Chesterfield charity sector Archives - Destination Chesterfield

Funding to continue for innovative Community Chesterfield project

18th May 2022

Community Chesterfield, an initiative which connects our local charity sector to the University of Derby, has announced that the groundbreaking project will continue to be funded in the future.

Last Thursday a celebration of 3 years of investment in Chesterfield’s communities was held at the University of Derby’s Chesterfield Campus. The Lottery funded venture, Community Chesterfield, has helped local charities connect to the University. The Project has brought about skills sharing and enabled local people with lived experience to engage with future health and social care professionals.

The Community Chesterfield Showcase included an early announcement that Lottery funding for the University of Derby and Derbyshire Voluntary Action partnership would continue.

Jenny Raschbauer Community Chesterfield Manager said: “I’m so proud of the positive impact that our work has had on students and charities and after hearing how much the University and the community of Chesterfield value what we do I’m excited to be continuing this amazing community led project”

The opening speech at the event which was held on International Nurses Day was given by Dr Denise Baker, Dean of Health, Psychology, and Social Care at the University of Derby.

She said: “I was delighted to be able to support the showcase event for Community Chesterfield. The project has brought together many stakeholders who share an interest in health and well-being. The University has benefitted enormously from the project, especially building links between students and the voluntary sector. Both staff and students have gained from their experiences over the last 3 years and we look forward to what opportunities still lie ahead. The impact of this project is tangible and making a real difference to the health and social care arena in the region”

His Worship the Mayor of Chesterfield was also in attendance meaning this community gathering was his first engagement in office.

Project activities include offering training and shared learning opportunities, work placements, research projects, volunteering opportunities within Chesterfield’s community and other ways of creating meaningful connections.

Keep up to date with new activities on Facebook @ComChesterfield, Twitter @comchesterfield and Instagram @communitychesterfield

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

Community Chesterfield expands training offering

23rd July 2021

Community Chesterfield is expanding the offering of its most popular training programme by providing subsidised tickets to anyone in Derbyshire.

The project, a National Lottery funded partnership between Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA) and the University of Derby which supports local community and voluntary groups within the health and social care sector in Chesterfield, launched its Training and Tea sessions – 45-minute bite size introductions to a range of topics – during the pandemic.

The training has previously only available for free to University of Derby staff and students with a connection to Chesterfield, as well as those working at or volunteering for Derbyshire-based ‘not for profit’ community organisations helping people in Chesterfield.

However, some paid for tickets will now be available on each Training and Tea workshop for anyone living or working in Derbyshire.

Kate burns, skills co-ordinator at Community Chesterfield, said: “One of the key aims of the Community Chesterfield project is to upskill, develop and share knowledge within the voluntary and community sector in Chesterfield, and training was identified as a key way in which we could provide this support.

“Our Training and Tea sessions have been one of our most successful offerings since we moved to an online delivery model at the start of the pandemic. By being able to expand places on the workshops to anyone in Derbyshire, we can reach a wider demographic of voluntary and community sector groups, as well as individuals and businesses across the county who can benefit from the variety of topics we cover.

“This is an exciting development for the Community Chesterfield project and will enhance our reputation for creating exciting and innovative collaborations, providing an opportunity to expand on our already extensive network across Chesterfield.”

Community Chesterfield, which has provided a key support network for the voluntary and community sector during the pandemic, has delivered almost 1,000 training hours in the last 12 months alone, benefitting individuals from more than 100 organisations.

Subsidised Training and Tea tickets are available priced at £10 plus fees. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.communitychesterfield.org.uk for more information.

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