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Winners Revealed: Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards 2020

Shining stars of the local tourism industry were announced at the prestigious Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards last night (5 March).

Designed to recognise and reward excellence in the area’s valuable £2.3 billion visitor economy, the awards brought together 31 finalists in 11 categories for a glittering ceremony at Buxton’s Grade II* listed Devonshire Dome.

Some of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s finest hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, pubs, visitor attractions and experiences were amongst those recognised at the awards evening, which was organised by Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire with support from the University of Derby and the European Regional Development Fund.

Demonstrating the quality and diversity of the area’s tourism offer, awards were hotly contested and nominees progressed through shortlisting, mystery shopping and a rigorous judging process by panels of experts to arrive at last night’s much anticipated awards ceremony.

The evening was enhanced by a sparkling drinks reception which included tastings from White Peak Distillery, the area’s first full-scale craft distillery, and a three-course meal prepared by students from the University of Derby’s Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism.

Host James Berresford, former CEO of VisitEngland, congratulated finalists as Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners were announced, shining a spotlight on the best of the area’s visitor economy.

Gold award winners were each presented with a hand-crafted plaque sponsored by Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery.

In a further boost, Gold winners will now represent the Peak District and Derbyshire at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence on Tuesday 16 June in Hull.

Brendan Moffett, of sponsors the University of Derby, said: “We’re delighted to host this wonderful celebration of the area’s tourism industry at the prestigious Devonshire Dome in Buxton.”

“The University of Derby is keen to use our location at the heart of the Peak District to continue to support the growth of our excellent tourism businesses and develop the next generation of talent to meet future challenges, ensuring the industry can remain strong and competitive.”

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “It is our privilege to celebrate some of the talented businesses who offer that extra special service and experience for some of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s 42 million visitors each year.”

“All of our finalists are shining examples of quality, excellence and innovation. It is this emphasis on quality that keeps us firmly on the map as a world-class visitor destination. Congratulations to all our worthy winners and finalists!”

The Winners:

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

  • GOLD: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
  • Silver: Croft Bungalow Accessible Holiday Let, Birchover
  • Bronze: Hope Cross Cottage at Vicarage Farm, Wheston

B&B and Guest House of the Year

  • GOLD: Underleigh House, Hope
  • Silver: Grendon Bed & Breakfast, Buxton

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

  • GOLD: Landal Darwin Forest, Matlock
  • Silver: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
  • Bronze: Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

  • GOLD: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
  • Silver: The Devonshire Arms, Pilsley

Experience of the Year

  • GOLD: Pure Outdoor Ltd
  • Silver: Acclimbatize Ltd
  • Bronze: Live for the Hills Ltd

Hotel of the Year

  • GOLD: The Peacock at Rowsley
  • Silver: CASA Hotel, Chesterfield
  • Bronze: Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, Chesterfield

New Tourism Business Award

  • GOLD: White Peak Distillery, Ambergate
  • Silver: myGuidedWalks Ltd
  • Bronze: Tagg Lane Dairy Ltd, Monyash

Pub of the Year

  • GOLD: The Prince of Wales Village Pub & Restaurant, Baslow
  • Silver: The Devonshire Arms, Beeley
  • Bronze: The Royal Oak, Hurdlow

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

  • GOLD: Ashford Mill, Ashford-in-the-Water
  • Silver: Peak District Holidays Ltd, Matlock Bath
  • Bronze: Peak Venues – Redhurst Barn, Wetton

Taste of the Peak District & Derbyshire

  • GOLD: Fischer’s Baslow Hall
  • Silver: The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
  • Bronze: The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop

Visitor Attraction of the Year

  • GOLD: Chatsworth
  • Silver: Matlock Farm Park
  • Bronze: Haddon Hall

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Leading Chesterfield SMEs boost workforce skills – for free

Three prominent Chesterfield businesses are upskilling their management teams with free training thanks to a government scheme.

The Skills Support for the Workforce Programme supports SMEs to flourish with free courses to boost workforce skills. Delivered by leading provider The Source Skills Academy, with Chesterfield business coach and author Anne Burton at the helm, the training is worth up to £600 per person.

Peak Pipe Systems, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of polyethylene pipe, jumped at the opportunity of boosting its workers’ potential. Along with sister company ControlPoint Ltd, creators of quality assurance systems, it put nine team leaders forward for accredited Team Leading and Management courses.

ControlPoint opened its doors to other businesses and hosted the workshops at its Chesterfield Trading Estate site, including local company Weightron Bilanciai, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of weighbridges and industrial weighing products, software and automation. Five team leaders from Sheepbridge-based MSK Ingredients are also upskilling.

Sammy Hodgkiss, Service Team Leader at Weightron Bilanciai, said: “I want to progress to management at Weightron and this course will improve my leadership skills and give clarity on how to deal with HR issues should they arise.”

Laura Chapman (right), HR Manager at Peak Pipe Systems, commented: “We didn’t know there was free government funding to help us develop our employees until we heard about Skills Support for the Workforce from The Source. We realised it was a fantastic opportunity.”

“Investing in our people is a priority but we have to keep an eye on our budgets. A number of talented staff across our shop floor, offices and warehouse had been promoted to team leaders but had not received managerial training. SSW has enabled us to support them in their roles.”

“The employee’s voice is very important to us. Upskilling our managers, enables them to provide better support to their staff.”

Laura added: “As Chesterfield Champions, we were delighted to support other local businesses by hosting the training.”

Chesterfield has been designated a priority area in the Sheffield City Region’s delivery of the Skills Support for the Workforce Programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Dale Robinson, Business Development Director at The Source, said: “We are helping Chesterfield SMEs grow by enabling them to develop their people at no cost.”

“Our SSW courses support the Sheffield City Region LEP’s priority to boost the local economy and will be running regularly in different parts of the region.”

Companies who want to develop staff management skills can contact The Source’s business development officer at vernon.tolson@thesourceacademy.co.uk

 

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

Clarissa’s Interiors opens at Vicar Lane

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is pleased to announce the opening of a brand-new independent pop-up shop at the centre.

Clarissa’s Interiors is run by mother and daughter team Jayne and Clare. They started out in 2016, making hand crafted glass jars and lanterns with floral designs and animals as well as creating bespoke designs for customers. They sold these on a stall at Chesterfield’s Thursday market, which was followed by a gazebo at Vicar Lane on a Saturday. This worked in tandem with them working the local country show and event circuit, so the pop-up shop is the next step in their exciting venture.

The store is located opposite CEX and sells a range of home interiors / home décor collections. These include Clare’s hand-crafted items along with beautiful items for the home – from mirrors, and clocks, to wall art, cushions, lamps, occasional chairs and tables, small accessories, candles, ornaments and more.

The store is open from 9am – 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We’re very pleased to be able to support yet another young, local business spread their wings and grow, in the heart of Chesterfield and are very excited to see the range of products on offer at Clarissa’s Interiors.’’

Click here to find out more about Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

New exhibition to showcase people, possessions and perceptions at Chatsworth

A new exhibition will present some of the fascinating figures that have shaped Chatsworth’s past and present over the centuries, by placing their portraits alongside key objects that both illuminate their story and influence perceptions about Chatsworth.

Life Stories traces the lives of friends, artists, politicians and others associated with Chatsworth. Running from 21 March to 4 October, the exhibition pairs portraits and objects, inviting visitors to look closer and meet the many faces of Chatsworth.

Artists Lucian Freud and Angela Conner, the playwright Tom Stoppard, the poet Sir John Betjeman, and ceramicist Natasha Daintry are paired in new and unexpected ways. Objects such as the abandoned paints used by Freud on an unfinished work found in the Sabine Bathroom are used to illustrate their relationship to Chatsworth.

Famous names and objects, Devonshire family members, and staff such as cellarman Edmund Marsden invite visitors to look again at works in the Collection. Founder Bess of Hardwick’s portrait is shown with a modern reproduction of her necklace of 1000 pearls, footage recreating the moment film star Adele Astaire met her future family introduces moments of humour and humanity, while new pieces of jewellery by contemporary artist Tarka Kings are inspired by Chatsworth’s collection of portrait miniatures.

Dr Alexandra Hodby, Curator of Exhibitions & Engagement, Chatsworth said: “We wanted to make the famous faces seen all around Chatsworth more human and easier to relate to – to reduce the distance that their name or the grand setting can sometimes create. In the end, they are human beings like the rest of us and by linking them to a very personal object we make it easier to understand them as people and the impact, great or small, they have had on Chatsworth over the years,”

Click here to find out more about the Life Stories Exhibition

Skin Deep by Natasha Daintry © Natasha Daintry © The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield FC Women appoint General Manager

Gabrielle Salomon has been named as the new general manager of Chesterfield FC Women.

Gabrielle, who is involved with the Sport Policy Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University, will oversee the day to day running of the organisation and take the lead on all off-the-pitch matters.

She holds an MSc in Sport Management and is studying for a PhD, investigating the impacts diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives have on gender equality in football workplaces.

Commenting on her new role, Gabrielle said: “I’m excited to join Chesterfield FC Women as this club experienced a lot of great progress both on and off the pitch over recent seasons.”

“There is a strong dynamic around the club’s operations and incredible work planned for the future.”

Michael Noon, Chesterfield FC Women’s chairman and first-team manager, added: “We are delighted to have been able to attract somebody of Gabi’s calibre to come and work with us. ”

“Gabi’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable and she will play a key role in developing the women’s set up even further.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home, Leisure

Climate change summit asks Derbyshire ‘what will you do?’

More than 150 people from local businesses, housing developers, councils and other public bodies gathered at an event to explore how they can work together to help tackle climate change.

The aim of the event, held at County Hall in Matlock, was to set out the vision and ambition for the whole of Derbyshire to become a net zero carbon county by 2050 – which means cutting carbon emissions from every area of everyday life to the lowest possible level and offsetting the remaining emissions through carbon absorbing measures such as planting trees.

Council leaders who attended from across the county showed their commitment by pledging their support to helping achieve the 2050 ambition in line with Government targets.

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Climate and Sustainability Champion Councillor Barry Lewis said:
“There’s no doubt our climate is changing and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

“Clearly action is needed on an unprecedented scale and by 2032 the county council intends to be carbon neutral in terms of our property, street-lighting and fleet operating with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

“But there is a far bigger challenge that faces us. The council’s own carbon footprint makes up just one per cent of emissions from Derbyshire as a whole. And this is where we intend to grab hold of the nettle and strive to make a real difference.

“By working with our district and borough council colleagues and neighbouring Derby City, we intend to be at the forefront of engagement and innovation, working alongside our communities and businesses and supporting them to bring about change.”

People attending the event were invited to test drive our new fleet of electric pool vehicles during the day. We’ve replaced some of our older diesel vehicles with eight electric cars and three electric bikes which will be used by our staff in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of making essential business journeys in their own cars.

Rounding off the day, Derbyshire Youth Councillors Alex McDermott and George Davidson set down a challenge to everyone attending the event to make changes within their own organisations to support the climate change agenda in Derbyshire.

Councillor Lewis added “We want to move further and faster than any local authority in the UK to achieve a sensible, credible, measured and cohesive plan in which every business and household feels empowered to play their part in reducing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“No business, organisation or individual can halt global warming alone. But by working together, we can design a new way of living and set a strong example for others to follow.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home

Chesterfield Waterside bridge nominated for national award

The Lavers Bridge project at the £320 million Chesterfield Waterside scheme, has been nominated for a national award which recognises the contribution it has made to bringing forward the development of new homes on the site.

The 30-metre steel bridge, which crosses the River Rother and connects Brimington Road to the new Avant Homes development at Waterside Quarter, has been shortlisted in the Smeaton Award category at the annual Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Yorkshire and Humber Awards.

Dronfield-based Henry Boot Construction put the project forward for the prestigious awards which showcase the collective and individual achievements of civil engineers and civil engineering.

The Lavers Bridge is one of nine projects shortlisted in the Smeaton Award category, which is open to projects costing between £500,000 and £5million. The winner of the award will be announced on Friday 6 March 2020 at Sheffield City Hall.

The new vehicular and pedestrian bridge was designed by HSP Consulting Engineers Limited and constructed and installed by Henry Boot Construction Limited last year. It replaced an existing bridge.

The completion of the bridge will now enable 300 family homes to be delivered, the first of which are already underway at the Avant Homes’ Waterside Quarter development on the site.

Henry Boot and HSP Consulting Engineers brought innovative thinking to the project, choosing to manufacture much of the new bridge off-site in order to maintain access to site during its construction phase.

Chesterfield Borough Council granted planning permission to create the new access bridge and road to The Park area of Chesterfield Waterside in 2018. The granting of permission enabled developer Bolsterstone Group Plc to progress proposals to develop new homes. Avant Homes subsequently announced it would construct 173 new two, three and four bedroom houses in the Waterside Quarter neighbourhood. Construction of the new homes is now under way and the homes went on sale last month,

Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc commented on the importance of the bridge: “I am delighted that both Henry Boot Construction and HSP Consulting Engineers are receiving recognition for the impact the Laver Bridge project has made at Chesterfield Waterside. The bridge was essential to enable us to continue developing The Park neighbourhood and bring forward hundreds of new homes.”

Ian Gresser, Operations Manager, Henry Boot Construction, commented: “With so many worthy schemes out there, it is great news Lavers Bridge has been shortlisted for the Smeaton Award.”

To learn more about the Chesterfield Waterside development and the investment opportunities available

Chesterfield Waterside bridge nominated for national award

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home

Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Vitality Blast tickets now on sale

Tickets for the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Vitality Blast fixture in June are now on sale.

The Derbyshire Falcons return to Queen’s Park on Saturday 20 June to face the Yorkshire Vikings as part of the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.

The fixture was a complete sell out in both 2018 and 2019, with similar demand expected for 2020.

Prior to the visit of the Vikings, Derbyshire will face Worcestershire in a County Championship match at the picturesque Queen’s Park to begin the week-long Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council.

Derbyshire will face the Yorkshire Vikings in the newly-structured Royal London Cup at Queen’s Park in Chesterfield on Sunday 26th July. The List A visit by Yorkshire will be the sixth day of cricket in Chesterfield next summer.

Derbyshire County Cricket Club celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2020 and will play 17 days of home weekend and Bank Holiday cricket in 2020, with all but one home County Championship match spanning a weekend.

Click here to find out more about the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

Chesterfield Festival of Cricket Image David Griffin

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield’s Liam Pitchford is double national champion again

Liam Pitchford is the national Men’s Singles Champion for the sixth time after successfully defending his title at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships.

The Chesterfield star beat fellow Olympian and second seed Paul Drinkhall in the final, recovering from 2-0 down to fight back and win 4-2.

The title moved him joint second on the all-time list, level with Drinkhall, Alan Cooke (also from Chesterfield) and Denis Neale, though still five behind the legendary Desmond Douglas.

Top seed Pitchford said: “It feels amazing. I’m on the same amount as plenty of good players, so the next step is to keep winning.”

“At the start I don’t think I played that bad. He was playing really well. Even throughout the whole match I think we both kept a good level. I had a bit of luck at the end of the fifth set and it can change matches. It was a few points here or there today and it went my way.”

Pitchford had earlier defeated another Rio Olympian, third seed Sam Walker, 4-1 in the semi-finals.

He was given a tough match by Junior national champion Ethan Walsh in the last 16, twice trailing before coming back to win 4-2, while his quarter-final was a more straightforward 4-0 margin over seventh seed Helshan Weerasinghe.

In the Men’s Doubles, Commonwealth Games gold medallists Pitchford & Drinkhall won the title for the seventh time, missing a match point in the third game but eventually getting past Walker & Tom Jarvis 3-2.

Pitchford has little time to enjoy his triumph, however, as he is competing at the Qatar Open this week.

Photo credit: Alan Man

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure

Volunteers hit the right note at the Royal

The work of volunteers has been praised at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital after attaining a highly prestigious accolade.

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has achieved the Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard following an application, supported by Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity. The Standard aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers and allows the Royal to acknowledge the enormous and valuable contribution they make to the care of patients and support of staff.

The process started in March 2019 and involved a number of workshops, a self-assessment report and submissions of evidence of best practice.  A two-day site assessment was then carried out involving the Chair, Chief Executive Angie Smithson and a group of no less than 25 volunteers who were interviewed about their understanding, experience and the value of volunteering at the Trust.

Richard Ball is the Royal’s Volunteering Services Manager, he said: “We currently have 190 volunteers across a range of services within the hospital, all of them giving their precious time of their own free will. The work they do in supporting our staff and enhancing the patient experience is immeasurable and achieving this standard is a testament to the effort they all put in.”

“We are constantly looking at how our volunteers affect the way our patients and staff experience this hospital’s services and have recently introduced the service into different areas. We now have trained volunteers who provide companionship to End of Life patients; we have chaplaincy volunteers, maternity support and volunteers who chat with our patients having Chemotherapy and make them cups of tea.”

“In 2019 alone our volunteers provided a total of 20,291 hours of help to patients which includes more than 5,000 hours on our wards, more than 1,500 hours from our chaplaincy and ‘End of Life’ companions and 1,126 hours supporting patients and staff in our Emergency Department. They’ve also been involved in putting together carers’ packs, end of life packs, wrapping Christmas presents and wayfinding for visitors and patients. Then there’s the Royal Rider, also supported by the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity, which has been an enormous success in supporting patients and visitors with mobility issues, carrying more than 40,000 patients last year which equates to one every six and a half minutes.”

“I’m delighted that the Trust and this service has been recognised and I’d like to thank Emma, Helen and Carol as part of my team, the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charity and all of our volunteers for making this happen. I’m so proud to lead the excellent Voluntary Services and all of the wonderful volunteers who so positively touch the lives of patients, visitors and staff from admission to discharge.”

Investing in Volunteers is based on four areas of volunteer management; planning for volunteer involvement, recruiting volunteers, selecting and matching volunteers and supporting and retaining volunteers. Further information can be found on www.iiv.investinginvolunteers.org.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home

Route confirmed for 2020 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon

Organisers of the 2020 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon have confirmed the route for this year’s race.

Download the Chesterfield Half Marathon Route

Download the Chesterfield 5 Mile Route

Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon Guide

Chesterfield Half Marathon Road Closures

The race begins in the Park, before runners head through the town centre to be cheered on by the crowds in the market square and looping around the town’s famous crooked spire and southwards onto the A617.

Runners will then get the unique opportunity of not only running along the dual carriageway, but on right-hand side of the road, before heading towards Hasland Road and coming back towards the town centre, passing the halfway point in Hasland.

The runners will then have another chance to lap up the atmosphere of the busy crowds as they head back towards the town centre, past headline sponsors Redbrik Estate Agents, the town hall and out onto Chatsworth Road. They then then head towards event charity partner Ashgate Hospicecare, before looping back onto Chatsworth Road and heading for the finish line in Queens Park.

The 1km Fun Run will also take place during the main event in Queen’s Park.

John Timms, Event Director at Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, said: “We’re delighted to confirm the route for this year’s Half Marathon.”

“Following feedback from runners, Chesterfield Borough Council and event partners, we’re building on the route to not only provide an enhanced experience for our runners, but also provide easier movement for traffic, to keep the people of Chesterfield moving around the town as much as possible.”

“It also offers more opportunities for people to come and watch the event, with more time spent in the town centre and Queen’s Park. Friends and family can easily see runners a few times within walking distance of the start.”

“We’re really excited about this year’s event and we can’t wait until it starts.”

Entries remain open for the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, which is being held in aid of Ashgate Hospicecare, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and countless other good causes.

Enter the Chesterfield Half Marathon

2020 Chesterfield Half Marathon Full Route

Chesterfield Half Marathon 5 Mile Route

 

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting