About Chesterfield

Vicar Lane charity draw raises £376 for The Pilgrim Bandits

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is thrilled to announce that their draw in aid of The Pilgrim Bandits held on Sunday 18th August raised an impressive £376.25 for the charity.

The draw, which saw tickets for a unique chair, upholstered in a replica of the uniform of Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson MBE and sold via Total Giving for just £5 per ticket, took place during the Chesterfield Motor Fest. The lucky winner was thrilled with their win but has decided to pay it forward by donating it back to Ben’s charity – ‘Ben’s Challenge’. Ben and his friend Roberta were also collecting for Ben’s Challenge throughout the day.

A second chair was presented to Ben Parkinson himself, as a token of the Centre’s appreciation and to honour him for his achievements, sacrifice and service to our country.

A surprised Ben said: “I’m overwhelmed by the chair and the generosity of Chesterfield people. My chair will take pride of place in my front room.”

Vicar Lane went on to present a further two items – one, a framed montage for Ben’s mother, Diane Dernie, who was unable to attend due to ill health. The montage includes a description that reads:

“I am a soldier but not in a war

I never shot a gun or seen all the gore.

But I go into battle each and every day

from my intended purpose I shall not stray.

There are people who need me, this I know

and from this experience I will grow.

If the truth be told, I’ll say it first

I need them more, It’s them I thirst.

They don’t always like what I have to do

in time though, I think they’ll gain a clue.

It does get tough, I will not lie.

Sometimes it’s easy to just stop and cry.

Am I a soldier? Yes! You can call me that.

But you’ll never see me in straight combat.

Those who know me call me by another.

What was that word? o’h yes, it was mother.”

The second framed montage was presented to Ben’s best friend Roberta Drewitt, who has been raising funds for Ben’s Challenge.

The inscription reads:

“We few. We happy few.

We band of brothers, for he today

That sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother.”

Roberta was overwhelmed by this gift as it was one with very personal meaning. Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane will go to Ben’s home to present the frame to his mum at a later date.

Roberta said: “I cannot believe this I’m sat here smiling so hard. Ben and I are overwhelmed at the support we received on Sunday 18th August at Vicar Lane. We had an amazing time meeting and chatting to the people of Chesterfield. We raised just over £1700 for our charity ‘Ben’s Challenge’ which is just fantastic. We were very surprised that the winner of Ben’s chair has re-donated back to us and cannot express our appreciation and gratitude to them. Ben has decided to auction the chair off at one of our charity events at the end of this year and all monies raised will be donated to Bens Challenge on behalf of the kind people of Chesterfield. Thank you all.”

The draw was a fantastic way for members of the public to show their support for a cause that does so much to help those who make such great sacrifices to serve and protect our country and for one lucky individual to walk away with a unique, statement piece of furniture for their home that is sure to be a talking point for years to come.

The Chesterfield Motor Fest was a hugely popular event, with lots of people visiting Chesterfield to see the cars, enjoy luxury car rides, enjoy live music and explore the many stalls on offer.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “We’re really impressed by the generosity of the people of Chesterfield in our charity draw. The popularity of the event is testament to the appreciation of the people of Chesterfield for the likes of Ben, who sacrifice so much.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Brampton Brewery wins multiple awards at SIBA Midlands Region Independent Beer Awards 2019

Chesterfield Champions Brampton Brewery took home 2 Gold Medals, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze across multiple categories in both Cask and Bottle at the SIBA Midlands Region Independent Beer Awards, which took place at Peterborough Beer Festival.

The winning beers are listed as follows :

Menin Gate 7.4% – won Gold in the bottled Strong Beers category, and is a premium Belgian Dubbel style ale.

Speciale 5.8% – won Gold in the bottled IPA category, and is a true English style IPA.

Tudor Rose 4.6% – won Silver in the bottled Premium Pale Ales category, and is a hoppy, refreshing pale ale.

Wasp Nest 5.0% – won Silver in the bottled Premium Bitters category, and is a true English Best Bitter.

Impy Dark 4.3% – won Silver in the bottled Dark Beers category, and it a traditional dark mild ale.

Brampton Best 4.2% – won Bronze in cask Best Bitters category, and is a quintessentially British Best Bitter.

Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman said: “Judges had a tough job separating the pack as the standard was extremely high once again. The winners from the SIBA competition are officially the best independent craft beers in the UK, something brewers should be extremely proud of.”

The SIBA Midlands Region Beer Awards judged a huge range of beers across a number of styles in separate cask and bottle & can competitions. As the awards are judged mostly by brewers, industry experts and beer journalists the SIBA Independent Beer Awards are very much seen as the prestigious ‘Brewers’ choice Awards’ by the industry.  In total the Midlands Region supplied 177 different cask ales and 107 beers in bottle or can which were all judged on the day.

Brampton Brewery Managing Director Chris Radford had this to say on their win: “It’s another fantastic achievement for us and testament to the dedication and hard work of all the team we have at Brampton Brewery. Winning awards is not necessarily what it’s all about, but it’s always better to be winning them, than not. It feels particularly special to win here – your peers, industry experts – there’s no higher compliment. We had a great year last year too, but we’ll do what we do – get our heads down and go again.”

Brampton Brewery were formed in 2007, bringing the fine art of craft brewing back to Brampton, Chesterfield for the first time in over 50 years, and resurrecting a once-proud name that brewed successfully in Chesterfield for around 180 years.  They now operate 3 tied houses – Rose & Crown and Tramway Tavern on Brampton and The Glassworks on Whittington Moor – and a specialist off-licence at the brewery site on Chatsworth Road.

Brampton Brewery’s Head Brewer, Eve Clarke, is presented with one of the brewery’s Gold Medals at the recent SIBA Midland Beer Competition.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Local quantity and building surveyors save Ashgate Hospicecare £100,000

Ashgate Hospicecare have announced that local company CLoSE UK Ltd, a chartered quantity surveying and cost management consultancy based in Chesterfield, has saved the hospice an astonishing £100,000 in costs to the support the three bedded bay transformation.

The project, which started work in April, aims to create a homely and welcoming space at the hospice, by transforming the three bedded bays in nine beautiful bedrooms, giving patients the privacy and space to spend precious time together with those they love. Thanks to the amazing generosity of CLoSE UK Ltd, the hospice has managed to save £100,000 which will go directly to caring for patients and their families.

Danny Welch, Director at CLoSE UK Ltd, said: “Ashgate Hospicecare is a wonderful organisation and as a lifelong resident of the area, I understand just how much they have contributed to the local community. Together with my fellow Directors, Lee Jordan and Colin MacGregor and our teams in Chesterfield, Buckingham and London, we have worked with Ashgate Hospicecare on several charity and fundraising events and most notably represented them in the London Marathon 2015.”

“This redevelopment will provide modern, private and comfortable spaces for patients during their stay. There will be glazed areas in the new bedrooms which will allow plenty of natural light into the room and doors will open directly onto the garden area, so patients can easily get outside to the fresh air and enjoy peaceful surroundings. CLoSE UK Ltd are delighted to assist in this redevelopment and welcome the opportunity to support and help such a worthy cause.”

Ashgate Hospicecare wants to ensure that future generations can access hospice care when they need it. The needs of the North Derbyshire community have changed in the last 30 years. The renovation of the old wing will not only enable the hospice to meet those needs, but also meet the outstanding standards of the Care Quality Commission.

Ali Ward-Foster, Capital Appeal and Partnerships Manager at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “CLoSE UK have provided an exceptional service and support and we cannot thank them enough for their outstanding generosity and continued support.”

“We work hard to not only raise money but save money, services and gifts donated in kind are incredibly valuable to the hospice, it enables us to redirect money where it is needed most, to patient care. Thanks to CLoSE UK Ltd’s amazing support and expertise, our nurses will be able to be there for patients and their families when they need it them the most. On behalf of everyone at Ashgate Hospicecare, thank you so much for making a difference to local people!”

Want to find out more about how you could support this amazing project and how your support could make a difference to the lives of local people? Just call Ali, Capital Appeal and Partnerships Manager on 01246 567250 or email: alison.ward-foster@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

European Funding set to boost tourism industry in Peak District & Derbyshire

The tourism industry in the Peak District and Derbyshire is set for a significant boost after the area’s official tourist board secured a further £1.2million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) extending their current business support programme until 2022.

Following the success of the ‘Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’ project (Phase 1), which ran from 2016 to 2019 and delivered £1.3million of business support to over 700 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the area, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire has obtained an extension of ERDF funding.

200 visitor economy businesses are expected to benefit from this phase of the project, which will be launched in the coming months and will run until March 2022.

Called ‘Delivering a World Class Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’, the project aims to improve the quality and increase the profitability of visitor economy businesses in the area through a programme of business support workshops, networking opportunities and a series of small grants ranging from £1,000 to £10,000.

In delivering this project, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire will continue to be supported by Derbyshire County Council, the Peak District National Park Authority, Derbyshire Dales District Council, High Peak Borough Council and University of Derby.

Key themes will include workforce development, extending the tourist season, international tourism, accessible tourism and green tourism – with the overall aim of supporting businesses in the visitor economy to grow in regional, national and international markets.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “Following the success of Phase 1 of our ‘Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’ project, we are looking forward to working closely with our partners over the next three years to achieve more great benefits for the local economy in Phase 2.”

“The Peak District and Derbyshire’s valuable tourism industry is worth over £2.15 billion, attracting 40.45 million visitors each year and supporting over 28,000 jobs.”

“The aims of the project are to drive up the quality and profitability of visitor economy businesses in the area, make the most of emerging international opportunities, and support small to medium-sized businesses though initiatives specifically geared to create more prosperity in this valuable industry.”

Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet member for Economic Development and Regeneration, said: “Supporting local businesses to start, thrive and survive is one of our key priorities.”

“This funding is enormously valuable and will help provide much needed, tailor-made business support to the tourism sector in Derbyshire. It will also support our wider efforts to create more jobs, encourage visitors to stay longer and maintain our county’s reputation as a national and international tourist destination.”

Brendan Moffett, Director of the University of Derby’s Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, said: “Tourism is an essential part of the local economy and this valuable ERDF funding will ensure that tourism businesses in the Peak District and Derbyshire can continue to grow and thrive.”

“Together with the announcement of the Tourism Sector Deal in June, which identified tourism as a leading industry for the Government’s future economic planning, it signals a bright future ahead for the tourism industry.”

Image credit: Visit Peak District & Derbyshire

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

Council seeks views of Chesterfield residents

4,000 residents in Chesterfield will soon receive a survey in the post to allow them to give their views on the council and the services it provides.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Are You Being Served Survey is sent out once every two years to a random selection of residents to find out how satisfied local people are with the services provided.

The survey asks several core questions, which allows Chesterfield Borough Council to benchmark their performance on a national and regional basis and help to see how effectively they are serving residents and local communities.

Those receiving the survey are selected from the electoral register and will live in different parts of the borough in both rented and privately-owned properties.

Questions on the survey include those relating to if the council provides value for money; how safe or unsafe you feel; which issues you would potentially like to be more involved in; what you think about your local area; where you find out information about the council and how frequently you visit council venues in Chesterfield.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “As a council, we are here to serve and support our communities. Those communities include our residents and tenants, our businesses, our visitors, our students and our voluntary groups. It is these communities that make Chesterfield a great place to live, work and visit.”

“It is therefore really important that we seek the views of local people in surveys such as Are You Being Served so we can understand more about how we can provide the best service possible at the council.”

Those who receive the survey and send it back to the council can opt to be entered in to a prize draw to win a £50 Love to Shop voucher.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Stanedge duo selected for Solheim Cup coaching roles

Stanedge Golf Club duo Fame Tate and Peter Ball have been selected for coaching roles at the forthcoming Solheim Cup to be played 13th – 15th September 2019.

Being played at the magnificent Gleneagles Hotel & Resort, the Solheim Cup is the biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. It is named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim of PING, who was a driving force behind its creation.

Fame and Peter have been selected to work in the swing zone at Gleneagles delivering coaching to the general public who visit the match. This follows on from Fame working at the recent British Women’s Open Championship at Woburn and Peter working at both the Open Championship at Royal Portrush and the Seniors Open at Royal Lytham & St.Annes.

Their invitations are quite an honour for such a venue as Stanedge Golf Club and speak volumes for their dedication and work focused at introducing, engaging and inspiring new people to golf and helping existing players to improve their skills and enjoyment.

The pairs work at Gleneagles mirrors activity provided at Stanedge Golf Club where everyone is welcome from people new to the game to established players wanting to improve their skills. Stanedge run many different coaching initiatives plus lots of opportunities to play golf over the magnificent moorland course situated on the edge of the Peak District between Chesterfield and Matlock in Derbyshire.

Commentating on this new exciting opportunity Fame and Peter explained: “It is an incredible opportunity for both us to work at such a prestigious event together, alongside other top class coaches and for both of us to be representing Stanedge Golf Club and the county of Derbyshire.”

“At Stanedge we work together closely as a team, where we both strongly believe in a player centred approach to coaching.  Creating a fun learning environment, enhancing player ownership, self-belief and improving self-awareness of movement, meeting the individual needs of the players that we coach.”

“We are really looking forward to implementing this into our coaching sessions in the swing zone at The Solheim Cup.”

First staged in Florida in 1990 and named after club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was the driving force behind its inception, The Solheim Cup is contested between two teams of 12 players over three days. It follows the same format as The Ryder Cup, with 28 matches – eight foursomes and eight fourballs over the first two days and 12 singles on the final day.

From 9th – 15th September 2019, the iconic venue of Gleneagles will be under the golfing spotlight as The Solheim Cup returns to Scotland, the ‘Home of Golf’ for the first time since 2000. The PGA Centenary Course, on which Europe sealed a thrilling Ryder Cup victory in 2014, continues its match play legacy, providing a stunning battleground amid the rolling Perthshire hills.

The event is not only about the world-class competition on the course, but promises to be a festival of entertainment, activity and fun, with something for everyone.

Stanedge Golf Club has some great benefits, as well as being accessible and affordable, it aims to be family focused, friendly and a fun place to be.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Shorts and Dawson Radford part of team advising on sale of Freight Despatch Worldwide

Shorts, alongside fellow Chesterfield Champions Dawson Radford Solicitors and other financial services companies, acted as advisors, legal representatives and funders, to Steve Bowling and Derek Libberton on the purchase of Sheffield based Freight Despatch Worldwide (FDW) Limited.

International Freight Forwarding Specialists FDW was established in 2004, by John Collumbine who had over 30 years’ commercial and forwarding experience. Over the last 15 years, the company has forged close relationships with UK & Overseas Carriers and freight partners throughout the world.

Martin Dean, Corporate Finance Executive at Shorts comments: “We are delighted to have advised Steve and Derek on the successful completion of this transaction, and we look forward to seeing the continuing success of the business under new ownership.”

Joanna Dawson, Solicitor acting on behalf of the purchasers said: “Derek and Steve have a great opportunity to grow the business established by John, and I am pleased that we have been able to support them with that. I look forward to seeing their progress as the company develops”.

John Collumbine said “When I made the decision to sell, I was extremely happy that Derek and Steve wanted to take over running the business.  As part of the existing senior management team, I know that FDW is in safe hands with them and I am very much looking forward to watching them continue to grow and succeed.”

Steve Bowling and Derek Libberton added “As far as existing clients are concerned it will be business as usual and we are very excited for the next phase of what promises to be an exciting period for the company. We are very much looking forward and are ready for the challenges ahead.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Derbyshire students perform well in GCSEs

Students in Derbyshire have done themselves and the county proud by doing well in their GCSEs.

Around 7,000 students across the county’s 45 secondary schools received their results last week. Provisional results show that 76% of year 11 students in Derbyshire achieved grades 4 to 9 in English and 60% achieved grades 5 to 9. In maths, 72% of year 11 students achieved grades 4 to 9 and 51% achieved grades 5 to 9.

Cabinet Member for Young People, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “We’re delighted that early indications show our GCSE students have done really well in their exams and I want to congratulate them all for their hard work and dedication.”

“I’d also like to say a big thank you to heads, teachers, staff, governors, parents and our school improvement service for supporting our young people through this important time in their lives.”

“We wish all students the very best of luck as they make the next step in their career – whether that’s vocational or academic.”

Further education or training options open to year 11 students are:

  • full-time education such as sixth form, college or work-based learning
  • an apprenticeship
  • part-time education or training if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering for more than 20 hours a week

Councillor Dale added: “Even if students don’t do as well as expected in their GCSEs, schools can put them in touch with advisers who can go through all the options open to them. These include a wide range of vocational qualifications and apprenticeships which will be showcased at our Derbyshire Skills Festival.”

The Derbyshire Skills Festival is Derbyshire’s largest careers event for young people and is aimed at students aged 13 to 19, including those in year 11 who are considering their options after school. This year’s Chesterfield event will be held at the Proact Stadium on Wednesday 18 September 2019 from 1.30pm to 7.30pm. Find out more here.

Lots of training providers, larger employers and the our community adult education service will be on hand to talk to young people. They will also be invited to take part in a range of have-a-go activities.

Students who do not pass their GCSE English or maths can choose to sign up at a our adult community education centre to resit them. The centres also offer personalised study programmes.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town

Spireites forge link-up with Chesterfield FC Women

Formerly known as Chesterfield Ladies FC, the club will now be known as Chesterfield FC Women in a development which also sees the club officially affiliated to Chesterfield FC.

As part of the agreement, Chesterfield FC Women will wear the same kit as the men’s team following a sponsorship deal agreed with Spireites shirt sponsor Technique Learning. There will also be a Chesterfield FC Women page on the club website and in the matchday programme.

Keith Jackson, Chairman of Chesterfield FC Women, said: “We are delighted to be part of the club. It’s a huge development which really does change the direction of our club going forward.”

“We started our journey with the football club through the Community Trust, who have supported us over the last few years. Ashley Carson was keen for us to link-up with the football club itself, which will take us up to the next level, so I’d like to thank him for his valued support.”

“To help us progress, we are actively seeking sponsorship, so any help local companies can provide would be greatly appreciated.”

Chesterfield FC Women manager Mike Noon added: “It’s very exciting. We had a very successful season last season so to now be officially recognised as Chesterfield FC Women is a massive step in the right direction. It’s going to help us in all sorts of ways including attracting players.”

Spireites company secretary Ashley Carson commented: “We felt we needed to recognise the importance of the women’s game, so it made sense to have an official link-up with the premier women’s club in the town.”

“The finance and administration relating to Chesterfield FC Women will be separate to the football club and hopefully this official partnership will open up new doors for them and encourage other people to get involved with them.”

Formed 27 years ago, the club has teams from Under-10s to a first team, providing opportunities for females of all ages to play football. The first team will compete in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League this season.

For any enquiries relating to Chesterfield FC Women, please email women@chesterfield-fc.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield College students celebrate maths and English GCSE success

Chesterfield College students are celebrating after achieving the GCSE maths and English grades they need to help them secure college, university places or employment.

Studying maths and English at college helps students to improve the grades they left school with, or refresh qualifications which they might have achieved a while ago. Many universities and employers ask for a grade 4 as a minimum and the Government expect students to achieve this before they leave education aged 18.

Claire Brentnall (right) came back to study English to help her secure her place at university so that she could pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a social worker. There were tears of joy when she opened her results. She said: “I am absolutely amazed and shocked. It is still sinking in! I left school without any GCSEs and I had a dream of being a social worker but I had children quite young so I had to push that further back. I took the plunge and enrolled at college two years ago and had to start on a functional skills course before I could work my way up to GCSE. I am starting university next month which feels great.”

 

Fashion Student, Piper Barras was shocked to receive her high grade in English Language today. She said: “I wasn’t expecting a grade 7 so it feels pretty good. I had a really good English teacher which helped me a lot. I thought it would be hard to manage studying English and Fashion but it wasn’t that bad. I’ve had lots of support from my tutors on both courses because they wanted to support me to get my English grade.”

 

Computing students, Jaike Davis-Batr (below), was over the moon when he opened his results with his mum and brother there to celebrate with him: “I left school with 2s and 3s so I didn’t think I would do very well but I’ve smashed everything. I got a merit in my computer course and a 4 in English and maths. I didn’t focus at school or for the first part of my course here but halfway through the year I realised I needed to put the work in. The support I got from the tutors has helped me 100%. Getting these results has given me so many options for next year that I didn’t think I would have.”

David Malone, Chief Operations Officer said: “It is wonderful to see so many of our students celebrating maths and English success today. It is particularly important to celebrate the stories of those who have shown remarkable resilience to improve their results. These students have been studying maths and English alongside other qualifications and juggling work and family too. I am so proud that Chesterfield College has been part of helping them to achieve the grades they need to open up the next stage of study and develop their career. ”

“I hope that our successful students will help to show anyone who might not have achieved the grade they wanted the first time around just what is possible. We take a very different approach to teaching maths and English than people might have experienced at school. We recognise traditional teaching styles might not suit everyone so we use a variety of techniques to allow people to practice their skills. Our students tell us that this is what helps them to improve their grades.”

Chesterfield College has invested £120,000 to develop a new maths and English hub which is set to open in September. The new facility will provide a dedicated space to support students to improve their skills and help them achieve GCSE success.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Village of luxury homes begins to take shape near Chesterfield

This computer-generated image offers a tantalising glimpse of the unique new village being created at a luxury housing development in Derbyshire.

Jones Homes is building a superior collection of three, four and five-bedroom properties at Van Dyk Village, a landmark project taking shape near Clowne, off the A619 between Chesterfield and Worksop.

The development will eventually comprise a total of 52 homes with a large area of public open space.

More than 1,000 people had registered their interest in the homes before the development opened, taking turns to visit and check on the progress of the new village, which has been designed to appear as though it has grown organically over a period of decades.

The first homes at Van Dyk Village are now available for sale and its first residents are likely to move into their homes later this year.

Jayne Swift, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response to the launch of Van Dyk Village. It is a fascinating project which has taken years to plan to ensure every detail is correct.

“We are building a wide variety of mews, semi-detached and detached homes. These will range from three-bedroom properties to a one-off, five-bedroom manor house, which will form a focal point of the village.

“Our visitors are fascinated to see how the plans have evolved and to find out more information about the homes. We are looking forward to opening a show home later this year and to welcoming more people to Van Dyk Village to showcase our vision.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in the homes at Van Dyk Village, and five of these superb homes have already been snapped up by buyers, so I would encourage anyone interested in moving to this highly sought after development to contact our sales team as soon as possible to find out more.”

Van Dyk Village was previously home to a garden centre which had been closed for some years. The land belonged to the owners of the Van Dyk Hotel, located opposite Van Dyk Village on the A619. The sale of the land is helping to fund the expansion of the hotel, which plays an important role in the local ecology.

Before work could begin at Van Dyk Village an extensive archaeological dig took place. It uncovered evidence of people making their homes at the site around 4,000 years ago.

A selection of five-bedroom homes are currently available at Van Dyk Village, with pre-show home prices starting at £595,995.

A computer-generated image of the Van Dyk Village development near Clowne

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

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