Celebrate Chesterfield

Derbyshire County Council launch survey for armed forces community

A survey carried out by the University of Derby, on behalf of Derbyshire County Council, is aiming to find out more about the county’s armed forces community.

The research sets out to identify the size and make-up of Derbyshire’s armed forces community to help inform and improve local services for individuals and families who are connected to the British armed forces.

The survey is open to people aged 18 and over who live in Derbyshire and is completely anonymous. It is open now with a closing date of 3 April 2020.

Derbyshire County Council Armed Forces Champion Councillor Neil Atkin, said: “The council is committed to helping to make sure no member of the armed forces community in Derbyshire faces a disadvantage when it comes to public services.”

“Last year we re-signed our Armed Forces Covenant alongside all Derbyshire’s district and borough council’s to reaffirm our commitment to support military personnel with day-to-day life.”

Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis, added: “If you are part of Derbyshire’s armed forces community we’d really like to hear from you. We want to reach as many people as possible.”

“Research is important to help local authorities, health and social care services to meet the needs of the armed forces community so they are treated with fairness, compassion and respect.”

Derbyshire County Council want to hear from:

  • regular currently serving personnel from the armed forces
  • volunteer and regular reservists
  • veterans
  • families of regular, reservist and veterans
  • the bereaved – who are family members of service personnel and veterans who have died whether that death is connected to their service or not

Research is being externally funded from a grant provided by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund and Derbyshire County Council has commissioned Derby University to conduct the research.

The covenant fund gives grants to community projects that are mutually beneficial to the armed forces community and the civilian community.

Click here to take part in the survey (opens in new tab)

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure

Stars of hit West End musicals to perform at Queen’s Park

After successful sold out events in 2018 and 2019, Derbyshire County Cricket Club is bringing stars of London’s West End to Chesterfield this summer for An Evening of ABBA.

The event, which takes place on Sunday 21 June, will round off the popular Chesterfield Festival of Cricket in association with Chesterfield Borough Council, with crowds set to be wowed by a stunning display of ABBA’s back catalogue.

Performed by some of the West End’s brightest talents and featuring hits such as ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Waterloo’, it’s a night no ABBA fan should miss!

Set in the picturesque, tree-lined Queen’s Park, the outdoor concert is the must-see event of the summer in Chesterfield, full of singalong classics and entertainment.

Chief Executive Ryan Duckett said: “We have run sold-out events of this kind in Derby and it’s exciting to take the format to Chesterfield as part of the annual festival.

“We have strong ties to Chesterfield dating back to the nineteenth century and this is the latest chapter, bringing a new and vibrant concert event to Queen’s Park with a chance to welcome a new audience in the local community.”

Tickets for the outdoor concert spectacular are priced at just £25 and are on sale now via derbyshireccc.com , reception at The Pattonair County Ground or by calling 01332 388 101.

Only a limited number of tickets are available for this special event.

Evening of Abba at Queens Park

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

Pitchford equals best World Tour performance

Chesterfield born table tennis player Liam Pitchford equalled his best performance on the World Tour by reaching the semi-finals of the Hungarian Open.

Seeded ninth for the event, Pitchford did not have to play the qualifying rounds and started in the last 32 with a 4-2 (11-2, 10-12, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5) win over Alexander Shibaev of Russia.

He followed up with two confident victories, first 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7) against Qiu Dang of Germany, who had won the Portugal Open the previous week, and then taking out 11th seed Kristian Karlsson from Sweden 4-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-4, 11-8).

His semi-final was against Yukiya Uda, a rising teenage star from Japan, and the match swung back and forth for four games before Uda pulled away to win 4-2 (11-13, 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7).

But Pitchford will be pleased with his form going into the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships, which start on Friday in Nottingham.

Liam Pitchford

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Home, Leisure

Double celebration for local golf professional Fame Tate

Alongside celebrating the first anniversary of owning Stanedge Golf Club, Derbyshire golf professional Fame Tate has named PGA Midlands Professional of the Year.

The award completes a memorable year for the former Ladies European Tour player, which began when she rescued the club near Chesterfield from closure.

Since taking ownership of Stanedge Golf Club, Fame has breathed new life into the club, taking the membership from zero to over 140, overseeing the renovation of the facilities and upgrading the course, as well as picking up many awards along the way.

Fame marked the completion of her training to become a PGA Professional by being named the Association’s Female Assistant of the Year and won the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ category in the English Women’s Awards (North).

Tate was also named as one of Derbyshire’s Junior County Golf Coaches for 2019, an accolade reflected by her being demanded as a coach at Stanedge and at some of golf’s most prestigious events.

She has introduced coaching clinics for youngsters, women and beginners at Stanedge Golf Club and was on duty in the Swingzone during the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn and the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

Reflecting on what has been a hectic year, Tate said: “It’s been a whirlwind but a very fulfilling one.”

“The 12 months have flown by and there have been so many highlights both at the club and away from it.”

“My initial projection for the club was quite conservative, so what has been achieved there has exceeded my expectations.”

“And winning awards and coaching at the Women’s Open and Solheim Cup have made it an unforgettable year.”

“Receiving the PGA Midlands Professional of the Year award in the same week that we celebrated the first anniversary of buying Stanedge was the perfect way to end it.”

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

Tenth Celebrate Chesterfield Conference to update on Talgo Head Office and next decade of investment

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK Ltd, the Spanish train manufacturer that recently established its UK head office in Chesterfield, will reveal his company’s aspirations for the town at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event.

Over 250 people are expected to attend the free event and exhibition, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and is taking place on Wednesday 11 March at the Winding Wheel Theatre.

Mr Veitch (far right) is one of number of key speakers at the free event. He will also be joined by Elizabeth Fagan CBE – Chair of D2N2 LEP, Dr. Paula Holt – Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean at the University of Derby and Huw Bowen – Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council.

Sponsored by the University of Derby, Celebrate Chesterfield is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area.

The event is the tenth conference organised by Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment marketing campaign, which is currently working with 180 local businesses, known as Chesterfield Champions, to raise the profile of the town.

Since the launch of Destination Chesterfield, the town has seen significant investment, with more than a billion pounds of investment currently underway. At the conference, delegates will hear updates on key development sites including Northern Gateway, Chesterfield Waterside, The Glass Yard and PEAK.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Celebrate Chesterfield 2020 is particularly significant, not least it recognises the tenth anniversary of Destination Chesterfield, but it is an opportunity to look back over the last decade and see all that the town has achieved in terms of investment.”

“It is something we all should be proud of given the climate of political and economic uncertainty, which has surrounded the town since Destination Chesterfield was established in 2010. A positive mindset coupled with a collaborative approach across the public and private sector has led to substantial investment and development in the Chesterfield. We have created an excellent foundation for further growth and investment.”

In addition to establishing a Head Office, Talgo also has ambitions to develop an ‘Innovation Centre’, co-located with Barrow Hill Roundhouse. In addition to HS2, Talgo is central to Chesterfield’s ambition to become a hub for rail technology and development.

At the event Mr Bowen will update delegates on the Council’s plans for the train station following the announcement that Chesterfield will get an HS2 stop.

Paula Holt, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, added: “We are delighted to be working with Destination Chesterfield and supporting the Celebrate Chesterfield event again this year.”

“As Derbyshire’s only university, we look to use our academic expertise, research and innovation to foster talent and create impactful partnerships with businesses.”

“The Celebrate Chesterfield event provides a great opportunity for us to have valuable conversations that enable us to understand more about the challenges local businesses face. Our priority remains to understand and effectively service the needs of businesses and to create opportunities for individuals, employers and communities to develop and flourish.”

Bridge Help, Central Technology and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, are also supporting the breakfast event as associate sponsors.

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD, development partner for the Markham Vale site commented: “The past 10 years at Markham Vale has seen a transformation of this site. Alongside our partnership with Derbyshire County Council, we are proud of the changes, both locally and further afield, this development has made to the region.

“The scheme has seen continued growth as several developments completed towards the end of last year. We’re now looking forward to other opportunities that will see us bring some fantastic new occupiers to the Markham Vale site.”

Ian Snow, Managing Director at Central Technology said: “Supporting Destination Chesterfield is of great importance to us here at Central Technology. This event has always been the perfect place to meet and work with like-minded organisations and helps put Chesterfield on the map as a great location to both work and live.”

“To continue to provide the best IT support and Disaster Recovery Service and Solutions across all sectors of business, we work hard to actively seek local talented people. We have a comprehensive internal training and development platform to ensure continual training and improvement is maintained throughout our teams. We also have an apprenticeship programme in place, which works to build our teams from the ground up. Training and development is of paramount importance at CT, It is crucial not only for our customers but also the team here that they are able to learn, develop and achieve qualifications to reach their potential. We look forward to supporting Destination Chesterfield in 2020 and beyond.”

Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help added: “We are delighted to support both Destination Chesterfield and the Celebrate Chesterfield event. Commercial developments can often take a significant amount of time to come to fruition and you can overlook the progress that has been made. this event is an excellent opportunity to both recap on what has been achieved over the last 10 years and learn about forthcoming developments and investment in the town.”

Tickets for the breakfast event, which is being held from 7:30am to 11:00am, and includes an exhibition with 30 businesses, are available to book now.

To book your ticket at the event or an exhibition stand, please click here.

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

#ChallengeDerbyshire initiative smashes through £1million mark in support of North Derbyshire hospices

The recent #ChallengeDerbyshire Charity Ball raised over £200,000 for three North Derbyshire hospices, bringing the total amount raised to over £1.1million.

#ChallengeDerbyshire, which first began in 2015, is a fundraising initiative, supported by local businesses, raising money for Ashgate Hospicecare, Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust and has managed to raise over £1million, thanks to a number of brilliant events and challenges.

David Hopkins, CEO of Markovitz, the driving force behind #ChallengeDerbyshire, said: “Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us reach this fantastic milestone so soon! I hoped we would hit the £1million on Saturday but to smash it raising well over £200k on the night taking us past £1.1million was amazing. Excellent end of life care should never be a ‘nice to have’ it should be an absolute right for everyone.

We must never take for granted the incredible work our three charities do for our patients and their families at the most difficult time in their lives. The support we have received from local businesses has been incredible, but the need doesn’t go away. Please keep giving as generously as you do and encourage others to join us in support of our three wonderful charities.”

The money raised so far by #ChallengeDerbyshire has made a significant difference to local people across North Derbyshire.

Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “Since #ChallengeDerbyshire first began in 2015, this amazing initiative has made a significant contribution to Ashgate Hospicecare and an undoubtable difference to the care that patients and their families across North Derbyshire have been able to receive.

“The hospice would simply be unable to run without the amazing support and kindness from initiatives like #ChallengeDerbyshire and all the people associated with it. To have raised over a £1 million for all three charities and make a difference to thousands of people across North Derbyshire is incredible.

“It means a huge amount to everyone here at the hospice to know this will help us ensure we’re her for the future. On behalf of all our patients, their families and everyone associated at the Hospice, thank you so much!”

If your business links would like to lend their support to #ChallengeDerbyshire, to help them continue making a difference to the lives of local people, please contact Jennifer McBain on 01298 72021 or events@challengederbyshire.org.uk.

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

Quarterly Economic Survey will establish direction of travel for region’s businesses

2019 was another year of political and economic uncertainty for businesses across the East Midlands and the UK, characterised largely by the ongoing negotiations to leave the EU – only resolved in the final month of the year – and the snap general election of the same month.

With the UK having now left the EU, and with a Government with a strong majority in place, are businesses preparing for more certainty and less turbulence moving forward, or are challenges and outstanding questions – not least what a UK/EU trade deal might look like – resulting in caution among businesses? Importantly, what are the region’s prospects like for 2020 in terms of job creation and growth?

The East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) seeks to answer these questions, asking businesses to respond to a series of questions on different economic indicators, including sales, orders, investments, international activity, cashflow, recruitment plus many more; including a focus in this survey on the low carbon economy.

Responses to this crucial survey, and the feedback received, will be used to help shape regional and national decision making on how to best support the local business community.

The QES is part of the UK’s biggest business survey run through the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) network and polls around 10,000 businesses each quarter to monitor business trends.

Commenting on the survey launch, Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at the Chamber, said: “While for the most part 2019 generated more questions than answers, business across the East Midlands area remained relatively robust. However, in conversation with our members across the region there was definitely a sense of driving with the handbrake on, and for some the uncertainty of last year caused real problems.

“What the results of this survey will detail is how the region’s businesses have responded to the outcome of the General Election, the UK formally leaving the EU and the start of the transition period for us to agree trading arrangements leading up to the end of 2020.

“Whatever happens, there will be both challenges and opportunities – the Quarterly Economic Survey will give a sense of how businesses are responding to these as the year progresses, and a steer on the kind of support they need in order to succeed.”

The survey runs until 9 March. To take part, visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HSS8Y8D.

Click here to find out more about the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)

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

Eckington School’s aspiring engineers discover career opportunities

With 14,000 students in north Derbyshire set to leave school in the next five years, aspiring engineers from Eckington School recently got to see first-hand the apprentice and employment opportunities open to them in the STEM sector.

Five Year 11 GCSE students from the school recently visited the award-winning Penny Hydraulics. The company design, manufacturers and installs hydraulic lifting equipment and is keen to attract the next generation of workers to its Clowne-based facility.

The visit was organised as part of the Made in Chesterfield initiative which is designed to introduce young people to careers opportunities in the town’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) sector.

Launched in 2015, Made in Chesterfield has already been instrumental in raising awareness of careers in the sector, reaching 3,000 students since the campaign began.

Having apprenticeship vacancies available at a range of levels Daniel Casey, Marketing Manager at Penny Hydraulics explained why building links with schools is important for the company, saying: “Supporting local initiatives like Made in Chesterfield helps Penny Hydraulics to inspire the next generation of workers from the local community.

“By bringing students from local schools to our premises we can give young people a valuable insight into a career in engineering or manufacturing – hopefully enough to inspire them to pursue a career with us and other STEM companies in the area.”

Sally-Anne Warren-Armes, Employer Engagement Manager at Eckington School echoed Daniel, saying: “Our specially selected students were already interested in a career in engineering and the visit to Penny Hydraulics strengthened these interests, giving them new avenues to think about.”

James Peters, one of the students who took part in the visit, commented: “The visit has definitely shown that there are both physical and academic sides to engineering.”

All primary and secondary schools throughout North East Derbyshire are being encouraged to sign up to the Made in Chesterfield campaign and discover the employment opportunities in the sector available to current and future school leavers. Employers in the sector are offering school leavers a variety of opportunities, including apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and graduate training schemes.

The campaign is co-ordinated by Destination Chesterfield with support from the University of Derby, MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar Ltd, NatWest, Chesterfield Borough Council and Placing Futures.

To find out more about Made in Chesterfield and discover how your school or business can get involved, please visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/made/.

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

Pinewood Property Estates joins the FIA as exclusive members for Chesterfield and Mansfield

Graham Lock, Founder of the FIA, has revealed that Pinewood Property Estates has accepted his invitation to become the exclusive members for Chesterfield and Mansfield.

Graham Lock said: “I’m thrilled that Pinewood have joined our growing network of high calibre independent agents, they’re an award winning agency that puts the customer at the heart of everything they do, together with a fantastic internal culture. It’s not easy to gain FIA membership but this was a simple decision. Pinewood are clearly on top of their game and I can see a great future for them”.

Director Stacey Davies-Bowler said: “We’re delighted to have been asked to join the FIA, it’s a reflection of our continued progress as an award-winning, customer focused agency. The support, guidance, discounts, products suite and general feeling of being part of something special really appealed to me. The area exclusivity afforded to us will be a significant benefit to the team.”

Graham Lock continued “As soon as I spoke with Stacey I realised Pinewood were the right fit for the FIA. They will compliment our other members perfectly as we continue to build our eyecatching network of high calibre agents throughout the country. I’m really looking forward to seeing Pinewood continue to grow their business and we’re delighted to be a part of that story.”

In 2019, Pinewood Property Estates picked up 4 Golds and 1 Bronze at the prestigious ESTAS Customer Service Awards.

Click here to find out more about Pinewood Property Estates

Pinewood Property Estates wins awards at The ESTAS

Pinewood Property Estates wins at The ESTAS

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

Popular physical activity game Beat the Street is coming to Chesterfield

An innovative game that has already helped more than one million people get active is coming to Chesterfield from Wednesday 26th February to Wednesday 8th April.

Beat the Street is a free, interactive game that encourages people of all ages to leave the car at home and see how far they can walk, cycle, scoot or run during the six-week game.  The game is open to anyone of any age and there are prizes for the teams and individuals who travel the furthest.

Beeping and flashing sensors called Beat Boxes will be placed on lampposts around the town including the villages Duckmanton, Norbriggs, Poolsbrook and Woodthorpe.

Prior to the game, primary school pupils will be provided with fobs while parents and teachers will receive a card from the school so they can accompany children. The wider community can pick up a contactless card from a distribution point. Players then walk or cycle between the 120 Beat Boxes which are spaced half a mile apart – tapping the fobs or cards as they go. The further players travel, the more points they score.

Chesterfield residents are also encouraged to enter workplaces, community groups and sports groups into the game.

The game was devised by GP Dr William Bird MBE in 2010 to get communities active and to make physical activity accessible to everyone. So far, the game has been played all over the UK including East London, Leicester and Liverpool as well as Norway, New York and beyond. Beat the Street Chesterfield is funded as part of a £3.3 million National Lottery funding grant from Sport England; it is supported by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered by Intelligent Health.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We are incredibly excited to be bringing Beat the Street to Chesterfield and can’t wait to see how far everyone is able to walk, run, cycle and scoot during the challenge.”

“The idea of the game is to encourage people to get more active and then to continue these new healthy lifestyle habits beyond the end of the game. The feedback from players in other towns who have experienced Beat the Street is often that people find it quite addictive and are not only doing great things for their health, getting out as a family and finding new places close by that they’ve not visited before.”

“It’s also a great way of saving money on fuel, helping reduce congestion and also air quality.”

“It’s open to everyone, so please keep an eye out for more information including where you can pick up a free card.”

More information is available at www.beatthestreet.me/chesterfield and on social media @ChesterfieldBTS

Story of Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

D2N2 launches call for funding

The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is opening a call for new projects from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund allocation.

The Local Growth Fund is a Government Fund awarded to each LEP area to support economic growth in every region. D2N2 has an allocation of just over £250M which has been invested in projects since 2015 to unlock new jobs, housing and support skills development.

As the fund is coming to the end of the programme, D2N2 is looking to invite potential new projects that are ready to be delivered in the last year of the programme before March 2021 to utilise any remaining funds, that can support the objectives for a stronger, more productive and inclusive region.

The LEP is inviting organisations to put forward their proposals for capital projects that support the economic objectives for the region as set out in the Strategic Economic Plan and emerging Local Industrial Strategy. This can include projects such as facilities to support innovation, managed or incubation workspace for new and growing businesses, infrastructure to unlock new housing and employment sites including transport, and skills capital to support learners.

Sajeeda Rose, CEO of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership said: “We are looking for projects that are ready to go that will facilitate new jobs and opportunities for local people and businesses and contribute towards the growth of the regional economy.”

“These projects will help us to drive forward our shared growth agenda, delivering economic growth and regenerating and revitalising our communities.”

Projects that have previously received Local Growth funding through the LEP include city and town centre regeneration projects, road and rail improvements, flood defences, training facilities, and development sites.

For more information and further details on how to apply to the pipeline call, visit the D2N2 LEP website here.

The deadline for responses is Midday on the 2nd of March 2020.

Over 200 delegates attended the 2019 D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Annual Conference in November.

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