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Headline sponsor of Sparkle Night Walk aims to reach £1m raised for Ashgate Hospicecare

Local company M Markovitz Ltd have been confirmed as headline partners for the Sparkle Night Walk for the fourth year running, as they aim to surpass £1 million raised for Ashgate Hospicecare.

Savannah Redhead, Events Fundraiser at Ashgate Hospicecare said: “The 2019 Sparkle Night Walk set new records with over 3,000 walkers taking part. Collectively over the years, the event has raised more than £700,000 for patients and their families across North Derbyshire and we are hoping that 2020 will raise over £300,000. This would take the total amount raised over the last four years to £1,000,000! ”

“The ongoing support Markovitz provides means that the money people raise on the night goes directly to caring for patients in their own homes and at the hospice. We are aiming for another record sell-out event when it returns on Saturday 11 July 2020 with an improved route and additional capacity for more walkers – and the support of Markovitz has been integral to that growth.”

Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “What an amazing four years it has been for the Markovitz Sparkle Night Walk and Ashgate Hospicecare’s Events Team. The event continues to beat all expectations and raise phenomenal amounts for the hospice each year, something we couldn’t have done without the support of David Hopkins and Markovitz.”

“We can’t put into words how grateful everyone at Ashgate Hospicecare is for the amazing support and kindness all those involved have continued to show. The Markovitz Sparkle Night Walk has made an enormous contribution to the hospice and difference to the care that patients and their families across North Derbyshire have been able to receive.”

“It means a huge amount to all of us at Ashgate to have had your support at our flagship event over the past four years.”

David Hopkins, CEO of Markovitz, said: “2020 will be our 4th year as proud sponsors of the Sparkle Night Walk. Thanks to the thousands of local people who year after year support this fantastic event, in this short time over £700,000 has been collected. Hopefully this year will see us smash through the £1million.”

“Our heartfelt thanks go out to all those supporting the Markovitz Sparkle Night Walk. With everyone’s help we must ensure that Ashgate Hospicecare remains able to support those in need at the most difficult of times.”

Ashgate Hospicecare encourage any local business who might consider supporting with this fantastic event to get in touch with our team at Ashgate Hospicecare. If you or your business would like to sponsor Chesterfield’s biggest fundraising event in 2020 and make a huge difference to the lives of local people, please get in touch with Ali at alison.ward-foster@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk before the end of February 2020.

Registration for the Markovitz Sparkle Night Walk 2020 on Saturday 11th July is now open. If you register before 14th April you will receive our Early Bird Discount, reducing entry to JUST £10 per person.

Click here to find out more and to book your place at the Markovitz Sparkle Night Walk

Click here to find out ore about Ashgate Hospicecare

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

Proposals for new cycle routes in Derbyshire approved

Proposals to implement a key cycle network throughout Derbyshire have been approved by Derbyshire County Council cabinet members.

The Derbyshire Cycle Plan launched in early 2016 set out aspirations to create the most connected and integrated county for cycling in the country.

In 2017, the Cabinet agreed to the development of a key cycle network for the county identifying the most important routes for commuting, leisure and tourism which included both established and new routes.

Now a revised network of routes has been approved following a 12-week public consultation period which gave Derbyshire residents the opportunity to have their say on the proposals offering amendments and recommendations.

Please click below links to view the PDF documents (opens in new window).

Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Simon Spencer, said: “These plans show our ambition to cement Derbyshire as a world class cycling destination for everyone.”

“The council has recently pledged to tackle climate change with our carbon reduction manifesto which includes supporting and promoting the development of low carbon travel and more environmentally friendly modes of transport.”

“Establishing a key cycle network will make a significant contribution to this pledge offering quality routes for low carbon travel which are safe and enjoyable to use for both residents and visitors to the county.”

There are 127 sections of the network that have been prioritised for investment which have been grouped in short, medium and long term categories.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Work to begin on Chesterfield’s new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

Work is set to begin on the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Chesterfield Borough Council has appointed local contractor Robert Woodhead Ltd to build the new development for businesses, with work to begin in Spring 2020.

This appointment follows an extensive procurement process undertaken by Chesterfield Borough Council in which Robert Woodhead Ltd has proved successful amidst a highly competitive field of design and build contractors.  The good response by the construction market to this opportunity indicates there is a high level of interest for schemes in Chesterfield.

The new building will provide 32 high-quality offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors.  It offers a shared reception and lobby area, meeting rooms, first floor break out area, bicycle store, shower and changing facilities, air conditioning throughout, lift access, internal bin store, kitchenettes on the first and second floor for use by occupants, individually metered power supplies, access control to all office doors, CCTV coverage to internal communal areas and external area.  IT fibre connection into building with maximum speed multi bandwith and Wifi is provided throughout.

Businesses moving in to the new facility will benefit from its central location, being in easy access to the town centre, Chesterfield train station, local buses and there being car parking nearby, and will benefit from having access to business support.

The development is estimated to take 12 months to build, so will be open for business in early 2021. Those interested in occupying one of the spaces should use the contact details below to discuss options available.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “The new centre will allow those based there to have access to in-house support services to encourage and nurture start-up and early stage businesses in a wide variety of industry sectors.

“The contractor appointed is based in the East Midlands, and as with all our contractors we will work with them in the support of the local labour clause promoting the use of a local supply chain and the employment of local people.

“The council declared a climate emergency in Chesterfield last year so being environmentally friendly in our forthcoming building projects is essential.

“This building has been deliberately designed to reduce its demand for energy and related carbon emissions.  Through this design we are looking to achieve a 39.11% reduction in carbon omissions and 41.28% reduction in annual energy consumption when compared with a standard building.

“The combination of building fabric design and efficient building energy management systems will help us to achieve these targets.  To demonstrate the sustainability credentials of this building we aim to achieve a BREEAM – New Construction Rating of Excellent.

“The location of the building in the town centre also ensures it benefits from proximity to a range of public transport services.  The building will provide shower and changing facilities for those occupants who cycle or travel to work on foot.  A building travel plan will also help promote more environmentally sustainable forms of transport to those using the building.

“The new centre will be the third managed workspace in the council’s portfolio, and we are seeking to build on the success of our well let Tapton and Dunston Innovation Centres.”

Leo Woodhead, Business Development Director at Woodhead Group, said: “Woodhead Group is delighted to be taking part in this exciting opportunity collaborating with Chesterfield Borough Council.”

“Our partnership will allow Woodhead Group to grow and develop our business within the local community.”

The centre will be developed on the same area that the archaeological dig took place last year, with hoarding going up around the site over the next few weeks.  It has benefited from grant funding support from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

To find out more about your business being based in the Enterprise Centre call either Claire Cunningham or Hannah Ramsdale on 01246 345255 or email hannah.ramsdale@chesterfield.gov.uk or claire.cunningham@chesterfield.gov.uk .

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Young people to have their say about how they influence county council decisions

Children and young people are set to be asked for their views on the best way for Derbyshire County Council to involve and consult with them on decisions that they make.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet is to consider a proposal at its meeting on Thursday 16 January 2020 to carry out a consultation about changing the Derbyshire Youth Council (DYC) for more representative arrangements to increase the number of young people taking part in local democracy.

The DYC was set up in 2002 and has 36 members aged 11 to 19 voted into office by children and young people through the ‘Big Vote’ process every two years.

As well as hosting the DYC we also support a variety of other opportunities to encourage youth democracy including Locality Youth Forums, the Children in Care Council, School Councils, the Care Leavers’ Council and countywide locality youth forums.

An independent review of these groups carried out in 2018 identified that they were all valued by young people, but that a significant proportion of available staff time and resources was devoted to the DYC which in comparison only benefited a relatively small number of young people.

The Cabinet will consider a recommendation to carry out ‘The Big Consultation’ on a proposal for the DYC to be disbanded and replaced with a strategic network developed around the current School Council and other structures.

If Cabinet agrees to approve the consultation it would run for 12 weeks from Friday 24 January 2020 to Friday 17 April 2020 and gather views from:

  • children and young people
  • schools
  • voluntary organisations
  • youth service providers
  • councillors
  • children’s services managers and staff

Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Young People, said: “We are committed to involving young people in our decision-making processes for a variety of reasons including the opportunities for them to learn about democracy and to help us plan services and make the best use of our resources by listening to what they have to say.”

“Young people have told us that the DYC is a great way to discuss relevant issues and make a difference, but they also raised concerns that it was not always representative and only allowed for a small number of young people to be involved and benefit from the experience.”

“That’s why we’re asking Cabinet to consider approving a consultation around a proposal which would focus resources on supporting opportunities young people think would enable and encourage more of them to get involved in local democracy and influence our decision-making process.”

Representatives from the DYC and some schools took part in an initial consultation to help shape the consultation options. The feedback was that it was ‘great to be part of the DYC’ but it was only available for a few young people and funding should be used to enable more young people to be involved in council decisions and that existing groups could be developed using technology to improve communication and connections between them.

 

And the issues young people were most interested in included:

  • the council’s long-term plans and how it is meeting its environmental responsibilities
  • how budgets are spent
  • the quality of schools and services
  • equality and diversity

Current DYC members were due to end their two-year term in office in March 2020 but that would be extended for a further year while proposals for possible future arrangements were considered.

Derbyshire county council are committed to involving young people in local democracy and decision-making and this is supported by legislation including the Children Act 1989, the Education Act 2002 and the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

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

Derbyshire County Cricket Club apppoints Head of Talent Pathway

Daryn Smit has been appointed Derbyshire County Cricket Club‘s new Head of Talent Pathway, with the aim of enhancing the number of local home-grown players progressing into the first team.

The 35-year-old will oversee players developing within the Cricket Derbyshire Academy in partnership with The University of Derby, working closely with the Derbyshire Cricket Board and local clubs.

Smit will now transition into his off-field role, bringing his 16-year playing career to an end after making his last appearance for the club at Finals Day.

He already has experience working with developing players, having captained the Second XI side which saw Fynn Hudson-Prentice break through in 2019.

Head of Cricket, Dave Houghton said: “Daryn is a tremendous young coach and he has shown great leadership qualities throughout his work with the Second XI.”

“With this appointment, there will be more emphasis on the Academy and the long-term goal of developing local players to play professional cricket for Derbyshire.”

Smit added: “My goal was always to go into coaching and this is a brilliant opportunity for me, at this stage in my career. To finish playing now to take this role is a small sacrifice to make.”

“I have had a long and enjoyable playing career, the club have been brilliant to me, so this is a chance for me to give back to them and the youngsters that are coming through our pathway.”

Smit will now be tasked with increasing the number of Academy graduates playing professional cricket for Derbyshire and, potentially, England.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Secrets, surprises and stories at Chatsworth this winter

In a new series of winter talks, the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and others from the great Chatsworth Estate are set to reveal some of the secrets of its success.

Sixteen generations of the Cavendish family have built Chatsworth into the thriving, modern estate it is today. Viewers of the recent Channel 4 programme ‘Christmas at Chatsworth House’ will have seen some of the vital work done behind the scenes by the housekeeping, collections and garden teams who conserve the past and safeguard for the future.

In its long and celebrated history, Chatsworth has played host to an extraordinary cast of characters from Mary Queen of Scots to Elizabeth II, John F Kennedy to the Mitford sisters, and Charles Dickens to Evelyn Waugh but these talks also look at the unsung heroes who, for centuries, have kept the great estate running in good order.

All talks are taking place in the Hartington room. While the house, garden and farmyard are closed for the winter (reopening on 21 March 2020) the stables shop and restaurant are open daily from 10.30am to 4.00pm, while the farmyard and playground are also open during half-term, 15-23 February 2020. Free parking is available at Chatsworth during this time and at the nearby Calton Lees car park.

Secrets & surprises: Behind the scenes tours: Selected dates from 20 January 2020–12 March 2020

Explore behind the scenes this winter while the house is normally closed to visitors as it undergoes its annual ‘deep clean’. These guided tours are exclusively available to guests booking a ‘Secrets and Surprises’ accommodation package.

A year in the life of a Chatsworth seamstress: 21 January and 27 February

What does a seamstress at Chatsworth do all day? With miles of fabric to care for, Marie, an expert seamstress on the textiles team, will take you through a ‘typical’ year, highlighting some of the projects she has been involved with over the last five years, from conservation to Christmas, and much more.

Life Stories: An exhibition preview: 7 February 2020

This year’s main exhibition is ‘Life Stories’, which brings to life real people associated with Chatsworth through portraits and objects from the Devonshire Collections.

Connecting with nature: 21 February 2020

What does it mean to connect with nature? Explore the relationships between art and the natural world and why Chatsworth is the ideal setting to do so.

Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth: 28 February 2020

An illustrated talk by Steve Porter, Chatsworth’s Head of Gardens and Landscape, will explore the fascinating history of Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth and the mark he made on the garden including the Great Conservatory.

Garden development: past, present and future: 6 March 2020

Steve Porter, Head of Gardens and Landscape, will give an illustrated talk about its history and present developments, from RHS Chelsea in 2015 to Arcadia in 2019/20 and everything in-between.

Contemporary Chatsworth: 13 March 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire reflect on the contributions to the Devonshire Collections, house and garden from 16 generations of the Cavendish family.

Dressed to impress: 2 April 2020 and 23 June 2020

Join Marie, an expert seamstress from the textiles team, for an insight into how the Devonshires and their servants were ‘dressed to impress’.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

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 26 February to Wednesday 8 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 across the borough.

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 (right), 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.

Chesterfield derbyshire World Mental Health Day 2019

Posted in About Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Win a SONY PlayStation at Vicar Lane

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is excited to continue their Win the Window competition in 2020, which gives customers the chance to win a new prize every month. This month, there is a chance to win a SONY PlayStation from CEX to celebrate the New Year in style.

The competition starts on Monday 6th January and runs until Sunday 26th January. The prize is displayed in the winning window, located opposite F. Hinds at Vicar Lane.

This competition follows the first which saw the popular Chesterfield shopping centre giving away a generous £30 F. Hinds gift card, the second which saw one lucky person winning a giant teddy from Holmes Amusements and the third, which saw a customer walking away with a tasty £20 Quoozies voucher. In the run up to Christmas, customers had the opportunity to win a fabulous bundle, filled with goodies from a variety of stores at the centre, worth over £170.

For the chance to win the latest prize, customers should simply visit the Centre’s winning window opposite F. Hinds and follow the simple instructions, or comment on the official competition post on Facebook.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “We’re sure our January ‘Win the Window’ competition will be a popular one!’’

Terms and conditions apply.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Preparations in place for progress in Chesterfield during 2020

There is an undercurrent of excitement in Chesterfield. The progress the town made in 2019 means we cannot escape the positivity we feel for 2020.

Forget Brexit and the General Election outcomes, I am proud to say the town has forged ahead with its plans regardless of the political uncertainty of recent years. And it shows.

This year we will see even more projects come out of the ground – Northern Gateway’s new innovation centre, and the office block and family housing being delivered at Chesterfield Waterside being just a few examples.

Chesterfield Borough Council has granted reserved matters approval for the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping of the seven-storey office building at Chesterfield Waterside.

These developments send a clear message to local, national and even international investors and occupiers – Chesterfield is open for business regardless of the political uncertainties.

While many towns and cities chose to bunker down during the last recession, and even in the current climate of political uncertainty, Chesterfield purposefully chose to forge ahead with its plans, looking forward for ways to achieve growth for the town, rather than back.

That positivity is evident in all that has been achieved, and the plans we have for the town going forward in 2020 and beyond.

Did you know that more people are now employed in the businesses at Markham Vale than in its hey day as a colliery?

The brand new 55,000 sq. ft. industrial building at Markham Vale, MV55,  is now available for immediate occupation.

Having successful major regeneration sites like Markham Vale and a council that is open to doing business, means that Chesterfield is now invited to sit at the same table as major cities. I’ve even heard Chesterfield referred to as a small city in investment circles.

We may not be a city, or even want to be one, but what we share with our larger counterparts is a vision to be a centre of success for residents, businesses and investors. There are no small town attitudes where the future of Chesterfield is concerned, there is only room for positivity.

Create Change Chesterfield

Blog by Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Free swimming lessons to kick start 2020

Free 30-minute swimming lessons are being offered at Queen’s Park Sports Centre and the Healthy Living Centre this weekend to urge more people to learn to swim.

Chesterfield Borough Council is encouraging residents to secure their place at the open swimming sessions being held on Saturday 4 January 2020 between 9am and 11am where they will be able to find out more about the learn to swim programme and this valuable life skill.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We’re encouraging people to head down to Queen’s Park or the Health Living Centre and take advantage of these free sessions on Saturday, regardless of their current swimming ability. Learning to swim is a vital skill that can last a lifetime and is also a great was to keep fit.”

“The new year is a perfect time to try something new and we believe that these taster sessions are a great way to get you started.”

“Chesterfield has some of the worst health statistics in the country across a range of indicators, so by offering people the opportunity to get out there and try something new, we hope to encourage more people to get active in 2020.”

The sessions are available to children from 3 years at Queen’s Park Sports Centre and to children from 12 months at the Healthy Living Centre.

Those wishing to attend the sessions will need to book in advance by calling Queen’s Park Leisure Centre on 01246 345 555 or the Healthy Living Centre on 01246 345 666.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Details for Chesterfield Street Food & Grooves Festival 2020 announced

The Street Food and Grooves Festival is back for its third year and 2020 is set to be the biggest and best year yet, with a brand new festival layout and something for everyone to enjoy.

The festival will kick off with its opening night on Friday 5th June where there will be bars, a choice of hot food and a fantastic line up of some the area’s best live music. The whole weekend will be free entry and everyone is welcome to come down to and join in!

Set in the heart of Chesterfield Town Centre, the weekend is set to have a real celebratory feel with lots of things going on including live music, market stalls, seating areas, and for the food fans there will be a huge choice of delicious street food and drink form around the world.

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June, trading will start at 9am with a plethora of different hot and cold street food to sample, including vegan and vegetarian as well as artisan alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. As part of the event, the New Market Place will be open with traders selling crepes, olives, preserves and other cold food.

In the New Market Square, hot food traders will be selling food from around the world and bars, all selling from their own unique trailers and gazebos. All of this will be accompanied by a line up of talented local singers, duos, trios and bands performing a range of genres on the ‘Soundbites stage’.

The festival is organised by Chesterfield-based company Edge Events Management. Co-Organiser Laura Ashby states: “We are so excited to be announcing 2020’s Street Food and Grooves Festival and hope people will travel from near and far to support this growing event.”

She added: “Being from Chesterfield ourselves we are passionate in delivering high quality events which will be enjoyed by the whole family. We just love the fact that people are embracing the bubbling food and drink scene in Chesterfield and we are excited to organise a festival which can bring people together to celebrate the talents of regional food producers and musicians.”

Click here to find out more about Street Food and Grooves Festival.

Click here to find out more about Edge Events Management.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

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