Celebrate Chesterfield

Local dance showcase wows crowds at Winding Wheel

7th December 2015

Dancers from nine local secondary schools impressed a full house with over twenty performances at the Winding Wheel last week. The annual Secondary Dance Platform, which took place on Wednesday 2nd December, was organised by Chesterfield School Sport Partnership (SSP) and is the tenth year that local young people have been given an opportunity to show off their talents.

Performances encompassed a variety of styles and themes including one of three from Brookfield Community School, entitled ‘Lest We Forget’, which were dedicated to the British Legion and took on an emotional, World War Two theme. Another performance – from Springwell Community College’s GCSE dance class – carried an anti-bullying message.

There were also outstanding dances from groups at Hasland Hall Community School, Netherthorpe School, Outwood Academy Newbold, St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Anthony Gell School, Lady Manners School and Tupton Hall School.

Mark Tournier, Partnership Development Manager at the Chesterfield SSP, said: “Tonight was a fantastic celebration of dance and how dance can support the growth of young people. Already looking forward to next year!”

Jasmine Bradshaw, of Hasland Hall, put on a fantastic solo-display entitled ‘The Lonely.’ She said: “I really enjoyed it. I like dancing on my own because there’s more open space to move into. Tonight’s been really good and a great experience. I’ve not been here before but it’s an experience everyone should try.”

There were also guest performances from the Derbyshire Youth Dance Company (Déda) and Crystal Cheer and Dance.

Clare Limb, Head of Dance Development and Learning at Déda, said: “The event was incredibly successful and we are delighted to be involved with this event. A real highlight of my year. I thought our performers were excellent and brought a new dimension to the evening, showing progression routes for young.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Peak FM and Autoworld Christmas Toy Appeal bigger and better than ever!

7th December 2015

Peak FM and Autoworld have once again joined together for the 2015 Toy Appeal.

Over the past four years, people in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire have helped to deliver thousands of toys to children in need locally and it’s hoped that this year’s appeal will bring even more festive cheer.

Residents and visitors who would like to show their support are invited to buy an extra gift with their Christmas shopping to be donated to local children’s charities in time for Christmas day.

Judith Barcroft, Marketing and Communications Manager at Autoworld said:-

“Autoworld is a proud member of our community and we have a desire to improve the area in which we all live and work.

“In recent years we have been overwhelmed with the generosity of the people of North Derbyshire and have been able to help lots of charities locally, such as Ashgate Hospicecare, North Derbyshire Woman’s Aid and Fairplay, just to name a few.

“Gifts of new toys can make a massive difference to a family in need and we’d urge everyone to get involved again this year.”

Anyone who would like to support Autoworld’s Toy Appeal is invited to take an unwrapped, new Christmas present down to any of the Autoworld showrooms on Brimington Road North in Chesterfield by Tuesday 15th December. They will then be forwarded to local charities.

For further information please visit the Peak FM website at http://www.peakfm.co.uk/local/toy-appeal-2015-thank-you/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Visiting

Chesterfield School receives national School Games Award

2nd December 2015

Temple Normanton Primary School has been awarded the School Games Gold Mark for showing an amazing dedication to physical education and a healthy lifestyle over the last academic year.

The School Games Mark is a government led awards scheme launched in 2012 to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community. Temple Normanton is only the third primary school across Chesterfield to achieve this award.

Far surpassing the participation rates needed to achieve the award, Temple Normanton took part in a number of Chesterfield School Sport Partnership events last academic year, including: Mini Soccer, Cross Country, Gymnastics, Boccia, Sportshall Athletics, Dance, Fun to Run, Early Racers, Quadkids, Kwik Cricket and Mini Tennis. On top of this, they encouraged out-of-school sport and leadership programmes.

Sarah Spendlove, of Temple Normanton Primary, said: “We encourage all children to be the best they can be. We try to ensure that all children have lots of opportunities to take part in a range of sports both at school and events organised by Chesterfield SSP. Many develop skills further in a variety of clubs outside of school and we celebrate their success back in school.”

The presentation was made in the morning assembly on Friday 27th November by Mark Tournier, Partnership Development Manager at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, and Ben Pipes, Team GB Volleyball captain at London 2012. The award was collected by Erin and Lily Mai who are both Bronze Young Ambassadors within the Chesterfield SSP’s leadership programme.

Mark Tournier said: “We are very fortunate to work with Temple Normanton, who are a model school when it comes to providing opportunities for young people to grow through school sport and physical activity. This is led from the front with an enthusiastic and passionate PE subject leader in Mrs Sarah Spendlove and a supportive Headteacher, Mrs Janet Baxter who acknowledges the role of PE and school sport in meeting whole school outcomes.

“They also have a fantastic group of Young Ambassadors acting as the pupil voice and advocating the benefits of school sport. Temple Normanton are a small primary school with only 100 pupils, however when it comes to school sport they punch above their weight. We are delighted that Temple Normanton have achieved the Gold School Games Mark, a national award to recognise their commitment to the development of competition across the school and into the community.

“It was an excellent and inspiring morning for the children and the school as a whole, a great reward for all their hard work.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Healthy living on the menu in Chesterfield

2nd December 2015

Over 100 local primary school pupils learned how to become positive role models for their least active classmates at the Change 4 Life Champions Conference held at Queen’s Park Sports Centre last week.

The event began with an introduction from Change 4 Life Athlete Mentor and former Team GB Volleyball captain, Ben Pipes and included a number of modules inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Champions will now be able to go back to their schools, implement some of the things they have learned and support Change 4 Life Clubs of their own.

Organised by Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, the event was the first of two Change 4 Life Champions Conferences running this academic year and was held in collaboration with the Bolsover and North East Derbyshire School Sport Partnerships.

Sarah Evans, Leadership and Physical Activity Officer at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “We wanted the day to be fun and engaging for the Champions. The Change 4 Life Champions have learned how to run Change 4 Life programmes and how to publicise a healthy and active lifestyle. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

The Key Stage 2 pupils had a great time during the fun activities and learned a great deal about the meaning behind Change 4 Life.

Cerys said: “It was fun! I liked the tag game because we got to run around.”

Kyle, aged 9, said: “We learned how to tell people about Change 4 Life and to get our friends involved.”

There was also a deliverer’s workshop for teachers which ran parallel to the conference. Attended by 30 energised members of staff, the Change 4 Life Deliverers workshop developed the knowledge and expertise of school staff and club deliverers to effectively deliver Change 4 Life Clubs. It was also used to raise achievement and impact on whole school priorities.

Delivering the workshop, Mark Tournier, Partnership Development Manager at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “It was a privilege to deliver the Change 4 Life workshop to an engaging audience of staff, who all acknowledge the crucial role physical activity plays in developing healthy active young people and the positive impact this plays on whole school outcomes.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Casa celebrates AA Silver Award on 5th birthday

27th November 2015

Casa Hotel in Chesterfield has been awarded the prestigious AA Silver Award – a commendation received by the team on the eve of the hotel’s fifth anniversary.

Casa’s reputation as one of the leading hotels in the country continues to grow, attracting the country’s top companies, worldwide guests and hosting more prestigious events each year.

Over the last five years, Casa has received many awards and accolades, including being voted one of the UK’s top ten hotels in a prestigious list included London’s Goring hotel and Corinthia hotel.

More recently Cocina restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Casa has also been voted top hotel in the East Midlands area by Trivago.

Operations Director at Casa, Stuart Downham says: “The team at Casa work tirelessly to ensure the best stay for our guests. Being an independent hotel we are able to really tailor our service to the needs of our guests and every decision we make is made with the guest as our number one priority.

“It is a very happy coincidence that we were awarded the prestigious AA Silver Award on the eve of our 5^th anniversary’.

These thoughts are echoed by the hotel’s owner, Steve Perez, who has built the business from a building site to the multi-award winning hotel. He said: “We are delighted to be celebrating 5 successful years in the industry and look forward to an exciting future ahead. I am incredibly proud of what Casa has achieved in such a short period of time. Throughout this period we have never swayed from our promise to deliver the best customer experience and we will continue to do this in the years to come.”

It is this passion for the best customer service that has seen over the last 5 years, a massive 125,604 breakfast served using Walton lodge eggs and Walton sausages, 368,412 glasses of wine and 39,538 portions of delicious tapas. Casa has accommodated 113,769 sleepers and served 373,577 dinners between our gastro bar Barca and our 2 rosette restaurant Cocina.

Casa has also had a positive impact on local business and employment. Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield the town’s inward investment campaign, said: “Having a four star hotel in the town has helped put Chesterfield on the map nationally, opening investors’ eyes to the potential of developing here particularly along the A61 corridor.

“The fact Casa is one of the top five hotels on TripAdvisor demonstrates the great pool of talent the town has within the customer service sector. Destination Chesterfield shares Casa’s pride in everything it has achieved since opening in 2010.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Made in Chesterfield inspires tomorrow’s manufacturers and engineers

27th November 2015

More than 700 young people from schools throughout north east Derbyshire got involved with Chesterfield’s month-long festival celebrating the town’s manufacturing and engineering sector during November.

Made in Chesterfield was designed to introduce youngsters to training, careers and jobs in engineering and manufacturing through a series of visits to companies in the sector, business events and exhibitions.

The festival was coordinated by Destination Chesterfield in partnership with MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar, NatWest, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, Chesterfield College, Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Placing Futures, NLT Training Services, UKTI, East Midlands Chamber, Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Positive 4 Young People.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, vice chair of Destination Chesterfield and cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Engineering has always played a major part in Chesterfield’s economy and the events showed that this heritage is continuing today.

“Engineering companies are also at the forefront of work in the town to create apprentices to give young people high quality job opportunities.

“This festival was an opportunity to showcase all they do and raise awareness of the many different types of products being manufactured in the town.”

Chesterfield Champions MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar and Weightron Bilanciai all hosted student visits to their premises with a number of students keen to follow apprenticeships in the sector following the visits. Catherine Swain of Whittington Green School said: “They were fantastic events which all our students loved getting involved in experiments and talking to the apprentices they had on site. MSE Hiller was one of the best places we have been to.”

Flynn Dodsworth a sixth form student at Shirebrook Academy who visited MSE Hiller said: ““I am interested in engineering and looking at doing mechanical engineering or computational fluid dynamics at University.” Fellow student Matt is considering an engineering apprenticeship when he leaves school. Of the visit to MSE Hiller, he said: “I wanted to experience engineering and what it’s about. It’s also good to add to my personal statement for when I’m applying to engineering companies for jobs.”

MSE Hiller also sponsored and hosted MANTRA (The Manufacturing Technology Transporter), a specially customised 14m HGV trailer, packed with the latest machinery and simulators, designed to give aspiring young engineers a hands-on experience with real cutting-edge technologies.

Designed to give students a taste of modern manufacturing, advanced modelling and assembly line technology to help inspire young people to take up careers in engineering, MANTRA worked its magic on 10 students from Parkside School who visited it.

Year 11 student Ashley Macefield (15) from Parkside School said: “I want to do engineering when I leave school and going to MANTRA helped me see all the different kinds of jobs and roles there are. It showed me that we can build anything if we put our mind to it.”

During the visit the boys were introduced to technology currently in use and that which is being developed, including 3D glasses similar to state-of-the-art ‘Occulus Rift’ equipment which is worn by gamers playing virtual reality games, which they are all fans of.

Parkside School Deputy Headteacher Rachel Hammond, who accompanied the students on their visit said: “It was a very successful visit. I could see that the youngsters really enjoyed it. In fact they were blown away by it. What was made evident is that these are very people the industry needs to employ because they are already familiar with and using modern technologies in video gaming.

“What was amazing to learn during the visit was how much of a major player Chesterfield is in engineering and manufacturing and it showed the boys the job and career opportunities that exist locally, which is hugely important to young people who do not want to move away from home.”

A highlight of the week, for both young people and the business community, was the arrival of Bloodhound, the vehicle which is Britain’s latest attempt to break the world land speed record, travelling at a speed of 1,000mph.

A replica of the vehicle was displayed at Chesterfield College. With only 6% of engineers in the UK being women, a wider aim of the £70million privately funded project is to raise awareness of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers.

One such woman is Casey Allen (17), an engineering apprentice at Foxwood Diesel in Old Whittington, who recently narrowly missed out on being named the overall winner of the prestigious Group Training Association (GTA) England Apprentice of the Year Award.

Casey, who is about to complete level 2 of her apprenticeship and start level 3, was put forward for the award by NLT Training Services, a specialist training and provider of apprentices in welding, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering based in Brimington, which also supported Made in Chesterfield hosting a number of school visits.

Principal of Chesterfield College, Stuart Cutforth, said “One hundred and fifty students from schools throughout Derbyshire visited Bloodhound while it was here. The presence of Bloodhound at the College has put the STEM agenda on the radar for Chesterfield.”

The arrival of Bloodhound in Chesterfield also had special significance for both the town and a local manufacturing company, industrial weighing specialists Weightron Bilanciai Ltd, who have supplied the weighing systems that have been use throughout the build of the project. The company is also supplying a system to measure the weight distribution through the wheels of the car, to allow the balancing of the vehicle.

The record attempt will take place in South Africa in October 2016 on 12 mile strip of land where Bloodhound travel faster than bullet and the speed of sound, covering a mile in 3.6 seconds.

As well as school events and Bloodhound’s arrival, there was also a special exhibition running at Chesterfield Museum showcasing the town’s manufacturing and engineering heritage.

And it was the museum and exhibition which hosted the Made in Chesterfield launch event to the business community. As well as the launch event, there was also a packed programme of business events held during Made in Chesterfield, including a manufacturing conference, business masterclasses and networking events.

During Made, UKTI hosted one of 11 business events – ‘UKTI Export Week: Made in Chesterfield……sold to the World,’ which was aimed at encouraging businesses to take up the overseas selling challenge and highlighting the wealth of support and knowledge available to help them grow.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Chesterfield drinks manufacturer Global Brands which currently exports to over 30 countries worldwide, and also Paul Wade, Managing Director of Northern Lights, based in Holmewood, exports to five continents.

The UKT event was also timed to coincide with the launch of the Government’s new Exporting is GREAT Campaign (www.exportingisgreat.gov.uk), which seeks to inspire 100,000 new exporters.

Ian Harrison, UKTI Regional Director in the East Midlands, said he was delighted to be involved in Made in Chesterfield.

He said: “Our breakfast event included an in-depth look at the exciting opportunities for local companies to trade internationally, showing businesses that whatever their size, we can help them take their goods and services worldwide.”

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said:-

“Made in Chesterfield was a complete success thanks to the support of businesses and organisations which enabled us to engage more young people in the sector than ever before showing them the number of jobs and careers and within it and right on their doorstep. Manufacturing engineering is the lifeblood of the economy and it’s important we engage its future workers now to ensure its continued success.

“Thank you to all of the local businesses, training providers and organisations that got behind the week by hosting their own events and attending others. We can’t wait to bring it back again next year to more young people.”

If you’re interested in getting involved in next year’s Made in Chesterfield Week, please contact dom.stevens@chesterfield.co.uk

For details of all events which took place in 2015 visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/made

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Pupils bring colour to Chesterfield Coach Station

26th November 2015

Pupils from Brampton Primary School have brought a touch of colour to the town’s coach station.

The students helped put the final touches to the Pocket Park project on Markham Road, at the entrance to the coach station by planting 3,000 purple, yellow and white crocus corms.

The project, which started last year, is a collaboration between Chesterfield Civic Society, Franke Sissons and Chesterfield Borough Council, with support from Destination Chesterfield and Killingley Landscapes.

It aims to provide a welcoming green space for those who travel by coach and for shoppers passing by.

Chesterfield Civic Society suggested the planting scheme and paid for the bulbs. Chesterfield Borough Council staff provided spades for the project and helped with digging and preparing the ground for the bulbs to be planted by the children.

Amanda Chalke, Civic Society executive member, said: “We are delighted to work with Brampton Primary School and Chesterfield Borough Council. It now means the project has involved primary and secondary pupils and a talented young designer who attended Chesterfield College.

“Projects such as this are statements of pride in our town by all age groups. We hope to see more.”

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This individual project is part of the wider Chesterfield in Bloom project work, which aims to involve the community in making our town a greener and brighter space.

“The work of the children and all the partners will help improve the welcome that coach visitors to the town get, as well as benefit residents.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Secondary Dance Festival returns to Winding Wheel

25th November 2015

Nine local schools are set to perform at the Secondary Dance Festival taking place on 2nd December at the Winding Wheel in Chesterfield. Now in its tenth year, the 2015 event will give more students than ever the opportunity to take part in all types of dance – from contemporary to classical. With the help of their dance teachers, the students have put together a show that would wow any audience.

Taking part are: Anthony Gell School, Brookfield Community School, Hasland Hall Community School, Lady Manners School, Netherthorpe School, Outwood Academy Newbold, Springwell Community College, St. Mary’s Catholic High School and Tupton Hall School.

Mark Tournier, Partnership and Development Manager at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “The dance platform is organised by Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, bringing together a range of outstanding dance performances form across Chesterfield. It’s a celebration of dance and all the hard work and effort that goes into the performance. It’s not just about the talent on display, the performers show real courage and determination to make it happen.”

The performing schools will be joined by Déda Derby and Crystal Cheer and Dance who will showcase elements of Street Dance as well as professional choreography and storytelling.

Clare Limb, Head of Dance Development and Learning at Déda, said: “Déda is proud to be a partner organisation of Chesterfield SSP and is delighted to be involved in this event, which enables young people in the Chesterfield District and beyond to take part in an annual professional level performance.”

Mark Tournier added: “The event always has a great atmosphere and the performers leave the stage full of confidence. We are excited to be working with 9 schools and two community groups including the Derbyshire Youth Dance Company performing an inspired Dance–Theatre piece titled ‘Get in Line’.”

Tickets are available now priced at £5 for adults and £3 for juniors/concessions for family and friends of performers. This year’s event is expected to be a sell-out, with tickets already selling quickly. To book please contact the Chesterfield Visitor Centre on 01246 345777.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Greener commute wins award for Brockwell Junior School

24th November 2015

Brockwell Junior School in Chesterfield has received a national award for encouraging pupils to enjoy a more active, safer and greener commute.

The Modeshift STARS bronze accreditation recognises the school’s efforts in getting more children to travel to school on foot or using another sustainable means of transport.

Far surpassing any targets, Brockwell has recorded 82% of pupils walking, cycling or scooting to school on a daily basis during the 2014/15 academic year.

Miss Lenthall, of Brockwell Junior School, said: “It’s a fantastic and well organised scheme to be a part of, which really highlights the benefits of active travel. Through the scheme, we found that not only the children, but also their entire families were becoming more involved with travelling actively.

“The children loved being able to travel to school on bikes as well as scooters and couldn’t wait to record their achievements and track their progress against their pledges.”

Following the successful bronze initiatives, the school is continuing the Modeshift STARS scheme and hopes to expand their initiatives in order to achieve the Silver award in 2016.

The national Modeshift STARS scheme is delivered locally by the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership and supported by Derbyshire County Council and Sustrans, a national charity.

Every school in England can participate in the Modeshift STARS scheme for free, and achieve bronze, silver or gold level awards. It is supported by 52 local authorities and more than 11,000 schools nationally.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Young people become sporting ambassadors

19th November 2015

Over 100 local secondary school students came together last week to train as sporting ambassadors ready to plan and deliver their own sporting events in Chesterfield.

Organised and delivered by the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, the all-day conference took place at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield and was an opportunity to gain a range of new skills and experience.

The day was delivered by experts in the field of journalism, photography and media as well as former Team GB Olympic volleyball players, Ben Pipes and Dami Bakare.

Students learned how to run how to run a variety of sporting activities; many which are different to the usual sports played in school – for example boccia and new age kurling.

Activities also included a mock press conference with a former top-level athlete, writing a feature, taking and selecting expert photos and deciding how to publicise any completed work.

Sarah Evans, Leadership and Physical Activity Officer at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “It’s great to see so many young leaders here today developing their skills and taking on the role as a Young Ambassador.

“I can’t wait to see how they embrace this role to be inspirational and make a change within their schools.”

The media officer from the Brookfield Community School SSOC said: “I enjoyed the media workshop as we got involved in speaking to an Olympian, taking photos and videos of the other activities and writing a sports blog.”

The Silver Young Ambassadors are now preparing to deliver a School Sport Club in Chesterfield, a Level 1 School Games (Intra) competition and two Get Set for Community Action projects.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure

Engineering marvel arrives at Chesterfield College to inspire next generation of experts

19th November 2015

A replica of Bloodhound, the British-built and designed 1000 mph jet and rocket powered car, which will attempt the land speed record next year, is at Chesterfield College for two days to inspire the next generation of scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians.

120 pupils from schools across Derbyshire and more than 200 students from college are amongst some of the 100,000 young people in the UK who will get the chance to see the replica and find out how the best of the best in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) world have created this feat of engineering.

The young engineers have also built their own jet powered car, taken part in special science workshops and heard from key employers in the region like Rolls Royce, about the careers they could have if they studied STEM subjects.

The Bloodhound team is also on hand at Chesterfield College to meet businesses and engineers and offer a tour of the replica car. A first successful event was held for Chesterfield Champions yesterday evening and there will be another opportunity for local businesses to visit the college tonight.

In the East Midlands, between 2010 and 2020 more than two thirds of jobs will need engineering skills. That is 158,400 jobs that will need qualified engineers. However, over the last 7 years there has been a decline of 20.8% of students choosing STEM subjects. Almost two in five firms (39%) that require STEM-skilled employees report current difficulties in recruitment.

Stuart Cutforth, Principal of Chesterfield College said:

“Having such a high profile and exciting project in college is a fantastic opportunity to excite young people about where studying STEM subjects can lead. We know that STEM related jobs are on the increase but the number of students choosing to study the subjects that will get them the right qualifications to get these jobs has been in decline for some time now. As a college working in an area that is home to a host of key employers we know how important it is to inspire the next generation.”

To find out more about tonight’s Bloodhound event being held for local businesses please click here.

Bloodhound is in Chesterfield as part of the Made in Chesterfield Festival; a month-long celebration of the town’s manufacturing and engineering industry. More information is available at www.chesterfield.co.uk/made.

Photography by Les Wilcockson Photography and Chesterfield College.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting