Author: Dom Stevens

Get in step for the Derbyshire Workplace Walking Challenge

The Derbyshire Workplace Challenge is launching a new Walking Challenge for May.

Business colleagues are invited to sign up for the online activity log challenge, which for the month of May is dedicated to walking, allowing workers to track how much walking they have done and earn activity points for themselves and their team to progress up a special online leaderboard.

The Walking Challenge will run from Sunday, May 1 to Tuesday, May 31, and participants will also be in with a chance of winning great prizes such as 12 tickets to a Derbyshire County Cricket Club home match, a Stand Up Paddle (SUP) taster session for two people at Carsington Sports and Leisure, or a £25 Central Health voucher which can be used for any treatment at Central Physio, Central FootClinic or Central Osteopaths.

The Workplace Challenge is a free and fun activity tracker open to anyone in any workplace.  New users can join individually, or with colleagues to give an added element of competition, and track how active they really are in a quick and informal way.

Rachael Dyer, Sport Development Officer at Derbyshire Sport, which runs the Workplace Challenge in Derbyshire, said: “The aim of the Derbyshire Workplace Challenge is to motivate workers across the county to get more active and encourage their colleagues to do the same.

“We want to inspire people to make a few small changes to their working day which could help to make a real difference to their health and fitness. This could include walking to work, getting off the bus earlier or parking further from the office and then walking the rest of the way, holding walking meetings or going for a walk during lunch.

“By logging their walking workers will be able to see how small changes like this can really begin to add up. Activity done outside of work at any time also counts too – just be warned, the Workplace Challenge can be addictive as you watch your points rise and your energy levels soar!”

If you have taken part in a previous challenge or already registered you can log your activity at www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/derbyshire and you will be added to the new challenge leaderboard.

Chesterfield Walking Festival

Posted in Business

New Support Service Launched for Businesses Across the Sheffield City Region

A new service to help businesses access the best possible advice to help them grow has been officially launched by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Sheffield City Region (SCR) Growth Hub is designed to be a single point of contact for all businesses across the nine local authority areas, from Thorne in the north to Ashbourne in the south, Penistone in the west to Retford in the east and anywhere in between.

The Growth Hub, which has core funding of £4.82m, acts as a ‘gateway’ for businesses to access specialist support in a number of key areas to enable growth, including innovation, exporting, accessing finance and training. Businesses can contact the Growth Hub via phone or online.

The launch follows a successful pilot project, which has already helped more than 300 businesses, and is part of a national roll out of 39 Growth Hubs across the country, funded by central Government.

Head of the SCR Growth Hub, David Grimes, said: “The Growth Hub means that wherever you are in the Sheffield City Region you will have the same access to the same level of support, as we are working with a wide range of partners.

“Whether your business is large or small, new or well-established, you will have just one place to go to find out about, and access, the best possible advice that suits your needs.”

The Growth hub is working with, and will be signposting to, industry experts, including successful companies, consultancies, universities, Chambers of Commerce and local authorities, and national provision such as Innovate UK, UK Trade and Investment and a wide range of other business support partners.

Businesses may also be offered direct support and guidance from one of the Growth Hub’s own business growth advisors; all of whom have extensive experience of running businesses.

As well as the core funding, the SCR Growth Hub includes a £22m Business Investment Fund, a Skills Bank fund of more than £17m and access to the Sheffield City Region European Structural Funds of approximately £90m.

The Growth Hub is overseen by the Business Growth Board, which is made up of representatives from the public and private sector, and reports directly to the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

The overall ambition of the Sheffield City Region LEP is to help create 6,000 new businesses and 70,000 new jobs by 2025, by encouraging innovation, investment and collaboration.

Paul Houghton, chair of the Business Growth Board and managing partner of Grant Thornton in Sheffield, said: “The official launch of the Growth Hub is great news for businesses across our region. It is all part of the LEP’s ambitions to grow the city region economy by working together to create a stronger and bigger private sector that can compete in national and global markets.

“Whether you are a creative technology start-up looking for financial advice or business training, a manufacturer looking to export your product to a new overseas market, or any other business looking to grow and expand, then the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub can help you access the support that you need.”

Diana Terris, chief executive of Barnsley Council, one of the nine local authorities within the Sheffield City Region, said: “We welcome this new support service, because we know that the public sector and private sector working together will make our region stronger. We have shown that in Barnsley with our own ‘Enterprising Barnsley’ business support programme, which will now form part of the overall Growth Hub offer.

“To compete on a national and international stage we know we need the best support for our businesses and this is what the Growth Hub will give us.”

The Growth Hub can be contacted on 03330 00 00 39, emailing growthhub@sheffieldcityregion.org.uk  or visit www.scrgrowthhub.co.uk

Sheffield City Region

Posted in Business, Development

World’s Top Teams Will Come To Chesterfield For The Aviva Women’s Tour

The world’s top ten professional teams will head to Britain this June to line-up for the third edition of the Aviva Women’s Tour, it was announced today (Tuesday 26 April) marking 50 days to go until the race gets underway  on Wednesday 15 June.  The riders will  finish stage 3 in Chesterfield on Friday 17th June.

As of the latest UCI rankings (17 April) all of the world’s top ten teams will be racing led by the world’s number one ranked team Wiggle HIGH5 and the Boels Dolmans team of UCI Women’s WorldTour leader Lizzie Armitstead.

In total 14 of the world’s top 17 teams will be on the start line in Southwold, Suffolk for Stage One of the Aviva Women’s Tour, which will be the first European stage race of the 2016 UCI Women’s WorldTour.

Among the other high-profile teams racing will be Rabo Liv, who won the 2014 edition of the race with Marianne Vos, the Canyon SRAM team of defending champion Lisa Brennauer and a Great Britain national team, as they continue their preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

They will be joined by a third British team, the domestic Drops Cycling Team, who have been newly formed for 2016 and will be making their Aviva Women’s Tour debut.

The 2016 field will comprise of teams from 11 different countries, including four teams who will be making their Aviva Women’s Tour debuts in June as Astana, BTC City Ljubljana and the Cylance Pro Cycling team join Drops in making their first appearance in the race.

The full list of 16 teams for the 2016 Aviva Women’s Tour is:

• Ale Cipollini Galassia (Italy)
• Astana Women’s Team (Kazakhstan)
• Boels Dolmans Cycling Team (Netherlands)
• BTC City Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Canyon SRAM Racing (Germany)
• Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling (Germany)
• Cylance Pro Cycling (USA)
• Drops Racing Team (Great Britain)
• Great Britain national team
• Hitec Products (Norway)
• Orica AIS (Australia)
• Poitou – Charentes Futuroscope 86 (France)
• Rabo Liv Women’s Cycling Team (Netherlands)
• Team Liv Plantur (Netherlands)
• UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling (USA)
• Wiggle HIGH5 (Great Britain)

Each of the 16 teams will field a six rider team in the Aviva Women’s Tour. Further announcements about the provisional rider line-up will follow during May.

“This June’s Aviva Women’s Tour will have its best ever line-up of teams, headlined by the fact that we will have all of the world’s top ten teams racing,” said Aviva Women’s Tour Race Director Mick Bennett.

“The response we have had from teams wishing to participate has been overwhelming leading to a very hard decision making process to select the final teams for the race, but this has enabled us to select our best ever line-up. We know this combined with the tougher parcours will make for a super competitive and exciting race with the world’s best racing for the Aviva Yellow Jersey.”

As a UCI Women’s WorldTour team, the top 15 ranked professional teams as of 1st January received automatic invites, with 13 of the those teams accepting their invite.

Highlights of each stage of the Aviva Women’s Tour will be shown on ITV4 and available on demand via the ITV Player.

Aviva Womans Tour

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Beat the Hill for Charity

Entry to a new road race in Bolsover has opened and organisers are looking for walkers, runners and cyclists to conquer the Hill.

The Bolsover Hill Races will take place on Sunday 22nd May.

It involves a series of 1 mile races where people can walk, run or cycle up a one mile course starting at Villas Road and finishing at Castle Street.

There are prizes for the fastest male and female who complete the course, and for the best fancy dress – it is only £10 to register and all proceeds will be donated to the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal.

Organiser, Mark Dixey, 55 from Bolsover, said, “The Bolsover Hill Races are for people of all ages and abilities However long it takes you to beat the Hill, for every person who has a go, you’ll improve the lives of local people and their families affected by cancer.”

The Running Race is sponsored by Great Bear Distribition and the Cycle Time Trial by  Chesterfield Cycling Centre.

Rob Turner, Senior fundraising manager for Macmillan said, “This event is organised entirely by local volunteers and we really hope the people of North Derbyshire get behind this new, annual community event. Whether you want to take it less seriously and do it in fancy dress or want to be the fastest up the Hill – register now and join what will be a very fun day.”

Bolsover Hill Race

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Brampton Brewery Joins EU Debate With Two Special Beers

Brampton Brewery in Chesterfield has brewed two special beers for the EU referendum.

Chris Radford, Brampton Brewery said: “There generally seems to be a lack of any real facts available to support either camp – I believe people are engaged with the idea of the referendum, maybe more so than some other elections, but deciding quite which way to vote seems to be proving a difficult decision for many people with the lack of “real” information.”

“We came up with the idea of brewing a beer to represent each camp.  The only stipulation was that both beers had to be the same strength – 4.4%.  We’ve then left it to two of our brewers to come up with a recipe reflecting each side of the debate. ”

The two beers Brampton Brewery have created are “Brexit” which is quintessentially a British bitter – using only home-grown ingredients from North Yorkshire malt varieties to a range of hops grown in the hop fields of Hereford, Worcestershire and Kent.  Finally the yeast strain originated from a traditional British regional family brewer.   “Stronger In”  is thoroughly influenced by Europe – continental malts, a wide range of hops grown across Europe and a yeast strain more suited to a continental-style lager than a British ale.

Brampton Brewery will be encouraging pubs to take a cask of each beer and to hold their own vote and feed them in to the brewer’s own poll on the run up to the referendum.

Brampton Brewery EU Referendum Beer

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Keepy Uppy Record Attempt at the Proact

Organisers of a world record ‘keep uppy’ attempt at the Proact Stadium are hoping to attract at least 1,866 people to the event, which would smash the current record.

The Spireites were formed in 1866 and the Chesterfield FC Community Trust would like to celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary by beating the record, which currently stands at 1,377. The attempt will take place on the pitch at the Proact on Saturday, May 21, from 3pm.

One of the organisers, Simon Edmonds, said: “We want to see as many people as possible keeping footballs up in the air at the same time! There has been a very good response to our call for clubs and organisations to get involved, but we need more.

“All local clubs and organisations are invited to take part to help raise funds for the Community Trust as well as their own club or organisation.”

keepy uppy

Posted in Uncategorised

Liverpool to Play at the Proact

Liverpool are sending their Under-21 side to the Proact Stadium on Tuesday, May 3 (7.30pm) and there are openings for any company or individual who wants to act as a sponsor.

There are several match sponsorship packages available for Chesterfield academy’s forthcoming game against their Liverpool counterparts.

To find out more, please contact Kevin Fitzgerald, the club’s head of commercial & marketing, on 07823 770311

Hospitality packages – featuring a two-course meal – are also available, priced at just £25. To book a hospitality package, please phone 01246 269300

Admission to the game costs just £3 for adults and £2 for concessions.

Chesterfield Football Club

Posted in About Chesterfield

Cathelco Winning Customers Worldwide

Cathelco’s desalination division is continuing to win orders worldwide in the commercial and military sectors for their range of space saving watermakers.

One of the latest orders has come from Norwegian based Havyard Ship Technology who are building a Hvyard 832 SOV wind turbine service vessel for the Danish shipping company ESVAGT. It will be used to service the Dudgeon wind farm operated by Statoil off the coast of Norfolk in the UK.
Cathelco are supplying Havyard with a T30 desalinator which has the capacity to produce up to 30 tonnes of fresh water per day for a full range of washing and cleaning requirements. The units provide a high output for their size and are ideal for installation where space is limited, whilst allowing good access for routine maintenance.

Another order has come from Reederei Nord, the Dutch ship managers who have purchased desalinators for two oil/chemical tankers, the Nord Isle (12,810 dwt) built in 2009 and a sister ship Nord Ocean which entered service a year later.

Both vessels will be installed with Cathelco H2016 desalinators which can produce up to 6.5 tonnes of potable water per day. Compactly designed, the units are ideal for retrofitting and have diagnostic systems to continually monitor the quality of the water.

In Australia, defence prime contractors Austal are building a further two Cape Class Patrol vessels. The 58 metre ships under construction for the Australian Commonwealth are each being installed with two Cathelco H2012 desalinators. These will provide 10 tonnes of fresh water daily for up to 18 crew members on the vessels which have a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles.

For the first time, Cathelco have supplied desalinators to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. These have been installed on the MV Capt David.I.Lyon, a container ship which supports US Air Force missions and the MV LTC John U.D Page which provides ocean transport to sustain U.S. Army operations.

The ships are being equipped with Cathelco T35 desalinators which can produce up to 35 tonnes of freshwater per day for a wide range of domestic uses.

One of the most distinctive vessels in the history of Remontowa Shipbuilding will be installed with two Cathelco desalinators. This is the El-Mellah, a three masted frigate which is being built as a sail training vessel for Algerian Navy cadets. With a length of 110 metres and a main mast 54 metres high the ship can accommodate more than 200 people.

In addition to providing two desalinators, each with the capacity of producing 16 tonnes of freshwater per day, Cathelco is supplying an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system to safeguard the steel hull against corrosion.

“Cathelco offers a portfolio of products to the marine industry and we are delighted to have supplied two types of systems for this very impressive vessel”, said Chris Bell, general manager of the company’s desalination division.

Cathelco desalinators are now exported throughout the world, a growth in sales that has benefitted from the ability to create packages of equipment that can include marine growth prevention systems, ICCP hull corrosion protection and ballast water treatment systems. The division stems from the acquisition of Seafresh Desalinators in 2010 and has flourished as the result of product development.

In 2015, the scope of Cathelco’s activities in the desalinator market were strengthened and extended by the acquisition of HEM, the well known manufacturers of water treatment systems for the luxury yacht market, based in the South of France.

A Cathelco 'Ton' desalinator

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Chesterfield Retail Awards 2016 Finalists Revealed

Eight retailers are set to defend nine titles at this year’s 2016 Chesterfield Retail Awards. They join a total of 36 of the town’s retailers who have been shortlisted across 17 categories in the prestigious awards organised by Destination Chesterfield.

Last year’s winner of the coveted Retailer of the Year title, Ibbotson’s Fresh Quality Produce, has been shortlisted for the second year running in the Market Trader of the Year category, which it also won last year. Fellow double award winner last year, Adorn Jewellers, which is based in The Shambles, is also hoping to retain its titles of Jewellery and Accessories Retailer of the Year and Excellence in Customer Service in 2016.

As well as the eight returning finalists, 18  retailers have been shortlisted for the first time ever in their Retail Awards categories. The Awards return for the third year running and recognise the very best independent and high street retailers and market traders in Chesterfield. Three businesses have been shortlisted in each category but only one can win.

Organised in association with Chesterfield College, the winners will be announced on Wednesday 25 May by the new Peak FM breakfast duo Stu and Cat at a special award ceremony held at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel.

The breakfast duo commented: “It’s a real honour for us to present the awards. We love the fact that all the shortlisted businesses have been nominated by shoppers. We’re both really new to the area and are working and living in Chesterfield so have seen for ourselves what a great retail scene the town has and a supportive community behind it.”

The winners of each category will also fight it out for the prestigious Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by East Midlands Chamber. A further two award winners will also be announced at the ceremony; winners of The Pavements Shopping Centre and Vicar Lane Shopping Centre Retailer of the Year Awards.

Discover the full list of finalists for the Chesterfield Retail Awards 2016

Chesterfield Retail Awards Ceremony

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Visiting

Hosts for Chesterfield Retail Awards 2016 Announced

Peak FM breakfast show presenters, Stu Haycock and Catherine Kilvington have been confirmed as the hosts of the 2016 Chesterfield Retail Awards.

The  pair will host the glittering award ceremony, which will honour the town’s very best jewellers, independent stores, food and drink retailers, and multiple retailers at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel on Wednesday 25th May 2016.

The awards are organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with the Chesterfield College Group.

More than 170 businesses have been nominated across 14 award categories, and the shortlist will be announced by the pair on the Peak FM Breakfast Show on Wednesday 20th April 2016.

Destination Chesterfield Manager Dominic Stevens said: “We’re delighted Stu and Cat have agreed to host the awards ceremony and I’m sure they will make the 2016 Chesterfield Retail Awards ceremony a memorable event.”

For more information about the 2016 Chesterfield Retail Awards visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards or follow on Twitter using the hashtag #retailawards16.

peak fm

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure

Tale of Mortimer Mouse to Raise Money for Macmillan Cancer Centre

Two sisters recovering from serious illnesses have written and illustrated a children’s book, with all profits going to support the appeal to build the new Macmillan Cancer Centre at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Cynthia Evanson, 68, from Duckmanton, Chesterfield, was given a terminal cancer diagnosis in March 2013. Her only chance of survival was a six-month course of chemotherapy which thankfully proved to be successful.

Her sister Maggie Fielding, 51, from Hady, Chesterfield, is also making an excellent recovery from a serious blood disorder, diagnosed in August 2012.

Cynthia said: “The medical care we received was excellent, along with the very important love and care of our family and friends.”

She continues, “I  was worried that I may never see the birth of any of my niece’s and nephew’s babies, but when my great-nephew, Oliver arrived, I felt inspired to put pen to paper, create some felt animals and a rhyming story to go with it…and the story of ‘Mortimer Mouse Messes Up’ was born.”

The book is aimed at children from birth to six years, and it tells the story of Mortimer and his friends’ adventure which leads to a serious telling-off from his Mother.

After reading the story, her sister Maggie, encouraged Cynthia to get the Tale of Mortimer Mouse published, and agreed to do the illustrations.

Margaret added, “We are two sisters who are so grateful for the amazing care we have received through the acute stages of our illnesses and during the most difficult time of our lives. To think that we have contributed in some small way would give us great pleasure and satisfaction.”

Cynthia is funding the book herself, and both the sisters will be promoting it by giving talks at mother and toddler groups, primary schools and various other community groups with all profits going to help build The Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre.

Rob Turner, fundraising manager for Macmillan in Chesterfield said: “We really appreciate all the effort these truly inspirational ladies have put in to create this lovely book. We need to raise £2.5 million to help build the new cancer centre, and with the support of local people like Cynthia and Maggie – we can do it!”

The book is published by Bannister Publications and costs £6.99. To buy a copy, or to invite them in for a talk at your local group, call 07518 134 186.

Article written by Andrew Dempsey

Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure

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