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East Midlands Chamber responds to national lockdown announcement

East Midlands Chamber is welcoming One-off £9,000 business grants, but says firms need the inside track to the Government’s plan for coming out of the newly-announced national lockdown.

Responding to the Government’s announcement of a third national lockdown for England, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “After a desperate 2020 for businesses and communities, a third national lockdown is another devastating blow to business confidence as it follows hard on the heels of lost trade during the festive season – not to mention the uncertainty that prevailed up until the eleventh hour of the Brexit transition period.

“The Government’s need to act in the face of spiralling threat to public health is obviously understood but after already spending billions on helping good firms to survive this crisis and save jobs, it must not let these companies fail now when the vaccine rollout provides light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

“The Chancellor’s announcement today of a one-off £9,000 grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will hopefully help keep their heads above water for a couple more months, but Westminster must remember financial support – while certainly welcomed and required – is no substitute for a fully open economy that allows businesses to generate their own revenue.

“It’s now time for the Government to open the lines of communication with businesses by sharing its plan for how the brakes will be lifted on the economy over the coming months to allow businesses to plan properly.”

For more information on guidance and business support available during the current lockdown, visit our Covid-19 support page here.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Mitchells Chartered Accountants blasts off the New Year by announcing new recruits

Mitchells Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers based in central Chesterfield are starting 2021 with optimism and have announced the recent recruitment of several new staff members.

The leading accountancy firm has a long-established reputation as an excellent employer and are also part of the Chesterfield Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, helping to promote all aspects of apprenticeships, including traineeships, higher and degree level apprenticeships.

Their Employer Solutions team continue to provide support and guidance to their clients through the myriad of changes to Government support measures; ensuring their clients take full advantage of the various available grants and other support mechanisms. Their Corporate teams also continue to advise their clients through the complexities of Brexit.

Despite the current economic environment, they have also continued to experience high demand for their core services from their growing client base, consisting primarily of owner-managed SME’s. To assist with this growth, they have recently recruited several new full time members of staff.

Recently, Mitchells moved to strengthen their small business department with the return of a former placement Student, Jessica Wright. Jess completed a year’s placement with Mitchells during 2018-2019 and went on to achieve a first class degree in Mathematics from Sheffield Hallam University. Even though Jess didn’t study accountancy, the time she spent with Mitchells gave her an essential insight into the industry which confirmed her future career path.

Small Business Manager, Laura Pain said: “We were very pleased to welcome Jess back to the firm in September this year and she is now studying towards her professional qualifications.”

Partner Andrew McDaid said: “We believe that staffing is a critical factor in service delivery and look for knowledgeable, personable team members who will receive training to ensure they meet modern-day business demands, as well as the human side of being a people-to-people business.”

Regarding the various new roles, Andrew went on to explain: “The roles are client facing and we therefore require individuals who are keen to advance their knowledge of accounting by applying themselves in a dynamic accountancy practice.”

Charlie Furniss recently started, having been made redundant from his role as an assistant accountant at another firm, due to Covid-19. He is currently level 3 AAT qualified and looking forward to further his studies at Mitchells.

Charlie said “Having been made redundant at such a young age during the current pandemic, I was nervous about getting another job. I am delighted to have joined Mitchells, where everyone is so friendly and helpful. I am driven by learning new skills and expanding my working experience and can’t wait to complete my AAT qualification”.

Jeffrey O’Gara recently started having graduated with a first class degree in Accounting & Finance in 2018 at Sheffield Hallam University. He initially moved into industry but was looking for the right move into practice.

Jeffrey explained “I am eager to learn and plan on becoming a Chartered Accountant in the next few years and I believe Mitchells will be a great place for me to achieve this. The chance to work with and improve the local business community with a personal touch is something I want to be involved in”.

Mitchells’ specialist corporate finance team provide a complete end-to-end service for businesses looking at an acquisition, a management buy out, business sale or succession planning. They have extensive experience of successfully arranging corporate finance packages for businesses across a wide range of sectors, including hospitality, manufacturing, commercial construction, healthcare and transport, with finance amounts ranging from £100,000 to £200 million.

Despite the current challenging environment, they are still completing on many deals and don’t see this stopping any time soon.

Andrew McDaid said “We are always forward-thinking and have been pondering the shape of the post-pandemic world. We knew we wanted to strengthen our corporate finance team to accommodate our strategic ambitions and we knew we had found the right guy with Rob Drake”.

Rob recently started at Mitchells as a corporate finance executive. Rob obtained a 1st class degree in Mathematics at University of Sheffield and became a Chartered Accountant in 2019.

Robert was a financial consultant for a High Street bank for several years before moving into practice. He has developed experience working for a wide range of business within both an accounting and audit capacity having worked at a large regional firm since 2016. Having completed his ACA exams in 2019, Robert was seeking an opportunity away from audit that would allow him to continue his professional development.

Rob explained: “When I decided to pursue opportunities outside of audit, I was keen to expand my knowledge in corporate finance. After meeting with Andrew, Tony and Tim, I instantly recognised that we shared the same values. I’m very much looking forward to working with the team and helping deliver a quality service to existing and new clients of Mitchells.”

Andrew McDaid commented: “Robert is a highly confident individual; he is a very personable individual and demonstrates excellent communication skills with a clear commitment to working hard and continuing the development of his career”.

When asked about the challenges in recruiting, training and servicing its clients during a lockdown, Andrew said: “Our IT strategy has always been to invest heavily in technology to keep our business relevant and competitive. This included an upgrade of our entire IT hardware in 2020, which together with our cloud servers meant that we were able to transition to full time remote working without any issues whatsoever. We have the necessary tools and software to create collaborative experiences for staff and clients, which help to develop important relationships and ultimately continue to deliver standout client service.”

Mitchells are enthusiastic energised by the possibilities of 2021 and beyond and encourage the business community to remain optimistic.

Mitchells supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Chesterfield residents encouraged to take a New Year’s Resolution to reduce plastic pollution

Single-use plastic campaign group, Plastic Free Chesterfield, is encouraging Chesterfield residents to take a Plastic Free New Year’s Resolution Pledge, helping to reduce plastic pollution by making at least one swap away from single-use plastics in 2021.

The issue has been high up the agenda recently, with Chesterfield Borough Council passing a motion earlier in December, taking the pledge themselves to remove single-use plastics from council operations, along with supporting Plastic Free Chesterfield and future plastic-free initiatives.

2020 proved to be a mixed year for the issues of plastic pollution, with single-use face masks and gloves littering our environment and waterways due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and later in the year the UK government officially banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.

Destination Chesterfield and a number of local businesses, initiatives and community groups have pledged to become ‘plastic free champions,’ aimed at cutting single-use plastics from their products and operations.

Plastic Free Chesterfield are now calling on residents to take action themselves, publishing ideas for swaps on their website as well as social media.

Greg Hewitt, Plastic Free Chesterfield Community Lead, said: “The New Year is a perfect time to start thinking about what more can be done to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill, or worse in our streams, rivers and oceans.”

“We want to make it as easy as possible for Chesterfield residents to take action, and are encouraging everyone to make at least one swap away from using single-use plastic. This could range from bringing your own reusable bags when going shopping, to reusing and refilling cleaning products and pantry goods from Plastic Free Champion and award-winning businesses such as Steph’s Sustainable Stuff.”

The group has published 21 Ideas for New Year’s Plastic-Free swaps. This can be found via the Plastic Free Chesterfield website:
21 Ideas for 2021: New Year’s Plastic-Free Swaps

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, UncategorisedTagged in , , ,

Work to begin on Elder Way improvements

A multimillion-pound project to revitalise the heart of Chesterfield and improve the public space is set to begin.

The works, which will cost £3.25 million, will begin this week (w/c 4 January 2021) and will include a series of improvements to the footpaths and the public space around Elder Way – creating a more inviting pedestrian route from the Northern Gateway development to the retail centre of the town.

During the week commencing 4 January a works yard will be established in the lower Devonshire Road car park which will reduce disruption in the town centre. All works should be complete by Summer 2021.

It is a key part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Northern Gateway project which over the past 18 months has seen the opening of the new town centre Premier Inn and the new Saltergate multi-storey car park, as well as the start of building works on the new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre located on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The project aims to create a more attractive environment for users and businesses looking for opportunities to invest in the town centre.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “This ambitious project will breathe new life into the town centre and improve the quality of the area by making it a more attractive place to visit. These changes will also lead to increased space for businesses to have outdoor seating which should further guarantee this area’s role in the town’s visitor economy.

“This work will cause some inevitable disruption in the short term, but we’re working with the contractors to limit this as far as possible. We have attempted to contact those businesses affected and will continue to provide updates as the works progress on the council’s website.

“Improving the town centre in this way should help set a vision for the future of Chesterfield and further demonstrates how important our high street is to the future economic success of the borough.”

Danaher & Walsh Civil Engineering has been appointed by Chesterfield Borough Council to undertake the public space improvement works.

A spokesperson from Danaher & Walsh, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and look forward to working with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver this exciting programme of improvements to Chesterfield’s town centre.

“Our site team is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of the works whilst mitigating any potential disruption. We are confident that the delivered scheme will be a source of pride for the people and businesses of Chesterfield.”

Improvements in this phase of the project will focus around Elder Way and should be complete by Summer 2021. The works planned include:

• The reconstruction of existing footways and paved areas with a mix of high-quality paving
• Pavement widening
• Taxi rank improvements on Knifesmithgate
• A range of formal and informal pedestrian crossing improvements.
• The de-cluttering of the street scene by removing obstacles to pedestrian movement
• The introduction of trees into the street
• Introduction / improved design of loading bays
• New bus shelters and re-positioned bus stops on Elder Way
• New street furniture
• Carriageway resurfacing

Funding for the project has been provided by the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Due to the nature of these works and the location there is the possibility of some inconvenience for businesses and visitors. Regular updates will be provided directly to affected businesses, and further updates on progress and impacts on the area will be published on the Council’s website (https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/elder_way_public_realm_improvements).

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Vicar Lane Launches a Brand New Reward App

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield, is excited to unveil Local Rewards, its brand new loyalty programme.

Local Rewards, created by tech specialists Maybe*, launched at Vicar Lane this month, meaning Chesterfield locals can now earn rewards while shopping at Vicar Lane.

App users can get up to two hours free car parking when they spend £50 shopping local with Qoozies, Shop Indie and Ministry Clothing, all of which are independent business (more coming soon).

Those wishing to start earning rewards can sign up here https://www.localrewards.chat/. Every time a user spends a pound in any participating business, they will receive points to be redeemed against free car parking.

Check out the Local Rewards Guide here https://maybe.chat/4i47mds and sign up to support local businesses whilst earning rewards.

Plus, Vicar Lane is giving users of the app the chance to win £500 to spend at Vicar Lane. Find out more here https://www.localrewards.chat/.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, ‘’Now more than ever it’s so important to shop local and support independent businesses, so we’re proud to be launching Local Rewards to encourage Chesterfield locals to support our indies whilst earning rewards for themselves!’’

Chesterfield plays host to a wide range of independent shops and suppliers. You can always pick up something special and different, whether you’re looking for a special gift for a loved one or something special for your home. There’s a wide range of independent shops, restaurants and coffee shops to explore across the town.

Click here to find out more about local shopping in Chesterfield, including a great range of independent shops, and recognised high-street brands.

Vicar Lane shopping centre supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , ,

Spireites’ premier league reading stars project hailed a success

Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s six-week Premier League Reading Stars project at New Whittington Primary School has been hailed as a great success.

Trust coach Alyss Hearnshaw delivered the project, aimed at encouraging pupils to engage with literacy, using football as a way of engaging with them.

New Whittington Primary’s headteacher Emma Tooley said: “Reading Stars has been an amazing intervention; it has boosted the children’s confidence, love of reading and comprehension ability.

“In our most recent reading assessment all of the children who participated, it improved their standardised scores. They feel so proud of their achievements – as are we!

“Most importantly, it has empowered our children to find the confidence to stand in front of their peers and read aloud! Their classmates were really impressed, sharing the same pride as all of the adults.

“Alyss is a credit to CFCCT – the children respected her, learnt from her and couldn’t wait to work with her each Thursday.

“Thank you to all involved at CFCCT – this is an intervention that makes a difference!”

Alyss added, “It has been a pleasure working with the group, who have all engaged with the project and shown improvements in their work.

“It was a real achievement for the boys to stand in front of their class and have the confidence to show what they had learnt.”

For more information on the FREE literacy project, please email robertstevenson@spireitestrust.org.uk

Chesterfield FC’s Community Trust has also received hundreds of donations to the club’s Christmas Toy Appeal. You can find out more about how our Chesterfield Champions have been getting into the festive spirit here.

Chesterfield Football Club supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Council leaders urge Government to back HS2 Eastern Leg in response to NIC report

Chesterfield Borough Council has released a response to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC)’s recently published report that has recommended scaling back HS2’s Eastern Leg in favour of regional rail link development.

Don’t Cut Here! A Case study on Why the economies of Chesterfield and Sheffield need HS2 in full has been released today (Wednesday 22 December 2020), urging the Government to deliver on its promise of developing HS2’s Eastern Leg to “regenerate, level up and make a real difference to people and communities” in Chesterfield and Derbyshire.

The case study has been released by Chesterfield Borough Council, in conjunction with Connecting Britain to highlight what it says are HS2 East’s “enormous opportunities for the UK economy that will drive growth, but which are currently at risk of being thwarted.”
It follows the NIC’s Rail Needs Assessment for the North and Midlands, which was published in December and included an option to leave out most of Line 2b East until 2050 and beyond, something which local authorities claim would have a “devastating” economic impact on the region.

Chesterfield Borough Council has referenced the Staveley Corridor regeneration, which is centred around a new HS2 Staveley Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) and promises a huge scope of opportunity for the area, with creation of jobs, infrastructure, housing and inward investment.

Opportunities for growth and regeneration include the £125m reopening of the Barrow Hill Line, a £100m link road, the development of 3,500 new homes and the creation of 2,200 new jobs around the area. But the IMD will only be required if HS2 East is delivered in full by 2040.

The document also covers the lasting legacy of HS2 in the eastern region, which would see one million people better connected by the line, 10,000s of cars taken off the roads and 1,000s of bi-modal trains replaced, supporting the government’s decarbonisation targets.

Much of HS2 East’s proposals are focused around masterplans which are already in place for the development of Chesterfield and Sheffield Stations, incorporating pedestrian friendly access and local public transport links.

Responding to the publication of the report last week, Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council Leader, said she was ‘hugely disappointed’ that of the options presented the National Infrastructure Commission does not recommend delivery of the eastern leg of HS2 in full.

“This directly conflicts with the Government’s pledge to levelling up in areas like ours. It also seriously undermines local plans for growth in the North and the Midlands,” Cllr Gilby added.

Now Councillor Gilby joins other regional leaders in pushing forward the case for the Government to commit to the HS2 Eastern Leg in full – to realise the ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to shape the region’s future, and avoid land already earmarked for related development being left in limbo for years.

“After decades of underinvestment in strategic rail infrastructure, delivering HS2 is a once in a generation chance to transform connectivity, attract investment, create new jobs, build new homes, boost skills and opportunity and level-up communities across the North, Midlands and beyond. This is even more crucial to our economic future in optimising recovery from the pandemic, which has hit the North and Midlands hard.

“For Chesterfield, the failure to deliver the Eastern Leg in full means facing the prospect of reduced connectivity for our communities, as well as damaging the momentum we have built up around our ambitious comprehensive plans for both Staveley and the area around Chesterfield Station.

“In the Staveley area alone, planned growth worth at least £1bn has been catalysed by the planned HS2 maintenance depot. Taking this away would be a huge blow for an area that has had its hopes raised on the back of HS2’s plans and would leave a huge question mark over how we can deliver the ambitious growth plans our communities need and deserve.

“It is vital that the Eastern Leg of HS2 is delivered in full and that delivery starts as soon as possible. This is about more than just rail and trains – it’s about new jobs, new homes and new starts for communities that have been denied these opportunities over many years.

“This is a critical issue for Chesterfield and Staveley. I will not rest in working with council and business leaders along the planned Eastern Leg to hold Government to account and to ensure that the Prime Minister honours his commitment to deliver HS2 East in full. Time is of the essence to re-assert the strength of Chesterfield’s social and economic case ahead of Government’s planned publication of its Integrated Rail Plan.”

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said: “HS2 East is home to 13 million people, and about six million jobs, equating to 20% of the UK, larger than the economy of Denmark. Chesterfield shows how the investment does far more than just getting people to city centres. The importance of this opportunity to regenerate, level up and make a real difference to people and communities cannot be overstated and must not be missed.”

Dom Stevens, manager of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Chesterfield is already moving forward with significant plans and developments so that the town can maximise the wide range of economic benefits HS2 has to offer.

“The originally proposed spur of the line arriving at Chesterfield Station will improve connectivity, journey times and capacity on our rail network locally and nationally, bringing with it vital investment opportunities.

“We would urge the NIC to rethink its recommendations and take into the account the huge strides our town has already made to regenerate its economy, with HS2 playing a huge role in attracting new people into the area to invest, live and work.”

To read Don’t Cut Here! A Case study on Why the economies of Chesterfield and Sheffield need HS2 in full online visit: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/media/1492665/chesterfield-borough-council-hs2-document.pdf

 

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

New Information Point launched for military veterans in Derbyshire

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Covid Fund, STAND TO, Derbyshire veteran community support services – (Operating under Derbyshire Alcohol Advice Service CIO) is to launch a New information point for Derbyshire veterans and their families.

Working closely with University of Derby researchers in Veteran Health, STAND TO are launching a new veteran first point of contact, (VIP) accessed via phone Tel 01246 959333 or email standtovcs@daas.uk.com between office hours Monday to Friday with an out of hours message service.

The new VIP will link to a Directory of support services which may be veteran specific or may be engaging with employer recognition schemes for the Armed forces Covenant. The directory will also provide information on wider more general support services such as CAB, hospitals, GP practices, Mental Health support, addictions, welfare, relationship and financial support services.

Any member of the veteran community in Derbyshire who contacts the VIP will receive a response from a fellow veteran, a worker or volunteer from our STAND TO service.

“This new provision will help to link the needs of veterans and their families to a wide range of information we have in our VIP directory,” says Elaine Handley DAAS CIO Manager.

“We know from the five years we have delivered our successful STAND TO veteran alcohol service that  alcohol issues are only one of the problems experienced by our veteran community, our new VIP will widen our remit to reach out to veterans who may be experiencing a range of problems, those which may be as a direct result of Covid  or due to longer terms issues.

“This is much more than an information point, our veteran workers and Volunteers will engage with callers and link them to a range of groups, recovery events and activities such as  walking, boot camp and fishing offering them the opportunity to regain the camaraderie  many of them miss.”

Destination Chesterfield board member, Dr Paula Holt MBE, Patron of ‘STAND TO’ is pleased to see development of the Veterans Information Point (VIP): “It is good to see a resource that is developed and resourced locally to support local veterans and their families”

The VIP will link with the existing Veteran Gateway to ensure that callers are aware of national and regional services as well as those local to them.

The new VIP launches on Thursday 3rd December If you are a veteran or family member, would like advice, information or guidance or would like to support us by becoming a volunteer for our VIP, please get in touch! Our VIP needs you!

Derbyshire Alcohol Advice Service supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Posted in Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Rosewood Wealth management donate toys to Chesterfield Royal Hospital children’s ward

For the third year running, the team at Rosewood Wealth Management have collected and donated toys for the Nightingale Ward at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

The appeal has been running through most of November and December, with dozens of gifts being handed over to the hospital last Thursday, just in time for Santa to give them to all the children who are spending Christmas on the ward this year.

Donations from local residents and businesses across Chesterfield ranged from ages 0 to 17, so there were gifts available to everyone from toddlers to teenagers.

Rosewood’s Donna Robertson said: “This is the third year we have done it and it has grown each year. We are so overwhelmed with the amount of gifts we have received this year especially due to Covid.

“Being a mum who’s daughter had to have minor day surgery a few years ago, I feel it is the least we can do to say thank you for making things feel very normal for the children on the ward.”

Financial Services Administrative Apprentice, Abigail Denman added: “I feel so proud to be part of a company that is always looking to be able to give back, My mum works for the NHS so doing the toy appeal made me feel really pleased that we were able to give something back especially after the year we have had.

“We didn’t expect to receive many donations this year with people not wanting to venture out and we were shocked by people’s generosity. Chesterfield really is a special place to live.”

Rosewood Wealth Management supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Posted in Business, Christmas, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Christmas in Chesterfield a major success

Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council’s Christmas experience – The Amazing Magical Santa House – has been hailed a major success after bringing smiles to everyone who went along to meet Santa.

The Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House in the town centre, is where the magic technology known as the ‘Santa Zoomer’ – a video link to chat with Santa – was set up and 750 families enjoyed a spectacular start to their Christmas.

As well as the live chat with Santa, families took part in a special augmented reality experience in which Santa magically appeared creating a keepsake photo and video for the family.

Feedback on social media, includes ‘we came this morning and were blown away! Thank you so much. It was fantastic.’

And ‘Looks beautiful inside. Very happy kids and love that I have a photo and video of the experience with Santa’.

Chesterfield Borough Council has now released a video which gives a look inside the Santa House, showing the joy it brought to families:

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The Santa House is just what was needed this year. It has given hundreds of families such joy to start Christmas with. We’ve had comments about very happy kids and that is exactly what we set out to achieve.

“It has been a tough year for many of us and this amazing experience, the elf trail and some spectacular Christmas lights have given Chesterfield the magical Christmas it needed.

“We’ve worked with some fantastic local companies to make the Santa House become a reality and it has been great to see the creative, innovative and hardworking talent that exists right here in Chesterfield come together to make this a very special Christmas.

“Overall this Christmas campaign has supported a wide range of town centre businesses by increasing footfall into the town centre and raising awareness of the fantastic offer that exists in Chesterfield town centre for residents, shoppers and visitors.”

The council has worked with a number of local companies to bring the Christmas campaign life. These include JAB Short, providing the town centre shop for the Santa House; Chesterfield Champions Noonah Marketing, providing the augmented reality technology; and Tabs productions, providing the visual interpretation and dressing at the Santa House.

Matt Franks, CEO of Noonah.com, said “After a year with many events cancelled, the work on Chesterfield Santa House we delivered for Chesterfield Borough Council was a fantastic example of showcasing the talent of Noonah and many other local companies. On the back of this project we’ve started to grow again which is great news for our team. Our message to all business owners is hang on in there – the work will come back!”

Karen Henson, Director, Tabs Productions, said: “It was great to be involved with the Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House, helping Chesterfield Borough Council bring this amazing idea to life. It has been a hard year for us with the pandemic and usually we would be at our busiest working on Christmas shows, so not only has it been magical to work on the Santa House, but it has really helped us as a small local business move through this difficult year.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said “In these challenging times it has never been more important to support each other. I am delighted that Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council have continued this year to work collaboratively on the Christmas in Chesterfield Campaign. Combining our efforts will reinforce the Support Local message. Making the decision to choose an independent retailer for your gifts and food both now and beyond the pandemic will make a huge difference to our high street.”

Chesterfield Borough Council, in partnership with Destination Chesterfield, created the magical story of the Chesterfield Elves and how they saved Christmas, to deliver the Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House.

The story can be downloaded from https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Low-Res-Storybook.pdf and is the perfect bedtime story for families this Christmas.

Our website – www.chesterfield.co.uk/christmas has everything you need to know about Christmas in Chesterfield

Posted in Christmas, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Derbyshire’s 2021 County Championship cricket fixtures released

Derbyshire’s County Championship group stage fixtures have been released, with Billy Godleman’s side set to return to Chesterfield’s Festival of Cricket in July.

The 2021 first-class season will be split into two parts, with the group placings after ten games determining which division a side is in for their remaining four matches, with the top two teams in Division One competing in a final for the Bob Willis Trophy.

The competition begins on Thursday 8 April, with Derbyshire facing Warwickshire, and continues for eight solid weeks prior to the start of the Vitality Blast in June.

The eagerly anticipated return of cricket to The Incora County Ground comes on Thursday 15 April, when Derbyshire play host to Worcestershire.

Derbyshire will enjoy a duo of blockbuster Group One encounters against local rivals Nottinghamshire as the East Midlands rivalry restarts in Derby on Thursday 29 April, with old scores to be settled after Fynn Hudson-Prentice starred in a record-breaking win at Trent Bridge in 2020.

Another annual highlight of the cricket calendar begins on Sunday 11 July as the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket gets underway with the visit of reigning champions Essex to the north of the county.

Following on from the hugely popular Tourist Fixture against Australia in 2019, Derbyshire will once again test themselves against international opposition, as India A travel to The Incora County Ground for a four-day first-class game, starting on Sunday 27 June.

Head of Cricket, Dave Houghton, said: “Our guys performed really well in 2020, and they all have a year of experience behind them now, so hopefully we can go out there and give these teams a test.

“We have a really tough group, with teams like Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and the champions, Essex, so it will be a challenge, but we’re up for the fight.

“When you play against the best sides, it shows you the standard that you aspire to get to. You can also learn a lot from what they do, but I expect us to be a challenge for any side.”

Derbyshire Fixtures

Warwickshire (A)
8-11 April • Edgbaston

Worcestershire 9 (H)
15-18 April • The Incora County Ground, Derby

Durham (A)
22-25 April • Emirates Riverside

Nottinghamshire (H)
29 April – 2 May • The Incora County Ground, Derby

Essex (A)
13-16 May • CloudFM County Ground

Durham (H)
20-23 May • The Incora County Ground, Derby

Worcestershire (A)
27-30 May • New Road

Warwickshire (H)
3-6 June • The Incora County Ground, Derby

Nottinghamshire (A)
4-7 July • Trent Bridge

Essex (H)
11-14 July • Queen’s Park, Chesterfield

Derbyshire County Cricket Club supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Home, Leisure, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

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