chesterfield business news

Made in Chesterfield praised by businesses, schools and pupils

An impact report has revealed that nearly 200 students from North East Derbyshire’s schools got a hands-on taste of manufacturing and engineering careers during the Made in Chesterfield festival in November last year.

Businesses, teachers and pupils have all praised the Made in Chesterfield initiative.

Nick McGowan, assistant headteacher a teacher at Whittington Green School which visited Woodhead Construction’s enterprise centre site, said: “We’ve been teaching construction in the school for the last 15 years and one thing we have always struggled with is access to site so the visit was absolutely brilliant. The visit opened the student’s horizons to the jobs and opportunities within the construction sector.”

In a review of the month-long annual festival undertaken by Direct Education Business Partnership (DEBP) which coordinated Made in Chesterfield in conjunction with Destination Chesterfield, it also found that there was no demand for virtual school visits, indicating that schools are keen to re-engage face-to-face with the business community despite the pandemic.

Ivan Fomin, Managing Director of MSE Hiller and Destination Chesterfield’s board member responsible for manufacturing and engineering in the borough, said: “The uptake of the physical workplace tours by schools for Made in Chesterfield was very encouraging given the current climate of uncertainty. There is a very real appetite amongst schools to give young people the widest exposure to careers and job opportunities.”

He added: “It is so important that we highlight the local career and job opportunities to young people as they are an intrinsic part of Chesterfield’s growth ambitions.”

Virtual workplace tours were launched last year amidst the pandemic, however with Covid restrictions eased physical workplace tours were reintroduced for 2021.

Pupils from Whittington Green School, Springwell Community College, St Mary’s Catholic High School, The Bolsover School, Shirebrook Academy and Heritage Academy all took part in visits to local engineering and manufacturing businesses, including Aztec Oils, Woodhead Construction, CBE+, Penny Hydraulics, Superior Wellness, Morgan Sindall, Weightron Bilanciai, MSE Hiller and United Cast Bar.

Carol Claydon, Head of HR at Superior Wellness which hosted students from Springwell Community College, said: “The tour organised by Made in Chesterfield was a fantastic opportunity for our business. Our team members thoroughly enjoyed explaining more about the business, their roles and their work experience to the students. It was brilliant to see how inspired the students were and I think it opened their eyes to the various career opportunities within the local area.

“The campaign is a fantastic way to inspire the next generation and hopefully showcase the different sectors and opportunities available within the town of Chesterfield.”

Ben Jones, Project Manager at Weightron Bilanciai which hosted students from Bolsover School added: “Hopefully we have inspired young people to be interested in what they want to do as a career so they can start thinking ahead now to what they should be studying and also whether they want to go to university or follow the apprenticeship route.”

Charlie Goodwin, Projects Officer at DEBP who compiled the report commented: “We are so grateful to the many businesses who got involved with Made in Chesterfield and worked with us to make it a success in 2021. We appreciate that everyone continues to experience challenging times, however the feedback from those who participated has demonstrated the value in providing meaningful insights into the working world and the role this initiative has in inspiring future employees.”

Launched originally in 2013, the annual Made in Chesterfield campaign, has since introduced thousands of young people across North East Derbyshire to the possibility of a career in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sector.

The hands-on campaign aims to bridge the careers information gap between education and industry by giving schools and pupils access to workplace tours, a range of careers videos and the MyFuture virtual careers fair.

Made in Chesterfield 2021 was made possible thanks to funding and support from The Chesterfield College Group, Chesterfield Borough Council, D2N2 LEP and Careers and Enterprise Company, Derbyshire North Career Hub, MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar Ltd and NatWest.

Emily Carter, Operational Careers Hub Lead at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership added: “We are ever grateful to our cornerstone employers and local business partners for supporting opportunities such as the Made in Chesterfield open doors programmes, supporting young people’s career awareness and aspirations, again this year despite the challenges still faced by industry.

“D2N2 Careers Hub is excited to fund the expansion of this successful model to bring more open doors programmes to young people across the wider D2N2 region during the rest of the 2021-22 academic year.”

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group said: “I am delighted to hear that once again the Made in Chesterfield initiative has been a great success. We are proud to support the programme of activities which take place to connect the future workforce with local employers. It is very encouraging to hear how so many schools and employers benefited. It is critical we excite and educate the next generation to understand the fantastic career opportunities for engineering and manufacturing in Chesterfield to build the workforce for the future and secure local economic growth.”

A number of the businesses involved in the Made in Chesterfield campaign are keen to continue to work with schools throughout the year. If your school would like to arrange a workplace visit, please contact DEBP on 01246 212 535.

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

Katie Saunders joins Devonshire Group as People Director

Katie Saunders has been appointed as Group People Director at the Devonshire Group, the company that represents the interests, charities and businesses of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Having been operating at board level for the past 15 years in High Street retail and during 20 years in the motor industry, including Volkswagen UK and Audi UK, Katie Saunders joins the Devonshire Group with responsibility for more than 1400 employees spread across 65,000 acres at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, the Compton estate in Sussex, and Lismore in the Republic of Ireland.

Katie Saunders: “I’m genuinely excited by the challenge. My experience is very broad, which I think will be important given the Devonshire Group includes such a variety of businesses from visitor attractions, shops, restaurants and luxury accommodation to farming and forestry, and property development.

“Although there are many different job roles and responsibilities, it’s very clear that there is a strong, shared passion for the organisation and its values, at all levels. Part of my role will be to share my experience and expertise in Learning and Development, and particularly Management Development and Leadership, to enable everybody to make the very best of their skills and reach their full potential.”

“Some great work has been done to introduce young people and apprentices to the Devonshire Group through the Kickstart scheme and there’s more to come. To be an employer of choice we need to listen to our team and respond to their concerns so I’ll certainly be looking at issues like wellbeing and diversity to see what more we can do to further develop a modern, motivated and committed workforce.”

Brought up in Doncaster and now living in Chesterfield, Katie Saunders and her husband are frequent visitors to the Peak District and keen foodies. “We know Chatsworth well and often take walks across parts of the estate. For many years I’ve experienced first hand the professionalism, commitment and good humour of the people who work here – this really is my dream job,” she says.

The Devonshire Group 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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SDE Electrical & CCG join forces to offer a one stop shop for all EV requirements

Chesterfield-based SDE Electrical has agreed a nationwide partnership with Car Charge Go to support domestic and commercial customers converting to electric vehicles.

The number of EV vehicles in the last 12 months has increased by 67%, whereas sales in petrol and diesel vehicles have fallen significantly. Battery EV uptake has doubled, but the new car market remains well adrift of pre-pandemic levels.

SDE Group says that while the demand for Electric Vehicles is at an all time high, the EV charging and infrastructure network does not currently support the uptake. The announcement of this strategic partnership will help support the gap by offering customers a complete end-to-end solution for all EV needs.

Both SDE & CCG have both secured nationwide contracts in their own fields with global companies, with SDE being a commercial EV specialist and CCG specialising in the domestic market.

Furthermore, SDE has successfully secured a contract with Gridserve for the rollout of new rapid chargers. The contract is for both installation and maintenance across the electrical highway (motor services, Ikea stores etc.) from Lands End to John o’ Groats.

This contract is set to help increase the EV infrastructure across the UK. Car Charge Go will support SDE by providing administration & technical support.

Jonathan Bennett, Managing Director of SDE Group commented: “The change in behaviors in consumers and businesses looking to convert to electric is phenomenal when you look at the numbers.

“Along with the environmental benefits and financial savings attached, key policy changes set by government and events such as COP 26 have helped create this uptake, therefore this partnership is critical to support all our customers and aid the transformation for consumer and businesses. We are looking forward to working with Kate and the team at CCG.”

SDE Group 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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Employability and Skills Conference to address future skills needs of young people to help the area meet its growth ambitions

With thousands of jobs set to be created in the borough as part of the regeneration of Staveley, business leaders and the education community are being urged to address the future employability and skills of young people now at a free conference next month.

Tickets are available now for the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference which is organised by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, with support from D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub.

The conference, which returns in person for the first time since Covid hit, is taking place on Wednesday 9 February at Speedwell Rooms in Staveley, between 8:00am – 11:00am.

The annual conference, which is now in its sixth year, aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure that school leavers are work ready and have the skills required by businesses in the area.

This year the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference will address the future skills and green growth agenda and also examine the current recruitment challenges that employers face.

Speakers at the event will include Ivan Fomin, Chair of Staveley Town Deal and Fiona Baker, Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP and Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield.

Ivan Fomin commented: “The regeneration programme in Staveley is very exciting and has the potential to create thousands of jobs. It’s important that businesses, the council and education and training providers work together to make sure these opportunities are fully realised for local people. The Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability & Skills Conference is the first step in making this happen.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I’m proud to be hosting the sixth annual skills and employability conference. This event is important because it helps strengthen the links between business and education, which ensures that young people in our borough can develop the skills local employers need. This year the conference also looks ahead to the skills needed to support green growth in Chesterfield, which is vital to helping meet our climate change commitments. We all need to work together to ensure that young people have a bright future in our borough and that they are developing the skills needed for the future.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “We’re delighted to be able to hold the conference in person once again. The last 19 months have been particularly difficult for both education and business. It has never been more important for these sectors to work together to ensure Chesterfield has the right skills to grow and recover from the challenges of Covid.

“There are so many exciting regeneration projects in the town, including Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway and PEAK, and a lot of opportunities for young people. It’s crucial to ensure we nurture local talent and provide the right training to bridge those gaps and enable people and businesses in the borough to thrive.”

A number of local skills providers based in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire will also be showcased in an exhibition at the event.

Places at the free conference are limited. To book your free place at the event, please visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/chesterfield-north-derbyshire-employability-skills-conference/.

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

Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness announces partnership with Canadian firm

Chesterfield based Superior Wellness has announced an official partnership with Canadian based SpaBerry Hot Tubs owned by VisionWerx Inc. to bring their SpaBerry brand to the world.

Starting in 2022 with expansion into the UK and Europe providing direct delivery of SpaBerry hot tubs to customers’ homes through SpaBerry’s unique online marketing platform.

SpaBerry has recently announced the opening of a new North American Distribution Centre located in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The partnership makes this new Distribution Centre a reality with Superior Wellness’ ability to mass manufacture and ship tens of thousands of SpaBerrys globally every year. Superior Wellness will be manufacturing and distributing SpaBerry hot tubs across the UK and Europe.

Jeff Knight, President at SpaBerry said: “In the 30 plus years I have spent in the industry I have never met or worked with a better group than Superior Wellness. Their company culture and dedication to the end user customer, their ability to build in mass quantity while keeping quality at the forefront, has made them a perfect fit for SpaBerry.”

Customers throughout the world have gone to online purchasing at unprecedented rates with 16.1% of global retail purchases happening online. Experts say that by the end of 2024 that 24% of all retail purchasing globally will happen online, amounting to a quarter of all retail purchases.

SpaBerry’s unique approach to online marketing through video/chat/text/email communications’ algorithms and the power of the Superior Wellness team at mass manufacturing capabilities, along with their organisational strengths of distribution and service makes the partnership a perfect fit. SpaBerry’s new Global Sales & Marketing Centre, a state-of-the-art Global Multilingual Internet Sales Centre, designed to operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year is opening February 2022.

Rob Carlin, Managing Director, Superior Wellness said: “We are delighted to announce this global partnership with SpaBerry. The hot tubs are already in production and we are excited about the first customers receiving them.”

Gareth Ward, Sales Director, Superior Wellness said: “SpaBerry is a great product and we know that customers in the UK and Europe will love it. The partnership is a perfect fit as we are both focused on ensuring quality is at the forefront particularly when we are producing large quantities.”

Jeff Knight at SpaBerry said: “We believe in the culture and the drive that has been established at Superior Wellness and are extremely proud that our global expansion efforts have the support of their team.”

Superior Wellness 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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£1m funding boost to expand the work of the D2N2 Skills Access Hub

An additional £1m in funding has been secured to expand a project aimed at helping businesses and employees access skills and training across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The D2N2 Skills Access Hub was set up in April 2020 to provide tailored solutions and flexible delivery to meet the skills and apprenticeship priorities of employers and employees across Derby Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Hub was created with an award of £4.8m from the European Social Fund has been supporting 888 small and medium-sized businesses to access skills provision and 2,220 individuals to improve their own skills attainment.

By agreeing the extra £926,633 of funding, Nottingham City Council can increase the number of businesses supported to 1,060 and the number of individuals supported to 2,650.

Half the funding will come from the European Social Fund and half will come from Skills Access Hub delivery partners including the University of Nottingham, West Nottinghamshire College, Futures, Direct Help and Advice, and Nottingham College.

Around half the project participants are expected to be based in Nottingham with the rest in Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.

Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP said: “It’s great to see this additional funding for the Skills Access Hub programme, which will allow even more businesses and individuals in the D2N2 area to achieve the skills needed for our region’s economic growth.”

Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Skills, Growth and Economic Development, Councillor Rebecca Langton, said: “We were pleased to accept this funding so the project can be widened to include even more businesses and workers so that they can thrive and achieve their potential.”

To find out more about a number of business support initiatives available here in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

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North Derbyshire technology firm completes £2.1 million investment raise

A Clay Cross based Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution provider is celebrating a record 12 months in style after it completed a successful £2.1 million investment raise.

Konektio, the new name for InVMA, is taking advantage of the industry sector’s desire for digital transformation by rolling out its AssetMinder SaaS platform to help clients improve processes, runtime, safety and environmental performance by dynamically connecting people, process, places and things and providing intelligent insights and recommendations every day.

The funding round for Konektio was led by fund managers Mercia and Foresight, investing from both the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and included existing investor Tern plc.

The additional capital will allow the firm to embed its technology in the operations of even more customers across industries including food processing, manufacturing, logistics, and water/waste treatment industries – monitoring and analysing thousands of things every day.

It will also facilitate the recruitment of additional staff both in the UK and in its recently opened first overseas office in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, United States.

“We are entering the exciting scale-up period of our business and fully expect to significantly grow revenues over the coming months, leveraging the power of our solutions and the reach of our channel partners, including Dexis, ECA, PTC and u-blox. The institutional investment secured, including further support from Tern, will help us achieve these goals,” explained Peter Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of Konektio

“The next industrial revolution is about empowering people to do more with less and our rebrand to Konektio reflects that. It cuts through the buzzwords and all the terminology to focus on what our technology does best – connecting everyone with everything and providing intelligent insights people need.”

Al Sisto, CEO of Tern Plc, added his support: “We are very pleased that Konektio has secured a significant institutional investment in order to fund the next phase of its growth. We welcome the Mercia funds as our partners, alongside the management and founders of Konektio, to help the business achieve its full potential.

Konektio’s main product is AssetMinder, an IIoT SaaS product that dynamically connects people, process, places and things – from on-site factory floors to the remotest locations they operate in, all designed to drive value across a business with value added insights, recommendations and targeted data driven analysis.

The technology gathers data from assets and devices and displays it to all members of the customer’s team via a single interface, allowing them to make informed decisions on maintenance, servicing, tweaks to processes and how they manage their energy usage.

Thousands of assets – from conveyor belts and fans to crushing equipment and robotic lasers – are currently connected to AssetMinder, with companies using it to consistently deliver increased runtimes and productivity, not to mention achieving greater control of their environmental footprint.

The core AssetMinder solution is already being utilised across 15 different sectors, with a number of new ‘extensions’ being launched in 2022 to offer customers even more features.

Co-founders Patrick Nash, Jan Hemper and Jon Hill, continued: “Companies have started to cut through the confusion around digital manufacturing and the next industrial revolution and now share a real appetite to see how the intelligent use of data can deliver short and long-term returns on investment.

“This is really good news for our business, and we are looking to capitalise on this fast-growing trend by investing significantly in product development, R&D and in supporting our global customers by creating a network of international offices.”

“The US technical centre is an important first step in this plan and will allow us to provide on-the-ground support to clients in this territory, as well as identifying new opportunities in that market.”

Peter concluded: “Our name change from InVMA to Konektio, reflects our ambition to be a company that creates true connected Industrial IoT communication and collaboration for a wide range of businesses.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund projects are supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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Twist magazine goes from strength-to-strength with more than 15,000 copies delivered each month

Local magazine Twist, which focuses on all things Chesterfield has the largest distribution of any magazine in the town, with 15,500 copies of the Heron Publications title carefully delivered to local homes and businesses each month.

Professional, experienced journalists keep readers entertained with lively features and positive Chesterfield news stories, backed up by striking images and eye-catching presentation. The launch of the title in September 2010 coincided with the setting up of the Chesterfield Champions network and Twist was delighted to become one of the scheme’s first member companies.

Editor Mike Firth began his career as a journalist in Chesterfield more than 40 years ago, working as sports editor at the Derbyshire Times before going on to edit the Chesterfield Gazette and Chesterfield Express newspapers when they were independently run.

Says Mike: “Chesterfield has always been an enjoyable place to work but now it has really blossomed into a vibrant town with so much going for it. If you want proof, you need only look at completed developments like the Casa Hotel, the Technique Stadium and the Vicar Lane shopping area – and then cast your mind back to how those same sites looked a few years ago.

“Now we have a new wave of other exciting developments throughout the town which will take Chesterfield into an exciting new era.”

Mike, who has lived in north Derbyshire almost all his life, was delighted to return to Chesterfield to set up Twist and he says the magazine is eagerly looked forward to each and every month.

“Readers appreciate the fact that we concentrate on all the positive things that are going on in town and they like the way we present our features in such a bright and breezy manner,” he says.

“They are happy to see Twist land on their doorstep each month and, because people pick it up and read it, advertisers are also delighted with the response they get; that is why many of them feature in our pages every month.”

Twist is delivered free of charge by the company’s own distribution team to homes and businesses in Sheepbridge, Dunston, Whittington Moor, Newbold, Ashgate, Brockwell, Brampton, Ashgate Heights, Old Brampton, Brookside, Waterside, the town centre and beyond. Because Twist is a community publication, all homes in the chosen distribution area receive the magazine – the publishers don’t pick and choose according to council tax bands or how many cars people may have parked in their driveways.

Twist’s professional advertising sales team and design studio staff are delighted to work with Chesterfield companies, both large and small, to help them promote their goods and services in the magazine’s colourful pages.

Twist may well be special, but it is not alone; it is one of a series of magazines published by family-run Heron Publications whose office is just up the road in Dronfield. The company also produces ‘Dronfield Eye’ which is the only publication distributed throughout the S18 area, ‘Wings’ in Wingerworth, Ashover and Tupton, ‘So Bolsover’ across the M1 and ‘Active8’ in the south of Sheffield. Together, they add up to a total circulation of 57,000 quality free local magazines.

An added bonus with Twist is the fact that it is printed right here in Derbyshire by award-winning Buxton Press, a business which has won several prestigious environmental awards.

Twist Magazine 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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Chesterfield Escape Rooms among the best in the UK according to Tripadvisor

Chesterfield Escape Rooms is celebrating success as the attraction has been listed among the top 10 best escape room attractions in the UK, according to reviews website TripAdvisor.

The business has shot up the rankings since its opening in Summer 2021, following hundreds of positive reviews on the site. At the time of writing, the escape room sits at number 5 in the UK rankings. You can see the list here.

Expressing his delight at the news, owner Nick Hogan said: “Living and working in a small town that encourages visitors, customer’s feedback and word of mouth referrals are so important. Trip advisor is also a huge area of interest for visitors to assess what to do when visiting the area so this was a key focus from Day 1.

“The team have been brilliant in ensuring that customers are made aware of our objective to be a top ranked Escape Room and its only with their help and support in providing on line feedback we have managed to achieve our goal. The team have to ensure they deliver a quality product every time and they have achieved that!

Nick also added that the ranking on TripAdvisor is positive news for the town as a whole, adding to Chesterfield’s visitor economy offer: “We can tell from our booking system that approximately 35-40% of our players are from outside of Chesterfield, with a growing number travelling in from Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby and even further afield! These players are using the Escape Rooms as one of the things to do in Chesterfield but then go onto to increase spend elsewhere in the local vicinity.

“There are 790 different locations offering over 2500 Escape Rooms in the UK so we are overwhelmed with the success to date. It was a real pinch yourself moment when we got into the top 5 as our target was to be a top 50 venue.

“Our next target is to consolidate our top 5 position and then try and build on it. We have a new game going into construction in February / March ready for Easter so with further support from our customers, we maybe be able to go a little higher. The visitor economy is so important to the town so the more attractions we get the better and we are delighted to be able to help out.”

Two other business have also opened in and around the Escape Rooms. Chesterfield Virtual Reality offers an arcade approach to Virtual Reality (for up to 4 players) and also offers VR Escape Rooms. Game Zone has also opened on the town, providing a mix of retro and modern day gaming in a social environment.

Those businesses, combined with the existing Geeks Headquarters on Soresby Street are coming together to offer varying solutions to the entertainment portfolio of the town in one place, all under the banner of Chesterfield Games quarter.

To find out more about the range of attractions in the Chesterfield Games Quarter, visit: www.chesterfieldgamesquarter.co.uk

Chesterfield Escape Rooms 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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Community partnership project invites businesses to shape new consortium

A partnership project between the University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action is inviting Chesterfield-based businesses to an online focus group to assist in shaping a new business consortium.

Community Chesterfield, which works to strengthen local communities by bringing the University and local voluntary groups together, is set to launch a consortium to bring these same benefits to the business community.

To help structure the consortium, Community Chesterfield is hosting an exclusive focus group to give businesses from Chesterfield and the surrounding areas with more than 50 employees the opportunity to discuss how the new scheme could benefit them and establish new and mutually beneficial relationships across the region.

The consortium, which will be launched in the summer of 2022, will enable a select group of businesses, academics and voluntary sector organisations to transform the skills and knowledge in the region and strengthen our communities.

The consortium is being designed to enable the exploration of new opportunities to collaborate and work across the voluntary and business sectors, helping businesses to meet staff development and wider company needs, including a focus on corporate social responsibility and employee health and wellbeing, as well as creating positive stories to share.

Jenny Raschbauer project manager at Community Chesterfield, said: “Community Chesterfield is a polit project, so we are in the fortunate position of being able to come up with ways to further achieve our goal of strengthening the local voluntary and community sector here in Chesterfield.”

“The goal of the business consortium is to create a network of cross-sector individuals and organisations who can work collaboratively to bring create opportunities that benefit all parties, whilst ultimately having a positive impact with the Chesterfield area.”

“The benefits to businesses of the consortium will also be rigorously evaluated and assessed by University of Derby members, so participants will have evidential data about how working alongside community organisations in this way has been an advantage to them. It really is a win win situation.”

Attendees at the focus group, which takes place on 27 January, will receive a free Colleague Box business breakfast delivered to your address.

To sign up to the free event visit the Community Chesterfield Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cross-sector-consortium-focus-group-online-business-breakfast-tickets-217541521547?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.

For more information about Community Chesterfield, click here https://www.communitychesterfield.org.uk/.

The University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action 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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Figures show East Midlands businesses favour hybrid working approach

Three-quarters of East Midlands businesses don’t anticipate a wholesale return to pre-pandemic ways of working, according to new research by East Midlands Chamber and Air IT.

Greater flexibility is among the top reasons for a new hybrid working approach – where employees spend part of their week working from home and part of it in the office – as eight in 10 businesses say they have so far decided against a full-time resumption of office and other on-premise working.

The findings were revealed as part of the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey, in which Air IT – a Managed Service Provider based in Nottinghamshire – commissioned a set of questions posed to business leaders regarding their views on the future of work, and whether it will revolve around the office or the home.

The research was conducted before the Government mandate to work from home where possible was reinstated.

East Midlands Chamber director of resources and HR lead Lucy Robinson said: “This research confirms what many Chamber members have been telling us in recent months, which is that they expect to embrace a hybrid structure of office and remote working in the future.

“It’s obviously not feasible for every organisation to take this approach and there’s still lots of jobs that can’t be done remotely, while it’s clear that the office will remain an important hub for collaboration between teams and developing the skills of younger employees.

“However, the disruption of Covid-19 has paved the way forward for a new mindset among some businesses that have witnessed a number of benefits from greater flexibility – including making it easier to attract and retain employees, as well as lower operating costs – and we expect to see a hybrid approach become significantly more popular in the long term.”

Main findings of the survey

Fewer than 20% of the 400 Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire businesses that responded to the Q3 2021 survey, undertaken in August and September this year, said they had “totally” returned to pre-pandemic working patterns.

Meanwhile, 27% planned to do so in the future – with 66% maintaining they would only “mostly” or “partially” do so, and 7% that said “not at all”.

The findings suggest strong support for the hybrid working model, which has proven popular this year as businesses have sought to ease employees back into the workplace while retaining the benefits of working remotely.

But the report shows that, for many organisations, it is no longer a temporary solution – it is here to stay.

Focusing on flexibility, technology and wellbeing

For those planning to continue most, some or all their pandemic-induced working habits, one of the primary reasons was to do with travel, which many businesses are deeming less necessary after experiencing the benefits of video calls, online events and cloud computing.

When asked what has changed for their business, 78% of respondents cited greater flexibility in location of work, and more than half had reduced in-person events as well as local and international travel.

When asked about the implications of changes to working habits, the most popular answer was “increased investment in new technologies”, selected by 61% of respondents.

Another big change was that business leaders want to see increased investment in staff engagement and wellbeing, an option selected by 59% respondents.

Lee Johnson, chief technology officer at Air IT, said: “A lot of our work at Air IT recently has revolved around hybrid working and how we can support SMEs as they adjust to this new era. Technology has been arguably the biggest factor in keeping businesses going since the pandemic hit, so many business leaders are looking to update their IT infrastructure in order to stay ahead.

“Remote and hybrid working are here to stay so it’s important that businesses invest in supporting their employees through this transition, making it as easy as possible for them to do their job.”

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