Author: Tara Underhill

Seb Perez ready for Oulton Park

31st May 2016

Chesterfield’s young racing driver, Seb Perez is set to travel to Oulton Park this weekend in the next round of the Simpson Race Products Ginetta Junior Championship.

The 16-year-old will be looking for a bit more luck after his last two outings at Donington Park and Thruxton have ended in a mixture of success and misfortune.

Race one at Donington saw Perez finish 11th, after changing weather conditions including a sleet storm and various position changes. He clocked up his fastest lap on the first and second sectors of the circuit, dropping to second during the third timed section of the track, only to find after the race his fastest lap had been disallowed.

Second race of the weekend saw him line up 11th on the grid, but unfortunately after a good start he retired with a damaged car after being shunted off the track.

After a battle to get the car ready for race three, his team worked wonders and saw him on the last row of the grid. Making up six places he finished in 16th position.

Despite the car sustaining 2 bent valves and brake problems at Donington, Seb’s team ensured it was running well for Thruxton.

The qualifying session saw Seb outrun every other driver on the circuit. Lap 3 was his fastest lap at 1:31.899s with a speed of 92.29mph to take his maiden pole position in the championship by one thousandth of a second.

Race one saw Perez in pole and in charge of the pack of the other 19 cars behind him. Black flagged for jumping the start and a drive through penalty saw him drop to 19th position, however he progressed through the field gaining a best race speed of up to 106.8mph and finishing 18th – still a success but a potential podium place could have been on the cards.

Race two saw Perez start from row 9 on the grid. After a good start on the first lap gaining essential places, disaster struck shortly afterwards and an incident saw Max Bird’s Ginetta retiring along with Perez.

After a month’s break with plenty of testing and some tweaks to the car he hopes that this will be a turning point in the season for him. Last season Seb finished 15th in both races at Oulton Park and hopes to improve on that this year.

He said: “I am really looking forward to Oulton Park this weekend, I enjoy racing on it and there will be a lot of local support there for me.

“The last two rounds at Donington and Thruxton hadn’t gone entirely to plan, but that’s racing for you; it’s always a learning curve and my team, JHR Developments has worked well on the car during the last 2 rounds to sort out the problems. We had a good test session at Croft just over a week ago and the car is performing great.”

Perez has still a long way to go to the end of the season at the beginning of October. Seb’s performance and all the action is broadcast live on the Sundays on ITV 4.

Editorial by Paul Horton. Landscape image: Jakob Ebrey Photography, Portrait image: Paul Horton Photography.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

£80k boost to help young people get active

31st May 2016

Young people across Derbyshire will have the chance to try a range of sports and activities thanks to an £80,000 boost which has been awarded to sports clubs and providers.

A total of 76 projects have been awarded a share of the funding which will see new sessions run in a huge variety of sports and activities, with everything from aerobics, boxercise, tennis, cricket and netball, to climbing, American football, dance and martial arts on offer.

The funding has come from Sport England’s Lottery-funded London 2012 legacy project Sportivate, which in Derbyshire is co-ordinated locally by Derbyshire Sport.

The programme aims to give more young people aged 11 to 25 the chance to discover a sport that they love, offering those who do not currently take part in sport and physical activity between six and eight weeks of free or subsidised coaching.

Once the course has finished, those involved will also be supported to continue playing sport.

Projects will take place across the county, including in Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derby, the Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire.

Funding will be used to pay for new equipment, coaching, facility hire and training.

Lewis Adams, Sport Development Officer with responsibility for Sportivate at Derbyshire Sport, said: “Since its launch six years ago more than 10,000 young people across Derbyshire have taken part in sporting activities funded through Sportivate.

“This latest round of funding will allow lots more new and exciting activities to be kick-started and continue to help sports clubs and organisations to recruit new participants and get more young people active.”

To find out what Sportivate sessions are available in your area please contact Lewis Adams, Sport Development Officer at Derbyshire Sport by emailing lewis.adams@derbyshire.gov.uk.

The application process for a further round of Sportivate funding is due to open in August. Applications will be particularly welcomed from projects with a specific focus on inactive young people, women and girls, disabled young people, those aged between 19 and 25, and young people who are not currently in education, employment or training.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

£1.3m of funding for transport equipment innovation

31st May 2016

Companies involved in road, rail and aerospace equipment manufacture will soon be able to apply for research and innovation help from a £1.3m fund, financed via the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

The ‘Catalysing Growth through Research for Transport Equipment Manufacturing’ project will be delivered by the University of Derby and Loughborough University.

It will cost £2.7m in total – £1.3m of that coming via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) portion of D2N2’s allocation of €251m in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), and the remainder from the two universities.

D2N2 is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and social enterprises which promotes economic growth and jobs creation across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The three year Catalysing Growth project is due to begin shortly (summer 2016).

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in the transport equipment manufacturing sector can access intensive research and innovation support from the University of Derby and Loughborough University.

Help will be given to main manufacturers and supply chain firms providing them with materials, services and technical support. This will boost their competitiveness, providing more efficient manufacturing processes and products, to strengthen companies’ turnover and create jobs.

The universities will help businesses identify areas where they could work with other SMEs or research institutes.

Loughborough University will supply grants to assist SMEs to get specialist support in the UK and in Europe. The University of Derby will provide direct research and development consultancy help; to address technical and design issues, prototyping and tooling equipment upgrades.

This will develop knowledge in the transport equipment manufacturing sector, by providing it with additional intensive support.

The announcement follows the recent news that another three-year project – ‘Enabling Innovation’ – to be delivered by D2N2 LEP area universities Derby, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, will also help more than 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with research and innovation. This project will cost £20.3m in total, £10.1m of that again coming via D2N2’s ERDF allocation and the remainder from the universities delivering the project.

The D2N2 Growth Hub will be supporting both projects, in helping those delivering them engage with SMEs. The Growth Hub supports new and established SMEs with help in business strategy and growth, marketing, networking and accessing funding for expansion; using its regional and national business networks to enable businesses to find the right help.

The Growth Hub can be contacted about the two projects on 0333 006 9178 or by email to info@d2n2growthhub.co.uk.

Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “These two projects will help hundreds of SMEs gain the expert help they need, to innovate and grow their businesses. This will create jobs in our key economic sectors, including transport equipment manufacturing, food and drink, and creative and digital.

“The LEP has an over-arching target of helping create 55,000 additional private sector jobs over ten years and grow the number of businesses, and these projects are a significant boost towards that; making use of the excellent academic and industry know-how in our area.”

Professor Paul Stewart – Research Chair in Energy and Environment, and Programme Lead for both projects at the University of Derby – added: “The ‘Enabling Innovation’ and ‘Transport Equipment Manufacturing’ projects bring together a key collaboration of East Midlands’ universities; whose over-arching objective is to deliver enhanced levels of innovation, competitiveness and profitability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the entire D2N2 area.

“The D2N2 area is a key focus for road, rail and air original equipment manufacturers and SME supply chains. We are looking forward to developing this project with our delivery partner Loughborough University, and contributing to SME development and growth in this vital sector for the regional and UK economy.”

Posted in Business

Working Towards an Active Derbyshire

27th May 2016

Derbyshire Sport has made tackling inactivity the number one priority in its new draft strategy for 2016 to 2021, Towards an Active Derbyshire.

The ambition is to engage 50,000 more people in physical activity and sport over the next five years as a response to a decline across the county in those getting regularly active.

The strategy acts as a call to action for partners and communities across Derbyshire to help address big inequalities in participation from one area to another.

It also sets out women, young people and those from lower socio economic groups as clear priorities.

“There is a need to work differently, understanding the attitudes, fears and barriers that stop people becoming more active and engaged in sport,” said Hayley, Lever, Director of Derbyshire Sport.

“We want organisations and people across Derbyshire to support and encourage less active people on a journey to happier and healthier lives.”

“There is a growing recognition nationally, that, for many people, activity and sport simply isn’t on their radar. Even for those who are engaged, many factors get in the way and people need information, support, encouragement and help to motivate and nudge them to change their lifestyles.”

The draft strategy, open for public consultation until June 20, calls for a commitment to change at every level and across sectors, including health, transport, business and planning, as well as sport and recreation.

It supports Sport England’s new strategy released last week – Towards an Active Nation 2016-2021 – which outlines that future investment will target seven key areas: tackling inactivity, children and young people, taking sport and activity to the mass market, supporting sport’s core markets, local delivery and creating welcoming sports facilities.

As part of its fresh approach, Derbyshire Sport has also adopted a new constitution and board, which features openly-recruited skills-based members.

New board chair Kathryn Mitchell added: “I’m delighted to join the new Derbyshire Sport board as Chair at this time of exciting change in the landscape of activity and sport.

“We welcome the opportunity to support the Sport England vision, working with our partners locally to create positive and sustainable changes for those living, working and visiting Derbyshire.”

The draft strategy, Towards an Active Derbyshire, can be viewed and downloaded by visiting the Derbyshire Sport website and searching for Derbyshire Physical Activity and Sport Strategy 2016-2021.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Sheffield City Region secures funding for sustainable transport

25th May 2016

Sheffield City Region has been successful in its bid to the Department for Transport to continue with a programme of activity to make travelling to work better for businesses and employees.

The Local Sustainable Transport Fund is aligned to the Sheffield City Region Growth Plan, which aims to create 70,000 and jobs and create 6,000 new businesses over the next decade. The fund covers a range of projects which aim to realise the economic potential of sustainable travel, make cycling easier and safer, and support businesses to increase productivity and efficiency. Projects including loans for electric bikes, cycle training and a programme to make HGVs, buses, coaches and vans more fuel efficient.

Councillor Julie Dore, Transport lead for the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, said: “The news that Sheffield City Region has secured £2.5m of revenue funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund is very welcome. It will help us sustain a number of successful, locally developed schemes that encourage sustainable travel, and will provide a platform for more substantial bids later in the year.”

Martin McKervey, Sheffield City Region LEP Board member, said: “This investment by Government in sustainable transport in Sheffield City Region is excellent news. As a LEP we are committed to bringing together the public and private sectors to make it even easier to do business in the City Region. Connectivity is key to this and this additional funding will enable us to continue on our journey to build a better connected economy which supports businesses to grow and creates job opportunities for residents.”

The funding for Sheffield City Region Combined Authority is part of £20.6m that is being given out nationally for 23 sustainable travel initiatives across England that boost local economies by supporting people’s ambitions – offering cheap, clean and healthy travel options to access jobs and education opportunities.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: “Green transport cuts congestion and improves air quality. It also offers the cheapest and healthiest way for people to access jobs and education.

“Sheffield’s green travel scheme will make a real difference for residents and help provide better air quality for everyone. Our £21m funding across England shows we are committed to improving lives through investment in sustainable transport.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Spireites announce second summer signing

25th May 2016

Chesterfield have made their second summer signing, clinching the signature of midfielder Jon Nolan.

The 24-year-old was a free agent after coming to the end of his contract at Grimsby Town.

Nolan, who started his career with Stockport County before spells at Lincoln City and Wrexham, played a key role in Grimsby’s return to the Football League via the play-offs. The Mariners also enjoyed another trip to Wembley in last weekend’s FA Trophy final.

Nolan joins striker Kristian Dennis in signing for the Spireites since the end of the season.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Thrills galore at Chatsworth Country Fair

25th May 2016

Split second timing, breathtaking fire jumps and pyramids on wheels are just some of the stunning tricks crowds can expect at the Chatsworth Country Fair this September as the world-famous Imps Motorcycle Display Team returns for the first time in a decade.

The youngest member of the team is just five years old and will take part in a spectacular show of revving engines, billowing fire jumps and multiple motorcycle routines to bring visitors an unmissable display of discipline and skill.

The Imps Motorcycle Display Team forms part of the action-packed schedule of family friendly entertainment at the hugely popular annual event.

The Grand Ring will also be the site for thrilling landings from the Jump4Heroes human flight team, made up of serving and former members of the military. Continuing with the aerial attractions, visitors to the fair will once again be treated to an awe-inspiring aerobatic display by the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force team famous for their trademark combinations of close formation flying, dynamic loops and rolls appearing on Friday and Sunday.

The popular Household Cavalry Musical Ride will be back performing cavalry drill movements set to music showcasing the courage, skill, precision and discipline required by the riders. As part of the display, Stablemen, or “Rough Riders” lie on the ground with their horses, a skill which can take up to four months of training to teach and is a throwback to when horses went into battle and would need to take cover.

Birds and animals once again feature prominently over the three days. Always popular is CJ’s Birds of Prey, a unique father and daughter act lead by Charlotte Hill who has trained in the art of falconry in various countries across the world. The duo’s bubbling enthusiasm and skill has led to them becoming one of the most popular Birds of Prey display teams in the UK.

The Chatsworth Country Fair takes place from 2 to 4 September 2016 and discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance online. For more information click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Ringwood Hall Hotel named best wedding venue

24th May 2016

Ringwood Hall Hotel in Brimington was named Best Venue in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at the I Do Magazine Wedding Awards this month.

Shortlisted alongside four local venues (Bentley Brook in Ashbourne, Hotel Van Dyk in Clowne, The Maynard in Grindleford and Best Western in Retford), Ringwood Hall Hotel scooped the accolade at a ceremony held at Sheffield City Hall on Tuesday 17th May.

Votes for the category were cast by bridal couples who had used the services of wedding suppliers and held their wedding receptions at participating venues.

A spokesperson for Ringwood Hall Hotel said “We are absolutely delighted and thrilled to have won this award. We have an exceptional wedding team, and our beautiful Georgian grade 11 listed Manor House with its six acres of award winning formal gardens and 23 acres of parklands, is the perfect location for bridal couples to enjoy their special day.

“What makes this award even more special is that the votes were cast by bridal couples who had held their wedding day at Ringwood Hall, and to have so many happy and satisfied brides is a testament to the service we provide in the planning towards the wedding day, and the operation of the wedding day itself.

Ringwood Hall Hotel is a unique and quirky venue that provides an exceptional wedding experience for our bridal couples, and I think the I Do Magazine Award is clear evidence of this.”

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

£10.1m innovation boost from D2N2 LEP

24th May 2016

Hundreds of small and medium-sized companies could receive help to innovate and grow with the aid of £10.1m of funding through the local enterprise partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (D2N2 LEP).

A major project, ‘Enabling Innovation’ will be part-financed by funds via D2N2 over three years and will cost £20.3m in total.

D2N2 LEP will provide £10.1m of the funding through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) portion of its allocation of €251m in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). The University of Derby, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University will deliver the project and also co-invest in it.

The D2N2 LEP area universities will look to help more than 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the two counties (over three years) to invest in research and innovation to make them more competitive, enabling them to grow and create high skill jobs.

They will do this by providing SMEs with:-

• access to specialist university technology centres including in advanced manufacturing, food science, materials analysis and advanced imaging;
• access to a range of expertise, for example in linguistics, sustainability and marketing;
• help on business projects from university students, guided by senior academics;
• business development workshops on themes such as leadership and management, finance, customer engagement and brand development;
• networking and knowledge exchange workshops and events.

Universities’ students, graduates and academics will also be encouraged to set-up their own knowledge-based SMEs.

D2N2’s Growth Hub team will be supporting those delivering the project, by helping them engage with SMEs. The Growth Hub supports new and established SMEs with help in business strategy and growth, marketing, networking and accessing funding for expansion; using its regional and national business networks to enable businesses to find the right help.

The Growth Hub can be contacted about the Enabling Innovation project on 0333 006 9178 or by email to info@d2n2growthhub.co.uk

Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The £10.1million announced today via the D2N2 LEP will help hundreds of SMEs access expert help, to innovate and grow their business; creating jobs in our key economic sectors including food and drink manufacturing, life sciences and transport equipment manufacturing.

“This is a significant boost towards the LEP achieving its over-arching target of helping create 55,000 additional private sector jobs over ten years and growing the number of businesses. Our area holds academic and industry know-how operating at an international level, and through these schemes SMEs will have access to that.”

Dr George Baxter, Director of Research, Enterprise and Graduate Services at the University of Nottingham, added: “Small businesses right across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire will be able to benefit from ‘Enabling Innovation’ and tap into the expertise offered by three universities.

“This wide-reaching programme really has the potential to enable local businesses to make a step change in the way they work, giving them a competitive advantage in their marketplace, and helping them to grow and create new jobs.”

Posted in Business

Spireites appoint new catering and events manager

23rd May 2016

Peter Clarke has been appointed as the new catering and events manager at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium.

Clarke, 49, joins the Spireites from A&S Leisure to strengthen the award-winning catering & banqueting department.

He started his career at Owlerton Stadium in 1984 after completing a business studies course at college before leaving in 1997 to take up the role of assistant general manager at one of Sheffield’s premier nightclubs, Josephine’s (also owned by A&S Leisure at the time).

After a couple of years he moved on to the Pinegrove Country Club as general manager. In 2003, Clarke joined Out of Town Leisure Group as general manager and managed a varied range of businesses including sports bars and restaurants, some of them in Meadowhall.

Clarke, who returned to Owlerton Stadium in 2009 as assistant general manager, is thrilled to have been presented with the challenge that awaits him. He said: “I am obviously aware of the high standards that the chairman expects and I want to ensure that the Proact Stadium remains the number one venue in North Derbyshire. I understand that I am going to be working with an excellent team of staff, some of whom I have met in the past.”

Chesterfield director Ashley Carson said: “I was delighted when Peter applied for the job. He is very highly regarded by A&S Leisure and I know that they will really miss him. It was vital for us to appoint someone who has the experience of dealing with both large numbers and small numbers of customers.”

Clarke will take up his new role at the beginning of June.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Proact hosts world’s largest first aid lesson

23rd May 2016

A new world record for the largest first aid lesson was set at the Proact Stadium on Friday 20th May when 1,795 people learned essential lifesaving skills.

The event was organised by the Community Save a Life Scheme and Bolsover District Council, with support from Chesterfield FC, the British Heart Foundation, Rotary International and Inner Wheel.

Children from a number of local schools were joined on the pitch by residents of the town to beat the previous record figure of 1,700, set in Abu Dhabi three years ago.

The participants watched videos demonstrating key lifesaving skills before carrying out their newly-learned first aid methods on the pitch to hone them.

Dr Cheryle Berry, one of the organisers, expressed her delight at the achievement. She said: ”This is a dream come true for all of us and I’m particularly proud of all the children. It was like waiting for your exam results all over again and my knees were trembling as we waited for the numbers to be announced!

“As soon as the numbers were said there was huge euphoria and pride, because this will mean a lot. We wanted to give the football club a lovely birthday present for their 150th year.

“We also wanted to give Chesterfield a boost because it’s a town that deserves to be put on the map and we feel that in our little way we’ve done that.”

The attempt was overseen and verified by Glenn Pollard – an official Guinness World Records adjudicator – who gave his observations after confirming that a new record had been set.

He said: “I had been working with the organisation team leading up to the event and explaining what I would be looking for. Right from the very start, I got a real sense of the organisation that had gone into it.

“I was overwhelmed by the organisation and the hard work and I have to say that it is one of the best organised events I have been to.

“This is about a Guinness World Records title, but it’s also about training people in first aid. If one person is able to save a life on the street as a result of what they have learned, then it’s been worth it. The certificate is the icing on the cake for what they’ve achieved.”

Images courtesy of Tina Jenner.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting