chesterfield business news

One Waterside Place office development opens in Chesterfield

A major regeneration scheme in Chesterfield has announced the opening of a brand new six storey office development. One Waterside Place, part of the flagship Chesterfield Waterside development, was officially opened on Thursday 26 January by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The impressive new building, which has become a striking new feature of the local skyline, features six floors of ‘Grade A’ office space with a ground floor retail unit and has already drawn in new investment to the town.

Accountancy firm BHP moved into the building in November 2022, and were closely followed by leading woman’s leisurewear company Varley in January 2023.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The opening of this new development is a key milestone for the £340 million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration project. One Waterside Place represents our ambition to build a thriving borough and create new opportunities for our residents.

One Waterside Place opening

“Our first tenants have already moved in and I look forward to welcoming more businesses to the building over the next year.”

BHP Partner Dominic Staniforth said: “The new office is an excellent space that provides first-class facilities for our team, with an array of restaurants, cafés and shops close by. I know I can speak on behalf of my Chesterfield colleagues when I say that we’re proud to be the first tenants in such a prestigious building and we look forward to being in our new home for many years to come.”

One Waterside Place provides bespoke office accommodation for established businesses – offering a modern, high-quality base for ambitious companies looking to grow and thrive in a central and well-connected location.

The 35,000 sq.ft. building delivers Grade A, large floorplate office accommodation, which does not exist elsewhere in Chesterfield. The building incorporates two passenger lifts, raised access flooring, air conditioning, LED lighting, a high-quality entrance foyer, showers, on-site cycle parking facilities as well as attractive public realm and landscaping.

The building has been designed with sustainability in mind, boasting a BREEAM score of Very Good and an EPC A rating for its energy performance. The ground floor has been designed to create a new retail or leisure space close to the train station.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield and Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, which project managed the delivery of the office and is delivering the Chesterfield Waterside scheme, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver this landmark building.

“Britcon began construction of One Waterside Place amidst the pandemic which brought many challenges in terms of staffing, health and safety and supply of materials. However, they have delivered an exceptional building which they have also used as a learning experience for local students during the build, following an initiative from the council.”

One Waterside place

One Waterside Place sits within the £75 million first phase of the Basin Square neighbourhood of the £340million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration scheme. Once complete, the Basin Square neighbourhood will also comprise 320 Built-to-Rent apartments, a 400-space multi-storey car park, a 140-bed hotel, retail and leisure units.

This area will be landscaped to a high quality standard with the canal basin being at the heart of the scheme, creating a great environment to spend time in on the edge of the town centre alongside a central community hub for occupiers and residents of the Chesterfield Waterside scheme.

The canal basin site has been brought forward with support from the South Yorkshire Combined Authority Infrastructure Fund. One Waterside Place was funded by Chesterfield Borough Council.

Knight Frank and Derby-based FHP Property Consultants are letting agents for the office space at Chesterfield Waterside. For information or to view the remaining space contact Peter Whiteley at Knight Frank on 0114 272 9750 or Darran Severn at FHP Property Consultants 01332 343 222.

To find out more about the wide range of office spaces in Chesterfield, whether you’re a start-up or looking to expand, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

BHP, Bolsterstone Group, and Chesterfield Borough Council support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

One Waterside Place peter swallow Tricia Gilby

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

Chatsworth House Trust announces new Director

Chatsworth House Trust has announced the appointment of Jane Marriot as its new Director.

Jane has started her new role at the Trust, following a six-year tenure as Director of Harewood House Trust in West Yorkshire. During this time, the historic country house saw a significant increase in charitable income and visitor engagement.

Jane joins Chatsworth at an important time. Her remit as the new Director includes leading the development and delivery of a compelling creative programme to reach and engage new audiences in the UK and globally. She is also tasked with increasing the social impact of the Trust’s activities, overseeing the Devonshire Collections of art, artefacts and archives across its various sites, and building the Trust’s endowment to ensure an ever more secure future for the heritage assets under its stewardship.

Jane’s 25-year career has been spent predominantly in leadership roles in museums and galleries at times of major transformation. She started out as assistant curator at Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney, before joining the team that launched Tate Modern in London in 2000 and then becoming the youngest female Director of Royal Academy Trust and Director of Development at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Whilst at the RA she raised £36 million for the David Chipperfield-designed capital project and established an international fundraising operation in Hong Kong. Jane then moved to Yorkshire, firstly as Deputy Director and then Managing Director of The Hepworth Wakefield where she instigated the creation of the new Hepworth Gallery Garden designed by Tom Stuart Smith and launched the Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, which amongst other initiatives helped The Hepworth Wakefield win the Art Fund ‘Museum of the Year’ in 2017.

Jane Marriott, Director of Chatsworth House Trust, said: “Chatsworth has a great reputation, with an outstanding collection of art, established learning programme and strong exhibitions that together represent a visitor offering to rival any national institution in the UK. Chatsworth also has an incredible reach with more than 600,000 annual visitors, meaning there is huge potential to engage with, and have a positive impact on, a wide and diverse audience.

Through a shared commitment to learning and programme at the heart of the organisation, designed to maximise the incredible collections of art, decorative arts and gardens, we have the potential to reimagine Chatsworth’s role within the UK’s cultural economy.

I look forward to working with the family and the team at Chatsworth to widen our reach and demonstrate value to our communities as a charitable trust, whilst protecting this vital piece of our national heritage for generations to come.”

Lord Burlington, Chairman of the Chatsworth House Trust, said: “I am delighted to welcome Jane to Chatsworth as Director of the Chatsworth House Trust. The Trust was set up by my grandfather in 1981 to look after the house, collections, garden, woodlands and park for the long-term benefit of everyone.

Jane’s experience and achievements in the arts, culture and heritage arenas make her the perfect person to lead an ambitious new chapter of growth and development for the charity. There is a great deal of excitement around this appointment, we look forward to working closely with Jane and we wish her every success.”

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

Chatsworth House Director Jane Marriott

Photos: India Hobson, © Chatsworth House Trust.

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

Spire Recruitment announces growth with move to new-look offices

A Chesterfield recruitment company has announced further growth, by announcing a move to offices at Van Dyk Hotel in Clowne.

Spire Recruitment provides a tailored, personal service to both SMEs and large businesses in and around Chesterfield and Derbyshire in a variety of different industries.

The move to the new offices will enable the company to provide client and candidate meetings in a fantastic environment with beautiful surroundings.

The new office is off-grid, which will also make the company more sustainable, and provides good outdoor space which will enhance the wellbeing of staff and clients.

Lee Ashley, Director at Spire Recruitment commented: “Being based in North Derbyshire is really useful to us being a recruitment company, we do quite a bit of travelling and one of the reasons we moved to our chosen location was the amazing transport links.

“We are right next to the M1 motorway and we also have good links to Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire from our base, this will enable us to gain more clients and be able to push our coverage further. We also have several industrial estates within minutes of the office, so this again gives us nice options to expand our client base further.”

Lee was also excited about the future growth of Spire Recruitment following the company’s relocation.

He added: “Once we have settled into life in our new office, we will then kick on and be looking to expand the team. We will be looking at options as to whether we go down the apprenticeship route, or if the company is in a position to need a recruitment agent who is experienced and can hit the ground running.”

To find out more about the great range of office spaces in Chesterfield, along with details on the town’s ideal location for your business, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

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

lee ashley spire recruitment

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Chesterfield’s communities and economy set to benefit from £2.6 million investment

Projects which will support the growth of local businesses, strengthen communities, improve local parks, and boost skills opportunities for local people are amongst a package of initiatives which are set to get underway across the borough.

Residents and businesses will benefit from a range of new and extended projects which have been given the green light after Chesterfield Borough Council secured £2.6m worth of funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The council was selected as a lead authority to benefit from the national funding pot, after its ambitious three-year investment plan – setting out a range of initiatives to improve life for local people – was approved by Government.

A total of £2.69m of UKSPF funding will be spent across the borough over the next three years, with projects including:

  • Improvements to local parks, greens spaces and outdoor sports facilities to provide residents with even better access to quality outdoor facilities across the borough
  • Help for local businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, contributing towards the council’s goal of creating a net zero borough by 2050
  • Grants to help community and voluntary groups fund grassroots projects
  • Funding to support entertainment in Chesterfield town centre and across the borough, including speciality markets
  • Investment in anti-social behaviour initiatives, which will help to tackle the root causes of nuisance behaviour, in line with the council’s new anti-social behaviour strategy
  • Continued support to help local businesses start and grow, and to boost opportunities for local people to learn new skills
  • Investment in tourism and marketing campaigns to support Chesterfield’s appeal as a destination for visitors

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of the council, said: “We were pleased to secure this funding for our local communities. It will mean people and businesses across the borough will benefit from a range of new and extended projects which are designed to improve neighbourhoods, boost local businesses, strengthen support for local skills development and help Chesterfield borough remain a thriving place to live, work and visit.

“The funding was confirmed in December and the council has this week received a report to formally accept the funding and to establish new posts to support project delivery. Subject to final approval by full council in February, we will be moving ahead to deliver a raft of initiatives that will make a real difference to the everyday lives of the borough’s residents.

“Some of these projects will see us working closely with our partners and our communities, and we’ll be sharing more information about individual projects – and how local people and businesses can benefit – over the coming months.”

The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride of place, via three investment priorities: communities and place; supporting local business; and people and skills – the key themes which underpin the council’s three-year investment plan.

 

 

Chesterfield Town Hall

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

Chesterfield IT firm to undergo major office refurbishment

The offices of a Chesterfield IT company will undergo a major transformation in the near future, paving the way for further growth.

CCS Media has 13 offices across the UK with their headquarters being Old Birdholme House, just off Derby Road in Chesterfield. The company has been based in the town for 40 years.

Working with Matthew Montague architects, the company has secured planning permission from Chesterfield Borough Council to give the building a revamp.

The plans for the Grade II Listed commercial building include internal structural alterations and major refurbishment, helping to facilitate the growth plans of the successful technology business.

The refurbishment of the 330 square meter building was specifically developed by Matthew Montague for CCS Media, to enable them to create facilities that will carry the business forward for the foreseeable future and cement their position as a major employer in the Chesterfield area.

Parts of the building date back to the late 17th Century, in heritage reports it is described originally as a dwelling and later a mansion house. There is still evidence of this as the present-day offices are quite cellular in nature, with various small spaces, rooms and offices.

The proposals seek to strike a balance between functionality and form, creative design and fulfilling the needs of the business whilst retaining original architectural details and finishes.

The new facilities provided will enable the business to retain and strengthen the workforce; creating and sustaining employment in the town.

The refurbishment will see an increase in open plan working spaces, improved accessibility and diversity, provision of a new, large, flexible training space and more intelligent energy efficiency. Plus, retaining, exposing and displaying more of the historic features of the building.

A spokesperson for Matthew Montague Architects, based in Derbyshire commented: “The planning application was dealt with efficiently by Chesterfield Borough Council and we are delighted with the approval. Works will begin on site later in the year.”

Find out more about the benefits of locating your organisation in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

CCS Media plans

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Chesterfield businesses offered fully-funded support for technology growth

Businesses across Chesterfield and the wider East Midlands region are being urged to take advantage of the support available from the Digital Upscaler project before funding comes to an end.

The project, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by East Midlands Chamber, supports businesses looking to invest in new technologies to propel growth or to overcome barriers due to a lack of understanding of new technologies.

It offers businesses the knowledge, investment and capacity to scale-up by embracing new technologies, and includes:

  • Intensive one-to-one adviser support from a team of digital experts
  • Funded consultancy to support new technology integration
  • An extensive programme of in-person, two-day digital workshops
  • Peer networks and the East Midlands Manufacturing Network – a Chamber initiative launched last year as a peer-led network, regularly bringing together makers across the region.

Nearly 500 businesses have so far enrolled on and engaged with the programme, which runs until the end of June 2023.

Paul Humphreys, head of scale-up services at East Midlands Chamber, said: “Time and again, we’re told the Chamber’s ‘deep dive’ workshops offer hugely practical advice that can be implemented immediately when staff are back at their desks.

“Beyond our extensive programme of workshops – which are fully-subsidised for staff in businesses across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire – we’re offering one-to-one support from our digital advisers to businesses considered to be high growth. Those showing the best growth potential will be invited to apply for a consultancy award.

“By getting to know a business, we can help its senior management team improve their knowledge when choosing a solution, developer or system provider, and make informed and considered decisions about technology investments. Our ultimate aim is to ensure their digital solutions meet the desired performance and functionality needed for future growth.”

A business that has already benefitted from Digital Upscaler support in our area is Cruise Circle in Bolsover.

When husband and wife team, Jason Daniels and Danielle Nemeth, acquired independent specialist travel agent Cruise Circle from its previous owners in 2009, they had a clear vision to evolve it into an online travel provider that was ahead of the curve in the cruise travel sector.

A Digital Upscaler grant and expert digital adviser support have enabled them to completely overhaul their legacy systems, resulting in the integration of data collection and data processing modules and customer relationship management.

Integration of automation functionality across platforms has reduced time spent manually inputting simple bookings, accelerating booking procedures and delivering a more efficient service to customers.

Jason said: “Our Chamber digital adviser demonstrated significant system development experience, which proved invaluable to us. He impressed on us the need to completely rethink and rebuild our digital position, and helped us understand the digital architecture we needed to develop was, in principle, not entirely different to that deployed by other business in other sectors.

“This reassured us that, with the right technical support, our digital functionality goals were within perfect reach.”

Upcoming Digital Upscaler workshops

  • Using technology to scale your business: Tuesday 24 January and Tuesday 31 January – Village Hotel, Nottingham
  • Social media academy: Wednesday 25 January and Thursday 26 January – Leicester Marriott Hotel; Tuesday 7 and Tuesday 14 February – Village Hotel, Nottingham; Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March – Holiday Inn Leicester
  • Successful search engine optimisation: Wednesday 1 February and Wednesday 8 February – Leicester Marriott Hotel
  • Inbound marketing: Thursday 2 February and Thursday 9 February – Leicester Marriott Hotel
  • Get to grips with GA4 (Google Analytics) and convert more visitors into sales and leads: Thursday 16 February and Thursday 23 February – Leicester Marriott Hotel

More information on the Digital Upscaler project, including a full list of events, is available on East Midlands Chamber’s website at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/services/digital-upscaler.

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International motivational speaker set to inspire people to champion Chesterfield

Chesterfield needs to champion itself better if it is to thrive in 2023 and beyond. That will be the message at this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield business conference.

At the conference, Global Business Awards Motivational speaker of the year 2021, Steve Judge will deliver a mini motivational workshop to inspire and motivate the town’s business community.

Steve Judge will be encouraging people to get behind Destination Chesterfield’s new plan which will see it position Chesterfield as a desirable and contemporary destination for visitors, investors and residents.

The free breakfast conference is being held on Thursday 2 March from 7.30am – 11.00am at The Winding Wheel Theatre.

Fully booked every year, businesses are being urged to book their tickets now to the free business conference.

In addition to Steve Judge, speakers at the conference will also include Andy Byrne, Property Development Director for the Devonshire Group, which is behind the future development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in Staveley.

Now in its twelfth year, Celebrate Chesterfield, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and in association with Addooco IT Ltd, has become a key date in the town’s events calendar and attracts more than 250 delegates each year.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “There is no denying that there are difficult times ahead for the UK economy. However, Chesterfield and its economy is resilient. We have weathered storms like this before and come out of them in a strong position with much to look forward to. The Celebrate Chesterfield event is a timely reminder to the business community of all the development that is taking place in the borough and continues to make it an excellent place to live, work and invest.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “We have a fantastic town with a strong community but to ensure our borough continues to thrive, we must celebrate what makes us special and communicate this clearly to potential investors. I’d encourage members of the local business community to come along to this event to find out more about what we have planned and how we can work together to help ensure our borough achieves its potential.”

Richard Walters, Managing Director of Addooco IT Ltd, the event’s headline sponsor commented: “Addooco are delighted to be headline sponsors of Celebrate Chesterfield and look forward to welcoming all the delegates to this excellent event. We are proudly based in Chesterfield and have been supporting the business community with Managed IT, Cloud and Communications solutions since 2008.

“Not only does Celebrate Chesterfield showcase what is happening in our town, the event is a fantastic opportunity to promote the benefits of trading locally, connecting supply and demand to forge new relationships.”

apprentice IT technician

The event is also being supported by University of Derby, Choice Utility and Markham Vale.

Dan Molloy, Managing Director at Choice Utility commented: “As a company, we are delighted to be supporting Celebrate Chesterfield and helping to shout about what makes the town great. I’ve lived in Chesterfield since I was eight years old, and it has so many great things going for it. The connectivity is excellent from a logistical point of view and the town continues to move forward and evolve. The new developments at Markham Vale and the work being done at Chesterfield Waterside emphasise this. We really do love the town and are excited to play our part in shouting about it.”

A Markham Vale spokesperson said: “It’s great to see Celebrate Chesterfield taking place again for its ninth year – we’re very pleased to be able to support the event. It offers an excellent opportunity to find out more about Chesterfield and everything it has to offer.

“Chesterfield is a fantastic place to do business, as demonstrated by the phenomenal growth we’ve seen at Markham Vale and the creation of more than 2,700 new jobs.”

Markham Vale Business Park

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

Adam Doyle, Head of Business Engagement and Employability at the University of Derby which is supporting the Festival of Business Exhibition said: “We are once again proud to be the headline sponsor of the Celebrate Chesterfield showcase. The event is increasingly significant this year as we look to celebrate local business success in such challenging times, and we are pleased to be able to share this success wider as part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business. The festival plays a key role in continuing to support the business community to innovate and grow, aligned to our aim of raising skills and aspirations across our region. Working with businesses, we are helping to position our county internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”

Celebrate Chesterfield exhibition

Exhibitor space is available at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 and can be booked online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/2023-exhibitor-booking-form/

To find out how you can help champion Chesterfield, book a delegate place at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 by visiting www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

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

Exciting expansion for The Body Health Centre

A healthcare centre in Clay Cross, specialising in treating pain and injuries is expanding its premises, which will grow the range of services it is able to offer.

The Body Health Centre is opening new treatment rooms, along with an open space for delivery of exercise and rehabilitation classes.

The clinic boasts a range of clinicians and therapies which include Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Sports Massage Therapists, Foot Health Practitioners, Acupuncture, Craniosacral Therapy, Personal Trainers, Rehabilitation Specialists, Reiki, Reflexology, Cupping, and Deep Oscillation Therapy with more new and exciting additions to come.

Rebecca Stevenson, owner of The Body Health Centre commented: “I am extremely proud of the achievements I have made within the business within a short space of time. I originally worked at The Body Health Centre on a Self-Employed basis before the opportunity came to buy the business.

“My vision for the business was to expand the treatment rooms and be awarded as an Accredited Training Centre with an Awarding Body to be able to deliver Sports Massage Courses and other CPD achievements.

“Patient care is our number one priority along with patient well-being and mental health always being put first. All of our clinicians are person centered, sensitive to patients ailments and with their extensive and expert knowledge in their profession which is of extreme high quality are able to advise and treat accordingly..”

The centre is also excited to be providing fully accredited Active IQ qualifications. The courses will help people gain a new career, where their newly learnt skill set will open doors to new and exciting opportunities within the health sector.

The courses include:

  •  Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy
  • Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy
  • Active IQ Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

Speaking of the new developments taking place at the centre, Rebecca added: “Our new treatment rooms will enable us to potentially extend our hours so we are able to see more patients at the times they around their busy lifestyles. Our new open space will enable us to deliver a range of small group and 1-1 exercise and rehabilitation classes where people will feel comfortable and in a relaxed environment . The room will be multi use and used as a venue for our training academy.

“We have more availability for appointments with a range of clinicians to suit individuals and always endeavour to see patients as soon as possible. We have the ability to arrange and organise private MRI, Ultrasound and X-Ray scans that can be done within a week of referral, with no long waiting times for results. GP and insurance referrals are welcomed.

“During Covid, we took some pressure off the NHS as some of our clinicians are part of Allied Health along with other special requirements, which enabled us to stay open and treat patients in pain for pain relief without the need to go to A & E.

Rebecca is now launching a recruitment drive to help continue the growth of the centre, and is looking for medical experts to get in touch: “Due to the expansion of my clinic, I will be looking at recruiting qualified professional medical clinicians which will enhance our medical pain and management provision.”

Anyone looking to find out more can contact the centre on 01246 860 317 or by emailing tbhc7@outlook.com.

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

body health centre

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

Chesterfield energy broker to support local businesses in cutting costs

A Chesterfield-based energy broker has launched a campaign advising other businesses in the area on how they can reduce their energy bills.

Choice Utility, based in the town’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is hoping their advice and support will help local businesses to keep their costs down, and take away their fears caused by recent volatility in the market.

The firm wants to educate business owners on how the market works by going into their premises and showing them ways in which they can keep their bills down.

Examples of this could be working with companies to secure a better deal on their energy, or simply advising on ways to reduce their consumption by taking a look at the appliances used within their business.

Choice Utility believes the collaborative campaign will help other businesses realise the benefits of making small changes, which in-turn can have a huge impact on savings.

The company also plans to spread the message and provide expert advice on its social media channels, keeping businesses in the loop on everything they need to know on where the market sits.

You can keep up with the Choice Utility ‘A Fortnight In Energy’ on the company’s LinkedIn page:

Dan Molloy, Managing Director at Choice Utility commented: “The reason we’re wanting to focus on SMEs is because they’re busy. We get that business owners don’t want to spend their time talking to dozens of suppliers, it’s going to take you all day.

“The one thing in common that every business has is that they are using gas or electricity. We want to reassure businesses about their energy and have an open line of communication with them, and this awareness campaign will help us to display that.

“We understand there is a stigma with energy companies, with people thinking they’re all a ‘much of a muchness.’ My advice to businesses would be not to shy away from looking at their energy, as you could potentially be saving thousands of pounds by simply picking up the phone and speaking to a broker.

“As a company, we’re all really passionate about Chesterfield and want to see businesses in the town flourishing, so we want to play our part in helping them and supporting our local economy.”

Find out more about Choice Utility here. 

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

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

Record-breaking total raised by BRM Solicitors for ‘Free Wills Month’

Clients of BRM Solicitors have raised thousands of pounds as part of a free wills month service supporting Ashgate Hospice.

The event broke BRM’s will month fundraising record by raising more than £23,000 in a single month, which will fund care for palliative and end-of-life patients.

During the free wills month local people were encouraged to make a will. Instead of paying a fee to BRM, they were asked to consider making a voluntary donation to the hospice.

During Make a Will Month, which took place in April, a total of 175 people made their will with BRM while making a suggested donation of £75 for a single will or £150 for a mirror will for a couple.

Jack Wood, Head of Fundraising at Ashgate Hospice said: “We are incredibly grateful to BRM Solicitors for choosing Ashgate Hospice to benefit from its Make a Will Month campaign.

“To have raised a record-breaking amount of donations is just incredible and it will go such a long way towards helping the families who need us most.

We must also thank the unbelievable generosity of the customers who decided to make their will in return for a donation towards the funding of our care.

Everyone at the hospice is overwhelmed by the support and thanks must also go to the wonderful staff at BRM for making this happen. We’re looking forward to working with BRM again next year!”

The total amount raised by BRM Solicitors was £23,495, which is the largest amount the firm has raised for any charity in a single month.

The donation could help pay for one of the hospice’s community workers to make almost 500 visits to a patient in their own home.

Rob Woodhead, Head of Wills and Probate at BRM Solicitors, said: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Ashgate Hospice again this year to raise funds for a charity that plays such a key role in the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire community. We hope to build on this year’s success and raise even more money for the hospice in 2023.”

Ashgate Hospice must raise £8 million over and above NHS funding to fund its services for patients in their own homes and at its site in Old Brampton.

Meanwhile, one in five people is cared for thanks to money left in wills, but as the number of people with life-limiting illnesses increases, demand for the services continues to grow.

Find out more about how you can leave Ashgate Hospice a gift in your will here: https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/gifts-in-wills/

BRM Solicitors and Ashgate Hospice support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

BRM Ashgate free wills month

 

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How Chesterfield can be a leader in sustainable housing

How can Chesterfield become a national leader in sustainable housing development for the future? That was the question posed to construction leaders in Chesterfield recently.

The town’s Property and Construction Group gathered to discuss the importance of green development across the town.

Chesterfield Borough Council has set a target of ensuring Chesterfield is a ‘net-zero’ borough by 2050. The organisation is working closely with the sector to find solutions across a range of developments. That includes in both housing and commercial property builds.

Using technology to support sustainable housing

The group first discussed how technological advancements are playing a role in bringing emissions down. Liam Rodda, Business Development Manager at Samsung spoke of the increase in the use of heat pumps in new houses. It is hoped the technology will become just as cost-effective as gas boilers in the coming years.

Liam said: “If you’re putting a heat pump into a new build, there’s not actually a great deal of cost difference compared to a boiler.

“The reality is that heat pumps are easier to fit than most gas boilers. Most competent engineers will be able to upskill in order to fit them pretty quickly. I’m hoping we will see prices come down as we get more labour into it.”

Chesterfield is set to lead the way when it comes to training more heat pump installers. This is thanks to the opening of a newly refurbished training centre by NIBE. Read more about the development, which opened in late 2022 here.

Improving green skills in Chesterfield to power our future

Sustainable skills will also be at the forefront of the new Construction Skills Hub, which is set to be developed in Mastin Moor.

Lynda Sharp, Economic Development Manager at Chesterfield Borough Council spoke about the benefits of the new facility.

Lynda said: “The hub will be an on-site facility linked to a housing scheme at Mastin Moor. That is a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain experience of a live construction site, which will make a big difference locally.”

Another issue raised during the discussion was the viability of retrofitting and insulating existing housing stock, to increase the amount of sustainable housing in Chesterfield.

Jillian Mitchell, of Lomas & Mitchell Architects and Vice-Chair of the Chesterfield Property and Construction Group said: “The big challenge to me in retrofit is how you insulate an existing property without creating more risk of condensation and mould growth.

“The market is so familiar with talking about insulation, and they haven’t really talked about ventilation. Derbyshire is a county where there is a lot of brick and stone, so insulating existing properties is a challenge.”

Cost and viability

Concerns around the cost of sustainable housing was one of the concerns which the forum felt needed to be addressed.

Jillian added: “A lot of what has been done in this country has been incentivised financially. But this has not encouraged people to change their behaviour. A lot of that financial reward seems to be how our industry is driven.

“In Cyprus, they have a scheme where people are able to install a limited amount of PV (solar panels). They are only rewarded if they change their behaviour and reduce the amount of electricity they use. I think that’s what we should be thinking about doing.”

Jim Lomas, Director at DLP Planning Ltd. believes recent climate events have made the sector more focused on cutting emissions, and increasing the number of sustainable housing in Chesterfield: “I certainly think the previous summer has started to focus people’s attention. People have seen some tangible changes in the environment, and it is bringing the issues we face to people’s attention.

“From a construction perspective, we are all probably very informed and alert to it. But the wider public are probably not, and now the penny is beginning to drop. There has to be a cultural change.”

Samsung’s Liam Rodda does believe that new builds are starting to improve from a sustainability point of view: “Terraced houses were built to house a lot of people, very quickly. New builds today are going in the right direction. We’re ticking those boxes more often where the homes are generating their own electricity as much as possible.”

John Short, of JAB Short Ltd. was in agreement, but felt that more focus should be placed on existing buildings in order to make significant change: “It is the existing housing stock that we need to be concentrating on, because that is what will make the huge steps required.”

Working collaboratively to drive change

Jim Lomas stressed the importance of ensuring the younger generation have their say in future developments: “We have got to look at the future generations. Young people will be wanting something more sustainable and will be demanding energy efficient buildings from businesses. We need to give younger people more of a voice and direction in developments because it is their future. However, the viability of schemes is pivotal.”

The session was further evidence of the strong partnership between the private and public sectors in Chesterfield continuing to have an impact.

Lynda Sharp added: “From my point of view, the level of detail and quality of the conversation today shows that we are gaining a greater collective understanding and getting deeper into the issues at hand. From a commercial property perspective, the recently-developed Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre and One Waterside place offices are really good examples of where we should be going.”

Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Group brings together business leaders of the region’s property sector and Chesterfield Borough Council to shape and drive forward collaboration, investment, sustainability and skills within Chesterfield.

Regular forums and networking events are held by the group throughout the year.

If you would like to get involved, find out more about the group at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/propertygroup/ or find out more on Linkedin.

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