Chesterfield’s race ace Seb Perez encountered a disappointing weekend in his third trip to Silverstone on 28-29 September, for the penultimate weekend of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship.

The Team Amigos Redline Racing driver of Chesterfield, who turned 20-years-old recently, had nothing to celebrate about from his weekends outing the third trip to the Northamptonshire circuit this season but this time using the 1.64 mile National Circuit.

Silverstone hasn’t proved one of his luckiest circuits this season for him it was only just over four weeks ago where he was robbed of a podium slot after disaster struck and contact sent him off track getting stuck in the gravel and being forced to retire.

Despite torrential downpours for Fridays free practice sessions Perez managed to finish 8th and 5th place respectively out of the 23 cars on track.

An afternoon qualifying session on Saturday saw him finish eighth and only just 0.5s from pole position, leaving him optimistic for a good result for Sundays first race of two.

Perez knew the pressure would be on with such close competition in qualifying, he went out on slicks like most of the 22 cars that lined up, he expected the damp circuit to dry out. However, the cooler conditions combined with overcast skies meant the track remained slippery throughout the contest, putting those on slicks at a significant disadvantage.

A the lights went out the pace was missing and by the end of lap one Perez had lost four places, he remained around the same position for the 28 lap race finishing up seventh in the Pro class and 12th overall.

Race Two put Perez on the seventh row and has the lights went out he struggled for pace starting on wet tyres as the circuit began to dry but in the usual Perez style he persevered to finish a respectable 15th overhaul and 9th pro driver over the line.

Perez’s team mate George Gamble brought some luck back to the weekend and to the Team Amigos Redline Racing outfit by winning both races.

Not the of best weekends for the Chesterfield race ace, commenting on the weekend he said: “It was a weekend to forget, which was really a shame. We missed the boat in race one in terms of tyres, but it was all about the luck of the draw whether you were on wets or dry’s. I knew I was going to follow George Gamble if I knew he was going in, but I didn’t see him going into the pits, and the next time I saw him he lapped me. I expected it to dry faster than it did, as did plenty of other drivers, but that doesn’t help our race result.”

“In race two we just struggled with speed on wet tyres as it started to dry out. It was another weird race and just a bit of a strange weekend overall. We just didn’t have great pace in the car. That’s racing, but we’ve got to head to Brands Hatch for the season finale now and focus on getting a good result. Hopefully, we can end the season on a high which will make the winter a bit easier.”

Perez is currently in sixth place in the championship with 47 points and Amigos Redline Racing third in the Entrants Championship with 317 points.

The final round of the Championship sees Seb back at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix Circuit (12 – 13 October) where it all started in April this year.

This year’s 16-race Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship series is one of the most highly regarded championships in Europe and follows the Kwik-Fit British Touring Car Championship as a support package. You can follow Seb and the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship live on ITV4.

Editorial by Paul Horton and Images Paul Horton Motorsport Photography

Chesterfield Royal Hospital welcomed dignitaries, councillors, volunteers and staff to attend the official opening of the Mayor’s Garden on Thursday 26^th September 2019.

Former Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Maureen Davenport and her Mayoral consort, Liz Archer, spent their year in office fundraising for a quiet and reflective space which would benefit patients, staff and visitors – particularly those visiting the NGS Macmillan Centre.

After hearing about the Hospital’s wish to convert one of the outdoor courtyards and having both lost their husbands to cancer Maureen and Liz wanted to help – and raised a wonderful £20,000 in the process. This £20,000 was matched by the Hospital’s charitable funds.

The Mayor’s Garden, situated just off the corridor adjacent to the NGS Macmillan Centre, has been a real team effort and funded solely by raised monies – and created and maintained by a dedicated team of volunteers who have donated their time, talents and efforts.

Garden designer, Lara Behr, who had previously designed the award winning Legacy Garden which had been gifted to the hospital by Tatton RHS Show, happened to be in the area when plans were being made – and offered to help design elements of it for free. Working with Dr Roger Start, Consultant Histopathologist and Clinical Director of Pathology, who had come up with the original idea, and the volunteer team, she created a haven of colour and plants which has drawn staff, visitors (and lots of wildlife!) to the space.

At the opening Roger Start said: “This project has been a trailblazer – we have learned so much from it and we can go onto transform our courtyards and spaces. I’d like to thank everyone involved in creating this wonderful space, it’s fantastic – the garden will be around for a very long time.”

Councillor Maureen Davenport commented: “This is a very exciting moment to see the final result. Thanks to Lara for her design and continued support. I should also like to thank the volunteers who have been involved with planting the garden and watering it – it’s looking fabulous! Thanks to my fundraising committee who have worked hard during our Mayoral year to help to organise the events- without this team we wouldn’t be standing here today. Thank you also to the committee at the Hospital led by Philip Cousins – it was a great pleasure working with him and the rest of the team and they helped to bring our plans to fruition.”

“What we’d like to see now is patients, staff and visitors using this garden in the hope that they will benefit from being in a beautiful quiet place which will provide them with whatever they need.”

Official Opening of ‘The Mayors Garden’, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Derbyshire County Council have organised a Samaritans Wellbeing event in Chesterfield on 10 October 2019 to support World Mental Health Day.

This year, the annual campaign is focusing on preventing suicide, with a number of events taking place across the county, hoping to raise awareness of the scale of the issue and the role everyone can have in helping to tackle it.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor, Carol Hart, said: “People’s mental health is as important as their physical health – and very often, the two go hand-in-hand.”

“It’s vital that anyone experiencing mental health difficulties knows the help and support that’s available and most importantly – that they’re not alone.”

“Events like these are designed to get everyone talking about their mental health and wellbeing and taking away any stigma or awkwardness around the subject.”

The Samaritans Wellbeing event will take place at Chesterfield Market on Thursday 10 October 2019 between 10am and 4pm, where people can find out more about how to get the right support.

Derbyshire County Council worked closely with partners to organise awareness-raising events on World Suicide Prevention Day in September. More than 30,000 people were reached after volunteers were present at 5 local football matches, handing out information leaflets and encouraging people to begin a conversation about their mental health.

In addition, around 5,000 Derbyshire organisations have been contacted with ideas and resources about how they could support people with their mental health.

A determined injured runner is set to compete in the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon but instead of running the course she will be rowing!

Stacy Kirton, from Hollingwood, has suffered an achilles injury during her training for the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, however she is determined to row all 13.1 miles in Queens Park in order to raise money for Ashgate Hospicecare.

Since entering the half marathon in January, Stacy (42), has struggled with multiple injuries but recent damage to her achillies has left her to withdraw from the upcoming event. Stacy contacted the race organisers with her idea to row the course, so she is still able to fundraise for Ashgate Hospice.

With the help of her local gym, who are supplying the rowing machine, she will be positioned close to the finish line with the event starts.

Stacy said: “I was really disappointed I’ve previously done numerous events for Ashgate and there is a real buzz to this race, both in the town and with everyone taking part. I sat thinking what I could do to still raise money and avoid hurting my leg further.”

“I go to a CrossFit gym called The Project and on New Year’s Day every year we do an event called Marathon Row where in teams of three we complete a full rowing marathon, so the idea stemmed from that.”

“I asked if on Sunday 20th October, I could plonk myself on a rower for a few hours so I could cover the whole distance in the gym. It was actually the gym manager who suggested I actually take a rower down to Queen’s Park and once I have rowed 13.1 miles, I could walk across the finishing line and pick up my medal.”

The annual Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon has already raised over a £100,000 for charities over the past two years and with participants like Stacy, going above and beyond in raising money for charities including Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Having already raised £3,000 for Ashgate in 2012 by running the London Marathon, Stacy is inspiring those around her to do the same.

She added: “I have found a willing friend to do the challenge with me. Jess is also a keen fundraiser for Ashgate Hospicecare and we are hoping to top how much we earnt in London.”

“The hospice is one of those places you hope you never need, but one of my best friend’s father fell ill last year and spent a considerable amount of time there. They are a fantastic local charity, which local people benefit from and I am delighted to be supporting them once again.”

John Timms, Event Director at Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, said: “Stacy is a real inspiration and it’s fantastic how she has changed an injury into something positive.”

“It will be great to see Stacy rowing the length of the course on the day and we wish her all the best.”

The 2019 Redbrik Half Marathon will take place on Sunday the 20th of October, starting 9:30am in Queen’s Park, followed by a Peak FM Five Mile Run and Blachford Fun Run. For more information or to enter, click here.

Photo courtesy of Charles Whitton Photography

The University of Derby is celebrating after winning three major awards in this year’s National Student Housing Survey. The University won the Best Customer Service, Best Student Wellbeing and Best Environmental Management awards.

The annual survey, conducted by independent market research agency Red Brick Research, is based on a comprehensive look at all aspects of the student accommodation experience, and the awards are given to the accommodation providers achieving the highest levels of satisfaction with their students. This year the survey attracted 40,000 responses from students across 200 universities and colleges.

The University of Derby was a finalist for three other awards; Best Booking Experience, Best Moving in Experience and Best University Halls, and gained a quality mark of recognition for its accommodation for international students for the third year running.

Steve Ward, Customer Services Manager at Student Living Derby, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the University of Derby and for Student Living; which once again demonstrates that the pastoral services our staff are providing to students in our accommodation is the best in the country.”

“To achieve Best Customer Service for the second year running and the inaugural Best Student Wellbeing means we can proudly say that our students rate the support they receive in those areas higher than any other students across the UK do!”

Every year Student Living takes the feedback from the National Student Housing Survey to improve its offer to students. This process of continual improvement and refinement ensures it commits to best practice, creating a great living environment for students to thrive.

University of Derby Accommodation staff outside Sir Peter Hilton Court