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Heathcotes achieves Outstanding rating at two services

Chesterfield-based care provider, Heathcotes Group, is ending 2019 on a high following CQC Outstanding ratings for two of its specialist residential services in Bridlington and Sutton, South London.

Previously rated Good, Heathcotes Larkrise in Sutton supports adults with learning disabilities and autism. The CQC report praised Registered Manager, Ridwan Ameerbeg, and his staff team for person-centred care which truly focused on people as individuals, supporting them to live life to the full and working with them to learn new skills, increase their independence and become more confident in everyday life. It said the environment was unique and creatively supported people’s individual needs and preferences. CQC inspectors added that “without exception, people were treated with compassion, respect and dignity by staff who built meaningful relationships with them.”

Ridwan, who joined Heathcotes as a Support Worker in 2010 and progressed to Registered Manager in 2016, commented on the achievement:

“I’m passionate about supporting learning disability clients and I want to deliver standards that pass the ‘family test’ – the quality of care you would want for yourself or your own loved ones. It’s wonderful to see Heathcotes Larkrise pass that test with flying colours. To have so many people – the inspectors, clients and relatives – saying so many nice things about myself and my team was incredible.”

“Heathcotes Larkrise has taken a lot of inspiration from the organisation’s guidance and the Groups’s core values as a person-centred care provider. Above all, my Support Workers are the face of Heathcotes Larkrise and, without their commitment to delivering quality care, we would not have achieved an Outstanding rating.”

Previously rated Good, Heathcotes Bridlington supports adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome who may have dual diagnoses and associated complex needs.  The CQC rated the service as Outstanding in the Effective, Caring and Well-Led categories, highlighting the role of Registered Manager, Becki Yardley, in embedding a solid structure of governance and a strong commitment to provide person-centred, high quality care which achieved excellent outcomes for people.

The CQC report praised staff for being passionate about providing a good quality service and extremely skilled in effective communication to ensure people felt supported and relaxed, which impacted on people’s behaviours and ability to build relationships with family and friends. It said they actively supported clients to increase their levels of independence and were creative and innovative at looking for ways to meet individual needs in line with best practice.

Becki, who joined Heathcotes in 2004 and became Registered Manager at Bridlington in 2015, was also delighted with the achievement:

“Everyone at the service is thrilled at the achievement and it’s a testament to the dedication, passion and skill of the staff here – their hard work made this happen. I’ve also learned a lot from senior management – they really back you and support your ideas in finding creative ways to improve the quality of care.”

Brendan Kelly, Group Managing Director at Heathcotes, said:

“Many, many congratulations to my colleagues at Heathcotes Larkrise and Heathcotes Bridlington on achieving an Outstanding rating. Their service exemplifies the standard of care that Heathcotes Group seeks to promote and support at every opportunity. It’s an amazing achievement – less than three per cent of care homes in the UK have an Outstanding rating, so really well done to Ridwan, Becki and their brilliant teams. They should be very proud of themselves. I know I’m very proud of them.”

Heathcotes Ofsted

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Council to share plans at community assembly

Chesterfield residents are invited to attend a special community assembly meeting to find out more about the council’s activities for 2020 and plans for the future, including how the council uses the portion of Council Tax it receives from residents to pay for vital services.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 7 January from 6.30pm at the Town Hall, Rose Hill.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Tricia Gilby and chief executive, Huw Bowen, will give a presentation about the key issues and financial pressures facing the borough before hosting a discussion about the 10 per cent of Council Tax bills which is used to pay for more than 50 services provided by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The rest of Council Tax bills pay for services by Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue.

Residents in Brimington and Staveley also pay for parish and town council services.

Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions of the leader and chief executive as well as Councillor Amanda Serjeant, the council’s deputy leader and Helen Fox, chief finance officer.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Spireites donate winter coats to the homeless

The Spireites have donated a quantity of winter coats to Pathways of Chesterfield, a service for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

Commenting on the donation, Kit Man Jason Baker explained: “I thought it would be nice if the coats could be put to good use and help people in the local community. ”

“I spoke to Keith Jackson from the Chesterfield FC Community Trust who contacted Pathways and arranged for the coats to be handed over to them. The work being done by the organisation is very important and it’s pleasing to know that the club can help them in this way.”

Matilda Towndrow, Volunteer & Activities Co-ordinator at Pathways, said: “The coats will be nice and warm for the winter and it’s really nice and generous of the club to donate them.”

“Often, homeless people can feel pushed out by other members of society, but people do have a genuine interest in homeless people.”

Pathways aim to prevent homelessness. Their mission is to eradicate rough sleeping in our community and to support those without a permanent home to obtain and maintain one. To find out more about Pathways, please visit www.pathwaysofchesterfield.co.uk.

Photo credit: Tina Jenner

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Home

Nominations now open for relaunched Chesterfield High Street Awards 2020

Recognising the changing face of the high street, the annual Chesterfield Retail Awards have a brand-new name and look for 2020 – the Chesterfield High Street Awards – as well as two new categories.

The popular awards are now open to almost every business on Chesterfield’s high street from shops, market traders, events and regeneration projects to estate agents, banks, solicitors and accountants.

The new High Street Business category has been added to this year’s awards’ line up to reflect the diversity of Chesterfield’s high street and is open to all non-retailers except food and drink businesses. While the new Future High Street Award recognises the physical improvements and regeneration of high streets across Chesterfield.

Nominations are now open in the quest to find the best customer-facing high street-based businesses across the borough of Chesterfield.

Organiser of the annual awards, Destination Chesterfield, wants you to say which businesses on the town’s high street are your favourites and why. Nominations are open until midnight on Friday 14 February.

All nominated businesses will be evaluated and a mystery panel of judges will visit businesses shortlisted in 11 of the 15 categories before the winners are announced at a glittering black-tie awards ceremony at Casa Hotel on Wednesday 24 June.

The awards’ relaunch recognises the town’s exceptional businesses, people, events and regeneration projects that are working together to overcome the challenges of a rapidly changing retail environment.

Now in its seventh year, the awards have gone from strength-to-strength; mirroring the town’s economy.

Commenting on the relaunch of the awards for 2020, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The new 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards recognise the contribution that every business based on high streets in the borough is making in creating jobs, attracting visitors to the town, delivering great customer service and collectively helping drive the success of Chesterfield’s economy.

“I urge everyone to get involved and put forward their favourite businesses. We want to celebrate as many as possible in the awards.”

People can now nominate across 12 categories in the 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards:

• High Street Business of the Year
• Future High Street Award
• Excellence in Customer Service
• Hair and Beauty Business of the Year
• Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year
• Best New Store 2019/2020
• Food and Drink Retailer of the Year
• Home, Gifts & Leisure Retailer of the Year
• Market Trader of the Year
• Independent Retailer of the Year
• National/ Multiple Retailer of the Year
• Best Town Centre Event 2019/2020

The 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards are supported and made possible by a number of sponsors, including Apprentice Town (led by Chesterfield Borough Council), Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College Group, Derbyshire Times, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), eBusiness Works, JP Fire Safety Solutions, Peak FM and Q2 Creative.

You can nominate online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards until midnight on Friday 14 February 2020.

Information about the various sponsorship packages are available at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards or contact Tara Underhill, Senior Destination Chesterfield Coordinator, by emailing Tara.underhill@chesterfield.co.uk or calling 01246 207207.

Nominate Now

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Apprentice turns life around with Chesterfield FC Community Trust

Alice Hodgson, a football coaching apprentice at Chesterfield FC Community Trust, has explained how the organisation’s traineeship programme has helped turn her life around.

Alice, aged 17, joined the programme in February after mental health issues resulted in her losing her place at college.

She said: “I was told to leave college because I’ve had issues with mental health and I had a few incidents there.”

“When I came here, I still had a few issues, but I got over them due to the people who were here as they helped me. They didn’t push me away or tell me to leave if I was struggling.”

“I really don’t think I’d be alive without them because they’ve given me the motivation to see life for what it is again, which is great.”

Alice joined the Trust’s traineeship programme, which is for NEET individuals – those aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, education or training – and now hopes to work as a football coach.

“I’ve got such a strong love for football and I feel that would be a positive step for me,” she said. “I hope to become a fully-qualified coach and have a positive effect on people.”

“Kids bring a lot of joy to me because they are very hopeful and optimistic about things. One bit of reassurance from a coach or a teacher makes them feel a lot better about themselves because they’re always in need of reassurance.”

“Knowing that I could help someone in the future is what I want to do and I’m on an apprenticeship now, so it’s all going in the right direction.”

Scott Atkinson, the Trust’s Head of Education & Wellbeing, said: “What Alice was really in need of was something that was more than an education programme and could provide emotional support.”

“She needed something that could nurture her and build her self-esteem, confidence and resilience and develop her communication skills, to really get her believing in herself.”

The traineeship programme takes place over a 12-week period with new cohorts starting every six weeks. The next cohort begins on January 13. To enquire about the opportunities to take part in the traineeship programme, please email scottatkinson@spireitestrust.org.uk.

Photo credit: Nick Johnson

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Magnolia Barbering to serve alcoholic drinks following recent expansion

Magnolia Barbering, based at Chesterfield Market Hall, are the first barbershop in Chesterfield to serve alcohol on the premises.

The barbershop is now able to offer their customers a selection of draught beers, bottles and cans as well as soft drinks and tea or coffee. The shop has also been extended, taking over the empty retail unit next door to expand their premises.

In 2014, owner Ollie Ward had a vision of bringing a different style of barbershop into Chesterfield town centre. Alongside Andy Lakin, Magnolia Barbering was created and the shop has since gone from strength to strength. Three years ago, PJ Farrand and trainee Dan “Massive” Newman joined the team. Dan is now a fully qualified barber and works full time. Earlier this year Alex Bennett joined the Magnolia Barbering team.

The expansion has also allowed the business to employ three more staff members, KJ Nash, Rossco McKay and Sam Hague, each bringing their unique talents to the team. Now the barbershop boasts an experienced team of 8, all with vast amounts of industry knowledge and a range of skills.

Andy Lakin said: “We would like to welcome clients old and new to Magnolia and are really looking forward to what the future holds.”

Magnolia Barbering can be found on the corner of Chesterfield’s Market Hall, next to the Market Square.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Christmas, Development, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield business using augmented reality to support homeless charity

Chesterfield-based technology company, Oasis Studio, are aiming to raise £1,000 for homeless charity Centrepoint, through their augmented ‘Mini Santa’ reality app.

Oasis created a festive, augmented reality animation to raise money and awareness for Centrepoint, a charity who give young homeless people a future. The animation plays from a smartphone or tablet, triggered from 3D pop-up card, which has been delivered to their clients and connections. However, a digital version is available for the general public to experience their Mini Santa animation.

According to Centrepoint, 103,000 young people asked for help with homelessness in 2018, and as digital media company Oasis Studio operate in both the education sector and property industry, they wanted to help change this.

Tom Swallow, Development Manager of The Bolsterstone Group and receiver of one of the Oasis Christmas cards, said: “The card produced by Oasis Studio demonstrates the innovative approach they take to all projects to produce a high quality product. The clever use of technology highlights how AR is becoming simpler to use and an increasingly important marketing tool with so many applications. The support for Centrepoint adds a great touch and is a very worthy charity!”

Augmented reality is a technology that places a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, usually accessed through a smartphone or tablet.

Oasis Studio always aim to do something spectacular for Christmas, and this year set the ambitious target of creating something that is digital, whilst also containing a tangible element, as well as telling a story.

Founder of Oasis Studio, Paul Deakin, explained: “We are a forward-thinking studio with large ambitions, and this translates into everything we do. We set our target high because of this, and I encourage everyone to try our app for themselves, and help us to raise our £1,000 target for a very worthy cause.”

The Mini Santa Christmas card was completely made in-house by Oasis, from the printing of the 3D pop-up card, to the laser cutting, to the augmented reality, to the animation.

Download the Mini Santa App here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield

Consultation on proposed rail changes for Chesterfield

The public consultation into East Midlands Railway December 2020 timetable is now open to passengers, businesses, stakeholders and local communities across the East Midlands route.  This includes proposed changes to and from Chesterfield.

December 2020 will see a significant change to EMR services, particularly those travelling to and from London St Pancras International.

Combined, these changes will provide:

  • Up to 30 minutes’ quicker journey times for some EMR Intercity services
  • Up to 13,000 additional standard class seats to and from London St Pancras every week day
  • Earlier morning and later evening services
  • Simpler and more consistent timetable with a more even spread of departure times
  • Improved services for London Luton and East Midlands Airports.

The changes proposed for Chesterfield are:

  • Peak time journey improvements into London of up to 30 minutes
  • Significantly earlier arrivals into London, with the earliest service due to arrive around one hour earlier.
  • Significantly later departures from Chesterfield to London St Pancras International with the final service departing an hour later.
  • Increasing the number of services from London St Pancras International which arrive into Chesterfield before 11.00.  There are currently five and this will increase to seven.
  • An additional evening departure from London St Pancras International to give two trains per hour throughout the evening peak.
  • Later evening departures from London St Pancras International to Chesterfield, with two services planned to run later than the current final departure.
  • Consistent departure times throughout the day, with particular improvement during the morning peak.
  • An overall daily increase in the number of services to/from London St Pancras International
  • Off peak journey times will remain similar to today with the quickest journey just over one hour 45 minutes.

There are further timetable improvements proposed which are a step towards a more substantial improvement for EMR Regional services in December 2021. A further consultation for these changes will take place towards the end of 2020.

The consultation document is split by line of route and includes a separate page for each station on the Midland Main Line. This is intended to help passengers and communities easily understand what the proposals will mean for them and their journeys.

Julian Edwards, Managing Director, East Midlands Railway, said: “Our proposals for the December 2020 timetable would deliver a step change in capacity, improve journey times and introduce a simpler and more consistent timetable.

“Although some of the changes, such as the introduction of electric services between London and Corby, are a requirement of our franchise there is still the opportunity to fine tune and improve our plans.

“We know how important a reliable and punctual railway is for the towns and cities we serve. December 2020 is a vitally important part of our promise to deliver more seats, more services and better journeys for our customers and we look forward to your feedback.”

The consultation runs until midnight on 14th February 2020. The consultation document and survey for responses are available online at www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/december2020

Chesterfield Railway Station at Night

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home

Corrugated Case Company invest in new equipment to increase productivity

Local manufacturer Corrugated Case Company have invested in new equipment which will allow them to offer a wider range of products, reduce lead time and improve overall quality.

Corrugated Case Company design, develop and manufacture innovative corrugated cardboard packaging solutions and have produced over 15 million boxes this year.

The brand new Topra GD Rotary Flexo Folder Inline Gluing machine is made up of a 2 x 2.8m printer, converter, gluer and palletiser and offers a high quality print, improved machine capacity, high quality finished boxes and an increased range of sizes.

Mark Wilcockson, M.D. of The Corrugated Case Company, said “We are very excited about the installation of our latest investment and the benefits it will bring to our operations here at CCC. It will enable us to broaden our customer base, particularly into the mail order and e-commerce sectors due to the enormous environmental benefits of using corrugated cardboard.”

From Monday 16th December, the process of installing the new machine will begin. Older machines will be removed and work on improvements will continue through until 7th January, when it will be fully installed and raring to go.

Corrugated Case Company hope by installing the equipment over the Christmas period, they will minimise any disruptions to customers during the installation, however their team will keep customers updated throughout the process.

Earlier this year, Corrugated Case Company expanded its distribution warehouse with a new 680-pallet, 13,000 ft space, helping the firm to meet increasing demand and be able to offer next day delivery. These improvements are in addition to the firm’s new easy-to navigate website and several new faces joining the team.

Click here to find out more about the Corrugated Case Company.

Click here to find out more about basing your company in Chesterfield. 

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

Show home opens in Van Dyk village

A festive-themed five-bedroom show home has just opened at Van Dyk Village.

More than 50 people attended an event to mark the launch of the Knightsbridge II show home, enjoying champagne and canapes as they explored the luxury five-bedroom property.

Van Dyk Village is a unique new community being created off the A619 between Chesterfield and Worksop, on the site of a former garden centre.

Jayne Swift, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes, said: “It was great to welcome so many people to Van Dyk Village for the launch of our fabulous Knightsbridge II show home. It’s an extremely luxurious and well-designed property which showcases the very high specification of the homes we are building at this exclusive development. The comments we’ve received from visitors have been overwhelmingly positive.”

“With the festive season now upon us, our interior designers have decorated the show home for Christmas, giving it a warm and welcoming ambience. Our garden room has been decked out with a beautiful Christmas tree complete with presents underneath, creating the scene every family looks forward to waking up to on Christmas morning.”

“As for the development itself, Van Dyk Village seems to have really caught the imagination of the public. It’s an exciting project, years in the planning, which is creating a traditional village with a village green from scratch on this beautiful Derbyshire site.”

“We received more than 1,000 enquiries before the site had even launched. We think that might make it the most popular new housing development in Derbyshire. Given such a high level of interest, I would encourage people to visit Van Dyk Village today and see the show home in all its festive glory.”

The Knightsbridge II show home is a superb double-fronted detached family home with five bedrooms and a detached double garage.

The spacious ground floor has a 20ft living room, with bi-fold doors to the rear garden. There’s a generous separate dining room, while the large contemporary open-plan kitchen and family room lead to a luxury garden room, which also has bi-fold doors to the rear garden. There’s also a convenient utility room, a study and a downstairs cloakroom.

Van Dyk Village will be an intriguing mix of three, four and five-bedroom homes, all from Jones Homes’ very high specification Signature Collection.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Home

Grants awarded to kick-start new schemes in Derbyshire communities

Enterprising groups across Derbyshire are showing that a little can go a long way following their successful applications for an Action Grant from Derbyshire County Council.

In the latest round, 112 groups have been awarded grants totalling £53,195, at a maximum of £500. In many instances it has given the impetus to get things off the ground but for other groups, the money is helping to support existing activities. There is still money left in the pot for the remaining two rounds.Derbyshire County Council have now awarded Action Grants totalling £632,000 to 712 projects across Derbyshire in six rounds of the scheme since it launched in May 2018.Community groups, clubs, charities and parish councils are being encouraged to apply for the seventh round which is open now up to a deadline of 31 January 2020. Successful applicants so far have been able to show they promoted one or more of the Action Grant themes:

  • Youth activity: Including setting up youth clubs, organising activities for young people, projects to help young people gain new skills or schemes to help them deal with mental health issues
  • Community activity: Such as setting up new community groups, organising a local event or starting a community project
  • Physical activity and sport: Money for schemes to encourage residents of all ages to take part in physical activities, keep fit and stay healthy – or which encourage people to get active if they’re not already
  • Community safety: Grants for projects to reduce crime and the fear of crime including raising awareness about scams and rogue trading, schemes to tackle anti-social behaviour and initiatives to help residents keep themselves safe.

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Barry Lewis said: “There are lots of inspiring projects going on in Derbyshire communities and I am pleased that we are able to support many of these with our Action Grants.”

“A growing number of the applications have been for environmental schemes as residents become more conscious of helping to reduce the carbon footprint in their communities. These are very welcome as are applications across all four categories.”

“People of all ages are benefiting and I’d like to thank the staff and volunteers who put in so much time and effort to run these schemes.”

“If you’re involved with a community group, club or charity in Derbyshire an Action Grant could be just the helping hand you need. Think what your group could do with £500 and send us your applications.”

“The process is quick and simple and if you apply now for the January deadline we’ll aim to give you a decision within four weeks.”

The deadline for the current seventh round of Action Grant applications is 31 January 2020.

There will be one more round until the scheme ends on 31 May 2020. The May round will include a number of £5,000 and £10,000 grants in addition to the £500 ones. The larger grants are available for schemes which can be shown to offer long-term benefits for local people and promote two or more of the Action Grants themes.

Meanwhile, Derbyshire County Council cabinet members have asked officers to look at introducing a new grant scheme to support local communities to take action on climate change.

To find out more about Action Grants, including full details of deadlines and list of recipients so far and videos of some of the successful applicants, click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home, Leisure

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