chesterfield news

Support for Chesterfield residents looking for work and learning opportunities

Local people are being encouraged to access support and advice from Derbyshire Careers Service as part of National Careers Week, taking place from today (Monday, 7th March 2022)

The team from Derbyshire County Council is encouraging residents to attend a drop-in session or register their interest in attending an online workshop.

There are weekly drop-in sessions with highly qualified local career coaches across the county and regular online workshops to support with interview skills, CV and searching for jobs, as well as specific support for over 50’s.

The sessions are free and open to anyone over the age of 19 and 18-year-olds who are not currently in education, employment, or training. Support is available year-round for anyone unable to attend during National Careers Week.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “Ensuring local people have access to the support and advice they need to be successful in the workplace is really important to the Council.

“The Derbyshire Careers Service is a great resource for residents looking for advice on changing their career, preparing for interviews, or searching for jobs.

“I would encourage people to attend one of the workshops or drop-in sessions during National Careers Week or to reach out to the team if you need support in the future.”

For more information on virtual workshops, please visit – Careers workshops – Derbyshire County Council and for information on regular drop-in sessions and details about local career coaches visit – Careers service – Derbyshire County Council.

Chesterfield is the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town – demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town in order to attract more employers to invest here.

Businesses throughout North Derbyshire employ a large number of apprentices and there are currently hundreds of vacancies available in and around Chesterfield. Find out more: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/apprenticeships/become-an-apprentice-in-chesterfield/

ApprenticeTown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Markham Vale

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

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

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Social events launched for Chesterfield businesses by Great2

A range of networking events have been launched in Chesterfield by Great2, a company which supports local entrepreneurs and growing small businesses across Derbyshire.

Trough Tuesday is a monthly lunch event held for members of the Great2work co-working space in Chesterfield. It is a way to bring users of the co-working space together socially.

Great2 arranges the catering at the event, and the company asks members to pay a donation of what they would normally pay for lunch and all donations go to local charities.

Lynne Pope, Social Media and Content Specialist at Great2 said: “Most of our members are hybrid workers (sharing their working time between home and the Great2Work space), meaning that recent covid stay-at-home restrictions have kept them at home full-time.

“The events in our Community Calendar like Trough Tuesday are hugely important for the wellbeing of our members as well as giving them opportunities to network, collaborate and grow their businesses.

“We believe that business should be meaningful and the workspace at Great2Work is not just a modern co-working office, rather a place for small businesses to thrive through collaboration and support of other members. These face-to-face events are an ideal opportunity to meet other members, build relationships and to share ideas.”

Trough Tuesday events are held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month and they are listed on the company’s Community Calendar. They are held at the Great2Work co-working space in the centre of Chesterfield (Hayfield House, Devonshire Street, Chesterfield, S41 7ST).

Businesses wishing to attend can register for membership by emailing enquiries@great2.co.uk. Flexible membership packages are available to suit various needs.

Great2 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 market welcomes new fishmonger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Entire FM to support people affected by conflict in Ukraine

An urgent mission to get supplies and aid to those who have been affected by the current conflict in Ukraine is being organised by Chesterfield’s Entire Facilities Management.

The business has quickly organised a team which will be loading up a handful of vans with essential supplies and heading to the Poland-Ukraine border. The aid will be distributed to those in need from there.

Entire FM says it is now looking for both physical and financial donations to support their efforts.

If anyone would like to offer physical donations, these items can be dropped off at the Entire FM Chesterfield Warehouse (Unit 2 Old Brick Works Lane S41 7JD).

The team is appealing for items such as, but not limited to the following:

  • Warm hats and gloves or similar outwear
  • Sanitary products for both men and women
  • Baby related items such and milk powder, nappies, wipes, bottles
  • Sleeping bags, air beds, blankets
  • Pet food

Peter Currey, Chief Executive Officer at Entire FM commented: “The idea came about from a conversation with a friend over at Orca Cleaning. We’re sitting here watching the media coverage and talking about how terrible it is but we both agreed that more could be done to support those people who have been pushed out of their homes and who have had to head to the Polish border.

“It was therefore a very quick decision to utilise the resources we have at hand and to try and make a small difference.”

Entire Facilities Management 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 FC launches new Community Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the Chesterfield FC Community Awards, which will be handed out on Saturday, April 16 at the Technique Stadium.

The club is launching the ceremony in order to recognise those caring individuals in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire who selflessly put others first.

The awards are going to be uplifting, featuring superb entertainment and a range of awards given to some truly outstanding people who have made a significant contribution over what has been an incredibly challenging year.

Bridget Ball, Chesterfield FC’s marketing manager, said: “We are thrilled to be able to put on an event like this. After such a testing time for everyone, we want to show those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty that their efforts are very much appreciated.

“It promises to be a night full of tears and laughter, making it an event to remember and I am really looking forward to it.”

The full list of awards to be handed out includes:

  • Adult of Bravery Award
  • Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award
  • Key Worker of the Year Award
  • Chesterfield Royal Hospital Hero of the Year Award
  • Young Person of Courage Award
  • Emergency Services Award
  • Carer of the Year Award
  • Local Hero of the Year Award
  • Neighbor of the Year Award
  • Fundraiser of the Year Award
  • Lifetime Achievement Award

To read about the different awards and to make a nomination, please click on the following link: https://chesterfield-fc.co.uk/awards22

The closing date for nominations is Friday, March 25, 2022 at 5pm.

Chesterfield Football Club 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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“There has never been more opportunity for young people to build a career in hospitality in Chesterfield.”

Destination Chesterfield Chair, Peter Swallow has given his thoughts about exciting developments taking place across Chesterfield as we enter March.

Spring is in the air. I for one cannot wait for the longer, warmer days and, rather than staying indoors. I, like many of you, am starting to think about venturing out again in the evening.

Whilst some of us may have been hibernating during the winter months, it is pleasing to see that the hospitality sector in Chesterfield has not been. Despite the challenges that the pandemic has thrown at it, new bars and restaurants have opened in the last six months, and more are opening soon.

Most recently Vicar Lane Shopping Centre welcomed Pizza Pi and before that Albert’s Jüngerer Bruder opened in Rykneld Square in November last year. The town centre will also shortly welcome The Dirty Habit on Holywell Street, taking over the unit that once was the Rising Sun. This new bar will also have outdoor space.

The pandemic has helped us all appreciate the outdoors, and it is great to see more businesses using their outdoor space to draw people to their venue. It benefits not only their business but also the high streets and town centre too.

With the transformation of the former Co-op on Elder Way into units for bars and restaurants, which also has fantastic outdoor dining space, it is fair to say that Chesterfield town centre’s night-time economy is set to get livelier in 2022.

As well as boosting Chesterfield’s night-time economy, giving local people and visitors more choice, these businesses are also creating jobs and opportunity. Albert’s Jüngerer Bruder has created 20 jobs alone.

Outside the town centre, Chesterfield’s hospitality scene is thriving. The Batch House at The Glass Yard is shortly to open and will offer everything from Indian street food to craft beer. While Chesterfield’s four-star hotel, Peak Edge, has recently been awarded the best wedding venue in Derbyshire.

With more than 16,000 students in North Derbyshire set to gain their GCSE and A level qualifications in the next five years, there has never been more opportunity for young people to build a career in hospitality in Chesterfield.

It is not just the hospitality sector which offers opportunity to young people.  At the recent Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Skills and Employability Conference it was revealed that that green and digital skills are most in demand from employers. This highlights the need for businesses and education and training providers to work together to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills needed to get good jobs.

Looking to the immediate digital skills needed to support the local economy, however, the Chesterfield Digital High Street campaign has been instrumental in enabling retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across the town to get online and trade digitally alongside their high street presence.

Ensuring young people know about the opportunities available to them now and in the future cannot just be the responsibility of businesses and skills and education providers. The proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ comes to mind. It highlights the importance of community and what we can all do to support young people leaving education this year and beyond.

From offering work experience to simply telling young people about your job, we can all help them take their first step onto the career ladder and build their future right here in Chesterfield, ensuring the local economy thrives now and for future generations.

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Plans approved for Stephenson Memorial Hall

Ambitious plans to refurbish Chesterfield’s historic Stephenson Memorial Hall, which houses the museum and the Pomegranate Theatre have been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.

This approval means that Chesterfield Museum is now closed to begin the complex process of moving the historic collection into safe storage.

The refurbishment of Stephenson Memorial Hall is projected to cost around £17 million with £11 million of funding being secured via the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. Chesterfield Borough Council has received almost £20 million through this Government fund, the other £8 million will be used to support and enhance the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Project.

Together this funding will help ensure that Chesterfield is a vibrant market town by improving connections across the town centre and enhancing the visitor economy.

Under the plans the refurbished Stephenson Memorial Hall will bring together an extended Pomegranate Theatre, a reconfigured and modern museum, alongside new gallery space, a café bar, education and community facilities.

The work will also protect the Grade II listed building and ensure that it remains part of the borough’s heritage for many more generations to come.

Creating a more accessible experience is another key aim of the proposals. The plans include three new lifts which will significantly improve the accessibility of the building for visitors, artists, and employees.

Also included in the plans are improvements to lighting, heating, and ventilation.

Revolution House, which tells the story of the Revolution of 1688, will reopen on Friday 15 April. The free museum will then be open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from 11am to 4pm until Sunday 18 September.

Chesterfield Museum will also be launching Museum on the Move later this year, this will see some of the popular interactive events hosted in alternative venues around the borough. More details on these events will be released soon.

Whilst the Museum collection is moved the Pomegranate Theatre will continue to operate as normal and tickets can be booked by calling the box office on 01246 345 222 or by visiting the Chesterfield Theatres website.

More detail on the ambitious plans will be outlined by Chesterfield Borough Council’s Director of Economic Growth, Neil Johnson at Celebrate Chesterfield 2022 taking place on Wednesday, 23rd March.

To find out more about the event and book your place, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

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New mentoring programme to support young people across North Derbyshire

The D2N2 Careers Hub, Led by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and funded by the Careers & Enterprise Company, are expanding an innovative mentoring programme to support more young people across North Derbyshire, in partnership with The Work-Wise Foundation.

The launch follows a successful pilot in 2021, initiated by leaders from Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Forum, in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council and D2N2 Careers Hub.

The Future Makers, Creators, Designers and Builders Mentoring Programme is designed to support people who may be interested in exploring or pursuing careers working in the built environment. This might include designers, architects, surveyors, structural engineers, builders, and construction workers.

The pilot, which ran from March 2021 to January 2022 and was led by The Work-wise Foundation, saw female students from local Careers Hub schools and colleges; St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Chesterfield College, Whittington Green School, Springwell Community College and Brookfield Community School partnered with mentors from Whittam Cox Architects, Woodhead Group and Chesterfield Borough Council.

As part of this, students took part in construction themed activity days at CBE+ in Chesterfield and had regular meetings with their mentors to introduce them to the world of work and enthuse them about a career in the industry. In January, The Work-wise Foundation visited the students in their schools/colleges with D2N2 Careers Hub and their mentors to award them with certificates to celebrate their achievements.

Hannah Higley, Hub Coordinator for the Derbyshire North Careers Hub at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership said, “It has been fantastic to see this programme develop over the last year. D2N2 Careers Hub and our local steering group are proud to fund the expansion of this successful model, in partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company cornerstone employers in D2N2, to support more young people in exploring what their next best step might be”

Cllr Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said, “I am really pleased to see the continuation of this project.  Improving the skills and work readiness of people in Chesterfield is our top priority because it will help ensure our ambition to create a thriving borough.

This programme is a great example of how partnership working can strengthen the links between education and business and help ensure that more school leavers are developing the skills they need to enter the workplace.  I am especially excited to see programmes that inspire with young women in sectors where they are underrepresented is key to ensuring success.

Women currently make up around 14% of professional roles within the construction industry, a number which we hope is set to rise with more and more women choosing construction jobs as a result of programmes like this.”

Following the success and positive feedback received from the schools/colleges, businesses and young people involved, the programme is launching to schools across the North Derbyshire region this month.

The programme will seek 15 mentees who may be interested in exploring or pursuing careers working in the built environment and partner them up with role models from industry who will work with them to build confidence, knowledge, and career prospects.

Over a 6-month period, mentors will receive relevant training which will help them work with their mentee on a bespoke project relevant to their mentors business and/or industry. The programme will finish with a showcase event on 8th July where students will present their projects and celebrate their achievements.

A launch event is scheduled to take place on Friday 18th March 2022 at Chesterfield College and any individuals interested in becoming mentors, or schools interested in their students’ becoming mentees, should contact The Work-wise Foundation at info@work-wise.co.uk or call Alex Gardner on 07726 362067.

To get in touch with D2N2 Careers Hub, contact hubs@d2n2lep.org

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Chesterfield’s Robinson produces packaging for luxury Fortnum and Mason product

Robinson – the manufacturer specialising in value-added custom packaging – has partnered with Fortnum and Mason to launch their new iced fingers in store this February.

Fortnum & Mason is a leading luxury food & drink brand, providing hampers and gifts for more than 300 years.

Robinson produced two different sized boxes that have been embellished with gold blocking to add a luxury, high-end appeal. Marrying luxury with sustainability, the boxes are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paperboard and can be widely recycled once used. The packaging also includes two cushion pads to protect the iced fingers in transport and on retail shelves.

The boxes have been printed using Fortnum and Mason’s traditional and elegant eaudenil colour palette and to meet their standards Robinson carried out substrate tests to ensure the packaging exactly matched the brand requirements.

Jon Walker, NPD Director at Robinson, said: “We are thrilled to have collaborated on this project and it is exciting to see the product finally launched. Being closely located we can offer flexibility and speed of supply and are proud to be a strategic partner to Fortnum and Mason. We are looking forward to further collaborations.”

The iced fingers are exclusively available in Fortnum and Mason’s London Piccadilly store and online through their website.

If you are interested in sustainable boxes for your brand, please email jonw@robinsonpackaging.com

Sustainability is at the heart of everything Robinson do, following the lunch of the company’s sustainability pledge last year. The pledge outlines a range of commitments underpinned by their strategic priorities focused on putting the customer first, sustainable growth and thriving people.

Robinson 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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Brand new hot tub showroom opening in Chesterfield

Chesterfield-based Superior Wellness is continuing to grow its presence in the town with the launch of a brand new hot tub showroom on Friday 4 March, located at its headquarters in Broombank Park, Chesterfield.

The brand new hot tub showroom is guaranteed to offer an immersive experience for customers, with up to 40 hot tubs and a swim spa on display. Six of hot tubs on display will be readily available to test before purchasing.

Superior Wellness, the world’s fastest growing hot tub manufacturer, moved into its new headquarters in March 2021. In April 2021 the renovation of the new 10,000 sq. ft showroom space began. The showroom is expected to be one of the largest hot tub showrooms in the UK.

The official reopening of the showroom to the public is taking place on Friday 4 March – Sunday 6 March.

Jamie Smith, Head of Retail said: “We are delighted to officially reopen our showroom doors to the public again from Friday 4 March. To celebrate the launch, we are going to be running an in-store only offer.

“All hot tubs will be discounted by £500 and accessories by 20% for one weekend only. We will also be offering customers a complimentary glass of fizz upon arrival as well as the chance to wet test a range of our hot tubs before purchasing. It’s going to be a great weekend and we can’t wait to welcome customers back.”

The brand new, purpose built showroom will feature a wide range of hot tubs, swim spas, a testing area and so much more. The Superior Wellness partner network and retail customers will be able to view a range of products from brands such as Platinum Spas, Thermals Spas, Be Well and much more. In total, the showroom will hold up to 40 hot tubs and 1 swim spa.

A testing area will be available, including a swim spa and a selection of hot tubs with varying layouts and sizes. This will offer an immersive experience for customers, showcasing the many benefits of a hot tub. There will be two changing rooms with shower facilities for customers to access before and after testing the products.

To offer further inspiration for customers and partners, the showroom will host a variety of hot tub and outdoor living accessories, from filters, chemicals, gazebos, outdoor furniture and so much more.

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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