About Chesterfield

Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness announces partnership with Canadian firm

Chesterfield based Superior Wellness has announced an official partnership with Canadian based SpaBerry Hot Tubs owned by VisionWerx Inc. to bring their SpaBerry brand to the world.

Starting in 2022 with expansion into the UK and Europe providing direct delivery of SpaBerry hot tubs to customers’ homes through SpaBerry’s unique online marketing platform.

SpaBerry has recently announced the opening of a new North American Distribution Centre located in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The partnership makes this new Distribution Centre a reality with Superior Wellness’ ability to mass manufacture and ship tens of thousands of SpaBerrys globally every year. Superior Wellness will be manufacturing and distributing SpaBerry hot tubs across the UK and Europe.

Jeff Knight, President at SpaBerry said: “In the 30 plus years I have spent in the industry I have never met or worked with a better group than Superior Wellness. Their company culture and dedication to the end user customer, their ability to build in mass quantity while keeping quality at the forefront, has made them a perfect fit for SpaBerry.”

Customers throughout the world have gone to online purchasing at unprecedented rates with 16.1% of global retail purchases happening online. Experts say that by the end of 2024 that 24% of all retail purchasing globally will happen online, amounting to a quarter of all retail purchases.

SpaBerry’s unique approach to online marketing through video/chat/text/email communications’ algorithms and the power of the Superior Wellness team at mass manufacturing capabilities, along with their organisational strengths of distribution and service makes the partnership a perfect fit. SpaBerry’s new Global Sales & Marketing Centre, a state-of-the-art Global Multilingual Internet Sales Centre, designed to operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year is opening February 2022.

Rob Carlin, Managing Director, Superior Wellness said: “We are delighted to announce this global partnership with SpaBerry. The hot tubs are already in production and we are excited about the first customers receiving them.”

Gareth Ward, Sales Director, Superior Wellness said: “SpaBerry is a great product and we know that customers in the UK and Europe will love it. The partnership is a perfect fit as we are both focused on ensuring quality is at the forefront particularly when we are producing large quantities.”

Jeff Knight at SpaBerry said: “We believe in the culture and the drive that has been established at Superior Wellness and are extremely proud that our global expansion efforts have the support of their team.”

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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£1m funding boost to expand the work of the D2N2 Skills Access Hub

An additional £1m in funding has been secured to expand a project aimed at helping businesses and employees access skills and training across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The D2N2 Skills Access Hub was set up in April 2020 to provide tailored solutions and flexible delivery to meet the skills and apprenticeship priorities of employers and employees across Derby Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Hub was created with an award of £4.8m from the European Social Fund has been supporting 888 small and medium-sized businesses to access skills provision and 2,220 individuals to improve their own skills attainment.

By agreeing the extra £926,633 of funding, Nottingham City Council can increase the number of businesses supported to 1,060 and the number of individuals supported to 2,650.

Half the funding will come from the European Social Fund and half will come from Skills Access Hub delivery partners including the University of Nottingham, West Nottinghamshire College, Futures, Direct Help and Advice, and Nottingham College.

Around half the project participants are expected to be based in Nottingham with the rest in Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.

Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP said: “It’s great to see this additional funding for the Skills Access Hub programme, which will allow even more businesses and individuals in the D2N2 area to achieve the skills needed for our region’s economic growth.”

Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Skills, Growth and Economic Development, Councillor Rebecca Langton, said: “We were pleased to accept this funding so the project can be widened to include even more businesses and workers so that they can thrive and achieve their potential.”

To find out more about a number of business support initiatives available here in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

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Chesterfield FC Community Trust links up with Alfreton Town to promote healthy lifestyles

Chesterfield FC Community Trust and Alfreton Town FC are teaming up to deliver a male specific adult weight management programme.

Staff from the Community Trust will be delivering the programme, using facilities at Alfreton Town and Alfreton Leisure Centre.

The link adds to the increasing amount of work being carried out locally by the Community Trust, which has established links with a number of local schools in the area, and recently ran another successful toy appeal to help families in need over Christmas.

Andrea Parkinson, the Community Trust’s wellbeing manager, is delighted to be working in partnership with Alfreton Town to deliver the programme.

She said: “Working within Amber Valley will allow us to support more participants. I would like to thank Alfreton Town and Alfreton Leisure Centre for being so accommodating.

“Having already successfully delivered a similar programme in the HUB at the Technique Stadium, I am sure the programme will be a great success in Alfreton.”

Michael Bradley, Alfreton Town’s CEO, said: “I am delighted to announce that the club is working in partnership with Chesterfield FC Community Trust and Places Leisure, specifically Alfreton Leisure Centre, to help promote healthier lifestyles and weight management across Amber Valley.

“There is no cost to sign up to the programme and there are some fantastic benefits, such as free gym membership for three months, thanks to our friends at Alfreton Leisure Centre and free match tickets for Alfreton Town home fixtures.”

Delivered over a 12-week period, the programme will feature sessions each Monday (12pm to 2pm), starting on January 17.

For more information and details regarding the referral criteria, please email tomcooke@spireitestrust.org.uk. or phone Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s wellbeing team on 07751 926714.

Chesterfield FC Community Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Twist magazine goes from strength-to-strength with more than 15,000 copies delivered each month

Local magazine Twist, which focuses on all things Chesterfield has the largest distribution of any magazine in the town, with 15,500 copies of the Heron Publications title carefully delivered to local homes and businesses each month.

Professional, experienced journalists keep readers entertained with lively features and positive Chesterfield news stories, backed up by striking images and eye-catching presentation. The launch of the title in September 2010 coincided with the setting up of the Chesterfield Champions network and Twist was delighted to become one of the scheme’s first member companies.

Editor Mike Firth began his career as a journalist in Chesterfield more than 40 years ago, working as sports editor at the Derbyshire Times before going on to edit the Chesterfield Gazette and Chesterfield Express newspapers when they were independently run.

Says Mike: “Chesterfield has always been an enjoyable place to work but now it has really blossomed into a vibrant town with so much going for it. If you want proof, you need only look at completed developments like the Casa Hotel, the Technique Stadium and the Vicar Lane shopping area – and then cast your mind back to how those same sites looked a few years ago.

“Now we have a new wave of other exciting developments throughout the town which will take Chesterfield into an exciting new era.”

Mike, who has lived in north Derbyshire almost all his life, was delighted to return to Chesterfield to set up Twist and he says the magazine is eagerly looked forward to each and every month.

“Readers appreciate the fact that we concentrate on all the positive things that are going on in town and they like the way we present our features in such a bright and breezy manner,” he says.

“They are happy to see Twist land on their doorstep each month and, because people pick it up and read it, advertisers are also delighted with the response they get; that is why many of them feature in our pages every month.”

Twist is delivered free of charge by the company’s own distribution team to homes and businesses in Sheepbridge, Dunston, Whittington Moor, Newbold, Ashgate, Brockwell, Brampton, Ashgate Heights, Old Brampton, Brookside, Waterside, the town centre and beyond. Because Twist is a community publication, all homes in the chosen distribution area receive the magazine – the publishers don’t pick and choose according to council tax bands or how many cars people may have parked in their driveways.

Twist’s professional advertising sales team and design studio staff are delighted to work with Chesterfield companies, both large and small, to help them promote their goods and services in the magazine’s colourful pages.

Twist may well be special, but it is not alone; it is one of a series of magazines published by family-run Heron Publications whose office is just up the road in Dronfield. The company also produces ‘Dronfield Eye’ which is the only publication distributed throughout the S18 area, ‘Wings’ in Wingerworth, Ashover and Tupton, ‘So Bolsover’ across the M1 and ‘Active8’ in the south of Sheffield. Together, they add up to a total circulation of 57,000 quality free local magazines.

An added bonus with Twist is the fact that it is printed right here in Derbyshire by award-winning Buxton Press, a business which has won several prestigious environmental awards.

Twist Magazine supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Heathcotes recruitment drive champions opportunities in care

Chesterfield-based care provider, Heathcotes Group, has launched a recruitment drive with an aim to attract a new intake by championing the benefits and career opportunities available within the sector.

With plans to open new care provision in the next six months, the company is offering around 180 permanent roles across the Midlands, the North West, London, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for residential services in support of adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs.

As the sector adjusts to the post-pandemic impact on its workforce, Heathcotes has stepped up its talent acquisition strategy, advocating the job security, funding for professional development, potential for long-term progression and fulfilling aspects of a career in social care.

Heathcotes Recruitment Business Partner, Jon Burton, said: “It’s well known that, since Covid-19 vaccination became mandatory in CQC-registered care homes in England, care providers have lost a percentage of their frontline colleagues who are reluctant to take the vaccine. Heathcotes have been affected by that, but I’m pleased to say that the overwhelming majority of our colleagues chose to be vaccinated in time for the new legislation, and we are now looking to attract a new generation of support workers and team leaders, across all ages and backgrounds, to join them at our services.

“As care providers planning a post-covid future, it’s important to make the case for our profession to prospective employees, and I believe that we have plenty to talk about in that respect. The pandemic gave everyone a greater appreciation of the value of frontline work in health and social care – employers need to build on that shift in perception and highlight the life-changing differences we make each day in support of some of the most vulnerable people in society. We also need to emphasise the access to fully-funded training available in our profession, facilitating the development of skills and qualifications throughout a career in care.”

Earlier this year, Heathcotes introduced an Employee Support Programme for colleagues throughout its organisation, providing a wide-ranging benefit scheme and wellbeing resource assisting all aspects of their personal life and work life, including financial and legal advice, diet and exercise planning, 24/7 access to a support team and access to expert counsellors providing confidential advice. The company believes that such initiatives are vital to support the care workforce and attract new talent to the sector in the coming years.

Jon Burton said: “Heathcotes’ Employee Support Programme programme has a key emphasis on lifestyle and mental health, which is important to recognise following one of the most challenging periods most of us have ever faced in our working lives and personal lives. I believe that companies will be better placed to recruit and retain if they can demonstrate that commitment alongside the opportunity to progress to senior roles – with the right backing from employers, care is a career with a very high potential for upward mobility.”

Heathcotes Group supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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The former Royal Ballet dancer helping to look after staff and volunteer wellbeing at Ashgate Hospice

A former Royal Ballet dancer has joined Ashgate Hospice to help champion a more supportive and inclusive culture for its 340 members of staff and 600 volunteers.

Ruth Bailey, aged 32, travelled the world with the Royal Ballet Company and danced alongside some of the most acclaimed dancers, including Darcey Bussell. The professional dancer retired at the age of 24 to focus on her wellbeing and is now 10 years into recovery from anorexia nervosa.

Now, as Staff and Volunteer Wellbeing Advisor, Ruth hopes to use her own experiences of poor mental and physical health to implement a robust support scheme to help make wellbeing a priority for everyone at the charity.

“My own struggles with wellbeing and the barriers I faced when accessing support has been the driving force behind my studies at university, which focused on nutrition, health and lifestyles,” said Ruth.

“I knew that I wanted to support other people to improve their health and let people know that healthy wellbeing takes work every single day.

“I believe that I am now a role model for this, which I absolutely love!”

Since her appointment in August 2021, Ruth has developed a wellbeing offer to help support staff and volunteers through the difficult winter months. This includes 1:1 wellbeing calls, group meetings on nutrition and exercise and 30-minute mindfulness sessions.

Ruth said: “Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen how people have been impacted by the changes to our work and home lives. At Ashgate, we are taking a proactive approach to addressing these issues to ensure we have a well-supported and resilient workforce.

“My ambition is to help make wellbeing a priority for everyone. It can be difficult to give yourself permission to allow time for yourself, however, I believe it’s the key to long term sustainability.

“I hope to build and promote a really strong message that wellbeing should be paramount to healthy staff and volunteers. Human beings have basic needs and I hope to give time, energy, and a safe space for people to acknowledge these in the workplace.”

The charity, which provides specialist end-of-life care to patients with complex palliative care needs across North Derbyshire, aims to normalise conversations around mental health and ensure staff and volunteers have the capability, knowledge and skills to access the support they need.

Matt Corbishley, Director of People and Performance at Ashgate Hospice said: “Supporting our staff and volunteers to stay healthy and well is a key priority for Ashgate. A healthy workplace helps our teams to deliver the very best end of life and palliative care to families across North Derbyshire.

“Supporting all our people to have a well-rounded and happier lifestyle is arguably more important now than ever before. It benefits the work we do, and the healthier habits picked up by our staff and volunteers can be passed on to those who use our services.

“We look forward to growing and developing our ambitious offering even further to ensure that everyone who works or volunteers for us is well supported in everything they do.”

If you want to join an organisation that priorities wellbeing, find out more about Ashgate Hospice and their current vacancies at www.ashgatehospice.org.uk/work-for-us

Ashgate Hospice supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Chesterfield Escape Rooms among the best in the UK according to Tripadvisor

Chesterfield Escape Rooms is celebrating success as the attraction has been listed among the top 10 best escape room attractions in the UK, according to reviews website TripAdvisor.

The business has shot up the rankings since its opening in Summer 2021, following hundreds of positive reviews on the site. At the time of writing, the escape room sits at number 5 in the UK rankings. You can see the list here.

Expressing his delight at the news, owner Nick Hogan said: “Living and working in a small town that encourages visitors, customer’s feedback and word of mouth referrals are so important. Trip advisor is also a huge area of interest for visitors to assess what to do when visiting the area so this was a key focus from Day 1.

“The team have been brilliant in ensuring that customers are made aware of our objective to be a top ranked Escape Room and its only with their help and support in providing on line feedback we have managed to achieve our goal. The team have to ensure they deliver a quality product every time and they have achieved that!

Nick also added that the ranking on TripAdvisor is positive news for the town as a whole, adding to Chesterfield’s visitor economy offer: “We can tell from our booking system that approximately 35-40% of our players are from outside of Chesterfield, with a growing number travelling in from Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby and even further afield! These players are using the Escape Rooms as one of the things to do in Chesterfield but then go onto to increase spend elsewhere in the local vicinity.

“There are 790 different locations offering over 2500 Escape Rooms in the UK so we are overwhelmed with the success to date. It was a real pinch yourself moment when we got into the top 5 as our target was to be a top 50 venue.

“Our next target is to consolidate our top 5 position and then try and build on it. We have a new game going into construction in February / March ready for Easter so with further support from our customers, we maybe be able to go a little higher. The visitor economy is so important to the town so the more attractions we get the better and we are delighted to be able to help out.”

Two other business have also opened in and around the Escape Rooms. Chesterfield Virtual Reality offers an arcade approach to Virtual Reality (for up to 4 players) and also offers VR Escape Rooms. Game Zone has also opened on the town, providing a mix of retro and modern day gaming in a social environment.

Those businesses, combined with the existing Geeks Headquarters on Soresby Street are coming together to offer varying solutions to the entertainment portfolio of the town in one place, all under the banner of Chesterfield Games quarter.

To find out more about the range of attractions in the Chesterfield Games Quarter, visit: www.chesterfieldgamesquarter.co.uk

Chesterfield Escape Rooms supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Community partnership project invites businesses to shape new consortium

A partnership project between the University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action is inviting Chesterfield-based businesses to an online focus group to assist in shaping a new business consortium.

Community Chesterfield, which works to strengthen local communities by bringing the University and local voluntary groups together, is set to launch a consortium to bring these same benefits to the business community.

To help structure the consortium, Community Chesterfield is hosting an exclusive focus group to give businesses from Chesterfield and the surrounding areas with more than 50 employees the opportunity to discuss how the new scheme could benefit them and establish new and mutually beneficial relationships across the region.

The consortium, which will be launched in the summer of 2022, will enable a select group of businesses, academics and voluntary sector organisations to transform the skills and knowledge in the region and strengthen our communities.

The consortium is being designed to enable the exploration of new opportunities to collaborate and work across the voluntary and business sectors, helping businesses to meet staff development and wider company needs, including a focus on corporate social responsibility and employee health and wellbeing, as well as creating positive stories to share.

Jenny Raschbauer project manager at Community Chesterfield, said: “Community Chesterfield is a polit project, so we are in the fortunate position of being able to come up with ways to further achieve our goal of strengthening the local voluntary and community sector here in Chesterfield.”

“The goal of the business consortium is to create a network of cross-sector individuals and organisations who can work collaboratively to bring create opportunities that benefit all parties, whilst ultimately having a positive impact with the Chesterfield area.”

“The benefits to businesses of the consortium will also be rigorously evaluated and assessed by University of Derby members, so participants will have evidential data about how working alongside community organisations in this way has been an advantage to them. It really is a win win situation.”

Attendees at the focus group, which takes place on 27 January, will receive a free Colleague Box business breakfast delivered to your address.

To sign up to the free event visit the Community Chesterfield Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cross-sector-consortium-focus-group-online-business-breakfast-tickets-217541521547?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.

For more information about Community Chesterfield, click here https://www.communitychesterfield.org.uk/.

The University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Figures show East Midlands businesses favour hybrid working approach

Three-quarters of East Midlands businesses don’t anticipate a wholesale return to pre-pandemic ways of working, according to new research by East Midlands Chamber and Air IT.

Greater flexibility is among the top reasons for a new hybrid working approach – where employees spend part of their week working from home and part of it in the office – as eight in 10 businesses say they have so far decided against a full-time resumption of office and other on-premise working.

The findings were revealed as part of the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey, in which Air IT – a Managed Service Provider based in Nottinghamshire – commissioned a set of questions posed to business leaders regarding their views on the future of work, and whether it will revolve around the office or the home.

The research was conducted before the Government mandate to work from home where possible was reinstated.

East Midlands Chamber director of resources and HR lead Lucy Robinson said: “This research confirms what many Chamber members have been telling us in recent months, which is that they expect to embrace a hybrid structure of office and remote working in the future.

“It’s obviously not feasible for every organisation to take this approach and there’s still lots of jobs that can’t be done remotely, while it’s clear that the office will remain an important hub for collaboration between teams and developing the skills of younger employees.

“However, the disruption of Covid-19 has paved the way forward for a new mindset among some businesses that have witnessed a number of benefits from greater flexibility – including making it easier to attract and retain employees, as well as lower operating costs – and we expect to see a hybrid approach become significantly more popular in the long term.”

Main findings of the survey

Fewer than 20% of the 400 Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire businesses that responded to the Q3 2021 survey, undertaken in August and September this year, said they had “totally” returned to pre-pandemic working patterns.

Meanwhile, 27% planned to do so in the future – with 66% maintaining they would only “mostly” or “partially” do so, and 7% that said “not at all”.

The findings suggest strong support for the hybrid working model, which has proven popular this year as businesses have sought to ease employees back into the workplace while retaining the benefits of working remotely.

But the report shows that, for many organisations, it is no longer a temporary solution – it is here to stay.

Focusing on flexibility, technology and wellbeing

For those planning to continue most, some or all their pandemic-induced working habits, one of the primary reasons was to do with travel, which many businesses are deeming less necessary after experiencing the benefits of video calls, online events and cloud computing.

When asked what has changed for their business, 78% of respondents cited greater flexibility in location of work, and more than half had reduced in-person events as well as local and international travel.

When asked about the implications of changes to working habits, the most popular answer was “increased investment in new technologies”, selected by 61% of respondents.

Another big change was that business leaders want to see increased investment in staff engagement and wellbeing, an option selected by 59% respondents.

Lee Johnson, chief technology officer at Air IT, said: “A lot of our work at Air IT recently has revolved around hybrid working and how we can support SMEs as they adjust to this new era. Technology has been arguably the biggest factor in keeping businesses going since the pandemic hit, so many business leaders are looking to update their IT infrastructure in order to stay ahead.

“Remote and hybrid working are here to stay so it’s important that businesses invest in supporting their employees through this transition, making it as easy as possible for them to do their job.”

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Redbrik Foundation donates £10k to local charities

Chesterfield-based estate agents, Redbrik has donated nearly £10,000 to six local charities.

Fairplay, St. Luke’s Hospice Sheffield, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, The Children’s Hospital Charity, Ashgate Hospice and Paces will benefit from the funds raised through the Redbrik Foundation.

After hosting and supporting many charity events over the years, the Redbrik Foundation was set up in 2020 to help children, young people, the elderly and those with disabilities in the Sheffield and Chesterfield areas.

Naturally, since the Foundation was set up in 2020, restrictions have limited the number of in-person fundraising events. However, Redbrik’s team came up with new ways to generate support for the Foundation and its charities at a time when they need it most.

The Redbrik Foundation has organised virtual events, and challenges and donations of Christmas presents to Sheffield Children’s Hospital two years running so that every patient receives a gift during the festive season.

The team tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge earlier this year, raising over £4,000, and held the very first – and very successful – Redbrik Foundation Chesterfield 10k in October 2021. In addition, donations were raised through a match funding initiative whereby clients of Redbrik are given the option to donate £25 to the Foundation, which the company then matches.

Redbrik Foundation Trustee, David Cooper, commented: “This is a proud moment for every one and thank you to anyone who has promoted, donated to or fundraised for the Foundation. One hundred per cent of all money raised is donated back out into the community to support the incredible work these organisations carry out every day.

“Rather than have a changing list of annual charity partners, we’ve decided instead that we’d rather have an ever-growing list of amazing charities to support, so watch this space!”

For more information on the Redbrik Foundation, visit https://www.redbrik.co.uk/foundation/

Redbrik supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Bridge Help smashes fundraising target for Chesterfield Foodbank

More than £4,000 of much-needed food and toiletries was donated to Chesterfield Foodbank just before Christmas thanks to a fundraising appeal by Bridge Help.

Launched in November 2021, the team at Bridge Help hoped to raise £2,021 of food and toiletries but, thanks to the generosity of its brokers, suppliers and Chesterfield’s business community, Bridge Help smashed its original fundraising target in just six weeks.

A total of £2,130 of food and toiletries was collected which was matched pound for pound by Bridge Help. The match funding pledge meant a total of £4,360 – more than double the original fundraising target – was donated to Chesterfield Foodbank.

With the help of eight volunteers, hundreds of packets, tins, boxes, cartons, sacks and bottles were transported from Bridge Help’s offices on Old Brick Works Lane off Sheffield Road to the Chesterfield Foodbank warehouse in Sheepbridge ahead of Christmas.

As well as Christmas treats of biscuits and crisps, Bridge Help also collected essentials, such as nappies, toiletries, tins and dried foods, which were all donated to Chesterfield Foodbank to ensure the charity had stock to distribute well into 2022.

The haul filled the Chesterfield Foodbank van as well as two additional vehicles, with Bridge Help CEO Chris Sellars also pitching in to help with a delivery when it became evident there was too much for two vehicles.

The annual charity fundraising campaign was organised by Phoebe Sellars, a Business Development Manager at Bridge Help and also a trustee of Chesterfield Citizens Advice.

Phoebe said: “Wow, just wow. I can’t thank everyone enough who donated. It was a pleasure and an honour to be able to hand over everything we collected and know that, together, we have made a small difference in the lives of people who are facing hardship not just at Christmas but throughout the year.”

Bridge Help supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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