mortgage 1st. Not only had he passed the course work and exams, he had also impressed the management team with his professionalism, commitment and hard work.

Ethan has now been given an opportunity to progress further within the company and has begun training to become a General Insurance Adviser at Mortgage 1st. This has involved moving upstairs to the broker floor to join Louise and her team of advisers, as well as meeting with insurers such as Legal & General & Aviva to begin learning about their products and services.

Ethan said: “I have really enjoyed my time within the processing department and am excited to begin the training for my new role. I hope to continue learning, growing in knowledge and confidence, and keep progressing further and further. I know with the support that Mortgage 1st continuously offer that this is more than achievable. Everything being well, my dream goal is to be a Mortgage and Protection Advisor.”

Mortgage 1st continues to offer both work experience and apprenticeship opportunities to ambitious and driven young people in and around Chesterfield. For further details please contact the company to register your interest with HR Director Lisa Stones.

Ethan and his Mortgage 1st colleagues took part in the 2019 Redbrilk Chesterfield Half Marathon

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Home

Chesterfield estate agent opens new site following acquisition

Award-winning estate agent Dales & Peaks will be expanding to a new office location in Matlock to accommodate its expanding team following the acquisition of rival firm TPS Estates.

Established in 2006, the company offers ‘no-fuss’ professional services to those looking to buy, sell or rent residential properties. Dales & Peaks have expanded to grow their already substantial property portfolio and client base across Derbyshire, the East Midlands and beyond.

The new location will provide a large office space, situated in an attractive listed building sat at a prominent location at Dale Road in Matlock and will employ three staff members, with the view of growing this to five or six in 2020.

Banner Jones Solicitors advised Dale & Peaks – which has a well-established office on Old Brick Works Lane, Chesterfield – on the business acquisition and the lease agreement on the new office space. Banner Jones Solicitors and Dales & Peaks are both part of the Chesterfield Champions scheme which is run by Destination Chesterfield.

Sarah Currey, Managing Director of Dales & Peaks, said: “We’ve had a hugely successful year, with considerable expansion through the hard work of the team. Having recently won Small Business of the Year 2019 at the Derbyshire Times Business Excellence Awards, ending the year with the acquisition of TPS Estates is a fantastic achievement, allowing us to further our offering across Derbyshire and the East Midlands, and to continue to provide high-quality services to our ever-expanding client base.”

“We hope the acquisition and our new office space in Matlock will ensure that we are in a strong location to help people with their residential property needs in Matlock and surrounding areas, and to provide another great location out of which our growing, passionate team can operate.”

“Banner Jones’ advice throughout this period has been invaluable, and we are looking forward to what the future now holds!”

Ian Osborn, Commercial Solicitor at Banner Jones added: “Dales & Peaks has had a great year which has seen them expand organically, as well as through the acquisition of TPS.”

“We are delighted to have been instructed to support them with their commercial legal requirements during this time and look forward to assisting with their commercial offering in the future, as their operation continues to grow.”

Banner Jones offers a full range of services to businesses, including commercial agreements, company formations, support with commercial property and more.

Click here to find out more about Banner Jones

Click here to find out more about becoming a Chesterfield Champion

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home

Gogglebox personality to headline Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference

Gogglebox personality Baasit Siddiqui is headlining a free event next month which will bring together North Derbyshire’s business community and education sector ahead of the creation of thousands of jobs.

The Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure school leavers are ready to take up an estimated 10,000 job opportunities that are being delivered as a result of more than £1bn of development in the borough of Chesterfield.

Baasit Siddiqui, who appears on the hit Channel 4 show with his brother and father (The Siddiqui Family) is the keynote speaker at the conference, which is being held at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, Brimington, from 8:00am – 10:30am on Wednesday 26 February.

A former teacher, who boasts 10 years of teaching experience, the TV personality is an expert on education and social mobility. He is the Managing Director of Siddiqui Education Ltd, a Derby-based company which uses his public profile and the positive reputation of the Siddiquis from Gogglebox to help motivate and inspire school children.

The conference is organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, The D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub, and Destination Chesterfield.

At the conference, which returns for the fourth year, Mr Siddiqui will focus on how an education, which helps develop a range of transferable skills, can be used to support students as they progress through their educational and employability journey.

He will be joined by Rachel Quinn – Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP, Michael Timmins – Director of Water, Ports and Power North at AECOM and representatives from The Careers Enterprise Company and Cornerstone Business, as well as student council members at Whittington Green School.

The students at Whittington Green School are just some of more than 14,000 students in North Derbyshire, who are set to gain their GCSE and A Level qualifications in the next five years. 

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, explained why the conference is so important to Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.  

He said: “One of the Council’s priorities is to ensure that local people benefit from the economic growth that we are seeing in Chesterfield and support them into local jobs and good careers. There are a number of significant growth and regeneration projects underway in the borough. Collectively, these projects provide an opportunity to put Chesterfield on a higher growth path and will bring the opportunity for local people to access up to 10,000 new jobs.”

“The conference plays an important role in bringing together both business and education leaders to ensure communication lines are open and young people can benefit from employment and training opportunities now and in the future within the town.”

Daniel Heffernan of The D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub added: “We’re delighted to be involved in the event which will showcase the fantastic collaboration that is already taking place in the area. Importantly it also brings together business and education leaders who are eager to understand how they can better support the regions young people. Ultimately this will help lead to improved employment opportunities, and subsequent economic growth.” 

Places at the conference are limited. To find out more and to book your free place at the event, please click here.

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

Chesterfield company chosen to install £7m solar project at Port of Hull

ABP is to invest almost £7m at the Port of Hull to install the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar project, with the help of leading commercial solar installer and Chesterfield-based company, Custom Solar Ltd.

The solar system designed and installed by Custom Solar, will cover ABP warehouses and the engineering workshops on the Port of Hull. The solar panels will save 2,600 tonnes of CO2 per annum, equating to the energy needs of 1,600 average UK homes.

Simon Bird, Director at ABP Humber, said: “This solar installation is another vital step toward making our energy supply even more sustainable and even greener.”

“It will make more use of the hybridised port equipment we have invested in to carry out port operations.”

“I’m excited to see where this green energy revolution can take us as a port operator, as we look to decarbonise further our own operations and, in turn, those of our customers and the wider supply chain.”

Once completed, the 6.5 MW solar scheme at the Port of Hull will more than double the Humber Ports’ renewable energy generation, increasing it to over 12 MW, which will supply almost 29 per cent of the ports’ energy requirement. The entire installation is set to be online and producing clean power by July 2020.

Gary Sucharewycz, Development Director at Custom Solar, said: “In order for this project to be sanctioned, an incredible amount of work has taken place, working with ABP and the DNO Northern Powergrid.”

“It has been a fantastic achievement by all involved and has ensured this project was able to progress to fruition.”

With this new installation up and running, 17 of ABP’s 21 ports will have renewable energy projects in operation, generating clean power for the company. In 2018, 12.2 per cent of all the electricity ABP used was generated by onsite renewable projects and more projects came online in 2019.

Managing Director at Custom Solar, Matthew Brailsford, said: “We are delighted to be installing another iconic solar project on the Humber for Associated British Ports.”

“It has taken the Custom Solar team over two years to plan the project alongside the ABP engineering team due to the sheer scale and complexity of the project.”

“We are extremely proud to be installing the UK’s largest rooftop solar system and we very much look forward to unveiling the completed system in 2020 once all aspects have been safely installed and commissioned.”

The company previously scooped the impressive title of Commercial Rooftop Solar Installation of the Year at the Solar Power Portal Awards.

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

North Derbyshire Careers Hub launched by D2N2

Over one hundred people attended the launch of the North Derbyshire Careers Hub on 14 January. The hub is an initiative between D2N2 and the Careers and Enterprise Company designed to improve the life chances of the region’s young people.

At the launch, hosted at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, guests learned first-hand how the ambitions of the Hub will shape the future of young people. Attendees were encouraged to think about the skills that will be needed in the future workplace and new careers available in a rapidly changing landscape.

The North Derbyshire Careers Hub is made up of 21 schools and colleges working together to transform careers education for young people across the region. Careers Hub will maximise the quality and impact of careers support for young people across the north of the county.

Led by D2N2 with £80,000 in financial support from the Careers & Enterprise Company; the Careers Hub works collaboratively with universities, training providers, employers, Enterprise Advisers, and careers professionals alongside lead school Shirebrook Academy to deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks and improve careers outcomes for young people.

In addition, the hub also offers a central fund for employer engagement activities and training for a ‘Careers Leader’ in each school.

Amongst the speakers at the launch event were D2N2 Head of People & Skills Rachel Quinn, Abdul Bathin from the Careers & Enterprise Company, and Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield.

Local students also helped support the event with compare duties performed by Head boy of Tibshelf school, Max Derbyshire and refreshments provided by pupils from Stubbin Wood Special School.

Chloe Pearce, 14, from Outwood Academy Newbold said: “The event has been really interesting, especially seeing what goes on in careers behind the scenes and it’s been great getting students involved in the whole experience.”

D2N2 Careers Hub lead Dan Heffernan said of the launch: “I’m delighted to be managing this project on behalf of D2N2. This launch event showed the real appetite for change across North Derbyshire, and the team and I look forward to working closely with all our partners in the coming months.

“The North Derbyshire Careers Hub will play a key role in the long-term success of our region’s economy, building on the success of our existing Enterprise Advisor Network, and the strong partnerships between schools, colleges, and businesses.”

“We want to ensure young people get timely and relevant careers advice and meaningful encounters with the world of work. This will help lead to improved employment opportunities and subsequent economic growth.”

John Yarham, Interim Chief Executive of the Careers & Enterprise Company said: “This is brilliant news for young people in the county. The North Derbyshire Careers Hub will mean more and more young people get the opportunity to meet all and interact with a huge range of employers.

“These opportunities will help inspire young people, inform them about the different paths open to them, and prepare them for the world of work.”

The North Derbyshire Careers Hub is part of a wider network of hubs set up across the country by LEPs and supported by the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Hubs have garnered support from the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and more than 100 ‘cornerstone employers’ across the country who have committed to driving and championing connections to the world of work; including Airbus, KPMG, Anglian Water and GCHQ.

The Careers Hubs are based on a pilot scheme by the Gatsby Foundation (which is behind the Gatsby Benchmarks, an internationally recognised ‘checklist’ of what schools and colleges need to do to provide the best careers advice) and the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), run from 2015 to 2017.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, Manufacturing

Local shoppers donate specs in aid of charity

Staff and customers at the Specsavers stores in Matlock and Chesterfield have donated nearly 8,500 pairs of old glasses to the store over the last year to raise money for the Vision Aid Overseas charity.

Vision Aid Overseas is a registered charity which supports those with eye sight problems in developing countries. They operate in Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

Vicki Bainbridge, Director at Specsavers in Matlock and Chesterfield, said: “We would like to thank all of our customers who helped us last year on this project, but please do keep bringing in your glasses. Every single one will make a difference!”

“In a country where opticians’ services are readily available, it is easy for us to take our vision for granted. In the developing world however, the provision of optical services has a real impact on peoples’ lives.”

“Customers raised thousands of glasses this year – nearly enough to fill Chesterfield’s Proact Stadium! So check your drawers and dig down the back of the sofa, your unwanted specs can certainly go to good use.”

Once donated, all of the pairs of glasses collected are then recycled. The money made from this is used to help provide eye-care in developing countries.

The team at Specsavers is hopeful that donations will continue to be received throughout this year, allowing them to support Vision Aid Overseas’ work further.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Chesterfield mortgage advisers named as finalist in British Bank Awards 2020

Chesterfield-based mortgage advisers, Mortgage 1st, are delighted to be named as a finalist in the ‘Best Mortgage Broker’ category in the British Bank Awards 2020.

The British Bank Awards aim to find the best financial products and the most trusted financial brands in the country. These awards are voted for by customers and so far over 21,000 have voted for more than 180 different companies.

Lisa Stones (below), Marketing Director at Mortgage 1st said: “To be shortlisted for any award is amazing but when the results are based on customer votes it’s even more special as service excellence is what we pride ourselves on. We are very excited to be in the finals alongside a number of large well-known national mortgage firms – Wish us luck!”

Voting for finalists continues until the 9th of February – to vote for Mortgage 1st click here. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on the 12th of March 2020.

Mortgage 1st were also recently shortlisted as finalists in the Yorkshire Financial Awards in three categories – Mortgage Broker of the year, Customer Service Award and their Managing Director Jon Stones is shortlisted for Director of the Year. Winners will be announced in Leeds on the 27th of February 2020.

Lisa added: “We are delighted to be recognised for our contributions to the financial services industry, both regionally and nationally!”

Click here to find out more about Mortgage 1st.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

West Studios offers virtual office space in Chesterfield

Chesterfield’s West Studios, featuring a gallery, studio and meeting & event space, and home to a number of creative businesses, is now offering virtual office space.

The service offers a cost effective way for new and developing businesses in Chesterfield to take their business to the next level, at the same time as joining a supportive and established community of creative businesses.

The Virtual Tenancy offered by West Studios, for just £15 per month, not only gives new businesses the chance to have a registered business address away from their home address, it also gives them access to a whole host of other benefits including:

  • Access to an established creative community who work in the managed workspaces in the historic building
  • Use of the Gallery for informal meetings for up to 4 people
  • 20% off Monday – Friday bookings for the Meeting Room and Studio
  • A postal service
  • Exclusive tenant communications, offers and invitations
  • Details about the business will be included on the West Studios website, social media and there are opportunities to be featured in the monthly newsletter

West Studios is situated in the old Boys Grammar School on the Chesterfield College campus. It is designed to be a space to drive creativity and business growth, as well as to promote and showcase local talent.

To find out more about the Virtual Tenancy, contact the team on 01246 500799 or hello@weststudios.co.uk. For more information about West Studios, click here.

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