Made in Chesterfield

Gogglebox personality to headline Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference

Gogglebox personality Baasit Siddiqui is headlining a free event next month which will bring together North Derbyshire’s business community and education sector ahead of the creation of thousands of jobs.

The Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure school leavers are ready to take up an estimated 10,000 job opportunities that are being delivered as a result of more than £1bn of development in the borough of Chesterfield.

Baasit Siddiqui, who appears on the hit Channel 4 show with his brother and father (The Siddiqui Family) is the keynote speaker at the conference, which is being held at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, Brimington, from 8:00am – 10:30am on Wednesday 26 February.

A former teacher, who boasts 10 years of teaching experience, the TV personality is an expert on education and social mobility. He is the Managing Director of Siddiqui Education Ltd, a Derby-based company which uses his public profile and the positive reputation of the Siddiquis from Gogglebox to help motivate and inspire school children.

The conference is organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, The D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub, and Destination Chesterfield.

At the conference, which returns for the fourth year, Mr Siddiqui will focus on how an education, which helps develop a range of transferable skills, can be used to support students as they progress through their educational and employability journey.

He will be joined by Rachel Quinn – Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP, Michael Timmins – Director of Water, Ports and Power North at AECOM and representatives from The Careers Enterprise Company and Cornerstone Business, as well as student council members at Whittington Green School.

The students at Whittington Green School are just some of more than 14,000 students in North Derbyshire, who are set to gain their GCSE and A Level qualifications in the next five years. 

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, explained why the conference is so important to Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.  

He said: “One of the Council’s priorities is to ensure that local people benefit from the economic growth that we are seeing in Chesterfield and support them into local jobs and good careers. There are a number of significant growth and regeneration projects underway in the borough. Collectively, these projects provide an opportunity to put Chesterfield on a higher growth path and will bring the opportunity for local people to access up to 10,000 new jobs.”

“The conference plays an important role in bringing together both business and education leaders to ensure communication lines are open and young people can benefit from employment and training opportunities now and in the future within the town.”

Daniel Heffernan of The D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub added: “We’re delighted to be involved in the event which will showcase the fantastic collaboration that is already taking place in the area. Importantly it also brings together business and education leaders who are eager to understand how they can better support the regions young people. Ultimately this will help lead to improved employment opportunities, and subsequent economic growth.” 

Places at the conference are limited. To find out more and to book your free place at the event, please click here.

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

Chesterfield company chosen to install £7m solar project at Port of Hull

ABP is to invest almost £7m at the Port of Hull to install the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar project, with the help of leading commercial solar installer and Chesterfield-based company, Custom Solar Ltd.

The solar system designed and installed by Custom Solar, will cover ABP warehouses and the engineering workshops on the Port of Hull. The solar panels will save 2,600 tonnes of CO2 per annum, equating to the energy needs of 1,600 average UK homes.

Simon Bird, Director at ABP Humber, said: “This solar installation is another vital step toward making our energy supply even more sustainable and even greener.”

“It will make more use of the hybridised port equipment we have invested in to carry out port operations.”

“I’m excited to see where this green energy revolution can take us as a port operator, as we look to decarbonise further our own operations and, in turn, those of our customers and the wider supply chain.”

Once completed, the 6.5 MW solar scheme at the Port of Hull will more than double the Humber Ports’ renewable energy generation, increasing it to over 12 MW, which will supply almost 29 per cent of the ports’ energy requirement. The entire installation is set to be online and producing clean power by July 2020.

Gary Sucharewycz, Development Director at Custom Solar, said: “In order for this project to be sanctioned, an incredible amount of work has taken place, working with ABP and the DNO Northern Powergrid.”

“It has been a fantastic achievement by all involved and has ensured this project was able to progress to fruition.”

With this new installation up and running, 17 of ABP’s 21 ports will have renewable energy projects in operation, generating clean power for the company. In 2018, 12.2 per cent of all the electricity ABP used was generated by onsite renewable projects and more projects came online in 2019.

Managing Director at Custom Solar, Matthew Brailsford, said: “We are delighted to be installing another iconic solar project on the Humber for Associated British Ports.”

“It has taken the Custom Solar team over two years to plan the project alongside the ABP engineering team due to the sheer scale and complexity of the project.”

“We are extremely proud to be installing the UK’s largest rooftop solar system and we very much look forward to unveiling the completed system in 2020 once all aspects have been safely installed and commissioned.”

The company previously scooped the impressive title of Commercial Rooftop Solar Installation of the Year at the Solar Power Portal Awards.

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

North Derbyshire Careers Hub launched by D2N2

Over one hundred people attended the launch of the North Derbyshire Careers Hub on 14 January. The hub is an initiative between D2N2 and the Careers and Enterprise Company designed to improve the life chances of the region’s young people.

At the launch, hosted at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, guests learned first-hand how the ambitions of the Hub will shape the future of young people. Attendees were encouraged to think about the skills that will be needed in the future workplace and new careers available in a rapidly changing landscape.

The North Derbyshire Careers Hub is made up of 21 schools and colleges working together to transform careers education for young people across the region. Careers Hub will maximise the quality and impact of careers support for young people across the north of the county.

Led by D2N2 with £80,000 in financial support from the Careers & Enterprise Company; the Careers Hub works collaboratively with universities, training providers, employers, Enterprise Advisers, and careers professionals alongside lead school Shirebrook Academy to deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks and improve careers outcomes for young people.

In addition, the hub also offers a central fund for employer engagement activities and training for a ‘Careers Leader’ in each school.

Amongst the speakers at the launch event were D2N2 Head of People & Skills Rachel Quinn, Abdul Bathin from the Careers & Enterprise Company, and Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield.

Local students also helped support the event with compare duties performed by Head boy of Tibshelf school, Max Derbyshire and refreshments provided by pupils from Stubbin Wood Special School.

Chloe Pearce, 14, from Outwood Academy Newbold said: “The event has been really interesting, especially seeing what goes on in careers behind the scenes and it’s been great getting students involved in the whole experience.”

D2N2 Careers Hub lead Dan Heffernan said of the launch: “I’m delighted to be managing this project on behalf of D2N2. This launch event showed the real appetite for change across North Derbyshire, and the team and I look forward to working closely with all our partners in the coming months.

“The North Derbyshire Careers Hub will play a key role in the long-term success of our region’s economy, building on the success of our existing Enterprise Advisor Network, and the strong partnerships between schools, colleges, and businesses.”

“We want to ensure young people get timely and relevant careers advice and meaningful encounters with the world of work. This will help lead to improved employment opportunities and subsequent economic growth.”

John Yarham, Interim Chief Executive of the Careers & Enterprise Company said: “This is brilliant news for young people in the county. The North Derbyshire Careers Hub will mean more and more young people get the opportunity to meet all and interact with a huge range of employers.

“These opportunities will help inspire young people, inform them about the different paths open to them, and prepare them for the world of work.”

The North Derbyshire Careers Hub is part of a wider network of hubs set up across the country by LEPs and supported by the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Hubs have garnered support from the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and more than 100 ‘cornerstone employers’ across the country who have committed to driving and championing connections to the world of work; including Airbus, KPMG, Anglian Water and GCHQ.

The Careers Hubs are based on a pilot scheme by the Gatsby Foundation (which is behind the Gatsby Benchmarks, an internationally recognised ‘checklist’ of what schools and colleges need to do to provide the best careers advice) and the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), run from 2015 to 2017.

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

Work to begin on Chesterfield’s new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

Work is set to begin on the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Chesterfield Borough Council has appointed local contractor Robert Woodhead Ltd to build the new development for businesses, with work to begin in Spring 2020.

This appointment follows an extensive procurement process undertaken by Chesterfield Borough Council in which Robert Woodhead Ltd has proved successful amidst a highly competitive field of design and build contractors.  The good response by the construction market to this opportunity indicates there is a high level of interest for schemes in Chesterfield.

The new building will provide 32 high-quality offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors.  It offers a shared reception and lobby area, meeting rooms, first floor break out area, bicycle store, shower and changing facilities, air conditioning throughout, lift access, internal bin store, kitchenettes on the first and second floor for use by occupants, individually metered power supplies, access control to all office doors, CCTV coverage to internal communal areas and external area.  IT fibre connection into building with maximum speed multi bandwith and Wifi is provided throughout.

Businesses moving in to the new facility will benefit from its central location, being in easy access to the town centre, Chesterfield train station, local buses and there being car parking nearby, and will benefit from having access to business support.

The development is estimated to take 12 months to build, so will be open for business in early 2021. Those interested in occupying one of the spaces should use the contact details below to discuss options available.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “The new centre will allow those based there to have access to in-house support services to encourage and nurture start-up and early stage businesses in a wide variety of industry sectors.

“The contractor appointed is based in the East Midlands, and as with all our contractors we will work with them in the support of the local labour clause promoting the use of a local supply chain and the employment of local people.

“The council declared a climate emergency in Chesterfield last year so being environmentally friendly in our forthcoming building projects is essential.

“This building has been deliberately designed to reduce its demand for energy and related carbon emissions.  Through this design we are looking to achieve a 39.11% reduction in carbon omissions and 41.28% reduction in annual energy consumption when compared with a standard building.

“The combination of building fabric design and efficient building energy management systems will help us to achieve these targets.  To demonstrate the sustainability credentials of this building we aim to achieve a BREEAM – New Construction Rating of Excellent.

“The location of the building in the town centre also ensures it benefits from proximity to a range of public transport services.  The building will provide shower and changing facilities for those occupants who cycle or travel to work on foot.  A building travel plan will also help promote more environmentally sustainable forms of transport to those using the building.

“The new centre will be the third managed workspace in the council’s portfolio, and we are seeking to build on the success of our well let Tapton and Dunston Innovation Centres.”

Leo Woodhead, Business Development Director at Woodhead Group, said: “Woodhead Group is delighted to be taking part in this exciting opportunity collaborating with Chesterfield Borough Council.”

“Our partnership will allow Woodhead Group to grow and develop our business within the local community.”

The centre will be developed on the same area that the archaeological dig took place last year, with hoarding going up around the site over the next few weeks.  It has benefited from grant funding support from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

To find out more about your business being based in the Enterprise Centre call either Claire Cunningham or Hannah Ramsdale on 01246 345255 or email hannah.ramsdale@chesterfield.gov.uk or claire.cunningham@chesterfield.gov.uk .

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

Acquisition sees expansion for Aztec Oils

Leading industrial lubrication specialist Aztec Oils has completed the acquisition of the lubricant, pre-packaged fuel and contract packing business of Multispec Limited (formally “Caldo Oils”), for an undisclosed sum.

North Derbyshire based Aztec Oils manufactures and distributes high performance lubricants to a wide range of industrial sectors and is fully committed to building long term relationships with its ever growing number of world-wide customers.

The terms of the acquisition will see Aztec procure Caldo’s manufacturing facilities in St Helens (Merseyside) along with distribution operations in Newton Abbot (Devon) and Rhuddlan (North Wales).

John Longstaff and John Warner from BHP Corporate Finance acted as lead advisors to Aztec Oils with tax advice being provided by Mark Cooper and Katherine Taylor.  Andrew Fielder and Katie Ash from Banner Jones provided legal advice.  Funding for the transaction was delivered by Matthew Chenery from Barclays Bank.

Mark Lord, Managing Director of Aztec commented “This venture really excites us.  It gives us a great opportunity to develop our retail packaged range, offering both Aztec’s branded products, whilst at the same time growing our private label offering”.

John Longstaff, director at BHP Corporate Finance, commented, “we are delighted to have advised Aztec on this strategic transaction.  Caldo is a perfect fit and I am confident that Mark and the team at Aztec will maximise the benefit of the opportunities afforded to the enlarged group.”.

Andrew Fielder, director at Banner Jones, commented, “this acquisition will enable Aztec to further expand its offering to existing customers, as well as reach into new markets, with new products and an increasingly impressive geographic footprint.

“We are pleased to have been able to support Aztec with its legal requirements throughout the transaction, and wish the company every luck for the future of the business as it continues to grow.”

Matthew Chenery at Barclays went on to say, “It’s great to see Aztec Oils going from strength to strength, demonstrating a real thirst for expansion and growth.  We’re thrilled to be supporting this latest exciting acquisition which sets them up well to exploit future market opportunities”.

Aztec Oils Acquisition

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

Nominations now open for relaunched Chesterfield High Street Awards 2020

Recognising the changing face of the high street, the annual Chesterfield Retail Awards have a brand-new name and look for 2020 – the Chesterfield High Street Awards – as well as two new categories.

The popular awards are now open to almost every business on Chesterfield’s high street from shops, market traders, events and regeneration projects to estate agents, banks, solicitors and accountants.

The new High Street Business category has been added to this year’s awards’ line up to reflect the diversity of Chesterfield’s high street and is open to all non-retailers except food and drink businesses. While the new Future High Street Award recognises the physical improvements and regeneration of high streets across Chesterfield.

Nominations are now open in the quest to find the best customer-facing high street-based businesses across the borough of Chesterfield.

Organiser of the annual awards, Destination Chesterfield, wants you to say which businesses on the town’s high street are your favourites and why. Nominations are open until midnight on Friday 14 February.

All nominated businesses will be evaluated and a mystery panel of judges will visit businesses shortlisted in 11 of the 15 categories before the winners are announced at a glittering black-tie awards ceremony at Casa Hotel on Wednesday 24 June.

The awards’ relaunch recognises the town’s exceptional businesses, people, events and regeneration projects that are working together to overcome the challenges of a rapidly changing retail environment.

Now in its seventh year, the awards have gone from strength-to-strength; mirroring the town’s economy.

Commenting on the relaunch of the awards for 2020, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The new 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards recognise the contribution that every business based on high streets in the borough is making in creating jobs, attracting visitors to the town, delivering great customer service and collectively helping drive the success of Chesterfield’s economy.

“I urge everyone to get involved and put forward their favourite businesses. We want to celebrate as many as possible in the awards.”

People can now nominate across 12 categories in the 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards:

• High Street Business of the Year
• Future High Street Award
• Excellence in Customer Service
• Hair and Beauty Business of the Year
• Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year
• Best New Store 2019/2020
• Food and Drink Retailer of the Year
• Home, Gifts & Leisure Retailer of the Year
• Market Trader of the Year
• Independent Retailer of the Year
• National/ Multiple Retailer of the Year
• Best Town Centre Event 2019/2020

The 2020 Chesterfield High Street Awards are supported and made possible by a number of sponsors, including Apprentice Town (led by Chesterfield Borough Council), Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College Group, Derbyshire Times, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), eBusiness Works, JP Fire Safety Solutions, Peak FM and Q2 Creative.

You can nominate online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards until midnight on Friday 14 February 2020.

Information about the various sponsorship packages are available at www.chesterfield.co.uk/highstreetawards or contact Tara Underhill, Senior Destination Chesterfield Coordinator, by emailing Tara.underhill@chesterfield.co.uk or calling 01246 207207.

Nominate Now

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

Chesterfield business using augmented reality to support homeless charity

Chesterfield-based technology company, Oasis Studio, are aiming to raise £1,000 for homeless charity Centrepoint, through their augmented ‘Mini Santa’ reality app.

Oasis created a festive, augmented reality animation to raise money and awareness for Centrepoint, a charity who give young homeless people a future. The animation plays from a smartphone or tablet, triggered from 3D pop-up card, which has been delivered to their clients and connections. However, a digital version is available for the general public to experience their Mini Santa animation.

According to Centrepoint, 103,000 young people asked for help with homelessness in 2018, and as digital media company Oasis Studio operate in both the education sector and property industry, they wanted to help change this.

Tom Swallow, Development Manager of The Bolsterstone Group and receiver of one of the Oasis Christmas cards, said: “The card produced by Oasis Studio demonstrates the innovative approach they take to all projects to produce a high quality product. The clever use of technology highlights how AR is becoming simpler to use and an increasingly important marketing tool with so many applications. The support for Centrepoint adds a great touch and is a very worthy charity!”

Augmented reality is a technology that places a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, usually accessed through a smartphone or tablet.

Oasis Studio always aim to do something spectacular for Christmas, and this year set the ambitious target of creating something that is digital, whilst also containing a tangible element, as well as telling a story.

Founder of Oasis Studio, Paul Deakin, explained: “We are a forward-thinking studio with large ambitions, and this translates into everything we do. We set our target high because of this, and I encourage everyone to try our app for themselves, and help us to raise our £1,000 target for a very worthy cause.”

The Mini Santa Christmas card was completely made in-house by Oasis, from the printing of the 3D pop-up card, to the laser cutting, to the augmented reality, to the animation.

Download the Mini Santa App here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield

Corrugated Case Company invest in new equipment to increase productivity

Local manufacturer Corrugated Case Company have invested in new equipment which will allow them to offer a wider range of products, reduce lead time and improve overall quality.

Corrugated Case Company design, develop and manufacture innovative corrugated cardboard packaging solutions and have produced over 15 million boxes this year.

The brand new Topra GD Rotary Flexo Folder Inline Gluing machine is made up of a 2 x 2.8m printer, converter, gluer and palletiser and offers a high quality print, improved machine capacity, high quality finished boxes and an increased range of sizes.

Mark Wilcockson, M.D. of The Corrugated Case Company, said “We are very excited about the installation of our latest investment and the benefits it will bring to our operations here at CCC. It will enable us to broaden our customer base, particularly into the mail order and e-commerce sectors due to the enormous environmental benefits of using corrugated cardboard.”

From Monday 16th December, the process of installing the new machine will begin. Older machines will be removed and work on improvements will continue through until 7th January, when it will be fully installed and raring to go.

Corrugated Case Company hope by installing the equipment over the Christmas period, they will minimise any disruptions to customers during the installation, however their team will keep customers updated throughout the process.

Earlier this year, Corrugated Case Company expanded its distribution warehouse with a new 680-pallet, 13,000 ft space, helping the firm to meet increasing demand and be able to offer next day delivery. These improvements are in addition to the firm’s new easy-to navigate website and several new faces joining the team.

Click here to find out more about the Corrugated Case Company.

Click here to find out more about basing your company in Chesterfield. 

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

Heathcotes appoints Group Managing Director

Chesterfield care provider, Heathcotes Group, has appointed Brendan Kelly as Group Managing Director to provide nationwide strategic leadership.

Brendan was a Regional Director with a national charity prior to joining Heathcotes Group in 2009 as Regional Director for Heathcotes Northern. In his new role, Brendan will now oversee all regions with key responsibilities for the operational aspects of the organisation, including quality and compliance, learning and development and employee relations. Brendan has over 20 years’ experience in Health and Social care, primarily in adult mental health and learning disabilities, as well as a wealth of expertise in delivering, managing and developing services including crisis services, supported living and carer education.

David Harrison, CEO at Heathcotes Group, said: “It is fitting that, having reached his tenth anniversary with the company, Brendan is stepping up to this new role – he has been at the heart of Heathcotes’ success over the past decade. Brendan is someone who understands how the culture of an organisation is vital to the delivery of high quality care and he has led that culture at Heathcotes, making us one of the UK’s fastest-growing specialist care providers. We now employ over 2,200 staff as a trusted partner to over 50 local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups. I know that Heathcotes’ continued success will be driven by Brendan’s strategic vision and passion for the work we do.”

Brendan said: “I’m delighted to be appointed to this position, with some exciting times ahead for Heathcotes. The company’s ethos remains the same as it was when I joined ten years ago – a commitment to providing a better quality of life and greater opportunities for some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

He added: “We have achieved a great deal in recent years, including the development of a unique model of residential therapy for people with personality disorders, an award-winning apprenticeship programme which has become a benchmark for recruitment in the care sector and the successful introduction of a new independent supported living provision to complement our full-time residential care services. Heathcotes has the potential to achieve much more in the coming years and I’m looking forward to being part of that.”

At the Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa in February, Brendan spoke to delegates about the importance of embedding apprenticeship and skills initiatives into workforce development strategies to facilitate business growth. In March, Heathcotes Group joined the town’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, helping to increase local apprenticeship participation.

Heathcotes Group currently provides 72 specialist residential services supporting adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs, specialist children’s services, and a pioneering service model for people with personality disorders.

Click here to find out more about the Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference 2020. 

Click here to find out more about becoming an Apprenticeship Ambassador.

Heathcotes Group joined the town’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Network following the Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability & Skills conference, where Brendan Kelly was a key note speaker.

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

Successful business innovation project receives £1.8m funding boost

A successful project set up to support businesses across the region to innovate through collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, has received £1.8m in further funding.

The Sheffield Innovation Programme was set up in 2016 to support SMEs from across the region to access academic expertise, facilities and resources at both Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield to stimulate innovation to deliver new products and services.

The programme is jointly funded by both universities, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). The new phase of the project also includes the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, and enables the project to continue for a further 3 years until 2022.

The programme is free for businesses to use and since it began, more than 200 academics from both universities have worked with more than 300 companies from across the region. This has helped businesses in the region to engage in more than £1.2million worth of collaborative projects through Innovate UK programmes.

Professor Roger Eccleston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “We’re delighted the project has received further funding which highlights the impact it is having for businesses in the region and the wider economy.”

“Many of the collaborations have resulted in lasting professional relationships and, more importantly, market success for the businesses we’ve worked with, contributing to the economic growth of the region as a whole.”

“Thanks to input from our academics and their research, a number of businesses have been able to find solutions to real-life business problems and bring new products to market.”

As part of the programme, the universities have provided businesses with academic support for projects, workshop-based innovation guidance, student interns and their world-class facilities.

Professor Dave Petley, Vice-President for Research at the University of Sheffield, said: “We’re delighted that this successful programme, which has such a profound impact on businesses and economic growth in our region, will continue for another three years.”

“This scheme is a fantastic way for regional businesses to access our world-leading facilities and academic expertise to drive innovation and find solutions to the challenges they face.”

“At the University of Sheffield, we have a deeply ingrained connection to our region and a sense of pride in our civic values. Contributing to the growth and regeneration of the Sheffield City Region is a key part of our founding mission and ongoing strategy today.”

James Muir, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “It’s inspiring to see our region once again leading the way with cutting-edge university and industry collaborations. I’m proud that the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership is able to support this important programme, with more than £200,000 in match funding and an active role in selecting two new specialist innovation advisors to work on the project.”

“Collaborations between our two leading universities and our innovative and forward-thinking businesses leads to exciting new developments and enables companies to bring new products to the market, further strengthening the economy and boosting supply-chains.”

Working closely with the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and other key partners, Sheffield Innovation Programme provides research and innovation to support regional businesses whilst attracting new inward investment.

making tax digital chesterfield

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

Celebrating 2019 as a year of progress for Chesterfield

My last blog of this year and of the decade! As the end of 2019 moves ever nearer, I think it’s important that we look back at the progress we’ve made as a town this year, as well as looking ahead to the future we’re creating.

Chesterfield has truly had a transformational year and decade. Developments in the area have made huge progress, with some passing major milestones and others being completed, like the successful opening of both the Premier Inn in the former Co-Op building and the new Saltergate Car Park which together have spearheaded the Northern Gateway development.

Enterprise Centre

The plans for Northern Gateway include an enterprise centre for start-up and medium sized businesses on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The former site of the old Queens Park Sports Centre has also been revitalised with the addition of some much needed 3G pitches which are hugely popular with the many grassroots football teams in the area.

As well as construction, it’s been a big year for retail both nationally and in Chesterfield. Although the high street economy as a whole is under threat from the internet it doesn’t have to be the case. I believe that the high street and online can work together and be equally successful in their own space. ALTERIS, the new owners of Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, have proven this.

They are using Facebook to engage with shoppers and drive the redevelopment of the Vicar Lane area. They have asked shoppers what ‘offer’ they want and are responding accordingly and reaping the rewards via the resulting increased footfall. Pop-up shops, free classes, movie screenings and more at Vicar Lane have helped to bring people into the town centre helping Chesterfield’s high street performance remain above the national average.

We can all play a part in Chesterfield’s future retail success– Vote with your feet by shopping local; it really does make a difference.

The launch of the big screen at Vicar Lane Shopping Centre took place on Friday 6th December.

The public / private sector partnerships in Chesterfield are as strong as ever. Its effect is felt in every area of the borough from major developments like Markham Vale and Chesterfield Waterside through to spectacular events like the Christmas lights switch on and regular themed markets.

This collaboration is key to Chesterfield, and its people and businesses continuing to thrive. It also gives us an excellent excuse to celebrate our success with the annual Retail Awards and Food & Drink Awards. More importantly for me, these events recognise young talent – and having met the young chefs, Chesterfield College students and apprentices at this year’s Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, I can confirm that the town has a wealth of it.

I feel confident as we go into 2020 and a new decade that Chesterfield’s future is bright and is in safe hands.

Best wishes for the New Year!

There’s a full programme of entertainment for Christmas in Chesterfield from traditional markets to the annual pantomime and from stand up comedy to musical concerts.

Blog by Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting