Communities and place

Theme: Communities and Place
Project: Community Grants Award
Support: £349,000 awarded to local community groups and voluntary organisations
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council

How we made a difference

A total of £349,000 has been awarded to local community groups and voluntary organisations since our Community Grants Fund scheme opened in 2023 - helping them to deliver key projects that have a positive impact on local communities.

Grants were used to deliver projects that build resilient, healthy, and safe neighbourhoods right across the borough - from providing funding to set up foodbanks or community hubs that allow people to come together, to helping deliver events in local communities and helping local people get back in to work.

Duckmanton Miners Welfare Centre a charity which provides social, recreational and cultural facilities for people living in the area.

Funding secured through the scheme has allowed the main room at Duckmanton Miners Welfare to undergo a major facelift - creating a modern space that can be used as a social gathering point for residents to come together to take part in events and activities.

Theme: Communities and Place – community grants scheme
Project: Treasures Nursery, Staveley
Support: Community grant award of £3,746
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council, Edge Ministries, Treasures Nursery

How we made a difference

The mini allotment project at Treasures Nursery in Staveley is one example of the how investment is supporting local children – many from low-income families and who have no outside space at home.

Through practical sessions on the allotment, youngsters are learning about fresh home-grown food and healthy, balanced diets.

Kitted out with safety gear and tools provided by the project, and protected by a new outdoor shelter, the children get stuck in to plant, grow and harvest their own fruit and veggies – learning valuable new skills and knowledge through fun and practical activities.

"We are a charitable organisation providing childcare and education to children up to five years. We have created a mini allotment on a piece of land at the back of Edge Ministries.

“Some children show a low understanding of where healthy food comes from. Many don’t have a balanced diet, and also live in flats or have no useable green space at home. The children show great enjoyment and enthusiasm in looking after the allotment.”

Caroline Cardall, Early Years Lead at Treasures Nursery

Theme: Communities and Place – community grants
Project: Installation of solar panels
Support: Funding paid for solar panels to be added to two local buildings, helping them to lower their energy costs
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council

How we made a difference

Two community buildings in Chesterfield are cutting carbon emissions and reducing running costs after installing solar panels, supported by Chesterfield Borough Council’s Community Grants Fund.

Loundsley Green Community Trust and the Cosy Hub in Grangewood will use the renewable electricity generated across the year to improve energy efficiency, helping to keep their spaces warm and welcoming while reinvesting savings into community activity.

Loundsley Green Community Centre received £19,035 towards the installation, while the Cosy Hub received £9,000.

"As representatives of our community space, we’re incredibly grateful to see solar panels installed on our Cosy Hub. This investment in our space is already making a real and positive difference to our running costs. We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you, as the savings on our energy bills are allowing us to heat our space more affordably and keep our doors open more often for the people who rely on us.”

Danny Henman, CEO Community Development Chesterfield

Theme: Edge Ministries, Poolsbrook Club Community Committee, Duckmanton Miners Welfare
Project: Edge Ministries, Poolsbrook Club Community Committee, Duckmanton Miners Welfare
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council, Edge Ministries, Poolsbrook Club Community Committee, Duckmanton Miners Welfare, Community Development Poolsbrook, Community Development Duckmanton

How we made a difference

Our community development programme helped to grow community-led projects with local groups and organisations at their core – providing help and hope to some of the borough’s most vulnerable communities.

Partners are working with former mining communities like Duckmanton and Poolsbrook to improve local services and activities, and bring people together to re-build strong local connections and create a shared vision for the future.

In Staveley, UKSPF grant funding helped Edge Ministries work with Poolsbrook Club Community Committee in Duckmanton to create a stronger community focus. 

"This funding has helped us to deploy some of our team to Duckmanton on a Monday to run an open living room warm welcome space. We offer unlimited tea and coffee and good chat, along with toast and biscuits - all completely free of charge and with a friendly smile!

“We love hanging out with people who live in Ducky - and work out how else we may be able to serve them and support the community - both practically and spiritually.”

Karen Tullett, CEO of Edge Ministries

Theme: Communities and Place
Project: Parks, open spaces, and sports facilities
Support: Improving play spaces, sports facilities and green spaces across the borough
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council

How we made a difference

Through the course of UKPSF several parks and sports facilities have been improved across the borough creating safe and accessible spaces where families can spend time together.

These improvements differ across the borough and have included an improved BMX track, path improvements, and tree planting, but the most impactful improvements have been enhanced play spaces.

Play areas have been upgraded across the borough - one of the more recent examples is at Poolsbrook Country Park where works included new surfacing, a zip line, accessible swings, a roundabout, see saw and a giant climbing frame suitable for older children.

Works have also improved local parks like Heather Vale in Hasland, the upgrade has seen all new equipment installed that will ensure the neighbourhood play area is suitable for ages two to twelve.

Improving play areas will ensure that children have a fantastic place to play in their community but also provides a key social space for both children and parents to come together. As well as improving life for our residents these improvements have helped Chesterfield double its numbers of green flag award winning parks.

Theme: Communities and Place
Project: Town centre animation and welcome
Support: Providing funding to host events in the town centre and improving the public realm
Delivery partners: Chesterfield Borough Council

How we made a difference

Funding has helped to create a buzzing town centre full of families and friends making memories together and supporting local businesses.

Several key town centre events were supported including Chesterfield’s 1940s Market, Jurassic Chesterfield, Christmas events, Peddler Market and Chesterfield Glow Up.

Marking the completion of regeneration works in the market, Chesterfield Glow Up attracted thousands of visitors into the town centre to view a unique light show that celebrated the borough’s history.

These events have helped bring more people into the town centre; this increased footfall has benefitted town centre businesses and market traders whilst also Chesterfield’s new look town centre in its best light.

With the regeneration of the market complete, funding from UKSPF was used to help ensure it could successfully relaunch and put the final finishing touches on the space.

The funding helped secure new furniture which will enhance the space for visitors during events by providing seating and tables under the new canopies in New Square.

Together these investments will help put Chesterfield markets on a good foundation for future growth which will help attract increased footfall, and benefit town centre businesses.

Theme: Communities and Place
Project: Community safety initiatives
Support: Funding CCTV improvements, uniformed enforcement team, youth diversionary projects, Best Bar None, and Safe Space
Delivery partners: Derbyshire Police, Chesterfield Community Safety Partnership

How we made a difference

Working together to design out crime and make Chesterfield an even safer place was the focus of a range of UKSPF-funded initiatives – contributing to a 15 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Additional uniformed enforcement officers, funded through UKSPF and the Safer Streets initiative, created visible reassurance and took action where needed – creating a safer Chesterfield town centre.

UKSPF funding has contributed to the modernisation of our CCTV systems. We’ve introduced new digital and mobile camera technology which allows the council to work more efficiently with the police - creating a more responsive and effective tool to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The night time economy also received a boost through initiatives like Best Bar None. A number of venues have now been awarded the accreditation – showing their commitment to reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder to create a safer environment for socialising.

"CCTV can provide absolutely vital evidence during investigations, as well as providing excellent real-time monitoring to help officers be contacted when incidents occur".

Inspector Josh Carter, Derbyshire Constabulary