Business

Chesterfield’s UK Asbestos Training Association ‘highly commended’ for mental health leadership

Chesterfield-based UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) has been ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Senior Leadership Engagement Award’ category at The Impact Awards, hosted by mental health charity Mates In Mind.

These Awards are open to Senior Leadership from SMEs, Large size organisations and Projects who have shown inspirational leadership that has made a meaningful impact on the understanding and support for mental health amongst its workforce, as well as across their industry more broadly.

The commendation recognised the efforts of Chief Operating Officer, Craig Evans, and Senior Operations Manager, Debbie Nixon in a virtual ceremony on 27th May 2021.

“Being shortlisted for the Senior Leadership Engagement Award demonstrates the tightknit relationship between Debbie and myself. Working alongside one another for almost 10 years, has strengthened our partnership and undeniable rapport. It’s an honour to be recognised with my longest serving employee ” said Chief Operating Officer, Craig Evans.

Mates in Mind is a registered UK charity raising awareness, addressing the stigma of poor mental health and promoting positive mental wellbeing across workplaces, helping to make sense of available options and support employers to address mental health within their workplace.

Each year Mates in Mind hold Impact Awards to celebrate their Supporters contributions to improving mental health within their workplaces and across the wider sector. The awards are an opportunity to highlight the impact of both large and SME organisations across the UK, as well as acknowledging individuals who have championed the development of mentally healthy workforces.

Established in 2008, UKATA is a highly respected, leading authority on asbestos training. The company’s passion is to both maintain and improve asbestos training, ensuring the highest standards are upheld by means of continually monitoring UKATA training provided by its members.

UKATA supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Stanedge Golf Club shortlisted at prestigious England Golf Awards 2021

The team at Chesterfield’s Stanedge Golf Club are celebrating, after being shortlisted in the ‘Club of the Year’ category at the 2021 England Golf Awards.

The event features seven award categories in total, which  recognises clubs, counties, volunteers and players. This year’s judging panels were drawn from the ranks of England Golf staff and the board as well as featuring industry and media colleagues.

The awards ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube at 6:30pm on Thursday, 3rd June so people can tune in to see if Stanedge can clinch the prize ahead of three other nominees.

Stanedge Golf Club owner and former PGA professional, Fame Tate, told us she was delighted that their hard work has been recognised: “I purchased Stanedge Golf Club in February 2019 and that now seems a very distant memory.

“At that time, it was important for me to create and continue to create a niche around our services and have a thorough understanding of our target market.  I have spent many hours looking at market segmentation and demographic research and the first step that I had to take was to build and create a new brand.  I had to give the club a new identity and literally raise awareness that we were actually open.

“For the first six months I can’t even hazard a guess or give you a figure how many people drove down the lane, past my office window and the clubhouse and turned around in the car park and went back out again.  They just wanted to see what was going on and if the golf club had actually reopened.”

“I was mindful from the start that everyone needed to see change quickly in order to reinstate faith and confidence back in the club and me and that is what we have done.  In the first 12 months we transformed the club in SO many ways.  I used to call the clubhouse “my little scout hut” but now it is so much more than that.  We have undergone a complete refurbishment internally and externally which has gradually taken place over the last two years and will continue.”

“As a business we are prepared to change in order to improve and form a new business strategy in order to compete indirectly with our competitors.”

Fame added that the Chesterfield business community has also played its part in bringing the club back to life: “Throughout all of the changes and renovations, I have sourced local tradesmen and businesses to meet our needs.  I think it is hugely important to support other local businesses particularly during these very tough times.”

“As a new business, we too have experienced the support of other local businesses through hole and score card sponsorship, with Il Mondo Travel being our headline score card sponsor.

Back in 2019 there was no golf shop at the club, just a very small area in the corner of the clubhouse that sold a few staple items.  As a consequence of this we joined the Foremost buying group, which enabled our members to buy products online.

“I also approached Glenmuir and Srixon as I was looking for a reliable supplier of high quality golf apparel, hardware, balls and gloves that could to tailored to meet our member’s buying preferences.  Since that time, we have added a workshop where we can carry out club repairs and a re-gripping service as a certified Golf Pride grip centre.”

Charlotte Dalton from Glenmuir commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with Fame and the team at Stanedge since 2019 and especially to see the club grow into the friendly, welcoming and quality venue that it has become today. In many ways the core values that Glenmuir holds dear as a business are the same as that of Stanedge Golf Club and this has enabled our joint relationship to flourish. From everyone here at Glenmuir, we would like to congratulate Fame and her team for the nomination of the England Golf ‘Club of the Year’ Award – this is well deserved and we look forward to working with Stanedge Golf Club for many more years to come.”

Fame also thanked the members of the club for their support of the club since it’s reopening and throughout the covid-19 pandemic: “I have always instilled from day one to my team the importance of providing excellent customer service and a customer centric experience.  I want everyone who walks through our door to feel welcomed and special.  They aren’t just a member or a golfer, they are someone who is vitally important to our business.

“We have created a deeper level of connection with all of members and guests.  All of members are greeted by their first names. All of the team take the time out to get to know our members.  We take pride in the fact that we remember all of their names, what they like, their favorite food and drink and such like, which for me are all vital “touch” points.  I also operate an open door policy for the office, so all of the members know that if they have any questions or queries I am there.”.

“The golf club is a business and it is run as a business but I want it feel like a home.  All of the changes and decisions that we have made and continue to make are for the best interests of the members, visitors and club structure, whilst retaining our core values and beliefs.

“Being nominated and shortlisted for this award, being one of only four clubs in the country fills me with a huge sense of pride.  I know that it has been challenging twelve months for us all but this national recognition makes all of the tireless hard work and the adversities that we have faced all worthwhile. I would like to congratulate and thank all of my team for all of their hard work and support.  We have achieved things together at Stanedge that none of us could have achieved alone.

“To me this is much more than a business venture……it is my life.  It is something that I am hugely passionate about and more importantly care about. In doing all of this, we have created a community and a culture; breaking barriers and changing people’s perception of what a “typical” golf club is like and we have certainly shaken the tree within the golfing industry particularly within the locality.”

Stanedge Golf Club supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Brand-new podcast launches to promote town

A brand-new monthly podcast, sharing the successes, stories, news and events happening in Chesterfield, has been launched on Spotify by Destination Chesterfield.

Chesterfield’s answer to BBC One’s The One Show went live on Friday 28 May.

The Chesterfield Show, which aims to keep people up-to-date with what’s on and what’s happening in the town, has been created by former Peak FM news presenter Josh Marsh who is now the marketing co-ordinator for Destination Chesterfield.

The new podcast combines Josh’s broadcasting and production talents with news and views from around the borough. People can expect hear positive, uplifting news that always remains topical as well as discussions around the ongoing regeneration in the area in the monthly podcast.

The first edition is packed full of local stories, including:

Commenting on the new podcast, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The purpose of Destination Chesterfield has always been to promote the town as a great place to live, work and invest. The Chesterfield Show podcast is another vehicle we are using to share the positive stories of the many inspiring projects, businesses and individuals within the town. It’s yet another example of the town’s forward-thinking approach to promoting itself which has helped us attract investment throughout the pandemic.”

At the annual Celebrate Chesterfield conference it was revealed that SMEs in the borough are reporting growth in turnover and staff numbers through the pandemic, while developments have continued to move forward at pace.

More than £1bn of regeneration projects are currently underway, with multi-million-pound schemes like Chesterfield Waterside, Glass Yard, PEAK and the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre starting to come out of the ground during lockdown.

Visit https://open.spotify.com/show/4pdhLtkuPdr5iLplFeX0Eb and listen to the first episode of The Chesterfield Show now.

If you’d like to be considered for an interview or involvement in a future episode of The Chesterfield Show, please contact josh.marsh@chesterfield.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Love Chesterfield Awards, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , ,

New-look events programme promises an action-packed summer for Chesterfield town centre

Chesterfield town centre will be a hive of activity this summer with the launch of a new-look events programme – designed to increase footfall and support our returning retailers, market traders and hospitality businesses.

From circus workshops and stilt walkers to sports and heritage themed events, there will be something for everyone throughout the coming months.

The council will pay particular attention to ensuring people feel safe when visiting Chesterfield town centre through the implementation of appropriate Covid-19 safety measures.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s refreshed programme is part of the Love Chesterfield campaign – launched in partnership with Destination Chesterfield to celebrate everything that’s great about the town, while supporting the trading ambitions of local retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “After what has been an incredibly difficult year, our new-look events programme aims to create a real buzz and positive atmosphere – reflecting the great character and spirit of our town, our residents and our businesses.

“We will be funding a range of regular events which means there will be something going on throughout the summer months, providing a chance for everyone to get out and about and enjoy the fun experiences that have been missed by so many of us during the pandemic.

“Looking further forward, we’re planning events into the autumn – including the popular 1940s Market – and our Christmas in Chesterfield celebrations are also taking shape.”

‘Summer of Fun’ events will run through July, with walkabout entertainment and activities tied to key events such as Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.

August will see a range of events themed around a ‘Summer of Play’ – tied to the council’s Year of Outdoors project which focuses on improving people’s health and wellbeing.

Activities will run every weekend, including circus workshops, treasure hunts and town centre trails.

Shoppers got a taste of the new style entertainment at the launch of the Love Chesterfield campaign in early May – with a range of street performers entertaining the crowds as customers were welcomed back into the town centre.

The Motor Fest event, which usually takes place in August, is to be paused again for this year. Given the ongoing pandemic, it is too early to hold a single event which attracts tens of thousands of people into an open town centre space and ensure compliance with Covid-19 safety measures. However, the council is already working with local organisers to create a bigger and better Motor Fest event for 2022.

The annual Medieval Market will be replaced for 2021 by a community-focussed market event that will celebrate the work of Chesterfield’s voluntary and community sector through the pandemic, while helping them to raise much-needed funds. This will be held in August, and be based in the Market Place with stalls, fun fair rides, and family entertainment.

Councillor Gilby added: “We of course hope that the Government is able to proceed with the last step of its roadmap out of lockdown on 21 June, however, should it not prove possible the council has worked hard to build an events programme that is as adaptable as possible should some elements of the current Covid-19 restrictions need to stay in place over the coming months.

“Our enhanced programme for this year has been designed to offer choice and new experiences for new and returning audiences. We recognise the importance of everyone feeling safe in Chesterfield town centre and if they do, they are more likely to visit and support our fantastic shops, eateries and bars as we get back to a more normal way of living.

“In planning our new-look programme we have had to take some difficult decisions. We won’t be going ahead with some of the events that are usually in our annual calendar but feel confident in our enhanced offer of more regular activities.

“Our community-focused market event will also provide the opportunity for us all to say a massive thank you to our amazing voluntary and community organisations who have done so much for the borough’s residents over the past 15 months.”

More information about the Love Chesterfield events programme will be published on the council’s website at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/love-chesterfield and also on social media channels using the #LoveChesterfield hashtag.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Head of the Family Department at Elliot Mather LLP Appointed as President of Derby Law Society

Julie Skill, LLP Member and head of the Family Department at Elliot Mather has been appointed as President of the Derby Law Society.

Julie has practised Family Law since 1989 and has been with the firm since she was a paralegal. She possesses a high level of expertise relating to a broad range of family matters. She advises on matters such as, pre-nuptial agreements, and if the worst happens and a relationship does fail, she handles all aspects of that relationship breakdown, including issues relating to children, finances and domestic abuse in an efficient and practical manner.

Commenting on her appointment as President of the Derby Law Society, Julie said: “I am extremely proud to even have been considered for the role and I am thankful for the nomination to be chosen. To have my name added to the list of such esteemed predecessors is an absolute privilege and honour. Although I am taking over the role of President at a very unique and somewhat bizarre time, I am dedicated to ensuring that I do justice to the position.”

The Derby Law Society was established in early 1886, and consisted of 35 members who were committed to starting a Law Library. Since then, the Derby Law Society has experienced exponential growth and represents lawyers across the whole of Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.

The Society aims to support the legal profession locally by offering training, social events, and representing its members’ interest. Additionally, the Society aims to assist the public in sourcing solicitors with a particular specialism.

The team at Elliot Mather are extremely proud of Julie’s latest appointment of President and we are sure that she will be a great success in the role.

Managing Partner, Julie Page has said: “Elliot Mather recognises the important role of the Derby Law Society and I am thrilled that Julie will be at the helm for the next 12 months. I know that Julie will approach this opportunity with the same passion and commitment that she shows to all aspects of her professional career.”

Elliot Mather LLP supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Double nomination for BHP at regional industry awards

Local independent accountancy firm, BHP, has been nominated in two categories at the prestigious Yorkshire Accountancy Awards.

The first nomination is for the Tax Service Award, which celebrates accountancy firms in Yorkshire who’ve stood apart from the competition through their technical ability and innovation in delivering tax services to clients.

BHP’s second nomination is for Support Staff of the Year, which celebrates the region’s most dedicated support staff or team working in IT, HR and other areas, whose exceptionally high standards contributed to the accountancy firm’s success.

Now in its fourth year, the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards celebrates the achievements of the region’s best and brightest from firms of all sizes, working with clients both locally and internationally. The event will be held on the 8 July at the New Dock Hall in Leeds.

BHP hope to build on their previous run of success at the awards, which includes Paul Winwood being recognised as Partner of the Year in 2020, as well as the accountancy firm’s win of Mid-Tier Firm of the Year and Best Employer of the Year back in 2019.

Hamish Morrison, Joint Managing Partner, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to hear that we’ve been nominated for these two awards.

“We’ve had to overcome some tremendous challenges over the past year to succeed as a business, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our IT team, who went above and beyond in ensuring BHP was not just fully functional during a sudden transition to remote working.

“Through their use of best-in-class technology solutions, they did not just keep the lights on but ensured that we could continue to offer clients and staff the high-quality experience they have come to expect from us.

“I’m also incredibly proud of all the colleagues within our tax team, whose pro-active approach to business tax planning throughout these difficult times has led to continued success for our clients.”

For more information about BHP, visit www.bhp.co.uk.

BHP supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Chesterfield College asks creative businesses to join their campaign to highlight how Creativity Pays

Chesterfield College is calling for creative businesses across Derbyshire to join their campaign to highlight how crucial creative skills are for the economy, our communities and our wellbeing.

The campaign, Creativity Pays, will showcase creative businesses and careers as well as connect the community to support local makers and creatives. It also aims to encourage people to develop the skills the creative industries sector in our region need for the future.

Pre-pandemic the creative industries sector in the UK was enjoying a boom and growing faster than any other sector. Jobs were growing at 2.7 times the national average, and the sector contributed £13.2m/hour to the economy (source: DCMS 2019).

Importantly, designers, filmmakers, actors, photographers, journalists, publishers, musicians have all played a role in supporting us through the challenges we have faced as a society during the pandemic. Whether that is through bringing us news, crucial information or keeping us entertained as we stayed at home.

Over the last year, the creative industries sector has been hit hard by the pandemic. However, there are many who believe this sector will form a crucial part of our recovery and will help us build back for the future.

Julie Richards, Principal and CEO of The Chesterfield College Group said: “This initiative provides us with a unique opportunity to highlight how important creative industries are for our region. As a college with a strong history in developing creative skills and supporting creative businesses, we are at the forefront of developing the skills required for a career in the sector. This campaign provides us with the opportunity to celebrate creative careers, the success of our students and the creative businesses in Derbyshire who are so important for our local economy which in turn will encourage others to develop their creative skills.”

Talking about why he feels Creativity Pays, former Chesterfield College art student and successful artist Peter Barber said: “I have built my career doing something I love over the last 25 years since leaving college. I have worked in the community and now I am a commercial artist. I believe creative careers are so important. When you look at almost anything there is in the world around you, it literally started life with someone with a pencil. We are lucky enough in Britain that creative industries are strong and people want to create and work here. My work in advertising had a bit of a resurgence after the last lockdown and I think we will see that happen again. We are in a good place for the future.”

The college is inviting people to get involved in the campaign in a number of ways including:
• Tell the story of how creativity pays for you on social media using #creativitypays
• Shout about the local creative businesses you love and add them to their Creativity Pays directory #creativederbyshire

Find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at chesterfield.ac.uk/creativitypays/.

Chesterfield College supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Redbrik named the best UK property company to work for

North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire Estate Agents, Redbrik has been awarded the title of Property’s Best Company to Work For in the UK in this year’s Best Companies Awards.

Celebrating the best of UK businesses, the Best Companies List is now in its 20th year.

For 2021, Redbrik has been named in the following three categories:

• Number 1 in the Top 5 UK property companies to work for
• Number 24 in the Top 75 best regional (Yorkshire and Humber) companies to work for
• Number 31 in the Top 100 UK small companies to work for

In addition, the estate agents received a 2-star accreditation as an outstanding company to work for.

Redbrik Managing Director, Mark Ross, commented: “We are nothing without our people; teaching, training and nurturing our fantastic team will always be one of our top priorities. I want to thank every employee for making Redbrik a vibrant, fun and exciting place to work and for the recognition we have achieved together.

“When engagement is a priority, everyone wins. Our employees love being part of Redbrik, and our customers receive the best service because our team genuinely care about the work they are doing.”

Best Companies specialise in workplace engagement, helping businesses to understand how their employees feel about their workplace. The confidential b-Heard survey gathers data about all aspects of the employee experience to generate a Best Companies Index (BCI) score, which then feeds into the Best Companies List.

The lists and winners of each category were revealed at Best Companies Live, an online event on Friday 21st May, hosted by Dan Walker.

Working in Chesterfield includes opportunities at a wide range of businesses including IT specialists, world class engineering and communications companies. From high street names to local specialists, arts and culture, hotels and an historic town centre market, the town has a vibrant heart. Find out more about working in the town here.

Redbrik Estate Agents supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards 2021 finalists revealed

Apprentices, entrepreneurs and STEM ambassadors are among those recognised at East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards this year.

Finalists have been announced for the 2021 awards, held in partnership with headline sponsor Futures Housing Group, across eight categories.

Alongside individual categories, topped off by the Business Woman of the Year, there are group awards including Small Business of the Year and Team of the Year.

The shortlisted individuals and companies will find out whether they have won at an awards ceremony on Friday 8 October, which is currently planned as a gala dinner in Nottingham.

It will be the headline event for the Enterprising Women network, which is co-chaired by Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE and past president Jean Mountain.

Eileen said: “The East Midlands is home to some fantastic success stories of enterprising women and it’s great to be able to celebrate the people, teams and businesses that help to make our region so great.

“These awards are a huge part of the Chamber calendar and we can’t wait for the big night, which we hope will be a physical celebration that we can all look forward to.”

Jean added: “As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Enterprising Women network next year, this is once again a very strong line-up in our awards shortlist.

“We’ve loved watching our finalists and winners in previous years go on to achieve great things, and I’m sure the class of 2021 will be no different.”

The finalists were announced at a special Enterprising Women event last night (Thursday 20 May), in which guest speaker Lindsey Williams, group chief executive of Futures Housing Group, spoke about her career journey.

The current Chamber vice-president is a passionate advocate for social housing and has played a key role in boosting the sector’s profile with central Government.

Lindsey said: “I’m delighted that Futures Housing Group is sponsoring the East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards for 2021.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to read through the nominations from women across the region and I’m pleased to say we have seen some outstanding nominees.

“As a female leader, I know the challenges and barriers women can face in the workplace and when building a career. That’s why I really value the opportunity to champion, support and encourage enterprising women throughout the region.

“Hopefully the awards will inspire a new generation of women to step forward and be the leaders of the future. I wish all nominees good luck in the awards.”

For more information about the Enterprising Women network, click here.

 

Enterprising Women Awards 2021 shortlist

Business Woman of the Year (sponsored by Futures Housing Group)

Rowan Bradley, Children’s Therapy Solutions
Natalie Bamford, Colleague Box
Sandra Wiggins, DPI UK
Jillian Thomas, Future Life Wealth Management
Claire Twells, Smith Partnership
Helen Wathall, Wathall’s Funeral Directors

Female Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Midlands Engine Investment Fund)

Rachel Hayward, Ask the Chameleon
Janice Holmes, Janice Rose Lingerie
Iwona Lebiedowicz, PAB Languages
Nicky Botham, Shed Grounds Maintenance
Jaz Kaur, Fraser Stretton Estate Agents

Social Commitment Award (sponsored by PPL PRS)

Bodie Hodges Foundation
CR Civil Engineering
Cross Productions
Halo Recruit
Hot House Music

Small Business of the Year (sponsored by Unique Window Systems)

Access Training
Balls2 Marketing
Breedon Consulting
Shed Grounds Maintenance
We Love Surveys

Female Employee of the Year (sponsored by Smallman & Son)

Vicky Evans, Air Ambulance Service
Ana-Andreea Covaliu, Design Studio Architects
Hollie Newton, EMA Training
Rosie McLaughlin, Embark Federation
Matilda Swanson, Loates HR Consultancy

Team of the Year (sponsored by She Inspires Global)

Astute Recruitment
Cross Productions
DPI UK
Futures Housing Group
RideWise

Outstanding Contribution to Work in STEM (sponsored by Pick Everard)

DPI UK
Emh group
JB Engineering
Midland Lead
Rail Forum

Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by EMA Training)

Evie Smith, Reckitt Benckiser (UK)
Brooke Dennis, Recruit 2 You
Courtney Bower, Recruit 2 You
Hannah Ward, Wytech
Bethany Less, Xbite

Posted in Business, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , ,

Dronfield Hall Barn pilots a rent-a-desk scheme for entrepreneurs and remote-working employees

The award-winning Heritage and Arts centre, Dronfield Hall Barn in north-east Derbyshire, has responded to the post-pandemic changes to working life by launching a new venue for remote workers.

The 600-year-old Medieval barn is a stunning location for the flexible rent-a-desk venture which is available initially for a trial period on consecutive Mondays from 24th May to 28th June. Bookings for a half-day or full-day are made online and guests can enjoy the splendid surroundings of the lofty upper-floor Gallery.

The idea came together through a consultation involving local businesses, and after watching the national trends which show fewer employees returning to their former offices.  A National Lottery Heritage Fund grant has allowed The Dronfield Heritage Trust, custodians of the Barn, to work on a campaign to attract more commercial users. Rent-a-Desk is the first of a series of business-related projects to be launched by the charity this year.

The High Street heritage building is already home to a wide range of arts, cultural and community events as well as having an outdoor and indoor coffee shop and beautiful gardens.  This rent-a-desk pilot will provide feedback from the first business users so the service is ready for a full launch later this summer.

Alan Powell, chair of the Dronfield Heritage Trust says: “We are expecting to see a demand from small business owners, freelancers and  some employees who are tired of perching at the kitchen table or battling over internet access with the kids. They need an alternative desk to land their lap tops and a pleasant place to enjoy time with colleagues and clients. This way we are helping the business community and making the most of our brilliant facilities.”

Louise Third, director of PR company Integra Communications was the first to try out the facilities when indoor gathering was permitted on Monday 17th May. She says: “Packing my briefcase and laptop and heading off to the Barn was like experiencing the first day at school. A little strange at first, especially to be working somewhere other than my home office. But I received a very warm welcome, I could help myself to coffee all day, and hold meetings in the café area. I fully intend to make this a regular base when I need to be in Derbyshire”.

Anyone interested in the rent-a-desk facility, as well as venue hire and catering for business events, can go to the website for more details and booking information. https://dronfieldhallbarn.org/business/

Dronfield Hall Barn supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Chesterfield to benefit from quicker and more frequent rail journeys in new timetable

East Midlands Railway (EMR) is able to offer Chesterfield passengers quicker and more frequent journeys after it launched its new timetable this week.

The changes, which were made possible by the successful delivery of the £1.5 billion Midland Main Line Upgrade by Network Rail, provide more seats, quicker journeys, and a simpler and more resilient timetable for communities across its network, with earlier and later services supporting leisure, business and tourism journeys.

Passengers travelling down the Midland Main Line are set to benefit from several specific enhancements to the current service, including quicker peak journey times to London St Pancras International and consistent departure times through the day.

Day trippers or passengers wanting more flexibility will also be able to take advantage of the new timetable which will see earlier trains into London and later returns.

Further details of the timetable improvements are available on EMR’s website here.

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said he was excited that passengers can now take advantage of their new timetable.

He said: “We are delighted to be able to start this new and significantly improved timetable. The £1.5 billion Midland Main Line upgrade has allowed us to offers more seats, quicker journeys and more frequent journeys to our passengers across both our Regional and Intercity network.

“The timetable includes earlier and later services supporting leisure, business and tourism journeys and will help to support the region’s recovery out of the pandemic.

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “Improved rail links between Sheffield and London is an important step on our journey to rebuild and renew South Yorkshire, and a great signal of intent for our future.

“To level up the North, we need to ensure there is no barrier to accessing opportunities, and investment in public transport is vital to this. Better connectivity benefits all of us, from students looking to study here to visitors enjoying the arts and culture of South Yorkshire, and businesses looking for a great place to work and invest.”

Superbly located in the heart of the UK, Chesterfield is readily accessible by all means of transport.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

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