Destination Chesterfield

I’m enthused and excited to become part of the Destination Chesterfield board. I love working in the town because of our central location with great access to the motorway network, businesses can find good employees who benefit from a great work/life balance.

I’m particularly looking forward to the redevelopment of the town centre and market square. I would like to see our town further develop its nighttime culture, with more places for people to go and enjoy, encouraging more visitors to our area.

I’m very excited to be joining the Destination Chesterfield board at this critical time – the pace of change is relentless and there are significant opportunities to set our sights high in terms of developing Chesterfield as a first choice place for businesses to start, develop and thrive.

My involvement, and that of the University of Derby, is to ensure that businesses are given the best support possible to establish themselves, grow and evolve to meet the challenges in the short and long term. This might be through skills provision, apprenticeships and securing talent to grow your business, or it might come through innovative, applied research and consultancy.

Chesterfield is a town full of driven and passionate people who share a common purpose to make it an excellent place to live, work, invest and study. I am honoured to be joining the Destination Chesterfield board, which brings together leaders from our business community and the public sector to guide the strategic promotion of the town.

This position will sit alongside my other exciting new role as Chair of the new Chesterfield Town Board, which will oversee the spending of almost £20 from the government to bring more positive change to our town.

I’ve lived locally my entire life, and being part of a thriving business in Chesterfield is something I’m very proud of. I’m excited to be part of the Destination Chesterfield board, with my role going hand-in-hand with my existing involvement in the town’s Property and Construction Group.

Being part of the board gives me a great opportunity to represent our sector and the communities we ultimately serve through our work. There is so much talent and quality in our region and I’m delighted to be working with colleagues to showcase it.

I am deeply honoured to join the Destination Chesterfield board and play a greater part in supporting Chesterfield’s vibrant community. This role presents an incredible opportunity to contribute to the growth and well-being of our Town.

My main aims and aspirations for this role are centred around fostering strong collaborative connections and partnerships within the Town’s diverse corporate, third sector and community organisations; in addition to shining a light on the creativity, innovation and heritage that define our unique Town.

I am very grateful and honoured to be selected to represent Chesterfield, where I have called home all my life. I am keen to build on my knowledge of the area, to help provide support and showcase both emerging and established businesses in Chesterfield, as well as the town as a whole.

I have a unique insight into the thriving businesses around the area through my role at Shorts, which I would like to share and shout about to attract new business to Chesterfield and show what a great town it is. Talent attraction and retention are also big areas I would like to focus on.

We have a great business community here, and we need to continue building talent to help grow our organisations. I want to help show the rest of the UK what Chesterfield has to offer, and to show the people and businesses of Chesterfield why they should stay!

Devonshire Property Group is part of the wider Devonshire Group, which brings together the charities, businesses and estates in the care of the Devonshire family. We have a number of residential and commercial developments across Derbyshire, but with a real focus in Chesterfield.

We have had two big projects in Chesterfield recently. Firstly, the Hartington Business Park in Staveley, which is now fully let. Secondly, we’re starting on site on our large residential project, “The Riddings” at Mastin Moor. This will be the home of the Constructions Skills Hub.

There is a real “can do…will do” attitude in the area, from the Council and the Business Community. The public/private partnership working really sets Chesterfield apart from other areas.

Additionally, I am a big supporter of the Property and Construction Group, and the work they do to support schools outreach programmes.

The three words I would use to describe Chesterfield are… Location, Location, Location!

The Trust continues to focus on its vision, to provide exceptional care by exceptional people. Our developments include the £27m Emergency Department and the £2m Health and Wellbeing Hub. Equally important, we have the £2m Paediatric Assessment Unit too. They all show that the Trust is redefining how and what it does. With our values (compassion, ambition, respect and encouragement) at the heart of everything.

The people here really do care. And the majority of my colleagues are key to the Chesterfield community. People are often born, live and work at hospital, and it gives a real driving force and passion.

I believe that the revitalisation of our town centres in Chesterfield and Staveley will have the biggest impact for our town in terms of boosting the vibrancy of our local area and putting Chesterfield on the map as an excellent destination to visit and enjoy.

How would I describe Chesterfield using only three words? Caring, people-focused and respectful.

This area has a wealth of engineering talent and people who are interested and willing to work. So, this has allowed us to build our business to what it is today. Many of our colleagues have been with us since 1990, when we founded MSE Hiller, based in Markham Vale, Chesterfield.

Our company follows a long tradition of centrifuge engineering in Chesterfield stemming from the coal and mineral extraction industries. Nowadays, the industry has adapted to new processes and they are heavily involved in the food and water sectors. I love showcasing this to young people via the Made in Chesterfield marketing campaign.

How would I describe Chesterfield using only three words? Welcoming, tradition and evolution.

What I love about Chesterfield is our town’s ambition. People are always amazed when we talk about the amount of investment that is happening here.

The people in Chesterfield are fantastic and I enjoy having a pint in some of the great pubs we have. Our location is perfect too. Our great town centre is only a few minutes from the beautiful Peak District. Also, we’re so close to the big cities like Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby.

I’m the editor of the Derbyshire Times. In addition, I’m North Midlands group editor for our publishing company, Johnston Press, responsible for the Derbyshire Time’s 11 sister titles in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, as well as their associated websites.

I have been Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber since September 2015. I have worked for the Chamber since 1999 in various roles including Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations. With a membership base of over 4,125 businesses and over 3,000 affiliates in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, the Chamber is the second-largest Chamber of Commerce in the country. It is more than 150 years old and employs 150 staff across eleven office locations in the three counties.

Chesterfield has seen significant inward investment over the past few years due to the good work undertaken by the team at Destination Chesterfield. The Chamber subsequently provides a platform for engagement and business support for business alongside the borough council and others. We all work together very collegiately, meaning that Chesterfield punches above its weight across the region.

It is fantastic to work and live in the town where I grew up. I was born in Scarsdale Hospital, which was just a stone’s throw away from my office at the college. My family run and own a farm in the area so my interest in making the most of the local resources and the skills we have on our doorstep is two-fold.

Businesses tell me they value their access to such diverse further education provision on their doorstep. Additionally, they say it can make a big difference to productivity, staff retention and competitiveness. The Chesterfield College Group works with local employers to design training solutions to meet their demands bringing a local solution to a local demand for skills.

I feel privileged to be able to contribute to the growth and development of Chesterfield.

My company, Bolsterstone works nationally, but locally we are best known as the developer of the Chesterfield Waterside scheme.

How would I describe Chesterfield to a potential investor? Well, I went to College in Chesterfield, and love the character of the town – both the people and the architecture, and the town has ambitions for the future which, importantly, are firmly supported by the public, council, and business community.

There are many positives about running a business in Chesterfield, not least the town’s proximity to excellent road, rail and airport services. Furthermore, another positive about running a business here is the willing workforce.

I’ve never felt more welcome than I have in Chesterfield – the town’s residents and business men and women are all warm, friendly people, and the Council’s staff bring a great attitude to work every day.

Chesterfield has a great future. The plans underway to regenerate the town’s former industrial sites are transforming Chesterfield into a modern, contemporary destination – a place for entrepreneurs to start new businesses, for existing businesses to grow and for businesses to relocate from other parts of the UK. Furthermore, we offer great road, rail and air connectivity, a quality of life that few towns of comparable size can match with the Peak District on our doorstep, the very best business support and advice services, and a skilled and loyal workforce.

I joined Chesterfield Borough Council in October 2003 and have held the post of Chief Executive since May 2008. It is a special privilege to be Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council. And the grand nature of the municipal building where I spend my time every day gives me a real sense of responsibility to ensure that the people of Chesterfield receive the very best facilities and services.

I’m passionate about making a difference on the issues that matter to our local residents and business communities whilst championing Chesterfield as a place punching above its weight on the regional map. To help achieve this, Chesterfield Borough Council works in close partnership with Destination Chesterfield to showcase the borough as a thriving place to live, work, visit and invest.

It was an honour to be elected for another term following the local elections in May 2023, and to have been re-appointed as council leader. I am also the lead member for economic growth, and represent the council on the Staveley Town Deal Board and a range of other economy-focussed partnership forums, as well as being vice chair of the Destination Chesterfield Board.

How would I describe Chesterfield using only three words? Thriving, ambitious and resilient.