chesterfield news

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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Men across Chesterfield to be encouraged to consider careers in healthcare

A free event aimed at encouraging men to consider careers in health and social care is set to take place in Chesterfield.

Health and Social Care Needs Men is part of ‘Careers that Care’ week, a series of virtual events organised in partnership with Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s (DVA) Community Chesterfield project, the University of Derby and Joined Up Careers Derbyshire.

The event will see a panel of men who work in health and social care answer questions and discuss what led them to work in the sector, what they get out of it and why there are less men working in certain healthcare professions than women.

The panel will be made up of representatives from the public sector, including a Derbyshire County Council social worker, a 111 senior trainer from DHU Health Care and nurse, as well as voluntary sector workers. These will include Nathan Wood, Chief Executive Officer of the charity Ability, who appeared in a short film made for the event, and a spiritual care practitioner from Ashgate Hospicecare. Questions will be asked by a current nursing student from University of Derby.

Charlotte Repton, project manager at Community Chesterfield, said: “A career in health and social care offers a huge range of career choices, all of which can be hugely rewarding for those who choose to follow that path. Through the Health and Social Care Needs Men event, we wanted to open up the discussion around why, despite this, there is still a higher percentage of women in many healthcare roles, particularly in areas such as nursing.

“The event is set to provide an extremely interesting insight into this topic, directly from men who work in health and social care, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to have their questions or concerns around stepping into a career in health and social care answered.”

This event is open to anyone from Chesterfield and surrounding areas with an interest in health and social care. However, it will be of particular interest to men who may be considering a career in health and social care, parents or teachers who may be offering guidance to a young person making decisions about their future careers and current students who wish to find out about the range of careers their studies could lead them to.

For more information or to book a free place on the Health and Social Care Needs Men event, visit www.careersthatcareweek.org/events.

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Casa Hotel hosts recent Derbyshire County Council meeting

Chesterfield’s Casa Hotel played host to the Derbyshire County Council meeting as the authority’s Matlock HQ was not big enough to provide social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting was the council’s first in-person meeting for a year, with the pandemic pushing meetings on to virtual platforms, such as Microsoft Teams.

Central government opted not to extend emergency legislation allowing councils to hold meetings online during the pandemic on May 7th. The council subsequently required space for the meeting to be held where members could be physically present.

Steve Perez, who owns Casa Hotel, Peak Edge Hotel and Global Brands stated: “It was a pleasure to host the first council meeting post pandemic, we are delighted to have been chosen to host the event. We are especially grateful for the business which successfully enabled further team members to return to work and off the government furlough scheme. We are an idyllic venue for social distanced events, with complimentary parking, capacity of up to 100 with social distancing and a range of function suites to choose from.”

Casa have supported the NHS with complimentary bedrooms, played host to the COVID vaccine centre, offered a complimentary dining service for employees of Chesterfield Royal Hospital enabling workers to enjoy freshly cooked, locally sourced meals and in addition supplied a delivery of Franklin & Sons’, Mango Go Natural Energy Drinks from Global Brands, which is also located within Casa, Chesterfield.

Casa Hotel 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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D2N2 Growth Hub launches phase 2 of the Peer Networks Programme

The D2N2 Growth Hub Peer Networks programme is set to be repeated following a successful first phase which supported almost 300 businesses.

The Peer Networks programme is led jointly by the D2N2 Growth Hub and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce. It works by bringing together individuals from different businesses to share ideas, discuss challenges and ultimately, develop and find solutions from peers.

Each cohort is guided by an expert facilitator and includes groups of individuals who collaboratively work through common business issues, using interactive action learning, we to discuss challenges, gain and reflect on valuable feedback and implement practical solutions.

The results are hugely beneficial, giving participants the flexibility to create a trusted support network, helping you to build and strengthen their business and improve its overall performance.

Phase two will start in July and will include the following groups:

  • Manufacturing
  • Hospitality and visitor economy
  • Creative industries
  • Medtech and life sciences
  • Food and drink
  • Women owned businesses
  • High growth businesses
  • High growth: leadership and management
  • High growth: women owned
  • High growth: sales
  • High growth: digital

To be eligible for the programme, your business must be an SME which fits the following criteria:

  • Operated for at least one year
  • At least five employees
  • A turnover of at least £100,000
  • An aspiration to improve
  • The potential to scale up or export or is exporting already
  • Not already accessed the Peer Networks programme

Peer Networks are fully funded so there is no cost to the business, just a time commitment of approximately 18 hours across the duration of the programme.

Vicki Thompson, Business Training Manager at East Midlands Chamber said: “We are delighted to be able to offer to businesses across the D2N2 area the opportunity to access the Peer Network Programme again.

“The impact phase one of this programme had in supporting businesses during a time of such uncertainty cannot be underestimated and as we move forward along the government roadmap, we are again able to offer support and guidance through this highly impactful programme, bringing businesses together to form long and lasting support networks – it’s a very exciting time!”

Find out more and register your interest in joining a network. 

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Chesterfield’s Liam Pitchford qualifies to compete in his 3rd Olympic Games

Chesterfield’s Liam Pitchford will compete at his third Olympics as the British Olympic Association (BOA) announces the table tennis squad for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Pitchford has earned a place in the men’s singles by virtue of his world ranking of No 15 – he is the highest-ranked player not to have already qualified.

The 27-year-old competed in the team events at both London 2012 Olympic Games and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, helping Team GB to reach the quarter-finals in the latter, where they were defeated by the all-conquering Chinese team. He also competed in the singles in Rio, reaching the last 32.

Pitchford said: “Even though it’s been delayed for a year, it still feels amazing to qualify again. It’s going to be my third Olympics and I’m looking forward to it and hopefully I’ll have many more.

“I love being part of Team GB, we don’t get to experience that often, unlike some of the other sports. It’s just an honour, really, to be around so many great athletes and people wanting to achieve the same goals.

“It takes a bit of pressure off knowing you’re part of something that’s massive, and not a lot of people get to say they’re part of it.”

Also representing team GB is Tin-Tin Ho; the first female GB athlete to qualify for an Olympic Games since Atlanta 1996, although Team GB had a host-nation place for London 2012.

The 22-year-old from Paddington is currently a medical student at the University of Nottingham.

Pitchford and Ho have competed as part of the same England team at tournaments around the world for several years, including winning mixed doubles silver at both the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Pitchford added: “I’m really happy for Tin-Tin, and it’s not just for her but it’s good for women’s table tennis in Britain as well.

“It’s a massive boost in her career. She’s obviously performed well at Commonwealth Games and won medals. Hopefully, this will make her confidence go through the roof and that will help her to go out there and perform well.”

Team GB Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Olympic Games, Mark England said: “Congratulations to both Liam and Tin Tin on their selection to Team GB for Tokyo 2020.

“It is great to see Liam back competing at his third Games alongside Tin Tin, who is our first British female athlete to qualify for a Games since Atlanta 1996, a fantastic achievement for both her and the British Table Tennis Federation.”

Simon Mills, Table Tennis Team Leader for Tokyo 2020, added: “Congratulations to both athletes. For Liam to become a three-time Olympian at the age of only 27 is a huge achievement, while Tin-Tin’s qualification is a milestone in the development of the women’s game as well as a personal landmark. We look forward to supporting them to give their best possible performances in Tokyo.”

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Work Placements For Young People On Offer at Chatsworth Under New Kickstart Scheme

Work placements have been created across the Chatsworth Estate under the Government’s new Kickstart Scheme set up to help young people at risk of long-term unemployment.

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create new jobs for young people aged 16 to 24 who are receiving Universal Credit. To support the national ‘Plan for Jobs’ scheme launched by the Department of Work and Pensions, employers must create new high quality employment opportunities that would otherwise not be available. These can either be entirely new roles or existing roles but additional to the employer’s normal workforce.

The Devonshire Group, which comprises Chatsworth, Bolton Abbey and the wider estate operations has created a range of exciting six-month placements including: gardeners, farmyard and adventure playground assistants, drystone waller, collections assistant and commis chef.

Devonshire Group Engagement and Development Co-ordinator, Nathan Fairhead said: “We are proud to be supporting the Kickstart scheme to provide young people in our communities the opportunity to gain valuable work experience. We are eager to do what we can to help young people through the extremely challenging context that the Covid-19 pandemic has created for jobseekers. We’re looking forward to welcoming our first Kickstart colleagues to these new roles and equipping them for their future careers.

“We have identified a variety of exciting opportunities across the Devonshire Group and our management team have been keen to support the scheme. Some will be roles that are the same or similar to roles already in place but will be additional to existing numbers. Other posts are entirely new such as placements in Sustainability, Retail Efficiency Support and Forestry.”

All the candidates will be closely supported by their department managers to ensure they receive relevant ‘on the job’ training and paired with a ‘buddy’ for personal one-to-one support. They will also be offered employability skills training to be delivered remotely by Buxton and Leek College working in partnership with the Devonshire Group.

Many of the 33 placements are already live with several more across the Devonshire Hotels and Restaurants Group in Derbyshire and Yorkshire due to be posted shortly.

Candidates can apply for live placements via Job Centre Plus, who will then pass the application to the employer.

For more information, go to https://kickstart.campaign.gov.uk/ or speak to a Job Centre Plus work coach.

Chatsworth 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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Ground-breaking role created at Chesterfield FC Community Trust

Mollie Ward is relishing her ground-breaking role as a young people’s physical activity link worker, based in the HUB at the Technique Stadium.

Mollie recently took on the newly-created post, which sees her working with young people aged 14 to 25 who face challenges that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

The role has been created as a result of a partnership between Chesterfield FC Community Trust and Derbyshire Voluntary Action, who have come together to create a brand new social prescribing service for young people in Chesterfield.

Connect to… @ The HUB harnesses Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s experience in running social prescribing services for older adults for the last eight years, with Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s expertise, experience and facilities in supporting health and wellbeing in the community.

Summing up her role, Mollie says: “My job is to provide a person-centred support service for young people, working with them to highlight their interests and strengths, address their challenges, and to help them make the connections they don’t feel able to make by themselves.

“The connections could be to a community-based advice or counselling service, or to something sporty, arty, creative or social. Alternatively, it could be to volunteering, or literacy support, or a combination of several of those things – all of which will give them a strong foundation, positive wellbeing, basic skills and reliable relationships.”

Her new role represents a homecoming for Mollie, who was born in Bolsover and went to Heritage School in Clowne and the sixth form at Brookfield School before gaining a degree in psychology and working in London.

She worked in mental health services during her time in the capital, helping people in supported housing following discharge from hospital.

“For complete independent living, the people I supported needed help with community reintegration and engaging in community activities because often they had complex mental health needs like psychosis, schizophrenia and personality disorders,” Mollie explains.

“My clients were people who had been very withdrawn from society and had had long stays in hospital, some lasting five to ten years.

“My experience in London transfers into this role because you’re talking person-centred care and that’s what this role is about, it’s working with a person holistically, so not just the things that are holding them back, but also the positives.”

Mollie is delighted to have been given the opportunity to take on this new challenge, saying: “I’m really honoured because it is such an exciting thing to be part of what feels like a grassroots project. We really are building this new service from the ground up.

“I’m excited to get started – to have some young people come through the door and be able to work with them and follow their stories.”

Mollie can be contacted by emailing mollie@dva.org.uk or on 07522 023571.

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Partnership agreement will develop the next generation of construction experts

Construction company Robert Woodhead Limited (part of the Woodhead Group) and Chesterfield College have entered into an agreement to work together on a range of initiatives to help the next generation discover more about careers in construction and develop the skills they need.

The Learning Partnership Agreement builds on the long-standing relationship between the two organisations. It formalises the way they will work together in the future, building on the successful apprenticeship and work experience schemes they already have in place. It also introduces some new initiatives which will bring more work experience and training opportunities, taster days for school pupils and work around encouraging women into construction.

Janine Borderick, People Development Director at Robert Woodhead Ltd said:

“This agreement is really important to help us grow the talent we need for the future. This will help us to reach people outside of our apprenticeship programme. We want to share our experience of the industry with people and give them an introduction to the wide range of career paths that are available in construction. We want people to come and see what we do and, together with the college, we will be shouting about the opportunities there are to work in the industry.”

Aaron Wathall, is 4 months into his Level 3 Built Environment Technical apprenticeship with Robert Woodhead Ltd. During his day of study at the college he witnessed the signing of the agreement. He explained how the company are helping him to discover all the opportunities available in the construction industry and shape his career. He said:

“I am really enjoying my apprenticeship. It is really diverse. I am learning about different aspects of construction, meeting people from across the company and gaining a lot more confidence. I have had support from everyone from IT to Site Managers. They have showed me new things and been really patient. Someone is always there to answer my questions.”

Terry Brickles, Curriculum Operations Manager for Construction said:

“Robert Woodhead Ltd have always valued the education and training we offer to provide them with a skilled workforce. They know that by working alongside us to support school and college students we will be able to pool resources to encourage the next generation into construction. I am excited about the initiatives we have planned and I look forward to helping more construction experts of the future develop the skills they need to be successful.”

Chesterfield College and Woodhead Group support 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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Continued growth for Bridge Help prompts appointment of dedicated Loan Manager

Chesterfield-based short-term commercial finance company, Bridge Help has further swelled its numbers in 2021 with the appointment of Martin Bray.

Martin, who hails from Chesterfield, has joined the bridging loan company as its Loan Manager. His appointment recognises the company’s significant growth in the last 12 months prompting the business to now require a dedicated Loan Manager.

With a strong background in office administration and compliance, Martin will be responsible for managing the loan pipeline at Bridge Help and supporting its business development team who work remotely throughout the UK.

“It’s an exciting time to join Bridge Help,” said Martin. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get stuck into the Loan Manager role, really shape it and help Bridge Help meet its ambitions. I’m loving the role. The team is fantastic, and the work is really interesting. I’m in the middle of it all and enjoying contributing to the business’s success.”

Established in Chesterfield just two years ago, Bridge Help is fast becoming recognised as one of the best and more competitive commercial lenders in the market.

The company offers privately funded loans from £250,000 to £10million for a range of commercial investments, including land, buy-to-let and industrial properties, property development, auction and acquisition finance.

The dedicated Loan Manager role is critical to the growing business with the company’s loan pipeline expected to exceed £25m in 2021 alone. To manage the growing demand for its loan products and services, the company has also made three new business development manager appointments since the start of the year.

Bridge Help used local recruitment firm Edwards Employment Solutions to recruit Martin. Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help explained: “It’s critical that the loan pipeline is up-to-date and managed correctly, so the Loan Manager role is absolutely critical to the business. It was important we got the right person. Having worked with Edwards Employment Solutions in the past, I knew they understood the demands of our business and would be committed to finding us the right person. I haven’t been disappointed. We’re delighted to have Martin on board.”

Martin is based at Bridge Help’s head office on Old Brick Works Lane off Sheffield Road. The company made the move to the offices in July last year following an influx of loan applications during the pandemic which prompted further recruitment.

Outside work Martin, who is married and has a teenage daughter, enjoys model building, often receiving commissions from abroad, including Turkey and Australia, for his detailed miniature models.

Chris added: “I am very excited for the future of Bridge Help. The current financial climate has shown a very real need for alternative lenders other than high street banks.”

Bridge Help 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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Superior Wellness announces new recruits

Chesterfield’s superior Wellness has added to its growing team, with four new recruits being announced in the last month.

The company is Europe’s largest hot tub and swim spa distributor and the new team members are the latest in a long line of successes for the firm, having moved into a new 130,000 sq.ft warehouse and distribution centre earlier this year.

Tim Scott has been appointed as After Sales Manager and is managing a team of technical support advisors, customer service advisors and technicians. The team support with technical enquires, sending replacement parts to rectify customers issues and if required can provide engineer assistance with end users. Tim has over 20 years experience in the automotive retail network including Jaguar Land Rover where he was Head of After Sales.

Tim Stringer has joined the team as  PHP Developer and is working to improve the company’s CRM and automation processes amongst other projects. Tim has a wealth of experience in Laravel based systems and API Integrations.

Tim Stringer – Superior Wellness PHP Developer

George Sghendo has joined Superior Wellness as a Customer Service Advisor. George speaks fluent French to help the firm’s international partners in After Sales.

George Sghendo – Superior Wellness Customer Service Advisor

Lauren Raybould has also joined the company as a Customer Service Advisor as the After Sales team expands.

On the back of his recent appointment, Tim Scott, Aftersales Manager at Superior Wellness was quick to praise the working culture and environment within the company.

He said: “Since joining Superior Wellness I have been overwhelmed by the support from everyone including Senior Management. There is a great team ethic and a genuine family feel about the place.

“Every day I have woken up looking forward to coming to work and I haven’t had that feeling for a long time.

“The place is amazing, from sitting in the sky lounge (rooftop garden) at lunch to joining in with the team playing pool and table tennis, wellness is definitely at the heart of everything we do here, from free healthy snacks to subsidised healthy cooked meals, I haven’t gone hungry yet.

“This is genuinely the best place I have ever worked and I would recommend this place to all my family and friends.”

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

Tim Scott – Superior Wellness Aftersales Manager

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