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Residents encouraged to complete survey on high streets and town centres in the Chesterfield borough

Chesterfield residents are being encouraged to complete a consumer survey to help us to learn more about how you use services in our town centres.

Love Chesterfield is a campaign organised by Chesterfield Borough Council in partnership with Destination Chesterfield to promote and support high streets and town centres across the borough of Chesterfield.

The quick survey will ask you to tell us about markets you have visited, which high streets you visit regularly, eating out and your choice of entertainment.

Please spend a few minutes to complete this questionnaire. The results will allow us to monitor the performance of the town, the success of marketing campaigns and business support and will help to shape future activity to support high street businesses across the borough.

The survey will close on 12 May 2022.

At the end of the questionnaire, there is an opportunity to win two tickets to see the ‘Crooked Spire Medieval, Murder-Mystery Musical’ on its opening night at the Pomegranate Theatre on Thursday 19 May 2022.

Complete the survey. 

You can find out more about what’s on offer across our local high streets in Chesterfield by going to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

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

Leadership and Business Skills Courses Available to Chesterfield Organisations

Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire can access support in developing leadership, management and business skills through three projects which have recently been launched by the University of Derby.

  • The Smart and Inclusive Leadership (SAIL) project will support SMEs in developing the leadership and management skills needed to drive productivity and growth.
  • Branch into STEM supports employees in developing problem solving, data and analytical skills, building confidence in their ability to create reports, plan finances or carry out other numerical tasks.
  • The brand new, Reskill and Recover programme will help businesses return to growth and increase their productivity following the challenges of the past two years. Participants will learn advanced level business skills and be encouraged to develop new perspectives, thinking and ideas.

All three projects are part of the European Social Fund (ESF) High Level Skills programme and are delivered by a consortium of higher education, further education and third sector organisations. Led by Nottingham Trent University (NTU), the consortium includes the University of Derby, Derby College, Nottingham College, East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Inspire Culture and Learning, and the Workers’ Educational Association.

The projects, part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), will be bolstered by the same amount of funding from delivery partners, meaning there is no cost to eligible organisations that choose to participate.

Participants in the SAIL and Branch into STEM programmes are already finding the learning experience extremely valuable. Sam Hudson is part of the leadership team for Derby West Indian Community Association and participated in the SAIL initiative. She said: “The programme has supported me in developing so many skills. I’ve learned how to think on my feet, identify gaps in the services we offer, have difficult conversations, and speak up on behalf of our community.”

Robert Foryński is founder of Promedia Design. Speaking of his experience on the Branch into STEM programme he said “I have to analyse a lot of data every day. We use mathematical concepts all the time and I wanted to become more proficient in areas such as financial planning, management and forecasting and data analysis. The course really helped me to consolidate this fundamental knowledge.”

The programmes will all be open for enrolment in May 2022. To find out more about developing your leadership and management skills visit Smart and Inclusive Leadership Programme; for further information on problem solving, data and analytical skills visit Branch Out in STEM or to register your interest in developing advanced level business skills visit Reskill and Recover.

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Superior Wellness confirmed finalists at the EMEA 2022 Inspiring Workplace Awards

The team at Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness say they’re ‘delighted’ to be announced as finalists for the 2022 EMEA Inspiring Workplace Awards.

The awards recognise forward-thinking and people-first organisations. Originally, called The Employee Engagement Awards, they have since evolved into Inspiring Workplaces.

Wellness is at the forefront of everything that Superior Wellness do, and this is followed through to partners, suppliers and the internal team. The family culture that has been built at Superior Wellness is something they are incredibly proud of. The focus is to create a positive working environment where the team feel inspired to come to work every single day.

Carol Claydon, Head of HR said, “I am absolutely thrilled that Superior Wellness has been recognised as a finalist in the Inspiring Workplace Awards. We understand that if there is a positive working environment, our team will enjoy coming to work and in return feel happier.”

“I have played a key role in implementing new policies and resources to improve wellbeing for the team. We really are like one big family here and I feel very lucky to be part of it.”

The Inspiring Workplaces Group recently announced its first ever Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces across EMEA. The order of the Top 50 will be announced at the Gala Dinner held at the Kia Oval in London on May 24, 2022.

Founder of Inspiring Workplaces, Matt Manners said, “We have been recognising organisations and the inspirational people within them for over eight years now. This year, we wanted to evolve the awards to represent the way the world of work is evolving too.

“Congratulations to all the finalists. We can’t wait to share these stories and promote the inspirational work you are doing day-in-day-out.”

The company would like to wish its fellow finalists and nominees the best of luck when the winners are announced.

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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

The Goldsmith Clinic adds to growing team with new therapist

The Goldsmith Clinic in Chesterfield has recently added to its team, by taking on Rebecca Davies as a Level 3 therapist.

Established in 2015 in the Ashgate area, The Goldsmith Clinic moved onto Lordsmill Street in Chesterfield Town Centre in 2019, where it has continued to grow despite the challenges to businesses caused by the recent Covid-19 pandemic.

The clinic recently opened two new treatment rooms in order to keep up with customer demand, and the recruitment of Rebecca enables the business to continue growing its client base, while expanding the range of treatments available.

Rebecca is born and raised in Chesterfield, having gained qualifications and experience at Chesterfield College. She explained how enjoyable it has been since taking up the role at The Goldsmith Clinic: “We have lots of lovely clients coming in, it feels like a real community so it’s really nice. Coming into the clinic, Theresa has given me a lot of support, and everyone else who has worked here has supported me to become a better therapist.

“Since starting here, I’ve learned how to carry out lots of new treatments and I’m looking to progress even more as time goes on.”

Theresa Goldsmith, owner of The Goldsmith Clinic said: “Becky specialises in all manner of promoting good skin health, including HydraFacial, radio frequency facials, Obagi facials and she’s about to embark on training for skin needling. She has come on board and added a lot of new services to what we already provide.”

The Goldsmith Clinic supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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

New Business Development Manager joins Bridge Help

Chesterfield-based bespoke commercial bridging loan provider, Bridge Help, has marked its continued growth in 2022 with the appointment of a new Business Development Manager.

Tina Panayi brings 25 years of business development experience in the finance sector to her new role at the rapidly growing short-term finance firm.

As well as being an experienced relationship manager, Tina is also a qualified broker. She commented: “Being a qualified broker I fully understand clients’ requirements and where Bridge Help can add value to the loan process. It’s an exciting opportunity to be able to use all my skills.”

She joins the company’s team of Business Development Managers, at Bridge Help where she will be responsible for managing and growing relationships with brokers throughout England and Wales.

Tina’s career history includes roles with a number of high street lenders, including Bank of Scotland, B M Solutions, Aldermore Bank and, most recently, specialist lender Together Money.

She commented: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge of my new role at Bridge Help. As a salesperson I’m very passionate about what I do and love adding value to the client’s business and being a bespoke lender where humans make the lending decisions rather than a computer, Bridge Help gives me the opportunity to do that.”

Tina’s appointment follows significant growth for Bridge Help during 2021 in which the short-term lender exceeded its own projections, lending more than £23 million and is on track to lend £40 million in 2022.

Delighted to welcome Tina to the team, Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help, added: “Tina shares the company’s passion for getting deals over the line and providing a bespoke approach to bridging finance. We’re excited to have her on board, helping us to continue developing valuable, long-lasting relationships with our growing broker network.”

While Tina is a new face to Bridge Help, she may be more familiar to fans of the Channel 4 programme Come Dine with Me. In 2009 she appeared on the show with her Greek-inspired menu.

To arrange a meeting with Tina or to speak to a Business Development Manager at Bridge Help, contact the friendly team today on 033 3303 4681.

Bridge Help supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Business, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Major refurbishment to take place at prominent Chesterfield office building

A major refurbishment of prominent Chesterfield office space, The HQ, Rowland Hill House in Chesterfield is underway, resulting in a raft of new tenants.

The works being carried out by FI Real Estate Management includes a £1.2m remodelling of the ground and third floors, which has created brand new reception and meeting space and the ground floor has been split into a series of smaller suites in response to market demand. This is now fully occupied by a diverse range of businesses including software consultancy Forefront Technology and advertising agency, Eehhaaa.

The next phase of works will see a £1m+ refurbishment of the first and second floors that will see the space divided to provide smaller units, with discussions already ongoing with a number of interested parties from Derbyshire and beyond.

The HQ, Rowland Hill House offers a wide range of refurbished, flexible and affordable office space from 400 sq ft up – right up to 60,331 sq ft across four floors. Space can be divided in order to meet specific business requirements, with turnkey and bespoke packages available.

The property also boasts 326 on site parking spaces, unlike many office buildings in the area.

Situated within the heart of the historic market town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Rowland Hill House is just a 15 minute drive from the M1 and East Midlands Airport only a 40-minute car journey away.

A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management commented: “We continue to see strong demand for high quality office space in prime locations in Derbyshire and the surrounding area, particularly those with ample on-site parking like here at The HQ, Rowland Hill House.

“Local and regional businesses are keen to find first class office environments but understandably want the flexibility to create solutions that are tailored to them and suit their unique needs. We’re able to offer traditional leases as well as bespoke, turnkey packages and are already seeing good interest in floors one and two on this basis.”

Find out more about the wide range of quality and affordable office spaces here in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Chesterfield Escape Rooms gears up for 1st anniversary celebrations

One of Chesterfield’s most renowned visitor attractions, Chesterfield Escape Rooms is set to celebrate it’s 1st birthday in May by reflecting on a number of resounding successes since opening in 2021.

Based on Soresby Street, the games centre features several games where participants must complete a series of puzzles and challenges in order to ‘escape.’ In less than a year it has become one of the best rated escape rooms in the country.

In addition, the Escape Rooms has grown further into the Chesterfield Games Quarter, featuring VR and retro gaming offers for visitors alongside the Geeks HQ, which hosts regular trading card tournaments, board game events and much more.

Nick Hogan, founder and owner of Chesterfield Escape Rooms commented: “Wow, what a year after opening in the middle of a pandemic! We have had just on 10,000 players and unbelievably achieved the number 1 Escape Room in the UK according to Trip Advisor! Our intention was to get into the top 50 but to achieve the number 1 spot when there are 800 Escape Business in town is a real coup.”

Mr Hogan also explained how pleased he was to be providing a unique and modern visitor offer to Chesterfield’s historic town centre: “I for one am delighted to have opened in the town centre, giving something back to the town I have called home for 20 years. We believe in the region of 30% of our players have come from outside of town and most will stay for drinks and food elsewhere therefore contributing to the wider hospitality sector.  When we opened in May 2021, our building was unused and pretty derelict so its great to see something vibrant shine from something so run down.”

Speaking on the expansion into the innovative ‘games quarter’ attraction, Nick said: “The Games quarter is quite unique in that its a collaboration of 4 local businesses coming together in one space to offer lots of different gaming requirements. We have started offering cross business party packages for groups of varying sizes which has proved so popular so far.

“In the early days of opening, there was a government employment scheme called Kickstart and I focused very much on this. I initially employed 6 Kickstarters, who were people under 24 who had been unemployed for over 6 months. 12 months later 4 ex Kickstarters are now on our payroll as permanent employees. We have employed over 30 people in 21/22 so far and everyone of them has contributed to our success, I cant thank them enough.”

Nick is encouraging people in Chesterfield and beyond to keep an eye on further developments at the Games Quarter and Escape Rooms, with further plans to refresh the attractions to keep people coming back for more.

He said: “We try to refresh the games as often as possible, so having started with 3 titles we have had 5 in operation over the year. We are also considering adding least one new title this year as well as a new Xmas game from November. For those people that have played all of our physical rooms, well maybe its time they tried some of our state of the art Virtual Reality rooms as these are proving very popular and getting rave reviews!”

Chesterfield Escape Rooms supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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

Newborns highlight Rare Breeds success at Chatsworth

While visitors have been enjoying the sights and sounds of its latest newborns this spring, Chatsworth Farmyard has been particularly celebrating the latest additions to its breeding programme for rare and sometimes critically endangered animals.

Two Albion calves, Bronte and Queenie, have been born in the past ten days. Originally called the ‘Bakewell Blues’ because of their origins in Derbyshire, Albions are listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) as the most rare ‘priority’ breed.

Meanwhile, Eugenie, Chatsworth’s Suffolk Punch mare is expecting another foal in the next couple of weeks, having successfully delivered visitor favourite ‘Huxley’ last year. The RBST considers the Suffolk Punch to be critically endangered with fewer than 500 purebred horses registered in the UK. Eugenie is one of only 72 female Suffolk Punches, making them more endangered than the Giant Panda.

Bagot goat kids and Gloucester Old Spot piglets are due soon and are listed as ‘at risk’ breeds while the farmyard is also hoping for some rare breed chicks from its Derbyshire Redcap chickens.

The Farmyard has been welcoming plenty of newborns this spring, though not all are rare breeds.  A Donkey foal, lambs, goat kids and piglets are all expected additions in the next few weeks.

Chatsworth Farmyard is home to a number of the country’s rarest breeds of livestock and equines, including Suffolk Punch horses, Shire horses, Albion cattle, Bagot goats and Cream Legbar and Derbyshire Redcap chickens, as well as British Landrace pigs and Eriskay ponies.

“We are delighted to welcome our two beautiful Albion calves. They’re incredibly rare and I have always wanted to have some of these wonderful cows here. Given their local heritage it feels like the perfect fit at Chatsworth Farmyard,” said Farmyard Manager, Melissa Underwood.

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) awarded RBST accreditation to Chatsworth Farmyard last year, recognising its important contribution to the conservation of some the rarest livestock and equine breeds native to the UK.

RBST is the national charity that works to secure the future of rare breeds of native livestock and equines. Chatsworth Farmyard is now part of the 25-strong network of RBST accredited farm parks which take part in crucial conservation programmes, manage special breeding groups, and support education about rare breeds and why they matter.

Chatsworth Farmyard and Adventure Playground is open daily to visitors (www.chatsworth.org).

Chatsworth supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield Vegan Market launches

Chesterfield will host a regular Vegan Market in 2022 that adds to the line up of specialist Sunday markets held in the town.

The Vegan Market is run by Rainbow Monkey Events Ltd and the first one will be held on Sunday 8 May from 10am to 4pm in New Square. There will be a wide selection of vegan traders both from Derbyshire and from further afield.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The specialist Sunday markets are proving really popular amongst both visitors and residents. It’s great that we’re working with another partner to increase the variety of Sunday markets.”

Chesterfield Vegan Market will offer an amazing range of vegan products including cakes, chocolate, dog treats, fudge, jewellery, household goods, clothing, pies, pizza, plastic free and zero waste solutions and a selection of hot food.

There will also be animal charities and rescue centres promoting the services they offer and a selection of vegan artists and creatives selling their artwork. Everyone is welcome at the market whether they are vegan or not and visitors are also able to bring along their canine companions.

Sam Brundish, founder of Rainbow Monkey Events, said: “We have chosen to run some of our ethical vegan events in Chesterfield as I have a long connection with the town – I attended Chesterfield College for my Foundation Degree and I’ve been eating at Elliott’s since I first went vegan 20 years ago! And, having previously traded at the vegan markets which were run in 2019, we are keen to bring a regular vegan market to the folks of Chesterfield and beyond!

“We have already booked in a number of exciting stalls so whether you are new to veganism or interested in any aspect of it from the tasty food to the animal rescues which are local to you, we welcome you all to Chesterfield Vegan Markets starting in May 2022.”

Specialist Sunday markets in Chesterfield include the Artisan Market which takes place on the last Sunday of every month and the Chesterfield Record Fair which takes place on the second Sunday of every month.

On 8 May the Chesterfield Vegan Market will take place in New Square whilst the Record Fair takes place in the main market.

Future dates for the Chesterfield Vegan Market are Sunday 10 July and Sunday 4 September. All taking place in New Square from 10am to 4pm.

Find out more about the market at www.rainbowmonkeyevents.co.uk and follow the company for regular updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , ,

Workpays Founder Helen Richardson Becomes an MBE

Helen Richardson, Founder of Workpays, has been awarded with an MBE for Service to Young People During the Pandemic, and was presented with her award at Windsor Castle last month.

Throughout the pandemic, Workpays remained open throughout the pandemic going above and beyond to offer extended pastoral services to our participants, in addition to skills and employability delivery. After creating an online learning platform from scratch in less than a month, we provided a laptop and WiFi dongles to those participants without the equipment to access online learning and virtual classes, these were hand delivered to their homes.

Anne Wright, Managing Director of Workpays said, “We are delighted to congratulate Helen for being awarded an MBE, it is an exceptional accolade that highlights the valuable work undertaken at Workpays during the pandemic. I’m extremely proud that the Workpays family became fully united and focused to continue our service and offer excellent support to our young people at a extraordinarily challenging time for them.”

Alex Glasner, Managing Director, said, “This is a huge accolade for Helen and Workpays and testament to the work our team put in day in day out. Workpays will always put our learners first no matter what the circumstances.”

As a skills provider in Chesterfield, Workpays helps people to access the skills & training needed to gain employment.

The company provides Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge to parents, teachers & students and assists employers to develop their workforce through work-based learning and apprenticeships.

Workpays has offices in Derby, Coventry, Chesterfield, Kettering, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Hinckley, Redditch, Corby & Market Harborough.

Find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield, along with the Made In Chesterfield scheme, which enables school pupils to gain first-hand experience of construction, manufacturing and engineering by taking part in site visits at local businesses.

Workpays supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Workpays Directors – Helen Richardson pictured centre

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

Chesterfield based Mortgage 1st have been named as a finalist in the Mortgage Strategy Awards.

Chesterfield-based Mortgage Advisory firm, Mortgage 1st has been shortlisted of a prestigious national industry award.

The Mortgage Strategy Awards are undoubtedly seen as the pinnacle of success for those in the UK mortgage industry.

Widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the mortgage industry, the accolades are not awarded lightly. Several rounds of shortlisting take place before the judge’s comb through each entry and decide on a winner. It’s the culmination of hard work and effort over the past twelve months, the rigorous judging process associated with the Awards that ensures that winning one of the 27 categories really is a mark of excellence.

The shortlist has been announced and Chesterfield based Mortgage Advisers Mortgage 1st are delighted to be named as a finalist in the ‘Best Mortgage Broker 8-50 Advisers’ category in these prestigious national awards.

Lisa Stones, Marketing Director at Mortgage 1st said: “To be shortlisted is amazing achievement in itself! We are very excited to be in the finals alongside a number of large well-known national mortgage firms – Wish us luck!”

This comes off the back of Mortgage 1st also reaching the finals earlier this year in the Natwest Local Hero Awards and achieving Highly Commended on the night, being recognised for the work the team have been doing over the past 12 months to support young people in the area through their apprenticeship scheme and schools program.

The full shortlist for the 2022 Mortgage Strategy Awards can be seen at: https://www.mortgagestrategyawards.co.uk/msa/en/page/shortlist-2022

Mortgage 1st supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Business, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

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