Author: Dom Stevens

Chesterfield residents urged to recycle their Christmas waste

2nd January 2020

Residents across Chesterfield are being encouraged to recycle or reuse as much of their Christmas waste as they can following the festive season.

Chesterfield Borough Council declared a Climate Emergency in July last year and following this would like local people to consider their waste, what can be reduced, reused or recycled in 2020.

The majority of households in the borough have a blue bin and black box/caddy insert for recycling. A full list of what can and cannot be recycled in your blue bin can be found below.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant (below), Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Tackling the effects of climate change is a key priority for the council.”

“Reducing waste by giving more thought to the products we buy and reusing materials as well as reducing food waste are all ways we can individually make a difference.”

“I encourage people to take action to reduce, sort and separate their waste and to recycle as much as they can of the right items. Recycling is a positive way we can all make a difference and change behaviours in our communities.”

“2019 saw environmental issues come to the forefront with many climate related marches taking place across the world. We are committed to making a difference in Chesterfield and encourage members of the community and local businesses wherever possible to reduce waste and protect the environment.”

“A working group has been set up including representatives from the council, community and business to establish how we can work together to make a real difference in our community.”

“The council’s working group are developing a fully costed action plan that will be presented to a meeting of full council by March 2020”.

Please find below a list of what can and cannot be recycled in the borough:

Blue bin recycling

Yes please:

all plastic bottles (drinks, toiletries, cleaning products) remove lids and put in loose
plastic pots and tubs (yoghurt, margarine, ice cream, clean plant pots etc)
plastic food trays and punnets e.g. meat trays, fruit punnets
chocolate and biscuit tins (plastic and metal)
drinks cans and food tins
empty aerosols
clean aluminium food trays and foil (scrunched)
metal lids from jars and bottles
card and corrugated cardboard (flattened)
newspapers, magazines and brochures
shredded paper
catalogues and directories (including yellow pages, direct mail)
envelopes (no need to tear out the window)
greetings cards and wrapping paper (please remove all tape, ribbons and plastic)

You can recycle your wrapping paper if it passes the scrunch test. Before recycling make sure you remove any sticky tape and decorations such as bows as these cannot be recycled.

Christmas cards are paper based and can be recycled, along with their envelopes. Remember that any extras such as glitter cannot be recycled and need to be removed.

No thanks:

plastic bags e.g. black sacks, carrier bags, bread wrappers, cereal bags
plastic film e.g. bubble wrap, magazine wrapping, lids from food trays
crisp and biscuit packets/sweet wrappers
polystyrene e.g. packaging, takeaway food trays
hard plastics e.g. buckets, toys
metal items e.g. pans, baking trays
textiles e.g. clothes, bedding
food waste
food / drink cartons and Tetra Pak® e.g. fruit juice cartons
foil pouches e.g. pet food, coffee
Pringle tubes
wallpaper
nappies and general waste

In the inner caddy/box –

Yes please:

All glass bottles and jars (rinsed out please)

No thanks:

pyrex and drinking glasses
window glass
light bulbs
microwave plates.

Please don’t mix glass with your other recycling materials. This could lead to a whole lorry of recycling being spoilt.

Find out more: https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/living-here/christmas-and-new-year-20192020/recycling-your-rubbish-after-christmas

Posted in About Chesterfield, Home

Chesterfield training programme equips people for a career in construction

28th December 2019

Ten local people who want to carve a career in construction were celebrating recently after successfully graduating from a training programme at Chesterfield College. The programme gave them the qualifications and experience they need to secure a job in the industry.

The Pathways4Life programme, designed by national maintenance and refurbishment contractor company Fortem in 2005, was delivered in Chesterfield earlier this month in partnership with Chesterfield College, Job Centre Plus and Chesterfield Borough Council. The programme was driven by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning condition designed to ensure local residents and businesses can benefit from new investment and development in the town.

The 4 week programme, which gave many unemployed people the chance to retrain, was a mix of classroom lessons and work experience on local building sites. Participants graduated from the programme with an Asbestos Awareness Certificate, a CSCS card and valuable experience of working in a range of roles on building sites. Chesterfield College also helped the people on the programme to pass Level 1 qualifications in Employability and Health and Safety in a Construction environment.

Christian Smallwood, a participant on the course, said;

“It’s been really beneficial to be part of this. The skills and qualifications it has given us on top of the experiences we have had are fantastic. I’ve tried to get into the construction industry before but this time I feel like I have come away with people management skills too. I have learnt so much that I can take away into my next career.”

Andy Green, Regional Operations Director from Fortem explained why it was important for the organisation to develop and run training programmes like this.

“Our organisation has a genuine passion for leaving a legacy in the communities in which we work. Most of our work is on public sector projects and in social housing, so a lot of the people we engage with are in similar circumstances to the people who have come through the course today. Pathways4Life offers people a way into employment and that is why it is so important to us. We’ve equipped the people graduating from the programme with essential skills needed for a career in construction, and there could be opportunities for them on our sites in the future.”

Councillor Terry Gilby, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth from Chesterfield Borough Council said;

“As a council we are keen to support local people into local jobs and good careers through apprenticeships and training. When we receive a planning application for a large project it is fantastic to be able to work with developers, education partners and the Job Centre to give local residents the opportunity to get the skills they need. I am sure the people who have graduated from this programme will go on to good careers because of their experiences here.”

To find out more about courses available to help you get the qualifications you need to start a new career the Workskills team at Chesterfield College on 01246 500701.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Acquisition sees expansion for Aztec Oils

27th December 2019

Leading industrial lubrication specialist Aztec Oils has completed the acquisition of the lubricant, pre-packaged fuel and contract packing business of Multispec Limited (formally “Caldo Oils”), for an undisclosed sum.

North Derbyshire based Aztec Oils manufactures and distributes high performance lubricants to a wide range of industrial sectors and is fully committed to building long term relationships with its ever growing number of world-wide customers.

The terms of the acquisition will see Aztec procure Caldo’s manufacturing facilities in St Helens (Merseyside) along with distribution operations in Newton Abbot (Devon) and Rhuddlan (North Wales).

John Longstaff and John Warner from BHP Corporate Finance acted as lead advisors to Aztec Oils with tax advice being provided by Mark Cooper and Katherine Taylor. Andrew Fielder and Katie Ash from Banner Jones provided legal advice. Funding for the transaction was delivered by Matthew Chenery from Barclays Bank.

Mark Lord, Managing Director of Aztec commented “This venture really excites us. It gives us a great opportunity to develop our retail packaged range, offering both Aztec’s branded products, whilst at the same time growing our private label offering”.

John Longstaff, director at BHP Corporate Finance, commented, “we are delighted to have advised Aztec on this strategic transaction. Caldo is a perfect fit and I am confident that Mark and the team at Aztec will maximise the benefit of the opportunities afforded to the enlarged group.”.

Andrew Fielder, director at Banner Jones, commented, “this acquisition will enable Aztec to further expand its offering to existing customers, as well as reach into new markets, with new products and an increasingly impressive geographic footprint.

“We are pleased to have been able to support Aztec with its legal requirements throughout the transaction, and wish the company every luck for the future of the business as it continues to grow.”

Matthew Chenery at Barclays went on to say, “It’s great to see Aztec Oils going from strength to strength, demonstrating a real thirst for expansion and growth. We’re thrilled to be supporting this latest exciting acquisition which sets them up well to exploit future market opportunities”.

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

Heathcotes achieves Outstanding rating at two services

26th December 2019

Chesterfield-based care provider, Heathcotes Group, is ending 2019 on a high following CQC Outstanding ratings for two of its specialist residential services in Bridlington and Sutton, South London.

Previously rated Good, Heathcotes Larkrise in Sutton supports adults with learning disabilities and autism. The CQC report praised Registered Manager, Ridwan Ameerbeg, and his staff team for person-centred care which truly focused on people as individuals, supporting them to live life to the full and working with them to learn new skills, increase their independence and become more confident in everyday life. It said the environment was unique and creatively supported people’s individual needs and preferences. CQC inspectors added that “without exception, people were treated with compassion, respect and dignity by staff who built meaningful relationships with them.”

Ridwan, who joined Heathcotes as a Support Worker in 2010 and progressed to Registered Manager in 2016, commented on the achievement:

“I’m passionate about supporting learning disability clients and I want to deliver standards that pass the ‘family test’ – the quality of care you would want for yourself or your own loved ones. It’s wonderful to see Heathcotes Larkrise pass that test with flying colours. To have so many people – the inspectors, clients and relatives – saying so many nice things about myself and my team was incredible.”

“Heathcotes Larkrise has taken a lot of inspiration from the organisation’s guidance and the Groups’s core values as a person-centred care provider. Above all, my Support Workers are the face of Heathcotes Larkrise and, without their commitment to delivering quality care, we would not have achieved an Outstanding rating.”

Previously rated Good, Heathcotes Bridlington supports adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome who may have dual diagnoses and associated complex needs. The CQC rated the service as Outstanding in the Effective, Caring and Well-Led categories, highlighting the role of Registered Manager, Becki Yardley, in embedding a solid structure of governance and a strong commitment to provide person-centred, high quality care which achieved excellent outcomes for people.

The CQC report praised staff for being passionate about providing a good quality service and extremely skilled in effective communication to ensure people felt supported and relaxed, which impacted on people’s behaviours and ability to build relationships with family and friends. It said they actively supported clients to increase their levels of independence and were creative and innovative at looking for ways to meet individual needs in line with best practice.

Becki, who joined Heathcotes in 2004 and became Registered Manager at Bridlington in 2015, was also delighted with the achievement:

“Everyone at the service is thrilled at the achievement and it’s a testament to the dedication, passion and skill of the staff here – their hard work made this happen. I’ve also learned a lot from senior management – they really back you and support your ideas in finding creative ways to improve the quality of care.”

Brendan Kelly, Group Managing Director at Heathcotes, said:

“Many, many congratulations to my colleagues at Heathcotes Larkrise and Heathcotes Bridlington on achieving an Outstanding rating. Their service exemplifies the standard of care that Heathcotes Group seeks to promote and support at every opportunity. It’s an amazing achievement – less than three per cent of care homes in the UK have an Outstanding rating, so really well done to Ridwan, Becki and their brilliant teams. They should be very proud of themselves. I know I’m very proud of them.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Council to share plans at community assembly

23rd December 2019

Chesterfield residents are invited to attend a special community assembly meeting to find out more about the council’s activities for 2020 and plans for the future, including how the council uses the portion of Council Tax it receives from residents to pay for vital services.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 7 January from 6.30pm at the Town Hall, Rose Hill.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Tricia Gilby and chief executive, Huw Bowen, will give a presentation about the key issues and financial pressures facing the borough before hosting a discussion about the 10 per cent of Council Tax bills which is used to pay for more than 50 services provided by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The rest of Council Tax bills pay for services by Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue.

Residents in Brimington and Staveley also pay for parish and town council services.

Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions of the leader and chief executive as well as Councillor Amanda Serjeant, the council’s deputy leader and Helen Fox, chief finance officer.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Feeling Connected in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield

23rd December 2019

‘Feeling Connected’ is a partnership project led by Derbyshire Voluntary Action which aims to improve local approaches to social connectedness in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. Over the next two years, it will:

raise the profile of the benefits of being socially connected
raise awareness of existing services which support social connectedness
identify interventions, initiatives and activities which help people to feel socially connected and which could be further supported and developed in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield.

Most people, young and old, feel lonely from time to time. This is normal, and even healthy. It can be a prompt for action, a reminder to make contact with other people and to create or reaffirm connections. Where it can become a problem is if people become isolated through circumstances beyond their control, and if feelings of loneliness become entrenched, or persist for a long time.

Nearly one million people in the UK say they feel lonelier at Christmas. With the Christmas season emphasising family, togetherness and merriment, the absence of these features can be painfully accentuated.

The first phase of the project is to better understand the ways in which local residents keep themselves socially connected and the challenges and barriers people experience which can lead to them losing their connections and becoming isolated.

Jacqui Willis, Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s Chief Executive, explains, “We want as many local people as possible to complete our residents’ survey. Please help us by spreading the word and encouraging the people you come into contact with through your work and volunteering to take part.”

The Feeling Connected Residents’ survey can be downloaded from Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s website https://www.ndva.org.uk/our-projects/feelingconnected and completed online here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FeelingConnectedproject

Posted in About Chesterfield

Details for Chesterfield Street Food & Grooves Festival 2020 announced

21st December 2019

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

Geeks Headquarters host national Pokemon tournament

20th December 2019

Independent retailer, Geeks Headquarters (GHQ), hosted a national Pokemon tournament at their Chesterfield store on Sunday 15th December.

There were 48 competitiors for the store’s Pokemon “Cosmic Eclipse” League Cup. The winners were:

Junior Division: Thomas Lambert
Senior Division: Callum Wun
Master Division: Luke Parks

League Cups are the next Premier Events on the competitive Pokémon TCG ladder, right above League Challenges. They not only provide players with the opportunity to earn a greater amount of Championship Points, but they also offer players the chance to win exclusive Champion-stamped playmats and Promo cards that can’t be earned anywhere else.

Taking place on the same day was the Yu-Gi-Oh! Christmas Charity tournament, where rather than paying entry with money, entry was paid with tinned food for the Chesterfield Foodbank. The event was sponsored by Konami, who donated all the prizes for free.

A total of 28 players entered the tournament and 152 tins of canned food were donated. The overall winner was Luke Bowkis.

Geeks Headquarters is a unique retail store that specialises in a wide range of gaming products, such as boardgames, trading card games, miniature games and roleplaying games, with an eye for collectibles and comics. They also produce unique custom made 3d printed items as additional service for our customers.

Since it opened in 2015, the shop has thrived thanks to a large gaming community of all ages, based locally and in the surrounding areas. The events and tournaments hosted by GHQ have attracted a big crowd of gamers from all the midlands and even further.

The Geeks Headquarters Christmas Party takes place on Sunday 22nd December, find out more here.

Find out more about Geeks Headquarters here.

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

Chesterfield: A review of the year

20th December 2019

While 2019 has been another year of political uncertainty, one thing that has remained consistent is Chesterfield’s progress.

Destination Chesterfield and its many Champions forged ahead with their plans, providing a solid platform for further growth and development in 2020.

2019 was the year that major developments started to come out of the ground, resulting in jobs and exciting new venues being created in the town centre.

The new Premier Inn hotel opened in April 2019 on the first and second floors of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way, forming part of the Northern Gateway development. It created 37 new jobs and is currently achieving an occupancy rate of around 90% at weekends and an impressive 60% during the week – helping the town increase its number of overnight stays and footfall.

Increasing footfall was high on the agenda for Chesterfield town centre in 2019 with retailers, the council and Destination Chesterfield coming together to collectively promote the town, helping attract visitors and new businesses to high streets throughout the borough.

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre received national recognition for its contribution to increasing footfall in the town centre in December when it won the gold award in the Re:wired category at the prestigious REVO Gold Awards which recognise and celebrate the best examples of innovative retail property technology.

Vicar Lane and its owner Alterx have worked with tech specialist Maybe*Tech to engage with the Chesterfield audience. The findings have led to a new approach to the leasing of empty shops with Steeplegate coming to life again as a venue for independent brand

2019 was also the year that jobs at created Markham Vale exceeded those employed there when the site operated as a colliery. 2019 was the year that Chesterfield welcomed Spanish train manufacturer Talgo following the opening of its UK head office at Barrow Hill.

And the town isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in 2020. More jobs are set to be created at Elder Way in 2020 as the basement and ground floor of the former Co-op are transformed into restaurant, bars and a gym by the developer Jomast.

Further buildings are also set to come out of the ground at Northern Gateway and Chesterfield Waterside, while planning approval was granted in late 2019 for the David Lloyd Adrenalin World at Peak Resort in Unstone.

Exciting times are ahead for visitors, residents and businesses.

Destination Chesterfield’s Champions were asked to reflect on 2019; what were their highs and memorable moments, and also asked to look ahead to what they believe 2020 holds in store for them and the town.

Name: Lee Ashley

Job Title: Director

Company: Spire Recruitment Ltd

What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?

“I have been impressed with how all the plans for our town have come together and have actually happened, it is great to see so many businesses doing well and playing an active part in making Chesterfield a prosperous area. The amount of construction work in the region is great, all the new additions to our town are brilliant and give people reasons to visit the town centre. The fact so many new companies have chosen Chesterfield as their home is positive as well – the economy in Chesterfield is very stable and long may that continue!”

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“Spire Recruitment is approaching its sixth Birthday and we are looking to expand our team. We hope by growing, it will give us even more opportunities to show local companies what we are all about. 2020 is a year we are really looking forward to and we wish everyone else a Happy New Year.”

Name: Craig Evans

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer

Company: UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA)

What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?

“Apprenticeships are an important route to further education. They allow young people to have a real job with training, earn while they learn, develop their skillsets and understand their full potential. UKATA currently employs five apprentices and three former apprentices and, as a former apprentice myself, I understand first-hand the very real benefits apprenticeships provide both to the business and the individual.”

Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?

“UKATA is supporting the British Lung Foundation in 2020, to raise awareness, fund research and support victims of asbestos related diseases. For over 30 years, BLF has been the only charity in Britain solely based on researching lung diseases. They help people of all ages suffering from a variety of conditions including asbestos related cancer – mesothelioma. 10,000 people are newly diagnosed with a lung disease each week in the UK, over 5,000 die each year due to asbestos related diseases.”

Name: Zhanna Troshina

Job Title: Sales and Marketing Executive

Company: RA Information Systems

What excited you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“Chesterfield has experienced a huge expansion of the businesses operating in workspace industry over the last five years and has an abundance of new business premises, modern office, innovation and multi-use accommodation. The industry growth is predicted to continue with flexible workspaces becoming increasingly required. Rapid urbanisation may increase workspace business rates and reduce availability in cities, which will result in Chesterfield being considered as a convenient and ideal location. These positive trends show a prodigious opportunity for the town’s future.”

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“RA Information Systems has substantial experience working with workspace providers such as Business and Incubation Centres and Science Parks. The industry growth represents a good opportunity for us to continue delivering projects comprehensive of services such as IT infrastructure, shared internet connectivity, VoIP telephony, data security, industry specific software and tech support. We look forward to offering technology solutions enabling further growth of this evolving industry.”

Name: Jane Manfredi

Job Title: Proprietor

Company: proMUA & Beauty Training

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“At proMUA & Beauty Training we pride ourselves in being a VTCT approved centre offering World Class Qualifications at Level 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy and Make-up. We are excited to be offering Beauty and Make-up courses for 14-16-year olds in 2020. These will be a Level 1 and will run one day per week after school. This will be a fantastic opportunity for school children to gain a vocational qualification alongside their school studies.”

What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“Having my business in the centre of Chesterfield, it’s great to see new developments happening. The Northern Gateway scheme is very exciting and, with projects already completed in the town centre, it’s definitely encouraging new businesses to come to Chesterfield creating job opportunities. It’s good news that the planning for the Chesterfield Enterprise Centre has been passed so I’m looking forward to seeing the development of that in 2020.”

Name: Clare Talati
Job Title: Director
Company: Derbyshire Education Business Partnership

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“In 2019, we achieved the matrix Standard and were Highly Commended in the Careers Provider of the Year category at the Careers Excellence Awards. We were also finalists at the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards for Outstanding Growth. We can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring! We intend to grow our programmes to help ensure learners benefit from, and schools meet, the Gatsby benchmarks. We‘ll also be expanding the work we deliver with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities schools.”

What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?

“We promote careers in all sectors by working with local employers. This helps inform young people about the opportunities available and the skills employers value and look for. Bringing the world of work to life for learners is at the core of what we deliver. Therefore, we are proud to be part of Made in Chesterfield; raising the awareness of careers – in manufacturing, engineering, science and technology – with 3,000 students reached since the campaign began in 2014.”

Name Julie Richards
Job Title: Principal and Chief Executive Officer
Organisation: Chesterfield College

What excited you most about Chesterfield’s future?

“It is exciting to know that Chesterfield College is playing a part in developing a learning culture within our town and we are helping to build a community of learning to support growth and prosperity.

“We support young people and adults to progress into successful careers by giving them the skills and experiences they need. Ensuring local companies have the ability to develop their workforce effectively and are able to meet the need to develop technology skills is a key part of how we support businesses to grow and thrive.”

Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?

“In 2019, we played a part in raising awareness of the need for fair funding for colleges through the national ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign. We want to ensure the Government understands the important role further education plays so we will continue to campaign for fair funding in 2020 and beyond to ensure we can carry on inspiring futures and changing lives for our community.”

Name: Stephen Gordon
Job Title: Executive Director
Company: Banner Jones Solicitors

Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?

“Working in a business sector that is notorious for using lots of paper, we’ve decided that it’s time to be different and are striving to become ‘paper-lite’. We’ve already started the process and, in some departments, we are already working without paper. This not only helps us to reduce our carbon footprint but also produces a better, clearer working environment for our staff. We hope to finish the process in early 2020.”

Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?

“As a business. we take the wellbeing of our staff very seriously and have recently appointed a dedicated Performance & Wellbeing Coach to provide support when needed. To continue with this focus on mental health we have decided to make ‘Mind’ our charity of the year in 2020 and will plan various fundraising initiatives around this. We’ve always been a big supporter of local charities such as Ashgate Hospicecare and they will also remain close to our hearts in 2020.”

Name: Tim Benson
Job Title: Associate
Company: AECOM

What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?

“Investment in infrastructure will continue to increase over the next 12 months, providing many employment opportunities in transportation, power generation and new housing. In addition to the delivery of new infrastructure is the challenge that the climate emergency puts on the way we use existing infrastructure. These demands require new thinking and new solutions, presenting plenty of opportunities for school leavers to get involved straight away through our apprenticeship programme.

Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?

“On a local level, we are looking to support various local charities next year as part of our commitment to Social Value. All of our employees are given two days every year to give something back to our local communities. We are currently in discussion with Derbyshire Voluntary Action group, Groundwork Towards Work and Young Enterprise East Midlands, and have established relationships with local organisations including Ashgate Hospicecare and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.”

Name: Mark Ross
Job Title: Managing Director
Organisation: Redbrik Estate Agents

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“We are already excited about the opportunities for real growth in 2020 and for Redbrik to become more of an integral part of homeowner’s lives. We have always prided ourselves on our innovation and the ability to solve our customers’ problems, and we plan on doing this next year through the launch of new services to the property sector. There will be fantastic opportunities for people who love customer service, marketing and property to join our expanding team – watch this space!”

Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?

“As a company, we are focused on supporting charitable causes across the communities we serve. We are very proud to be sponsors of the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, enabling over £100,000 to be raised since 2017 for local charities. The event’s charity partners are Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and, this year alone, runners pledged excess of £40,000 for them. In 2020 we would love to get over 2,000 runners on the start line and double the amount we’ve raised so far for the charities.”

Name: Leah Shortt
Job Title: Operations Manager
Company: Learning Unlimited

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“We pride ourselves on being able to support businesses to attract new talent through apprenticeship and training programmes. Our newly appointed product development team is looking forward to supporting employers to create dynamic and cutting-edge education and training programmes to meet the needs of industry, whilst addressing local skills shortages. Our years of experience in education and training puts us in an advantageous position when it comes to working in partnership with business and shaping their future workforce and skills development.

What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?

“The range of career routes opened up by the number of apprenticeships available is really exciting. I would encourage any school leaver to look beyond traditional routes into employment and explore the options available to them through apprenticeships. You can achieve university-level qualifications and get vital skills at the same time as earning a wage. Our apprenticeships careers fair on 4 February 2020 at Chesterfield College will showcase the range of opportunities available and give you chance to meet local employers.”

Name: Anna Melton
Job Title: Director
Company: In the Works PR

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“The demand for video content continues to increase and became an integral part of what we offer at In the Works PR 2019. We have invested heavily in editing software as there is certainly going to be lots of opportunities for film where our construction and development clients are concerned and their projects start to take shape in 2020.”

What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“The town leaves 2019 on a high and I am so proud to be part of it. Spades have gone into the ground at major developments this year which is what people have been waiting for. So much happens behind the scenes with commercial developments that often the development can seem like a white elephant because they don’t happen immediately. It’s definitely not the case in Chesterfield. I am hugely optimistic for the town, my business and my team in 2020. It’s definitely going to be a Happy New Year!”

Name: Neil Johnson
Job Title: Managing Director
Company: Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP)

What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“With a number of large-scale developments starting to come out of the ground in Chesterfield, construction in the town will take a dramatic leap forward in 2020 and this will present opportunities for Chesterfield’s communities. There are many building projects, big and small, scheduled for 2020 and it’s great to see Chesterfield’s ambition and investment continuing at a good pace. This is really exciting for myself and the DBCP team to be involved with – it will certainly keep us busy in the new year.”

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“The increase in construction projects, not only in Chesterfield but across Derbyshire as a whole, places greater demands on our services. So, I see opportunities for growth with recruitment as a major opportunity for DBCP in 2020. We’ve already got a great team, but we’re on the look-out for good building control professionals. There’s a great career opportunity for them with DBCP in 2020”

Name: Peter Swallow
Job Title: Managing Director
Company: Bolsterstone Group Plc

What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?

“A highlight for me has to be the creation of Destination Chesterfield of which I am Chair. It has brought together the business, charity and education sectors to really make a difference in driving forward the town. I don’t know of any other town or city that has achieved this, and should all be proud of what has been achieved. By working together, we really have made a difference and established a solid platform for further investment, jobs and opportunity for Chesterfield over the next decade.”

What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“Chesterfield Waterside is really starting to come together. This development will make a significant impact on Chesterfield’s future, providing jobs and homes for local people, and 2020 will be a formative year for the development. Avant Homes began construction of 173 homes in 2019 and they will be released for sale in 2020. This is the year we will also see the office accommodation at the Basin Square neighbourhood come out of the ground, representing the first step in delivering the commercial element of the Waterside vision and we are already in advanced talks with occupiers for the office space. The future is bright for both Chesterfield Waterside and the town itself.”

Name: James Pogson
Job Title: Director
Company: Northern Tea Merchants

Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?

“Northern Tea Merchants has been working hard throughout 2019 to reduce the amount of plastic used across the company and in particular tea bags, and that will continue going into 2020. We completed our final Biodegradable Tea Bag Paper test on the 30 October this year and have produced over 500,000 biodegradable bags so far. We will continue working hard and carrying any further research necessary to continue to minimise the amount of plastic we use.”

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“We are excited to continue growing the contract packing side of the business next year whilst continuing to supply our high-quality teas, coffees and cocoa to all of our local Chesterfield customers. Our aim is to keep looking after our loyal, existing customers, by supplying the best tea and coffee at great prices, and welcome more and more new customers with open arms.”

Name: Mark Hill
Job Title: Commercial Property Director (Jomast Developments)
Company: Elder Way

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“In 2020 there is a huge opportunity for us to transform the ground floor and basement of the former Co-op on Elder Way. Right now, the space is empty, but in 2020 I am confident we will see new businesses here. The Premier Inn is open and trading well and now is the time to bring restaurants, cafés and bars together at Elder Way and create a brand new leisure quarter in the heart of Chesterfield.”

What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?

“Chesterfield Borough Council has done a great job in supporting inward investment over the last decade. It has been open, welcoming and, most importantly, supportive of investors like us. I know this played a big part in attracting Jomast to invest in the former Co-op building on Elder Way. We’re very glad we took the plunge three years ago to invest in Chesterfield and it’s great to be part of the town’s future with such a landmark development.”

Name: Cllr Tricia Gilby
Job Title: Leader
Company: Chesterfield Borough Council

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“Chesterfield Borough Council is one of the town’s biggest businesses, a £110m business employing 900 staff and delivering 50 services. In 2020, we plan to build dozens of new council homes, set the council and Chesterfield on the right path to carbon neutrality, develop our third innovation centre for new start-up businesses and attract more visitors through our expanding festivals and events programme. We also have the opportunity to boost the fortunes of Staveley by sealing a £25m town deal”.

What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?

“Our £2.1bn growth programme. 2020 is a big year for Chesterfield Waterside with new homes, a new office block and a new car park set for construction; also, for Peak with David Lloyd due to build their first Adrenaline World. We hope the Government will confirm the funding for a new £90m road to bypass Brimington and fully commit to HS2, which will bring enormous benefits to Chesterfield. These developments will create thousands of new well-paid jobs for local people”.

Name: Dom Stevens
Job Title: Destination Chesterfield Manager
Organisation: Destination Chesterfield

What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?

“The team at Destination Chesterfield are looking forward to relaunching the Chesterfield Retail Awards as the Chesterfield High Street Awards. The new look awards are the culmination of the feedback from past entrants so we are confident that they will reflect the breadth of businesses and activities, that together bring vitality to our high streets across the borough. We’re very excited by the opportunities the new High Street Awards bring not only to businesses and people that enter them, but also the borough as a whole. We want as many people to be involved as possible.”

Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?

“As part of Destination Chesterfield’s 10th year celebrations the team has pledged to undertake at least 10 volunteer days in the Chesterfield community. We recognise that the community, charity and volunteer sectors are such an important part of Chesterfield so it’s great that we will be able to support them throughout 2020.”

Over 180 organisations have become Chesterfield Champions to support the development of our economy, shape our future and showcase all that is good about the town. Joining the scheme is a direct statement of belief from organisations about their commitment to Chesterfield and its successful future.

For information on how you can become a Chesterfield Champion, please visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/destination-chesterfield/champions/

Posted in Blog, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Spireites donate winter coats to the homeless

20th December 2019

The Spireites have donated a quantity of winter coats to Pathways of Chesterfield, a service for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

Commenting on the donation, Kit Man Jason Baker explained: “I thought it would be nice if the coats could be put to good use and help people in the local community. ”

“I spoke to Keith Jackson from the Chesterfield FC Community Trust who contacted Pathways and arranged for the coats to be handed over to them. The work being done by the organisation is very important and it’s pleasing to know that the club can help them in this way.”

Matilda Towndrow, Volunteer & Activities Co-ordinator at Pathways, said: “The coats will be nice and warm for the winter and it’s really nice and generous of the club to donate them.”

“Often, homeless people can feel pushed out by other members of society, but people do have a genuine interest in homeless people.”

Pathways aim to prevent homelessness. Their mission is to eradicate rough sleeping in our community and to support those without a permanent home to obtain and maintain one. To find out more about Pathways, please visit www.pathwaysofchesterfield.co.uk.

Photo credit: Tina Jenner

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Home

Nominations now open for relaunched Chesterfield High Street Awards 2020

19th December 2019

Recognising the changing face of the high street, the annual Chesterfield Retail Awards have a brand-new name and look for 2020 – the Chesterfield High Street Awards – as well as two new categories.

The popular awards are now open to almost every business on Chesterfield’s high street from shops, market traders, events and regeneration projects to estate agents, banks, solicitors and accountants.

The new High Street Business category has been added to this year’s awards’ line up to reflect the diversity of Chesterfield’s high street and is open to all non-retailers except food and drink businesses. While the new Future High Street Award recognises the physical improvements and regeneration of high streets across Chesterfield.

Nominations are now open in the quest to find the best customer-facing high street-based businesses across the borough of Chesterfield.

Organiser of the annual awards, Destination Chesterfield, wants you to say which businesses on the town’s high street are your favourites and why. Nominations are open until midnight on Friday 14 February.

All nominated businesses will be evaluated and a mystery panel of judges will visit businesses shortlisted in 11 of the 15 categories before the winners are announced at a glittering black-tie awards ceremony at Casa Hotel on Wednesday 24 June.

The awards’ relaunch recognises the town’s exceptional businesses, people, events and regeneration projects that are working together to overcome the challenges of a rapidly changing retail environment.

Now in its seventh year, the awards have gone from strength-to-strength; mirroring the town’s economy.

Commenting on the relaunch of the awards for 2020, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The new 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards recognise the contribution that every business based on high streets in the borough is making in creating jobs, attracting visitors to the town, delivering great customer service and collectively helping drive the success of Chesterfield’s economy.

“I urge everyone to get involved and put forward their favourite businesses. We want to celebrate as many as possible in the awards.”

People can now nominate across 12 categories in the 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards:

• High Street Business of the Year
• Future High Street Award
• Excellence in Customer Service
• Hair and Beauty Business of the Year
• Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year
• Best New Store 2019/2020
• Food and Drink Retailer of the Year
• Home, Gifts & Leisure Retailer of the Year
• Market Trader of the Year
• Independent Retailer of the Year
• National/ Multiple Retailer of the Year
• Best Town Centre Event 2019/2020

The 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards are supported and made possible by a number of sponsors, including Apprentice Town (led by Chesterfield Borough Council), Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College Group, Derbyshire Times, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), eBusiness Works, JP Fire Safety Solutions, Peak FM and Q2 Creative.

You can nominate online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards until midnight on Friday 14 February 2020.

Information about the various sponsorship packages are available at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards or contact Tara Underhill, Senior Destination Chesterfield Coordinator, by emailing Tara.underhill@chesterfield.co.uk or calling 01246 207207.

Nominate Now

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting