Business

Progress continues at Horizon 29 development in North Derbyshire

A new industrial development near the M1 in North Derbyshire is progressing rapidly, and is expected to total over one million sq.ft of space once complete.

Horizon 29, located in Bolsover is strategically positioned with J29a of the M1 only a mile away, providing excellent access to the UK’s national motorway network. The scheme extends to 53 acres offering a variety of unit sizes, ranging between 73,174 – 249,995 SQ FT across three phases.

Construction is now 80% complete at Horizon 29 for Phase 1A, and 40% complete for Phase 1B. Cladding has completed for Units 1 and 2 and internal works are progressing rapidly. Steelwork is nearing completion for Phase 1B.

Horizon 29 is an outstanding development for a diverse range of businesses seeking to optimise their distribution network in the East Midlands and to the rest of the UK.

Sustainable features of the industrial and development hub include solar PVs, air source heat pumps, enhanced cladding, responsibly sourced sustainable materials, LED lighting and electric vehicle charging points.All external works are being undertaken by McLaren Construction (Midlands & North) including general hardstanding, car-parking, electric vehicle charging points, landscaping, mains services and drainage.

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction (Midlands and North), said: “We are delighted that works are progressing well at Horizon 29 P1B and we’re on track for completion this summer. In a prime location in the Midlands, Horizon 29 will be a premier distribution centre for the region, and an ideal hub for quality tenants looking for direct and easy access to the M1 north and south.

Dick Smallman, construction director at Equation Properties, said: “We are delighted to be working with McLaren on the second phase of this prestigious development, the scheme is progressing extremely well. This is a high-quality product in a premier location.”

To find out more about the current developments taking place across Chesterfield, alongside the benefits the town can offer to businesses investing here, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Horizon29

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Signs of growth and confidence among businesses for year ahead, finds East Midlands Chamber study

After suffering a series of knocks over the past three years, East Midlands businesses are finally optimistic about what 2023 could bring, according to new research into the state of the region’s economy.

Uncertainty has been replaced with confidence, there has been a turnaround in sales and companies are now expecting to employ more people once again, East Midlands Chamber’s latest study illustrates.

Economic indicators covered by the business representation group’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), which is delivered in partnership with the University of Leicester School of Business, have been largely negative since the end of 2021, but they are all now heading in the right direction during the first quarter of 2023.

East Midlands Chamber director of policy and insight Chris Hobson said: “Following an uncertain end to 2022, these latest findings demonstrate how businesses are beginning 2023 by displaying signs of growth and an increasing confidence for the year ahead.

“Sales and advanced orders are steadily growing, cashflow is improving – although there are still significantly more businesses reporting a decline in cashflow (35%) as opposed to an increase (22%) – and price pressures continue their gradual drop-off.

“The relative certainty in the policy environment, at least compared to the constant flip-flopping that came before, is now leading to a significant upturn in business confidence and, therefore, investment intentions, which are crucial if we are to steer the economy back on track and achieve consistent growth.

“While the region’s unemployment rate has been at historically low levels in recent times, our research had shown a decline in employers recruiting – mainly due to an extremely tight labour market driven by escalating numbers of economically inactive people since the dawn of the pandemic combined with longstanding skills shortages.

“So it’s pleasing to see a positive swing, with a 7% increase in the proportion of businesses recruiting in the past three months and a 14% improvement in those expecting to add to their workforce before the summer, as this generates jobs and prosperity locally.

“While all this paints a far healthier picture than at the end of 2022, caution is required as many of these indicators are still down from where we were a year ago.

“We are moving slowly in the right direction but Government support is still required to ‘get the basics right’ by knocking down the everyday barriers to doing business, and then backing our firms to grow the economy by focusing on the ‘four Is’ – investment, innovation, infrastructure and international trade – all of which is laid out in our Business Manifesto for Growth.”

East Midlands Chamber QES Q1 2023 data

Key findings from the Quarterly Economic Survey Q1 2023 for the East Midlands*, which was completed by 347 organisations between 13 February and 9 March, included:

  • UK sales grew by a net 1% between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, with UK advanced orders up by 15%. Overseas sales and advanced orders were both up by 6% quarter on quarter
  • A net 12% of businesses added to their headcount in the first three months of 2023, marking a 7% increase compared to the previous quarter, while a net 30% of firms expect to recruit new staff in the next three months – a 14% increase
  • Recruitment problems persist but are dropping off gradually – six in 10 (59%) businesses attempted to recruit in Q1 2023 and, of those, 73% faced problems filling roles, but this was down from 81% in Q4 2022
  • A net 52% of businesses expect they will be forced to raise prices as they grapple with rising costs for people, energy, raw materials and fuel – although this is down from 57% in the previous quarter
  • While a net 13% of firms reported a decrease in cashflow, there was a 4% positive swing
  • Investment intentions are now trending upwards, with a 12% increase quarter on quarter in the net proportion of firms saying they will invest in training and a 6% rise for investing in plant and machinery
  • Business confidence is now in positive territory, with a net 39% optimistic about growing turnover over the coming year – a 15% rise compared to last quarter – and a net 8% (up by 11%) expecting to improve profitability.

Professor Mohamed Shaban, associate dean for business and civic engagement at the University of Leicester School of Business, said: “The survey results are yet another testament to the resilience of businesses in the East Midlands.

“Despite the challenges in the past few years, businesses have successfully navigated their way through the uncertain domestic and global economic environment.

“Businesses have endured credit tightening, an inflationary environment, supply chain disruptions and skilled labour shortages, which have collectively hindered the possibilities for growth.

“New initiatives are required to support businesses to invest in technologies that help them achieve higher levels of automation, nudge them towards net zero goals and empower them to invest in upskilling employees.”

Commerce House

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Central Technology receives prestigious industry recognition with VCSP award

Chesterfield’s Central Technology is celebrating success after winning Veeam Software‘s Cloud Services Provider ‘Partner of the Year’ 2022 award. 

Veeam Software is a global IT company which develops backup, disaster recovery and modern data protection software for virtual, cloud-native, SaaS, Kubernetes and physical workloads.

As a partner-centric organisation, Veeam recognises partners that leveraged customer support and Veeam expertise to deliver Modern Data Protection in increasingly complex IT environments so that the most diverse workload types, data, and applications are protected.

Alex Walsh, Channel & Alliances Director UK&I at Veeam, explained: “2022 added to the challenges businesses were already facing as they emerged from the global pandemic. Chief among them was the ever-present and rising incidence of ransomware attacks, that left only 24% of UK&I organisations unaffected. With secure, immutable backups the last line of defence against ransomware, protecting enterprise IT across all ecosystems is essential to keep businesses running.”

As a long-standing partner of Veeam, Central Technology offers clients Veeam-powered backup and recovery solutions. The firm’s cloud services are built on a foundation of innovation, reliability, and security, with a commitment  to delivering exceptional customer service and technical expertise. 

CT’s team of experts provides customers with 24/7 support and proactive monitoring, ensuring that their systems are always up and running. The firm’s customer-centric approach has helped it build long-term relationships with customers, resulting in high customer satisfaction and retention rates. 

Rob Longden, Managing Director at Central Technology states: “Winning the Veeam Cloud Services Provider Partner of the Year 2022 award is a proud moment for us, and we are grateful to our customers and partners for their support.

“We believe that this recognition is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional cloud services and to our vision of becoming a leading IT solutions provider in the United Kingdom and beyond.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with Veeam and delivering world-class cloud services to our customers for many years to come.”

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

Central Technology VCSP win

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Green Arch Consulting supports FTSE 250 listed organisation with ESG reporting

Green Arch Consulting has been retained to develop and write JLEN’s ESG report for 2023.

The company supports businesses in Chesterfield, as well as nationally and internationally, to embed environmental and social considerations into their ‘business as usual.’

This helps to make organisations more resilient to a changing climate and changing public and investor opinions, and helps firms make sense of the rapid rise in environmental issues in the media and with investors, customers and clients.

2023 is the 5th year running that Green Arch has had input to JLEN’s ESG reporting, which Green Arch Consulting was originally responsible for designing and developing.

JLEN is an environmental infrastructure investment fund listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is part of the FTSE 250 and has been awarded the Green Economy Mark from LSE.

The report has won a series of awards including ‘Best ESG Communication’ award at The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) Shareholder Communication Awards 2022. JLEN’s ESG report has also been shortlisted for a number of awards including, most recently the edie Awards 2023, in the Sustainability & Reporting Communications category.

Emma Knight-Strong, sustainability coach and owner at Green Arch Consulting commented: “It is increasingly evident that businesses with a clear sustainability path are more resilient and more attractive to investors, customers and clients.

“There are big risks to business associated with climate change, but there are also big opportunities for businesses that take it seriously and develop a truly sustainable model of operating in a rapidly changing world.”

Speaking about Chesterfield’s sustainability credentials, Emma added: “There is significant expertise in Chesterfield related to the low carbon transition – by collaborating together we can deliver a really interesting offering to clients across the UK and beyond.”

Find out more about Green Arch Consulting’s recent work alongside the Central Bank of Nigeria – which is helping the organisation in its transition to a low carbon future: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/2023/02/green-arch-consulting-advises-international-bank-on-sustainability/

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

Emma Knight-Strong Green Arch Consulting

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Award-winning Chesterfield FC Community Trust programme recognised by experts

A pioneering, award-winning programme delivered by the Chesterfield FC Community Trust, in partnership with three other organisations has the potential to be rolled out across the UK, according to healthcare industry experts.

Thr1ve Young People’s Social Prescribing Service recently won the award for Most Effective Contribution to Integrated Health and Care at the recent HSJ Partnership Awards 2023.

Judges described the work done by the Thr1ve team as “outstanding” and commented: “The passion and energy from the panel shone through. It’s a simple solution to a very complex issue.

“The service is genuinely embedded into the community and the data sharing solution is ground-breaking. There is huge potential for spread and scale across the UK.”

Jayne Bacon, the Trust’s chief operating officer, said: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved across the partnership.

“I hope this recognition will inspire others to prioritise integrated care and work towards creating healthier, more connected communities for young people.”

The programme is delivered by the Trust in partnership with Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Derbyshire Community Health Services FT and North Hardwick & Bolsover Primary Care Network.

Their mission is to reach out to young people struggling with their confidence and connections. Thr1ve recognises young people’s potential and offers support to help boost confidence, independence and participation.

THR1VE aims to fill a gap in NHS mental health services between early intervention and CAMHS support for more serious conditions.

Winners in a total of 21 categories were announced during a ceremony at Evolution London, hosted by comedian Joel Dommett, which was attended by over 900 guests and marked the achievements of a total of 141 finalists.

National healthcare leaders and professionals from both the NHS and private sector, as well as figures from non-clinical backgrounds, celebrated the crucial contributions of the private and third sector within the NHS.

Chesterfield FC’s Community Trust and Derbyshire Voluntary Action support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

CFC Trust Thr1ve programme award

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Sustainable packaging firm in Chesterfield chosen by luxury chocolate maker for Easter

Robinson Paperbox Packaging, a manufacturer based in Chesterfield has once again been chosen by Rococo Chocolates to be the supplier of its flagship Easter egg box for 2023.

Rococo, part of the Dimori group, is one if the leading luxury confectionery brands in the UK with retail outlets in London and various concessions in leading UK department stores such as Fenwick’s.

Robinson, who were recently awarded FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification for its Paperbox division, has produced a rigid shoulder box with internal fitments with a printed satin ribbon to hold the egg in place. The box has been printed in the traditional blue Rococo design inside and out on an uncoated paper. The packaging is 100% recyclable and has no element of plastic in it unlike most other easter egg boxes on the market.

Rococo chose to add a final sticker to the front of the box to distinguish each design, this allowed them to print the boxes in bulk to gain a more cost-effective price.

Nicola Imoli from Rococo commented: “Robinson Paperbox are a perfectly suited partner for our packaging, offering flexible lead times and high-quality boxes made to the highest quality that represent our brand ethos.”

Jon Walker, New Business Development Manager, from Robinson said: “We are absolutely delighted to once again partner with this premium producer to offer the ultimate Easter egg gifts. Our creative team and state of the art machinery allow us to produce packaging that matches the deliciously unique chocolate eggs created by Rococo.”

FSC certification ensures that all products produced at Paperbox are sustainable. FSC-managed forests help provide clean air and water by restricting hazardous chemicals and following strict harvesting and forestry practices. Their work also helps ensure a diversity of animals, trees and plants as well as providing safe working conditions for everyone involved.

This further demonstrates the investment that the company is making in its Paperbox business, following a significant investment in its new SATE box-making machine in Chesterfield, with improved quality and a reduced carbon footprint that allows customers to avoid long, complex supply chains from Asia. Robinson partners with some of the world’s most luxurious brands, from concept to commercialisation, creating widely recyclable packaging made from 100% post-consumer recycled material.

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

Robinson

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Sports agency announces move to Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre has welcomed yet another tenant, with I Am Sports Management announcing the building in the heart of Chesterfield as its new home.

The ‘Grade A’ office space is already more than 60% occupied, with firm taking advantage of the central location, modern facilities and wide range of business support.

I Am Sports Management is a Christian Based Sports Agency. The organisation manages player representation, as well as providing a wider personal service to young players as well as established professionals.

On top of representing athletes in the world of sport, the company’s clients are supported with Mental and Spiritual wellbeing, family support and finance guidance.

Business owner, Steve Jacques commented: “All that we do is based on the foundation of our faith and is delivered in a transparent, ethical and moral basis and treating players as people not assets.”

I Am Sports Management joins several new arrivals to the Enterprise Centre, with digital transformation firm Konektio and charity CP Teens also announcing a move to the development in recent weeks.

Steve explained why the centre provided the perfect base for his organisation: “We wanted a central location but something that was a more contemporary feel and this was exactly what we were looking for. We actually expected to have to go to a city to get this environment.”

“I was born and bred in Chesterfield. In spite of working significant amounts of time in London and with extensive overseas travel, Its my town! It’s ideally central for travel by car, rail and air and has a great mix of activity and peace round the corner in the Peak District.

“Don’t be fooled by the idea of a ‘sleepy market town’. The facilities here are excellent and superb value for money for B2b businesses.

Find out more about basing your business in one of Chesterfield’s quality grade A office spaces at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

i am sports management

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“Together we can all help bring about lasting change and prosperity to the town”

Destination Chesterfield Chair, Peter Swallow is calling on everyone associated with Chesterfield to ‘talk up the town’ and collaborate further to ensure the local economy continues to thrive in the future.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, we ALL need to talk up the town.

There is more than £2 billion of investment in progress and on the way across our borough to help ensure that we all have a bright future ahead of us. The lasting and far reaching change we are striving for in Chesterfield cannot be done by one organisation alone; it must be a collaborative effort.

We all have a role and responsibility to tell people about the many great reasons they should live, work, invest and stay here.

Chesterfield’s geographical position within the UK is hard to beat. We are centrally located with excellent road and rail links and a number of major airports within a 90 minute drive.

Furthermore, the benefits of our proximity to the Peak District National Park should not  be underestimated. Chesterfield is the gateway to this wonderful landscape, and it attracts millions of visitors each year – with around half of them staying overnight and many of them passing through the town to get to the Peak District.

Herein lies our challenge. By talking up the town to friends, relatives, colleagues and suppliers from outside the area, we can attract more people to visit and stay overnight in Chesterfield rather than just passing through, the result being more revenue for the town as a whole.

Increasing the visitor economy of the town by 20% is one of the key targets in the Chesterfield Growth Strategy which has been launched by Chesterfield Borough Council.

By increasing the visitor economy, we will also help create jobs for local people and opportunities for existing and new businesses.

We must all shout about what the town has to offer to holiday makers visiting the Peak District.

Living and working in the town on a daily basis, we can often become complacent about what it has to offer visitors to the area.

We have a variety of places to stay, including the award-winning Casa Hotel, as well as great road, rail and bus links into the Peak District. You can even cycle from the town into the Peak District.

Beyond our world famous Crooked Spire Church and the Brampton Mile, we have two theatres, Chesterfield FC, historic market, restaurants, bars, cafes, boutique shops, live music venues, Queen’s Park – which is host to many wonderful events like the cricket and concerts in summer… I could go on, the list of reasons to visit and stay in Chesterfield are endless.

Having a thriving local economy is key to developing conversations with national investors and ensuring Chesterfield continues to grow and develop. If we want to see the town thrive in an increasingly competitive market, we need to do more collectively. We must champion Chesterfield outside the area in order to help us bring investment into the borough and create highly skilled jobs.

Together we can all help bring about lasting change and prosperity to the town which will benefit local people now and future generations.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Derbyshire County Cricket Club achieves debt free target with 2022 surplus

Derbyshire County Cricket Club recorded its ninth surplus in ten years for the year ending 31 December 2022, as the Club announced it is debt free two years ahead of schedule.

The Club has announced a pre-tax surplus of £174,000 in 2022, which follows three years of positive financial results and have now achieved a key objective of becoming debt free significantly ahead of the 2024 target.

Chairman, Ian Morgan OBE, said: “The Club exceeded its financial targets once again in 2022. We had budgeted for a small surplus of around £50,000, but were able to achieve three times this in a challenging year, during which the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were still being felt, coupled with the rising costs all business are facing across the board.

“This positive result has ensured the Club is in a strong position and now debt free, following four years of large surpluses. It is great credit to the tireless work of our executive team, off-field staff and the continued support of a number of key stakeholders, including our commercial partners and Members, to whom we owe our gratitude.”

The Club started to see a return of revenues to more pre-pandemic levels and particularly in ticketing, had a large revenue surplus versus budget.

Chief Executive, Ryan Duckett, said: “In 2020 and 2021 we very much had to lockdown the business to reduce costs; ticket income, commercial sponsorship and conference and events revenues were severely affected, but thankfully we have been able to rebuild the business over the last 12 months, back to pre-pandemic levels and in certain areas beyond.

“Having achieved our objective of becoming debt free we now have strong foundations to build on the positive progress made by Mickey Arthur and the squad last year on the field and further invest in our facilities.”

Chief Financial Officer, Tim Baker, added: “The Club has budgeted for another small surplus in 2023, with a focus on trying to manage rising costs in an increasingly challenging economic climate. We are mindful that 2023 will be a tough year financially and will continue to look for ways to grow our revenues and manage our costs to maintain this healthy financial position and ultimately continue investment in facilities and the cricket budget.”

The Club has delivered on the objective, set by the Board of Directors, to be debt free apart from a long-term mortgage by the end of 2024, two years ahead of the planned schedule. This was achieved by paying in excess of £2,000,000 of loan repayments over the last few years linked to the building of the WDS Business and Media Centre.

The Club’s Annual Report and Accounts were approved by Members at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 29 March at The Incora County Ground.

Derbyshire will be returning to Chesterfield this Summer for the annual Chesterfield Festival of Cricket. Find out more about the event here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/the-chesterfield-festival-of-cricket/

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

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Chesterfield legal firm launches employment law training workshops and free health checks for local businesses

CMP Legal, a leading niche commercial law firm that specialises in corporate, commercial, dispute resolution and employment law is launching a series of new Employment Law Training Workshops and Free Employment Law Health Checks to support local businesses.

The Chesterfield based law firm will be hosting a series of Employment Law Training Workshops that will cover a range of topics including Handling Investigations, Disciplinaries and Grievances, Managing Sickness Absence, Equality, Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace and Redundancies and Restructures.

The firm will also be offering Free Employment Law Health Checks to help local businesses navigate the ever-changing employment law landscape. The Employment Law Health Check will assess if all HR documentation, including policies, employment contracts, staff handbooks and employee privacy notices are up-to-date and compliant with the latest changes in employment law.

Lauren Pickard, Employment Director at CMP Legal says: “The launch of our Springtime Employment Law Training Workshops and Free Employment Law Health Check is designed to help local businesses and employers keep up to date with the minefield that is employment law. The law on harassment is being updated in Parliament as we speak, with changes due early next year and it is important that employers are prepared for this with robust policies and procedures.

“It is always best to be proactive, rather than reactive when it comes to matters relating to employees. In April 2020, new legislative changes to employment contracts were introduced, however, we are finding that a lot of employers have not updated their employment contracts to comply with these changes, due to it being overshadowed by the Pandemic.

“Many employers have now introduced remote or hybrid working as a result of the Pandemic, but have not updated their employment contracts or policies to reflect this. We want to support local businesses to ensure that they are compliant with the latest changes in employment law.”

Find out more about the full programme of sessions on offer at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/employment-law-training-with-cmp-legal/

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

CMP Legal - Stacey Pocock & Lauren Pickard

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Chesterfield residents and businesses continue strong support for the local community

People and businesses in Chesterfield are continuing to support various initiatives and events, aimed at bringing our community together and supporting local charities.

The town’s network of Chesterfield Champions are helping to support the town through fundraising, sponsorship, and even helping to put smiles on faces to their customers.

Find out below about some of the latest activity from across our community.

Rosewood Wealth Management supports local artists by sponsoring the Chesterfield Postcard Show

Landscape - rosewood junction arts

Chesterfield’s Rosewood Wealth Management is joining forces with Junction Arts this spring to help it stage an exhibition of mini masterpieces that will raise money for the local arts charity.

The Brimington Road financial advice firm is sponsoring The Chesterfield Postcard Show 2023, an annual event that gives local people, communities and up and coming artists the opportunity to showcase their work at an exhibition in West Studios.

Last year 70 artists took part, and 131 postcard-size pieces were exhibited.  The exhibition celebrates the importance of getting creative and its impact on people’s self-esteem and well-being.  The event is organised by Junction Arts and local artist Dave Elsom and the theme for 2023 is Wish You Were Here.  They are inviting people locally, from across the UK, and Internationally to create their own postcard piece of art and submit it by the 20th of April 2023.

Rosewood Wealth Management was founded in 2019 by Directors Shannan Pool-Gorman and Donna Robertson, it has since grown to become one of North Derbyshire’s most respected financial advice firms.  They offer services including mortgages, equity release, pensions, investments, and insurance.

Shannan Pool-Gorman, Director at the firm said: “At Rosewood we believe that it is important to give back to the Chesterfield community in which we operate.  Junction Arts has a fantastic track record of bringing communities together and empowering them through the arts.  This event is brilliant because its easily accessible to people of all ages and abilities, all you need is a piece of A6 card! We’re delighted to be supporting The Chesterfield Postcard Show and I hope that it’s the first of many Junction Arts initiatives that we’re involved in.”

Hannah Bowdler, Fundraising Coordinator at Junction Arts said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Shannan and the team at Rosewood Wealth Management for supporting this year’s show.  Their sponsorship will allow us to raise more money at this year’s event and help us to engage more local people in the arts. I’m delighted to be working with this fantastic local business that puts community at the heart of what they do.”

The deadline for entries is the 20th April 2023.  The exhibition will run from the 9th to the 19th May 2023 at West Studios. Further information about the exhibition and how to get involved can be found here: https://junctionarts.org/be-part-of-the-chesterfieldpostcard-show-2023/

Incredible donation for Ashgate Hospice from football fundraisers

Ashgate Referees donation

Two stalwart Sunday football league referees who have been donating their match fees to Ashgate Hospice were invited to Chesterfield FC where they handed over their donation pitch side.

Chris Roberts and Bruce Baskerville, from Chesterfield, have refereed thousands of semi-pro and non-league matches between them and decided to start donating a percentage of the fees they receive for officiating games.

The duo, both aged 64, have now raised more than £4,100 for the North Derbyshire hospice in just over 12 months.

Word of their kind-heartedness soon caught the attention of the local football fraternity and teams started voluntarily adding a donation of £5 or £10 as a gesture from their club.

They were invited to the Spireites’ match at home to Notts County on 11 February where they presented the money raised to Ashgate’s Community Fundraiser, Lynn Jones.

“We have made a commitment to ourselves that we won’t ask for any donations – that’s our mantra,” said Chris.

“We have been overwhelmed by the way our little story has caught the attention of the local football community, our friends and family.

“To begin, we just made a comment on our Facebook pages to highlight that we had raised another few pounds for the hospice and in just a matter of weeks people were offering us donations.

“We also noticed that when we arrived to do our matches some teams would voluntarily add a further £5 or £10 to our fee as a gesture from their club.”

Chris and Bruce wanted to help the hospice as they believe everyone in Chesterfield has an “affinity” with the hospice after being touched by its “amazing” care.

Bruce says they also want to improve the reputation of referees as well as the relationship they have with clubs, coaches, players and supporters.

“Last season I refereed a first division game in the Chesterfield Sunday League and sent the home team’s best player off,” he said.

“After the game they asked me to come into the home dressing room. I was expecting an earful and thought they’d end up throwing the match fee on the floor.

“They ended up paying me the £30 for reffing the game and then matching my fee for a donation to Ashgate.”

The money will help Ashgate Hospice care for families at its Inpatient Unit in Old Brampton, Chesterfield, as well as in their own homes across North Derbyshire.

Ashgate’s Lynn Jones, said: “We’re so grateful for the support of Chris and Bruce and everyone else in the local football community that’s supported their fundraiser.

“It’s so inspiring to hear how they’ve managed to turn a hobby of theirs into something that’s going to help families who need our vital support across North Derbyshire.

“I’m looking forward to following their fundraising venture over the coming season!”

Rose Cottage Doggy Day Care puts a smile on the faces of ‘Pup Parents’ for Mothers Day

rose cottage dogy day care

Chesterfield’s Rose Cottage Doggy Day Care helped to put smiles on the faces of customers recently, by giving Mothers Day cards and cupcakes to the centre’s ‘Pup Parents.’

Dawn Brown, Founder of Rose Cottage explained: “Being a mum is a special privilege – we don’t all have human babies, some have fur babies!

“No matter what type of mum you are we appreciate you and we made Mother’s Day cards to make our mums smile and show our appreciation.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , , , ,

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