Community News 2024 08 05

Make the most of summer
Get the best out of Derbyshire this summer by discovering places to visit and events to enjoy in our beautiful county.

The Visit Peak District and Derbyshire website is a great information source for where to go and what to do.

You can explore country houses, castles, stately homes, market towns and villages, moors and peaks. Derbyshire is the home of Britain's original National Park and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Events include country fairs, discovery trails, shows, music, children's activities, walks, tours, well dressings and more.

And if you run an event you can submit it to the website and boost your audience.

There's also a newsletter you can sign up to.

Markham turns 20
It doesn't seem like two decades since we turned a former colliery site into a contemporary business hub, but Markham Vale is celebrating 20 years since its inception.

Now home to 70 businesses supporting more than 2,700 jobs, Markham Vale is a real success story.

The hub, off junction 29A of the M1, is a joint venture in partnership with property developer HBD, part of Henry Boot.

The site has become a hub of diverse economic activity bringing employment opportunities for the local community.

Plans for further expansion and green initiatives include the installation of 30 electric vehicle charging points and the improvement of cycle areas to promote sustainable transport.

Cycle tour to visit Derbyshire
We're excited to be able to share news that the men's Tour of Britain is returning to Derbyshire this year, with Stage 4 powering through the county on Friday 6 September.

Starting in Derby, the Tour will pedal past our wonderful Elvaston Castle Country Park, before heading out through Borrowash, up to Risley, Dale Abbey, West Hallam, Stanley Common, Smalley and then through Heanor and Langley Mill before it crosses the county border into Nottinghamshire.

It's a great opportunity to see some of the world's top cyclists as the men's tour returns to Derbyshire for the first time since 2015.

Join the Summer Reading Challenge
Do you have a child aged four to 11 in your family? Why not get them signed up for this year's Summer Reading Challenge with Derbyshire libraries.

You can take your children to join up at your local library. The challenge is to read six or more library books over the summer. Youngsters get a sticker for each book read and, if they finish the challenge and collect six stickers, they'll get a medal and certificate.

This year the Marvellous Makers will fire up the imagination and unleash storytelling and creativity through the power of reading.

From dance to drawing, junk modelling to music, there's something for everyone.

The Summer Reading Challenge, which aims to maintain children's reading skills over the long holiday, runs until Saturday 7 September.

We have lots of fun activities in our libraries to inspire an interest in creativity and making. Why not check out our Facebook page or contact your local library for more details?

Have your say on care
Time is running out for you to have your say on our proposals to redesign our residential care and day centres for older people.

The proposed changes include creating specialist dementia residential care centres alongside day and night respite opportunities to give carers a break.

The 12-week public consultation runs until Wednesday 7 August, and we need your views by then.

Councillors approved the consultation after hearing there was a decline in demand for traditional residential care as more people choose to stay at home for as long as they can. People going into care are often frailer and have more complex needs, needing more specialist care. And with a growing number of people in Derbyshire living with dementia, we need to focus on meeting demand while making sure we can support people who need help most.

To have your say fill in our online questionnaire.

If you need help to fill in the questionnaire call 01629 531307 to leave a message and one of the team will call back, or email tell.adultcare@derbyshire.gov.uk