Chesterfield’s Monkey Park has been named as one of the UK’s top ‘Small Biz 100’ by Small Business Saturday. Monkey Park on Chester Street has been selected as a trail-blazer in the official count-down to Small Business Saturday, which takes place across the UK on 1 December 2018.

Monkey Park’s achievements and contribution to the local community will be celebrated and spotlighted on 3rd September 2018. This is part of the campaign’s mission to celebrate small business success, and encourage the nation to ‘shop local’ and support British small businesses.

The 2018 Small Biz 100 are drawn from every corner of the UK and reflect the vibrancy of the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses. Reflecting the latest in innovative start-up trends, from ethical shopping, through to Artificial Intelligence, this year’s Small Biz 100 features a range of unique independent businesses. This year’s cohort joins hundreds of previous Small Biz 100 alumni champions, which have been celebrated by the iconic campaign since its UK launch in 2013.

Kevin Walker, Director of Monkey Park CIC said:

“We are extremely thrilled to be announced as one of the ‘Small Biz 100’ for 2018.  Monkey Park is a not for profit organisation whose purpose is to improve the local community by bringing people together & supporting their efforts to change the area. We employ local people and buy our teas, coffees and other ingredients locally to make sure we are enhancing the local economy. We have created six part time jobs and all profits go back into the business or into community projects.  We fully support Small Business Saturday’s mission to encourage more people to shop locally and support ventures such as ours”.

Director of Small Business Saturday UK, Michelle Ovens said:

“The launch of the Small Biz 100 marks the exciting count-down to Small Business Saturday 2018. We are thrilled to highlight the dynamic, creative and inspiring small businesses from across the country, as part of our campaign to celebrate and champion the success of the UK’s small businesses. The Small Biz 100 showcases the companies at the heart of the UK’s economy, which we need to support now more than ever.”

In its sixth year Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign, which last year saw an estimated £748m spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday.

A grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010. American Express remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.

The #SmallBizSatUK campaign trended at number one in the UK on Twitter during 2017, reaching over 115 million people globally. The Prime Minister and the Mayor of London were among those publically supporting the campaign. Over 87% of local councils also supported the campaign.

Small Business Saturday also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation. The campaign is also supported by Amazon, Indeed, Royal Mail, Vistaprint, Xerox, and Square.

Small Business Saturday 2018 is open to all businesses to participate in, and will commence its regional bus tour roadshow across the UK during the autumn, to drum up further support.

All four stands at the Proact Stadium are now sponsored, following news that a sponsorship deal for the North Stand has been agreed with a long established, family-run business, Harold Lilleker & Sons Ltd.

Drew Lilleker, whose company has been arranging funerals in Chesterfield since around 1850, is delighted to have agreed a sponsorship deal with the club. He said: “Being a local, family business, it’s good to be doing something that’s involved in the community. My grandfather, Harold, was a huge Chesterfield fan who travelled the country to watch the Spireites so it’s nice to see his name on a stand.”

Debra Johnson, Chesterfield’s Corporate Relationship Manager, said: “We are delighted to be working with another local company and I would like to thank Drew and everyone at Harold Lilleker and Sons Ltd for supporting the club in this way. It is very pleasing that sponsorship deals are now in place for all four stands.”

Drew Lilleker is pictured with Debra Johnson outside the Harold Lilleker & Sons Stand.

Photo by Tina Jenner.

Mitchells Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers, located on Saltergate in Chesterfield, was approached by IT, Cloud and Communications provider Addooco to assist with the purchase of its business premises.

The process – which normally takes between three to six months – only took eight weeks because of Mitchells’ swift work providing the funder with all the necessary information and conducting smooth negotiating skills.

Andrew McDaid, a Mitchells Partner, said: “Addooco has been a really important client for us and over the years we’ve seen the company go from strength to strength with healthy business growth and staff expansion. For the firm, the next natural step was to secure a considerable property asset and what better building to invest in, than the company’s own premises?

“Mitchells has been in operation now for 150 years, but we recognise that in the ever-evolving business landscape, our industry has changed. Companies expect so much more from their accountants, which is why we do so much more than number crunching. Our collaboration with Addooco is in line with our ethos of being perceived as more of a strategic partner as opposed to just another service provider.

“We specialise in helping businesses grow, assisting firms of all sizes, to overcome big challenges so they can move to the next level of growth, allowing us to provide real value in a changing world.”

The purchase of Dundee House on Millennium Way in Chesterfield was officially completed on 29 June 2018.

Addooco’s Managing Director Richard Walters said: “We’ve employed Mitchells for a long time and their work handling our financial matters has always been so impressive that it made total sense to ask for their assistance in making such a significant financial commitment.

“We felt purchasing the building was helping the company to take the next logical step in literally cementing our presence in the region and a significant strengthening of the company’s financial position, instilling confidence among current and future clients about the financial strength of the company. Not only that, but we’re strong supporters of Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Champions so we were keen to provide a physical commitment to the town.

“The property acquisition will make a real difference to our business going forward. We can’t thank Mitchells enough for their excellent and professional work throughout.

“What really impressed us was when our bank initially made a verbal offer, which at the time I thought was good, Mitchells used their experience and expertise to negotiate better terms, lower arrangement fees and no personal security. This proves it really does pay to use the services of a specialist in this area.”

Mitchells Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers has been at the heart of the business community for 150 years. The company specialises in helping businesses throughout Chesterfield, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire grow and prosper.

Andrew McDaid, partner at Mitchells, and Addooco’s Managing Director Richard Walters

Local pop up company Pizza Pi will give a permanent home to its wood fired pizzas when it opens Pizza Pi Pizzeria on Beetwell Street, Chesterfield on Monday 20^th August.

The business began in March 2017 as a side venture between two friends, and since then has attended many local events such as the Chesterfield Food & Drink Festival, the Chesterfield Artisan Market and Chesterfield’s Vintage Summer Fair.

The pizzeria has been decorated with a rustic theme throughout and its menu will mainly be wood fired pizzas, with other types of wood fired foods soon to be available. Gluten free pizza bases will also be on offer and pizzas are available ‘to go’. The menu will include desserts such as ice cream and brownies and from the 6^th September the business will also be licensed to sell alcohol, offering a selection of wines, beers, gins and whiskeys alongside soft drinks and fresh coffee.

Pizza Pi Pizzeria will create up to 10 jobs long term and there are plans to host acoustic acts and charity nights in the future. The team will continue the pop up side of the business and will be available for private bookings such as weddings and birthdays.

Owner Ricky Marples said: “Pizza Pi was originally just an idea between two mates to earn a little extra spending money around our full-time jobs. We’re so pleased our pizzas have been well received, allowing us to open  our new premises in Chesterfield. We look forward to inviting people in to try a wood fired pizza the way it is supposed to be.”

Pizza Pi Pizzeria will open on Monday 20^th August at 11 Beetwell Street and will be open until 10pm every day.

Motan Colortronic are the new sponsors of the South Stand at Chesterfield’s Proact Stadium.

After agreeing a deal with the Chesterfield-based company, Spireites commercial manager Jim Brown said: “I would like to thank Motan-Colortronic for their valued support over many years and I am delighted to see their name on the South Stand.”

Karl Miller, Motan Colortronic’s Managing Director, said: “We’ve been involved in sponsoring the club for some years and when the opportunity arose to take a stand sponsorship, we were very happy to do it. In harder times, the club needs extra support and we feel that it’s important for us to provide backing in this way.”

Motan Colortronic Ltd, founded in 1974, are leading suppliers of high quality ancillary equipment for the plastics processing industry.

This announcement follows last week’s news that long term sponsor Karen Child has agreed a sponsorship deal for the East Stand, which will now be known as the Karen Child Community Stand. For more on this please click here.

Karl Miller (right) is pictured with Jim Brown outside the Motan Colortronic Stand.

Chesterfield’s Specsavers store has recognised 35 members of staff who have stayed with the company for at least five years, with the group clocking up an impressive 445 years of service between them.

Vicki Bainbridge, Director at the Specsavers store on Burlington Street said: ‘We feel so lucky to have such a loyal group of people working with us. A few years ago we started a tradition of taking our longer serving staff out for a celebratory dinner and gradually the number of people joining us for the meal has grown and grown.

‘This year we were proud to look down the table at 35 team members, 27 of whom have a decade or more of loyal service under their belts.’

Angie Lee, Administrator, has worked at the store for 14 years and says she has loved the job from day one: ‘The people here are really lovely, everyone genuinely cares about each other and we love working together. It’s a great place to work and the annual get-together is just one of the ways our management team looks after us. It makes you want to work hard because you feel valued.’

The longest serving member of staff is Nazir Hassen, the Optometrist Director, who opened the store in 1994. Julie Gregory, Customer Assistant and Sarah Nelson, Store Manager are next in line with 18 years’ service each under their belts and Gareth Webster, now a Retail Director, began working at the store in 2002 as a 19 year old assistant.

Specsavers recently won the Retailer of the Year Award at the 2018 Chesterfield Retail Awards.

The Chesterfield Retail Awards are organised by Destination Chesterfield.

Trentbarton buses boss Ian Morgan OBE has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors at East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire).

He will replace current Chair Phil Stanyer (below) when Phil’s tenure ends at the end of January.

Ian (right), who is Deputy Chairman at Wellglade Group, the largest independently-owned group of bus companies in the UK and owner of trentbarton, was appointed Chair-elect at a Chamber Board meeting at the end of July.

Chairman of Derbyshire County Cricket Cub, Chairman of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, panel member of the Invest to Grow Programme and a former member of the D2N2 LEP Board of Directors, Ian has previously served on the Chamber Board.

He was on the Board of Directors of the Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and then the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber. He was President of Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce in 2002 and of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber in 2011.

He resigned from the Chamber Board in 2015 after more than 20 years’ service but continued to work with and support the Chamber.

Ian formally becomes Vice-Chair in September and will work alongside Phil for a handover period, taking over as Chair on 1 February 2019.

He said: “The Chamber is the biggest business-representation organisation in the Midlands and the strongest voice for regional businesses in Whitehall and Westminster. Under Phil’s stewardship, it has had strong and experienced management. His will be big shoes to fill but I’m ready for the challenge, have much to offer and will do my best to continue his good work.”

Phil formally retires as Chairman on 31 January 2019. He is a life member of the National Trust, a Trustee of Tideswell Male Voice Choir and a board member of the North Derbyshire Area Board for Young Enterprise. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry and an Associate of the Institute for Independent Business.

Trained as a Chartered Accountant, he has enjoyed a career in business leadership, much of it in the motor industry, and has been a lead figure in change management and corporate governance. He won his first appointment as a Finance Director when he was just 26 years old and led his first business 12 years later.

Phil said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. The Chamber has a vital role to play in the business community and has to be an exemplar organisation. Ian has the strength, experience and ability to drive it to the next level and I wish both him and the Chamber continued success.”

Scott Knowles, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said: “Phil was our first Chair following revisions to our management structure three years ago. His influence has been invaluable and I have enjoyed working with him.”

“Ian is well known to the Chamber and has had a long association with us. We know each other well. He will bring new drive, new ideas and a wealth of different experience to the role.”

“The Chamber is extremely grateful to Phil for all he’s done but we’re looking forward to whatever Ian brings to the table.”