Leisure

Seb Perez ready for Oulton Park

31st May 2016

Chesterfield’s young racing driver, Seb Perez is set to travel to Oulton Park this weekend in the next round of the Simpson Race Products Ginetta Junior Championship.

The 16-year-old will be looking for a bit more luck after his last two outings at Donington Park and Thruxton have ended in a mixture of success and misfortune.

Race one at Donington saw Perez finish 11th, after changing weather conditions including a sleet storm and various position changes. He clocked up his fastest lap on the first and second sectors of the circuit, dropping to second during the third timed section of the track, only to find after the race his fastest lap had been disallowed.

Second race of the weekend saw him line up 11th on the grid, but unfortunately after a good start he retired with a damaged car after being shunted off the track.

After a battle to get the car ready for race three, his team worked wonders and saw him on the last row of the grid. Making up six places he finished in 16th position.

Despite the car sustaining 2 bent valves and brake problems at Donington, Seb’s team ensured it was running well for Thruxton.

The qualifying session saw Seb outrun every other driver on the circuit. Lap 3 was his fastest lap at 1:31.899s with a speed of 92.29mph to take his maiden pole position in the championship by one thousandth of a second.

Race one saw Perez in pole and in charge of the pack of the other 19 cars behind him. Black flagged for jumping the start and a drive through penalty saw him drop to 19th position, however he progressed through the field gaining a best race speed of up to 106.8mph and finishing 18th – still a success but a potential podium place could have been on the cards.

Race two saw Perez start from row 9 on the grid. After a good start on the first lap gaining essential places, disaster struck shortly afterwards and an incident saw Max Bird’s Ginetta retiring along with Perez.

After a month’s break with plenty of testing and some tweaks to the car he hopes that this will be a turning point in the season for him. Last season Seb finished 15th in both races at Oulton Park and hopes to improve on that this year.

He said: “I am really looking forward to Oulton Park this weekend, I enjoy racing on it and there will be a lot of local support there for me.

“The last two rounds at Donington and Thruxton hadn’t gone entirely to plan, but that’s racing for you; it’s always a learning curve and my team, JHR Developments has worked well on the car during the last 2 rounds to sort out the problems. We had a good test session at Croft just over a week ago and the car is performing great.”

Perez has still a long way to go to the end of the season at the beginning of October. Seb’s performance and all the action is broadcast live on the Sundays on ITV 4.

Editorial by Paul Horton. Landscape image: Jakob Ebrey Photography, Portrait image: Paul Horton Photography.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

£80k boost to help young people get active

31st May 2016

Young people across Derbyshire will have the chance to try a range of sports and activities thanks to an £80,000 boost which has been awarded to sports clubs and providers.

A total of 76 projects have been awarded a share of the funding which will see new sessions run in a huge variety of sports and activities, with everything from aerobics, boxercise, tennis, cricket and netball, to climbing, American football, dance and martial arts on offer.

The funding has come from Sport England’s Lottery-funded London 2012 legacy project Sportivate, which in Derbyshire is co-ordinated locally by Derbyshire Sport.

The programme aims to give more young people aged 11 to 25 the chance to discover a sport that they love, offering those who do not currently take part in sport and physical activity between six and eight weeks of free or subsidised coaching.

Once the course has finished, those involved will also be supported to continue playing sport.

Projects will take place across the county, including in Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derby, the Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire.

Funding will be used to pay for new equipment, coaching, facility hire and training.

Lewis Adams, Sport Development Officer with responsibility for Sportivate at Derbyshire Sport, said: “Since its launch six years ago more than 10,000 young people across Derbyshire have taken part in sporting activities funded through Sportivate.

“This latest round of funding will allow lots more new and exciting activities to be kick-started and continue to help sports clubs and organisations to recruit new participants and get more young people active.”

To find out what Sportivate sessions are available in your area please contact Lewis Adams, Sport Development Officer at Derbyshire Sport by emailing lewis.adams@derbyshire.gov.uk.

The application process for a further round of Sportivate funding is due to open in August. Applications will be particularly welcomed from projects with a specific focus on inactive young people, women and girls, disabled young people, those aged between 19 and 25, and young people who are not currently in education, employment or training.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Working Towards an Active Derbyshire

27th May 2016

Derbyshire Sport has made tackling inactivity the number one priority in its new draft strategy for 2016 to 2021, Towards an Active Derbyshire.

The ambition is to engage 50,000 more people in physical activity and sport over the next five years as a response to a decline across the county in those getting regularly active.

The strategy acts as a call to action for partners and communities across Derbyshire to help address big inequalities in participation from one area to another.

It also sets out women, young people and those from lower socio economic groups as clear priorities.

“There is a need to work differently, understanding the attitudes, fears and barriers that stop people becoming more active and engaged in sport,” said Hayley, Lever, Director of Derbyshire Sport.

“We want organisations and people across Derbyshire to support and encourage less active people on a journey to happier and healthier lives.”

“There is a growing recognition nationally, that, for many people, activity and sport simply isn’t on their radar. Even for those who are engaged, many factors get in the way and people need information, support, encouragement and help to motivate and nudge them to change their lifestyles.”

The draft strategy, open for public consultation until June 20, calls for a commitment to change at every level and across sectors, including health, transport, business and planning, as well as sport and recreation.

It supports Sport England’s new strategy released last week – Towards an Active Nation 2016-2021 – which outlines that future investment will target seven key areas: tackling inactivity, children and young people, taking sport and activity to the mass market, supporting sport’s core markets, local delivery and creating welcoming sports facilities.

As part of its fresh approach, Derbyshire Sport has also adopted a new constitution and board, which features openly-recruited skills-based members.

New board chair Kathryn Mitchell added: “I’m delighted to join the new Derbyshire Sport board as Chair at this time of exciting change in the landscape of activity and sport.

“We welcome the opportunity to support the Sport England vision, working with our partners locally to create positive and sustainable changes for those living, working and visiting Derbyshire.”

The draft strategy, Towards an Active Derbyshire, can be viewed and downloaded by visiting the Derbyshire Sport website and searching for Derbyshire Physical Activity and Sport Strategy 2016-2021.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Spireites announce second summer signing

25th May 2016

Chesterfield have made their second summer signing, clinching the signature of midfielder Jon Nolan.

The 24-year-old was a free agent after coming to the end of his contract at Grimsby Town.

Nolan, who started his career with Stockport County before spells at Lincoln City and Wrexham, played a key role in Grimsby’s return to the Football League via the play-offs. The Mariners also enjoyed another trip to Wembley in last weekend’s FA Trophy final.

Nolan joins striker Kristian Dennis in signing for the Spireites since the end of the season.

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

Thrills galore at Chatsworth Country Fair

25th May 2016

Split second timing, breathtaking fire jumps and pyramids on wheels are just some of the stunning tricks crowds can expect at the Chatsworth Country Fair this September as the world-famous Imps Motorcycle Display Team returns for the first time in a decade.

The youngest member of the team is just five years old and will take part in a spectacular show of revving engines, billowing fire jumps and multiple motorcycle routines to bring visitors an unmissable display of discipline and skill.

The Imps Motorcycle Display Team forms part of the action-packed schedule of family friendly entertainment at the hugely popular annual event.

The Grand Ring will also be the site for thrilling landings from the Jump4Heroes human flight team, made up of serving and former members of the military. Continuing with the aerial attractions, visitors to the fair will once again be treated to an awe-inspiring aerobatic display by the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force team famous for their trademark combinations of close formation flying, dynamic loops and rolls appearing on Friday and Sunday.

The popular Household Cavalry Musical Ride will be back performing cavalry drill movements set to music showcasing the courage, skill, precision and discipline required by the riders. As part of the display, Stablemen, or “Rough Riders” lie on the ground with their horses, a skill which can take up to four months of training to teach and is a throwback to when horses went into battle and would need to take cover.

Birds and animals once again feature prominently over the three days. Always popular is CJ’s Birds of Prey, a unique father and daughter act lead by Charlotte Hill who has trained in the art of falconry in various countries across the world. The duo’s bubbling enthusiasm and skill has led to them becoming one of the most popular Birds of Prey display teams in the UK.

The Chatsworth Country Fair takes place from 2 to 4 September 2016 and discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance online. For more information click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield gets new-look half marathon

24th May 2016

One of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire’s most prominent running events has been launched with a new look route – which promises to be flatter and faster than previous years.

Organisers of the Chesterfield Half Marathon believe that the runner-friendly route will attract more participants and elite runners from around the world.

The route changes come alongside a suspension of the full marathon for 2016, to enable organisers to focus on creating a much-improved route for the 2017 event.

Runners can now register to take part in the 2016 event, which takes place on Sunday 2 October. It will also include a fun run and a relay race, where four competitors take a share of the course over a distance of either 5km or two people over 10km each.

The charity race, which is sponsored by Chesterfield-based Drainage 2000, will once again be entirely in support of a number of local and national charities and community organisations.

Starting and finishing in Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park, the route has retained popular stretches through areas like Hasland whilst also incorporating Chatsworth Road and more of the town centre. As well as being a faster and more attractive route for runners of all abilities, the new route will allow more residents to get out onto the streets and support the runners. The route is all road-based, so fully wheelchair accessible.

As in previous years, there will also be an all-day ‘Party in the Park’ in Queen’s Park, with food, drink and entertainment for all the family. Along the route organisers are also aiming to create festival zones in areas such as Hasland and Chatsworth Road, where the Chatsworth Road festival will be taking place on the same weekend.

Mike Hyman, from the event organisers, said: “It has always been our intention for the Chesterfield Half Marathon to be a world class event that will attract runners and visitors to our town from across the UK and beyond. So that, as well as the thousands of pounds the event can generate for many charities, the Chesterfield Half Marathon also benefits the local economy, from the influx of visitors to our town who will spend their money in our shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.

“The route we have designed for this year definitely achieves our ambition. We have been working closely with the local authorities and other agencies for many months, as well as listening to runners’ and residents’ feedback to try and design an equally attractive full marathon route, but there is still more work to do to achieve the optimum route.

“In relation to the full marathon, it is a very difficult task to agree a route that is attractive enough to runners to make it commercially viable, while at the same time limits disruption to residents and satisfies all the agencies concerned, including the emergency services and Highways England. Therefore in 2016 we have decided not to hold the full marathon and instead focus on building the half marathon and the 4 X 5K team relay event.”

Drainage 2000 returns as headline sponsor for the second year. The company, which was launched in 2000, maintains drainage systems all across the UK and employs 20 people locally from its office in Old Whittington.

Entry is £30 for the half marathon, £25 per person for the 2 X 10K team relay, £15 per person for the 4 x 5K team relay and £5 for the fun run. Runners will also have the option to have their ‘chipped’ race number posted to them before race day.

To register as for the Half Marathon, team relay, fun run or as a volunteer visit www.chesterfieldmarathon.org.uk/registrations. To find out more about sponsorship opportunities, festival zone packs or getting involved in other ways contact Andrea on 01246 269023 or andrea@chesterfieldmarathon.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Ringwood Hall Hotel named best wedding venue

24th May 2016

Ringwood Hall Hotel in Brimington was named Best Venue in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at the I Do Magazine Wedding Awards this month.

Shortlisted alongside four local venues (Bentley Brook in Ashbourne, Hotel Van Dyk in Clowne, The Maynard in Grindleford and Best Western in Retford), Ringwood Hall Hotel scooped the accolade at a ceremony held at Sheffield City Hall on Tuesday 17th May.

Votes for the category were cast by bridal couples who had used the services of wedding suppliers and held their wedding receptions at participating venues.

A spokesperson for Ringwood Hall Hotel said “We are absolutely delighted and thrilled to have won this award. We have an exceptional wedding team, and our beautiful Georgian grade 11 listed Manor House with its six acres of award winning formal gardens and 23 acres of parklands, is the perfect location for bridal couples to enjoy their special day.

“What makes this award even more special is that the votes were cast by bridal couples who had held their wedding day at Ringwood Hall, and to have so many happy and satisfied brides is a testament to the service we provide in the planning towards the wedding day, and the operation of the wedding day itself.

Ringwood Hall Hotel is a unique and quirky venue that provides an exceptional wedding experience for our bridal couples, and I think the I Do Magazine Award is clear evidence of this.”

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Spireites appoint new catering and events manager

23rd May 2016

Peter Clarke has been appointed as the new catering and events manager at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium.

Clarke, 49, joins the Spireites from A&S Leisure to strengthen the award-winning catering & banqueting department.

He started his career at Owlerton Stadium in 1984 after completing a business studies course at college before leaving in 1997 to take up the role of assistant general manager at one of Sheffield’s premier nightclubs, Josephine’s (also owned by A&S Leisure at the time).

After a couple of years he moved on to the Pinegrove Country Club as general manager. In 2003, Clarke joined Out of Town Leisure Group as general manager and managed a varied range of businesses including sports bars and restaurants, some of them in Meadowhall.

Clarke, who returned to Owlerton Stadium in 2009 as assistant general manager, is thrilled to have been presented with the challenge that awaits him. He said: “I am obviously aware of the high standards that the chairman expects and I want to ensure that the Proact Stadium remains the number one venue in North Derbyshire. I understand that I am going to be working with an excellent team of staff, some of whom I have met in the past.”

Chesterfield director Ashley Carson said: “I was delighted when Peter applied for the job. He is very highly regarded by A&S Leisure and I know that they will really miss him. It was vital for us to appoint someone who has the experience of dealing with both large numbers and small numbers of customers.”

Clarke will take up his new role at the beginning of June.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Proact hosts world’s largest first aid lesson

23rd May 2016

A new world record for the largest first aid lesson was set at the Proact Stadium on Friday 20th May when 1,795 people learned essential lifesaving skills.

The event was organised by the Community Save a Life Scheme and Bolsover District Council, with support from Chesterfield FC, the British Heart Foundation, Rotary International and Inner Wheel.

Children from a number of local schools were joined on the pitch by residents of the town to beat the previous record figure of 1,700, set in Abu Dhabi three years ago.

The participants watched videos demonstrating key lifesaving skills before carrying out their newly-learned first aid methods on the pitch to hone them.

Dr Cheryle Berry, one of the organisers, expressed her delight at the achievement. She said: ”This is a dream come true for all of us and I’m particularly proud of all the children. It was like waiting for your exam results all over again and my knees were trembling as we waited for the numbers to be announced!

“As soon as the numbers were said there was huge euphoria and pride, because this will mean a lot. We wanted to give the football club a lovely birthday present for their 150th year.

“We also wanted to give Chesterfield a boost because it’s a town that deserves to be put on the map and we feel that in our little way we’ve done that.”

The attempt was overseen and verified by Glenn Pollard – an official Guinness World Records adjudicator – who gave his observations after confirming that a new record had been set.

He said: “I had been working with the organisation team leading up to the event and explaining what I would be looking for. Right from the very start, I got a real sense of the organisation that had gone into it.

“I was overwhelmed by the organisation and the hard work and I have to say that it is one of the best organised events I have been to.

“This is about a Guinness World Records title, but it’s also about training people in first aid. If one person is able to save a life on the street as a result of what they have learned, then it’s been worth it. The certificate is the icing on the cake for what they’ve achieved.”

Images courtesy of Tina Jenner.

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

Banner Jones duo take on 40 miles for Dementia Awareness Week

20th May 2016

Directors Richard Barlow and Rob Stubbs from Banner Jones Solicitors each completed a 40 mile ultra marathon on Saturday 14th May to show their support and help raise money for the thousands of Derbyshire people affected by dementia.

The pair were inspired to run the Sherwood Forest Dukeries Ultra by Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield who also completed 30 miles on the day.

For Dom the event was number six in a series of sixteen team challenges designed to raise awareness locally for the Alzheimer’s Society and brings Dom’s current fundraising total to over £3000.

Explaining his reasons for joining the team, Richard Barlow, Head of Wills & Probate said:-

“I’ve always fancied having a go at the ultra. It was a great chance to support Dom, raise money for the Alzheimer’s society and complete a challenge of my own all in one go. It’s also national Dementia Awareness Week between the 15th- 21st May and so raising money for something that affects so many of my clients seemed like the right thing to do.”

Speaking about the challenge, Rob Stubs, Head of Dispute Resolution said:-

“The first few miles were quite tough going as part of the course had flooded, so we ran for some time in wet shoes. The scenery along the way helped to make up for it though. As a rather cruel twist the organisers gave us a ‘free mile’ so we actually ended running 41 miles, but we dug in and encouraged each other to the end. The finish line was a welcome sight and reaching it felt like a huge achievement. It was a great event and we’ve even suggested we might run the course again, but not for a while!”

Commending Richard and Rob, Marketing Manager, Ann-Marie Lowe commented:-

“Banner Jones Solicitors does a lot of charity work throughout the year and regularly enters teams into sporting events. The pair took this on with absolute determination and have helped Dom to reach his fundraising target of £3000 in the process, which is absolutely fantastic. We are very proud of our runners!”

To sponsor the team or to see the full list of challenges, search for Sixteen in 16 online.

Image (L-R): Richard Barlow and Rob Stubbs from Banner Jones Solicitors and Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure

Nominations open early for Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

19th May 2016

With the lighter nights and warmer weather now upon us, people are being urged to nominate their favourite restaurants, food producers, bars, cafes, pubs and tearooms in the 2016 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield, the nominations have been opened earlier than usual to capitalise on the town’s recent warm weather, which is helping draw people into bars, restaurants and cafés in and around the town.

People can nominate eateries, hostelries and food producers based in Chesterfield as well as 10 miles out of town. Nominations are open now and can be made online across 10 categories in the popular awards, which return for the fourth year running. Nominations close at midnight on Monday 13 June 2016.

Everyone who nominates in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards will be entered into a free prize draw for two tickets to the glittering awards ceremony later this year, which will be hosted by founder of Little Venice Cake Company, Mich Turner MBE.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager is now urging people to get nominating. He said: “This year we have brought the nominations forward to make the most of summer socialising – whether it’s a tasty meal or buzzing beer garden, or something special produced locally for your barbecue or picnic, we want to know.

“The success of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards is all down to the general public and they haven’t let us down yet. Each year we get more and more nominations proving that we’re a town that appreciates good food and customer service. I hope people will get behind us once again and vote and help make the 2016 awards the best yet.”

Headline sponsor Chesterfield College, is once again hosting the glittering awards ceremony at its Heart Space Building. Its catering students will not only serve and prepare the two-course a la carte menu to more than 250 guests, but will also compete for the coveted Young Chef of the Year title in the awards. The winner of the title as well as those of all the awards will be crowned at the star-studded ceremony in October later this year.

Voting in the 10 categories is easy and can be done online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards

The 10 categories in which you can nominate in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards include:

• Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council
• Café/Tea Room of the Year – sponsored by Kier
• Gastro Pub of the Year – sponsored by arvato
• Pub / Bar of the Year – sponsored by Custom Solar
• Best Newcomer – sponsored by BHP Accountants
• Best Customer Service – sponsored by East Midlands Chamber
• Best Out of Town (within 10 miles of Chesterfield) – presented by Chesterfield College
• Chesterfield Food Producer – sponsored by Casa Hotel
• International Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by MSE Hiller
• Family Friendly Award – sponsored by Jumble Design

Other supporters of the awards include the Derbyshire Times, Peak FM, Holdsworth Foods, Banner Jones Solicitors, the Crooked Spire Church, Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, Central Technology Ltd, ra Information Systems, Black Eyed Susan and Reflections.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting