Nottingham City Council forges ahead with Forest Recreation Ground Sports Zone improvements plan

Tess Egginton
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Nottingham City Council forges ahead with Forest Recreation Ground Sports Zone improvements plan
Nottingham City Council is embarking on the next stage of developing the Forest Sports Zone, having received approval from Executive Board. Located on the Forest Recreation Ground, where Nottingham Forest Football Club was founded 150 years ago, it comprises a full-size floodlit all-weather 3G pitch, a floodlit sand-based multi-activity pitch, and a new pavilion with six changing rooms, catering facilities and indoor space for education, club and social activities. Since its construction in 2015, in partnership with Nottingham Forest Community Trust (NFCT), the Forest Sports Zone has become a premier community facility and provides a range of football development and other sports activities, for both the local community and teams from around the city. However, nine years on, the lower sand-based pitch which was originally funded by Sport England, is now past its operational best and requires replacement. As a condition of the Sport England grant, the council agreed to set up a Forest Multi-Use Activity Pitch ‘sinking fund’ to help pay for the replacement of the sand-based pitch. To enable the authority to further improve the facilities at the site, £1.8million has been secured from the Football Foundation and £530,00 from Nottingham Trent University (NTU), who are keen to be involved at this site to help provide use for both the university and the local community. Councillor Corall Jenkins, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment, Waste Services and Parks at Nottingham City Council said: “We are very excited to have received approval to go ahead with improvement developments for the Forest Recreation Ground Sports Zone. “This project funding is essential to drive forward the improvement of the facilities which are so important to young people in the community and city-wide. We look forward to working with partners and funders to deliver another project that really benefits all our citizens, as well as visitors from outside the city.” Calum Osborne, Chief Executive Officer at Nottingham Forest Community Trust, said: “I am excited to announce the development of The Forest Sports Zone, currently one of the busiest community football facilities in the UK. “Following the original development in 2015, The Forest Sports Zone has been a hub for physical activity and community football in the heart of our city, engaging more than 2,500 local people each week and helping to divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour. “Together with The Football Foundation, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Forest Community Trust have collectively committed significant investment to further enhance the facilities to offer flexible and accessible spaces for children, young people and members of the community to take part in physical activity and both recreational and organised football. “Locally and nationally, there is a lack of high-quality facilities for people to play football, so to get this project over the line, at a place that Nottingham Forest Football Club once called home is a great result for local football and our communities.” Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country. “Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. “This grant award to Nottingham City Council towards developing the Forest Sports Zone is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.” The plans were given the go-ahead by the council’s Executive Board on Tuesday afternoon.

Derby communications specialist acquired

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Derby communications specialist acquired
Communications specialist Evad has been acquired by one of the UK’s leading providers of essential business technology. The Derby-headquartered firm has been bought by Focus Group to support its plans for growth and development into new sectors. The deal enables both brands to extend their geographical reach across the UK, diversify product portfolios and deliver service expertise to specialist market sectors. Evad, formally owned by Ethos Group, has been rebranded as Focus Group with regional director Matt Hill and sales director Richard Osborn continuing at the helm of the regional office at Cubo Derby. Matt said: “As part of the Ethos Group we enjoyed a lot of success and grew the business organically to be recognised as a leading communications provider. “The last decade has been brilliant, and I can’t thank the Ethos Group enough. “However, the opportunity to become part of Focus Group was too good to miss and perfectly timed as Ethos looked to actively pursue the growth of its core digital print business. “Joining the Focus Group family brings us a wealth of knowledge and provides the ability, and product portfolio, to grow significantly. “Most importantly, our intrinsic company values are aligned. With a focus on ensuring our team and customers benefit from any investment, it is enabling us to provide the same award-winning services, but turbo charged.”

Derby Civic Society names Nightingale Quarter as Conservation Winner at ABCD Awards

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Derby Civic Society names Nightingale Quarter as Conservation Winner at ABCD Awards
Wavensmere Homes’ £175m Nightingale Quarter development in Derby city centre was the double winner in the conservation category at the Civic Society’s annual ‘A Brighter City of Derby’ Awards. The awards were presented in recognition of the painstaking restoration to two pepperpot buildings along London Road – abandoned relics from the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI), which opened in 1894 and closed 15 years ago. After laying derelict for a decade, Wavensmere Homes purchased the vacant 18.5-acre site in 2019. While the vast majority of the Florence Nightingale-designed Victorian hospital had been bulldozed, the Birmingham-headquartered firm pledged to save and restore the imposing pepperpots, despite one of the buildings being previously consented for demolition. Pepperpot South opened as the marketing suite for the 925 houses and apartments in 2021. With 95% of the homes now sold, the building is being re-purposed as a gym for residents’ use. The second (North) Pepperpot opened on 14th February as The Fulton Partnership’s sixth hospitality venue in the Midlands. Styled by the interior designer for Gleneagles hotel – to introduce a new concept in luxury dining to the city of Derby – no expense has been spared on the Art Deco-inspired furnishings and refined heritage colour pallet. Ashley Waterhouse, Chairman of Derby Civic Society, said: “What has been achieved by Wavensmere Homes and The Fulton Partnership at Nightingale Quarter is remarkable. Being the former DRI, this is a very emotive site for so many local people. “With the surviving hospital buildings not nationally listed by Historic England, their fate was in the hands of the developers. The end result has surpassed all our expectations. The quality of the restoration works across both pepperpot buildings is immaculate inside and out, creating a highly impressive approach to the city centre from London Road.” James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “When we acquired this vacant site five years ago, we set out to design a landmark scheme that embraced the DE1 location and didn’t turn its back on the city centre. “We are proud that the 925 apartments and houses have transformed the city living market, acting as the catalyst for thousands more homes to be delivered within central Derby. “By installing new footpaths, cycle routes and roads – and making a restaurant Nightingale Quarter’s new focal point – we wanted to actively encourage people from across the city and beyond to visit. “The process of selecting the finest operator for what would become ‘The Pepperpot’ took 12 months. Thanks to the vision, significant investment and sheer talent of Graeme Fulton and his incredible team, it has become the heart and soul of this vibrant new neighbourhood. “We are thrilled that Derby Civic Society has recognised the quality of our restoration work, concluding that these historic buildings now serve as assets to the community living at Nightingale Quarter and the city of Derby as a whole.” Wavensmere Homes commenced remediation and construction work at The Nightingale Quarter in late 2019. The complex site is one of the UK’s most significant city centre regeneration projects. Construction work is ongoing for the final phases. A community garden is also being delivered on site, in partnership with Community Interest Company Down to Earth Derby.

Leading AI voice and former Dragons’ Den investor partners with Champions (UK) plc

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Leading AI voice and former Dragons’ Den investor partners with Champions (UK) plc

Former Dragons’ Den investor and AI expert Piers Linney has partnered with growth consultancy firm Champions (UK) plc. 

He joins the Costock-based company as ‘AI & Technology Lead’, in another key management appointment to the organisation’s team. 

Mr. Linney’s entrepreneurial and investment experience spans across technology, automation and communications. He is the co-founder of Implement AI, a next generation consultancy dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses understand and implement artificial intelligence. 

He is also the co-founder of Atherton Bikes, a producer of titanium and carbon-constructed mountain bikes which were used to win the World Championships 2023. 

He said: “I’ve been working with the Champions family for around seven years now, and we’ve really built a business together which has been my speaking profile and my keynotes, which has gone incredibly well. 

“The Champions business and the ambition has expanded, and I’m really excited to be partnering with them on bringing my AI experience and Implement AI’s capabilities into the fold. 

“We’re going to be bringing together the strategy to help companies grow, to expand, to understand how they can extract the most out of their business to increase profitability and valuations. It is critical that every business includes artificial intelligence in their growth strategy and operational planning before their competition does.” 

Mr. Linney is best known for his time on Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire, and Dragons’ Den between 2013-2015, where he sat alongside other renowned figures such as Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden as an investor. The former Dragon is a qualified corporate lawyer and former M&A banker at Credit Suisse. 

He acted as a Non-Executive Director to the British Business Bank during the £90 billion roll out of COVID business support loan schemes, and was also a trustee of Nesta, the UK’s largest innovation foundation with a £600m endowment. 

Mr. Linney was recognised as one of the UK’s Top 20 Ethnic Minority Executives in 2020, and is a D&I adviser to Sky, following his experience as a former future strategy adviser to one of the world’s leading luxury automotive manufacturers. 

As AI & Technology Lead, Mr. Linney will be leading projects regarding business automation, AI implementation and investment solutions, helping organisations navigate through Champions’ audit to activation process. 

The business adviser and influencer will be bringing over vital experience in technology, modern manufacturing and M&A investment banking, which will provide Champions’ clients with industry leading insights into growth and automation. 

Champions (UK) plc Managing Director Matthew Hayes said: “I’m very pleased to announce our new AI & Technology lead, Piers Linney. 

“Piers will lead our clients’ efficiency and competitive difference via helping them navigate the complex landscape of AI and integration. 

“His passion for supporting businesses with tech-first strategies has seen him become a globally recognised AI expert, with the world’s number one AI for Business podcast and LinkedIn appointed ‘Top AI voice’. 

“We’re excited to see what our clients’ future holds as they reap the benefits of our powerful, technology-led solutions. 

“Welcome to the family Piers.” 

Mather Jamie appoints new planning manager

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Mather Jamie appoints new planning manager
Loughborough-based specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie has expanded its planning team following the appointment of Georgina Doyle as a planning manager. Georgina, who lives in Loughborough, holds an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning and is a Chartered Member of The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). She joins Mather Jamie after spending 5 years with Pegasus Group, where she managed a variety of residential and commercial development projects. Prior to this, she spent almost 15 years in Local Government, gaining extensive experience both in policy and development management, including the management of strategic development projects. In her new role, Georgina will work alongside head of planning Tom Collins and planning manager Jenny Adams to ensure Mather Jamie’s clients are able to negotiate the best outcomes for their land with development potential. Georgina said: “I am very excited about continuing my planning career from a land promotion side. Whilst I have experience in this area, I will now be working directly with land owners and promoters. Everyone at Mather Jamie has made me feel very welcome.” Tom Collins, head of planning, added: “Having an expert like Georgina in the team who has experience working both sides of the fence on land and planning issues will be a huge asset to our team. Her unique insight will undoubtedly benefit our clients and boost our internal knowledge.”

Conference urges business growth and collaboration to boost Chesterfield’s economy

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Conference urges business growth and collaboration to boost Chesterfield’s economy

Businesses in Chesterfield are being encouraged to explore ways in which they can grow, as part of ambitious plans to improve the town’s economy and create higher-value jobs for residents.

Speakers at Destination Chesterfield’s annual Celebrate Chesterfield Business Conference highlighted ways in which local businesses can harness support to innovate and create new jobs.

They also identified that if all organisations in the town currently categorised as ‘low growth’ experienced just a 1% uplift, it would significantly boost the local economy.

Helping businesses to grow and ensuring people have the right skills are key objectives of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Growth Strategy (2023-2027). To support this, delegates at Celebrate Chesterfield heard from businesses which are innovating and overcoming challenges to boost growth.

Mike Isherwood, Managing Director of event headline sponsor, System Q, explained how his business has evolved and adapted to become a supplier to major organisations, including the Ministry of Defence: “We are committed to providing our customers with the most innovative and advanced technology, ensuring their safety and security at all times.

“Our company is proud to be a part of the thriving high-tech community in Chesterfield, a town known for its innovation and progress. Despite the common belief that the best firms and talent are found in larger cities, this quaint town is home to a wealth of undiscovered talent.”

Ash Young, Managing Director of CarMats.co.uk, recently relocated his business to the town.

He said: “If we hadn’t done things differently, we wouldn’t have seen the growth that we have. When we set up the business we were aiming for 100 orders per day, but because we changed the way we marketed the products, we are now shipping around 150,000 orders per year and we’re going to turn over about £7.5m this year.

“We’ve managed to hire a really skilled team in Chesterfield and the transport links mean it’s easy for us to get out to couriers easily.”

Amy Revell, of We Are Spaces Ltd, recently expanded her business into larger office space at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre, having initially moved into the development last year.

She said: “We currently turn over around £7m and have 15 employees, and we are rapidly growing. Chesterfield has played a big part in our growth – we have a lovely office space here which we managed to grow from one of the smaller suites into a larger one.

“We’ve managed to recruit really good people in the area, and we are strategically placed really well. Being so central has allowed us to grow all of our core services nationally.”

At the conference, Destination Chesterfield also launched its ambitious new strategy and plan, which outlines the partnership’s aims to attract further inward investment, support businesses to grow and encourage more people to visit the town.

Peter Swallow, Destination Chesterfield Chair, said: “This plan reflects our town’s ambition, and where we collectively see the biggest growth opportunities. Recent research has identified 26% of revenues from tourism, inward investment and talent growth are shaped by people’s perception of a town or city. Meaning our collective work to promote the town are vital to achieving the town’s growth aspirations.

“Since 2010, Destination Chesterfield has worked alongside Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield Champions to promote the area as a contemporary destination to invest, work, live and visit, and our public-private partnership continues to play a central role in the town’s success. We must continue working together to raise the profile of Chesterfield to realise its significant potential.”

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “Celebrate is always a fantastic event that showcases the very best that our borough has to offer. It was great to be able to meet with businesses to talk about how the council can support them to grow, but also to hear from them directly and discover what else we can do to drive growth and investment. “I was also pleased to see a strong reception the new Destination Chesterfield strategy and plan – this aligns closely with our own growth strategy and together we can help grow our local economy, attract more investment and deliver benefits for both businesses and our residents.”

The 2024 Celebrate Chesterfield Business Conference was also sponsored by Markham Vale and the University of Derby. The event also saw almost 40 businesses exhibiting across the East Midlands Chamber Business Support Zone and the Invest in Chesterfield Zone.

O’Brien Contractors signs first contract with Chesterfield Canal Trust

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O’Brien Contractors signs first contract with Chesterfield Canal Trust
As part of a £6 million restoration project, Midlands contractor, O’Brien Contractors, has signed its first contract with Chesterfield Canal Trust to deliver essential infrastructure works to the area.
Connecting the Trans Pennine Trail with the Arkwright Trail across the canal, the works will facilitate the delivery of a 38-metre-long pedestrian and cycle bridge. The project will form part of the first stage of the Staveley canal restoration, funded by the government’s Levelling Up programme.
Works are due to start on site in April, with groundworks due to commence in May; the project will run for 20 weeks, with an opening ceremony planned for September.
Tony Mitchell, Director at O’Brien Contractors, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been appointed by The Chesterfield Canal Trust to provide the new bridge at Staveley. This prestigious project will be a huge benefit to pedestrians and cyclists all over the region and the restoration of this historic route will benefit the community for many years to come.
“As O’Brien Contractors turns 65, we are more committed than ever to assisting our local communities in a long-term sustainable way. This project will not only create a safe and beautiful bridge for pedestrians and other trail users, but it will also benefit the local wildlife and biodiversity of the canal. We look forward to working with the Trust and their team over the course of this exciting project.”
Chesterfield Canal Trust Development Manager, George Rogers, said: “This is a big milestone for the Chesterfield Canal Trust, and we are delighted to appoint O’Brien Contractors to deliver this statement structure over the canal. Installing this bridge will open up the route for future restoration in multiple ways and I am looking forward to seeing it progress over the summer.”

Double appointment for Nottingham fabrication company

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Double appointment for Nottingham fabrication company

Nottingham fabrication company, Essential Projects has recently expanded its team with the addition of David Extall and Jade Scully.

Specialising in manufacturing and installing bespoke architectural metalwork and glasswork for esteemed clients such as Next Plc, Morrisons, and Waitrose, Essential Projects also undertakes various commercial fit-out projects and residential staircase and balustrade projects.

This double appointment comes in response to a number of recent project wins, marking an exciting phase of growth for the company.

David Extall, boasting 16 years of experience in architectural metalwork, takes on the role of Design Engineer. His responsibilities include providing design and draughting services to support the company’s development efforts. Moreover, David will play a pivotal role within the technical sales team, overseeing procurement and assisting the site installation team.

Jade Scully joins Essential Projects as an Accounts apprentice and is currently pursuing her Level 3 AAT qualification with EMA Training. In her new role, she will collaborate with the management team to implement enhanced project administration and financial systems. Her focus will be on improving customer service, project efficiencies, and identifying avenues for increased profitability.

David reflected on his appointment, saying: “I sought to leverage my expertise to contribute to the development of a business where I could truly feel valued, rather than just being another employee number in a large corporation. I’m delighted to have found this sense of belonging at Essential Projects and eagerly anticipate playing my part in the company’s future growth.”

Jade added: “As part of my apprentice course, I wanted to integrate my classroom learnings into a practical business setting. Finding a role where I could bridge this gap was essential for me.”

Eliot Saxton, Managing Director at Essential Projects, said: “It’s great to have a David and Jade on board with us. Recruiting more team members means we can steadily implement additional supporting systems and processes and ensure we have the right skill sets available to meet the requirements of the projects and continue to grow our business.”

Financial services firm adds Joseph to its wealth management team

Stuart Pearcey
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Financial services firm adds Joseph to its wealth management team
Financial services specialist Shorts has appointed Joseph Tighe to its Wealth Management Team as Financial Adviser. Partner Simon Hollin said: “Joseph’s appointment marks a welcome addition to our advisory team, enabling us to continue our business development and expansion over the coming years.” Joseph added: “Shorts have a long established and proven reputation for excellence, and I am very excited to join their talented Wealth Management team. I look forward to developing the role and playing a part in Shorts’ continued growth.” Established in 1890 and with offices in Sheffield and Chesterfield, Shorts provides financial services, whilst also offering accountancy and taxation services through Shorts Chartered Accountants.

Work underway on new affordable housing development in Northampton

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Work underway on new affordable housing development in Northampton
Colleagues from housing association Futures Housing Group and construction company United Living Group, joined together to visit the start of works on a new affordable home development in Northampton.The site will be home to 38 properties, made up of 20 social rent and 18 shared ownership ones on Central Avenue in Northampton, and will include one bed flats and two and three bed homes.Councillor John Shephard, Chairman of West Northamptonshire Council said: “It was fascinating to go onto a real site where people were working very hard, and I was impressed as it was extraordinarily tidy. “It was remarkable to see the steps being taken to accommodate the rainwater off the site and I look forward very much to welcoming the tenants to their homes later this year. The site has been vacant since the demolition of the squash club some 20 years ago, so we congratulate Futures for bringing it into proper use.”Each property on Central Avenue will have an electric car charging point, solar panels and thicker insulation to help make the homes more comfortable and affordable to heat.Ceri Theobald, Group Director of Strategic Partnerships & Growth at Futures, said: “Making energy efficient homes is important for Futures as it not only helps us on our road to net zero, but it’s beneficial for the people that then live in these homes. Their home will stay warmer for longer, meaning their energy usage should be lower, and the environmental impact will be reduced too.“We’re proud to be working with United Living who clearly share our same vision of providing good quality homes for people in a time where more homes are very much needed.”Caroline Lewis, Managing Director, United Living New Homes, said: “We’re very happy to be delivering this project; providing affordable homes is very important to us and it’s great to have a focus on making them more energy efficient and affordable to run too, through added sustainability measures.”
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