About Chesterfield

£15million fund launched to tackle poverty and social exclusion

Jobless young people and the long-term unemployed will be helped towards finding work by a £15million fund, provided by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and the Big Lottery Fund.

The ‘Building Better Opportunities’ programme is looking for projects to bid for part of the £15,125,000 fund, which will tackle long-term unemployment and help those socially excluded to access support.

Half of the total – to be made available over the next three years – is from the Big Lottery Fund and half from D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership European Social Fund (ESF) money; itself part of a £214m allocation in European Structural Investment Funds, or ESIF, which D2N2 announced in March.

The Building Better Opportunities funding will be divided into:

  • £7.4m for the Towards Work Project – Providing support in getting into employment and economic activity 18 to 24-year-olds, people aged 40-plus, and women returning to work or who have never worked. It will include helping people to tackle potential barriers such as a lack of transport, living in isolated rural areas or having low or outdated skills.
  • £4.6m for a Multiple and Complex Needs programme – Targeted at people furthest from the labour market who have problems getting into employment due to multiple barriers such as health, family care, homelessness or confidence issues. It will also support people with complex needs into training, further education or volunteering opportunities.
  • £3m towards Financial Inclusion – This programme will aim to help those who have got into financial difficulties whilst out of work, by helping people better understand, plan and manage their personal finances. It will look to address a contributing factor to their feeling socially excluded and falling into poverty.

The D2N2 Social Inclusion Framework report (published last October) also specifically identified mental health conditions and rural isolation, with difficulties over transport, as major barriers to be tackled when looking for employment.

It’s estimated that the whole £15m programme will ultimately help 3,996 participants in the D2N2 area. The aim is for half of these to be women, and high proportions of over-50s and people with disabilities.

Projects must be delivered in the area for which D2N2 – a partnership between business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary organisations – promotes economic growth; namely Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Projects must be completed by December 2019.

Organisations and businesses looking to lead on any of the above projects can apply online through the Big Lottery Fund website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/esf. The closing date for first stage applications is 12noon on Monday August 3 (2015). Successful applicants will be asked to submit a fuller proposal.

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Tackling unemployment which lasts months or even years requires a multi-layered approach; as there can be a whole range of domestic, educational and social reasons stopping someone from finding a job.

“It is an issue which must be addressed, as moving someone into useful employment can not only improve one life but a whole family’s and, to some extent, the whole economy.

“D2N2 is committed to inclusive economic growth, which is why we are investing heavily in creating sustainable jobs through major programmes such as Building Better Opportunities.”

Specific queries as to how an individual project might fit into the D2N2 strategy for the area can be addressed to One East Midlands on 0115 934 8371.

D2N2

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield Artisan Market Returns on Sunday

The Chesterfield Artisan Market will return for a second month this Sunday 28 June with more stalls and even more fun for the whole family.

Last month the popular event attracted thousands of visitors to the town who all enjoyed quality artisan foods, quirky, bespoke, original craft items and delicious aromas in the street food court.

Taking place at New Square at Chesterfield Market, the market will once again feature musical entertainment and creative workshops for children by StraightCurves.

Organisers say the range of artisan producers will be even more diverse this time with traders offering local meat, cider, cheese, raw milk, award-winning pies, cheesecakes, old-school cornflake tarts, cookies and Eccles cakes.

There will also be plenty of non-food items including soaps, doodle art, photography, artwork and doggy paraphernalia, watercolours, hand-crafted fabric bags, leather satchels and cards – all in addition to the vast array of talented traders at the last event.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said:-

“We had lots of really positive feedback from traders, visitors and local business owners after the first artisan market in May.

“People really enjoyed the quality and value of the artisan food and gifts on offer and I am sure this one, with the extended opening time, will be bigger and better than before.”

Denise Valente, director of The Market Co, said:-

“The welcome we received from Chesterfield visitors was overwhelming. Everyone was thrilled with the diverse range of goods on offer – quite different to anything that has been brought to Chesterfield before, as well as the incredible atmosphere created in the street food arena.

“Each month we will add new artisans to the market hopefully making it one of the very best destinations in Derbyshire.”

Chesterfield Artisan Market is run by Chesterfield Borough Council in association with The Market Co and will take place next on Sunday 28 June in New Square. In response to feedback the event will start earlier at 10.30am and run through to 4pm.

Chesterfield Artisan Market

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Danish Furniture Store JYSK Opens in Chesterfield

More jobs have been created for Chesterfield with the opening of a Danish furniture store, JYSK.

Shoppers were invited to enjoy an authentic Danish breakfast at an official launch, with the mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Barry Bingham and his wife, June attending to cut the ribbon.

Known as one of the world’s largest retail furniture groups, with more than 2,200 stores in 37 countries, JYSK chose Chesterfield based on the market town’s retail health and Markham Retail Park’s ability to serve approximately 45,000 households.

Steve Stenhouse, JYSK country manager says:-

“Our stores have always had a following with great value for money shoppers, who are looking to add Scandinavian style to their home – perfect for Chesterfield.”

JYSK Chesterfield offers a range of garden furniture, beds, mattresses, duvets, sofas, dining table sets, housewares and home textiles all at affordable prices.

JYSK Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield College fashion students show off their talents

Chesterfield College fashion students dazzled audiences at the end of year fashion show this week with their amazing creations including fabulous 1960’s themed creations and a sneak preview of costumes designed and created for the Little Shop of Horrors performance at the Pomegranate Theatre next week.

From pop art, space race and psychedelic themed creations of the first years to a range of stunning and a variety of intricate themed designs by the second years the range of skills and creativity on display was inspiring.

The outfits on the catwalk were the culmination of a year of work from first and second year fashion students who have been perfecting their technical skills in making and design and developing their knowledge of other aspects needed for a career in the fashion industry such as manufacturing, marketing and promotion.

Second Year Fashion Diploma student Anna Proffitt, 18 said:-

“Preparing for the fashion show has been hard work but really exciting. My grandma taught me to sew and sparked my passion for fashion so I think she’d be really proud to see my 1930’s inspired collection on the catwalk.

Although making and designing are exciting I have really enjoyed the other modules of the course and it has opened my eyes to the range of career options there are. The next step for me is a degree in fashion promotion and communication.”

Damanjeet Kaur, 22 moved to Chesterfield from Birmingham to study art because she loved drawing. She soon realised that her interest was in drawing clothes and textiles so her tutors encouraged her to start the diploma in fashion. She said:-

“Seeing my second year work on the catwalk was absolutely amazing. It made me realise that two years ago I didn’t even know I could design and make clothes and now I am thinking about a degree in fashion.”

Amie Watson, Fashion Tutor from Chesterfield College said:-

“The fashion show is a great way to highlight what our students are capable of and to teach them so many skills that are needed for a career in fashion. They have worked really hard and shown some amazing talent. When I think how far some students have progressed from when they first joined us to being able to make outfits like the ones we have seen today it makes me very proud.”

Chesterfield College Fashion Show

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Nominate your favourite sporting places in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire as the ‘Home of Sport’

VisitEngland are searching to find the nation’s favourite sports destinations.

As part of the quest to find the country’s top sporting destinations, the national tourist board has asked the public to send in their own nominations. By submitting an image of their “home of sport” – be it Headingley or a hidden gem of a village cricket green – sports fans will help decide the jewel in England’s sporting crown, no mean feat in a country that is world-renowned for its sporting heritage.

Could it be the Festival of Cricket at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield FC at the Proact Stadium or the multitude of outdoor activities in the Peak District!

To help find England’s sporting capital, participants can simply upload a picture of their own home of sport to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #HomeOfSport with a snappy sentence on where it is, and why it’s the best sporting destination in England. Approved nominations will appear on a national sports wall at www.englandhomeofsport.com and will be entered into a prize draw to win a selection of sporting experiences.

Over 250,000 people are expected to attend local events as part of the Festival of Rugby from this week until October – but England’s summer of sport is not all about the rugby. The Peak District welcomes the world famous vintage cycle race, L’Eroica, from 19 – 21 June and there’s a host of other exciting events coming up, providing the industry with a fantastic opportunity to showcase all the great things England can offer sporting enthusiasts.

VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, James Berresford, says: “As the birthplace of rugby, football, cricket, punting and the modern Olympic Games.  England’s sporting heritage is something that truly sets us apart from other destinations. Additionally, our green and pleasant land provides jaw-dropping backdrops to a whole host of popular pursuits, from hiking and running to abseiling and coasteering, making the search literally country-wide.”

James Berresford continues: “The ambition of this campaign is to capture the variety of England’s sporting offer, to showcase the related benefits and opportunities for the tourism industry and continue to build excitement and ahead of the arrival of Rugby World Cup in September.”

Chesterfield Football Club

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Chesterfield claimant count falls again as East Midlands drives the UK Economy

The number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Chesterfield continues to fall.

In May there were 1274 people out of work and claiming the benefit in Chesterfield compared with 1312 in April and 1840 a year ago.

The number of people aged 16-64 in work across the East Midlands for the three months to April 2015 increased by 4,635 to 2,268,398 from 2,263,763 for the same period the previous year.

The number of people unemployed in the region for the same periods dropped from 139,034 to 114,274, a fall of 24,760.

In Derbyshire the number of Jobseekers Allowance claimants fell from 6,870 in April to 6,434 in May, a drop of 436. The year-on-year fall was 3,179.

George Cowcher, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), said: “The latest figures are welcome and prove once again that businesses in the East Midlands continue to power the economy.

“It’s also encouraging to see another period of wages rising above inflation, particularly given that inflation itself has started to rise.

“Boosting productivity is the key to sustaining increased pay. While the employment rate has shown a healthy increase over the past two years, it is not being matched by an increase in productivity.

“While UK growth is likely to remain dependent on the services sector, manufacturing remains a vital sector for innovation and productivity.

“Given this region’s strengths in manufacturing, supporting manufacturers – and in particular,  encouraging more firms to explore international markets – should be an area of major focus for the new Government if it is to achieve its ambition to make the Midlands the ‘Engine of Growth’ for the UK’s economy.”

George Cowcher Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Future jobs in pipeline at Markham Vale as Gould Alloys prepares for opening

Metal distributor Gould Alloys has become the latest business to get the keys to a new premises at Markham Vale.

Gould Alloys will be moving from its current base at Carwood Industrial Park in Chesterfield to a new purpose-built warehouse and distribution centre at the flagship regeneration site to benefit from better transport links located just off Junction 29A of the M1.

Sixty-two existing employees will move to the new 50,000 square feet premises and the company is looking to expand over the next few years bringing more jobs to Markham.

Managing Director at Gould Alloys, Jane Bradshaw said:

“We’re really excited to open our new base at Markham Vale.

“We’re moving to the site to benefit from better transport links and bigger premises with the aim of attracting more business to our company − which could lead to further jobs being created in the future.

“The relocation has future-proofed our business and we’re pleased to be part of Markham’s growing network.”

Work began in September last year to build the premises which includes office space, features solar panels and has energy efficient heating.

The company was established in 1984 and distributes metals to a number of industries including defence, medical, scientific, exploration and production, motor sport and power generation and is a key supplier to the aerospace industry where it delivers ‘first stage’ machining.

Councillor Anne Western, Derbyshire County Council’s leader and cabinet member for strategic policy, economic development and budget,  said:

“It’s great that Chesterfield-based companies continue to choose Markham Vale to relocate to instead of moving outside Derbyshire.

“With bigger premises and better transport links, the company aim to attract more businesses which could lead to jobs being created in the future.”

Gould Alloy’s new base was designed and built by private sector property partner, Henry Boot Developments.

Ben Ward, Henry Boot’s regional director, added:

“We are delighted that Gould Alloys are moving to Markham Vale.

“The interest generated and current activity here at Markham Vale is exceptional. We have recently welcomed Inspirepac, AW Repair Group, Euro Garages, Holdsworth Foods and Ready Egg, with existing occupiers including Andrew Page and Industrial Ancillaries.

“In addition, we’re also underway with a new building for Meter Provida which will be ready at the end of 2015.”

Markham Vale

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Sell-out 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards bigger and better than ever before

More than 140 people will witness this year’s Chesterfield Retail Awards winners being crowned at the sell-out award ceremony on Wednesday 24 June.

Following last year’s runaway success, the ceremony has moved to a bigger venue and organiser Destination Chesterfield has, once again, witnessed unprecedented demand.

This year, the Chesterfield Retail Awards is being held at the Winding Wheel, where the ceremony will be hosted by popular Peak FM breakfast show duo Becky Measures and James Summers.

James and Becky commented: “We’re honoured and privileged to be hosting the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards. We thinks it’s absolutely brilliant for the town. There’s a real buzz about the town and everyone is talking about it. A massive well down to all the finalists.”

At the awards, 36 Chesterfield retailers will battle it out to be named the very best in their respective categories. The 16 categories recognise the very best independent shops, high street stores and market traders in the town.

  • Hair and Beauty Business of the Year
  • Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by In the Works PR
  • Jewellery and Accessories Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by the Pavements Shopping Centre
  • Home and Gifts Retailer of the Year
  • Children’s Clothes, Toys & Accessories Retailer of the Year
  • Food and Drink Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by BHP Accountants
  • Phones and Technology Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Mitchells Accountants and Business Advisers
  • Leisure Retailer of the Year (Sports, Hobbies, Crafts or Outdoor) Sponsored by Peak FM
  • Market Trader of the Year – Sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council
  • Independent Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Jumble Design
  • National/Multiple Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Vicar Lane
  • Excellence in Customer Service – Sponsored by Learning Unlimited
  • Market Hall Business of the Year – Sponsored by Kier
  • Best New Store (Opened 2014/2015) – Sponsored by Banner Jones Solicitors
  • Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by East Midlands Chamber

This year, the awards are hosting an additional category – Vicar Lane Shopping Centre’s Retailer of the Year Award, which will name town’s favourite retailer based on Vicar Lane and Steeplegate in the town centre and the winner will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Other supporters of the awards include eBusiness Works and the Derbyshire Times.

You can keep up-to-date with the awards on Twitter, instagram and facebook by using the hashtag #retailawards15.

To find out more about the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards.

Chesterfield Retail Awards 2014, held in the Market Hall Assembly Rooms.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

CBeebies Star Has the Perfect Mix for Family Fun at Chatsworth Country Fair

CBeebies TV star Katy Ashworth, presenter of ‘I Can Cook’, the channel’s flagship series which encourages children under six to get cooking, will be bringing her fun interactive show to the Chatsworth Country Fair this year.

Joining the tasty line up of live shows at the AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre, Katy will be playing fun and silly games and getting everyone up on their feet and joining in with the fun. After each of her three performances on Friday 4 September – at 11am, 1pm and 3.30pm, Katy will be out and about meeting children, answering their questions, signing autographs and taking photos.

A well-known face to thousands of children and their families, Katy is just one of the ingredients that will make for a great family day out at Chatsworth Country Fair, which once again is delivering great value with children under 14 getting in free.

Find more information about the event here.

CBeebies Katy Ashworth

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Sponsor announced for Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

Chesterfield Champion, Autoworld, Chesterfield, has become the official sponsor of this summer’s Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, held in association with Chesterfield Borough Council at Queen’s Park

Autoworld, one of the leading new and used car dealerships in Derbyshire, have thrown its support behind the six-day festival, which starts on Sunday 5 July and includes NatWest T20 Blast clashes against Northants Steelbacks and local rivals Yorkshire Vikings, and a LV= County Championship fixture versus Glamorgan.

The Autoworld Volvo XC90 Chesterfield Festival of Cricket – will represent the third successive year that title sponsorship has been attributed to a commercial partner for the annual event, which is celebrating its tenth successive year since its return in 2006.

Tony Cordin, Autoworld Managing Director said: “It’s exciting for us, as a local dealership, to be affiliated with the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, which is one of the highlights of the summer sporting calendar in the area.

“We will have a selection of our cars at the six-day long festival including the new Volvo XC90, a luxury seven-seater 4×4, which is available to view and test drive from our dealership in Chesterfield.

“We are very much looking forward to an entertaining week of summer sporting entertainment.”

Derbyshire County Cricket Club Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “We are delighted to have Autoworld as our principal festival sponsors for what is our tenth successive year back at Queen’s Park.

“The Chesterfield Festival is always one of the highlights of the summer and we are looking forward to another fantastic week of cricket.” 

Find out more about the Festival and how to book tickets.

Autoworld sponsor Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Summer, Visiting

Volunteer with Chesterfield Marathon to Raise Money for Charity of Your Choice

People who choose to give up their time in support of the second Chesterfield Marathon will now earn money for their chosen charity thanks to a new initiative launched by organisers of the event.

The ‘Volunteer Share Scheme’ allows charities to collect ‘shares’ in the race day profits, with every volunteer that an organisation puts forward equalling one share.

Once all the money raised by the Chesterfield Marathon has been collected, 25 per cent of the final profits will be split amongst the organisations – using the ‘shares’ that have been created by volunteers.

The rest of the profits raised at the marathon, which takes place on Sunday 20th September, will once again be donated to Kids n Cancer UK, based in Chesterfield and organisers of the event. The charity specialises in securing proton therapy treatment for children with different forms of cancer and at the same time helping and funding living and accommodation for patients and their families.

Volunteer duties will include manning drinks stations to providing first aid, selling prize draw tickets, programmes and manning the runner enrolment desks on the day of the marathon. All volunteers will be given branded clothing, refreshments and food whilst on duty as well as a ‘Volunteers Village’ to return to in Queen’s Park, where the volunteers can meet, swap stories and relax after the race is complete.

Mike Hyman, co-founder of Kids n Cancer UK and organiser of the Chesterfield and Derbyshire Marathon, said: “Our volunteers provide us with invaluable support in the lead up to and on race day.

“Volunteering at an event of this scale is extremely rewarding and is a fantastic way for people to get involved who want to show their support but are not actually taking part in the race itself.

“We hope that the Volunteer Share Scheme will give charities and organisations further incentive to get involved in the marathon and it means that, whatever their size, they can get something back in return. We are looking forward to seeing lots of kind hearted people there helping us and their chosen causes.”

This year, all the races will start and finish at Queen’s Park in Chesterfield, along with some other route changes (following feedback from last year’s inaugural marathon) to improve traffic control and access, as well as added interest for the runners. Full details for the route changes, as well as the activities on race day are on the Marathon website.

Running options on the day include the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Fun Run and Team Relay race (where four competitors take a share of the course).

For more information about the Volunteer Share Scheme or to sign up as a runner in the Chesterfield Marathon, visit www.chesterfieldmarathon.org.uk.

(Photo: – (left to right) Chesterfield Marathon’s project manager Andrea Hooley, Kids ‘n’ Cancer’s co-founder June Hyman, CEO and co-founder Mike Hyman and Chesterfield Marathon’s volunteer co-ordinator Julie Harrington)

Volunteer Share Scheme Chesterfield Marathon

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting