Made in Chesterfield

Helping local companies benefit from Northern Gateway development

Local companies are being invited to a Meet the Buyer event to find out how to tender for work connected to the ongoing regeneration of Chesterfield.

The construction of the new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre on part of the Holywell Cross car park is due to start in April. Main contractors Robert Woodhead Limited are interested to speak to local companies to form part of their supply chain on this project and other local projects in their pipeline.

The event will take place on 27 March 2020 between 8am – 12pm at Chesterfield Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield S40 1LP in committee room one.

The Enterprise Centre will provide 32 high-quality Grade A offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors.

As part of its commitment to supporting the local economy Chesterfield Borough Council, as the planning authority, includes local labour clauses within developments of this kind to ensure developers use local suppliers, have apprenticeships and allocate as many jobs as possible to local people.

To maximise the opportunities for local companies, main contractors Robert Woodhead Limited and Chesterfield Borough Council will hold the event to provide details of a range of sub-contractor packages available during the project.

Other main contractors including Fortem will join the event to maximise the opportunities available to local businesses on the schemes they are developing across the Borough. Light refreshments will be provided, and companies are requested to bring plenty of business cards for what promises to be a valuable morning of networking.

Opportunities include:

• Brickwork
• Plastering
• Screeds
• Joinery and kitchen fitting
• Floor finishes
• Fencing
• Landscaping
• Painting and decorating
• Wall tiling
• Mastic and sealants
• Cleaners
• Roof Tiling
• Local labour recruitment agencies
• Rendering
• uPVC windows and doors
• Fire stopping
• Fire door set installation
• Kitchen and bathroom installation
• Suspended ceilings
• Electrical
• Plumbing and heating systems/gas
• Scaffolding
• Pitched and flat roofing

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “There is more than £1 billion of investment currently underway in Chesterfield and one of the key priorities of the council is that Chesterfield residents directly benefit from this by getting new jobs, training, business and skills opportunities.

“Robert Woodhead Limited has worked closely with the council to ensure that our borough benefits as much as possible from the opportunities that building this new Enterprise Centre will bring.

“I would encourage all local businesses to attend the Meet the Buyer event and see what opportunities are available for them and their workforces.”

In addition to the Meet the Buyer event, CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and Chesterfield College will be in attendance to guide local business on how to access training and assist in the recruitment of apprentices.

To find out more about the Meet the Buyer event please contact Emily Williams on 01246 345254 or email emily.williams@chesterfield.gov.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

D2N2 LEP seeks two new board members

The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has begun recruitment for two new board members who can help continue the growth of the region.

Local Enterprise Partnerships play a central role in deciding local economic priorities to drive economic growth and create local jobs.

D2N2 LEP are looking for new members who can help to shape the economic strategy across Derby Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Their goal is to improve the productivity of our economy through inclusive growth.

Board members represent the LEP’s interests to partners and stakeholders in the private and public sectors and work collaboratively with them to deliver a shared agenda for the economy.

Elizabeth Fagan CBE (right), Chair of the D2N2, said: “We’re keen to hear from business leaders with energy, creativity, and passion to help us shape and deliver our ambitions for the region.”

“This is an important time for our region as we drive forward work on our Local Industrial Strategy to develop a more prosperous and lower carbon economy, which creates better skilled and higher value jobs for our future generations”

“Our board members come from different backgrounds across our region and offer a breadth of sector knowledge and expertise. I am keen to hear from people that can build on this diversity.”

Applications are welcome from across the LEP area and from all sectors of the economy to reflect the diverse business community. The deadline for applications is Monday 20th April 2020.

To learn more about the position, download the Candidate Pack or visit the website here.

Over 200 delegates attended the 2019 D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Annual Conference

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

‘Greta Thunberg effect’ hailed as an opportunity for innovation and employment in Chesterfield

The ‘Greta Thunberg effect’ has been hailed as an opportunity for innovation and employment in Chesterfield by leaders from the town’s tourism and rail sectors.

Elizabeth Fagan CBE, Chair of D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK and Rupert Carr, Director of Birchall Properties, the company behind PEAK, spoke at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield Conference (11 March), which was organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with the University of Derby.

The creation of PEAK resort, an HS2 station and maintenance depot, as well as investment in the borough by Spanish train manufacturer Talgo, makes Chesterfield well-placed for the UK’s projected growth in rail travel and staycations brought about by the public’s growing concern for the environment.

Earlier this year Chesterfield Borough Council also announced its plans for the borough to be carbon neutral.

At the conference it was announced that Chesterfield is at the forefront of Talgo’s All Britain Strategy. The company, which has a 60% market share of the high speed rail industry in Spain, established its head office in Chesterfield early this year. It now has plans to open a research and development centre, co-located with Barrow Hill Roundhouse, with recruitment due to begin shortly. The company is currently bidding to supply trains to HS2.

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK, shared his ambitions for Chesterfield and the UK

Jon Veitch praised Chesterfield’s connectivity, saying: “Chesterfield provides us with an ideal location to access clients throughout the UK and take advantages of the growing opportunities within the rail sector being driven, in part, by the Greta Thunberg effect. Already this has had a detrimental effect on air travel in Spain, further opening up opportunities for Talgo. We anticipate a similar effect in the UK and we want to be at the forefront of the rail revolution in the UK.”

Speaking at the conference, Elizabeth Fagan CBE said: “The 2008 Climate Change Act allowed the opportunity for the UK Government to declare its ambition on carbon reduction and set legally binding targets, HS2 allows our region to be at the forefront of declaring itself carbon neutral as well as being a leading bastion in energy efficiency and development and use of clean energy technology.

“HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity for the town, enabling employment opportunities to be unlocked. We must ensure we take this moment in time to deliver our carbon neutral ambition to improve the skills of the people who work in this region and ensure that Chesterfield, D2N2 and Midlands region is at the forefront of leading this UK-wide ambition.”

Elizabeth Fagan CBE, Chair of D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, on stage at Celebrate Chesterfield

The decrease in air travel, coupled with Brexit, has led to a growth in the UK staycation market. According to research from UK hospitality job board Caterer.com, 70% of the British population are planning a break in the UK for 2020, an increase in the predicted number of staycations compared to those taken last year.

Riding on the staycation boom, it was announced at the Celebrate Chesterfield conference that construction on the David Lloyd Adrenaline World has begun at PEAK. It represents the beginning of the phase one delivery of the resort which, when completed will be an integrated leisure, health, sport and education destination on the edge of the Peak District National Park; set on the 300-acre Birchall Estate in Chesterfield.

At the event, Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, praised the Destination Chesterfield campaign recognising the difference it has made to investment in the borough. There is more than £1 billion of development currently happening in Chesterfield, with key developments Chesterfield Waterside, PEAK and an innovation centre at Northern Gateway all set to come out of the ground in 2020.

She said: “Ten years ago, Chesterfield Borough Council made the very bold decision to invest in establishing Destination Chesterfield. It is has proved to be a great success helping us attract new companies, like Talgo, to Chesterfield, creating new jobs and transforming local peoples lives and benefitting local communities. The next 10 years are equally exciting, as we have developments like PEAK and Waterside coming out of the ground as well as proposals on the table for the next phase of making Chesterfield a thriving borough.”

Cllr Tricia Gilby was to describe the opportunities for Chesterfield over the next 10 years in 3 words: “exciting, sustainable and inclusive”.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “Destination Chesterfield as a project has put the town on the map. We have a higher regional and national profile which is certainly a tick in the box for current and prospective investors. HS2 moving into the town has further raised our profile and I am confident that international investors will now be looking towards the town.”

Mr Veitch added; “We are delighted to be investing in Chesterfield. The town is on the cusp of sustainable, generational change and we very much want to be a part of Team Chesterfield and its future.”

Celebrate Chesterfield, which was held in association with the University of Derby and sponsored by Bridge Help, Central Technology and Markham Vale, is now in its tenth year, and is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area. This year the free breakfast event attracted nearly 300 delegates.

To find out more about investment opportunities in Chesterfield, click here.

The free business event attracted nearly 300 delegates

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Winners announced of Enterprising Women Awards announced

Neeyantee Karia, co-founder of nationally renowned, Leicester-based food producers Jake & Nayns’, has been named Enterprising Women Business Woman of the Year for 2020 at a glittering awards ceremony at Double Tree by Hilton, Sheffield Park.

She was one of eight winners on the night as a record number of guests gathered to acknowledge and celebrate the very best female business talent across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

Food Attraction Ltd manufactures food for many high street restaurant chains as well as the Jake and Nayns’ brand of handheld street food for the retail market.

Neeyantee has now collected six major awards in the past 12 months, two of them national awards.

She oversees finance, production and the manufacturing site as well as HR and H&S and has been instrumental in the success of the company, which has grown from a start-up to an international business, with further growth predicted.

Neeyantee is mother to two daughters and looks out for the 100 staff in the business. Her attitude to work and passion for supporting those around her is infectious and she is influential in nurturing employees to bring out the best in them.

She said: “I am both shocked and delighted to win this award. I want to thank my amazing team for this win as well as the Enterprising Women Awards sponsors and everyone at the Chamber – this is such a huge honour.”

Other winners on the night included Mital Thanki, Spark Academy (Female Entrepreneur of the Year), Easy Internet Services (Social Commitment Award), Blueprint Interiors (Small Business of the Year Award), Emma Anderson, Freeths LLP (Female Employee of the Year), TTK Confectionary (Team of the Year), Learn by Design (Outstanding Contribution to Working in STEM) and Sophie Neil, Turner & Townsend (Apprentice of the Year).

The sponsors for the Enterprising Women Awards were Futures Housing Group (headline sponsor); Pick Everard, Leicester Racecourse, Leicester Tigers, Hastings Direct, Smallman & Son, The Belmont Hotel, Derby College Group (category sponsors); Purpose Media (media sponsor), Mercia Image Print (print sponsor), Cross Productions (design sponsor) and The Conference Works (AV sponsor). The host for the evening was TV personality Emma Jesson.

Co-Chair of Enterprising Women, Eileen Richards, founder of ER Recruitment, and Vice-President at the Chamber, said: “The standard of entries was, again, very high this year and we had a record number of submissions, which is testament to the real hunger among women in the business community to be recognised for their achievements.

“These awards go from strength to strength every year and are one of the best ways to achieve that recognition. In the past we have had some very worthy winners and I’m delighted that Neeyantee is now among them; every single finalist and winner deserves to be celebrated and should be immensely proud of their efforts.”

Co-Chair Jean Mountain, a Past President at the Chamber, said: “These annual awards never fail to inspire me, and it is an honour to be able to showcase the fantastic female talent we have in this great region of ours. My congratulations go to all the winners and finalists and a big thank you goes out to all our valued sponsors which do such a wonderful job in supporting these prestigious awards.”

Lindsey Williams, Group Chief Executive of headline sponsor Futures Housing Group, added: “Futures Housing is proud to be sponsoring this event. We are currently tackling a long-standing issue – to get more women on company boards – so it is so important to get the messages of encouragement out to women in business.

“Neeyantee’s passion and drive for both her business and her team really shone through and she has won a category in which the standard was exceptionally high.”

For more information on Enterprising Women, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/connecting-you/enterprising-women.

Click here to find out ore about East Midlands Chamber

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

Casa Hotels are the highest rated Four Star hotels in Derbyshire

Casa Hotels are delighted to announce that both Casa Hotel and their sister hotel, Peak Edge Hotel, have once again achieved the coveted silver star status from the AA.

Both the hotels visited by a member of the AA inspector team recently who stayed overnight at each hotel. They were subsequently marked on the various standards that make up the renowned AA star rating, including accommodation, dinner and facilities in general.

The six critical areas that the hotels are marked on are: cleanliness, hospitality, service, bedrooms, bathrooms and food and both hotels with both hotels receiving excellent merit scores. It means that Casa and Peak Edge Hotels are now the highest rated four-star hotels in Derbyshire. The inspector commented on the high standards of the hotel teams and the cleanliness of the hotels. Both the Red Lion Pub and Restaurant and Cocina restaurant have also maintained their Two AA Rosette Awards.

Casa Hotels Managing Director, Stuart Downham said: “We are once again absolutely delighted – to be awarded silver star status is fantastic but to maintain it proves that we do indeed offer consistently high standards at both of our hotels. We all work tirelessly to ensure that our guests have the best possible experience when they stay at Casa or Peak Edge and being awarded the Silver Star award cements all of our hard work”.

Casa Hotel was also a finalist at the Marketing Peak District Tourism Awards on Thursday 5th March. They were delighted to be awarded the silver award in the Hotel of the Year Category. This was the first year of the awards, held at the Buxton Dome in Derbyshire.

Click here to find out more about Casa Hotel

Click here to find out more about Peak Edge Hotel

Spice Girls Tribute Peak Edge Hotel

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

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, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, 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, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Vicar Lane partners with Derbyshire Adult Community Education in employer challenge for young people

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is working with Derbyshire Adult Community Education (DACES), part of Derbyshire County Council, to run education programmes for young adults in Chesterfield.

The learners attend Full Time Study Programmes in Shirebrook and Clay Cross; the programmes are based around employment and enterprise and are aimed at young people aged 16-19 to help them gain the skills they need for the world of work.

Vicar Lane is working with organisers on an ‘Employer Challenge’ within the programme, whereby the learners are set a task within a real-life employment environment. Participants are required to visit the centre to familiarise themselves with the task at hand, meet the team and gather as much information as possible, before going away to work on their ideas. They then have to present their proposed solution back to the employer at the end of the programme.

On Wednesday 18th March and 29th April respectively, learners from Shirebrook and Clay Cross will visit Vicar Lane between 10:30am and 12:30pm. They’ll learn about the shopping centre and how it works from day to day, before being given an overview of the project, which will be a creative task.

Proposals will be presented by the learners, back to the centre management team on Wednesday 1st April and Wednesday 13th May. Their plans will be compared to the centre’s own thoughts to see how they align.

The work that young people complete during this task, forms part of their City and Guilds Level 1 and Level 2 Extended Certificate in Employability qualification which will prove beneficial to these young people in their quest for employment.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to once again be working with a team of young people from the Chesterfield community to help improve their career prospects. The initiative last year generated some really exciting results so we are looking forward to seeing what the latest group of learners come up with.”

Click here to find out more about Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Tenth Celebrate Chesterfield Conference to update on Talgo Head Office and next decade of investment

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK Ltd, the Spanish train manufacturer that recently established its UK head office in Chesterfield, will reveal his company’s aspirations for the town at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event.

Over 250 people are expected to attend the free event and exhibition, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and is taking place on Wednesday 11 March at the Winding Wheel Theatre.

Mr Veitch (far right) is one of number of key speakers at the free event. He will also be joined by Elizabeth Fagan CBE – Chair of D2N2 LEP, Dr. Paula Holt – Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean at the University of Derby and Huw Bowen – Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council.

Sponsored by the University of Derby, Celebrate Chesterfield is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area.

The event is the tenth conference organised by Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment marketing campaign, which is currently working with 180 local businesses, known as Chesterfield Champions, to raise the profile of the town.

Since the launch of Destination Chesterfield, the town has seen significant investment, with more than a billion pounds of investment currently underway. At the conference, delegates will hear updates on key development sites including Northern Gateway, Chesterfield Waterside, The Glass Yard and PEAK.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Celebrate Chesterfield 2020 is particularly significant, not least it recognises the tenth anniversary of Destination Chesterfield, but it is an opportunity to look back over the last decade and see all that the town has achieved in terms of investment.”

“It is something we all should be proud of given the climate of political and economic uncertainty, which has surrounded the town since Destination Chesterfield was established in 2010. A positive mindset coupled with a collaborative approach across the public and private sector has led to substantial investment and development in the Chesterfield. We have created an excellent foundation for further growth and investment.”

In addition to establishing a Head Office, Talgo also has ambitions to develop an ‘Innovation Centre’, co-located with Barrow Hill Roundhouse. In addition to HS2, Talgo is central to Chesterfield’s ambition to become a hub for rail technology and development.

At the event Mr Bowen will update delegates on the Council’s plans for the train station following the announcement that Chesterfield will get an HS2 stop.

Paula Holt, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, added: “We are delighted to be working with Destination Chesterfield and supporting the Celebrate Chesterfield event again this year.”

“As Derbyshire’s only university, we look to use our academic expertise, research and innovation to foster talent and create impactful partnerships with businesses.”

“The Celebrate Chesterfield event provides a great opportunity for us to have valuable conversations that enable us to understand more about the challenges local businesses face. Our priority remains to understand and effectively service the needs of businesses and to create opportunities for individuals, employers and communities to develop and flourish.”

Bridge Help, Central Technology and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, are also supporting the breakfast event as associate sponsors.

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD, development partner for the Markham Vale site commented: “The past 10 years at Markham Vale has seen a transformation of this site. Alongside our partnership with Derbyshire County Council, we are proud of the changes, both locally and further afield, this development has made to the region.

“The scheme has seen continued growth as several developments completed towards the end of last year. We’re now looking forward to other opportunities that will see us bring some fantastic new occupiers to the Markham Vale site.”

Ian Snow, Managing Director at Central Technology said: “Supporting Destination Chesterfield is of great importance to us here at Central Technology. This event has always been the perfect place to meet and work with like-minded organisations and helps put Chesterfield on the map as a great location to both work and live.”

“To continue to provide the best IT support and Disaster Recovery Service and Solutions across all sectors of business, we work hard to actively seek local talented people. We have a comprehensive internal training and development platform to ensure continual training and improvement is maintained throughout our teams. We also have an apprenticeship programme in place, which works to build our teams from the ground up. Training and development is of paramount importance at CT, It is crucial not only for our customers but also the team here that they are able to learn, develop and achieve qualifications to reach their potential. We look forward to supporting Destination Chesterfield in 2020 and beyond.”

Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help added: “We are delighted to support both Destination Chesterfield and the Celebrate Chesterfield event. Commercial developments can often take a significant amount of time to come to fruition and you can overlook the progress that has been made. this event is an excellent opportunity to both recap on what has been achieved over the last 10 years and learn about forthcoming developments and investment in the town.”

Tickets for the breakfast event, which is being held from 7:30am to 11:00am, and includes an exhibition with 30 businesses, are available to book now.

To book your ticket at the event or an exhibition stand, please click here.

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

Quarterly Economic Survey will establish direction of travel for region’s businesses

2019 was another year of political and economic uncertainty for businesses across the East Midlands and the UK, characterised largely by the ongoing negotiations to leave the EU – only resolved in the final month of the year – and the snap general election of the same month.

With the UK having now left the EU, and with a Government with a strong majority in place, are businesses preparing for more certainty and less turbulence moving forward, or are challenges and outstanding questions – not least what a UK/EU trade deal might look like – resulting in caution among businesses? Importantly, what are the region’s prospects like for 2020 in terms of job creation and growth?

The East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) seeks to answer these questions, asking businesses to respond to a series of questions on different economic indicators, including sales, orders, investments, international activity, cashflow, recruitment plus many more; including a focus in this survey on the low carbon economy.

Responses to this crucial survey, and the feedback received, will be used to help shape regional and national decision making on how to best support the local business community.

The QES is part of the UK’s biggest business survey run through the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) network and polls around 10,000 businesses each quarter to monitor business trends.

Commenting on the survey launch, Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at the Chamber, said: “While for the most part 2019 generated more questions than answers, business across the East Midlands area remained relatively robust. However, in conversation with our members across the region there was definitely a sense of driving with the handbrake on, and for some the uncertainty of last year caused real problems.

“What the results of this survey will detail is how the region’s businesses have responded to the outcome of the General Election, the UK formally leaving the EU and the start of the transition period for us to agree trading arrangements leading up to the end of 2020.

“Whatever happens, there will be both challenges and opportunities – the Quarterly Economic Survey will give a sense of how businesses are responding to these as the year progresses, and a steer on the kind of support they need in order to succeed.”

The survey runs until 9 March. To take part, visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HSS8Y8D.

Click here to find out more about the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)

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