About Chesterfield

Santa run returns to Chesterfield on Christmas Eve

Over a thousand Santas will be spotted in Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park on Christmas Eve.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Santa Fun Run in the town, a similar event will be staged this year to raise funds for a trio of charitable organisations.

The aim of the CBD Training Ltd Chesterfield Santa Fun Run & Walk is to raise over £10,000, which will be split equally between Ashgate Hospicecare, Weston Park Cancer Charity and retreat@Royal for the Mayor’s Appeal.

Organiser John Cannon, who is an avid runner and member of North Derbyshire Running Club, said: “We raised over £4,000 last year and the target is to more than double that and raise a five-figure sum. As well as raising valuable funds, we want to make it a fun day for all the family.”

Speaking at the launch, which was held at Chesterfield’s Proact Stadium, John added: “We have worked closely with the Chesterfield FC Community Trust and they are helping to raise awareness of the event. For the game against Barnet on Saturday, December 9, we want to fill the North Stand with people who have entered the event dressed in Santa suits!”

There will be a 5k family fun run or walk, which is sponsored by CBD Training Ltd, together with a 1500m kids fun run or walk sponsored by Unit 1 Fitness and Martial Arts. There is no age restriction and participants over 100 years old are guaranteed free entry!

The 5k event will be started by the Mayor of Chesterfield at 9.30am from the cricket pavilion, with the 1500m event starting at 10.30am.

Entry fees, which include a Santa suit to keep, together with a goodie bag and a medal, are as follows:

£12 for adults (fun run or 1500m)

£7 for children aged 11 to 15 years (fun run or 1500m)

£5 for children from 0 up to the age of 10 years (1500m)

Entries can be made online from Monday, October 9, via: www.northderbyshirerc.jimdo.com.

Spectators on the day will listen to Christmas carols played by The Ashover Band and there will be mulled wine on offer and festive stalls to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

In addition to the main sponsors, CBD Training LTD and Unit 1 Fitness and Martial Arts, the following organisations are also kindly supporting the event: Chesterfield Borough Council, Queen’s Park Leisure Centre, Chesterfield FC Community Trust, North Derbyshire Running Club, The Unique Network, Elastic FM, Fredericks Ice Cream, The MOT Centre, Siddalls Roofing, Mercol Engineering and Banner Jones Solicitors.

Further information about the event is available via www.northderbyshirerc.jimdo.com. On Facebook, search for ‘Santa Fun Run – Chesterfield’ for the latest updates.

endsSanta Run Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Leisure, Visiting

Business is struggling to understand the Apprenticeship Levy

Too many businesses are struggling to understand the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, according to research published this morning.

British Chambers of Commerce commissioned Middlesex University to find out whether businesses were making the most of the levy scheme, which was introduced for the start of the current financial year.

The levy is a tax businesses have to pay to fund new apprenticeships. It is set at 0.5% of payroll but an allowance, currently £15,000, means that only firms with payroll exceeding £3m a year have to pay into the fund.

But any firm wanting to recruit an apprentice has to be registered with the scheme, even if not paying into it.

What the researchers found was that 23% of levy-paying firms still had no understanding of it. That figure rose to 66% of non-levy-paying firms. And 15% of respondents said they didn’t expect to recover any of the added cost while 36% said they expected to recover all of it and possibly more.

Almost nine-out-of-ten (86%) of firms said the levy scheme had increased their overall costs.

Jane Gratton, Head of Business Environment and Skills at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “For many businesses that pay the Apprenticeship Levy, it can feel like an additional employment tax, much of which they are unable to recover, and one that is deflecting training budgets away from other important training needs.

“Firms need greater flexibility on how they can use their levy monies and a system that is fully operational as quickly as possible, is simple and efficient, and that enables them to access good quality training.

“Our survey shows that many firms are still unaware of the Apprenticeship Levy and how it will impact on their business.

“With many companies across the country facing critical skills shortages, more information and support is required to ensure businesses continue to invest in training.”

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, which is itself a levy-paying business and an apprenticeships provider, said: “Worryingly, what this research shows is that, at one end of the scale, there are firms paying additional costs for something they don’t understand and don’t ever expect to see a return for and, at the other end, the very firms which should be taking money out of the pot to fund apprenticeships seem to have no idea how it works.

“It seems that since implementing the levy, the Government has simply left firms to work out for themselves what they are supposed to do instead of making sure they fully understand it and how to maximise its potential.

“We have the expertise to help members make the most of the levy and, rather than ignore it, we would urge them to call us so that we can talk them through it.”

apprentice in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Italian Pasta and Prosecco bar opens on Chatsworth Road

Chesterfield Food Producer of the Year 2013 and 2016, Teresa Lambarelli, opens the doors to a new Pasta and Prosecco Bar on Chatsworth Road.

The contemporary Italian Pasta and Prosecco Bar, which is now situated in newly refurbished Lambarelli’s restaurant above the Italian Caffe, will be open on Saturday evenings from 6pm until late and from Wednesday – Saturday from 10am – 3pm.

The bar is set to serve a range of traditional Italian cuisine from pasta dishes to antipasto platters, Buffalo burgers, Italian afternoon teas, Italain ice-cream and much more. There will also be a fully licenced bar and a programme of special Pasta and Prosecco evenings planned accompanied by live music.

At the bar, guests will also have the opportunity to pick up pasta sauces and produce from the two time winner of the Chesterfield Food Producer of the Year award.

Teresa Lambarelli is proud to have been producing her own Italian pasta sauces in Chesterfield since 2005, alongside her exciting range of salad dressings, olive pastes and Italian biscotti.

Teresa says:

“My customers are all so friendly and loyal, I absolutely love my job and now I love cooking for my customers in our restaurant – its like cooking for my friends. I have a fantastic work team now I couldn’t do any of this without them, I appreciate all they do for me.

“We invite the people of Chesterfield to come and enjoy my pasta dishes in a wonderful, friendly, contemporay Italian atmosphere. Here all my products are also for sale to take home with you.”

Pasta and Prosecco Bar

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

New ladies boutique opens in Chesterfield

Chatsworth Road’s Johnsons hardware store has been given a new lease of life with the opening of independent ladies clothing boutique Dotique.

Dotique, which is already trading online, will open its doors on the 4th November 2017 and offer a range of hand-picked, quality clothing and accessories for women from brands such as French Connection, Masai, Mos Mosh, Cream Clothing and A Postcard from Brighton.

Owner and former school teacher, Dorothy Robinson, is swapping classrooms for showrooms to bring European trends and beloved British brands to the shoppers of Chesterfield.

The new store, which is set over three floors, will also be home to Eleanor Rose, a local professional lingerie-fitting service, with plans to welcome further local businesses in the future.

Dorothy Robinson, Owner of Dotique, says:-

“I am thrilled to be opening Dotique on Chatsworth Road to add more vibrancy to this amazing town I’m lucky to call home. It’s such a dream come true to see the shop become a reality, a long-time ambition realised and I can’t wait for local residents to see it too.

“The boutique will provide women with stylish outfits from day to night wear from their favourite brands close to home. With the family link to the shop, we are keen to preserve its heritage but also give local residents and those further afield more fashion choices, bringing more business to Chesterfield.”

The shop, prior to being sold to Samuel Johnson in 1956, had been owned by the Robinson family for over 60 years and Dotique is keen to preserve the traditional character and charm by retaining a number of authentic features including the iconic outdoor canopy and the original front door.

dotique

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Whittam Cox ranked in UK’s Top 50 Architects

Chesterfield Champions, Whittam Cox Architects, have secured a place in the Top 50 UK Architects and Top 150 UK Consultants rankings for the third year running.

The annual Top 150 Consultants league table, produced by leading industry magazine ‘Building’, has ranked the national practice as 108th out of all the firms who made the top 150, which includes QS’s, Project Managers, Engineers and Architects.

The practice, based in Chesterfield, have also retained their spot at 39th in the top UK Architects making the elite list alongside other top practices such as Foster and Partners, BDP, Sheppard Robson, Allies and Morrison & others.

The ranking reinforces the fact that Whittam Cox is one of the largest architects practices based in the East Midlands and Yorkshire region.

Whittam Cox’s local portfolio includes the Boundary Corner development of apartments and a new club shop at the Cherry Street corner of Sheffield United’s stadium, St James Retail Park on the site of the former Norton College, student accommodation in Matilda Street in Sheffield City Centre, a Dunn Works in Kelham Island and updating the masterplan for Chesterfield Town Centre.

This year has also seen the practice become an instrumental part of the newly established Sheffield Property Association (S-PA) with Nick Riley positioned as Board Member of the initiative which has been created to help attract inward investment into the city and surrounding region.

Commenting on the milestone Nick Riley said:-

“This year has been a particularly exciting time for us owing to the launch of our rebrand back in February of which we have received really positive feedback. As we look ahead we feel confident with our direction and feel better placed than ever to respond to changing market conditions.”

Top 50 UK Architects

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Destination Chesterfield and East Midlands partners promote region to London investors

Destination Chesterfield, East Midlands Airport, Invest in Nottingham, Marketing Derby, Derbyshire Economic Partnership and Leicester City Council have joined forces to promote development sites across the East Midlands, at an event in London today (Tuesday 26 September).

Supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Sitematch East Midlands is an opportunity for London-based property developers and investors to discover more about specific development opportunities in the East Midlands. Representatives from Destination Chesterfield, East Midlands Airport, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Marketing Derby, Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Enterprise Zones will host meetings with delegates throughout the day.

Taking place at The Banking Hall in the centre of London’s financial district, representatives from the region will have the opportunity to present development sites to interested developers and investors, with a view to securing new investment opportunities for the region.

This is the first Sitematch event for the East Midlands, and has been managed by 3Fox International. Up to 35 developers are expected to attend, and the event will include general networking sessions and meetings for one-on-one discussions.

Destination Chesterfield, Marketing Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership will be showcasing the latest investment opportunities from across Chesterfield, Derby and Derbyshire.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, said:-

“The announcement of an HS2 stop in Chesterfield and nearby maintenance depot have sparked a surge of interest in the town from all types of inward investor, including commercial developers and house-builders.

“Chesterfield’s location and connectivity within the East Midlands gives the town a unique appeal and this has already been recognised by many of those looking to invest. In the short term alone, more than £1bn of commercial and residential developments are set to come to fruition over the next five years, creating jobs and also bringing people to live in and visit the town.

“HS2 together with key developments like Markham Vale and the £320m Chesterfield Waterside and £400m Peak Resort sites, make Chesterfield an attractive addition to the wider East Midlands offering at the Site Match event.”

John Forkin, Managing Director from Marketing Derby, said:-

“Over the last few years Derby has cemented itself as an attractive location for investment, with over £4.3 billion invested in the city. This shows no signs of slowing down, with £2.1 billion in the immediate investment pipeline.

“Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlighted Derby as the fastest growing economy in the East Midlands, and one of the UK’s top ten. This reaffirms the confidence in the level of investment Derby is experiencing.

“We recently launched Marketing Derby’s secondary base in the heart of London, and will be launching the London chapter of the Derby Ambassador Club soon. At Sitematch we’ll be highlighting the latest opportunities for investment in Derby and Derbyshire, including those sites showcased in the Derby City Centre Masterplan.”

Andy Cliffe, Managing Director, at East Midlands Airport, says:-

“The East Midlands is ripe development potential. The region’s future is extremely bright what with proposed major infrastructure investment such as HS2, better intercity connectivity and the development of one of the country’s largest inland rail freight hubs. The foundations of future growth are already being laid. Here at the airport, the region’s gateway to Europe and beyond, we are planning for significant growth both in terms of passenger access to major oversees airport hubs and for our cargo output from which investors would significantly benefit.”

Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) will be showcasing investment and development opportunities across the city and county.

Helen Donnellan, Director of Inward Investment at Leicester City Council said: “Leicester has achieved international prominence through the discovery of the remains of KRIII and the world class reinternment event and Leicester City Football Club’s Premier League title success has firmly put the city on the global map.

“To build on the momentum and awareness of the city and county, we’ll be focusing on opportunities for both the city and the LLEP’s Enterprise Zones which we want to share with delegates at SiteMatch.”

Invest in Nottingham will use the opportunity to showcase a variety of sites across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, including commercial, residential and mixed-use locations.

Lorraine Baggs, Head of Inward Investment at Invest in Nottingham, said:-

“We’ll be focusing on clear market-ready opportunities, and look forward to meeting with the interested parties attending. This is one of a number of events we’ve been part of in London this year, all with a focus on raising the profile of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire as a location ripe for investment opportunities.”

SiteMatch

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Keynote speaker from HS2 announced at Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference

HS2’s Skills and Employment Strategy Manager is headlining the speaker line up at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference, which is returning for the second year running next month.

Rebecca Young from HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for developing and promoting Europe’s biggest infrastructure project will be speaking at the free special breakfast event that is being held on 12 October at Ringwood Hall in Brimington from 8.30am – 10.30am.

At the conference Ms Young will address the employment prospects the UK’s new high speed rail line will bring to the area, following confirmation earlier this year that the HS2 route will include a stop in Chesterfield and a maintenance depot in Staveley.

Places are limited at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference. To book your free place click here or please register using the form below.

HS2 is forecast to create up to 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships during the construction phase and over 3,000 permanent jobs will be created by the operation and maintenance of the HS2 railway and its rolling stock. In addition, the major contracts to build and develop HS2 will result in tens of thousands of opportunities for businesses across the supply chain, 60% of which are expected to be awarded to small, medium and micro-sized enterprises.

The conference will provide an opportunity for schools and businesses to prepare the future workforce for the growth of North Derbyshire’s economy driven by both HS2 and other key developments including Chesterfield Waterside and Peak Resort.

Organised by Placing Futures Ltd, D2N2 Enterprise Advisor Network, Chesterfield Borough Council, D2 Skills and Employment Board and Destination Chesterfield, the annual conference aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses.

Senior representatives from North Derbyshire schools, training and education providers and employers are invited to attend the conference, which will also hear from The Careers & Enterprise Company, William Davis Ltd, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership and Chesterfield Apprentice Ambassadors.

Gail Widerman, Director of Placing Futures Ltd an independent consultancy service based in Chesterfield which links vocational learning to schools and employers, said:-

“I am delighted that we have secured HS2’s Skills and Employment Strategy Manager as the keynote speak at the conference. Although Chesterfield’s HS2 station is 17 years away construction work will begin sooner so it is essential that we start preparing now for the skills and training that will be required in order to secure jobs amongst the local workforce.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, explained why the conference is so important to North Derbyshire. She said:-

“Chesterfield is on the cusp of a boom. In the short term alone more than £1bn of developments will come to fruition over the next five years not only creating jobs but also bringing people to live in and visit the town.

“This conference plays an important role in ensuring we capitalise on the growth forecast for the area. It is essential that we work together to close the perceived and real skills gap by ensuring that young people are equipped with the employability skills while at school and college that are needed now and in the future by employers in the town.”

North Derbyshire Employability

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

College Students join forces with charity and The Sherlocks to bring live music to seriously ill children

Nine children and young people with serious illnesses were named as rockSTARS on Saturday night by local band The Sherlocks as they streamed their sell-out gig from the O2 Academy in Sheffield as part of US based charity, Melodic Caring Project’s inaugural UK show working in partnership with staff and students from Chesterfield College.

Patients being cared for in Sheffield Children’s Hospital or recovering at home were amongst the first to experience live music and personal messages of support streamed directly to their bed by Melodic Caring Project.

The Seattle-based not for profit organisation has been bringing the healing power of music to children undergoing extreme medical treatments such as chemotherapy, directly to their hospital beds, as well as their families and caregivers, for almost a decade. The partnership with Chesterfield College has allowed the organisation to kick-start its expansion into the United Kingdom and the college students will lead the UK branch of Melodic Caring Project as it develops to bring more live performances to patients in the future.

Media and Childhood Studies students from the college worked with Melodic Caring Project, The Sherlocks and Sheffield Children’s Hospital to film and stream the concert and to help the children and teenagers being cared for at the specialist hospital to access and take part in the experience. The Sherlocks delivered personalised messages during their performance to encourage patients to keep battling their illnesses, stay positive and know they’re not alone.

Levi Ware, co-founder of the Melodic Caring Project, said:-

“The impact of music on a sick child is truly profound. When an artist gives a shout-out to a kid by name, it’s amazing to see how they light up.  And they often tell us a show streamed directly to them not only brings them joy, but actually can help alleviate the pain and struggle of their condition or treatment. We are thrilled to be working with Chesterfield College and its students. Their unique skills, talents and relationships will enable us to reach far more children than we ever could on our own.”

A spokesperson from Sheffield Children’s said:-

“Being in hospital is never a young person’s first choice, but we try to do as much as possible to provide entertainment and distraction. It’s great to be able to add to what we already do for patients by giving them the chance to experience the gig live at their bedside.”

One of the rockSTARS of the night, 6 year old Erin from Chester, who watched The Sherlocks from home, first experienced the Melodic Caring Project service when she was in hospital in Seattle undergoing ground breaking treatment for leukaemia at the end of last year. Her mum Sarah Cross explained:-

“Having the gig streamed live into our room was such a magical experience. It totally relaxed Erin and she said the music was soothing and she loved the messages to the rockSTARS and loved the fact that there were other children from the hospital listening too. Such an amazing thing!”

Kiaran Crooks, front man of The Sherlocks, said:-

“This is an amazing thing to be a part of! It’s really incredible that it has been made possible to happen and we are very proud and honoured to be doing this. Thank you to the Melodic Caring Project for the opportunity.”

The unique partnership with Chesterfield College will allow the charity to establish their services across Europe using the skills of the staff and students to broadcast to and make connections with young patients in hospitals at the same time as giving students the opportunity to develop their work experience on an exciting and meaningful project.

Work to establish links with other hospitals and hospices has begun and discussions with performance artists are underway.

The sherlocks

Posted in About Chesterfield

Brands Hatch birthday for Perez this weekend

Chesterfield’s Ginetta race car driver Seb Perez celebrates his 18th birthday on Saturday as he travels to Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit (30 Sept / 1 Oct) for the last three races of the season in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

He started the season back in April this year with a new race series and new car after being promoted from the smaller Ginetta Juniors last year and has seen him in action at 8 very demanding race circuits across the Country including Donington Park and Oulton Park in a very busy and demanding race year for him.

His last outing at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in April saw him finish the opening rounds of the Supercup  in 6th, 8th and 5th places.

Two weeks ago saw the Rob Boston Racing duo of Perez and Nottingham Teammate George Gamble in action at the “Home of British Motorsport”  Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire.

The weekend proved a difficult one for Perez finding it hard to get to grips with the Ginetta G55 in the slippery conditions over the weekend.

A wet qualifying session on Saturday meant choosing the prime time to head onto the circuit would be more important than ever. But he missed the optimum slot by a few minutes, meaning starting with opening race later in the day down in tenth.

The appearance of rain during the mid-point of race one saw Perez struggle and with the Ginetta. Twelfth spot would be a disappointment to the Chesterfield ace.

With the postponement of race two last off on Saturday due to torrential rain with some thunder and lightning mixed in, Perez made the choice to use slicks for the drying track on the early re-arranged Sunday morning race two. It would be an all or nothing approach, which would sadly not work out the way he wanted and headed backwards to 16th at the flag.

Despite being much drier, race three offered little chance for Perez to make any gains on his starting position and rounded off the weekend with 12th.

“It has just been one of those weekends again really, I just couldn’t make the car work the way I wanted it to,” said Perez.

“I missed the break at qualifying which meant it was just going to be a hard weekend all round.  I just have to look at it from an experience point of view and learn from the setbacks.”

Perez who is tenth in the series with 248 points, hopes to keep the series challenge alive for the Brands Hatch season finale.

You can follow Seb live this Sunday on ITV 4 as a support race to the popular Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Perez

Images and editorial by Paul Horton

Posted in About Chesterfield

Staveley baby memorial garden opens

A third baby memorial garden has been opened in the Chesterfield borough to remember babies who were either still born or died at an early age.

The garden has been created by Chesterfield Sands, the local branch of the stillbirth and neo-natal death charity, working with staff from Chesterfield Borough Council’s bereavement services team.

The latest garden is in the children’s corner of Staveley Cemetery. It was opened by Pat Willerton and Margaret Tickner, of Crowder and Alderson Funeral Directors, who have helped many families who have suffered the loss of a baby and have always been very supportive of Chesterfield Sands.

Nicky Whelan, Chair of Chesterfield Sands, said:-

“We are so excited to have opened the Staveley Baby Garden following on from the success of the Never Land Garden at Chesterfield Crematorium and Boythorpe Baby Garden in Boythorpe Cemetery.  I know that our new garden at Staveley will help so many more local families.”

All three gardens have been funded following a host of fundraising events and activities by Chesterfield Sands.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said:-

“We hope that the garden will provide some comfort to bereaved families as a calm, beautiful place that they can visit to remember their lost babies.

“I know the team have found it a privilege to work with Chesterfield Sands on such a rewarding project and build on the success of the two existing baby memorial gardens.”

Staveley baby memorial

Posted in About Chesterfield

Specsaver’s Eye Pod set to come to Chesterfield

The Specsaver’s Eye Pod, an interactive sight loss simulator that educates the public about the importance of eye health and regular eye tests, is set to come to Chesterfield on Friday 29 September.

The Pod, which has been touring the UK, comes in light of research published by Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Specsavers that reveals one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime despite at least half of all cases being avoidable.

The alarming new statistics show that 250 people in the UK start living with sight loss every day. Women are at greater risk than men, with nearly one in four women set to develop sight loss in their lifetime compared with one in eight men.

The Specsavers/RNIB Eye Pod – which will be located in New Square this Friday – will demonstrate how the four main eye conditions (Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts) can affect your sight.

The trailer has two cameras on top of the pod which link to screens inside where the public can view their surroundings with symptoms of each condition. In each case the experience lasts around one minute, with key facts and statistics about the condition then appearing on the screen.

Experts will be on hand throughout the day to offer sight loss advice and free eye test vouchers. The Eye Pod will tour the country to raise awareness and funds in support of RNIB.

Specsavers began a partnership with RNIB in 2016 with the mission of transforming eye health and communicating the vital importance of regular eye examinations, not just for eye sight but also to detect sight and life threatening conditions.

eye pod

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure