Author: Dom Stevens
Exhibition of Chatsworth treasures in New York could boost U.S. visitors to Peak District and Derbyshire
The Peak District and Derbyshire could look forward to a rise in visits from the US as a prestigious exhibition of art and objects from Chatsworth launches at Sotheby’s in New York.
Free of charge and open to the public from 28 June – 18 September 2019, Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition, offers a rare chance to view the legendary Devonshire Collection in the US.
As well as offering a showcase to some of the Derbyshire stately home’s most famous treasures, it is hoped the exhibition will inspire more US tourists to book a trip to the Peak District and Derbyshire – discovering the area’s vibrant cultural scene in the process.
Treasures from Chatsworth will feature over 40 masterworks including fine art, decorative objects, furniture, jewellery, clothing and archival materials from the Devonshire Collection – widely celebrated as one of the most significant art collections in Europe. All objects have been accumulated over 500 years by the Cavendish family, and held at Chatsworth near Bakewell.
Research from VisitBritain shows that the UK’s culture and heritage is a huge draw for overseas visitors – with more than £8 billion spent annually by international tourists who visit castles/historic houses in the UK (based on 2016 figures).
Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, says the exhibition will help to raise awareness of the area’s rich cultural heritage, which ranges from stately homes such as Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, to a vibrant arts scene and sites of worldwide historical importance, such as the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
The US is the UK’s most valuable inbound visitor market for tourism spend, with US visitors spending a record £3.6 billion across the UK in 2017, up 9% on the previous year. Visits from the US grew 13% to 3.9 million in the same period.
The US also ranked the UK second out of 50 nations for its overall brand in the 2018 Anholt Nation Brands Index, up one place on 2017 and equalling its highest ranking ever.
Tourism’s value to the Peak District and Derbyshire economy was worth £2.15 billion in 2017, supporting 28,630 full-time jobs with 40.45 million visitors travelling to the area in the same period.*
Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “Promoting the Peak District and Derbyshire on a global scale is at the heart of our work, so it is fantastic news that items from Chatsworth’s prestigious Devonshire Collection will be exhibited in New York this summer.
“Boosting visitor numbers and increasing visitor spend is paramount in ensuring that the local economy can reap the benefits of tourism, and the Treasures from Chatsworth exhibition will serve as a great international showcase for the area’s rich cultural heritage.
“Chatsworth is one of the UK’s leading stately homes and we hope the exhibition will inspire more US visitors to add Chatsworth, and the wider Peak District and Derbyshire area, to their must-visit list.’
Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Barry Lewis, said: “Promoting Derbyshire as a global cultural and tourist destination is one of our top priorities and Chatsworth is one of the jewels in Derbyshire’s crown, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to our county each year.
“So we’re thrilled to hear some of the estate’s treasures will be showcased in New York and hope it will whet the appetite of American tourists who will be encouraged to visit Derbyshire and see all our beautiful county has to offer for themselves.”
Gavin Landry, VisitBritain Director of the Americas, said: “It is great to have this exhibition come to the US and shine a spotlight on the cultural draw of the Peak District and Derbyshire, inspiring Americans to travel to Britain.
“Our research shows that many US visitors are motivated to travel to Britain due to our history and heritage and this exhibition is sure to get more Americans to experience the delights of Chatsworth and the surrounding area and extend their stay.”
Images: Chatsworth House Trust
Chesterfield business offering debt-free degrees to school leavers
Three Year 13 school leavers are being given the chance to gain a debt-free university degree by Chesterfield-based Blachford UK.
The company, which is part of the global Blachford Group, is looking to recruit its senior managers and board directors of the future through its graduate apprenticeship programme. As well as a providing a fully funded degree, the successful applicants will also be paid a salary throughout their apprenticeship.
Based in Holmewood, the UK arm of the company is a leading European manufacturer of acoustic and thermal insulation components.
As part of the company’s succession planning programme, it wants to attract school leavers who have recently completed their A Levels and who have a passion for maths and chemistry and who want to follow careers in design engineering, chemistry and process engineering.
Interested students should have a strong track record in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.
Successful applicants will embark on a degree apprenticeship with Blachford UK.
To raise awareness of the degree apprenticeship opportunities, the company is holding a recruitment open day for people interested in applying for the positions. The open day will take place at the company’s premises on Thursday 27 June from 11.00am – 2.00pm.
The day will involve a tour of the company – both the factory floor and behind the scenes, where you will get to meet employees, ask questions and see for themselves the variety of permanent job roles available and routes for progression within Blachford. There will also be some activities on the day for students to display their problem solving, communication and maths skills.
Jason Lippitt, Managing Director of Blachford UK explained: “Manufacturing is an exciting industry and Blachford is no exception. I am a chemist myself and have had an amazing career with Blachford. I have travelled the world and been part of teams that have created ground-breaking products. I now want to give that opportunity to three young people.”
Launched by the government in 2015 and studied over the course of one to six years, degree apprenticeships are designed to propel students into the world of work and fill high-level skills gaps by tailoring learning to specific business needs.
A degree apprenticeship combines full-time paid work and part-time university study to offer candidates the opportunity to gain a full Bachelors or Masters degree while undertaking practical, on-the-job training. Degree apprenticeships are created by partnerships between employers and universities or colleges.
He added: “Apprenticeships are very important to the future of Blachford as they give us the opportunity to mould and develop individuals to the business helping it progress and grow. We invest in all our apprentices, so it’s important to us that they enjoy long careers with us. My hope is that the young people who join us as degree apprentices will ultimately lead and shape the direction of the company.”
Blachford UK have also agreed to take part in the Made in Chesterfield project which looks to promote opportunities in STEM careers across North Derbyshire. The Initiative is coordinated by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnership.
To attend the Blachford UK Degree Apprentice Recruitment Open Day, please register your interest on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/blachford-uk-degree-apprentice-recruitment-open-day-tickets-61787937384 or by emailing Joanne Kisgory at Joanne.Kisgory@blachforduk.com.
Find out more about apprenticeship opportunities in Chesterfield
Find out how your business or school can take part in Made in Chesterfield
Groundbreaking digital initiative celebrated and extended
Business and council leaders have hailed the impact of a pioneering programme which has enabled 1,300 businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to embrace digital technology.
The Digital Growth Programme gives local SMEs access to fully-funded workshops, financial support and free one-to-one advice to help them introduce new digital technology to their organisations.
More than £6.8m of funding was invested into the programme by the European Regional Development Fund, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), and Derby City, Derbyshire County, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Rushcliffe Borough councils.
It has provided 1,300 businesses with more than 31,000 hours of free digital support, as well as distributing grant funding of more than £1.88m to 310 eligible businesses, which has helped to unlock an additional £2.7m of private sector investment from the SMEs which received support.
It has also delivered 340 action-planning workshops and 48 awareness-raising seminars about a host of digital subjects, including cloud computing and cyber resilience, ecommerce, email marketing, CRM, Search Engine Optimisation, social media and website planning and development.
Recently, more than 300 local businesses attended a major conference, at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel, to get the latest insights and advice from keynote speakers and local digital experts, as well as celebrate the successes of the programme.
It was also announced at the conference that the digital support provided by the programme will continue for the next three years and will be delivered by the D2N2 Growth Hub.
Chris Pook, D2N2 Growth Hub Manager, said: “Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire SMEs have forged a really strong reputation for digital innovation and it’s crucial that they continue to be supported so they can enhance their capabilities to help the local economy to grow.
“The Digital Growth Programme has provided fantastic support to local firms overt the past three years and we are delighted to be able to continue this in the years ahead, via the D2N2 Growth Hub.
“I’d urge all businesses who need digital advice and support, or are looking at ways to get a new project off the ground, to get in touch with one of our advisers.”
Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive of the Chamber, added: “The Digital Growth Programme to date has been a huge success and we have been delighted with the response from the business community.
“More than 1,300 local businesses have engaged with the programme, which is great, and it was fantastic to see so many of them at the Digital Conference as we celebrated the achievements of the programme so far.”
One of the Derbyshire businesses to benefit from funding support from the programme was HSG, a specialist provider of washroom hygiene and water conservation solutions.
The programme provided £22,000 of funding toward the development of a bespoke app and dashboard, called Cleen, which gives venues better control over their washroom management.
Customers can download the app, leave a rating for the overall cleanliness of a washroom, and report any issues such as no toilet rolls, poor cleanliness or broken equipment. These are reported directly to the venue’s service provider, who can address them immediately.
Sonia Harvey, Brand Manager, said: “The Cleen app and dashboard give business owners the opportunity to monitor the performance of their washrooms to enhance their overall experience, by acting on instant feedback.
“The product is tailor-made for sports venues, restaurants and NHS Trusts and since launch, we have opened up a host of avenues for this fast-growing area of the business.”
Businesses can find out more about the programme and the unique support it provides at www.d2n2-digital.co.uk or calling 0330 053 8639.
Inspiration Rover Project Encouraging Children Into The World of STEM
Twelve young people from Derbyshire recently enjoyed a day at Leicester’s award-winning National Space Centre, celebrating their achievements as part of educational outreach project Inspiration Rover.
The project, which was led by mature student Henry Bennett from the University of Derby with support from fellow undergraduates, academics and alumni, saw the young people involved help develop a scale model of the Mars Science Laboratory Rover using a design from NASA Jet Propulsion Labs.
It was designed to help the participants build their confidence and engage them with practical engineering work. All the young people involved are currently supported by Derbyshire County Council’s Childrens Services and many of them have had challenges in, or even had to leave, mainstream education, making this engagement even more valuable.
The project was funded by the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and supported by the National Space Academy, IET TV, UK Space Agency, Catena Space Engineering and Derbyshire County Council.
Derbyshire County Council Children’s Services invited young people to apply to take part and selected 12 participants aged 11-14. They were each partnered with an engineering student, working one-on-one together across six weeks. Working intensively alongside engineers and University students, they learnt transferable engineering and employability skills, as well as building their confidence and working as a team.
Phase one of the project was carried out over six weeks and involved the young people in all areas. In weeks one and two, they came to the University’s Institution of Engineering and Technology to understand how to use computer-aided design software, along with the software required to 3D print components for the Mars Rover.
Weeks three and four involved an introduction to the basics and principles of electronics, which included the young people creating their own circuit boards. In the two final weeks of phase one, they worked with the University team to assemble the parts into the scale model.
To mark the participant’s hard work, a celebration day was hosted at the National Space Centre with support from the National Space Academy to thank and reward them for taking part. The young people (and engineers) had the day to explore the site and see the wonders of space.
The young people met Dr Suzie Imber, Co-Investigator on the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer instrument on board the BepiColombo spacecraft currently heading to Mercury, and winner of the BBC programme ‘Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes’. After her presentation, the young people saw the completed Mars Rover replica for the first time.
“The project aimed to depict the whole journey into engineering, and to show that although a challenging subject, it can also be fun – which worked! After phase one, around half of the children wanted to be engineers,” said Henry Bennett, student lead of the project.
“It has been possible to do this project with support from the IET, which gave us the funding, the University of Derby, which gave us facilities and space in which to work, Derbyshire County Council for identifying and engaging the teaching staff and young people and the National Space Centre, which kindly hosted the celebration day.”
Yvonne Wright, Space Ambassador from Derbyshire County Council, said: “The next phase of the project will involve the young people attending Robot Day on 6 July and then delivering STEM activities to their local primary schools using the Inspiration Mars Rover to inspire a younger audience.
“They will use this opportunity to complete their Derbyshire Voluntary Passport and on completion, participants will receive a Level 1 NCFE Investors in Quality certificate, and an identification badge.”
Dr Kierann Shah, General Manager of the National Space Academy added: “I was really impressed by this project. It can be a real challenge for young people to see a pathway for themselves if they don’t fit the traditional route through school, so helping them to build their confidence and develop their skills is key. Engineering is a great context in which to do this.
“We were really pleased to be able to host the celebration event at the National Space Centre and to invite the young people to participate in one of our space science masterclasses, which they seemed to enjoy very much!”
Events aimed at ambitious writers and keen readers
Arts Derbyshire has been awarded £14,950 from Arts Council England to run a project for writers and readers.
The project, called Writing Ambitions: Commissioning, is a partnership between Festivity, Writing East Midlands, Junction Arts and Derbyshire County Council.
It will commission five writers to work with a Derbyshire-based arts festival during 2020 to produce and perform pieces of writing in the local community.
All of the festivals selected are members of Festivity, which is the arts festival forum for Derbyshire, and a part of Arts Derbyshire. It includes:
•Tapton Lock Festival in Chesterfield
•Melbourne Festival
•Erewash Festival of Light
•New Mills Festival
•Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Discovery Days Festival
Each writer will also have the opportunity to collaborate with a local Derbyshire library.
A networking and information day will launch the project this autumn.
The writers will be supported with workshops and mentoring by well-established and award-winning writers and poets Cathy Grindrod, Jo Bell, Matt Black and River Wolton.
Workshop places are open to all writers and will offer support to those interested in working to commission, in other words, being paid to complete a special piece of work.
The commissioned writers will also collaborate on a piece of work providing advice to writers hoping to be commissioned in the future.
Councillor Barry Lewis, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for experienced or budding writers to take their writing further. Not only will the project foster local talent but it will boost local events and communities as well.”
The project will also deliver the LoveLit series of literature events and writing workshops for readers and writers held in Derbyshire libraries.
On Tuesday 18 June 2019 at Chesterfield library social historian and broadcaster Hallie Rubenhold will talk about her new book ‘The Five’ which looks at the lives of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper.
Writing workshops with Mike Gayle, Professor Joe Moran and Joanna Courtney are among the other events being held.
And the first Derbyshire Noir Book Festival on Saturday 17 August 2019, celebrating crime and psychological thrillers, will feature panels, talks and a chance to network for crime readers and writers at Chesterfield library.
HS2 is About Much More Than a Railway Line
Reacting to the report on HS2 today from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said:
“The Chamber welcomes much of this report and shares the frustration that the public conversation to date has focused solely on speed. HS2, delivered in full, will be transformational for the East Midlands economy, better connecting us to other major hubs across the UK and freeing up vital capacity on the wider road and rail networks, keeping our businesses competitive as they continue to make and move products and people across the UK and beyond.
“For the East Midlands, the project has always been about much more than just a railway line connecting north to south. HS2 acts as a focal point for exciting development plans for the geography around Toton, the airport and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site.
“It has brought together businesses, schools, colleges and universities to look at future skills development in a way that no other initiative has managed previously. It has spurred additional investment into the more local and regional infrastructure we need to deliver its full benefits. And it has created opportunities in the here-and-now for our businesses, winning contracts to deliver HS2 for the whole country.
“As with any major infrastructure project it’s important that costs are controlled. It’s also important that the wider discussion about HS2 moves on from getting people from A to B quicker than they already do and focuses instead on the transformational benefits that HS2 will bring to the UK economy.”
Chesterfield’s New Mayor Takes Office
Chesterfield welcomes a new mayor as Councillor Gordon Simmons takes over the position as the borough’s civic leader for the coming year.
Councillor Simmons, who was recently re-elected as councillor for Dunston ward, has served as a borough councillor for 12 years and is the borough’s 379th mayor.
He serves as vice-chair of the council’s planning committee and is also a member of the employment and general committee.
Councillor Simmons represents the council as a trustee of the Chesterfield-based charity Uncle Billy’s Children’s Fund and is also the chair of Age Concern Chesterfield and District branch.
The mayor has been married to his wife, Jenny, for 49 years. His hobbies include gardening and music.
Councillor Simmons said: “I am honoured to be mayor and I am looking forward to a busy year meeting as many people as possible during my term of office.”
The mayoress for 2019/20 is Councillor Kate Caulfield.
Councillor Caulfield serves as councillor for Moor ward and was first elected in 2015.
She is the daughter of former councillor Michael Gabriel Caulfield who served as mayor in 1984/85 and was subsequently created an honorary alderman of the borough.
She has a son and daughter and two grandchildren.
Councillor Caulfield said: “It is a privilege to serve the borough as mayoress and I am looking forward to meeting as many residents as possible.”
Councillors Simmons and Caulfield replace Councillor Stuart Brittain and his wife, Anne, who served as mayor and mayoress in 2018/19.
Chesterfield Borough Council Leader Announces New Cabinet
Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Tricia Gilby, has named her cabinet following the local elections on 2 May.
The new cabinet is:
- Councillor Tricia Gilby: council leader
- Councillor Amanda Serjeant: deputy leader
- Councillor Jean Innes: cabinet member for business transformation and customers
- Councillor Terry Gilby: cabinet member for economic growth
- Councillor Sharon Blank: cabinet member for governance
- Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt: cabinet member for health and wellbeing:
- Councillor Chris Ludlow: cabinet member for housing
- Councillor Kate Sarvent: cabinet member town centre and visitor economy.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader said: “I am pleased to welcome some new faces to cabinet following the recent local elections – the new cabinet line-up recognises the skills and abilities of our members.
“Over the next four years, we will continue to provide value for money services, to make Chesterfield a thriving borough and to improve the quality of life for local people.”
Cabinet will also be attended by Councillor Paul Holmes, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, which is the largest minority group on the council.
Magnifica Donates Brand New Laptop to Fairplay
Chesterfield Digital Agency, Magnifica has donated a brand new laptop to local charity Fairplay.
The business which recently relocated back from Sheffield to Chesterfield wanted to establish links with local charitable organisations.
After using a laptop for a short project they had no further use for the device so instead of putting in a drawer to gather dust they decided to donate it to a charity who could benefit from some new tech.
Owner of Magnifica, Rob Gregory, put a message on LinkedIn asking for suggestions in the Chesterfield area and Fairplay got in touch.
Heather Fawbert, CEO of Fairplay said: “Fairplay will use the laptop to assist us with training for both staff and volunteers. We will use it to download our various training packages and presentations. It will also be used for our presentations to both schools and business and will store the Fairplay film – all of these are used to educate and inform people about living with and supporting children with disabilities.”
On Friday May 10th Rob visited Fairplay to hand over the laptop and was pleased to be taken on a tour of the facilities. Seeing first hand the amazing work done by the charity and hearing how the laptop would be used was in Rob’s words ‘an enjoyable and uplifting experience’.
Rob Gregory said “Knowing the amazing work the team at Fairplay do I was really happy when Heather responded to my LinkedIn post. The work Heather and her team do to support and enrich the lives of young people with additional needs and disabilities makes such a difference and I only hope this new laptop can support that work in some small way.”
Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield added “Local charities are the lifeblood of our community and the services they offer are hugely important to the many Chesterfield residents. Links between business and charity is key to the continued success of these organisations and it’s great to see two Chesterfield Champions working together in this way.”
Grant Funding Available to Support Chesterfield Businesses to Grow
If you are a Chesterfield business looking to invest to improve company productivity or are currently considering adopting new industrial digital technology to thrive in the digital age then Sheffield City Region (SCR) has grant funding available to support you.
The Business Investment Fund – Made Smarter in SCR offers capital grants to support businesses to adopt new industrial digital technologies. Finance is available to support investment in projects that introduce new technologies for the first time or are a significant change from the ‘business as usual’ approach. This might include robotics, additive manufacturing or industrial Internet of Things projects. Businesses can apply for capital in the range of £25k to £50k.
Business Investment Fund – SCR Productivity Challenge is an investment scheme providing capital grants to support businesses to identify and address their business productivity challenges. The programme will support capital investment that boosts productivity in areas such as production or distribution processes, supply chain innovation and new product development. Businesses can apply for capital in the range of £25k to £100k.
Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said “It is great to see further funding available to support local businesses to grow and we would encourage Chesterfield businesses to consider this support.”
Projects must explain how the investment will improve business performance and Sheffield City Region would like to see investment leading to jobs growth.
SME’s interested in applying can find out more about eligability criteria and download the expression of interest form at https://www.scrgrowthhub.co.uk/services/access-to-finance/
The deadline for an expression of interest for the funding is the 31st May and full applications by the 14th June 2019.
