Ashfield Rugby Club's Sportsmatch Grant · Fri, 9th May · 

ASHFIELD MP Geoff Hoon met with John Payne, assistant youth development officer at Ashfield Rugby Club, and Brian Dobb, youth development officer, Alex Murphy, of the Rugby Football Union, Des Wood, club chairman, and Pat Wilson, honorary secretary, to celebrate the club’s latest cash injection.

The forward-thinking team have been awarded a £25,000 funding boost from Sportmatch, which is part of Sport England, to help finance a new training programme for budding coaches and to continue their work with schools across the district.

Brian Dobb, youth development officer, told Chad the funds would give the club a massive boost.

'This will allow us to improve our presence in the community and to take the club forward,' he said. 'We can continue working with schools and can now bring on the coaches of the future.'

'Playing rugby is very positive and helps keep kids off the streets. They are the future of the club and we are very excited about the training programme.'

By courtesy of The Chad

Notts school gets a helping hand from E.ON to go green · Fri, 9th May · 

Energy company E.ON is helping Morven Park Primary School in Kirkby-in-Ashfield to reduce its carbon footprint by installing solar panels on the school's roof.

The panels will be used to produce hot water for the school’s kitchens and bathrooms to help both minimise the school’s impact on the environment and making significant cost savings.

Ashfield MP Geoff Hoon recently visited the school to see the panels for himself and said, 'Climate change is a very real challenge for the future and it's good to see that these children are developing an interest in alternative energy.'

Tony Jenkin Jones, Community Relations Executive with E.ON, said: 'We're delighted to be able to help the school become more energy efficient as we have a long standing relationship with them and are always happy to be able to use our expertise to help make a real difference.

“We're also installing a custom built display unit in the school's main reception which will display how much energy the panels are producing and the reduction in carbon emissions that this will mean, which is a great educational opportunity for the children.”

Mark Watson, Head Teacher at the school, said: 'As we work towards a greener future, we thank E.ON for their continued support.

“We’re excited to see the effect of our new solar panels. The children are keen to learn from the display the effect the panels have on our energy usage. It's an excellent practical learning experience for everyone at the school.'

Centre picked for enterprise contest finals · Fri, 9th May · 

A CENTRE promoting budding entrepreneurs at Ashfield School has been chosen to represent the area in the regional finals of the Enterprising Britain Competition.

The £5.3m centre for enterprise project was selected because of its unique approach to fostering a business spirit among students and the wider community and its links with local companies.

Since September the innovative centre, which has strong links with employers such as RAC, has created 23 new jobs, developed two new businesses and helped a further 67 firms expand.

The centre also allows students to gain vital hands-on experience through training schemes and business link-ups.

And the school's hard work has been recognised after the centre was selected to represent North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire by The Alliance Sub-Regional Strategic Partnership (SSP).

Headteacher Ian Fraser told Chad: 'The school feels that the opportunities opened up by this enterprising venture and the rest of the new developments have been important in promoting a positive awareness in the local community.

'Students view and experience the facilities and tell parents, who tell friends and, as a result, the ethos of the site and the expectations of the whole area are enhanced.'

Geoff Hoon said: “The Ashfield Skills Centre is an exemplary model of best practice in training. It provides people with the opportunity to improve their skills and gain employment. The Ashfield Skills Centre deserves to be recognised for its achievements and is a strong candidate to take the regional and even national honours in the Enterprising Britain Competition.”

Future

Andrew Street, chief executive of the Alliance SSP, told Chad the enterprise centre could help secure Ashfield's long-term economic future.

He said: 'For decades areas like Ashfield relied on large employers in traditional industries where hard work and loyalty were the pre-requisites for long-term job security, which is rarely the case today.

'The demise of the coalmining and hosiery industries have left our communities among the most deprived in Britain.

'New technologies demand ongoing training and our communities need entrepreneurial skills and support for enterprise to create their own sustainable economic futures.'