Chesterfield

Chesterfield families are encouraged to get moving as council backs local smartphone game

A new family-friendly game that aims to get people exploring Chesterfield – on foot or by pushbike – is being backed as part of a Chesterfield Borough Council project.

TagTap JTH (Join The Hunt) is a free exploration-based game created by local family man Peter Hunt after he and his family enjoyed playing the popular Beat The Street game which ran in Chesterfield last year.

Inspired by its ability encourage people to get out and about across the borough, the council has now joined forces with the creator to back the smartphone-based game as part of its Year of Outdoors project.

It means from the 17 July there are 350 points around the borough to check into, including in many of the fantastic parks and green spaces – expanding the game from its initial testing in New and Old Whittington.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “We’re really excited to be working with Tag Tap to help bring this game to Chesterfield. It’s great to see local people innovating new ideas and it ties in really well with our Year of Outdoors project, which encourages people to explore the great things we have on our doorstep.

“We hope this game will help encourage everyone to get out this summer and explore our beautiful borough – it’s a fantastic way to keep little ones entertained during the school holidays, but is also really fun to explore on your own.”

Peter Hunt, the creator of TagTap JTH explained: “I initially thought of TagTap JTH during lockdown as a fun way for my kids to get active but also with the element of a clue or question to find the next location as a sneaky way to incorporate a bit of education. After setting up a small game in the New and Old Whittington areas and inviting others to have a go it really took on a life of its own. We have only had extremely positive feedback and everyone that plays it absolutely loves it.

“We have expended the game to cover the whole of the chesterfield borough area with well over 350 tags, we hope this will give everyone young and old a chance to have a go at the game and to get active especially after the terrible 18 months we have had to endure. Our main objective is to get people out being active in a fun way, so lets do it together, get competing and winning some prizes. Best of all it’s free.”

The game has starting locations around the borough which you can find listed in the app. Simply head to one of these TagTaps then with the app open on your phone, tap the point and you’ll be given clues to find the next location, solve the clues and hunt out the next point.

There is a leaderboard of players and participants will need to find as many points as possible to be named the TagTap Champion.

The game will run all year but the championship will be time limited meaning hunters will need to be quick to work their way up the leaderboard. There will also be a competition amongst schools later this year.

Find out more about TagTap JTH and download the apps for free to start playing by visiting: https://tagtap.co.uk/

Chesterfield’s Year of Outdoors encourages residents and visitors to explore Chesterfield’s parks and open spaces by providing a range of free or low cost ideas and activities to get involved in. Find out more on the council’s website: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/year-of-outdoors

Find out more about all the great local events taking place across Chesterfield this Summer at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/summer/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

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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Work begins on construction of new Jewson branch in Chesterfield

Morgan Sindall Construction and Chesterfield Borough Council have joined forces to celebrate the positive social impact that the build programme of a new Jewson branch in Chesterfield will have on the local community.

Jewson is one of the largest builders merchants in the UK, with nearly 500 branches located across the country. Its new branch on Sheffield Road in Chesterfield will replace the merchant’s former home in the town, which is no longer suitable due to the impact of works associated with the HS2 Station Master Plan. The new branch will be a one-stop shop for tradespeople, and will feature a vast supply of building materials, a customer sales area and storage facility.

The HS2 Station Master Plan sets out a vision to create a vibrant gateway to North Derbyshire, identifies potential development sites which could create around 850 new jobs and includes improvements in cycling, pedestrian and public transport routes.

The project was procured through Pagabo’s Medium Works Framework and is expected to complete in early 2022.

A groundbreaking event was held on the site of the new £4.4m facility on Sheffield Road, attended by representatives from Morgan Sindall Construction, Jewson, Chesterfield Borough Council and Pagabo.

As part of its work in Chesterfield, Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced work with Chesterfield College on a programme of activities to demonstrate to students the many different opportunities that a career in construction can offer. This has already seen virtual talks on the work that will be delivered at the Jewson site, with in-person site tours set to take place as soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow. Work programmes are also underway to develop opportunities for local jobseekers, as well as university students and graduates.

In order to ensure these programmes bring maximum benefit to the local area, Morgan Sindall Construction will work with Chesterfield FC Community Trust, D2N2 Careers Hub and Chesterfield Job Centre along with Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield College to ensure all employment and skills initiatives are mapped to community need.

Additionally, a charity football match has been organised between the specially created teams of Morgan Sindall FC and Jewson Property Professionals FC which will be held at Chesterfield Football Club Technique Stadium on the 17th June at 6pm. The match is being held to support The Chair’s Appeal for Ashgate Hospice Care and is being supported by Martin Thacker MBE, Chesterfield Football Club Community Trust, Jewson, Pagabo Foundation and Morgan Sindall Construction.

James Garnett, project director for Morgan Sindall Construction said: “We’re really pleased to have commenced works at the new Jewson branch in Chesterfield. The facility will bring an improved service to businesses and tradespeople in the region, and during the construction process we look forward to developing our relationships with the local community.

“We’re excited to be working closely with Chesterfield College and look forward to demonstrating to its students the many valuable careers that can be developed within our industry. Similarly, the charity football match next month is a great way to show our support and raise much needed funds for Ashgate Hospice Care, an organisation that does so much vital work for the people of North Derbyshire.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I’m delighted to see works beginning as the development of this new site is vital to ensuring our HS2 Station Master Plan can be achieved. I look forward to seeing this site progress and also see how it can be used to help support skills development and economic recovery in Chesterfield.”

Jason Stapley, foundation chairman and managing director at Pagabo, said: “We’re happy to have supported Chesterfield Borough Council on their appointment of Morgan Sindall Construction following procurement through our Medium Works Framework. Social value is hugely important to us as a business and so it’s fantastic to see such a consideration for the local community throughout the project’s delivery and beyond.

“I’m also very much looking forward to dusting off my football boots before lighting up the Technique Stadium in support of the amazing work done by Ashgate Hospicecare.”

Steven Day, business unit director for Jewson, said: “We’re delighted that work has now begun on our new home in Chesterfield, and we’re excited to welcome tradespeople to our branch at the start of next year.

“We’re also proud to be able to play a part in inspiring the next generation of construction workers through Morgan Sindall Construction’s partnership with Chesterfield College, and in a few years’ time, some of those students could well be coming into the branch as tradespeople.

“Community is so important in Chesterfield, and we’re proud to have had a base in the town for over 25 years. To be able to give back to the community, in particular Ashgate Hospice Care, is so important, and we hope the charity football fixture will raise vital funds for an extremely important cause.”

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Chesterfield College becomes the first to sign up to Autotech Academy

Chesterfield College has become the first college to officially sign up to Autotech Academy – the innovative internship program launched by Autotech Group earlier this year.

In a move designed to give newly qualified students the best chance of employment after their studies, Chesterfield College has partnered with Autotech Academy. The partnership will help talented students with the skills the industry needs to get their foot on the automotive career ladder through a paid internship.

Acting as a conduit between Chesterfield College and automotive employers, Autotech Academy will source internship opportunities for students, equip them with their first toolbox and uniform, and provide ongoing support and training over a period of 3-12 months until they make the transition into full-time employment. Every intern will also be trained to Level 3 IMI Electric Vehicle accreditation.

With an intake of around 100 students per year into its successful automotive faculty, Chesterfield College teaches a range of light and heavy vehicle courses, while its body and paint courses are established as some of the best in the UK. With tutors deriving from the automotive industry, and a finger on the pulse of the most up-to-date skills, the college recognises the benefits forging an alliance with Autotech Academy will yield.

“We are passionate about our learners and giving them the best opportunities we can to gain employment,” comments Paul Sewell, Curriculum Operations Manager- Automotive & Body Paint at Chesterfield College. “I feel that the Autotech Academy internship programme is a fantastic way to bring employers and our learners together.”

Capitalising on its excellent reputation with automotive employers and colleges, Autotech Group launched Autotech Academy as a route to fill the automotive skills funnel, while helping time-poor, independent garages, dealer groups and vehicle manufacturers recruit newly skilled technicians.

“We are delighted that Chesterfield College has partnered with Autotech Academy,” comments Dave Walker, National Careers Manager for Autotech Academy. “The college has a fantastic, award-winning automotive division which has been recognised time and again, including winning gold awards at Skill Auto. Through our allegiance, we will work to enhance the employment opportunities of their students, ensuring that the skills taught at Chesterfield remain within the automotive industry.”

Despite the best efforts of UK colleges, around 10,000 students are lost to other industries each year as they struggle to secure an automotive role. While armed with theoretical knowledge, they have limited practical experience which deters some employers. Autotech Academy is set to smooth these recruitment bottlenecks, and create a cohort of skilled, experienced vehicle technicians which will help sustain the future of the industry.

For more information visit www.autotechacademy.co.uk

Chesterfield College 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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New online directory launched to support Chesterfield’s local businesses

A new directory of Chesterfield’s independent businesses has been launched, featuring the best of the town’s shops, restaurants, food suppliers and more.

Un-hampered has been launched following a collaborative effort between S40 and S41 Local magazines and Chesterfield-based creative agency Defeye, after many of the town’s local businesses begin their recovery following the enormous challenges of the pandemic.

Paul Chapman, owner of S40 Local said: “Our local businesses have been hit hard over the last year, but have risen to the enormous challenge, created an online presence in record time and have changed their offering to provide delivery, takeaway or click and collect services.

“These independent businesses are the foundation of our town, when you shop with them they, in turn, feed money into the local economy. When you eat at a local independent restaurant, chances are they’ve purchased the veg from a local grocer, they may have bought it from a local farm, the farmer services his van at the local garage, the garage owner advertises with us, we eat in the same restaurant – the money stays local and helps build the local economy.

“The Un-hampered directory is the first phase, we have so much more to offer and we’ll be bringing you news as we launch each new development. We really do want to modernise access to the traditional high street and help businesses maintain a physical presence.

Matt Pritchard from Defeye explains, “when Paul first came to us to talk about what would go on to become Un-hampered, we were on board straight away. As luck would have it, we’d been discussing how we wanted to work on a self-generated project of our own that could really help push the independent businesses in town that we love. Then magically, the next week we got an email from Paul asking us if we wanted to meet up to discuss his idea. It felt like Kismet.

“Although the idea has evolved and changed through this incredibly challenging year, the ultimate goal has remained fixed. ‘Create a platform that showcases local independent businesses and gives customers an easy way of finding them’. We were lucky enough to create the Shop and Support local video campaign for the council last year and it gave us the opportunity to talk to so many incredible businesses, strengthening our resolve to get Un-hampered launched so that we could show our support to them.

“We’re excited to get phase one off the ground finally and we hope it will be a platform that helps local businesses at a really critical time.”

If you would like to view the directory or find out more about it, head to www.un-hampered.co.uk

S40 Local and Defeye Creative 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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Kids Planet launches new podcast, All Things Early Years.

A brand-new podcast relating to working and living with under 5s has been launched by childcare group Kids Planet,  which has several centres located in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire .

The Early Years focused platform launched its first episode of ‘All Things Early Years’ with Kids Planet CEO, Clare Roberts discussing her successful business journey since establishing the group in 2008. With 5 settings across Chesterfield, the group continues to expand across the North West, South and Midlands and is now the third largest nursery group in the UK caring for over 8000 children and employing over 2000 staff across 59 settings.

The podcast’s most recent episode, released on March 26th, was an interview with baby product founder, Manju Bhatia from PoorlyBoo who chatted about advice for starting a business in the early years as well as her experiences working with social media influencer, Mrs Hinch.

Other guests who have appeared on the podcast include Actress and mum, Hayley Tammadon. Having recently become a new mum, Hayley spoke honestly about her time on ITV’s Full Monty last December, her new writing project and her experiences raising a baby during the covid lockdown: “You start to feel like a failure because you hear of other people’s babies doing things better than your baby and suddenly, you’re a failure, you’re failing at motherhood”.

Future guests include Chris McFadden, The UK and Ireland’s first male certified baby and toddler sleep consultant, male Early Years practitioners chatting about Kids Planet’s campaign to increase the number of working men in childcare, as well as Coach and trained psychotherapist, Sarie Taylor who offers advice for parents suffering with anxiety.

Episodes of All Things Early Years are released monthly and available to downloads from Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at https://www.kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk/podcasts/

If there is a topic you’d like the group to cover or if you work or have experience in Early Years with an interesting story to share on the podcast, please get in touch with jane.marwood@kidsplanetdaynurseries.

Kids Planet 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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Chesterfield 42k challenge aims to get local people active and outdoors

A brand-new initiative has been launched in Chesterfield which encourages local people to get outdoors and increase their exercise levels, whilst showing off the town’s finest sights and trails.

The 42k Challenge launched by Top Kat Events is made up of seven unique routes, which participants can choose to run, walk or jog in any order and at any time before the end of the year. All you need to take part is a pair of trainers and a smartphone!

There’s plenty of variety among the Challenge routes, which are spread across Chesterfield. They range in distance from 4.5k to 10k and include road, mixed terrain and trail so there’s loads to keep participants interested. Chesterfield 42k Challenge has been designed to be enjoyable and also achievable by anyone, something that is core to the ethos of the Challenge.

Kat Valk, Chesterfield resident who set up Top Kat Events last year during the pandemic and designed the Challenge commented: “I’m really excited to be launching this fun and innovative local challenge. I’m passionate about being outdoors and active and we live in such a beautiful Town.’

“More people than ever are getting active, which is amazing. I wanted to create something that would encourage local residents to get outdoors and take part in a challenge that they can choose to do their own way.”

Kat has set up an event Facebook group to help keep participants motivated and connected. It’s a place where they can share stories, tips and pictures. Keeping with the theme of fun, there will be spot prizes for the pictures that make Kat smile the most!

Kat explains, “Everyone has been hit hard by Covid-19, and we’ve really missed opportunities to connect via shared experiences like sports events. I hope that the Chesterfield 42k Challenge will bring people together (virtually via the Facebook group and in real life on the routes) in a new way.”

Entry to Chesterfield 42k Challenge is via the event website. Once signed up participants will receive full instructions on how to download the routes and the navigation app. Pick a route, pick a day and off you go! Once you’ve finished each route, record your completion time and upload your results to the website. Complete all 7 routes before 31 December 2021 to receive an exclusive finisher’s medal. Entry is open now and the first 100 entries are only £20.

Participants are encouraged to make a donation or raise money for Ashgate Hospicecare, one of many charities that has been hit hard during the last 12 months.

For more information, go to https://topkat-events.co.uk/chesterfield-42k-challenge/

Five Pits Trail- Cycling in Chesterfield

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Derbyshire Voluntary Action celebrates 30 years

An organisation which supports the work of the health and wellbeing charities and volunteer organisations in the North Derbyshire area, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA), which has created a network of more than 300 organisations with the aim of making the voluntary sector stronger and more joined up with each other, has reached the milestone after forming in 1991.

The organisation specialises in supporting health and wellbeing related voluntary and community sector organisations – from tiny volunteer-led self-help groups through to local and regional charities delivering projects to the benefit of large numbers of Derbyshire residents.

Charlotte Repton, Project Manager at DVA, said: “If you were going to sum up what DVA does, I think the simplest version is that we is a charity which supports other charities – but there is much more to it than that!

“Healthy communities really are the key to why we do what we do. The voluntary sector is vital to delivering specialised, responsive support in the community, enhancing what is offered by public services such as the Council and NHS. I think the pandemic has made that more clear than ever.”

DVA supports the voluntary sector in a range of ways including regular forum meetings where members can meet, share updates and find out about local and national news.

Jacqui Willis, Chief Executive of DVA, said: “When DVA was formed in 1991 it was a very small operation, but the ambition was always there to provide a voice for the voluntary and community organisations and to look for innovative ways to strengthen the sector, and our local area as a whole. You could say that the forum is where it all started.

“But now we do so much more. On top of communicating through our weekly bulletins and the quarterly Network magazine, I attend lots of meetings, committees and boards with statutory partners where I am able to be the voice for the voluntary sector. Campaigning for and championing the voluntary sector is one of the most impactful things we do.”

DVA also leads on a specialist Mental Health Liaison Service, which creates a network and hosts forums for mental health support organisations across the county.

The charity also has a history of delivering ‘social prescribing’ where, rather than medication, individuals are prescribed services and activities in the community to help them improve their health.

As with all essential services, funding is key to the work of DVA. The organisation distributes grants to groups, allowing them to continue the great work they do.

As well as giving out funds, as a charity DVA applies for national funding, bringing money and resource into the local area and allowing the organisation to run innovative projects. Two examples of projects currently running are Community Chesterfield, a partnership with University of Derby, and the ConnectTo… project which promotes social connectedness.

Jacqui added: “We are going to be using our birthday to celebrate the voluntary sector and we hope that we can encourage people to show some appreciation for local charities and groups which make a big difference.”

Derbyshire Voluntary Action 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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Chesterfield businesses offered free membership of crime-fighting partnership run by East Midlands Chamber

Up to 2,000 businesses in Chesterfield can sign up for free to an East Midlands Chamber-run scheme that helps to reduce town centre crime and anti-social behaviour. The Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) has secured funding from Chesterfield Borough Council to offer access to Disc, an online crime information-sharing system that connects businesses with local police forces.

There will be no cost for the first 12 months, with subsequent years costing up to £100 – and potentially lower if enough businesses take up the programme permanently.

Jackie Roberts, BCRP manager at the Chamber, said: “Businesses in town and city centres are struggling at the moment and crime will only make this worse.

“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 sickness, 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.”

What is the Business Crime Reduction Partnership?

The BCRP, one of 200 such programmes in the UK, is funded by both the Chamber and the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa.

Its remit to reduce crime in participating towns, cities and retail parks fits into an overall objective to make them a safer place to work, visit, socialise and shop.

Members pay a fee and benefits include a GDPR-compliant data-sharing system that facilitates direct reporting to the police without the need to use the time-consuming 101 system.

Intelligence and crime reports can be submitted electronically to the police and other BCRP members, who also have access to app and web-based image galleries of people who have been arrested or are known offenders.

How BCRP membership will help Chesterfield town centre

There are currently about 80 businesses in Chesterfield signed up to an advanced version of the BCRP scheme that also includes radio connections.

The council’s funding will give about 2,000 businesses in sectors such as retail, hospitality and tourism the opportunity to sign up for the basic package, which uses the online Disc system.

It will be launched at the beginning of May ahead of the reopening of hospitality in the Government’s roadmap to ending lockdown.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “It is fantastic news that this funding has been made available for our local businesses.

“This project will help strengthen the link between retailers and the police which should help limit crime and anti-social behaviour in our town.

“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.”

Hardyal Dhindsa, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, added: “Tackling retail crime is a priority for me and I am pleased that my funding of the Business Crime Reduction Partnership with the Chamber is enabling partners like Chesterfield Borough Council to join us in tackling criminality. This is an excellent way of supporting businesses to reduce the crime and antisocial behaviour that they have said concerns them.

“We have been working hard, with local partners, to successfully address other problems in Chesterfield Town Centre through the Chesterfield Town Summit, and this is another tool in the box.

“I welcome the fact that Chesterfield Borough Council has recognised the important of supporting local business and I hope that in time we will be able to roll this programme out across Derbyshire with other local authorities.”

Further plans for BCRP roll-out in Derbyshire

Discussions are ongoing on how to roll out the offer to Staveley, while there are plans to roll out the Disc scheme in Matlock and Bakewell, in which a combined 40 businesses are signed up to the radio system.

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.”

The British Retail Consortium’s 2020 retail crime survey, published in March just before lockdown, found there were 424 violent or abusive incidents towards staff per day nationally, while businesses lost £770m due to theft and £2.2bn resulting from overall crime.

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

 

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Chesterfield welcomes new pop-up events company

A new luxury pop-up events company has arrived in Chesterfield, providing people with the opportunity to hire exclusive garden igloos for use in their private spaces.

Diamond Domes and Dining is aiming to help people celebrate occasions safely, while remaining within their own household group or support bubble.

The company, founded by Chesterfield resident Chloe Britland has already achieved a number of successes since its launch, and is now looking forward to taking bookings for multiple households and groups getting ready for their long-awaited catch-up from March 29th.

Chloe explained how she hopes the new venture will help local people re-connect in a safe way when restrictions are eased: “Throughout the lockdowns, there have been so many people that have missed out on special events, dates which should have been memorable occasions and I felt that something was needed to fill the gap. I saw the garden igloos a while back, they’re manufactured overseas and I knew I could dress them up and make them look fantastic!”

The company’s signature ‘Diamond Dining’ package includes a fully-decorated igloo in the customer’s garden with mood lighting, luxury tableware and options to add flowers, balloon designs and cakes. There is flexibility for the customers to make the event completely bespoke around their needs.

Diamond Domes and Dining has also been launched with the ethos of promoting and celebrating as many small local businesses as possible at a time of need. As part of this, the company is running a Mother’s Day giveaway competition on its social media pages in collaboration with other businesses in the area.

Other local companies included in the giveaway include:

  • Talking Balloons
  • Totally Cheesecakes
  • Sam’s Flower Boutique
  • The Tupton Tap
  • Farview Farm Creations
  • Massage by Bec Needham
  • Small Town Girl Bakery

Chloe added: “I feel that the area is really growing with new businesses and is proving an exciting time for entrepreneurs and business owners. The lockdown has placed a huge emphasis on supporting your local small businesses and I believe this should be celebrated and businesses should work together to support one another.

“I have had a crazy response since launching in February and I am so excited for the future.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Chesterfield residents can have their say on major new cycling and walking route

Derbyshire County Council has published ambitious plans for an east-west walking and cycling route for Chesterfield and local people are being asked for their views.The government has awarded the authority  just over £1.6 million to create a new route for cyclists and those on foot.

The route will go from the A619 junction with Holymoor Road, along Chatsworth Road and the existing Hipper Valley Trail, through Queen’s Park, and to the hospital by using Crow Lane and Wetlands Lane.

The plans for the route include improving existing sections by widening and resurfacing, to provide enough space for all users and allow for better social distancing.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said: “This new route will help many people to walk or cycle into the town centre, to the railway station and the hospital.

“We’ve already seen a huge increase in the number of cyclists in the town centre and this route will help to take more traffic off the roads, which can only be a good thing for everyone.

“We can’t use this money for anything else, nor can we use it anywhere else in the county, so I’d urge everyone who lives locally to have a look at the plans and let us have their views.”

The consultation closes on 25 March 2021 and you can take part here.

Chesterfield and North Derbyshire already has a number of cycling routes, catered towards all ages and abilities. We’ve put together a list of 10 great routes in our area for you to take on…  Find out more and get on your bike today!

And for those who are new to cycling or unsure on how to get started, we’ve put together a guide to show you how easy and convenient cycling in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire can be. It’s a great way to improve your own health and the health of our local environment!

Cycling in Queens Park - Get on your bike in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

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