Trading Hell: ‘We cannot force people to do something’, says homeless charity

Yesterday, we outlined the statistics on Harrogate town centre crime and revealed a shocking increase in shoplifting.

The figures matter because crime data influences where police use their resources.

Traders in Harrogate have low confidence that reports of offences such as drug taking, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting will be dealt with.

They also point the finger at particular groups who they feel to a greater or lesser extent are responsible for issues in the town, such as rough sleepers and young people.

Aside from the police, there are multiple agencies in Harrogate from probation to mental health services who help to support those people and try to steer them away from committing anti-social behaviour.

One of the charities that has caught the traders’ attention due to its proximity to town is Harrogate Homeless Project.

The Stray Ferret visited the centre to speak to its senior staff about the issues in the town and how they support rough sleepers.

Rough sleepers

The charity is well-known in the town for its services for the homeless, such as its Springboard Day Centre in the Wesley Chapel and its hostel on Bower Road.

The day centre is described as “one stop shop” for people to get daily services, such as cooked meals and healthcare, while the hostel is the charity’s overnight accommodation.

Francis McAllister, chief executive at the charity, said the project was well aware of the concerns of businesses in relation to rough sleepers.

As previously reported, there have been flashpoints in the town in recent years with businesses complaining over rough sleepers causing anti-social behaviour at Crescent Gardens and at the back of Primark.

Giuliano Achilli and Francis McAllister.

Giuliano Achilli and Francis McAllister.

In an effort to build bridges with traders, the charity has given out a direct number for its head of client services, Giuliano Achilli, should they have issues with people considered to be rough sleeping.

Sometimes the charity will know who the people are and ask them to move on.

Mr McAllister said:

“We will always support other organisations. Giuliano will go and speak to them and some times they will listen to him more than others. The majority of businesses have his number.

“We know that it is an issue and we know that it annoys people.”

But the charity can only do so much.

It will offer those sleeping rough in the town support with accommodation, cooked meals and health. However, if they do not accept then that is the extent of its power.

Mr Achilli said:

“I cannot force people to do something.”

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Mr McAllister explains that a lot of those who sleep rough have “deep rooted” issues and lead chaotic lives.

The project is there to support them and the wider area – this includes helping police if any of the people using the service commit a crime, such as drug misuse or anti-social behaviour.

But one property owner feels the charity could do more.

Russell Davidson, who owners three blocks of property on nearby Oxford Street, said he believed the project should confiscate alcohol from people who use the charity.

“I’ve spoken to the man who monitors the CCTV there, and he says they hand in the booze when the going into Harrogate Homeless Project, because they have to as a condition of being admitted. 

“But then Francis gives them their booze back when the leave in the morning – and they’re out on the streets again. They shouldn’t be given their booze back – it should be taken off them as a condition of having a meal, a shower and a bed for the night.”

However, Mr McAllister said the charity had no legal powers to confiscate property and that such a move would not be a solution for people with addictions.

In response, he said:

“They are people who are disadvantaged, living in poverty and frequently addicted to alcohol and/or drugs sometimes both. The Springboard Day Centre is there to support these people who are trying to live a normal life.

“They have rights – the same as every other citizen – we offer the opportunity for other agencies to meet with them and create the opportunity to engage with services that can help them.

“Harrogate Homeless Project does not have the legal powers to confiscate property even if we wanted to, nor are we about searching people that we are seeking to help. What is suggested is not a solution.

“If anyone wants to buy alcohol it is readily available in the centre of Harrogate. The long-term solution is to spend time, effort and cash to help people manage their addictions and develop the skills to maintain a home which will get them permanently off the streets. It is difficult, it takes time, it takes resources and that is what we do.”

Young people

Rough sleepers are not the only group of people that traders feel cause issues in the town. They also pointed to young people as being part of the problem.

Teenagers have been involved in high profile incidents in the town which have led to the courts being involved.

In January 2022, police arrested three boys, aged 14, 15 and 17, after reports of young people on the roof of Harrogate Theatre at 4am.

The theatre was undergoing a £1 million refurbishment to its roof at the time.

The boys later appeared before North Yorkshire youth court and all admitted damaging scaffolding to the value of £300 and causing £500 damage to a Ford transit van belonging to nearby Scandinavian cafe Baltzersen’s.

Traders have also complained of school children “flooding” the town centre, which they say leaves them on guard for any potential thefts.

North Yorkshire Council runs youth services which aim to prevent reoffending and give a proportionate response to crimes committed by young people.

Specifically, the authority runs what is called a youth outcomes panel.

The panel, which is a partnership between police, North Yorkshire Youth Justice Service and York Youth Offending Team, decides what action, if any, is most appropriate to pursue.

It also encourages a restorative approach with victims and looks to address the causes of the young person’s offending.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with youth services at North Yorkshire Council to ask what is being done to prevent young people offending in the town and whether it felt anti-social behaviour was a problem in the area.

We received the following statement from Mel Hutchinson, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for children and families:

“As a children and families service, we regularly meet with our partners and have not been advised of concerns relating to anti-social behaviour of children or young people (up to 18 years) in Harrogate town centre and neither have our locality teams who are based in the town.

“North Yorkshire Youth are commissioned by us to deliver a programme of activities for 10 to 17-year-olds across the county, supporting voluntary projects, clubs and providing 17 youth clubs within communities.  Further details can be found at https://nyy.org.uk/

“We also work in partnership with the Office of Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (OFPCC) and our community safety partnership to secure additional funding to deliver a targeted preventative programme for children aged 10 to 17 years, who get into trouble with the law, helping them to stay away from crime.

“Over the last three years, funding has been secured from the Ministry of Justice, the OFPCC and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for a targeted early intervention scheme called. The Change Direction/Turnaround Programme. The aim of the programme is to prevent young people aged from 10 to 17 from becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour by offering them and their families support. Children, including those open to the Youth Justice Service, can be referred onto the programme.

“In addition, our Early Help – Children and Families Services work closely with schools to ensure children, young people and their families receive the right support at the right time to stop problems escalating. The service is also available to children and their families in North Yorkshire who have been referred to us.”

Who has responsibility?

In this report, we have focused on two agencies who help to tackle a complex issue in Harrogate – but there are others which also work on the issues on a daily basis.

Despite all these different agencies supporting those responsible for some of the town’s issues, traders feel the system is simply not working.

As Harrogate Homeless Project and youth services lack any enforcement power, the extent of their support can only go so far.

Ultimately, the responsibility to enforce the law falls to the police.

Tomorrow, in an interview with chief inspector Simon Williamson, we ask the police if they could do more to give confidence to businesses in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire mayor to be paid £81,300

The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is set to be paid an allowance of £81,300 a year.

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which the elected mayor will chair, met to approve the figure yesterday (March 18) following an independent renumeration panel recommendation.

A report by the panel said the salary had to be of “sustainable value” to attract appropriately skilled candidates, but should also “note the public duty” of the role.

The figure is below that of Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, who is paid £110,000 but above the amount paid to Ben Houchen, of nearby Tees Valley, at £80,000.

The allowance will be reviewed in May 2025.

James Farrar, director of economy and interim head of paid service at the combined authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“Both City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council have an independent renumeration panel which are non-political people and experts from their region who they can call on.

“We brought them together and looked at the evidence base of what the role is, what other mayors get etc. That independent panel came forward with that recommendation and that recommendation was approved yesterday.”

In its report, the panel said it considered the level of payment to other metro mayors, the £76,300 salary of North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, whose role will taken over by the mayor, and the responsibilities of the mayor.

The panel also noted that the average allowance for a metro mayor nationally was £86.617.

It added:

“The panel agreed that the mayor’s allowance had to be of a sustainable value, sufficient to attract and retain appropriately skilled candidates, bearing in mind the budget and level of accountability and responsibility that the mayor will have across the York and North Yorkshire region, whilst also noting the public duty and nature of the role.”

Voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls on May 2 to elect the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A combined authority report published in January revealed that the election is set to cost taxpayers £2.2 million.

Who is standing for mayor?

Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent.

The Green Party has chosen councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate.

The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and ex-journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport at North Yorkshire Council.

Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith.

Swinton Park owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

This week, Harrogate resident and North Yorkshire councillor, Paul Haslam, announced he will stand as an independent candidate after resigning from the Conservative Party.

Photo: Mayoral candidates (clockwise, from top left) Keane Duncan, David Skaith, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Paul Haslam, Kevin Foster and Keith Tordoff

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Trading Hell: Shocking rise in shoplifting in Harrogate town centre

Yesterday, we heard traders concerns that anti-social behaviour and shoplifting are getting worse, but do the official statistics back these experiences?

Our Trading Hell survey showed that traders feel that incidents of shoplifting, drug misuse and general anti-social behaviour are far too common.

Traders also expressed a deep sense of frustration that not enough is being done to make our shopping streets the safe and pleasant places they used to be.

The Stray Ferret has examined official statistics for the “hotspot” areas identified in our survey.

Shocking rise in shoplifting

Among the areas of most concern for traders has been shoplifting, which 78% say is an issue.

The Stray Ferret has found that statistics show a shocking rise in the number of reported incidents to police.

Our research of the force’s own data found that in 2022, 139 reports of shoplifting in the town centre were made.

In the same period last year, this increased by 66% to 232.

Concern over the problem have been heightened following incidents of thefts worth hundreds of pounds on Beulah Street and Commercial Street last year.

Another incident in November 2023 saw a “prolific shoplifter” threaten staff in Asda on Bower Road after staff tried to stop her stealing two bottles of alcohol.

One business owner told us:

“I’ve seen a group of five people coming out of the shop next door with armfuls of hangers, just walking off. Not even running. The security guard couldn’t do anything. They just told him to f*** off.”

Anti-social behaviour

Much of traders concerns centre around anti-social behaviour, a term which often can capture various different issues.

The police define anti-social behaviour as “someone acting in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more people not living in the same household”.

According to the force’s own data, in the 12 months to January 2024, a total of 285 reports were made to police in those hotspot areas.

This compares with 261 incidents in the same period in 2022.

While this is a slight increase, almost every business of the 50 which were surveyed (96%) told us that anti-social behaviour is a problem – only two said it isn’t.

Organisations such as Harrogate BID feel not enough businesses are reporting what is really happening.

One reason is a lack of confidence among traders that the police will act.

One business owner told us:

“Ring for thefts – not interested. Ring for feeling unsafe out the back of our courtyard due to large group of kids smoking weed and intimidating staff, and drunks – nothing done after ringing several times for numerous incidents.”

It means that the true picture of just how much of an issue anti-social behaviour is in the town is unlikely to be reflected in the figures.

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Although shoplifting and anti-social behaviour are among the most concerning issues, there are other offences which crop up in the statistics such as violence and sexual offences.

Last year, a total of 99 reports of violent and sexual offences were reported to police in the “hotspot” areas identified in our survey. This compares to 98 in the previous year.

The most high profile of those incidents was a report of a serious sexual assault in the town centre which saw police cordon off areas of James Street, Petergate and Market Place on October 5, 2023.

Rough sleeping, street drinking and drugs

Among the other areas of concern raised in our survey was rough sleeping (70%), street drinking (74%) and drug taking (66%).

Traders feel that these three issues are part of a wider problems currently affecting the town.

According to police data, reports of drugs, which includes possession, consumption and supply, has fallen slightly from 44 in 2022 to 40 last year.

The force themselves said Harrogate has a “low level” of drug offences for a town of its size.

Paul Rawlinson, who owns Baltzersen’s and Bakeri Baltzersens on Oxford Street, told us that the issue of rough sleeping is most pronounced in the summer when it is a “more comfortable option”.

A rough sleeper outside Primark in Harrogate town centre.

A rough sleeper outside Primark in Harrogate town centre.

According to a freedom of information request from North Yorkshire Council, last year three females and 27 males were counted as sleeping rough in the Harrogate town centre area.

The council said all except eight of those were provided with alternative accommodation. 

It added that the rough sleeping count for each year “could represent the same people where accommodation has been secured and then lost”.

There have been flashpoints over the last couple of years where businesses and residents have complained of people sleeping rough causing issues in their area.

In November 2022, concern was raised over rough sleeping, street begging and drinking at the back of Primark on Oxford Street.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said three “entrenched, long-term” rough sleepers had been sleeping overnight in the area.

The authority sought to assure residents and businesses that those gathering in the area had been offered accommodation, but was turned down. Those gathered there later accepted support.

Similarly, in November 2023, North Yorkshire Council erected fencing at a pavilion at Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens after rough sleepers occupied the area and returned twice after being dispersed.

The Stray Ferret followed the saga closely after nearby residents, who complained of anti-social behaviour during the group’s encampment. Many sympathised with the rough sleepers but wanted to know what long-term measures would be put in place on the site.

Why the stats matter? 

Whether the statistics reflect the true picture is a significant issue because police crime figures determine how much resource is given to tackling a problem. The figures mean Harrogate is still designated as a low crime area by the police, despite the trader’s experiences.

On Thursday, we will be asking the force whether they could do more to tackle Harrogate’s problems and give confidence to the traders to report crimes.

But there are other agencies who work with the police to support people who traders feel to a greater or lesser extent are involved in some of the town’s issues. Those who help support the homeless and have responsibilities for youth justice.

Tomorrow, we look at the agencies outside of police enforcement who are involved in supporting people considered to be part of Harrogate’s issues.

New Knaresborough primary school delayed until 2026

An opening of new primary school in Knaresborough is expected to be delayed until September 2026.

The school, which will be run by Elevate Multi Academy Trust, is  to be built at Manse Farm and serve pupils from new housing developments in the area.

It will provide 210 places for pupils, with the capacity to be expanded to 420.

North Yorkshire County Council unveiled plans for the school in 2020 as part of proposals “to serve housing growth”.

It was initially planned to open in September 2022, but was delayed twice until September 2024.

The council previously said that the project had been delayed due to an overhead electric cable that runs across the land where the school is due to be built. 

It added that a sub-station needed to be built on the land and the cable diverted before the site could be transferred to the authority.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee on Thursday that work was still progressing on resolving those matters.

She said:

“What I am aware of is that the earliest that school could be delivered at the moment is September 26.

“Once the primary allocations have been distributed in April, we will again review the data and look at the forecasts and gain an understanding of the timescales around that delivery and what it means to pupil cohorts and whether we need to put other provision in.

“As far as things stand at the moment, I understand that work is progressing around the issues that have been long standing at the site. There is still that commitment to deliver this project at the appropriate time.”

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The new school is expected to cost £6 million and serve up to 1,000 homes as part of the nearby Manse Farm developments.

Knaresborough Town Council has previously expressed frustration at the lack of progress at the school site.

In December, a motion by Cllr Matt Walker, who sits on the town council and also represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, was approved to invite developer Taylor Wimpey “to provide an update on the transfer of land at Manse Farm housing estate to North Yorkshire Council so a primary school can be built”.

Plan for 20 new homes in Summerbridge

Developers have submitted plans to build 20 homes in Summerbridge.

Nidderdale Estates Ltd, which is based in the village, has tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for land off the B6165.

The plan comes as a proposal for 24 homes on the site, known as Braisty Woods, was refused by the former Harrogate Borough Council in February last year.

The fresh proposal would see a mixture of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom houses.

The dwellings would range from apartments to detached homes, according to the proposal.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said that the proposal would also include “high quality outdoor space”.

It said:

“The dwellings will be exemplary and provide living accommodation for modern lifestyles. The development as a whole creates a sense of place by introducing a high quality public outdoor space.

“Overall, this development will provide a special place to live in Summerbridge whilst remaining respectful to the local buildings, ancient woodland and AONB setting.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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How a Birstwith man ‘swapped tanks for tennis balls’

“I often refer to it as swapping tanks for tennis balls,” says Birstwith man John Crowther as he reflects on his career.

John oversaw British tennis for nine years as chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association.

But, his background was not in sport. He moved to Yorkshire from Cheshire in 1990 to work for Vickers Defence Systems, where he rose to become chief executive.

The company had factories in Leeds and Newcastle and manufactured tanks, such as the Challenger 2. But John always had an interest in sport, particularly tennis.

Leading British tennis

Reflecting on his career with the Stray Ferret, he says he sought to get out of the manufacturing industry in 1996.

He applied for the top job at the Lawn Tennis Association, which is the governing body of tennis in Great Britain. He says:

“I was 45 and I decided that I didn’t see myself in manufacturing for the rest of my life.

“I thought sport would be a good thing to go into.”

By his own admission, he did not play sport at a high level – however tennis was his first love.

Much of his time at the organisation was spent improving the governance and helping to develop talent in tennis.

This included introducing licensed coaches, who were made to commit to developing their knowledge and expertise year by year.

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But perhaps his biggest challenge was creating the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

To do this, the association sold Queen’s Club in West Kensington where its head offices and elite training facilities were based at the time.

“During my time there, I persuaded the LTA council, which is representatives from every county, to sell Queens Club. That raised over £30 million.”

The club was given back to club members on a long term lease and the funds were used to create the National Tennis Centre.

The centre, which opened in 2007, included facilities for strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and boasts more than 20 courts.

John points to the project as one of his proudest achievements and describes it as now being “fully embedded into British tennis”.

“It was my project and it was delivered on time and on budget.

“Andy Murray still uses it and Emma Radacanu uses it. All the best players go there. It’s a one-stop shop.”

Picking Test match venues

John departed the Lawn Tennis Association in 2005 and undertook some consultancy work for a short period.

Around that time, he became involved with the England and Wales Cricket Board after being asked to join by his friend and then ECB chief executive, David Collier.

His role at the board was one which attracts a lot of scrutiny from cricket fans to this day.

John was asked to to join the host venue panel, which chooses where Test matches and other major cricket fixtures are held, and sat on the committee for 17 years.

“Back in 2005, Test matches and other major matches were allocated in a sort of random way by the ECB.

“They were sort of carved up in committee rooms.”

Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

The purpose of the host venue panel was to hand over the designation of test matches to an independent committee.

As a result, the allocation for test matches became based upon a balanced score card which specified what would be required from each ground.

“You had to demonstrate how you as a test match ground would look after the players, look after the officials, look after the media and look after the public.

“What came about over the years were two things: dramatic facility improvements and professionalisation of the county teams to work with the ECB to deliver test matches.”

The role of the host venue panel has come under the spotlight recently after Headingley and Old Trafford were overlooked for the Ashes series in 2027.

John said he was disappointed to see Headingley miss out on an Ashes series, but felt that the venue and Yorkshire County Cricket Club as a whole had a bright future ahead.

‘You only ever remember your good shots’

In recent years, John has chaired in a voluntary capacity. He has held positions at both Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Association and North Yorkshire Sport.

In both positions, he sought to improve the access to sport and increase participation among young people.

These days, he chairs the Yorkshire Tennis Foundation which helps to dispense funds to tennis projects.

For John, being involved in sport is a privilege and one which should not be taken for granted.

“Anybody who can do a job where you are passionate about the outcome of that job is extremely lucky.

“So many people have to go and do mundane jobs. I have done mundane jobs in my life where at 5.30 you’re gasping to get out and go home.

“Whereas sport involves you. It involves you completely. Yes, there are always setbacks but it’s a bit like a round of golf. You only ever remember your good shots.”

If you have any local sporting figures who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Petition to protect Bilton’s Knox Lane from housing

A petition to prevent land targeted for homes in Bilton being available for development will be put before Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors next week.

North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected an application by the developer Jomast to build 53 homes off Knox Lane, as reported by the Stray Ferret in September 2023.

Since then, residents have submitted a 2,200-signature petition to the authority calling for the land to be protected from further development.

The Knox Community Conservation Group has called for the land to be removed from the forthcoming North Yorkshire Local Plan, which will replace the current blueprint for where development can take place.

The petition says previous site assessments conducted by Harrogate Borough Council of the Knox Lane site in 2013 and 2016 found it to be unsuitable for development because it “would have adverse or highly adverse effects on historic environment, priority habitats and/or species and landscape”.

In a report due before the area committee next week, Barry Khan, assistant chief executive at North Yorkshire Council, said a consultation on “issues and options” for the Local Plan will be held later this year.

He said:

“In relation to the new Local Plan for North Yorkshire, the site selection process will begin with a call for sites to gain an understanding of what land is available. 

“As part of this exercise, we will also be looking at sites allocated in adopted Local Plans that have not been progressed and we will assess these alongside other sites put forward. 

“The council will need to carry out this assessment and selection process in a fair and transparent way taking into consideration the most up to date evidence and therefore cannot commit to include or exclude any sites at this stage.”

The petition will be put before the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on Thursday (March 14).

Councillors will be asked to respond formerly to the petition.

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The Harrogate service helping to tackle the loneliness epidemic

Four years ago, a new service was introduced in Harrogate with the aim of tackling loneliness and the debilitating mental health conditions that come with it.

It was founded by the local branch of Mind, the mental health charity, and was called the befriending service.

The purpose was to match people who may feel lonely, anxious or isolated with a friend on a regular basis for walks, a cafe visit or any other public activity.

Two years into its operation, it expanded into neighbouring Ripon, Boroughbridge, Knaresborough and Nidderdale.

“It’s the highlight of people’s week”, says Dave Rowson, befriending co-ordinator at Mind Harrogate, who sat down with the Stray Ferret to outline how it was tackling loneliness.

Dave joined the charity in May 2022, around same time that the service expanded its reach.

Dave Rowson, befriending co-ordinator at Mind Harrogate.

Dave Rowson, befriending co-ordinator at Mind Harrogate.

With skills in recruitment and project management from his time at Leeds City Council, he was tasked with expanding the service and matching volunteer befrienders with people.

Currently, he has 21 pairs who meet on a regular basis and a further 10 volunteers in the pipeline.

For Dave, part of the reason for the demand for the service is the informality of it.

“Most of them want to get some normality back and that’s what they do.”

Isolated and anxious

Last year, the World Health Organisation declared loneliness a “global health concern”.

North Yorkshire Council estimates that 30,000 people aged 16 or over across the county experience chronic loneliness – around six per cent of the population.

Meanwhile, an Office for National Statistics survey in 2021 found that 4.7% of adults in the Harrogate District “often or always” felt lonely.

The result is voluntary organisations such as Mind coming up with new services for people in order to help already stretched mental health services.

Dave explains that some of those who use the befriending service are often referred from local community mental health services or their GP.

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Part of the reason is to continue their recovery from conditions such as anxiety or low mood.

Others come directly to the charity to ask to use the service in order to get out and improve their mental health.

When matching people with volunteers, Mind carries out its own assessment of its participants to find out their interests, needs and what type of person they would like to be matched with.

“The first thing I’ll do is ring them, have a chat with them and find out if they are definitely interested in accessing the service.

“I will try and arrange a meeting with them. I tend to do it here [Mind office in Harrogate] or if they are in the remote areas, I’ll go to Ripon or Pateley Bridge.”

Dave then matches them to a particular volunteer who he feels would be suitable. He supervises an initial meet between the two before organising regular appointments.

His pairs take part in activities such as coffee shop visits to dog walking.

Much of the people using the service range from those with anxiety to young people with autism.

“Generally, it’s the isolated and anxious.

“People who struggle to get out and struggling with the motivation to get out. They see the befriending as a reason to get out. It almost forces them to take that step out of the door.”

‘It means more to them than you think’

The last two years have been a lesson for Dave.

By his own admission, he had a “simplistic idea” of how the service would work for people when he joined.

“At first I wondered ‘what the hell am I doing? I don’t know anything about mental health’.

“I had this very simplistic idea that people were stuck at home and then they would come out and then they would come to a group.

“But, suddenly you work out that these people are very different and some of them will never come to a group. They just want to be on a road to recovery.”

The service has funding to remain in place until 2025 – however Dave hopes it can last beyond then.

Some people have been on the befriending list for a while.

For Dave, the reward comes when he manages to match one of those waiting with a new friend.

“I think the value comes when you read some of the feedback of what it means to them and that it’s the highlight of their week.

“You read it and you’re like ‘wow’. It means more to them than you think.”

Harrogate hospital CEO: ‘I don’t wake up in the middle of the night worried about work’

In the second part of our feature length interview with Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, he talks RAAC, Ripon Community Hospital and how he handles stress. Read the first instalment here.

Aside from dealing with industrial action and the trust’s finances, Mr Coulter’s position also comes with responsibility for the hospital estate.

In September last year, the trust confirmed that its roof contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

The material, popular between the 1960s and 1980s, was compared to “chocolate Aero” and made headlines after it was found in public buildings across the UK.

When asked if he was surprised to find the material on the hospital estate, Mr Coulter said:

“It became an issue a few years ago, about three or four years ago.

“Was it a surprise? Well, we built it with that and I guess some of the concerns about the safety and the stability of the RAAC was the thing that came out.

“Once we got that information, we then surveyed the site and identified areas where we have got RAAC in terms of the panels and put in place the steps to manage that.”

The hospital bid for £20 million from government to help eradicate RAAC across the hospital site as part of a trust-wide project.

The therapy services building at Harrogate District Hospital, which is set to be demolished

So far, it has received £2 million which will go towards helping to demolish the therapy services department by creating offices to relocate staff to.

Mr Coulter says the trust is currently awaiting confirmation on £9 million worth of funding, which will be used to hire contractors to flatten the building.

Ripon is still valued

The projects at the trust extend beyond Harrogate.

Ripon Community Hospital is due to open a new community diagnostics centre in April.

The project came as part of £1 million worth of funding from NHS England and means GPs will be able to refer more patients to the hospital for life-saving checks closer to home and be diagnosed for a range of conditions.

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Despite the major projects in Harrogate, Mr Coulter says Ripon is still valued and that there are wider conversations with the primary care sector about how to make healthcare services more accessible in the city.

“It is absolutely something that we value as part of being in the middle of that community and the services that we need to provide there.

“We are gradually investing in bits of it in terms of diagnostics and maternity services. But, the bigger picture which might take quite a long time is to think how do we provide healthcare services in Ripon for the longer term. That includes primary care and that’s a much bigger conversation to have.”

‘I don’t wake up in the middle of the night worried about it’

Mr Coulter never saw himself becoming chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Rather, the opportunity presented itself to him in February 2022 and he took it.

The result of taking that chance has seen matters such as NHS strikes, RAAC, a multi-million deficit and an array of hospital projects come across his desk.

Does he find it stressful?

“No, it’s not stressful.

“It’s really important and it’s really important that we do well. There’s a lot to think about all of the time. But, if you have got a really good team and really good people working in the organisation, that’s how you manage it.

“We can only do so much and it’s really important. You’re accountable and responsible for a lot, but you have got to be of a personality that can allow others to manage that for you and do things for you.

“I understand why people would say it’s really stressful. But, on a personal level, I don’t wake up in the middle of the night worried about it. I’m worried when I’m here in a good way in terms of making sure we do the right things.”

How an anti-semitism row left Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems in disarray

Pat Marsh’s string of tweets which ignited a row over anti-semitism left local Liberal Democrats in disarray this week.

At a time when the world’s eyes are fixed on the ongoing conflict in Isreal and Gaza, Harrogate’s most senior Lib Dem councillor was at the centre of a social media storm in relation to the war.

Cllr Marsh, who has been a councillor in Harrogate and Knaresborough for 33 years, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, over a five-week period to post about the plight of Palestinians.

Some included reposting tweets about the conflict. But others which were posted from January onwards described Jews as “vile”, “evil” and “a disgrace to the world”.

The matter is subject to a North Yorkshire Police investigation, a North Yorkshire Council standards process and an internal probe by the Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Marsh, who was suspended from the party, has remained defiant and has refused to resign as a councillor.

But the matter left the Liberal Democrats in a politically sensitive situation.

Cllr Pat Marsh 

Removal of responsibility

Political moves have already been made on North Yorkshire Council to remove Cllr Marsh from positions of responsibility.

She was replaced as chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on Wednesday in her absence following a motion by Conservative Cllr Michael Harrison.

In the May 2022 local elections, jubilant Lib Dems celebrated taking control of the council’s area committee with eight of the 13 councillors elected in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee.

Following her suspension, and the earlier defection of Cllr Michael Schofield to become an Independent, the party now has six of the 13 seats on the committee.

As a result, the row over anti-semitism may dilute the party’s influence on major council matters, such as the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway project.

The local party has been tight lipped on the saga this week. A source close to the party told the Stray Ferret there had been “radio silence” from within the Liberal Democrats to its local members. Questions to parliamentary candidate Tom Gordon have been fielded by the national press office.

Meanwhile, Cllr Marsh is subject to a council standards investigation to determine whether she breached its code of conduct.

The code aims to ensure councillors do not discriminate against any person, treat others with respect and do not bring the council into disrepute.

The Local Government Association says a councillor can be removed from their role by the local authority should they be found to have committed a serious breach of the code.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council to ask what the investigation will involve.

In response, Richard Flinton, chief executive of the authority, said:

“I can confirm that our monitoring officer has received a complaint and will look at it in line with the council’s agreed code of conduct complaints procedure.

“In North Yorkshire we expect our elected members and officers to demonstrate strong and positive values and behaviours. Any complaints about comments that do not meet these standards will therefore be taken seriously.”

A council spokesperson added that it would be making no further comment on the issue.

Harrogate MP weighs in

The issue is politically difficult for the Lib Dems in the run-up to a general election.

Mr Gordon will contest the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency for the party against Conservative MP Andrew Jones.

Following this week’s events, Mr Gordon appears to have removed any picture with Cllr Marsh from his social media accounts, including Facebook and X.

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However, Mr Jones wasted little time in raising the matter over Cllr Marsh in the House of Commons on Monday, describing the comments as “horrendous” and questioned why the Liberal Democrats failed to act sooner.

Mr Jones accused the Lib Dems of doing nothing to tackle the issue until it was exposed in the media, adding:

“She had hundreds of followers, including many senior local Liberal Democrats; she tweeted over 500 times on the subject, and those tweets were read over 10,000 times, so it beggars belief that no Liberal Democrat knew what she was saying.”

A Lib Dem party spokesperson described the Harrogate MP’s comments as “outrageous” and without evidence.

They added:

“It is telling that Andrew Jones doesn’t use his parliamentary time for the local crumbling hospital or lack of NHS dentist appointments, and instead pushes bizarre claims which have no shred of evidence. 

“It just shows he is on the way out. Andrew Jones is yet again taking the people of Harrogate for granted.”

In a sign that the national party has been eager to get a grip on the matter, any enquiry to local Liberal Democrats has been met with a response from a press officer in London.

With Cllr Marsh still holding her Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone seat, and further repercussions possible, the fallout is likely to continue.