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Chesterfield Royal Hospital launches fundraiser for first-of-its-kind health and wellbeing hub

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity has launched a £2m fundraising campaign for the proposed ‘Health and Wellbeing Hub’ at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Hospital.

The first-of-its kind proposed ‘Health and Wellbeing Hub’ will be a purpose-built facility, which will be financed by the charity through fundraising. The Hub is designed to ‘care for carers’ – those people working around the clock at the Trust, to provide care to our communities and families.

Ken Godber, Director of the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity, said: “We are appealing for local people, communities and businesses to help raise the required funds to create this fantastic new facility which would offer counselling, breakout areas, gym and outdoor teams and games areas for everybody who works at the Trust.”

The facility is hoping to open its doors in Spring 2023 and is one of the corner stone campaigns for 2022/23 for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity. The appeal is for all local people, groups, teams and businesses to think how they are able to contribute, fundraise and support this ambitious and exciting project.

Atul Patel, Chair of the Charity, said: “By doing this we would be making the hospital more attractive to new recruits, supporting colleagues after tough experiences and protecting their health and wellbeing. I’m particularly proud of this campaign as it means we’ll be able to support people which is so important especially after the last two years when they have truly gone above and beyond to ensure we have had the care we needed during the pandemic.”

Donations can be made through the Trust website or Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity – JustGiving.

Local businesses can support the appeal by becoming members of the Corporate Champions Club – where tailor-made packages of support can offer businesses and large organisations a direct link to the Charity and ensure they are recognised for their ongoing commitment.

Set to open seven days a week, the fully accessible Hub will offer those working at the Trust a variety of modern health and wellbeing facilities and services around the clock. Once established, the Hub may be developed further to include a special Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) pitch, which will be booked in advance and allow for team games and bonding such football, hockey etc. There will also be counselling rooms and complimentary therapies as well as talking therapies and areas for group and individual reflections after traumatic incidents, like those seen during the pandemic.

A state-of-the-art gym will give staff the opportunity keep health and strong, preventing illness and injury, as well as reducing stress levels. There will potentially be pop-up facilities too – cookery demonstrations, dancing, specialist training and holistic therapies to ensure a full package is offered and our colleagues have access to the very best facilities.

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

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

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Dozens of Chesterfield businesses given online boost by Digital High Street project

Chesterfield businesses have been given a helping hand to boost their confidence and skills to trade online as part of an innovative project – with tailor-made advice designed to build resilience if their physical buildings are forced to close in a crisis.

Chesterfield Borough Council teamed up with East Midlands Chamber to launch the Chesterfield Digital High Street in June 2021 and the project has since helped 84 local businesses to make the most of their presence online. It offers support and guidance on using online tools but can also provide funding for e-commerce websites.

TwelfthCraft is a retail emporium based in The Shambles specialising in dolls houses, miniatures, accessories, curios and gifts. Since joining the project Caroline Gleadall, who owns and manages the store has created an online presence which has led to a 10% increase in sales and has developed a plan to further expand her business over the next three years.

Caroline said: “Thanks to the project, I feel like I’ve already achieved so much. I’ve developed the confidence to pay for Facebook advertising, and the time I’m committing to my social media presence has provided lots of new connections, allowed me to contact my customers, and given them the opportunity to leave reviews I’m about to launch my new e-commerce website which will help me reach new markets.”

The project is open to businesses across the borough. Brampton Brewery is a long-established micro-brewery based on Chatsworth Road but they have benefitted through the Digital High Street project.

Chris Radford, managing director and head brewer, explained: “We have received grant funding through the project for a new website with enhanced e-commerce functionality. Once launched, we hope to see significant growth in our online sales.

“To any business considering getting involved, I’d say this – just do it! There really is no reason not to. You’ll have access to a wide range of advice and services from industry specialists who just want to see you succeed.”

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “It’s been a really difficult time for local businesses during the pandemic – many which were left with limited options to trade when Covid-19 forced their buildings to close.

“We’ve been committed to supporting local businesses weather this unprecedented time, and it’s fantastic that so many are already benefitting from this project and realising their full potential. Thank you to East Midlands Chamber for their support and work on this project. If you run a local business there is still time to sign up and find out how you could grow your business online.”

East Midlands Chamber head of enterprise Paul Stuart said: “Purchasing habits have changed as a result of Covid-19, with fewer in-store visitors and a move towards online transactions.

“We expect this to be a long-term shift, so it’s vital that businesses ensure they see this as an opportunity, rather than a threat.

“By engaging with the Chesterfield Digital High Street project, small businesses can benefit from expert support to equip themselves with the right mix of tools needed for the online world – something that will complement their existing services, attract new customers and, ultimately, future-proof their organisations.”

Purpose Media has been supporting the project and have advised over 30 businesses in Chesterfield as part of the Chesterfield Digital High Street Project.

Purpose Media business development manager Grace Golden said: “Through our work in the Chesterfield Digital High Street project, we have helped businesses learn new ways to engage with customers, attract business and increase profitability.

“By implementing new activity online such as posting videos or using Facebook advertising, they have renewed optimism for their future and have confidence in their ability to marketing their business.”

Discover how your business can benefit from this project by visiting: www.emc-dnl.co.uk/chesterfield-digital-high-street

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Brand-new apartments now on-sale at Chesterfield’s Waterside Quarter development

Leading housebuilder Avant Homes has released a collection of brand-new one and two-bedroom apartments for sale at its popular £36m Waterside Quarter development in Chesterfield.

Located off Brimington Road, the new apartments at the development are available in three impressive designs with prices ranging from £124,995 for a one-bedroom flat to £158,495 for a two-bedroom apartment.

The apartment building is located in a prime location at Waterside Quarter with easy access to the entrance while also sitting in a private cul-de-sac, close to the River Rother. Each home across the three-storey buildings include an open-plan living space, double bedrooms and ample storage.

Named The Stevenson, The Hepworth and The Tapton apartments, the homes also comprise a high-quality specification which features a designer kitchen with integrated appliances and boutique bathrooms with full height tiling.

Avant Homes Central sales and marketing director, Dawn Bennett, said: “Waterside Quarter is one of our most highly-anticipated developments within the region, so it’s exciting to launch our apartments to appeal even further to the wide range of buyers looking to purchase in Chesterfield.

“The Stevenson, The Hepworth and The Tapton are exclusive to Waterside Quarter and buyers won’t be able to find them at any of our other developments, so with the limited availability we’re sure they will receive great interest from commuters and first-time buyers, alike.”

Waterside Quarter forms a key part of the wider £340m Chesterfield Waterside project which is one of the UK’s largest regeneration schemes.

Once complete, it will feature 173-homes across a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties. Available homes at Waterside Quarter are currently priced from £124,995 for a one-bedroom apartment to £295,995 for a four-bedroom semi-detached home with three storeys.

Based in Chesterfield, Avant Homes Central is part of the Avant Homes group, one of the leading private developers of residential property in the UK. The group currently has 55 developments across its five operating regions.

Find out more about the Chesterfield Waterside development at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/chesterfield-waterside/

Avant Homes 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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Junction Arts intern progresses into apprentice role

Chesterfield-based community organisation Junction Arts is continuing it’s growth, by promoting intern Martha Bramwell into a full-time Projects Apprentice role.

Martha is now aiming to become a full-time projects assistant with Junction Arts, following the completion of her apprenticeship.

Originally starting with Junction Arts back in December 2020, Martha was looking to gain hands on experience within community arts to support her Foundation Art Course at Chesterfield College.

However, Hannah Bowdler, Relationship Fundraiser at Junction Arts explained how much of an impact the young intern made since joining the organisation: “Martha has made a huge impact on the charity. During her time with us, she has worked with each of our team members getting a wider understanding of the running of a community arts charity. With each person, she has shared her enthusiasm and energy making Junction Arts a truly positive place to work.

“Her direct impact on the charity includes, redesigning our new office layout in West Studios, after we downsized. It is now a welcoming and practical workspace for us to use as a hub for all our projects and activities.

“Project wise, Martha has been a vital deputy during projects including the Chesterfield Lantern Parade. Supporting a project coordinator to run a busy and complicated celebration event whilst learning what’s needed to make a large scale project successful.”

Hannah added that she was delighted to see the continued growth of the charity: “It’s a very exciting time for the charity, whilst in our 45th year Martha has enabled Junctions Arts to take the next steps to increase our capacity. Through her supportive role within the charity and with this soon to increase, the types of projects and number of communities we can work with and support has really increased in the years leading out of the pandemic.”

Martha expressed her delight at being taken on in a permanent capacity: “I am absolutely ecstatic to be offered a permanent role with Junction Arts. I can honestly say receiving the Job offer from our Managing Director, Paul, was one of the happiest moments in my life. As I feel I have worked really hard and this area is something I am really passionate about and I’m so excited for my future with Junction arts.

“Every day I’m surrounded by a supportive team who have individually worked with me trying to give me the best experience possible over the last 15 months.

“I love having roles in events and being with local communities. In December, I played a part in creating Chesterfield’s first lantern parade. I had an overwhelming sense of pride seeing all the lanterns made by school children and members of the community walk together from Queen’s Park into the town centre and will treasure this memory forever. After a difficult couple of years, I’ve never seen so many smiling faces in one place. At 19 years old, I feel so grateful that my days are filled with creativity, exciting projects and great people.

“I love the community we have here in Chesterfield and I think that’s what makes chesterfield such a great place to live, work and enjoy! I am very excited to see Chesterfield in the future and how it will develop into a town with creativity in every corner and street.”

Hannah added that the charity is now looking to further support young talent in the region by taking on a new intern: “Within the next month, we will start the process for advertising for a 1 year Internship from July 2022. It is currently an unpaid role of up to 15 hours a week, depending on the applicates availability. Applicants are to be 18yrs +.

“The Intern is positioned at the centre of the charity, with opportunities to work with all the team, support on projects and events, access to training and involved in the planning of projects. This is an entry level role into the creative/community arts/charity sector.

“We are actively looking for funding to make this a 2 day paid for position, as an investment into young people and new careers within the area.

“As a busy charity, we are always looking for volunteers on our events and projects to help them run smoothly and have a positive impact on those to attend. More details of volunteering with Junction Arts can be found here: https://junctionarts.org/volunteer/”

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

Junction Arts at the Tapton Lock Festival

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Blue Plaque unveiled at University of Derby’s St. Helena Campus in Chesterfield

A Blue Plaque has been unveiled at the University of Derby’s Chesterfield campus to commemorate the building and its significance as a prominent former girl’s school in the area.

The plaque was unveiled at the Grade II listed building, St Helena, formerly Chesterfield Girls High School, by Dr Maureen Strelley, a former pupil and Bolsover GP, at an event hosted in collaboration with the Chesterfield Civic Society on Monday 7 March, 2022.

The building was originally designed by G.H. Widdows, one of the outstanding school architects of his day and was his first major project for the county council. Opened as a new secondary school in 1911 by the Duchess of Devonshire, the school provided transformative education for many pupils, before it closed in 1991.

In 2016, the University fully transformed the building, which is now regarded as a centre of excellence for health, providing some of the best teaching facilities in the UK for nursing courses.

Professor Keith McLay, Provost – Learning and Teaching at the University of Derby, said: “We are delighted that a Blue Plaque has been unveiled at our St Helena building in recognition of its historic significance.

“The University sympathetically restored the building, retaining most of its original features, and is now a teaching and learning environment for students who are going into valuable careers in the healthcare profession. We are proud of the building and its heritage as a pioneering educational establishment.”

Philip Riden, Chairman of Chesterfield Civic Society, added: “It is fantastic that this wonderful building, which provided life changing opportunities for so many young people, has been recognised with a Blue Plaque.“Looking back at its history, the first secondary school for girls in Chesterfield was a private school run from a house called East Bank on Sheffield Road. Faced with the need to provide places under the 1902 Education Act, the county council bought up the school and got it temporarily recognised as a public secondary school on condition that they built a new school as soon as possible, which they did on an extremely ambitious scale.“This school, which was renamed St Helena School in 1947, and Chesterfield School, which offered education to boys, were important as major agents of social mobility for their pupils, which they took from a number of schools across the borough and adjoining county area. Both enabled their pupils to proceed to higher education and onto successful professional careers, which is very much aligned to the work and ambitions of the University of Derby today.”

Other attendees at the event included Dr Denise Baker, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at the University of Derby, Professor Stephen Wordsworth, Interim Deputy Dean of the same College, and Frank Gorman, Secretary of the Chesterfield Civic Society.After the unveiling ceremony, all attendees were invited to lunch and a tour around the campus.As well as learning spaces, the University’s Chesterfield campus is home to the Innovation Centre Chesterfield, which allows small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to incubate new business ideas, increase their speed of growth and de-risk the process of developing new products.

Chesterfield businesses are being invited to a ‘Planning for Growth’ event at the St. Helena Campus on 27th April 2022. Organisations will be able to discover the support available to help make their goals a reality and expand their network through meeting like-minded business leaders. To find out more and book your place, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/planning-for-growth-chesterfield/

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

Photo supplied by Richard Richards Photography

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New ‘bubble tea’ shop open in Chesterfield

A new shop specialising in popular ‘bubble tea’ drinks has opened on Cavendish Street in Chesterfield Town Centre.

Boba Shack offers a huge range of ‘pick & mix’ bubble tea drinks options as well as a pre-mix menu for those that are unsure of what to order.

The beverage, which has become popular in recent years orginated in Taiwan. It is an iced fruit or milk tea drink which traditionally includes soft and chewy tapioca pearls. It has evolved over the years and now includes the addition of popping bubbles and various other fillings and toppings.

Boba Shack owner, Philip Price explained why the drink has rose to prominence: “It is essentially popular because it fills a gap in the market in terms of dink options. Consider someone wants a drink, either for refreshment or flavour. The options before bubble tea were essentially a canned or bottled drink from a shop or a cup of tea, coffee, or chocolate from a café. Bubble tea sits in the middle of these. Much more flavoursome and exciting than a can of pop and much more tuned to the younger market than a hot cup of coffee.”

Philip also explained how the idea to open the shop came about: “Myself and my business partner Steve Smith were looking for something new to do in Chesterfield afer a few years of virus affected businesses. I realised that over the past two years my daughter has been persuading me and her sister to drive her all the way to Meadowhall and back just to buy a bubble tea. It struck me that if something is so much of a draw then it must be something worth investigating.

“After a short period of research and analysis we decided that Chesterfield should be able to support its own bubble tea shop, even with a much smaller population than Sheffield. So we made the decision to open. Signed the lease for an empty shop on the 4th Feb and opened 15 days later on the 19th. There were a few very long days to make that happen.”

Both Philip and Steve are excited to be bringing another unique offer into Chesterfield Town Centre: “The response and feedback has been amazing. We’ve enjoyed queues outside the shop on numerous occasions in just our first few weeks of opening, and we’ve even been told that we are becoming a reason that people are visiting the town centre. A real destination of sorts for local people, which we feel is a great thing for the town centre and will help other businesses and traders.”

“I think we are seeing a small turn in attitude as new and exciting things start to appear on the town centre. We hope we can play our small part in revitalising the town centre. We are not a franchise or big brand. Just a couple of old blokes who live in Chesterfield and have a real passion to make it an exiting and vibrant town. We’ve invested a lot of time, effort and money into getting up and running, but hopefully, the wonderful people of Chesterfield will appreciate not having to travel for their Bubble Tea anymore.”

To find out more about the range of shops, bars, restaurants and visitor attractions in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

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Casa Hotel and Global Brands host emergency fundraiser for Ukraine

A special charity event has been set up by Casa Hotel and Global Brands, as part of efforts to raise funds for those affected by the current conflict in Ukraine.

Casa has launched the ‘Coffee for Ukraine’ day, taking place this Friday, 11th March at Casa’s Cocina Restaurant, with all proceeds going towards the Britsh Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The Ukrainian flag is also mast outside the Hotel to show support and solidarity with the country.

Staff working in the Global Brands office are also doing their bit to raise money for people in need, by hosting a ‘Yellow & Blue Friday,’ with team members wearing the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Global Brands owner, Steve Perez will be personally matching each donation raised by the staff.

Mr. Perez said he and the team have felt ‘devastated’ by recent events: “We’re receiving news from our distributor, Good Wine, in Kyiv, that their warehouse had been hit by Russian shelling, leaving their family business was completely wiped out, extremely heart breaking news.

“The Global Brands staff asked if we could have a collection which I naturally agreed and said the company would match all money raised pound-for-pound that the Global, Casa and Peak Edge teams collect.

“We will also send all proceeds of every cup of coffee, tea or soft sold this Friday to the British Red Cross Ukrainian humanitarian appeal.”

A number of businesses have been doing their bit to support the crisis, including Entire Facilities Management who set up an emergency mission to send supplies to the Polish/Ukrainian border. The Goldsmith Clinic has also donated more than £1,000 to the Distasters Emergency Committee Appeal, while The Tickled Trout has collected dozens of bags full of donations from the local community.

Casa Hotel, Global Brands, Entire Facilities Management, The Tickled Trout and The Goldsmith Clinic support 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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Award win for Banner Jones’ Employment Law team

The Employment Law team at leading regional law firm Banner Jones Solicitors has been recognised for displaying an innovative and flexible approach to changes in the legal market at this year’s prestigious Sheffield Law Society annual awards.

The accolade was announced at a ‘sold out’ awards ceremony, held at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Sheffield on Friday 25th February; bringing together the region’s legal community to recognise and celebrate its many achievements.

The Banner Jones Employment Law team assist both individuals and businesses across all areas of employment law.  The department helped their clients tackle the challenges brought about by the various lockdowns and the countrywide shift to remote working by launching a range of flexible appointment types, free informative webinars, free training support and explanatory guides on key topics.

Katie Ash, Head of Employment Law at Banner Jones said, “Businesses have had a lot of additional HR pressure over the last 12 months, with the winding down of the Furlough scheme, dealing with covid vaccination status policies and flexible and hybrid working patterns and contract changes. It has been a pleasure to help guide our clients through the ever-changing rules and restrictions and to be able to support them through this period of upheaval.”

Commenting on the award Banner Jones’ Chief Executive Simon Wright, said: “It is testament to the hard work and dedication that the team has shown over the past 12 months – and throughout the pandemic. They have been supported by the wider Banner Jones family including our Marketing and IT departments, so it’s with great pride that we receive this accolade on behalf of everyone at Banner Jones.”

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

Banner Jones Solicitors

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Chesterfield chef featured on BBC’s Great British Menu

A Chesterfield chef has been wowing audiences on national television this week, serving up a number of signature dishes on the BBC’s Great British Menu.

The popular cookery show sees some of the UK’s top chefs battle it out to create a dish for the final banquet in the series finale.

Mark Aisthorpe, head chef and owner of The Bulls Head in Holymoorside, Chesterfield explained how he felt about being selected for the show: “I was so excited and terrified all at once, but totally honoured to be asked to be one of the chefs .

“It was a bit like a dream come true. I suppose every chef wants to showcase their work and WOW what a platform.”

While being showcased on a national platform, Mark added that he was excited to showcase some of the amazing produce North Derbyshire has to offer.

He said: “Our location in my opinion is one of the best in the country.  We have such amazing local suppliers and a variety of independent farmers just on our doorstep. Highfield Farm’s amazing Derbyshire Lamb, farmed just minutes from the restaurant.

“Foraging in the local woods which are rich in ingredients all make our food at The Bulls Head what it is today and gives me inspiration for my menus.”

Mark described competing amongst the nation’s best chefs was both ‘fun and stressful,’ adding: “Competing anywhere is hard but in a different kitchen, you don’t know and against amazingly talented Chefs is even harder.”

With recruitment proving a challenge in hospitality at the moment, Mark had encouraging words for those considering a career in the industry: “It’s hard work, long hours but I feel it one of the most rewarding jobs.  Taking one thing and making it into something that is enjoyed by people is such a good feeling.  The satisfaction you get from positive comments and reviews is amazing.”

In terms of future potential TV appearances, Mark added that he would be open to further opportunites to showcase the pub’s locally sourced produce: “My aim is to continue making The Bulls Head as good as it can be. I would love to get recognition what we are doing there.  The Bulls Head is my main priority but never say never to further opportunities.”

Chesterfield boasts award winning restaurants that are attracting national media recognition, and independent coffee shops and pubs with a belief in local produce. Find out more about dining out in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/eating-out/

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Work continues to enhance biodiversity across Chesterfield

A series of projects that aim to increase biodiversity in Chesterfield have already been successfully completed in 2022 – with even more activities planned throughout the year.

Chesterfield Borough Council has been working with both the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to support projects that will help enhance biodiversity across the borough.

In Holmebrook Valley Country Park, DCRT have worked with Fletchers Waste Management to expand the small ponds in the north of the park, which will help create a more diverse range of habitats for local wildlife.

The council, together with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, have planted 1500 trees in Whitecotes Park, Brearley Wetlands and Badger Recreation Ground. Not only do new trees help absorb carbon, but they also create new habitats for wildlife.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Tackling ongoing climate change issues and improving biodiversity provision are closely related. The work we have been doing with partners aims to ensure that Chesterfield is at the forefront of tackling these emergencies. I’m proud of the work we’ve done but there is still lots more to do and I would encourage everyone to get involved and support our work in this key area.”

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “These interventions in our green spaces not only support our ambitious climate change plans, but they also enhance these green spaces for local people. Our recently approved Parks and Open Spaces Strategy has sustainability as a key aim for works to improve our facilities.  Ensuring that local people have excellent green spaces to enjoy is key to improving the quality of life for all our residents.”

The small ponds in the north of Holmebrook Valley Park were originally created several years ago however the pond liners used became damaged and water was not being held in the ponds.

To ensure the ponds can hold water they have been lined with clay and they are already holding water following heavy rainfall. These ponds will also help reduce the flow of storm waters into the river which could reduce the flood risk downstream.

Fletchers Waste Management volunteered their machinery and staff to help complete the ponds at no cost.

DCRT will now be hosting volunteer days so that planting around the ponds can take place.

The council is working closely with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to plant trees and enhance biodiversity across the borough with funding provided through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Further tree planting will take place in 2022 to ensure the council exceeds its target of planting at least 1000 trees every year.

The council will be working with community groups, tree wardens and other volunteers to ensure these trees are planted and can thrive. Some of these will be planted in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. More details about these and how members of the community can get involved will be released in due course.

Any residents wanting to support the council’s tree planting programme can volunteer to become a tree warden by emailing greenspaces@chesterfield.gov.uk or calling 01246 959415.

Working on ponds in Holmebrook Valley Country Park

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Derbyshire’s investment strategy named one of best in Europe by FT

Derbyshire’s strategy for attracting overseas investment to the county has been named as one of the best in Europe in rankings compiled by the Financial Times.

Part of Marketing Derby’s Invest in Derbyshire service involves attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to the county.

And in the prestigious Financial Times’ fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 rankings, Derbyshire has been placed fifth within the top 10 Small Regions for FDI Strategy category, which recognises the regions who have devised the strongest strategy for attracting investment.

Derbyshire is ranked alongside other regions in countries across Europe, including Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Croatia, Spain, Norway, Austria and Serbia – and is the only UK region to feature in the top 10.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “This is really good news as we have put a lot of effort into developing the successful Marketing Derby inward investment service into the county.

“We have worked very closely with our partners at Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Economic Partnership and Destination Chesterfield in doing this.”

Derby and Derbyshire also enjoyed success in a category which recognised the efforts of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

The D2N2 LEP (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) was ranked seventh in the Connectivity category.

fDi Intelligence is a service from the Financial Times and is the largest Foreign Direct Investment centre of excellence globally.

The rankings are one of the industry’s most prominent benchmarks of FDI competitiveness.

For this year’s rankings, fDi’s research team assessed 356 European cities and 148 European regions.

Both awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held at MIPIM, the global property fair that is set to take place in Cannes, in the south of France, next week.

The success comes hot on the heels of the launch of a new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus, showcasing 23 projects that will help lead the county’s regeneration.

Mr Forkin said: “The investment prospectus lists over £1 billion of opportunities across Derbyshire.

“This complements our new Invest in Derbyshire website and promotional films, which have just been released.”

A number of developments are currently underway in Chesterfield, providing a range of fresh investment opportunities across the town. They include Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway, Elder Way, Staveley Regeneration Corridor, Markham Vale and much more.

For a full overview of the developments taking place across Chesterfield, go to https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

Find out more about why Chesterfield is an ideal place to locate your business, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

To read a digital version of the new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus please click here.

 

Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

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