chesterfield business news

Pinewood Properties Acquires two new branches in North Derbyshire

Pinewood Property Estates have acquired local independent Estate Agent, Village Estates, who have two successful branches to add to Pinewood’s already successful two branches.

This extends Pinewood Property Estates into both Clay Cross and Clowne, adding to their branches in Chesterfield and Mansfield.

Pinewood’s Managing Director Stacey Davies-Bowler said: “This has been in the planning for two years, at one point we didn’t think it was going to happen, when the pandemic hit, we were just weeks away from completing as it struck, which put the brakes on everything. But I am very happy that we have now got it over the line for both Pinewood and Paul Bean, the owner of Village Estates, so he can now enjoy his retirement.”

Village Estates was founded in 1983 and has remained rock solid as a leading agent in both respective towns that the offices are located in. Paul has driven the ship for many years providing fabulous customer service to all their clients over the years. The branch locations are as close to a perfect fit for Pinewood, as all four will now create a diamond formation, given Pinewood perfect coverage of the Chesterfield and Mansfield areas.

Both agents are multi-disciplined, they both have strong sales portfolios, they both deal in land and they both deal with new builds. Pinewood already has a large rental portfolio with well over 1200 fully managed properties on their book, but with the acquisition of Village Estates this now adds an additional 350 managed properties to the portfolio.

Paul said: “I am over the moon to have found someone that is going to take the agency on and drive it forward to the next level. Both Stacey and I believe that this is going to be great success for everyone. I am particularly pleased that our staff have fully embraced the acquisition and even though the Village brand will change, overall the ethos of the business remains the same under the Pinewood banner, the future does look very bright.”

Now with three of the four Pinewood branches all in the Chesterfield area, with the forth just the other side of the M1 in Mansfield, Pinewood can cover a much wider are for the customer and client, a far more efficient service with a localised approach.

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

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Vicar Lane launches ‘Summer Zone’ showing Wimbledon and other sporting events

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, in Chesterfield, is celebrating ‘all things summer’ at its Summer Zone in St James Square from 28th June.

The fun will start by serving up all the Wimbledon action on the big screen from 28th June to 11th July, meaning that customers can indulge in a spot of shopping and not miss out on any of the sporting action throughout the summer.

Plus, from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th July, customers can enjoy food and drink from pop-ups such as Salute (Pimm’s and prosecco) and Fairy Floss (strawberries and cream).

Customers will find an area especially laid to lawn, adorned with deck chairs and bistro sets, as well as a table tennis table and a giant ‘Up 4 It’ game.

Customers of Vicar Lane will find a wide range of stores, including H&M, Holland & Barrett, New Look, JD and Superdrug, as well as the popular indie stores, Nana B Baby Boutique, Gorilla Garms, Clarissa’s Interiors, Shop Indie and Precious Memories.

Visitors to the shopping centre can also enjoy a quick coffee (and cake!) break at Vintage Tearooms, or a relaxing lunch at Qoozies.

Shaun Brown, Operations Manager, Vicar Lane says, ‘’We’re really excited about summer at Vicar Lane. No matter what you’re up to in the heart of Chesterfield, there’s no need to miss a moment of the sporting fun this summer as we’ll be screening all the televised action on our big screen.’’

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

 

 

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Stanedge Golf Club owner to deliver coaching sessions at the 2021 Open Championship

The owner of a Chesterfield golf club has been selected as part of an elite group of coaches to deliver golf lessons to attendees at the eagerly anticipated 2021 Open Championship.

PGA Professional Fame Tate runs Stanedge Golf Club, which was recently shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Club of the Year’ at the 2021 England Golf Awards.

The team of elite coaches will deliver thousands of free 15-minute lessons to spectators attending this year’s event at Royal St. George’s from 11th-18th July, 2021.

This year’s lessons will be delivered under strict COVID-19 regulations, with social distancing in place for each lesson, while all PGA coaches will be wearing protective masks and sanitising equipment will also be provided.

In 2019 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, the Swingzone team delivered more than 2,700 lessons throughout Open Championship week.

Commenting on being picked for the role, Fame said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as one of 16 coaches representing the PGA.

“I have worked in previous Swingzones at The Ladies British Open and The Solheim Cup so I am very much looking forward to the experience at The Men’s British Open and working with a fantastic team of coaches.

“The Swingzone is a superb chance to display how we work as coaches, giving more people the opportunity and accessibility to have a go at golf or develop their game further.”

Jonathan Wright, PGA External Relations Executive, said: “We are thrilled to be able to provide thousands of free coaching lessons once again at this year’s Open Championship.

“The Open Championship Swingzone is a fantastic opportunity for The PGA to showcase the valuable role our Members play in developing golf and inspiring more people into the game.

“We will of course be working under strict COVID-19 protocols so all lessons will be conducted in a safe and professional environment.”

The full complement of PGA Professionals at Royal St. George’s is: Alan Bradshaw, Alison Perkins, David Bartlett, David Gleeson, David Playdon, Fame Tate, Ian Bailey, Jak Hamblett, James Harraway, Joanne Taylor, Kevin Caplehorn, Matt Stables, Paul Warner, Peter Ball, Sarah Bennett, Sophie Daws.

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

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Mitchells Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers celebrates UK Employee Ownership Day

Chesterfield Champion, Mitchells Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers are delighted to be part of the UK Employee Ownership Day (EO Day), run by the Employee Ownership Association (EOA) today (Friday 25th June 2021.)

Mitchells are taking part in this year’s campaign, to celebrate and raise awareness of how business is better together for individuals, businesses, and the community.

Since 2018, the company has supported several of our region’s businesses through the decision to become employee owned and have become a Trustee on their Boards to support their future journey.

One such business is specialist engineering company, P&D Specialist Services which was established over 30 years ago by brothers Pat and Dave Musgrave.

Pat Musgrave explained: “At P&D, legacy has always been important to us, and we wanted to keep it that way.

“An EOT was the only option that checked all our boxes because it not only gave our employees security, it also ensured that the legacy we had built could still be developed within the community.

“We were delighted to hand the company over to the people who are the most invested and critical to the success of the business – the employees.”

The UK government introduced the concept of EO in 2014 to encourage more businesses to transition to the corporate structure, that many colloquially refer to as the “John Lewis” model.

Mitchells Partner, Andrew McDaid explained: “For many years, the entire concept was overlooked and under utilised.”

“We have been talking to clients about EO since 2018 and have seen firsthand, the benefits that employee ownership can bring.”

“It’s great to see so many businesses raising awareness of EO and for any businesses who would like to know more, I would encourage them to speak to a firm who has many years’ experience of advising and supporting businesses through the considerations and challenges, such as Mitchells.”

Deb Oxley, CEO for the Employee Ownership Association, said: “Companies such as P&D Specialist Services are great examples of the economic and social benefits that can be achieved when employees have a stake and a say in the business in which they work.

“This year’s EO Day theme reflects what we have been hearing from our members – when it comes to resilience, mental health and well-being and good business we are better together.

“This rapidly growing sector of the economy offers many great reasons why more employee ownership has lots to offer the UK as it seeks to recover from the pandemic.”

With numerous events running across the UK and the involvement of thousands of employee owners and other partners, EO Day is an integral part of the EOA’s events calendar and was introduced to raise awareness of employee ownership as an economically strong and balanced business model.

The benefits of employee ownership have been proven in EOA-led research, and include improving employee health and wellbeing, increasing productivity and fostering creativity and innovation across an array of industry sectors. In addition:

• UK employee owned companies contribute over £30 billion to the UK economy annually
• Employee-owners have higher levels of job satisfaction, feel a greater sense of achievement and job security, and are more likely to recommend their workplace than employees in non-employee owned businesses
• Employee owned businesses operate in a range of sectors including healthcare, social care, education, transport, manufacturing, retail and professional services

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

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Councils helping to Kickstart the careers of young adults in North Derbyshire

Two special events are being launched on social media to help 16-24 year olds across North Derbyshire gain valuable work experience through the Kickstart government scheme.

Launching on 28 June and 12 July at 10 am, the two events will be hosted by North East Derbyshire District Council in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council and Bolsover District Council. The event will take place across social media channels and Kickstart opportunities will be promoted on the hashtag #KickstartDerbyshire.

The scheme, launched in late 2020 by the government, gives 16-24 year olds claiming Universal Credit the opportunity to gain valuable experience in paid work with the companies offering the vacancies – of which there are almost 2000 across Derbyshire.

The six month Kickstart placements will be paid minimum wage and there are opportunities in sectors such as digital media, nursing, construction, trades, project management to name a few.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet member for Economic Development Councillor Carolyn Renwick said, “The council is proud to help promote these incredible opportunities that are available for the young adults in our district.

“At a time when unemployment rates amongst this age group is high due to the pandemic, these Kickstart opportunities are an incredible chance to get a foothold into paid work and could be the start of your future career.

“There are almost 2000 opportunities available in Derbyshire alone and the need to help our residents who are looking for work has never been greater.

“The online events will be a great platform to promote the vacancies to our communities and further help and advice is on offer from our Economic Development team and local job centres”.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Kickstart offers a fantastic opportunity for young people to increase their experience in the workplace which will help them develop new skills and build a career. Young people have been seriously affected by the ongoing pandemic and it is important that we offer them the help they need to build a successful future in our area.

“We’re proud to be working together with our colleagues in North East Derbyshire District Council and Bolsover District Council to promote these opportunities because youth unemployment is a growing concern across all of Northern Derbyshire and we must work together to tackle this.

“By promoting these online we are hoping to reach a wide audience and show the range of opportunities available in our area, as well offering further advice as needed. I’d encourage any young person currently looking for work to look closely at these opportunities and apply for them because you never know where it may lead.”

Bolsover District Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development Councillor Liz Smyth said: “Helping young people find work is an essential part of supporting our local economy. The pandemic has caused this age group disproportionate hardship in the job market and Bolsover District Council is pleased to support this scheme and give young people the support they need.”

Angela Stansfield, of Jobcentre Plus, said: “We are delighted to be working with the local authority on these events to help promote the fabulous range of jobs available through the Kickstart scheme. They give young people a golden opportunity to move into employment, some for the first time, while boosting their confidence and gaining new skills for the future”.

To apply for any of the vacancies promoted at the upcoming events, interested parties should contact their Job Centre Work Coach.

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Chesterfield Digital High Street project helps small businesses to join the online revolution

The online revolution has been a key feature of the pandemic – and now small and microbusinesses in Chesterfield can embrace these digital trends in an innovative new support scheme.

The Chesterfield Digital High Street project helps those reliant on bricks and mortar to transition into an online world by creating highly visible e-commerce websites equipped with the latest forms of payment, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and modern shopping concepts like “click and collect”.

Funded by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered in partnership by East Midlands Chamber, it aims to support small outfits in sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure, which have been hit hardest by lockdown restrictions, to become more resilient.

Scott Knowles, chief executive at Chesterfield-headquartered East Midlands Chamber, said: “The pandemic has had a huge impact on small and microbusinesses in sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure, which have previously relied on their physical venues to trade successfully.

“While we’re all looking forward to a return to normality as we come out of lockdown, it’s crucial these SMEs are future-proofed by creating modern websites to embrace some of the consumer trends that were already noticeable pre-Covid.

“Not every company can afford to do this, however, so we’re delighted to be playing a key role in supporting businesses in Chesterfield to establish and maintain the latest e-commerce solutions on behalf of the project funder, Chesterfield Borough Council.

“We believe the Digital High Street project will go some way to ensuring the much-loved independent businesses on our high street continue to thrive in a sustainable fashion for a long time to come.”

How the Chesterfield Digital High Street project will support businesses

The support available to businesses via the programme includes access to a Digital High Street adviser with specific e-commerce and online skills, who will work intensively with at least 120 businesses to help them develop and maintain their new or existing digital presence.

They will also be able to attend dedicated webinars, delivered outside working hours, and use marketing resources for free.

Grants of £2,200 – covering 100% of costs – will also be awarded to 50 of these businesses to help them set up an e-commerce website that is search engine optimised, with the package also including web hosting provision for a year and access to ongoing digital training.

All participating businesses can also benefit from free East Midlands Chamber membership for a year.

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “In Chesterfield, we have lots of fantastic local independent businesses and after the last 18 months, there has never been a more important time to support them. We hope this funding will help lots of these businesses sell more effectively online, which will help guarantee their future in our town and hopefully allow them to grow.

“It’s a really comprehensive support package and I would encourage as many local businesses as possible to sign up for the Digital High Street project because it will allow them to compete in a whole new way.”

Applications can now be made for the Chesterfield Digital High Street project at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/chesterfield-digital-high-street.

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Chesterfield businesses encouraged to take up free membership of crime-fighting partnership

Chesterfield businesses can now access free membership of crime-fighting partnership run by East Midlands Chamber and Derbyshire PCC after funding from Chesterfield Borough Council.

Up to 2,000 businesses in Chesterfield and Staveley can now sign up for free to an East Midlands Chamber-run scheme that helps to reduce town centre crime and anti-social behaviour – as new figures show the cost of crime is rising for retailers.

Starting this month, retailers, hospitality venues and other companies can access Disc, an online crime information-sharing system that connects businesses with local police forces, as part of the Derbyshire Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP).

The BCRP, which is run in partnership with Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster, secured funding from Chesterfield Borough Council to roll out the scheme, which usually costs up to £100 to join, at no cost for the first 12 months in a bid to maximise its effectiveness by encouraging more businesses to join the 80 current members.

It follows the launch of the Love Chesterfield campaign by the council and Destination Chesterfield last month to support the town’s retail, hospitality and leisure sectors as national lockdown eases.

Jackie Roberts, BCRP manager at the Chamber, said: “Businesses in town and city centres have struggled during the pandemic and crime will only make this worse, so it’s important to have a safe town centre to attract people back after lockdown.

“The Disc portal is an integral part of crime reduction strategies as it makes it so much easier for businesses to share intelligence about incidents and offender images between members, police, community safety officers and other partners such as the BCRP team.

“We’ve had a lot of reports during lockdown because police resources have been really stretched due to Covid, so the BCRP fills the gap where police can’t deal with petty crime.

“By working with local authorities such as Chesterfield Borough Council, we’re delighted to offer this scheme for free to businesses in order to make them more resilient – a key theme during the post-Covid economic recovery.”

New Derbyshire PCC and Chesterfield Borough Council support BCRP

The British Retail Consortium’s 2021 Retail Crime Survey, published last week, found there were 455 violent or abusive incidents towards staff per day nationally in 2019/20 – up 7% from the previous year.

The total cost of crime has also risen from £700m in 2016/17 to £1.3bn in 2019/20 – with customer theft the most significant, costing companies £935m – while the cost to retailers of crime and crime prevention was £2.5bn last year, an increase of 14% on the previous 12-month period.

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “This project will help strengthen the link between business and the police, which in turn will help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in our town to encourage more people to visit Chesterfield and give local businesses the boost they need.

“I want to encourage every local business to sign up to this programme because I believe it will be a positive step for our town. It shows how we can work together to build a thriving borough.”

Benefits of widening BCRP for gathering intelligence

Jackie added: “The hope is that by signing up businesses for the first year, they will be able to see the benefits of continuing with the scheme thereafter.

“The more businesses that are involved in the BCRP scheme and sharing information, the stronger it will be – and the better the area will be as a result.

“Councils and regeneration teams are placing crime reduction high on the agenda in order to bring back footfall into their towns.

“It also removes barriers to reporting crime as the Disc system automatically notifies the police when an incident is logged, while police are able to input feedback so businesses can follow what happens to offenders.”

Anyone interested in discussing how to get involved with the Derbyshire Business Crime Reduction Partnership can email jackie.roberts@emc-dnl.co.uk.

Chesterfield derbyshire World Mental Health Day 2019

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Leverton UK launches charity drive urging fellow businesses to donate defibrillators

A Chesterfield business is urging other local companies to come together as part of efforts to increase the number of defibrillators available in the area.

Leverton UK has launched the #donateadefib campaign in order to ensure the devices are installed at community spaces and sporting venues across Chesterfield and Derbyshire.

It follows the incident which took place in the European Football Championship match, in which Danish player Christian Eriksen required urgent medical attention after collapsing on the pitch.

Marcus Leverton, Director of Leverton UK said: “The majority of the world’s football lovers stood in shock at the weekend as we watched an incredible footballer, an elite athlete in exceptional physical condition, stumble and fall to the ground as the result of a cardiac arrest. Aged just 29, Christian Eriksen loved by millions suddenly was fighting for his life.

“The quick actions of his teammates, the medical staff on hand and the right type of emergency equipment are undoubtedly the reason he is now recovering in hospital.

“I was sat in my kitchen working on my laptop with the TV on in the background and my wife beside me as we watched the situation unfold, his teammate administering cardio massage and the crowd, the commentators and the world watching in total shock.

“I am a father of two boys, Harry (13) and Samuel (9) who live for football. My boys came in to the room with lots of questions clearly as disturbed as we were at the situation unfolding and it sent my mind in to a spin.

“What would happen if we were at training or had a match at the Avenue, home ground to the Wingerworth Junior Sports Association (WJSA) and a player or a parent suffered a heart attack? Or even a passer by walking through the country park?

“I talked to my fellow Directors at Leverton UK; Tony, Allyson and Mandi, and we agreed that we would provide a defibrillator and secure box to be located near the pitches, to be there just in case.”

The call has been echoed by Darren Parkinson, Chesterfield Football Club’s Activity Officer and WJSA Chairman and Under 14’s Coach in a recent social media post:

Marcus continued: “While it is a truly rare occurrence for a young player to suffer with a heart attack, each player has parents, guardians, brothers, sisters and grandparents who love to watch them play, and unfortunately this increases the chances of this situation becoming a reality.

“While we hope that this defibrillator is never required, we understand and have seen first-hand with Christian that access to equipment such as this can be the difference between life and death, and perhaps other local companies will follow suit and help other local grass roots clubs.

“As a company, personally and as a family we support many local and national charitable causes. It is important that if you are in a position where you can help others, that you do!”

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

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Nominations open for Derbyshire Times Business Excellence Awards

The Derbyshire Times is celebrating the very best in business across the county, with the launch of this year’s  business excellence awards.

The awards have been running for over a decade, highlighting and honouring our amazing local firms – and the people that work for them.

Phil Bramley, editor of the Derbyshire Times, said: “The dynamics of many of our businesses have changed over the past 18 months. Every organisation has had to pivot, adapt, collaborate or change the way they were doing things and we want to celebrate them.

“We’ve made a few changes to our awards categories and we won’t be asking for any financial evidence this year.

“For the first time we also have the opportunity for our community to nominate their Retail Hero

“Preparing your entry for the awards should provide an opportunity to reflect on the positives, rather than the negatives and to share your success with the wider community.

“You might question if you’re ‘good enough’.

“Who says you’re not? How do you know if you don’t try? Or you might be fearful of failure, but entering awards isn’t always about winning, it’s also about what you make out of the opportunities and your journey.

“We invite you to put your entries forward and join the celebration of what has been a very challenging time and are really looking forward to hearing your stories and hopefully celebrate success at the awards ceremony scheduled to take place on Thursday November 25 held at the Casa Hotel.”

Entries are now open and will close on September 23 at 6pm – visit www.derbyshiretimesbusiness.co.uk for more information and for further details on how to submit an entry.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Covid response: The past 12 months rocked our community and economic foundation. Many organisations took the opportunity to make exceptional changes, which for many allowed their business to remain viable and open to their target audience and for others helped to support the NHS. We will reward the business that best describes their response to the crisis.

Community Initiative (Sponsored by Blachford UK): We want to recognise charities, CIC’s, volunteer groups or community groups that are doing great things to support people in their community. Whether you are a small grassroots organisation or a larger charity with a local presence, this award is open to you. We want to hear about what you do, the people and communities you help, the amazing projects you are running and the impact this is having.

Innovation Award (Sponsored by Radius by Shorts): The winning business will be able to demonstrate their ability to navigate market conditions and be at the forefront of their industry. What ways has your business adapted to change or brought to market a new product or service? Or implemented an innovative process or solution?

Apprentice of the Year: With close to a million active Apprenticeships across England alone, apprenticeship schemes have fast become a preferred route to employment for thousands of school leavers. This award recognises an apprentice who has excelled in their training and goes above and beyond for the benefit of both their business and their future career.

Team of the Year: This award recognises teams that have overcome obstacles or have shown an outstanding performance in the last 12 months.. Either a team who usually work together or did so for a special project or task.

Employee of the Year: Open to Employers to put forward an employee who is deserving of recognition. Nominations should reflect the merit and achievements that the employee has demonstrated.

Property and Construction Award: Entries open to property and construction businesses of any size. Judges will be looking for businesses in this sector who can demonstrate effective project management, excellent customer service, environmental awareness and deliver exceptional results.

Excellence in Manufacturing and Engineering Award (Sponsored by United Cast Bar Ltd): This award will be presented to the company that demonstrates a modern, efficient and innovative approach to manufacturing or engineering.

Professional Services Award: This award will look at businesses that demonstrate excellence in the professional services sector. Open to organisations of any size. We want to hear about your business and what measures you undertook to continue with your services to the community during the pandemic. There is no definitive list of occupations, but examples include accountants, architect, dentists, engineering, healthcare, law, IT, investment and finance and training

Business Leader: This award will recognise the achievements of an individual that had made an outstanding contribution to their business and industry through dedication and hard work. This person can be the owner or one of the senior leadership/management team.

New Business of the Year: Open to all businesses that have been operational for less than 3 years (as of November 2021) Businesses should have been successful in identifying a market gap to launch a new business and be able to showcase how innovation, product development, market knowledge and effective leadership have played a part in their growth to date. We would also like an understanding of plans for future growth.

Small Business of the Year: Open to organisations with 15 or fewer staff. Judges will be interested in the ethos and background to the business, its profitability and the unique selling points, which make it a success. We would also like to hear the impact made within its sector since trading and how it has overcome any challenges it has encountered.

Customer Service Award (Sponsored by Beesleys): Over the past year customers have encountered a new way of dealing with businesses, face to face contact has been less and service with a smile has been removed due to face masks. However customer service remains an essential part of any successful business. This award aims to reward and recognise a company, individual, or team, for their outstanding achievement in providing exceptional customer service.

Retail Hero (open to public nomination): The past year has been challenging for our local retailers. This award is open for the public to nominate their favourite local retailer, big or small. How did you still manage to buy and replenish your wardrobe? Nominate your retail hero.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Sponsored by Future Life Wealth Management Ltd): The judges are looking for an individual who has had a major impact on their business and the area over a number of years. If there is someone we should consider for this award, please provide a name and brief overview of their achievements for them to be a contender.

2021 Business of the Year (Sponsored by CityFibre): This award is the ultimate accolade for all our entrants and the winner will be chosen from each of the category winners. The judges will be looking for the company/person who has shown the most enterprise, passion and drive in taking their business forward. Dedication and innovation will be key to the winner of this most prestigious award.

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

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East Midlands unemployment rate continues to fall as economy gradually reopens

More people in the East Midlands are returning to work, according to the latest Government figures.

The unemployment rate reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) fell to 4.8% in the February to April period this year, down 0.4% compared to the previous three-month period and only 0.1% above the UK average.

However, it remains 0.9% higher than the unemployment rate for the same quarter in 2020.

Nationally, the number of job vacancies in March to May this year was 758,000 – just 27,000 below pre-pandemic levels.

East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “The jobs market appears to be moving in the right direction, with yet another decline in the unemployment rate alongside an increasing number of vacancies and people on payroll.

“For much of the pandemic, the East Midlands has suffered disproportionately, with a significantly greater proportion of people in our region out of work than across the UK, so it’s a relief to see the gap being narrowed.

“This trend no doubt reflects the reopening of outdoor hospitality towards the end of this period, on 12 April, as well as the greater resilience of our manufacturers to both the ongoing restrictions and post-Brexit trade changes.

“We’d expect to see further positive news for the three-month period to May, as step three of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown commenced, and more people came out of furlough.

“Our latest Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2021 shows that a net of one in five businesses in the East Midlands increased their headcount during this period*, while a net 41% expect to hire more people over the coming three months – with only 3% anticipating a decrease.

“This is clearly very positive news and also comes with big expectations of confidence in turnover (a net 62% of businesses expect this to increase) and profitability (a net 41% believe it will rise).

“The latest ONS data again shows the huge impact of the pandemic on young people, with the unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds at 13.2%, but we’re delighted with the take-up among businesses of the Kickstart scheme, which creates Government-funded six-month work placements for people in this age group who are on Universal Credit or at risk of long-term unemployment.

“So far, the Chamber has helped about 500 young people find employment, with another 1,400 vacancies, among more than 700 businesses.

“However, as yesterday’s announcement that stage four of the roadmap will be delayed for four weeks also demonstrates, we can’t get complacent and sectors such as hospitality, events and leisure will continue to suffer from reduced capacity or complete closure – which in turn has an impact on jobs.

“This means it’s crucial the Chancellor postpones the tapering of furlough, which is due to commence on 1 July, for the duration of the roadmap delay, while grants would also help many of these businesses that have lost both expenditure and expected income.”

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber

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Ascento announces innovative company ownership change after successful pandemic period

Staff at a Dronfield-based training firm have been handed an opportunity to share in the financial success of the business after its owner sold the company to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Ascento has switched to an employee-owned business model, meaning all 20 employees have been given indirect ownership in the company via the trust.

Previous sole owner Chris Ash will continue to act as Managing Director for the business but its future profits will be shared with staff on a yearly basis.

As outgoing owner, Chris Ash, says “I am excited to step aside as the sole owner and cannot wait for the whole team to share in the next exciting stage of our journey.

“Becoming employee owned means we are stronger together, means we can all share in our successes and means the culture we have strived, and continue to strive, to develop is maintained through a collective spirit and drive”.

Oliver Simpson, Commercial Director explains “Due to the changing nature of business as a direct result of the Covid19 pandemic we have seen an overwhelming increase in demand for our industry leading digital marketing and management apprenticeship qualifications, this is primarily due to the huge migration to remote working over the last year and because of the strong likelihood of this remaining in place for a larger proportion of the workforce than usual, businesses now recognise the urgent need to up-skill their existing staff as the existing management structures need to be adapted and their traditional routes to market have changed.

“We have ambitious growth plans in place for the coming years as we look to cement our place as the leading provider of Digital Marketing and Management apprenticeships in the country”.

While the pandemic resulted in a cessation of in-person learning, with education undergoing significant transformations in virtual classroom courses and on-demand online courses growing in popularity through digital platforms; Ascento has thrived as an online learning and development provider increasing retention and time efficiencies. This has provided flexibility for our staff and learners as well as their employers.

Notably, with a recent wave of high profile model conversions to an employee owned model, including Aardman Animations, Richer Sounds, and Riverford Organic Farmers, the business world is being transformed, refocused and inspired. The positive shift for Ascento  in cultural terms shows the company is positively focused on changing lives, empowering people and motivating them in their working lives.

Chris Ash, founder of Ascento Learning and Development, said, ““I am excited to step aside as the sole owner of the company and cannot wait for the whole team to share in the next exciting stage of our journey”.

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