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Junction Arts intern progresses into apprentice role

Chesterfield-based community organisation Junction Arts is continuing it’s growth, by promoting intern Martha Bramwell into a full-time Projects Apprentice role.

Martha is now aiming to become a full-time projects assistant with Junction Arts, following the completion of her apprenticeship.

Originally starting with Junction Arts back in December 2020, Martha was looking to gain hands on experience within community arts to support her Foundation Art Course at Chesterfield College.

However, Hannah Bowdler, Relationship Fundraiser at Junction Arts explained how much of an impact the young intern made since joining the organisation: “Martha has made a huge impact on the charity. During her time with us, she has worked with each of our team members getting a wider understanding of the running of a community arts charity. With each person, she has shared her enthusiasm and energy making Junction Arts a truly positive place to work.

“Her direct impact on the charity includes, redesigning our new office layout in West Studios, after we downsized. It is now a welcoming and practical workspace for us to use as a hub for all our projects and activities.

“Project wise, Martha has been a vital deputy during projects including the Chesterfield Lantern Parade. Supporting a project coordinator to run a busy and complicated celebration event whilst learning what’s needed to make a large scale project successful.”

Hannah added that she was delighted to see the continued growth of the charity: “It’s a very exciting time for the charity, whilst in our 45th year Martha has enabled Junctions Arts to take the next steps to increase our capacity. Through her supportive role within the charity and with this soon to increase, the types of projects and number of communities we can work with and support has really increased in the years leading out of the pandemic.”

Martha expressed her delight at being taken on in a permanent capacity: “I am absolutely ecstatic to be offered a permanent role with Junction Arts. I can honestly say receiving the Job offer from our Managing Director, Paul, was one of the happiest moments in my life. As I feel I have worked really hard and this area is something I am really passionate about and I’m so excited for my future with Junction arts.

“Every day I’m surrounded by a supportive team who have individually worked with me trying to give me the best experience possible over the last 15 months.

“I love having roles in events and being with local communities. In December, I played a part in creating Chesterfield’s first lantern parade. I had an overwhelming sense of pride seeing all the lanterns made by school children and members of the community walk together from Queen’s Park into the town centre and will treasure this memory forever. After a difficult couple of years, I’ve never seen so many smiling faces in one place. At 19 years old, I feel so grateful that my days are filled with creativity, exciting projects and great people.

“I love the community we have here in Chesterfield and I think that’s what makes chesterfield such a great place to live, work and enjoy! I am very excited to see Chesterfield in the future and how it will develop into a town with creativity in every corner and street.”

Hannah added that the charity is now looking to further support young talent in the region by taking on a new intern: “Within the next month, we will start the process for advertising for a 1 year Internship from July 2022. It is currently an unpaid role of up to 15 hours a week, depending on the applicates availability. Applicants are to be 18yrs +.

“The Intern is positioned at the centre of the charity, with opportunities to work with all the team, support on projects and events, access to training and involved in the planning of projects. This is an entry level role into the creative/community arts/charity sector.

“We are actively looking for funding to make this a 2 day paid for position, as an investment into young people and new careers within the area.

“As a busy charity, we are always looking for volunteers on our events and projects to help them run smoothly and have a positive impact on those to attend. More details of volunteering with Junction Arts can be found here: https://junctionarts.org/volunteer/”

Junction Arts supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Junction Arts at the Tapton Lock Festival

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Blue Plaque unveiled at University of Derby’s St. Helena Campus in Chesterfield

A Blue Plaque has been unveiled at the University of Derby’s Chesterfield campus to commemorate the building and its significance as a prominent former girl’s school in the area.

The plaque was unveiled at the Grade II listed building, St Helena, formerly Chesterfield Girls High School, by Dr Maureen Strelley, a former pupil and Bolsover GP, at an event hosted in collaboration with the Chesterfield Civic Society on Monday 7 March, 2022.

The building was originally designed by G.H. Widdows, one of the outstanding school architects of his day and was his first major project for the county council. Opened as a new secondary school in 1911 by the Duchess of Devonshire, the school provided transformative education for many pupils, before it closed in 1991.

In 2016, the University fully transformed the building, which is now regarded as a centre of excellence for health, providing some of the best teaching facilities in the UK for nursing courses.

Professor Keith McLay, Provost – Learning and Teaching at the University of Derby, said: “We are delighted that a Blue Plaque has been unveiled at our St Helena building in recognition of its historic significance.

“The University sympathetically restored the building, retaining most of its original features, and is now a teaching and learning environment for students who are going into valuable careers in the healthcare profession. We are proud of the building and its heritage as a pioneering educational establishment.”

Philip Riden, Chairman of Chesterfield Civic Society, added: “It is fantastic that this wonderful building, which provided life changing opportunities for so many young people, has been recognised with a Blue Plaque.“Looking back at its history, the first secondary school for girls in Chesterfield was a private school run from a house called East Bank on Sheffield Road. Faced with the need to provide places under the 1902 Education Act, the county council bought up the school and got it temporarily recognised as a public secondary school on condition that they built a new school as soon as possible, which they did on an extremely ambitious scale.“This school, which was renamed St Helena School in 1947, and Chesterfield School, which offered education to boys, were important as major agents of social mobility for their pupils, which they took from a number of schools across the borough and adjoining county area. Both enabled their pupils to proceed to higher education and onto successful professional careers, which is very much aligned to the work and ambitions of the University of Derby today.”

Other attendees at the event included Dr Denise Baker, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at the University of Derby, Professor Stephen Wordsworth, Interim Deputy Dean of the same College, and Frank Gorman, Secretary of the Chesterfield Civic Society.After the unveiling ceremony, all attendees were invited to lunch and a tour around the campus.As well as learning spaces, the University’s Chesterfield campus is home to the Innovation Centre Chesterfield, which allows small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to incubate new business ideas, increase their speed of growth and de-risk the process of developing new products.

Chesterfield businesses are being invited to a ‘Planning for Growth’ event at the St. Helena Campus on 27th April 2022. Organisations will be able to discover the support available to help make their goals a reality and expand their network through meeting like-minded business leaders. To find out more and book your place, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/planning-for-growth-chesterfield/

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Photo supplied by Richard Richards Photography

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New ‘bubble tea’ shop open in Chesterfield

A new shop specialising in popular ‘bubble tea’ drinks has opened on Cavendish Street in Chesterfield Town Centre.

Boba Shack offers a huge range of ‘pick & mix’ bubble tea drinks options as well as a pre-mix menu for those that are unsure of what to order.

The beverage, which has become popular in recent years orginated in Taiwan. It is an iced fruit or milk tea drink which traditionally includes soft and chewy tapioca pearls. It has evolved over the years and now includes the addition of popping bubbles and various other fillings and toppings.

Boba Shack owner, Philip Price explained why the drink has rose to prominence: “It is essentially popular because it fills a gap in the market in terms of dink options. Consider someone wants a drink, either for refreshment or flavour. The options before bubble tea were essentially a canned or bottled drink from a shop or a cup of tea, coffee, or chocolate from a café. Bubble tea sits in the middle of these. Much more flavoursome and exciting than a can of pop and much more tuned to the younger market than a hot cup of coffee.”

Philip also explained how the idea to open the shop came about: “Myself and my business partner Steve Smith were looking for something new to do in Chesterfield afer a few years of virus affected businesses. I realised that over the past two years my daughter has been persuading me and her sister to drive her all the way to Meadowhall and back just to buy a bubble tea. It struck me that if something is so much of a draw then it must be something worth investigating.

“After a short period of research and analysis we decided that Chesterfield should be able to support its own bubble tea shop, even with a much smaller population than Sheffield. So we made the decision to open. Signed the lease for an empty shop on the 4th Feb and opened 15 days later on the 19th. There were a few very long days to make that happen.”

Both Philip and Steve are excited to be bringing another unique offer into Chesterfield Town Centre: “The response and feedback has been amazing. We’ve enjoyed queues outside the shop on numerous occasions in just our first few weeks of opening, and we’ve even been told that we are becoming a reason that people are visiting the town centre. A real destination of sorts for local people, which we feel is a great thing for the town centre and will help other businesses and traders.”

“I think we are seeing a small turn in attitude as new and exciting things start to appear on the town centre. We hope we can play our small part in revitalising the town centre. We are not a franchise or big brand. Just a couple of old blokes who live in Chesterfield and have a real passion to make it an exiting and vibrant town. We’ve invested a lot of time, effort and money into getting up and running, but hopefully, the wonderful people of Chesterfield will appreciate not having to travel for their Bubble Tea anymore.”

To find out more about the range of shops, bars, restaurants and visitor attractions in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

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Casa Hotel and Global Brands host emergency fundraiser for Ukraine

A special charity event has been set up by Casa Hotel and Global Brands, as part of efforts to raise funds for those affected by the current conflict in Ukraine.

Casa has launched the ‘Coffee for Ukraine’ day, taking place this Friday, 11th March at Casa’s Cocina Restaurant, with all proceeds going towards the Britsh Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The Ukrainian flag is also mast outside the Hotel to show support and solidarity with the country.

Staff working in the Global Brands office are also doing their bit to raise money for people in need, by hosting a ‘Yellow & Blue Friday,’ with team members wearing the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Global Brands owner, Steve Perez will be personally matching each donation raised by the staff.

Mr. Perez said he and the team have felt ‘devastated’ by recent events: “We’re receiving news from our distributor, Good Wine, in Kyiv, that their warehouse had been hit by Russian shelling, leaving their family business was completely wiped out, extremely heart breaking news.

“The Global Brands staff asked if we could have a collection which I naturally agreed and said the company would match all money raised pound-for-pound that the Global, Casa and Peak Edge teams collect.

“We will also send all proceeds of every cup of coffee, tea or soft sold this Friday to the British Red Cross Ukrainian humanitarian appeal.”

A number of businesses have been doing their bit to support the crisis, including Entire Facilities Management who set up an emergency mission to send supplies to the Polish/Ukrainian border. The Goldsmith Clinic has also donated more than £1,000 to the Distasters Emergency Committee Appeal, while The Tickled Trout has collected dozens of bags full of donations from the local community.

Casa Hotel, Global Brands, Entire Facilities Management, The Tickled Trout and The Goldsmith Clinic support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Chesterfield chef featured on BBC’s Great British Menu

A Chesterfield chef has been wowing audiences on national television this week, serving up a number of signature dishes on the BBC’s Great British Menu.

The popular cookery show sees some of the UK’s top chefs battle it out to create a dish for the final banquet in the series finale.

Mark Aisthorpe, head chef and owner of The Bulls Head in Holymoorside, Chesterfield explained how he felt about being selected for the show: “I was so excited and terrified all at once, but totally honoured to be asked to be one of the chefs .

“It was a bit like a dream come true. I suppose every chef wants to showcase their work and WOW what a platform.”

While being showcased on a national platform, Mark added that he was excited to showcase some of the amazing produce North Derbyshire has to offer.

He said: “Our location in my opinion is one of the best in the country.  We have such amazing local suppliers and a variety of independent farmers just on our doorstep. Highfield Farm’s amazing Derbyshire Lamb, farmed just minutes from the restaurant.

“Foraging in the local woods which are rich in ingredients all make our food at The Bulls Head what it is today and gives me inspiration for my menus.”

Mark described competing amongst the nation’s best chefs was both ‘fun and stressful,’ adding: “Competing anywhere is hard but in a different kitchen, you don’t know and against amazingly talented Chefs is even harder.”

With recruitment proving a challenge in hospitality at the moment, Mark had encouraging words for those considering a career in the industry: “It’s hard work, long hours but I feel it one of the most rewarding jobs.  Taking one thing and making it into something that is enjoyed by people is such a good feeling.  The satisfaction you get from positive comments and reviews is amazing.”

In terms of future potential TV appearances, Mark added that he would be open to further opportunites to showcase the pub’s locally sourced produce: “My aim is to continue making The Bulls Head as good as it can be. I would love to get recognition what we are doing there.  The Bulls Head is my main priority but never say never to further opportunities.”

Chesterfield boasts award winning restaurants that are attracting national media recognition, and independent coffee shops and pubs with a belief in local produce. Find out more about dining out in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/eating-out/

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Work continues to enhance biodiversity across Chesterfield

A series of projects that aim to increase biodiversity in Chesterfield have already been successfully completed in 2022 – with even more activities planned throughout the year.

Chesterfield Borough Council has been working with both the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to support projects that will help enhance biodiversity across the borough.

In Holmebrook Valley Country Park, DCRT have worked with Fletchers Waste Management to expand the small ponds in the north of the park, which will help create a more diverse range of habitats for local wildlife.

The council, together with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, have planted 1500 trees in Whitecotes Park, Brearley Wetlands and Badger Recreation Ground. Not only do new trees help absorb carbon, but they also create new habitats for wildlife.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Tackling ongoing climate change issues and improving biodiversity provision are closely related. The work we have been doing with partners aims to ensure that Chesterfield is at the forefront of tackling these emergencies. I’m proud of the work we’ve done but there is still lots more to do and I would encourage everyone to get involved and support our work in this key area.”

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “These interventions in our green spaces not only support our ambitious climate change plans, but they also enhance these green spaces for local people. Our recently approved Parks and Open Spaces Strategy has sustainability as a key aim for works to improve our facilities.  Ensuring that local people have excellent green spaces to enjoy is key to improving the quality of life for all our residents.”

The small ponds in the north of Holmebrook Valley Park were originally created several years ago however the pond liners used became damaged and water was not being held in the ponds.

To ensure the ponds can hold water they have been lined with clay and they are already holding water following heavy rainfall. These ponds will also help reduce the flow of storm waters into the river which could reduce the flood risk downstream.

Fletchers Waste Management volunteered their machinery and staff to help complete the ponds at no cost.

DCRT will now be hosting volunteer days so that planting around the ponds can take place.

The council is working closely with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to plant trees and enhance biodiversity across the borough with funding provided through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Further tree planting will take place in 2022 to ensure the council exceeds its target of planting at least 1000 trees every year.

The council will be working with community groups, tree wardens and other volunteers to ensure these trees are planted and can thrive. Some of these will be planted in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. More details about these and how members of the community can get involved will be released in due course.

Any residents wanting to support the council’s tree planting programme can volunteer to become a tree warden by emailing greenspaces@chesterfield.gov.uk or calling 01246 959415.

Working on ponds in Holmebrook Valley Country Park

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Derbyshire’s investment strategy named one of best in Europe by FT

Derbyshire’s strategy for attracting overseas investment to the county has been named as one of the best in Europe in rankings compiled by the Financial Times.

Part of Marketing Derby’s Invest in Derbyshire service involves attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to the county.

And in the prestigious Financial Times’ fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 rankings, Derbyshire has been placed fifth within the top 10 Small Regions for FDI Strategy category, which recognises the regions who have devised the strongest strategy for attracting investment.

Derbyshire is ranked alongside other regions in countries across Europe, including Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Croatia, Spain, Norway, Austria and Serbia – and is the only UK region to feature in the top 10.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “This is really good news as we have put a lot of effort into developing the successful Marketing Derby inward investment service into the county.

“We have worked very closely with our partners at Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Economic Partnership and Destination Chesterfield in doing this.”

Derby and Derbyshire also enjoyed success in a category which recognised the efforts of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

The D2N2 LEP (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) was ranked seventh in the Connectivity category.

fDi Intelligence is a service from the Financial Times and is the largest Foreign Direct Investment centre of excellence globally.

The rankings are one of the industry’s most prominent benchmarks of FDI competitiveness.

For this year’s rankings, fDi’s research team assessed 356 European cities and 148 European regions.

Both awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held at MIPIM, the global property fair that is set to take place in Cannes, in the south of France, next week.

The success comes hot on the heels of the launch of a new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus, showcasing 23 projects that will help lead the county’s regeneration.

Mr Forkin said: “The investment prospectus lists over £1 billion of opportunities across Derbyshire.

“This complements our new Invest in Derbyshire website and promotional films, which have just been released.”

A number of developments are currently underway in Chesterfield, providing a range of fresh investment opportunities across the town. They include Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway, Elder Way, Staveley Regeneration Corridor, Markham Vale and much more.

For a full overview of the developments taking place across Chesterfield, go to https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

Find out more about why Chesterfield is an ideal place to locate your business, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

To read a digital version of the new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus please click here.

 

Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

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Community Chesterfield reflects on voluntary sector impact

A partnership project between the University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA) is reflecting on the impact it has made within the health and social care sector after creating almost 4,000 ‘meaningful connections’ across Chesterfield.

Community Chesterfield, which is nearing the end of its third year, links up the skills, knowledge and experience at the University of Derby with those of the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and has been a vital support network in the area since its launch in 2019.

The ‘meaningful connections’ between VCS organisations and the University is where the activity organised brings benefits to both. They have included Expert by Experience sessions, which have seen the project connect individuals from voluntary and community sector groups with university staff and students to share their lived experience.

Around 2250 students from the University of Derby have met 57 Experts by Experience, covering topics including family carers, medication management, mental health issues and hearing and sight loss.

Over the last three years, Community Chesterfield has also helped to successfully increase funding for local VCS groups by more than £110,000 as a result of the skills and knowledge they have gained through their involvement with the project.

The project’s online training model also continued to thrive, having delivered more than one thousand training hours in the last 12 months alone and 2271 hours in total since the start of the project. The sessions have been attended by more than 140 local health and social care sector organisations.

After assessing the need based on conversations and feedback from groups, Community Chesterfield also added in a provision for e-learning courses, as well as the project’s popular Training and Tea model – a series of 45-minute sessions at a regular day and time slot.

In addition to the popular training sessions, more than 570 participants attended shared learning workshops. These workshops, which include the Connect and Reflect sessions, aim to connect the community, the health and social care sector and the University to allow them to discuss, learn from and reflect on the common experiences we each have.

Jennifer Raschbauer, Community Chesterfield’s project manager, said: “The aim of our project has always been to bring together the University of Derby with the local community to create a resourceful, experienced and knowledgeable health and social care sector in Chesterfield.

“Despite having to negotiate through the ever-changing landscape because of the pandemic, we are extremely proud what we have achieved in the last three years and the visible positive impact with have had on the local VCS sector.

“By providing these valuable opportunities for the VCS and university to come together, we have been able to strengthen the skills of the local workforce in this sector, enabling them to be more resilient in the future and to provide the best possible support to their service users.

“As we look to the future of the Community Chesterfield project, we are excited to both cement and increase the connections we have made in the local community. We have plans to widen the reach of the work we do, which is an exciting prospect and will allow us to create more opportunities for more people across Chesterfield.”

Community Chesterfield has also facilitated 63 students to provide support to a variety of local VCS groups and supported more than 60 students on their negotiated module, where they can select a subject area of interest to them that’s not covered in the curriculum and which introduced them to a number of local charities and voluntary groups.

In addition, the project has organised five internships and 15 work placements and skills days, as well enabling the creation of one academic publication.

For more information about Community Chesterfield visit www.communitychesterfield.org.uk.

Community Chesterfield supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Matlock Farm Park in double success at Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards

Shining stars of the local tourism industry were celebrated at the Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards last week, with Matlock Farm Park taking two gold awards on the night.

Designed to recognise and reward excellence and outstanding achievement in the Peak District and Derbyshire’s valuable tourism sector, the awards brought together 41 finalists in 15 categories for a glittering ceremony at Chesterfield’s four-star Casa Hotel.

Some of the area’s finest pubs, restaurants, attractions, experiences and accommodation providers were amongst those recognised at the awards evening, organised for the second year by Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

In recognition of the exceptional challenges faced by tourism businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, two new core categories were added for 2022: the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ and the ‘Resilience and Innovation Award’.

Two new local awards – ‘Team of the Year’ and ‘Tourism Young Achiever’ – were also added to recognise the thousands of jobs supported by tourism across the Peak District and Derbyshire.

Demonstrating the variety and quality of tourism businesses in the area, awards were hotly contested and nominees progressed through shortlisting, mystery shopping and a rigorous judging process by an independent panel of experts to arrive at last night’s awards ceremony.

Host Andy Miller compered the event as Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners were revealed. Gold winners were each presented with hand-crafted awards, designed and made by Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery & Luxury Watches, whilst Silver and Bronze winners each received a certificate identifying them as one of the best tourism businesses in the area.

In a further boost, Gold winners in each of the 13 core categories will now progress onto the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022, which represent the highest accolades in English tourism.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “Following two years of unprecedented challenges, we’re delighted to recognise the inspirational businesses and passionate individuals who continually raise the bar of the Peak District and Derbyshire’s world-class visitor offer.

“Not only does our tourism industry offer incredible experiences for those who holiday here, it supports thousands of local jobs and makes a vital contribution to the local economy, helping to make the Peak District and Derbyshire such a great place to live, work and visit.

“This year’s awards are also a timely reminder of the determination, innovation and commitment of our local businesses who have worked incredibly hard to adapt and rebuild, and to continue to provide visitors with a first-class welcome.”

Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards 2022: THE WINNERS

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

  • GOLD: Croft Bungalow Accessible Holiday Let, Birchover

B&B and Guest House of the Year

  • GOLD: Grendon Bed & Breakfast, Buxton
  • Silver: Sheldon House, Monyash

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

  • GOLD: Landal Sandybrook, Ashbourne
  • Silver: Boutique Camping at Scaldersitch Farm, Sheen
  • Bronze: Beech Croft Farm Caravan & Camping Park, Taddington

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

  • GOLD: Pure Outdoor Ltd
  • Silver: Landal Darwin Forest, Matlock
  • Bronze: Fischer’s Baslow Hall

Experience of the Year

  • GOLD: Pure Outdoor Ltd
  • Silver: myGuidedWalks
  • Bronze: Drive Dad’s Car, Great British Car Journey

Hotel of the Year

  • GOLD: Rafters at Riverside House, Ashford-in-the-Water
  • Silver: The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
  • Bronze: Casa Hotel, Chesterfield

New Tourism Business Award

  • GOLD: Manor House Farm Cottages, Sheldon
  • Silver: Great British Car Journey, Ambergate
  • Bronze: Country Luxe Derbyshire

Pub of the Year

  • GOLD: The Devonshire Arms, Pilsley
  • Silver: The Prince of Wales, Baslow
  • Bronze: The Yorkshire Bridge Inn, Bamford

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

  • GOLD: Stainsborough Hall, near Wirksworth
  • Silver: Manor House Farm Cottages, Sheldon
  • Bronze: Oaker Farm Holidays, Hope

Taste of the Peak District & Derbyshire Award

  • GOLD: Fischer’s Baslow Hall
  • Silver: The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
  • Silver: The George, Alstonefield

Visitor Attraction of the Year

  • GOLD: Matlock Farm Park, Matlock
  • Silver: Treak Cliff Cavern, Castleton
  • Bronze: Bluebell Dairy Ltd, Spondon

Resilience & Innovation Award

  • GOLD: Matlock Farm Park, Matlock
  • Silver: White Peak Distillery, Ambergate
  • Bronze: Treak Cliff Cavern, Castleton

Tourism Young Achiever Award

  • GOLD: Luke Henshaw, Great British Car Journey
  • Silver: George Finlay, Matlock Farm Park
  • Bronze: Jack Boam, Tagg Lane Dairy

Team of the Year Award

  • GOLD: The Welcome Team Ltd
  • Silver: Pinelodge Holidays Ltd
  • Bronze: Rafters at Riverside House

Unsung Hero Award

  • GOLD: Rob Hattersley, Longbow Bars & Restaurants
  • Silver: John Whelan, Rafters at Riverside House

Matlock Farm Park, Casa Hotel and Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Plans to boost town centre to be put under the spotlight at Celebrate Chesterfield

After securing nearly £20m of Levelling Up funding, plans to boost the town centre and enhance its cultural offering are set to be unveiled at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event on Wednesday 23 March.

At the event, Chesterfield Borough Council will unveil its plans for the modernisation and further development of the town centre as part of its journey to become a go-to destination for residents, retailers, and visitors.

A new Inward Investment Campaign for Chesterfield, focused on attracting further investment to the town, will also be launched at the event.

Now in its twelfth year Celebrate Chesterfield, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with The University of Derby and sponsored by CT and Markham Vale, is one of the most hotly anticipated business events in the area attracting around 250 delegates.

This year, the event will also host the Derbyshire Festival of Business Exhibition, designed to showcase Derbyshire’s extensive business offer and capabilities.

Fully booked every year, businesses are being urged to book their tickets now to the free in-person event which is being held at the Winding Wheel from 7.30am – 11.00am.

Speakers at the event include Dr Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council and Professor Warren Manning, Provost Innovation and Research at the University of Derby

In addition to plans for the town centre, the conference speakers will also address progress on the town’s multi-million pound commercial and residential developments, office space and the Digital High Street programme.

Last year the popular Celebrate Chesterfield event was held online. Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Chesterfield’s business community demonstrated resilience through the pandemic and continued to make significant progress in all areas. I am pleased we can finally come together in person and celebrate all that we have achieved in such testing times. It’s also important we look to the future and capitalise on the progress we have made to ensure the town remains a place where people want to live, work and invest.”

Dr Peter Dewhurst, Director, Strategic Projects at the University of Derby said: “The University is once again proud to be the headline sponsor of the Celebrate Chesterfield event, which we see as presenting an excellent opportunity to bring together and showcase the talent that is helping Chesterfield recover from the challenges of recent times. What’s more, this year’s event is being promoted as part of the inaugural Derbyshire Festival of Business that is being used to elevate our fabulous county as a great place to launch and grow a successful business.”

Ian Snow, Managing Director of CT said: “CT is delighted to sponsor this event and continue our support to promote Chesterfield as a great business destination. We are proud that our roots are in Chesterfield. The fantastic central location, together with the investment into Chesterfield to build a town people want to both live and work in, is supporting the growth of our business to offer a nationwide IT service. We are lucky to be in good company, surrounded by exceptional businesses from the legal, manufacturing and engineering sectors and we look forward to meeting everyone at this great event later this month.”

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD which is jointly developing Markham Vale in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, said: “Markham Vale is at the heart of the business community, so we’re pleased to be able to support Celebrate Chesterfield and the launch of the Derbyshire Festival of Business – there’s no better advert for Derbyshire as a place to do business than the ambitious, growing companies based at Markham Vale. Benefiting from excellent connectivity and a great local skills base, they continue to create new jobs and attract investment into the region.”

Markham Vale

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “Celebrate Chesterfield is a fantastic opportunity for our business community to come together to hear and discuss the significant investments that the council and its partners are making across our town and borough. We need a strong business community to maximise the opportunities created by these investments and to contribute to our aims of making Chesterfield a thriving borough and improving the quality of life for local people.”

For more information on the FREE event and to book a delegate place at Celebrate Chesterfield 2022, please visit here: www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Love Chesterfield, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield market welcomes new fishmonger

A new fishmonger, which brings in products fresh from the docks at Grimsby is now trading on Chesterfield’s marketplace.

Chris’s Fresh Fish can be found every Thursday between 9am-2pm on Chesterfield Market, serving a range of products to customers.

The stall has been trading weekly in town since 10th February, after previously trading on smaller markets elsewhere. The business also does door-to-door deliveries.

The range of products on offer includes: Haddock, Cod, Salmon, Plaice, Skate, Lemon sole, Sea bass, Sea trout, Tuna, Sword, and Halibut.

A variety of smoked fish is also available at the stall, including Smoked haddock, Smoked cod, Smoked mackerel and Smoked salmon. Alongside that, customers are able to purchase a variety of prawns, including cold water and king prawn varieties.

Chris Peart, owner of the stall said: “I’m really excited to be meeting the people of chesterfield. I’ve been there for three weeks so far and it seems to be going really well.”

The trader added that there was potential to expand trading hours into Saturday on the market if there was enough customer demand.

More information about the stall, including various offers can be found on the Chris’s Fresh Fish Facebook page

Elsewhere, you can find a wide range of products at exceptional value at Chesterfield Market including fruit and vegetables, clothes, fabrics and household goods. General Markets take place on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the traditional market as you browse a variety of stalls selling food, fashion, home ware and gifts. It boasts fresh seasonal produce, friendly market traders and value for money goods.

To discuss trading on the market, call the Markets Office on 01246 345999 or for more information visit www.chesterfield.gov.uk/markettrading.

If you’d like to find out more about visiting Chesterfield market or shopping in Chesterfield, head over to https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/shopping/

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

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