Celebrating Chesterfield's Retail Community

It is the shortest month of the year and it may be horribly grey outside, but don’t be deceived – Chesterfield’s future is bright.   This month, the spotlight is on the town’s retail sector. Nominations for the 2018 Chesterfield Retail Awards open later this month.

Now in their fifth year, the Chesterfield Retail Awards are the perfect way to celebrate our town’s booming retail scene, and it’s up to you as shoppers to nominate retailers that deserve the recognition that a nomination and potential win these coveted awards can bring.

All too often we hear how the UK’s high streets are struggling. It’s tempting to look at empty shops in our town centre and think that it’s the same story in Chesterfield, but it’s not.

Our abundance of both independent retailers and big high street names, alongside the historic market, means that retail in Chesterfield is unlike most towns in the UK. Last year we attracted new retailers to the town centre

The independent sector is thriving and there are many success stories. Adorn Jewellers for instance, opened in the Shambles five years ago and in 2017 opened a second store in Bakewell. Geeks Headquarters tells a similar story. It started off on the market before moving to shop premises on Rose Hill.

This year we will see the regeneration of the upper end of the town centre where work has begun on transforming the former Co-op into a hotel and restaurants. More development will happen here with the creation of Northern Gateway which will all serve to feed crucial footfall into the town centre and ensure it not only survives but thrives.

The Chesterfield Retail Awards aren’t just about town centre businesses, they’re about every single retailer – whether they are a shop, salon, bakery, market stall or crafter – that operates within S40 and 41.  

There is a huge retail offering outside the town centre. Areas like Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor are lined with shops and stores, but I urge you to look behind these and down the side streets to uncover the unsung heroes of retail. 

It’s a fond farewell to 2017 and a warm welcome for 2018

2018 will be transformative for Chesterfield. We will see physical progress on the town’s key developments – Peak Resort, Northern Gateway and Chesterfield Waterside – and we will begin to ready ourselves for the benefits that HS2 will bring to the town.

Although 17 years away, we must start laying the foundations now – not just physically, but also in training and skills in order to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities HS2 will bring to the town.

I recently attended Chesterfield’s first Investment Summit which brought together businesses, investors and developers across the region. Richard Brown CBE, a Board Member of HS2 was speaking at the conference. Previously on the board of Eurostar, Mr Brown said that there was the opportunity for HS2 to transform Chesterfield’s fortunes in the same way Eurostar had done for the Lille in France.

Having Googled Lille, I am absolutely inclined to agree with him. There are many parallels to be drawn. The city, in the north of France, was known for its industrial background and underwent some difficult years prior to having a Eurostar station. The town fought to get its station and was successful in 1993. Now Lille is known throughout France for its handsome city centre and culture and is ranked as one of the major metropolitan areas of Europe. It’s the gateway to Belgium, like we are to the Peak District. Since the Eurostar station, rather than passing through the city, people actually stop and spend time there. That is what we must recreate in Chesterfield.

I am confident this will happen as there will be much to attract visitors and encourage them to stop and stay before venturing into the Peak District. Work got under way stripping out the former Co-op building at the end of the year, ahead of it being transformed into a hotel and restaurant later this year. 

Work also started towards the end of 2017 on creating the access roundabout for Peak Resort. In 2018, construction will begin on the hotel, apartments and multi-storey carpark in phase one of Chesterfield Waterside.

Years of behind the scenes work is now coming together. Our physical and economic building blocks are being put in place that will make Chesterfield a town to live, work, do business and visit. The only way is up.

Celebrating 2016 and looking forward to 2017

There is no doubt that 2017 will be a tumultuous year politically, with Brexit being top of the agenda. No-one knows what is around the corner and how our break from the European Union will look or indeed affect us – internationally, nationally and locally.

Chesterfield has benefitted from much EU funding over the years, recent examples include assisting major developments like Markham Vale and Chesterfield Waterside to finally get off the ground. It is important that we keep the momentum of the town’s major new developments going in 2017 and beyond.

We have the opportunity to enhance Chesterfield’s position on the international commercial map, however this must be a collective effort, by everyone including councillors, politicians, businesses and, most importantly, the community. Everyone has a role to play in promoting Chesterfield and attracting investors.  Whether holidaying at home or abroad tell people how great our town is.

When you live and work in the same town it’s all too easy to forget about the positives. There’s a saying ‘when you can’t see the wood for the trees,’ and I think many of us are guilty of this. When you visit the town centre take time to see the variety of shops that we have, our market, the market hall and the historic Shambles shopping area. When compared to other towns and cities, Chesterfield has excellent shop occupancy rates, so much so that the town centre was identified as an ideal place for retail investors in a recent national property report.

Ask yourself this-If we, the people who live and work here, run our town down on social media and in conversations, will investors want to come to Chesterfield, spend their money and create more jobs and opportunity?

Look at what has been achieved in 2016 alone – Chesterfield’s new University of Derby campus was unveiled at St Helena’s, work has started on Chesterfield Waterside, plans for Northern Gateway were approved, Great Bear announced it was to build a second distribution unit at Markham Vale creating 800 jobs, and it was revealed that the town’s railway station will be a spur on the HS2 route.

Let’s make a collective New Year’s resolution to be positive about our town and celebrate everything that we have achieved and what 2017 will bring. I am particularly excited by the Chesterfield Waterside, Peak Resort, Northern Gateway and Elder Way developments and, of course, the canal restoration, all of which will make headway in 2017. There is so much potential in our town. Together we can make Chesterfield great.

Growing businesses

Chesterfield’s businesses were put under the national spotlight in July when BBC Radio 5 Live came to town on the back the latest GDP figures which were up across the board. And Chesterfield’s story wasn’t any different.

If you were listening on 27 July you’ll have heard business reporter Colletta Smith interview Nick Ibbotson from Ibbotson’s Fresh Produce, Stuart Downing from Casa Hotel, James Brand from United Cast Bar and Russ Gratton from Recon Electrical – all Chesterfield businesses. I’m delighted to say that all of them – including the customers at Recon Electrical - had the same story to tell; that business in the last quarter had been good.

People want to come to Chesterfield for work and pleasure, Casa’s figures bear this out. It has had more than 2000 bookings this year and already has people booked for 2017.

It’s a similar story in our town, employment is the highest it has ever been for the town since records began. However, we must keep this momentum going and not let the uncertainty brought about by the EU referendum result derail the town’s growth and future.

We need to be sure we don’t talk ourselves into a recession. Chesterfield is in a strong position with major developments, like Markham Vale, well underway and already creating hundreds of jobs. The Great Bear distribution centre is soon to open at Markham Vale and will create a further 400 jobs this year.

We’re a town of entrepreneurs and time and time again we show how we can adapt, change and overcome. Nowhere was that more evident than at the recent judging for the Food Producer of the Year title in the 2016 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. It was full of surprises – a micro herb producer from Whittington Moor, a smoke and cured meat specialist from Bolsover, a smoothie and juice producer from Tupton and a honey producer from Clowne, to name but a few.

Without exception every entrant was an owner managed business, many of them tucked away in Chesterfield quietly getting on with their daily business and supplying produce locally, regionally and nationally.

I’m delighted that Chesterfield Borough Council is helping town’s entrepreneurs even further with its latest plans for Northern Gateway. It has announced it will be building a business enterprise centre on part of the Donut car park for start-up and small and medium sized businesses.

The Council’s Dunston and Tapton Innovation Centres already have a great track record for incubating and nurturing business and I for one am delighted that Chesterfield is able to look ahead and continue with its plans for growth and prosperity even in these times of uncertainty.

Lots to celebrate already in 2016

As we enter February we are reminded that the Christmas period is well and truly over; diets have gone out of the window and many of us have turned our backs on our well-intended New Year resolutions. All in all it’s a pretty dreary month, and this prompted me to dig a little deeper and find some positives; I really didn’t have to look very far - specifically to the brand new £12m Queens Park Sports Centre.

I was privileged to see the new Queens Park Sport Centre at a recent Chesterfield Champions breakfast event, 24 hours before it was officially opened by the Coronation Street celebrity Kym Marsh. Like her, I was extremely impressed with the outstanding facilities, it truly is a gem in Chesterfield’s crown.

The breakfast event started at 7:30am and the centre was already buzzing with people using the new facilities and queuing to sign up for membership. What an amazing community resource.-it was fantastic to witness the hard work of the many people who have made the new Queens Park Sports Centre happen. A big ‘thank you and well done’ to all those involved!

At the breakfast even the hot topic on everyone’s lips was, of course, the proposed devolution involving Local Councils; with the subject being debated nationally, lots of questions were asked about what it means for Chesterfield. I for one see devolution as a positive, there is already a deal from Sheffield City Region on the table for Chesterfield which will bring us a share of £900m funding for local projects, including infrastructure and regeneration.

Devolution means, ultimately, that we can have more control over things that we want for our Town at a local level rather than Whitehall making the decisions for us. Devolution will impact all our lives and I urge you to have your say now. Get involved and have your voice heard before any decision is made that will affect all our futures long-term. You can find more information about this issue on the Destination Chesterfield website.

Devolution is something that will no doubt be a key topic at our annual Celebrate Chesterfield event taking place at the Winding Wheel in March. For those of you that don’t know, Celebrate Chesterfield is the hottest ticket in town and each year it’s getting even bigger and better.

I enjoy this event because it’s a great opportunity to look back and see how far we have come since the creation of Destination Chesterfield in 2011. At last year’s event we announced that £1bn of regeneration was taking place in the Borough-who knows what good news this year’s Celebrate will bring? What I do know is that it’s going to be good!

Great things are happening in our small town of which we should all be proud. Celebrate Chesterfield is the opportunity for us all to stand back, take stock and give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back for what we have collectively achieved as a Town, and to look forward to the future with confidence.

You too can share in the success of Chesterfield. The event is free to attend; simply register at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate

Have your say in 2016

Happy New Year to all readers! Well it’s the New Year but certainly not a new start for Chesterfield. Many of the Town’s developments are underway and will be making significant progression in 2016, so we have so much to look forward to and we have hit the ground running.

We go into 2016 with a confident buzz about the town Big changes are afoot, not only for Chesterfield but for Sheffield City Region which the town is a part of.

Devolution is the hot topic on everyone’s mind and from my own perspective it would greatly benefit Chesterfield and the region because it will give the Town a seat at a more influential ‘local’ table, not to mention more control over our own financial affairs.

It could also help bring potential funding to the area further boosting our ambitious plans for growth and development in the area over the next 10 years. Ultimately, devolution will allow us to have more money and decision-making powers as well as greater control over skills and transport improvement and job creation as well as increase the number of new businesses.

Local control of our ambitions and plans is very important, rather being made in London, where they are now. London is a very different economy to ours – just think of house prices, salaries and transport, and therefore needs to be treated differently. .

I would urge all local residents and businesses to take part in the consultation. Chesterfield’s position within Sheffield City Region means we do a lot of business with neighbouring towns and cities and it is important that we have control of the direction of our future which will affect young people and the jobs that are available to them when they leave school.

2016 will see the opening of the new University of Derby Campus in Chesterfield, bringing more opportunity to young people in an around the town, specifically in nursing, Business, Computing, Law, and Engineering. The latter, I feel, is s exciting for Chesterfield as it is a field the town has developed a specialism. This is rightly so when you consider that one of the godfathers of engineering and inventor of The Rocket, George Stephenson, made Chesterfield his home.

The coincidence that Chesterfield is involved in a 21^st Century ‘rocket’ can’t be overlooked. Bloodhound is the British-built car that will be attempting the world land speed record in October 2016 and Chesterfield-based industrial weighing specialists Weightron Bilanciai Ltd has supplied the weighing systems that have been used throughout the build of the project.

So, when you see Bloodhound – or more likely the trail of vapour it will leave in its wake travelling at 1000mp - on the flats of South Africa later this year, be proud in the knowledge it carries a little bit of Chesterfield and is helping spread our town’s reputation for quality engineering and manufacturing all over the world.

With all that and more, what a great year we have ahead of us! I hope you will join me in celebrating and recognising our achievements on 16th March at Celebrate Chesterfield

Chesterfield has a Prosperous Year

What a prosperous year Chesterfield has had and our employment figures bear this out. For the first time since records began the town’s unemployment figures fell below the national average in August.

I do believe that this year has been a turning point for the town, with so many developments in the pipeline totally more than £1billion of investment taking place within the Borough over the next 10 years. Much of this investment is already underway with contractors on site at Peak, Chesterfield Waterside and Markham Vale. Following the competition of the first phase of housing at Chesterfield Waterside, 2016 will see work on the exciting second phase begin.

The marketing and hard work during 2015 has paid off, as I believe that Markham Vale Business Park has become the go to destination for national and international investors relocating here and creating hundreds of jobs with more set for next year. I personally find this very exciting for the Chesterfield’s young people as it is giving them more choice and opportunity. Ahead of these exciting developments, Destination Chesterfield has worked hard through the Made in Chesterfield festival to raise awareness of the jobs and careers available in the manufacturing sector so that companies relocating and expanding here have a ready and able workforce now and in the future.

As well as all the developments already underway, hopefully, 2016 will see plans for the former Co-op department store take shape and become a reality. The redevelopment of such an iconic town centre building has the potential to enhance the town’s offering, helping us attract further town investment and make us the go to destination for shoppers and tourists.

There is no doubting the development potential of Chesterfield but it’s also important to recognise what is already here – the hundreds of independent businesses that have weathered the economy and survived and many of these were honoured at the Chesterfield Retail Awards and Food and Drink Awards this year. Both awards were our most successful yet with more nominations received than ever before and each award ceremony larger than the previous year yet still a sell-out. The events are now well established in the town’s social calendar and a great example of the many independent businesses that combine to make Chesterfield such a unique and going places town.

What a great year it’s been Chesterfield, let’s make 2016 even bigger and better. 

New future for Chesterfield Co-op store

More good investment news arrived in Chesterfield recently with the announcement that a planning application has been submitted to turn the former Co-op department store into a £20million hotel, restaurants and leisure development.

I am delighted that the potential of Chesterfield has, once again, been recognised by investors. It is large scale developments in the town centre such as this, coupled with our thriving independent sector, which will help make us a go to destination for shoppers and tourists.

November has been designated the month where we hope to do exactly the same for the town’s manufacturing sector with Made in Chesterfield.  The festival has two aims; to attract manufacturing and engineering companies to invest here and create jobs and to get more youngsters turned onto a career in manufacturing

Last year, Made in Chesterfield only ran for a week however it was credited with introducing more than 400 young people to careers within the sector. Building on this success, this year the festival is running throughout November.

Thanks to partnerships Destination Chesterfield has fostered with schools, companies within the sector, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, Natwest, Chesterfield College, Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Placing Futures and Positive 4 Young People,  this year more young people than ever will discover first-hand the employment opportunities and the number of varied and exciting roles within manufacturing and engineering.

If your school, child or company would like to get involved with Made in Chesterfield, you can view the programme of events here www.chesterfield.co.uk/made 

Attracting young people to the sector is essential if Sheffield City Region (SCR) is to achieve its vision of developing a Modern Manufacturing and Technology Growth Area. Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone at Markham Vale is already playing an important role in attracting investment to the area and events like Made in Chesterfield are contributing further in ensuring there is a ready workforce to enable SCR to achieve this vision.

We’re also taking a similar approach to the town’s hospitality sector through the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Without a ready workforce proposals for developments such as the Co-op would be a non-starter.

Each year, however, Destination Chesterfield partners with Chesterfield College to showcase the skills of the young people about to enter the hospitality sector. Not only does the College sponsor the awards, it provides the venue for the awards but, most importantly, its own students cater and serve the entire event.

After the success of last year’s awards evening at the College – all superbly catered and served by the students, it came as no surprise that tickets for the 2015 awards sold out weeks before the event, prompting us to increase numbers to the absolute maximum. 

Made in Chesterfield

I read an article from job website CV-Library that said almost half of recruiters think that engineering is the hardest sector to place candidates in. The study suggested that engineering roles are the hardest for recruiters to fill, and a separate study highlighted an unrelenting skills shortage across the UK as a whole. And the picture is no different in Chesterfield, yet we have a thriving manufacturing and engineering sector here.

The study illustrated for me, yet again, how essential school leavers are for the future of Chesterfield, especially in the manufacturing and engineering sectors. Locally, we are outperforming the national average with manufacturing representing around 20% of the turnover of Sheffield City Region (SCR), and if we want this continue we need to attract a future workforce.

Recognising this, we hosted a week-long Made in Chesterfield festival last year which was designed to highlight the sector to young people and encourage them to consider a career in it when the leave school. It was hugely successful, introducing more than 400 young people to the sector.

Capitalising on this success, this year, we will be dedicating an entire month – November – to Made in Chesterfield. Expect to hear a lot from engineering and manufacturing companies you probably didn’t even know existed, let alone known what they do, during November. Many have been in Chesterfield for years, providing local jobs.

While unemployment locally now stands at its lowest level for three years, youth unemployment currently stands at 16%. We can all work together to make a difference to this.

We know festivals and initiatives like Made in Chesterfield and the Food and Drink Awards work in bringing together the education and business community; introducing them to each other and identifying career and employment opportunities.

Chesterfield College uses the Food and Drink Awards every year to show off the skills of their talented hospitality students at the awards ceremony. Each year the students not only make the food but also serve it and this year will be no different. It is restaurant quality food and service, adding a unique element to these popular awards. My mouth is already watering thinking of the awards ceremony which is once again being held at the College’s Heart Space Building at the end of October.

It’s important we work together to reduce youth unemployment in Chesterfield. Initiatives like Made in chesterfield and the Food and Drink Awards are just the tip of the iceberg. Young people want a job, a place to live and a thriving social scene and we have all that right here, we just need to open their eyes to it.

Creative Chesterfield

News that part of Paul Cummins’ iconic poppy sculpture could return to its spiritual home of Chesterfield is an opportunity to further put the town on the map if our bid is successful.

As the inspiration for this magnificent sculpture came from Chesterfield library and commemorates the many men who lost their lives in the First World War, it seems only fitting that it returns to its spiritual home if only for a brief time.

As well as showcasing our wonderful town to visitors, the sculpture will also highlight the wealth of artistic talent that has originated and also remains here. Although now living outside the area, Mr Cummins was a Hasland resident and studied at the College. He is not the only artist to receive national acclaim. Ashley Thomas, whose wonderful At Home range is sold in Debenhams’ stores nationally originally hails from the town, as does award winning ceramicist Clare Gage who continues to live here and sell her designs at Libby’s on Chatsworth Road.

The businesses involved in Chesterfield’s digital and creative community are making an important and significant contribution to the local economy and many of the fledgling start-ups in this sector can now be found at Chesterfield College’s fantastic West Studios off Sheffield Road.  Melanie Jackson, the artist responsible for the wonderful Growth sculpture on Horns Bridge is one of the many talented artists, designers and producers based there.

Often when people think of careers in the digital and creative industry they think of logo design or computer games, however this sector permeates virtually every industry, not least manufacturing. Just look at the fantastic Franke Sissons sculpture at Chesterfield Coach Station, which we unveiled during Made in Chesterfield Week last year, for proof if it were needed.

I am delighted Made in Chesterfield, which is being organised once again by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnerships returns in November. 

Last year, during the course of a single week we reached out to more than 400 young people and raised awareness of careers in the manufacturing sector. This year, thanks to the involvement of the digital and creative sector and an entire month devoted to Made activities, we can showcase a greater breadth of careers and, importantly, show that they can follow their creative dreams and make a career out of them, here in Chesterfield. 

Chesterfield Powerhouse

Earlier this year the chancellor George Osborne unveiled his vision for creating a 'Midlands Engine', part of the government’s plan for a Northern Powerhouse. I believe, however, that we have already started to lay the foundations of an East Midlands Powerhouse in Chesterfield, not least in our retail sector.

I was delighted that we were able to recognise and honour this thriving sector recently at the Retail Awards.  This year we had many more businesses nominated by the general public as well as some of the faces from last year’s awards returning to defend their titles. Even with a bigger venue this year at the Winding Wheel, the event was still a sell-out showing the huge support and pride in these awards by the business community.

We must not underestimated the power of Chesterfield's retail sector. It is one of our major plus points as a destination. Where other towns and cities are struggling with a growing number of vacant shops, ours offers a vibrant mix of independent and chain retailers and is expanding, which is practically unheard of in today's retail climate. Simply drive along Chatsworth Road or Whittington Moor to see new restaurants, bars and independent shops opening for evidence of this.

For everyone who says Chesterfield’s high street is in decline and dominated by vacant premises and charity shops, I say visit neighbouring towns or even those further afield and you will see this is not the case.

Shopping local, rather than online, in national chain stores or in the out of town retail parks will ensure Chesterfield’s retail sector continues to thrive. Whether you spend pence or pounds, every penny counts when shopping with an independent retailer.  The owners of these business invariably live in the area and plough the money back into our local economy. 

It’s not just the act of spending money that ensures our retail success but also our ability to 'talk up' the town both here and outside it. Rather than putting the town down and bemoaning it, tell people how great it is. How many other towns honour their market traders and independent traders each year? In fact, one of the oldest, Ibbotson's took the titles of not only market trader of the year but also the prestigious Retailer of the Year at the Retail Awards.

Now in its 71^st year of trading, Ibbotson’s is weathering the difficult financial climate and adapting the business for a new retail era, making them, I think, a real retail powerhouse. Now that' something to shout about, don't you think?

Charity begins at Chesterfield

At a recent Chesterfield Champions breakfast I was heartened to hear the news that a MacMillan Cancer Centre is to be built at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

This is a real feather in the cap for the area as it brings together the cancer care and treatment that is currently provided in different locations across the hospital site. There, unfortunately, can be few people in Chesterfield whose lives have not been blighted by this horrible disease, either their own or those of family members or friends. Every year, 1,500 people in North and North East Derbyshire are told that they have cancer.

Costing £8.9 million the new centre is relying on £2.5m of charitable donations to make it a reality. I have no doubt the MacMillan Cancer Centre will open in 2016 as planned as the generosity of Cestrefeldians is renowned. You simply have to look at other charitable causes in the area, large and small – Ashgate Hospicecare, Kids ‘n’ Cancer and Chesterfield Fundraising Group for Cancer Research UK to name but a few, who all tirelessly fundraise and make a big difference to our community.

Fundraising isn’t easy. It involves lots of time, energy and determination, often relying on the goodwill of volunteers, which is very much the case for the Chesterfield Fundraising Group for Cancer Research UK, which is entirely run and managed by volunteers. It recently received Fundraiser of the Year award at the Derbyshire Times Pride Awards, which just goes to show that the old adage ‘charity begins at home’ really does apply in Chesterfield.

It is heartening to see the business community supporting charities, either through the fundraising efforts of their own staff or from the company as a whole. Most recently Franke Sissons hosted a fundraising dinner dance which raised £1250 for local cancer charities Nenna Kind and Ashgate Hospicecare.

It is this goodwill and camaraderie between both residents and businesses that makes Chesterfield such a friendly town, something visitors often remark on when they visit. We have a real’ in it together’ attitude that has enables us to weather storms and emerge stronger for it and the fact we have £1 billion of development happening in the Borough over the next 10 years is testament to this.

New Market for Chesterfield and Retail Awards Host Announced

The weather has finally turned warmer and the lighter nights are here. Chesterfield is beginning to blossom once again and in more ways than one.

While the floral displays in and round the town have come to life so too has tourism. There’s nothing like warm weather and sunshine to put us in the holiday mood. This is a great opportunity for Chesterfield to capitalise on its proximity to the Peak District as well as spectacular visitor attractions like Chatsworth House, Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle.

However, it’s important Chesterfield doesn’t become a place that people pass through in order to reach their tourist destinations. The town, in its own right, has so much to offer tourists not least the crooked spire, museum, Queen’s Park and one of the UK’s top five hotels – Casa.

Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre is doing a great job welcoming visitors to the town. So much so that it is a finalist in the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence2015.  Soon the town will have yet another reason for people to visit us - a monthly artisan market which will take place on the last Sunday of every month.

The market will give people, both locals and those from outside the area, more reason to visit Chesterfield on Sunday. The increased footfall will benefit other retailers in the town. The popularity of online shopping and out of town shopping centres means it is more important than ever to support our town centre retailers. And the level of support for Chesterfield’s retailers is incredibly pleasing, if the nominations for the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards are anything to go by.

You nominated in your droves, giving us an incredibly strong field of contenders for the 15 awards. The awards have now become a fixture in Chesterfield’s calendar. I’m delighted that Peak FM breakfast show presenters James Summers and BeckyMeasures have agreed to host the awards at the Winding Wheel on Wednesday 24June. I am sure their big personalities will make the 2015 awards an event to remember and one I am personally looking forward to, very much like summer.

£1 billion of investment for Chesterfield over the next 10 years

£1 billion of investment for Chesterfield over the next 10 years

We regularly hear about new investment in Chesterfield; whether this is Markham Vale, Peak Resorts, Chesterfield Waterside or by one of our expanding local  businesses. But recently, at the Celebrate Chesterfield event it was calculated that the total amount of money being invested in the town over the next 10 years is actually £1 billion. There was an audible intake of breath in the room, when that level of investment was announced, proving once again that Chesterfield is punching well and truly above its weight.

This investment will bring lots of homes, leisure facilities, restaurants and businesses, etc to Chesterfield which,  importantly, will create jobs, 1000s of them in fact. With jobs comes more spending power in our local economy- Everyone in our town will benefit. The future for Chesterfield is very exciting, however we must not lose sight of what we have now. It is important to support the businesses that are already within the town and help them continue to thrive so they will be around to reap the benefits of the £1 billion of future investment.

The annual Chesterfield Retail Awards organised by Destination Chesterfield, are a great example of how we strive to celebrate and support businesses in Chesterfield. I am delighted to see that so many people have got behind the awards once again and nominated their favourite retailers. We’ll be announcing the winners of the Chesterfield Retail Awards in June.

However, it is my view that every one of Chesterfield’s retailers should be commended.   By way of example we heard at the Celebrate event that plans for the former Co-op building are in the pipeline and I, like everyone else, look forward to seeing an important  building brought back into use.

Whether or not you nominated a business for the Retail Awards my plea to you, to keep Chesterfield thriving now, is for you to Shop Local. Independent retailers in the town centre, along Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor have everything you could ever need. You name it - fruit and vegetables from the market, gifts, clothing, furniture, jewellery, we really do have it all. Our town’s mix of retailers – independents alongside high street chains, are what sets us apart from other high streets. We have variety that others are lacking and this is the reason why people travel from the Peak District, Buxton, Dronfield, South Sheffield and even Leicestershire to shop here. But let’s make sure we support our independent retailers. Chesterfield can enjoy its modern awakening now, not in ten years’ time.

Celebrating Chesterfield

It’s that time of year again, time to celebrate and look back on everything that Chesterfield has achieved.

All too often we hear about the good news in isolation and it can be overshadowed by the bad which means it can be forgotten in the melee. That’s why Destination Chesterfield’s annual Celebrate event is so important.

This will be our third Celebrate Chesterfield event and takes place on Wednesday 25 March at the Winding Wheel. Last year was standing room only, however the stream of good news delivered by the Destination Chesterfield Team, left us all uplifted!

This year, Celebrate will be no different. We’ve made a point of building on last year’s success and striving to be even better in 2015.  In June we’ll be welcoming again the hugely successful Retail Awards and the Food and Drink Awards in October. We’ll also be celebrating our thriving manufacturing sector with Made in Chesterfield in November. This year it will be running over two weeks and will bring even more young people, teachers and businesses together.

It’s important to me that the young people who live here know that there is a future for them and marketing Chesterfield and its successful business sectors is crucial to this. We have a number of thriving industries and there is huge employment opportunities in all of them. The Manufacturing sector in particular is telling us they want apprentices now!

The hospitality industry is set to boom also. In the same week it was announced that not only was Chesterfield home to one of the top five hotels in the UK – Casa, but also that the outskirts of the town was to be the location for the £400 million Peak Development.

Whether you’re a resident, investor, business or visitor, there are exciting times ahead for Chesterfield. However, we must not forget about the past and present. So much has been achieved since we launched Destination Chesterfield in 2011 and I for one am looking forward to sharing the town’s numerous successes at Celebrate.

You too can share in the success. The event is free to attend, you simply need to register at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate

Happy New Year!

Now we’re in the New Year it’s easy to get excited as we have so much to look forward to as a town in 2015. However, I think it’s important to remember all that has been achieved in 2014, so allow me to give you all a quick reminder… I hope that you will be impressed!

Amongst many things this year, we’ve seen the installation of the new ‘Growth’ sculpture on Hornsbridge Roundabout which enhances one of our key gateways and best of all did not cost our town a penny as it was kindly funded by Barratt Homes and ERDF funding.

We also had the great news in February that University of Derby will soon be establishing a campus here in Chesterfield. This opens up so many opportunities to young people in the town and surrounding areas.

In April, work started on the first homes at the much anticipated Chesterfield Waterside project and we’ll be welcoming first residents in 2015. As one of the largest regeneration schemes in the country, this first stage means everything for Chesterfield.

The town’s first ever Retail Awards were held in June celebrating and recognising our thriving retail scene. The awards recognise Chesterfield’s talent in the retail sector and shows why we still have one of the best town centre shop occupancy rates in the country.

October saw a celebration of our town’s talent in the food and drink industry at the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards 2014, which was double the size of last year’s ceremony. TV Chef Ainsley Harriott was once again a hit as our host for the evening. There must be few people in Chesterfield without a selfie with him on their phone!

More recently, Chesterfield’s St Mary’s High School was recognised as one of the top comprehensives in the UK in The Sunday Times, and the town’s first manufacturing festival was hailed a success. 

The Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield unveiled the new sculpture outside Chesterfield Coach Station, another key gateway, to kick off the Made in Chesterfield Week (10-14 November). The sculpture, kindly donated by Franke Sissons, is a shining example of what can be achieved when young people, apprentices, and businesses work together.

The festival highlighted the thriving Manufacturing and Engineering sector and the many companies based here in our town who not only operate nationally but internationally. Most importantly the events throughout the week highlighted a career option to many youngsters who may not have considered it, proving there is so much opportunity, ability and passion right here in Chesterfield

With all that and more, what a successful year 2014 was? We’re certainly off to head start for a good 2015! I hope you will join me in celebrating and recognizing our achievements properly on 25 March at the Celebrate Chesterfield 2015 event.

A bit of Chesterfield Christmas sparkle sent around the world

The nights may be long but Chesterfield has its usual sparkle thanks to the fabulous Christmas lights. 

They almost make Christmas shopping pleasurable for those of us that don’t like it.

For those of you that do then the town has so much to offer – from high street chains to independent retailers that offer something a little bit different and out of the ordinary. And thanks to the Internet some of Chesterfield’s home grown products will be appearing under trees and on tables this Christmas as well, all helping spread the word about what our town has to offer.

The high street is facing its toughest battle ever. However, the internet is integral to its survival. UK retailing delivers nearly 10% of all its sales online and an increasing proportion of this comes from mobile devices.  We  want to keep Chesterfield booming and top of the charts for least vacant shops, so earlier this year Destination Chesterfield ran a free Digital High Street course to give the town’s independent retailers a helping hand to get online and maximise their sales this Christmas.

Thanks to the internet, we are seeing Northern Tea Merchants’ tea and coffee travelling as far afield as Scandinavia and Russia, jewellery retailer Adorn has customers in Canada, Scotland and the Netherlands and our very own home grown ceramist Clare Gage is selling her products through the well-known online retailer Not on the High Street.com as well as locally at Created Gallery on Chatsworth Road.

Chesterfield’s contribution to your Christmas doesn’t stop at gifts, the town and its food and drink producers can even cater for your big nights out and in. As we saw recently at the Food and Drink Awards we have some fabulous eateries in the town which, quite literally, cater for every taste. Maybe you’ll be enjoying a bottle of Brampton Brewery’s finest with your Christmas meal or one of Global Brands’ myriad of products in a local bar with friends?

Whatever or wherever you choose to eat, drink and shop, I would like everyone to consider purchasing it locally this Christmas and helping our economy thrive in 2015 and beyond. Chesterfield has so much to offer and the proof, as they say, is very much in the eating (and drinking) this Christmas.  

We continue to make great things in Chesterfield

I read recently that the Bristol-based children’s suitcase maker Trunki has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.5m for 2013 following competition from Chinese rivals. This is really sad news but the story couldn’t be more different in our town.

The manufacturing sector here is thriving and companies believe there to be little or no threat from China for two key reasons – poor quality, unreliable output and increased domestic demand for goods amongst the Chinese population.

Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone at Markham Vale plays an important role in helping Sheffield City Region (SCR) achieve its vision of developing a Modern Manufacturing and Technology Growth Area.

As well as attracting manufacturing and engineering companies to invest here and create jobs, it is equally important to ensure there is a ready workforce. Events like Made in Chesterfield (10 – 14 November) help secure the future of the sector and get more youngsters turned onto a career in manufacturing, raising awareness of the employment opportunities within it as well as the number of varied and exciting roles.

And this is exactly what we have achieved with the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Chesterfield College students take an active and hands on role at the awards evening. After the success of last year’s awards evening at the College – all superbly catered and served by the students, it came as no surprise that tickets for the 2014 awards sold out weeks before the event – and we increased numbers by 50%.

Like the Food and Drink Awards, Made in Chesterfield brings together employers and students. Companies have embraced the week, delivering hands on activities and site visits for so many youngsters.

I am confident that Made in Chesterfield will change many perceptions about the manufacturing sector, particularly the view that it’s dirty and grimy. Just walk into MSE Hiller’s workshop and your opinion will change instantly.

Embodying Made in Chesterfield is the new sculpture at the Coach Station. The sculpture is the work of Fanke Sissons’ apprentices and students from Parkside School. It is truly magnificent. Look closely and you will see that it encapsulates what young people feel is representative of Chesterfield today; Nature, Manufacturing, and Community.


I encourage you to visit the coach station and view this work of art. Not only will it enhanced yet another major gateway to the town, but it represents a true partnership between education and the manufacturing and engineering sectors – one which I hope will continue to provide employment opportunities for many generations to come.

Summer in Chesterfield

Everything can seem so much better when the sun is shining can’t it? And as much as the six week school break is welcomed by children, being a parent myself, I know it can be a headache for parents. How do you keep the youngsters entertained throughout the holidays, avoid the repeated cries of ‘I’m bored’ and not require a bank loan to do it?
 

A holiday away is not an option for everyone which is why finding activities (preferably free) to do on your doorstep is so important. Our Summer in Chesterfield campaign is designed to do just that – showcase everything that is happening in and around Chesterfield during the summer months. And there is so much to do – both free and paid for. 

It could be a simple picnic in glorious Queen’s Park or a visit to Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery where, from 9 – 16 August, it’s World War 1 Week at the Museum. Venture further afield into the beautiful Peak District, which we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep, and we have Chatsworth Country Fair from 29 – 31 August.

Summer activities’ aside, it’s so important that our town caters for all ages, particularly young people and families, in its offering.  They are the future workers and residents of Chesterfield and will help maintain the ongoing success of the town by helping attract new investors who will see a ready and waiting quality workforce alongside the variety of commercial property we offer and great transport links.

I welcomed news recently of £174m of government funding being awarded to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to support local projects. As well as creating jobs, importantly this money will help to protect existing jobs and build homes in Chesterfield over the next five years.

This money means real change for Chesterfield. It will help us attract new businesses to the area, help young people to get the skills they need to get on, and ensure we have the workforce locally that we need to prosper.

By investing now to create long term job and housing opportunities for young people and their families, I hope that once they have finished in our education system they will choose to enjoy summer (and winter, spring and autumn) in Chesterfield for many years to come.

To find out more about the events happening in and around Chesterfield this summer, follow Chesterfield UK on Facebook or visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/fortcoming-events

Food and Drinks Awards Return

The Food and Drink Awards are upon us once again. Nominations are now open and I urge everyone to do so. Your support at this critical phase of the process is vital to the success of these awards.

The next time you’re picking up freshly made bread from the bakery, enjoying a coffee with the kids, a glass of wine with the girls or fine dining with family, remember to nominate that establishment. We’ve made it as easy as possible to nominate online and it literally takes seconds to do.

You can even nominate food and drink establishments up to 10 miles outside the boundary of Chesterfield in the Out of Town category. Dronfield, Bolsover, Barlow, Baslow, Alfreton, Wingerworth are all areas that fall within this radius and I know from personal experience that there are some excellent restaurants, pubs and cafes in these areas.

This year everyone can get involved with the nomination and shortlisting process as we’ve introduced a new Family Friendly category. Having had young children once myself, I know that not every restaurant is conducive to a family-friendly dining experience but we’re really keen to discover the ones that are, and who better to judge these but families? We’re on the look-out for two families to help us do this. If you’re a young family and want to get involved then please do get in touch.

These awards are all about discovering the very best that Chesterfield has to offer as well as raising the bar to further improve the town’s offering.

TV chef Ainsley Harriott, who last year hosted the awards said himself that they had created a new standard in food, and I wholeheartedly agree. Chesterfield has never had such a variety and wealth of places to eat. It is a pleasure to be able to dine out in the town. There is truly something to suit every taste.

Thanks, in part to the superb hosting skills of Ainsley Harriott, last year’s awards ceremony is still talked about. I am delighted therefore that he has agreed to host the awards this year. The awards aren’t until October so before then, I would say to every eatery hoping for a nomination…..Ready, Steady, Cook!