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National Award for School Games collaboration work in Derbyshire and Notts

Active Derbyshire, Active Notts, and the School Games Organiser Networks in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have won a School Games National Award for collaboration.

The award comes after the organisations pooled resources and expertise to support schools with a new virtual School Games offer during lockdown in the Summer term 2020.

Working together, colleagues produced 11 weekly resources featuring a range of sporting activities themed around daily physical challenges and cultural competitions.

The development of the resources also involved colleagues from National Governing Bodies, and partners within education, health, community groups, sports clubs and associations supported by circulating resources more widely.

Resources were developed further to help local communities include physical activity cards in food parcels for those in deprived areas, assist with the provision of physical activity at the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, and for a Staycation resource to help keep young people physically active over the holidays.

Naomi Bennett-Jones, who leads young people work for Active Derbyshire and Active Notts, said: “It is fantastic to be recognised for what was a truly collaborative approach to keep children and young people active at home and school during lockdown at what was a very challenging time. The trust and relationships between a range of colleagues that have developed through this work have established a new culture and ways of working that will benefit all future work.”

Paul Ryan, Tupton Hall School Games Organiser and Partnership Development Manager for SHAPE Learning Partnership in Derbyshire, said: “I am extremely proud to have been part of this collaboration. It was vital that we came together as a School Games network at a time of real challenge and it was amazing how well we worked across the districts and counties. The unity showed, created a real opportunity to share the vast knowledge and experience we have as a collective and resulted in a meaningful and worthwhile set of resources that provided support for teachers, parents and young people.”

Chris Ballard, School Games Organiser for Rushcliffe School Sport Partnership, said: “The weekly resources enabled schools to be able to simply follow and deliver a variety of tasks and activities with and to their pupils. The consistency of format and challenge ensured that pupils were able to engage whether that be within a school environment or at home.”

 

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Derbyshire Voluntary Action welcomes new recruit to help Chesterfield residents feel more connected

Debbie Fennell has joined Derbyshire Voluntary Action in the newly-created role of ‘Social Connectedness Development Worker.’

Derbyshire Voluntary Action is a membership organisation for North Derbyshire’s health and wellbeing related voluntary and community sector. North Derbyshire spans the districts of High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bolsover.

Through specialist infrastructure services, the organisation actively engages with and support 320+ members, which range from tiny volunteer-led self-help groups through to local and regional charities delivering projects to the benefit of large numbers of Derbyshire residents.

Debbie joins the DVA team to play a key role in the ‘Feeling Connected in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield’ project – an initiative to improve local approaches to tackling social isolation and reducing the impact of loneliness.

Debbie, who describes herself as a ‘people person,’ has nine years’ experience of working in the voluntary and community sector, most recently as a Project Coordinator at Age Concern Chesterfield and District, where she was responsible for the ‘Active Age’ project.

In her new role, she will work out and about in communities across Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, supporting residents and communities to create and take up opportunities to be better socially connected.

Debbie says, ‘My role is about building relationships with people who want to make a difference in their street, estate, village, town or workplace – and to be responsive in helping them in whatever way they need. It’s a challenging time to be starting a job like this, but even in lockdown there are many ways we can all keep our spirits up and continue to connect with family, friends and the people who live around us.’

If you have ideas about keeping your community connected this winter, Debbie would love to hear from you. Call her on 07547 342251, email debbie@dva.org.uk or find her on Facebook: FeelingConnectedNEDC.

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

 

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Chesterfield wellbeing centre ready to bounce back from pandemic

Staff at a state-of-the-art wellbeing centre based in Chesterfield say they ‘cannot wait to be back,’ after facing setbacks due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

360 Wellbeing Centre, Chatsworth Road hosts a team of experts on all aspects of mental and physical wellbeing, both medical and complementary. The interior also features décor and artistry created by local artist Sally Anderson.

The centre hosted its grand opening just a month before the first coronavirus lockdown back in March, but had to put a number of big plans on hold as a result of the restrictions.

Managing Director, Samantha Woodcroft explains, it has not been easy: “We had so much planned, including a huge wellbeing event at the Chesterfield Technique Stadium for which we had already sold over 250 tickets. We were one of the first industries to be locked down and the last to reopen.”

However Samantha says she, along with her staff have still been busy behind the scenes further improving the centre and expanding its range of treatments: “It’s extremely frustrating but we’ve used our time wisely, we have developed an exceptional range of wellbeing products and CBD oils, our staff and nurses have been on additional training to add cutting edge treatments to the clinic.”

She added: “The residents of Derbyshire certainly have a fantastic health facility available to them and we’re back even stronger and ready to offer a service.”

Nutritional Director Kelly Hopley added: “Our success stories with clients have been superb and we really cannot wait to be back. Health & Wellbeing is a passion for our team and it is truly worrying the effect Covid is having in so many ways on the local community. We want to be able to support our community to stay well & healthy.”

“The treatment menu is bursting with therapies such as IV vitamin drips, colon hydrotherapy, expert facial treatments and psychotherapy not forgetting a full range of complementary treatments and ear irrigation. Chesterfield Champions can also benefit from 10% off.”

The clinic has recently added the ‘Hear to listen’ campaign giving clients access to a team of experts who specialise in all things mental health from anxiety and depression to PTSD. For more information on the cente, you can contact the team on 01246 938948 or by email: info@360wellbeingcentre.co.uk

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

 

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Chesterfield companies and local school children set to support Vulcan XH558’s Operation Safeguard

A new innovative four-way partnership led by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) is set to inspire the next generation of engineers in a project that supports the Trust’s latest fundraising drive – Operation Safeguard.

The project will see CBE+, a specialist precision engineering sub-contractor, join forces with The Work-wise Foundation to engage with local schools who will all work together on a number of projects to help the VTST charity.

The Work Wise Foundation is an employer-inspired and led initiative for engineering, manufacturing, technology, set up to support the development of children and young people so they have the knowledge, skills, aptitude and opportunities for employment.

Dr Robert Pleming, CEO of VTST said: “We are thrilled to be announcing this partnership with Chesterfield based CBE+ and The Work-wise Foundation to bring a unique opportunity to young people, schools and colleges in the region.

“Inspiring young people into careers in aerospace and engineering is one of the fundamental principles guiding our charity.”

CBE+ are currently housing an original Fuel Tank (as used in the conversion of Vulcan to a tanker) and two spare original Delta Wing Tips form the stock of parts used to maintain the iconic British engineered Vulcan XH558, delivered by the Trust for preparation, restoration and subsequent display in The Vulcan Experience.

Robert added: “This is partnership working at its best. CBE+ are providing the workshop space, engineering innovation/adaptation and apprentices to help renovate the components in a modern engineering environment.

“The Work-wise Foundation are delivering an education programme with links to the curriculum, employability skills and managing visits and experiences for students and schools to get involved.

“The exhibits resulting from this work will eventually take pride of place at The Vulcan Experience, displaying the names of people who support us by donating to Operation Safeguard – the campaign to build our new home.”

XH558 is based at Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the VTST have planning permission to build a new permanent base for the aircraft. Operation Safeguard is their fundraising campaign to turn these ambitions into reality.

Marie Cooper, CEO of CBE+ said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with the Vulcan to the Sky Trust and The Work-wise Foundation on this project and cannot wait to get young people and apprentices involved in this innovative project.

“Taking delivery of the Fuel Tank and the Wing Tips was a very exciting moment for us and our engineers are keen to get to work on the restoration of these parts.

“Working with and inspiring young people into careers in STEM is so important for us. These are our future employees and we need to capture their attention when they are young so that they can see the potential of working in this sector.”

The Work-wise foundation will be working with schools to launch a competition that will see young people design the display stands to showcase the Fuel Tank and Wing Tips, the winning design will be translated into reality by CBE+.John Barber, CEO of The Work-wise Foundation said: “This is a really exciting partnership and we are proud to be working with both CBE+ and the Vulcan to the Sky Trust to bring this project to life.

“We will be working with primary and secondary schools to give students a first-hand experience of a real engineering renovation project in a modern industrial setting.

“Students will be able to learn about and see the work to restore and bring back to practical use the Fuel Tank and Wing Tips of the iconic Avro Vulcan Bomber XH558. Seeing and hearing from a team of Vulcan Engineers (Volunteers) and current apprentices.

“There will be a number of opportunities for students to learn practical skills and learn about all the jobs involved in working in aviation and engineering and the skills that are needed.”

The Work-wise Foundation supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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New international scale tourism destination, PEAK, selects Green Biofuels as construction fuel partner

PEAK, a phased development of an all year leisure, education, wellness, and entertainment destination based on 300 acres of reclaimed parkland at the edge of the Peak District National Park and Chesterfield, has selected the UK’s leading provider of HVO fuel, Green Biofuels, as the sole provider of fuel for the construction of the site in order to fulfil its journey to sustainability from the outset.

The multi-million-pound development will include the UK’s first fully-serviced national park gateway linked to a resort and educational campus. With the principles of sustainable tourism at its core, PEAK will offer domestic and international tourists experiences based around nature, culture, heritage, and activity in the Peak District and its environs. Overnight and short stay accommodation will be available in hotel, hostel and lodge formats.

The first development at PEAK, the Summit is underway and will open 2021. In line with Summit Resort and Development’s sustainability agenda, the construction compound, machines and equipment will be fuelled with Green Biofuels’ low emission high performance paraffinic alternative fuel. All vehicles delivering fuel to the site, and all construction vehicles on site will run on Green D+, which is a drop-in diesel alternative, requiring no changes to engines. Green Biofuels is supporting PEAK’s environmental commitment by supplying the site with a 35,000-litre tank to hold the fuel, in order to reduce emissions resulting from fuel deliveries to a site.

Independent tests at the Millbrook specialist vehicle testing facility have shown that compared to standard diesel emissions, Green D+ has up to an 85% reduction in particulates, and up to a 30% reduction in Nitrogen Oxides, thanks to a special additive not found in any other HVO fuel. This means that emissions contributing to climate change are reduced, as well as pollution affecting the local air quality. The emissions savings at the Summit construction site will be monitored and results announced over the duration of construction.

Gateway developer, Milligan, has appointed Cundall as its key advisor on sustainability and transport, working alongside Birchall Properties the landowner and strategic partners the Peak District National Park Authority, Chesterfield Borough Council and the University of Derby.

Alongside its regional attractions PEAK has planning permission for up to 2000 hotel rooms and 250 chalets. The overnight and short stay accommodation will be delivered in phases and in a range of formats from 5-star hilltop hotel with lodges, to village centre hotels with hostel accommodation. The aim is to deliver the quality and scope of accommodation and hospitality more familiar with an international ski resort.

Magnus Hammick, COO of Green Biofuels, said: “Green Biofuels is hugely proud to be on the journey toward sustainability with PEAK right from the start. As one of the UK’s largest privately funded construction projects, this partnership is especially important because it proves how easy it is for large-scale sites to instantly cut their emissions and protect local air quality with small and strategic changes. Ensuring low pollution is especially important at a site like PEAK because of its proximity to the National Park, so we have introduced a super-tank of 35,000 litres to supply the site, thereby reducing emissions from multiple fuel deliveries.

“This is a major commitment to clean air from the private sector, and I sincerely hope to see the Government making green construction practices a rule, so that our other national flagship projects are also built as sustainably as possible.”

The green ambitions of the project have attracted world renowned adventurer and polar pioneer, Robert Swan OBE. Through his ambassadorship of the Summit, Robert seeks to empower and enable people from all walks of life to participate in sustainability through their leisure activities and adventures.

Robert Swan OBE, said: “After everything I have seen and experienced, I have to say I am truly impressed and excited by what Green Biofuels are doing and what they will do for the green footprint of the PEAK construction.

“Now that the journey to sustainability at PEAK has begun, it is essential to take meaningful and strategic steps to ensure every choice is considered and weighed up against its environmental impact. It is for this reason that I am very encouraged to see PEAK select Green Biofuels as its construction fuel partner.”

Mark Hutchings, COO of Summit Resorts & Developments, said: “We as a company and indeed as individuals are passionate about our environment and the world in which we live. We want our legacy to be not only to provide something truly special for the local community and visitors to the area, but to deliver that in a way we can truly say is the most environmentally friendly way we possibly could. We believe that using Green D+ in every aspect of our operation from fuelling the plant and machinery on site to providing the power for our site cabins to run is a huge step towards achieving this.

“We are proud to be part of one of the largest developments in the U.K. at the moment that is adopting such a policy, and we believe that by doing this we will hopefully set a precedent for others to follow.”

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East Midlands can be at forefront of UK’s “green industrial revolution”, says Chamber

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £4bn green plan to tackle climate change and create jobs in the low-carbon economy, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “On the face of it, today’s announcement is just the type of bold vision the UK needs in order to seriously rebuild our economy with a greener tint.

“It signals that these are the sectors where businesses need to invest in the future, while it should remove some of the financial barriers that have so far prevented many firms from switching to the low-carbon economy – although questions remain about whether the £4bn funding from Government is anywhere near sufficient to truly stimulate a green revolution.

“This news comes hot on the heels of the Chamber’s Sustainable East Midlands campaign, which was launched last week to highlight the benefits in embracing the sustainability agenda to the region’s businesses, while acting as a new hub for signposting companies to the support available to them.

“We’re excited to hear more about this from Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, the Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, at our East Midlands Energy Summit tomorrow (Thursday 19 November), an event that will place sustainability at the top of the agenda for the region’s post-Covid economy.

“We believe the Government’s UK Net Zero 2050 vision plays into our region’s strengths as the East Midlands has all the pieces of the sustainability jigsaw – the high energy users in manufacturing, energy producers in our coalfield heritage and new hi-tech businesses coming out of our world-leading universities – putting us in a position to be at the forefront of delivering a low-carbon economy.

“In research conducted with the University of Derby that preceded the campaign, we found that engagement with this subject is quickly rising in the East Midlands but there remains a yawning gap in awareness.

“The percentage of businesses deriving turnover from low-carbon and pro-environmental goods and services has nearly doubled between 2015 and 2020 – growing from 16% to 31% – and just over a third (35%) of businesses said they were integrating clean growth into their business plan.

“On the flip side, four in 10 businesses told us they didn’t feel well-informed about support for clean growth.

“This suggests the Government still has a lot to do in order to encourage more businesses to switch to the low-carbon economy by pushing on-the-ground activity to engage and support more firms – and making sure the financial incentives involved will make a tangible difference to their bottom line.

“Only then will it be realistic to achieve the targets set by the UK Net Zero policy and bring the exciting vision for a green industrial revolution to fruition.”

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Derbyshire County Councillors rally behind Ashgate Hospicecare with £33,500 grant

Ashgate Hospicecare, which provides specialist palliative and end of life care to adults and their families across North Derbyshire, has been awarded £33,500 in grant funding as the charity seeks to plug the £2.4 million financial deficit caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Following an application to Derbyshire County Council’s Membership Community Leadership Scheme, which allocates a budget to each of their 64 county councillors to be used to support projects in their Division, the charity will receive £33,500.

The substantial grant will contribute towards the running costs of their 21 bed Inpatient Unit, which provides complex care to those living with a life-limiting illness. In addition to enhanced infection control costs and general overheads, the grant will also be used to help fund a special Christmas Day dinner with all the trimmings for patients.

Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support offered to us by the members of the Community Leadership Scheme. This donation will help us to continue delivering our care over the coming winter months and allow our patients and their families to make the most of the time they have together.

“Grants such as this one will help to make a difference and are gratefully received by us all at Ashgate. The grant is even more significant as we find ourselves amid a second nationwide lockdown.

“We are anxiously awaiting the decision from NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) about whether they will commit to the long-term funding we urgently need to support our existing services.”

The grant was supported by seven County Councillors who chose to allocate part of their budgets to the hospice. This included Ron Mihaly (£1000) Jean Innes (£1500) Stuart Brittain (£2000) Dave Allen (£1000) Mick Wall (£4600) and Helen Elliott (£10000) and Sharon Blank (£13400).

Councillor Mick Wall, deputy leader of Derbyshire County Council’s Labour opposition, said: “When I saw the news about the financial impact that the COVID pandemic was having on Ashgate Hospice, I quickly contacted the charity to see how we, as local Councillors, could help most quickly and effectively. We just had to help because we know how much Ashgate Hospice does to support and care for people in all of our local communities.”

Following the financial crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Ashgate Hospicecare have launched an urgent Winter Crisis Appeal, encouraging their local community to help them care for patients through their most difficult winter yet.

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Chesterfield Royal Hospital Joins Region’s Medical Image Sharing Network

Chesterfield Royal Hospital has become the latest Trust in the East Midlands to go live with a system that allows regional hospitals to share diagnostic images.

The Royal has been part of the East Midlands Radiology Network (EMRAD)for some time and will now be able to share x-ray and other scanned images in real-time through a new Picture Archive Communication System (PACS)with neighbouring Trusts. This will give patients across the region, a faster diagnosis and improved care.

This means that health experts at the Royal, Kettering General, Northampton General, Sherwood Forest, United Lincolnshire and Nottingham University can share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of patients.

Anoop Unnikrishnan is the Royal’s Divisional Director for the Integrated Care Division and oversaw the Trust’s involvement, he said: “This is a wonderful achievement for the Trust and will ensure that our radiologists and those involved in supporting diagnostic care will be able to complement each other and draw on each other’s expertise as part of a collaborative approach.

“It means that we will be able to reach clinical decisions in a more informed and timely manner, share information about patients who have perhaps visited different local hospitals for the purpose of a diagnosis more effectively which will lead to a faster diagnosis, swifter treatment plan and better outcome for the patient.

“Meanwhile for our clinicians it represents a tremendous opportunity to share learning and knowledge, benefit from adopting new skills and training that are available through EMRAD masterclasses and become part of a wider network of colleagues in terms of providing and receiving support.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the project, both clinical and technical, for making this happen. A lot of hard work has been done across the board to make sure that we now have a system in place that will of benefit to patients and colleagues across the region.”

Amy Quick is the Application Support Lead who has been responsible for the technical side of implementing the new system. She said: “The East Midlands Imaging Network is very well established and we’ve benefitted from joining the image sharing system at a very good time. The Picture Archive and Communication System and reporting tool are incredibly robust and will complement the expertise of our clinicians.

“Our teams will also have access to additional training, not just in the new systems and imaging network but also new specialties in the form of masterclasses and course run by EMRAD. As we move towards a time when digital transformation means that collaborative working across regions becomes seamless, this can only be a positive move for patients and clinicians alike.”

Dr James Thomas, Medical Director of EMRAD said: “We’re delighted to welcome Chesterfield Royal Hospital onto our region-wide image sharing system. It’s fantastic news for patients, especially in the north Midlands, as their medical images and scans will now be instantly available to clinicians across the region. From next week, if a patient from the Chesterfield area needs to be brought to the QMC, their scans and images can arrive in Nottingham before they do, allowing clinicians to get a head start on assessing their condition and planning their care.

“We know that the image sharing portal is already speeding up and improving clinical decision-making, which will improve patient care. It is also helping to avoid delays to patient treatment caused by unnecessary transfers between hospitals, and preventing patients having repeat scans to examine the same issue if transferred to a different hospital trust”

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

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East Midlands Chamber and Chesterfield Borough Council join forces to help businesses create jobs for young people via Kickstart scheme

East Midlands Chamber has teamed up with Chesterfield Borough Council to encourage businesses to get more young people into work by taking advantage of the new Kickstart scheme.

The Government programme covers the cost of a six-month work placement for 16 to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit or at risk of long-term unemployment.

Employers that want to create at least 30 placements can apply directly to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for a grant to cover the costs, but companies with fewer than 30 roles must apply via recognised gateway organisations, such as the Chamber.

To date, the Chamber has signed up almost 340 businesses and facilitated more than 1,000 potential placements across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. About a third of these are digital and technology roles, with other popular jobs include business and finance, as well as transport and storage.

To engage more businesses to create job opportunities for young people in their communities, and benefit from the additional resources offered by work placement students, the Chamber has collaborated with local authorities and other organisations.

As part of its latest partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council, it will hold a free virtual information session on Monday 7 December for businesses to find out what the scheme involves and giving them the opportunity to join 20 other organisations in the borough of Chesterfield – which together want to create 59 placements – in making applications.

Diane Beresford, deputy chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “We know young people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the huge amount of unemployment it has created, so the Kickstart scheme is an important mechanism for helping them to get the skills they need to prepare for the world of work.

“Businesses that take part will be playing a vital role in their communities by supporting and preparing our future workforce, but there are also many benefits for employers.

“As this is a fully-funded scheme, it allows organisations to trial new roles, and provides relevant training and mentoring to ensure the young person has the most up-to-date skills and knowledge. There is also a relatively risk-free opportunity to identify good-quality apprentices, opening a pathway for both the employer and employee to grow together.

“It’s important that the public and private sector work together, and our partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council is a great example as we want to make sure as many companies as possible take advantage of these opportunities.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “We understand that Covid-19 has affected our communities in a variety of ways, but it has especially impacted on our younger workforce, with the number of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming out of work benefits nearly doubling since March 2020. We’re delighted to be working with East Midlands Chamber to help support the economy and assist both businesses and workers in mitigating the negative impacts of Covid-19.

“One of the council’s key aims is to ensure that Chesterfield is a thriving borough and the Kickstart scheme will open up much-needed opportunities for young people to develop their skills and careers for the future. There are also many benefits for our local businesses who participate in this scheme during this challenging time. Therefore, we’re encouraging businesses to engage with this fully-funded programme to offer our younger generation vital work roles that will build fundamental skills.

“The information session we are running on Monday 7 December will be a beneficial tool for businesses, helping them to gain further insight into the scheme and the support on offer to them in making applications. We encourage all businesses that are interested to attend and utilise this free resource available to them.”

The £2bn Kickstart scheme was announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of his Plan for Jobs to help young people into work and spur Britain’s post-Covid economic revival.

A quarter of a million people aged under 25 have claimed unemployment benefits since March, while the unemployment rate among young people is far higher than the overall rate of 4.8%, reaching 14.6%.

The Chamber has already held four online information sessions that attracted 250 attendees, many of which are among the 320 businesses that have since registered with the Chamber to recruit for placements. Some of these organisations have multiple vacancies.

Acting on their behalf, the Chamber applies to the DWP for funding, which pays 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, national insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.

Employers can choose to top up this wage and are also eligible for a £1,500 Government grant for training people on a Kickstart placement.

The Chamber started making applications on 1 November. Once they are accepted, young people are referred into the roles via a Jobcentre Plus work coach. Application can be made until December 2021 initially.

Diane added: “The number of businesses that have already booked on to our information sessions shows there’s great appetite out there among businesses to take advantage of these opportunities.

“Businesses receive the full salary cost for six months, but we’re also educating them about the finer details, such as how they must provide employability skills to individuals so they will be well-equipped to land permanent jobs in the future.”

The Kickstart Your Business: Accessing the Kickstart Programme session being run by the Chamber in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council will be held via Zoom on Monday 7 December from 12pm to 1pm.

It is free for both members and non-members of the Chamber, and open to anyone regardless of whether they are based in the Chesterfield area.

It will feature a welcome by Cllr Amanda Serjeant, presentation by the Chamber’s deputy chief executive Diane Beresford and education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen, and a Q&A.

Businesses can sign up to the event here.

Other upcoming online information sessions include:

chamber video export

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Regeneration plans move forward as Chesterfield Borough Council secures key site

A key town centre site has been secured by Chesterfield Borough Council – a major step forward for ambitious regeneration plans to create a new gateway for the town.

The council has taken a part freehold, part lease hold interest in the former Chesterfield Hotel site today (Monday, 16 November) and will now work with contractors to clear out and demolish the derelict building, which has stood empty since it shut its doors in 2015.

The site is highlighted as a key development opportunity in the emerging HS2 Station Masterplan which aims to harness the opportunities presented by HS2 and revitalise the area around Chesterfield Train Station.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Chesterfield Hotel was a significant building and a venue which has served the town well over the years.

“Sadly, the costs to remodel and refurbish the building to bring it back into productive use are too high, and it is deemed an unviable option as compared with redevelopment of the site.

“The building has fallen into disrepair and is unfortunately now regarded as a safety risk and an eyesore on this key route from the train station. We must act to bring this area back to life, as part of our wider plans to revitalise this important gateway to our town.”

Making sure the site is safe and secure is the council’s immediate priority – including work to remove the remaining boundary wall at the side of the hotel on Malkin Street amidst safety concerns about the structure.

Work will start immediately to clear and strip out the inside of the building before full demolition, which is expected to start in spring next year.

It is proposed that a temporary surface car park will be created in its place while plans for the future use of the site are developed as part of the emerging HS2 Station Masterplan.

Cllr Gilby added: “This is a major step forward for our long-term plan to harness the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to us by HS2. To make the most of it we must invest in the delivery of new housing as well as business and commercial development around Chesterfield station.

“Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Chesterfield continues to move forward. Town centre regeneration is a key element of the council’s Economic Recovery Plan, which will put Chesterfield in the strongest position to bounce back from the far-reaching impacts of Covid-19.”

The council is currently finalising the HS2 Station Masterplan which will be subject to public consultation in the first part of next year.

The land purchase has been funded through the HS2 Strategic Sites project which was awarded £2.4m of funding from the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2 LEP) earlier in the year – the acquisition of the former Chesterfield Hotel site is just one of a range of initiatives that the council is taking forward with the benefit of the funding to develop the area and to maximise the economic benefits that will be brought to the town by HS2.

HS2 Chesterfield Station

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Chesterfield primary school introducing ‘daily mile’ track to improve health and wellbeing for pupils

St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Chesterfield is currently in the process of constructing a daily mile running track around the perimeter of its sports field. It is hoped the development will help promote health and wellbeing amongst pupils and the wider community.

Once completed, the track will run around the full perimeter of the grassed area of the field and will require 9 laps around it to complete a mile. The surface will be 1.2m wide and be made out of polyurethane bound rubber all weather material.

Rachael priest, chair of the school’s Parent-Teacher Friends Association said: “The field is a large part of the school’s outdoor space (making up almost half the outside play area available to the children) however, the British inclement weather means that it can typically only be used for a few months of the year. The nature of the material will mean that even through the winter months when the field is to muddy to utilise the children will still be able to use the track to complete their daily mile and for other activities.”

“The school is very keen to promote health, fitness and wellbeing and the introduction of the track would be a positive step in encouraging both children and staff to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle while also improving and enhancing the Schools outdoor environment. The school is eager to adopt the mile as a daily part of the school day and hope, in time, that the completion of the daily mile by each pupil becomes as routine as maths lesson or break time.”

“We hope that the effects of the daily mile will also be felt by the wider community with our pupils becoming positive, confident individuals passing on the message that exercise is good for both body and the mind and encouraging others to embrace a happier and healthier future.”

The school has currently raised £2000 of its £10,000 target through past events and currently have collection points in the classrooms and playgrounds where children can bring in small change and deposit them in a covid secure way.

It is now looking to  affiliate with a local running club in the future and hold sponsored running events with funds raised going towards the track. Other initiatives being planned include ‘sponsor a step,’ where people can help fund the track by buying a virtual step for a fee. In return the sponsors names or nominated names will be displayed on a sign in a similar way to buying a brick projects.

John Cannon of Cannon Events, who host a number of local fun-runs to promote exercise locally, said: “To have a facility like that in the school, for children to exercise every day, will benefit their physical and also mental health enormously and it’ll have a positive effect on their schoolwork as well. It is absolutely priceless. This track is going to make a huge difference.”

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