A renowned Chesterfield industrial paint manufacturer has partnered with the town’s Half Marathon, which is set to take place in October this year.

Chesterfield Champion, Pronto Paints, established in 1989 and based in the Holmewood area of the North Derbyshire town, has agreed a deal to sponsor the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon Wellbeing Challenge, a community and workplace challenge-based activity which is new to the event in 2018.

Priced at £80 for a group entry, the Wellbeing Challenge, which is aimed at community groups and local businesses, includes two entries into each of the Half Marathon’s events – the 1km Fun Run, the Peak FM Five Mile Run and the 13.1-mile Half Marathon.

The Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon has enjoyed a successful rejuvenation following an inaugural revamped event in 2017. More than 800 people entered last year, with organisers hopeful of a four-figure turnout in 2018.

David Beckford, managing director of Pronto Paints, said: “We’re very proud to be supporting the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon after a hugely successful event in 2017.

“As a community-focused organisation, supporting mass participation community events is in our company ethos – we’re a family-run, long-established business and wanted to get involved.

“We’ve gone from being a one-man team back in the late 80s to a team of 37 producing three million litres of industrial paint each year – and we look forward to contributing towards the Half Marathon enjoying growth of its own this year.”

John Timms, events director at Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon organisers MLS Contracts, said: “We’re delighted to have the Pronto Paints team on board, they’re a renowned Chesterfield business with community roots so are a natural fit for the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon.

“The revamped Half Marathon was such a huge success in its first year, we’re hoping to build on that in 2018 and really kick on, making this the region’s biggest mass-participation event.”

Find out more about the Chesterfield Half Marathon

Award-winning national gym operator Xercise4Less opened in Chesterfield on Friday, June 15th.

The gym, located on Spire Walk, was opened by local TV personality James Hill, who appeared on The Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother.

Xericse4Less initial pre-sale membership offering will still be available at £9.99 a month for life until the end of June.

Xercise4Less Chesterfield offers members more than 400 pieces of state-of-the-art gym equipment including running and sled pull tracks and a dedicated combat zone complete with boxing ring and MMA cage. The club will also include a self-contained ladies only gym, large main studio and spin studio that will offer 50 free classes every month such as Les Mills RPM, Combat and Pump, as well as free parking to all members.

Regarded as ‘The Peoples Gym’ Xercise4Less pride themselves on offering members of all ages more gym for less keeping people motivated to achieve their goals and live a healthier lifestyle.

Adam Robinson, General Manager of Xercise4Less Chesterfield, commented:-

“I am really excited and honored to be the manager at Xercise4less Chesterfield, this is also a special time for the brand as this is the 50th gym in the Xercise4Less estate. The town has been crying out for a low cost high quality facility for all to enjoy.

“We would like everyone to come down and see what we have to offer as we have members who have never used a gym before as well as experienced gym users, which is why we are the “people’s gym”

Chesterfield Champion BRM, a leading law firm in the region, has just announced they will be servicing clients from a new office in Sheffield.

The newly refurbished 4,500 sq. ft. office will see BRM operating from Sheffield’s prime business district at Steel City House on West Street.  This ambitious move, coupled with the strategic appointment of Alastair Reid, as Commercial Property Director, demonstrates BRM’s investment both in its talented teams and the city of Sheffield, as the firm continues to take a stronger foothold in the region.

Commenting on the start of an exciting new era for BRM, Director Adrian Sheehan said,

‘Alastair has been appointed as Director to drive the new office which will provide a full commercial offering to the business community of Sheffield and build the Commercial Property arm of BRM in Sheffield.  Built on the success and foundations of our thriving Chesterfield HQ, this new office reflects the firm’s ambitions for expansion and future acquisitions.’

Adrian continues,

‘Alastair is an incredibly experienced Commercial Property lawyer having worked for many years for large national and international law firms.  Regarded for his strength across acquisition, development, funding and portfolio work, Alastair’s skills are in high demand and are aligned with the continued growth of BRM.  Both I and the directors at BRM are looking forward to the enthusiasm and progression Alastair will bring to the team.’

On joining the team, Alastair remarks:-

‘I am very excited to be part of such a commercially focussed organisation. I am looking forward to working with Adrian and the team to drive the new Sheffield office to reach its full potential.  Together, we will continue to build long standing relationships with existing clients and develop strong relationships with new clients.  The new Steel City House offices will provide the perfect platform to attract business from clients, both new and old, and importantly legal talent in the local and national market.’

Alastair is joined in Sheffield by new appointments Liz Henwood and James Parden (Commercial Litigation) and Trevor Bird and Damini Sharma (Corporate).

BRM’s vision of its new Sheffield office having a fresh flexible workspace that reflects the quality of its clients, talent of the team and the unrivalled service it offers, has come to fruition.  With the collective help of landlord ‘Steel City House Limited’ and a fit out by ‘Universal Office Products’ they have transformed their Steel City House office back to former glory with a more modern edge.

BRM will be having an official launch later this year where they will be offering clients and partners the chance to visit the offices and raise a glass as they move forwards to exciting times together.

Outstanding students, apprentices and employers were given special recognition at Chesterfield College Group’s annual awards ceremony last week.

The event, held at the Proact Stadium and hosted by Peak FM’s breakfast show presenters Ricky Durkin and Becky Hayes, recognised the personal and academic achievements of students at all stages of their educational journey, as well as employers who are committed to developing the skills of their workforce.

Staff from across the college nominated students, apprentices and employers who have demonstrated exceptional ability and commitment over the academic year across eleven award categories.

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group said:

“It is an honour to be able to celebrate the achievements of these amazing students, apprentices and employers. They have been chosen from over 10,000 students and apprentices and around 4,000 employers to receive an award tonight. It really is a testament to the efforts and achievements they have made this year.”

“It is wonderful to see how The Chesterfield College Group has played a part in helping so many people, at different ages and stages of life, to achieve their goals, to experience new opportunities and to progress into work or further study. I wish them all every success and I look forward to seeing how they use their newly developed skills in the future.”

Winner of the Student of the Year award, Kai Undrell, age 17 from Chesterfield, stood out to judges because of the high standard of his work, his attitude and his commitment to gaining work experience. He is tipped to be the next big film director by the tutors on his media course. He said:

“It’s absolutely incredible to be named as the student of the year. I had some real competition with the other nominees so it was a surprise when my name was announced as the winner. The best thing about college so far has been taking part in inspiring projects like the Melodic Caring Project where we can use the skills we are learning to really make a difference to people at the same time as getting brilliant work experience. What an honour to be recognised for taking part in things like that.”

Samantha Hall, age 36 from Clowne was named as the Adult Student of the Year. After some tragic personal circumstances she decided to return to college to retrain as a beauty therapist to help provide a secure future for her three young children. She goes above and beyond in her studies and is on track to receive high grades. She said:

“It feels really good to be awarded for something I have done. I am a bit shocked though because I don’t usually win anything! This is my first year at college and I have learnt so much about myself and beauty therapy. Studying at college has really boosted my confidence and helped me through some of the very hard times I have been through. I’ve got 3 young children at home and I think it’s helped them to see me coming back to college. They tell me they are proud of me and I can’t wait to show them this when I get home.”

The award for the Apprentice of the Year went to Roy Cusworth, age 59 from Doncaster who started a health and social care apprenticeship to help him retrain after being made redundant from a 28-year career of working as a butcher. After putting lots of hard work into gaining his qualification and going the extra mile to pass his English and maths he was promoted to team leader and is now studying for the next level qualification. He said:

“It’s a proud moment and it’s great to have my family here to see me get the award. I’ve had so much support from them, from my tutor and from my employer, Heathcotes. I love my job and it’s given my apprenticeship has given me a new career that really suits me. There were times when I didn’t think I could do it but this goes to show what you can achieve with the right support.”

Old Cestrefeldian’s Trust sponsored an award for a student who has demonstrated tenacity and resilience in pursuit of their studies. Media student, Harry Bracken, age 18 from Dronfield was the lucky recipient of this award and a £200 cheque from the trust.

Other winners at the awards ceremony were:

Inspirational Student – Tina Bull

Employer of the Year – Worcester Bosch

Higher Education Student of the Year – Zachary Spence

Foundation Studies Student of the Year – Daniel Seldon

Most Improved – Victoria Watson

Student Project of the Year – Melodic Caring Project

English and Maths (most improved) – Benjamin Scully

Shorts’ Corporate Finance are delighted to have won three awards at the Insider Dealmakers awards last week.  Having received nominations in several categories, they are thrilled to have taken the following titles of ‘Deal of the Year’, ‘Emerging Dealmaker of the Year’ and ‘National/International Deal of the Year’.

The ‘Deal of the Year’ award was won for the work carried out advising, a long standing client, Pentag Gears Limited, on their sale to BG Engineering Limited

With both David Robinson and Ellie Wilcockson nominated, the ‘Emerging Dealmaker of the Year’ category was highly contended this year.  It was a shame that there could be only one winner, but Shorts’ are delighted to congratulate Ellie in her success in taking the title in recognition of her work in a variety of transactions over the past year.

This ‘National/International Deal of the Year’ award was won for the work carried out advising the sale of Delivered on Time to DHL earlier this year.

Andy Ryder, Corporate Finance Partner at Shorts’,  on winning the Awards, commented:-

“We are delighted to have received recognition at this year’s ceremony and winning three out of our seven nominations is a tremendous achievement.   The awards reflect nominations put forward by the region’s deal making community and our representation this year demonstrates the strength and growth of Shorts’ Corporate Finance offering over the last few years.”

“We have seen continually increasing levels of interest and activity within the acquisitions and disposals market this year, despite the general economic uncertainties and are confident that the team will therefore continue to be busy over the coming months.”

In total, nine separate awards were handed out at the black-tie dinner, held at the Mercure St Paul’s Hotel in Sheffield, in front of the region’s top corporate finance accountants, banking professionals and law firms.  The shortlists for each category were drawn up by an independent judging panel, who assessed nominations from the region’s deal making community.

Equal opportunities and improved employability are the aims of a £1.5million funding call, now open in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) area.

Funding is now available to organisations across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire that can manage and distribute grants, to support people in the D2N2 area who have barriers to employment, education and training.

This funding is released as part of the D2N2 Community Programme, run by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). D2N2 is a partnership of businesses, local authorities, skills and training providers and community and voluntary sector organisations. It works to grow the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire economy, with the aim of creating 55,000 new jobs in ten years (2013-2023).

As part of this overall mission, D2N2 has a £197million allocation of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). This is split into the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), designed to help businesses in the D2N2 area grow and improve their competitiveness, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), designed to help rural businesses and communities and the European Social Fund (ESF), designed to help people in the D2N2 area access opportunities and overcome barriers to long-term, sustainable employment.

The £1.5million available as part of this current funding call comes from D2N2’s European Social Fund allocation. D2N2 is looking for organisations across its area that can manage and distribute small grants across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Grants should be made available to providers who work directly with people in communities to build confidence, address barriers to inclusion and move closer to becoming economically ‘active’.

Organisations which are looking to submit a bid as part of this call will need to provide half of their programme’s overall funding amount, which will be matched from the £1.5million now on offer from D2N2’s ESF allocation. The deadline to apply for this funding is August 21, 2018.

Programmes submitted as part of this call should look to help deliver some or all of the following:

• basic skills and English as a second language (ESOL) training,
• support for basic skills in preparation for apprenticeships;
• support for those who need pre-traineeship and pre-Work Programme assistance
• support for skills, including team working, effective communication, problem solving, critical thinking and self-direction;
• money management support and advice and financial literacy programmes in order to address debt issues
• digital and internet literacy courses to aid job searching and progress in work;
• softer skills development, including assertiveness, anger management and motivation

‘The Active Inclusion Community Grants Programme’ is the first part of the D2N2 Community Programme. This aims to promote equal opportunities, improve employability and support communities across the D2N2 area. The main beneficiaries of the D2N2 Community Programme will be those who are unemployed or inactive and require dedicated support to move closer to employment.

Rachel Quinn, D2N2 Careers, Employability & Inclusion Manager, said: “It’s vital that the benefits of employment and economic growth are felt across the whole of the D2N2 area. This is why part of D2N2’s European Social Fund allocation is being offered to support organisations working at very local level in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

“In inviting organisations to bid for this funding, D2N2 is looking for providers who can manage a programme with local reach into small organisations helping those who have barriers to accessing long-term, sustainable employment.”

D2N2 will also be hosting a free Technical Assistance workshop, to help organisations bid for funding for this call, on Thursday July 5, from 10.00am to 1.30pm. It will be held at Erewash CVS, Granville Avenue, Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire (NG10 4HD) and will include a networking lunch.

This event will give information on the local strategic priorities for the D2N2 ESF programme and is designed to support potential applicants interested in applying to support the delivery of the Active Inclusion Community Grants.

Steve Perez, Chairman of Global Brands and owner of Casa Hotel and Peak Edge Hotel, is to be awarded an Honorary Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Derby.

Each year, notable people with a strong connection to the University, the city and county, who have made a valuable contribution in their field, are chosen to receive an Honorary Degree at the annual Award Ceremonies – a highlight of the University’s calendar.

Steve Perez is chairman of Global Brands, a leading independent drinks business, and owner of Casa Hotel and Peak Edge Hotel in Chesterfield. In 2002, Global Brands was the UK’s fourth fastest growing company and Steve was voted CBI Entrepreneur of the Year. Since then, Steve has expanded into property, farming and hotels.

Steve is amongst a number of notable people to receive an honorary degree including the Bishop of Derby Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern and international rugby star Jonathan Joseph.

Thousands of students, guests and VIPs are expected to attend the Award Ceremonies, which will take place from Wednesday, July 18 to Friday, July 20, 2018 at Derby Arena.

Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said:-

“I am looking forward to welcoming all of these special guests to our Award ceremonies in July, where they will have the pleasure of sharing the stage with our fantastic, hard-working students.

“The standard of Honorary Award recipients this year is excellent. Each one of these notable people has made an exceptional contribution in their field and to our region, and I am delighted to confer them with these honorary awards alongside our graduating students.”

Central Technology (CT), a leading IT Managed Services, Cloud and Security Compliance organisation based in Chesterfield, is celebrating a move to a brand new fully refurbished 11,500 sq. ft. location following major growth and success.

A stone’s throw from its current office space, CT will be operating from the newly named building, ‘Quantum Point’, Sheepbridge Works, from the 1^st June.

The new location is laying the foundations to accommodate the continued growth of mid-market customers and partner businesses, providing a stronger presence in the region, and a more flexible venue for meetings, events and training.  Universal Office Products, alongside OPUS 4, Classic Lifts, Electron TSL and ASI Security Systems have collectively waved their magic wand and transformed the old GKN building to deliver a refreshingly brilliant office space with open plan office work stations, breakout rooms and a large training centre.

Flooded with natural light, fresh new interiors and over 50 parking spaces, the new CT location demonstrates the organisations investment to provide the right work environment for its talented teams, loyal customers and partners.

Ian Snow, Managing Director at CT, commenting on the move, said:-

“Moving to this new office is a very proud moment for me. It’s amazing to see just how quickly we are growing and that is evidence of our success and hard work. The new office substantially increases the amount of desk space we have, providing the opportunity for both future growth and the strategic acquisitions we have forecast.

“We are continuing a huge recruitment drive in operations and sales in readiness for the delivery of our future plans and we believe the impressive new office space will help us continue to attract the best talent nationwide.”

CT will be having an official opening later this summer where they will be offering customers and partners a chance to visit the offices and raise a glass as they move forwards to exciting times together.

Chesterfield based businesses Evolution Funding and eBECS have been announced as number 25 and number 97 respectively in the North’s Fastest Growing Tech Companies, compiled by Tech Nation.