Discover Ashfield was set up in 2017 and includes representation from a wide range of business, community, and public sector bodies, including academies, further education institutions, and business networking group Mansfield and Ashfield 2020. Community representation is through Citizens Advice Ashfield and Ashfield Voluntary Action (AVA). Ashfield District Council facilitates the Board, which is chaired by a business community representative.
The work done by Discover Ashfield includes raising the profile of the district through positive promotion, creating pride and aspirations in its communities, improving the vibrancy of town centres, encouraging and promoting inward investment, and supporting tourism and the visitor economy in the Ashfield area. Board meetings are held every 6 weeks and the dates and minutes of these can be found on The Board page of the Discover Ashfield website.
The Discover Ashfield Board focuses its work around four themes:
Succeed in Ashfield
Supporting local enterprise and learning, promoting inward investment, and attracting new businesses to Ashfield.
Love Where You Live
Celebrating what is great about living and working in Ashfield, sharing information and raising awareness of how to access services, support, and benefits that Ashfield has to offer.
More to Discover
Promoting Ashfield as a destination for visitors, celebrating the industrial, sporting, and cultural heritage of the area.
Be Healthy, Be Happy
The Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Partnership is working with organisations across Ashfield to reduce health inequalities and help people improve their health and wellbeing.
The Discover Ashfield Board has a strong track record of success, including:
- Acting as the Towns Deal Board and overseeing other funding in the district
- Development of the Discover Ashfield branding
- Annual photography competition to promote Ashfield
- Hosting Community Awards and sponsorship of business awards
- The Discover Ashfield Champions programme.
The chair is required to:
- Uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles)
- Lead the Board in achieving its objectives and maintain an overview of activity
- Champion and support partnership working
- Ensure that decisions are made by the Board in accordance with good governance principles.
Ashfield Champions
Discover Ashfield Champions live, work, learn, or do business in the area, and lobby to improve the prosperity and success of Ashfield. The aim of the champions is to develop pride in our communities, increase vibrancy in our town centres, support tourism and the visitor economy, and help people to improve their health and wellbeing. The champions meet every few months to share ideas and plans, network with like-minded people, and make new friends.
Email discoverashfield@ashfield.gov.uk if you would like to find out more or come along to one of our events.
