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Experience folk tales, sparkling pine forests and Nordic traditions at Chatsworth this Christmas

The Norse god of mischief, enchanting folk tales and the heady scent of pine forests evoke the magical atmosphere of a Nordic winter this Christmas at Chatsworth.

Deep Midwinter: A Nordic Christmas at Chatsworth takes inspiration from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway where long winters are embraced with traditions to celebrate light and the beauty of nature.

The Devonshire family has a long history of celebrating Nordic culture and its connection to wilderness and nature, with pieces in the Devonshire Collections that have inspired this Christmas season being woven into the displays.

Visitors to Chatsworth will be taken on a journey into the forests and folklore of the Nordic region. A procession of radiant candlelit Santa Lucia crowns dressed with foliage in the Chapel Corridor elicits the Swedish festival of light that brightens the dark days of midwinter each December.

Giant Finnish Christmas Himmeli decorations hang in the Green Satin Room with almost 50,000 paper straws used to create this striking installation. These delicate geometric structures have been popular in Nordic countries for centuries, pre-dating the tradition of the Christmas tree. Traditionally, Himmelis hung above dining tables to ensure a good crop for the coming year.

A delectable handmade gingerbread house sits proudly on the piano in the Ante Library. Building a gingerbread house is a time honoured Christmas tradition for many Nordic families and the aroma of ginger and spices will add to the immersive experience.

Norse god Loki will delight and surprise with stories, music and magic tricks, marking a welcome return to character-led performance this Christmas after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19.

Full of mischief, Loki will have a few tricks up his sleeve in the Great Dining Room where the richly dressed table is encircled by woodland, bringing to life the Norwegian fairytale, The White Bear.

The fully immersive experience drawing on scent and sounds of the natural environment will enchant all who walk through the Sculpture Gallery’s ancient pine forest with dappled winter light dancing through the canopy of leaves above.

A monumental wall of ice laced with intricate carvings of oak trees and woodland creatures will greet visitors as they enter the Oak Room. A giant woodcut bauble hangs from the Oak Stairs ceiling lantern hinting at The Little Fir Tree, the Hans Christian Andersen tale about a fir tree so anxious to grow up and experience greater things that he cannot appreciate living in the moment.

Image Credit: Chatsworth House Trust. Image Credit (Top Right): DPC Photography

Botanical illustrations of wild native Danish plants in Flora Danica, one of the most ambitious botanical publications of its age bought by the 11th Duke of Devonshire (1920-2004) and a delicate and extremely rare strand of raw silver, collected by the 6th Duke (1790-1858) originating from Ilsoe mine, Konsberg in Norway are among the items in the Devonshire Collections to inspire the Chatsworth Nordic Christmas.

Clothing worn by the 11th Duke of Devonshire on his treks and expeditions into the wild – including his walking boots, rucksack and gloves – bring the story back to the Devonshire family’s connection to wilderness and nature.

The evocative fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen are woven into the experience with postcards to collect featuring stories such as The Snowdrop and The Teapot. Younger visitors will have the opportunity to follow a trail from the house out to the garden in the guise of Loki, following the clues to explore the Nordic-inspired lights.

The Christmas experience continues outside with an illuminated walk around the garden to view ‘northern lights’ over the Canal Pond and – for the first time – see the historic Maze lit with wands of light and filled with festive music. Visitors can also soak up the festive atmosphere at the Chatsworth Christmas Market from 5 November to 23 November. Chatsworth’s shops in the Orangery and the Stables will offer a selection of Nordic gifts, decorations and homeware for those inspired by Christmas in the house.

Also making a welcome return to the house will be the wish trees to enable visitors to make a special Christmas wish to hang on a tree before they leave.

Tickets have been released today (22 September). Tickets for Christmas at Chatsworth are priced at £29.50 for adults, £18 for children, and £78 for a family (two adults and up to three children), and include access to the house, garden and farmyard, as well as car parking and access to the Christmas market between 5-23 November. Advanced booking via the Chatsworth website is required.

For anyone wishing to only visit the Christmas market, a Christmas market car park ticket must be booked in advance via the website.

This year’s Christmas event is kindly supported by CW Sellors, one of the UK’s leading fine jewellery and luxury watch specialists, and Investec Wealth & Investment.

For more information and to book, please visit www.chatsworth.org/Christmas

Chatsworth supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Image Credit: Chatsworth House Trust

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Recruitment Event returns to Chesterfield Market

People searching for work in Chesterfield are being invited to a recruitment event, where they can meet employers and find out more about local job vacancies and training schemes that lead to employment.

The recruitment event is on Wednesday 12 October between 10am and 12pm in Chesterfield market place.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Our previous events have helped a lot of people secure new careers in Chesterfield. This event is really important because it helps connect job seekers and employers, allowing them to informally meet one another and discuss available roles prior to an application. This event is here to help you find your next job and I hope lots of people will come and find out more about the opportunities available to them in Chesterfield.”

Paul Munday, Employer Adviser at DWP Jobcentre Plus Derbyshire, said: “After the success of the last three recruitment events held in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council, we are very excited to be running a fourth on Wednesday 12 October.

“For this event, as well as giving Chesterfield Residents the opportunity to speak to local employers and find sustainable employment, we are also running a Health & Wellbeing event in the Market Hall Assembly Rooms. This event will offer specialised support for residents with health conditions, as well as providing advice for the current cost of living crisis.”

The drop-in event is open to everyone, with no need to make an appointment, but job seekers registered with Jobcentre Plus can reserve their place by speaking with their work coach.

There will be lots of opportunities available on the day from a range of sectors including, hospitality, social care, engineering, logistics, transport and many more.

As well as job opportunities there will also be several apprenticeship providers who are currently recruiting for new apprentices. An apprenticeship offers a great opportunity to earn while you learn and can help people at any stage in life. Search for apprenticeships in Chesterfield by visiting: www.chesterfield.co.uk/apprenticeships/become-an-apprentice-in-chesterfield/find-an-apprenticeship-in-chesterfield

Derbyshire Careers Service will also be attending the event to promote training courses but also advise job seekers on how they can get support with their CV and interview techniques.

Market Recruitment event

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Chesterfield’s independent businesses announce special offers for ‘Fiver Fest’

Saturday 8 to Saturday 22 October 2022 will see many of the great independent businesses of Chesterfield putting on special £5 offers as they take part in the 9th Totally Locally Fiver Fest.

Fiver Fest is a national initiative run by Totally Locally, the UK’s biggest grass-roots High Street campaign. The initiative aims to encourage the ‘local community’ to get on board and support our independent businesses.

The businesses taking part have put on offers for a FIVER to entice you into their business, give them a go and hopefully remind yourself of the great places we have in our town.

The initiative is all about keeping money in the local area, supporting the high street and working together to make Chesterfield a better place.

People are encouraged to watch the ‘Tale of a Tenner’ video on Youtube, which shows, in a simple way, how shopping locally can make a huge difference to the place we live.

Paul Chapman from S40 Local magazine says, “Fiver Fest is a chance for local independent businesses to join a much larger family for a couple of weeks.

“Totally Locally are the guys behind the national Fiver Fest campaign and it enables businesses to create an offer for a fiver that we can all take up. We might not need every offer but there must be one or two that most of us could enjoy. My advice is to look out for the offers and support these fab local businesses.

“I know we’re all feeling the pinch at the moment but every penny we spend with a local indy business tends to stay local and has a positive impact on the local economy.

“I’m a small indy businesses just like those taking part so it’s important that I do what I can to support them through S40 and S41 Local magazines together with Simon Paterson, and Defeye Creative, the team behind Unhampered-Chesterfield.co.uk”

At the time of writing, offers are available from Adorn Jewellers, Delightful Décor, Empire Coffee Lounge & Bar, Flower Girl Plants, Fred’s Haberdashery, Ingmans Cobblers, M’s Gallery, Oculi Opticians, Pizza Pi, Plasters For Disasters, Shop Indie, Steph’s Sustainable Stuff, Stonecraft Ornaments, Straightcurves, Tallbird Records, The Vintage Tea Rooms, Tina’s Make & Mend and Twelfthcraft… a couple of sample offers include a pair of stud ear rings for a fiver from Shop Indie or a pair of socks for a fiver from Ingman’s Cobblers.

There will be additional offers from many more businesses so look out for them, and be sure to spend a fiver or two with our fantastic ‘indy businesses.’

 

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Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield works begin on Packers Row

Ambitious plans to revitalise Chesterfield town centre are being brought to life, with the first phase of the multi-million pound scheme now underway at Packers Row.

New paving, seating and street furniture – plus overhead festoon lighting to add character – are among the improvements which are being carried out as part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project.

Packers Row is one of several areas across the town centre to be revamped as part of the scheme. The changes will mirror the look and feel of nearby Elder Way which underwent a transformation last year – creating an attractive and welcoming route from the Northern Gateway into the town centre.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “It is fantastic to see work begin in our town centre and I hope it will demonstrate our ambitions for the wider Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project. We are working with our contractor to minimise disruption for businesses with the priority being customer access throughout the project.”

The council’s contractor will be working overnight during the first phase of the project, to minimise disruption to businesses and ensure access can be maintained throughout the day.

Funding for the works on Packers Row has been provided by Chesterfield Borough Council and its partners to kickstart revitalisation of the town centre and match funding provided by the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

The revitalisation of Packers Row will set the standard for future work around the town centre.

The council is currently working on detailed designs for the rest of the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project, which includes improvements to the Market Place, New Square, Corporation Street, Rykneld Square and Burlington Street.

Together with the major refurbishment of Stephenson Memorial Hall on Corporation Street (which houses the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum) the project is being brought forward thanks to almost £20m which the council secured from the Government’s levelling up fund.

Find out more about the proposals for the town centre, and sign up to receive the latest news by email, by visiting www.chesterfield.gov.uk/revitalise

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Growth for Chesterfield professional service businesses

Four Chesterfield businesses operating in the legal, financial and IT sectors have recently announced growth, with new team members and internal promotions bolstering their ranks.

BRM Solicitors recently announces Director Sanjeev Batra as the new Head of Real Estate at Chesterfield.

Sanjeev specialises in acquisitions, sales and leasebacks, disposals, security transactions and landlord and tenant issues, joined BRM in 2012 and is based in the BRM Chesterfield office.

He commented: “At BRM we are continuing to work to develop a vibrant and dynamic property department, supporting new clients and working with the firm’s current clients to support their business.”

Elsewhere, Chesterfield’s Rosewood Wealth Management added Emily Steeples to the team as a Financial Services Administrator.

Donna Robertson, Independent Financial Adviser at the company said: “Emily is passionate about delivering an exceptional customer service experience. Having spent eight years in customer/client facing roles she finds it rewarding to be supporting clients along their personal journey.

“Emily’s commitment to building rapport, making sure each client feels comfortable and understood which aligns with, and complements, the Rosewood value of having the client at the heart of everything they do.

“Joining the team as a Financial Services Administrator, Emily brings her dynamic and bubbly personality along with an exciting, fresh perspective on social media and community support campaigns.”

Banner Jones Solicitors has also announced a major promotion, with Andrew Fielder being annoucned as the company’s new Head of Business Legal Services.

The announcement follows news that industry stalwart Stephen Gordon retired at the end of August, following an impressive and influential 35-year legal career.

Commenting on his new role Andrew said: “I have large shoes to fill in my new role as Head of Business Legal Services but having worked alongside Stephen for so many years I am confident that I have benefited hugely from his experience, and that I can further build on that legacy and look towards the growth of the Banner Jones commercial offering across each of our offices.”

Finally, five new appointments have been made at Chesterfield’s Central Technology, with Project Engineer Linford Njie , Project Manager Alicia Wright, Account Manager Alex Greveson, Technical Support Specialist Katie Cope and Cloud Internal Account Manager Callium Rigley all joining the team.

Alex Greveson said: “I have joined CT as an Account Manager to work and build relationships with our valued customers. Prior to CT, I have multiple years previous experience in Account / Project Management in the IT and Utilities sector.”

Katie Cope commented: “My current job role at CT is providing IT support to our customers via the CT helpdesk. I have previous experience within the IT sector supporting multiple sites of a regional law firm.”

BRM Solicitors, Rosewood Wealth Management, Banner Jones Solicitors and Central Technology support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Town centre business invests in life-saving equipment

The Goldsmith Clinic, located at 5 Lordsmill Street in Chesterfield town centre, has invested in a life-saving defibrillator which is now registered on the National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit.

This latest addition now means there are 10 defibrillators within Chesterfield town centre. However, this will be the first defibrillator located on the busy Lordsmill Street gateway into the town.

With 4 in 5 cardiac arrests occurring away from hospitals, the new defibrillator is a welcome addition to the town centre. If a defibrillator is used within the first 4 minutes of a person suffering a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival can increase to 70%, compared to just 5% if defibrillation is delayed.

Owner of The Goldsmith Clinic and registered nurse, Theresa Goldsmith explained why she decided to install a defibrillator in the clinic, saying: “Having worked in hospitals and General Practice clinics for many years, I know the importance of having quick access to emergency equipment if something were to happen on site.

“The decision to purchase a defibrillator was to reassure clients both in my business and those of others also located in the building that if the worst case scenario occurred, we are prepared. Cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, and my priority is ensuring the wellbeing of everyone inside the clinic as well as the general public within the area.”

In addition to The Goldsmith Clinic, 5 Lordsmill Street is also home to Lucy Shakespeare Personal Training and Sports Therapy and The Sanctuary Beauty Therapy, who now all have access to the new defibrillator. Staff at all the businesses have been trained in basic life support and how to use the new defibrillator, however the equipment comes with instructions provided if needed.

The Goldsmith Clinic supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Eastenders icon set to host the sell-out 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards

Former Eastenders actor and household name Shaun Williamson will host the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards.

Held on Wednesday 12 October at the Winding Wheel Theatre, the popular awards return to the town for the second year.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Entire FM – Complete Facilities Management, Shaun will announce the winners of 15 categories at the black-tie awards ceremony.

Best known and loved for his Eastenders character Barry Evans, Shaun was in the show for 10 years from 1994 to 2004. Since leaving the soap, he has appeared regularly on stage and TV in a number of hit shows and productions, including Extras and Plebs. He is also a self-proclaimed quizzer, having competed on The Celebrity Chase and written a quizzing memoir A Matter Of Facts.

Looking forward to hosting the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards, Shaun Williamson commented: “I’m really excited to be a part of the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards. Never having been to the town before, I am looking forward to learning a lot about it and the people who live and work here. You never know when it may come up in a quiz!”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Shaun to Chesterfield to host the second sell-out Love Chesterfield Awards. He’s a much-loved and well-known personality with so many people. He will certainly help us make it a night to remember.”

Peter Currey, Managing Director at Entire FM – Complete Facilities Management added: “The awards are going to be fantastic, and I’m delighted Entire FM is part of the celebration for another year.”

See the full list of 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards finalists here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfieldawards/finalists/

The 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards are supported and made possible by a number of sponsors and partners, including: Entire FM – Complete Facilities Management, Banner Jones Solicitors, BHP Accountants, Business Wise Accountancy and Tax, Chesterfield Borough Council, DBCP, DBC Training, Derbyshire Times, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire),  Elder Way, Great2, Hoods Florist, JP Fire Safety Solutions, Minuteman Press Chesterfield, MSE Hiller, Peak Pharmacy, Shorts Chartered Accountants, Spirecross Ltd and SMH Group.

For all the information on the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards, please visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfieldawards/

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New bar specialising in craft beer and cocktails opens in Chesterfield town centre

A new bar has added to the bustling food and drink scene in Chesterfield Town Centre, owing its name to an historic bike shop which previously traded there.

Armisteads will provide customers with a ‘chilled and relaxed’ atmosphere, serving a range of cocktails and craft beers.

The bar has been opened by local residents Andy and Luke Waller, who are now fulfilling a long-held ambition to open a new bar in the town centre.

Bar Manager Luke explained: “The name Armisteads was inspired by the history of the venue. The building used to host a renowned bike shop in the early 1960’s called Armisteads and was where the majority of people in the town would get their first bikes, so it holds a lot of memories in the local area.”

The duo also have confidence in their local links with other businesses, which they believe will enable the business to thrive. Luke added: “We have strong personal and professional relationships with the brewers and distillers of the products that we stock on our beer lines and spirit shelves.

“Our colleagues have an outstanding knowledge of our product range including years of experience in shaking up some of the best cocktails in Chesterfield. Our colleagues are a friendly team who are always up for meeting new people whilst welcoming our new regulars.”

Together, Luke and Andy have built many strong friendships and relationships in Chesterfield and have strong links with Chesterfield Football Club. The pair say they are keen to show the people of Chesterfield what they have to offer. They are strong supporters of local businesses and wanted to extend that by introducing a venue of their own.

Luke said: “It’s really important for people who live in Chesterfield to support local businesses, as a town we need to stick together and build a positive reputation so that when people visit us, they see our heritage and the many great family businesses that are based here.

“Working together can only have a positive on the current plan to drive development in Chesterfield.”

Find out more about Armisteads on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

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Families, schools and businesses invited to ‘Go Pink’ for Ashgate Hospice this October

Ashgate Hospice is inviting the North Derbyshire community to turn pink in October to help fund and raise awareness of its care.

The hospice will host its first Go Pink for Ashgate week fundraiser between 10th and 16th October.

Families, schools and organisations are encouraged to organise their own pink themed fundraising event or initiative and help the charity raise much-needed funds so it can continue to support patients and their loved ones.

Rachel Broughton, Community Fundraiser at Ashgate Hospice, said: “Our Go Pink for Ashgate week is finally here and we’re inviting people, schools and organisations across North Derbyshire to join us!

“Can you wear something pink or hold a pink themed event and show your support in return for a donation to the hospice?

“Why not dress as a pink flamingo or wear pink bunny ears to work – do whatever you wish!

“Please reach out to us if you’d be interested in being involved; your support will fund the £8 million needed to provide our care each year.”

Go Pink for Ashgate Week will coincide with Hospice Care Week, which is spearheaded by national charity Hospice UK.

Supporters taking part will help provide care for families like Dale Pashley’s, after his dad, Gordon Pashley, died last year, three days before Christmas.

Gordon, from Creswell, was just 69 years old and had been diagnosed with a rectal tumour.

He received symptom management at the hospice’s Inpatient Unit before being cared for by the Palliative Care Specialist Nurses at his home, where he died in “peace and comfort” with family by his side.

Dale, an Assistant Nurse Practitioner for the NHS, is so “grateful” his family received the support of Ashgate.

The 37-year-old, from Shirebrook, added: “The care my dad and our family received from Ashgate Hospice was just outstanding.

“All the staff always went above and beyond and showed us so much care, compassion, commitment and courtesy to us all during a very difficult time.

“Ashgate is a comfortable relaxing environment for the patient, and nothing was ever too much trouble.

“Dad’s wish was to stay at home with my mum Elizabeth and the rest of our family; with the support of the hospice, we were able to fulfil his wish.”

Among the hospice’s supporters already on board include Chesterfield clothing shop Blanc & Blanc Occasions, which will be dressing their windows in pink to celebrate.

On Friday 14th October from 10am, they will be holding ‘Pink Fizz Friday’, offering up to 70% off selected lines with refreshments, including Pink Fizz, available for a donation to Ashgate Hospice.

Join in with the fun by using #GoPinkForAshgate on social media.

To find out more about how you join in with the Go Pink for Ashgate week celebrations go to https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/go-pink

Ashgate Hospice supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Chesterfield named best blooming small city in the East Midlands

Chesterfield’s beautiful green spaces, colourful floral displays and innovative community projects have earned the borough a top accolade in a prestigious competition – the first time the borough has scooped the sought-after award.

Judges in the regional East Midlands In Bloom awards were impressed by the breadth and quality of Chesterfield’s entry in this year’s competition – officially crowing the town as winner in the ‘Small City’ category.

Representatives from the Chesterfield In Bloom committee and Chesterfield Borough Council were presented with the award at a ceremony on Wednesday 21 September.

Edinburgh Road Pocket Park won the Award for the Best New Permanent Landscape, the Britannia Inn in Brampton won a Gold Award and the new Dementia Awareness Garden on Rose Hill won a Judges’ Award.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Winning this award is a real triumph for our community and is testament to years of hard work by both local volunteers and our officers. The award recognises that our borough is a bright and beautiful place to live, with lots of fantastic green spaces for our community to enjoy. Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our success in this competition over the years.”

Chris Turner, chair of the Chesterfield In Bloom committee, said: “It takes a lot of effort from many different community groups and the council to ensure the borough is looking its best in time for judging. I’m delighted that we’ve won this year, it’s been a long time coming but it’s fantastic to be recognised for our efforts.”

Judging for East Midlands In Bloom took place in July and the judges were taken on a tour of the borough, starting in Queen’s Park, they visited the town centre, the new Dementia Awareness Garden, Holmebrook Valley Country Park, the Britannia Inn, Hunloke Allotments, Brimington community garden and the pocket park on Edinburgh Road Park.

The new Dementia Awareness Garden on Rose Hill was completed earlier this year and officially opened by the East Midlands In Bloom judges. The project was a collaboration between Chesterfield Borough Council and David Shaw. Not only is it a calm spot to relax in the town centre, but interpretation boards also aim to help visitors understand more about Dementia and the impact it has.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Sustainability Summit encourages firms to embed net zero targets in business plans

Moving from a position where the net zero agenda is an aspiration to it being embedded in every strand of a business will be crucial to taking meaningful strides forward in green growth.

This was the consensus among speakers at East Midlands Chamber’s Sustainability Summit, which also heard how the cost-of-doing-business crisis offers an opportunity to make environmentally-friendly efficiencies that reduce overheads for organisations.

The event, held at headline partner the University of Derby’s Enterprise Centre, featured keynote speakers from universities, businesses, banking, not-for-profits and Government.

Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at East Midlands Chamber, said: “Despite firms facing lots of external challenges and a crisis in the cost of doing business, they remain highly committed to the net zero agenda by making efficiencies in their operations and buildings to reduce not only their carbon emissions, but costs too.

“So as we search for solutions to the mountain of problems, it’s vital we don’t take our eye off the ball in supporting businesses to adopt green growth strategies.
“It’s clear we still have much work to do in this respect, with many companies telling us there must be a more joined-up approach between organisations – whether it’s Government agencies, universities, local authorities and business representation networks like the Chamber – and a more consistent message across these bodies.”

Unique research into Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands 2022 carried out by the Chamber and University of Derby found the proportion of the region’s firms that sell green goods and services has almost trebled to 45% over the seven years to 2022, while the proportion considering green growth as part of their business strategies has more than doubled to 21.5% in the past four years.

However, 35% of firms still aren’t engaged with green growth – with reasons cited including gaps in information, skills and access to finance.

Chris added: “While it’s very promising to see real progress being made in the race to net zero, access to finance for green projects and skills for green jobs remain key barriers to making further inroads into greening up our economy.

“From a policy perspective, Government needs to get on with stalled environmental legislation. This will remove the uncertainty and provide businesses with the opportunity to plan for the future.

Businesses want to see our decision-makers pushing through previously proposed legislation in areas like waste management and biodiversity in order to start investing in new technologies that will drive change and there is a message to ‘get on with it’.

“The language we use when discussing the net zero needs to evolve as the landscape does – when we talk about green jobs, let’s start thinking less about the inputs of roles and more about their impact in order to broaden what is currently a very narrow definition.

“And for businesses, we want to move towards green growth being embedded in everything we do – from business plans for growth and making efficiencies, to the products we make and skills we look for. Only once it is part of mainstream thinking can we really begin to make the required progress in cutting emissions and costs.”

For more information about business support related to net zero adoption and green growth, visit the Chamber’s Sustainable East Midlands page at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability.

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