A Harrogate wealth management firm has honoured the memory of a former partner with a donation to a Starbeck mental health charity.

Williams Investment Management LLP has given £1,000 to Wellspring Therapy & Training charity in memory of Robert Ash, who died last September.

Mr Ash was a well-known figure in the Harrogate business community. He was a stockbroker with 35 years experience and joined the company in 2005, a year after it was set up.

Duncan Williams, founding partner of Williams Investment Management, said:

“We miss Robert tremendously; especially his inimitable wit and charm, We had worked together for more than 30 years at this firm and elsewhere and he was both a dear friend and a valued business partner.”

“It seemed appropriate to honour his memory with a donation to Wellspring Therapy & Training, which does fantastic work in the Harrogate and district community, providing private counselling at affordable rates, easing the overwhelming demand on the NHS mental health services, and providing hope for children, families and individuals who are struggling with mental ill health and associated distress’.”

Wellspring Therapy & Training is based on Starbeck High Street. The charity was founded in 2003 and provides affordable short and long-term counselling for the Harrogate and district community.

Nick Garrett, interim chief executive of Wellspring, said:

“We are very grateful indeed to Williams Investment Management for their donation in memory of Robert. It is reassuring that something positive can emerge from such a tragedy and this money will enable us to provide much-needed mental health support for our clients.

“Demand for our services in the Harrogate region has never been greater, with the lingering effects of the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis combining to make life very challenging for so many people. The support of local firms such as Williams Investment Management is absolutely crucial in helping us to provide the mental health services that are badly needed.”

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Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) has announced a research study has been launched in the district to help improve the health of children and families.

Pregnant women are being invited by their midwife to join the research programme which aims to find out what influences the health and wellbeing of families.

HDFT has become the latest NHS Trust to join Born and Bred in (BaBi), a network of local birth studies that work together to link existing data across health, education, and social care to create a picture of families’ lives over time.

The data will highlight any inequalities in the region and help to shape local services, creating a healthier environment for families.

If mothers to be wish to participate their routine health data will be recorded by the health services they access themselves or for their child.

Health researchers then link together routinely collected data from parent and child, such as such as blood pressure measurements or the details of baby’s height and weight to see how health care and services could be improved.

This helps researchers to create a bigger picture of the challenges within the district. It will give insights into what works well and what can be made better to improve local services for the future.

They may identify relationships between things that happen in pregnancy and a child’s future health, or highlight if childhood conditions such as asthma, are more prevalent in one particular area of the district.

One of the first local mums to sign up to the study was Georgina Fogarty, whose son, Freddie, was the first BaBi Harrogate baby. Georgina said:

“Babi Harrogate is a great research project, providing helpful data that will help us to learn more about the health and care of mothers and babies living in the district.”

Leanne Likaj, associate director of midwifery, at HDFT said:

“We are delighted to launch the BaBi research project in Harrogate following on from its success in other maternity units across the region. We are passionate about babies having the best start in life and collecting BaBi data will be a great help.

“This is a really exciting development and we are looking forward to seeing the impact of joining this information together to improve the health of children and families in the future. Anyone who is currently receiving care from our Harrogate maternity service and is interested in taking part should speak to their midwife about how to enrol.”

The BaBi concept began in Bradford. The network now consists of 11 trusts, including Leeds, York and Scarborough, Doncaster and Hull.

More information about BaBi Harrogate is available here.

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Harrogate’s midnight walk in aid of St Michael’s Hospice is set to return this year after a nine-year break.

The event, the Midnight Glow Walk, will be held on September 21 and will start at 10pm from Ashville Sports Centre.

The 10km route will take supporters across the Stray, around Harrogate Town Centre, and through Valley Gardens, with walkers finishing around midnight, again at the sports centre.

St Michael’s Hospice is a care charity that provides care and support to people affected by terminal illness in the Harrogate district.

The charity is hopeful that over 1,000 walkers will join the walk. It will be in tribute to the thousands of families Saint Michael’s supports each year.

The event is open to everyone and can be walked in tribute or just for the fun. Hospice supporter, Philippa, will be taking part in the Midnight Glow Walk in tribute to her husband, Ivan, with the couple’s two daughters Sofia and Liliana aged 10 and six.

In 2016, aged 45 Ivan was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. By the time the diagnosis was confirmed, the cancer was too advanced for treatment

Philippa said;

“It was the hardest part of our lives but that five weeks at Saint Michael’s enabled us to have special time as a family. We felt very fortunate. Ivan used to say ‘Don’t count the days – make the days count’’ and Saint Michael’s helped us to do that. Saint Michael’s Hospice is a very special place for us.

“The care they gave Ivan in his last five weeks was fantastic and really took the pressure off; it let us be a family and make some very happy memories – for this we will always be very grateful.”

“We can’t wait to take on the Midnight Glow Walk. Taking part in events for Saint Michael’s and raising any amount of money is really important. The hospice doesn’t just take wonderful care of the patients they really are there for the whole family immediately and for however long you need their support.”

Ivan (left) and Phillippa with their daughter Sofia.

The event hub at Ashville Sports Centre opens from 8.30pm, with pre-walk entertainment and refreshments. The walk will begin with a staggard start from 10pm.

The event is non-competitive and is not timed, and participants are encouraged to take their time and soak up the atmosphere.

Saint Michael’s vital services includes caring for people living with terminal illness in their own homes, and at their Hornbeam Park-based Crimple House Hospice. Specialist bereavement and emotional support service Just ‘B’ is part of their family of services, supporting children, young people and adults across North Yorkshire.

Sign up to take part here.

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Harrogate-based purpose-built student accommodation company, Homes For Students (HFS), has welcomed a new major shareholder.

International real estate company Far East Orchard Limited has bought a 49% stake in the business in a deal worth £17.6 million.

Founded in 2015, HFS operates over 40,000 beds in more than 50 university towns and cities in the UK and Ireland.

Far East Orchard moved into the development and investment of purpose-built student accommodation in the UK in 2015. Legal firm Raworths, also based in Harrogate, advised HFS on the deal, having represented the company since its inception.

Martin Corbett, chief executive officer for Homes for Students said:

“The shareholders and I are pleased to welcome Far East Orchard as a new principal investor to the Homes for Students team following their purchase of 49% of the share capital from four of our exiting investors.

“Since May 2023, we have been operating Far East Orchard’s PBSA property and already established a successful partnership. We very much look forward to continuing to grow our enterprise together, investing in our people, technology and new business streams.

Far East Orchard was represented by CMS and the exiting investors were advised by Walker Morris and Dentons.

Harrogate architects become a B Corp

S+SA Architects has announced its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp).

Verified by B Lab the certification assesses the entirety of a business’ operations and currently covers five main impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.

Joel Smith, director of S+SA Architects, said:

“Over the past 10 years, our practice has grown, establishing a modern practice ethos that has people at the centre of its purpose. We pursued B Corp Certification to join like-minded businesses meeting high standards of social and environmental impact.”

Harrogate Hotel win TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024

Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate team

Cedar Court Hotel has been recognised in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024.

Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate hotel has celebrated its second consecutive win, while the Bradford branch recorded its first win.

Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotels, said:

“We are so proud of what our teams have achieved; these awards are a testament to the significant investments and renovations each hotel has undergone and the focus on the teams and our customers that is now very much part of our DNA.”

Oliver Stott, hotel manager for Harrogate, said:

“This has been a real journey. In 2019, the hotel ranked 25th in the Harrogate Market on TripAdvisor. I am so proud of the team and that they receive daily positive recognition for their efforts.”

Yorkshire audiologists introduce new clinic:

Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists has introduced a specialist service as the number of tinnitus cases in the UK continues to rise.

According to Tinnitus UK, prevalence of the condition has increased by 50 per cent in the last 15 years. Bayfields new Tinnitus Clinic, introduced to tackle the condition will include a free 15-minute tinnitus hearing health check.

Patients who are diagnosed with the condition will then be invited to an in-depth 75 minute personalised examination to determine the extent and cause.

Sarah Griffiths, tinnitus specialist audiologist at Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists, said:

“We’re seeing a real increase in clients who are suffering with the effects of tinnitus in recent years, and it’s affecting people of all ages. Modern life and the increased use of technology such as headphones, coupled with a faster paced lifestyle and higher stress levels can all play a role in the development of tinnitus.

Harrogate company become official on-seller of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets

Tom Hesketh, Chloe Goodall, Luke Edwards, Joe Aikman from Impulse Decisions at the desert experience

Harrogate-based events company Impulse Decisions is one of only five companies in the UK to be official on-sellers of tickets for this years Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The event takes place on 5th-9th December this year.

Currently based in Windsor House in Harrogate, but moving to new offices soon, Impulse Decisions also offer a range of other sporting events and corporate hospitality in addition to their charity auctions.

Grantley Hall to sponsor Ebor Fashion Lawn 

Megan Nicholls pictured outside Grantley Hall

Grantley Hall, Ripon, is set to be this year’s headline sponsor of the Ebor Fashion Lawn.

The event will take place across The Sky Bet Ebor Festival, from August 21-24 at York Racecourse.

The Ebor Fashion Lawn is a catwalk that’s open to all during the races, offering the opportunity for the most stylishly dressed to show off their outfits, whilst a judging panel will then select the best dressed each day of the festival.

Have some news to share about your business? Send it to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Two Harrogate men are set to take on one of the world’s toughest challenges.

Ross Grange, 35 and Kevin Walton, 42, will tackle a 230km five day ultra marathon in Peru and battle the Amazon Rainforest in aid of St Michael’s Hospice.

Mr Grange is a personal trainer and owner of The Fitness Rooms in Harrogate, while Mr Walton is a client and friend of the fitness rooms.

The challenge begins next Sunday, June 2, and the event sees competitors take on five marathons in five days. The race is open to sixty entrants with only a few people completing the challenge each year.

The ultra marathon is in the Manu National Park and involves a battle against the elements, with high altitudes, humidity, and temperatures of up to 30 degrees.

They will cover over 200km, climb over 4,000m and cross the Amazon River, while sleeping in a hammock each night. It is a self-sufficient race meaning entrants carry their own supplies for the duration of the challenge.

Mr Walton suggested the challenge the pair began training last October and had never previously run more than a 10k. They began running on Harrogate’s roads and built up  tolerance, then began running at Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs.

Mr Grange said:

“I’m feeling alright about the race now. I had a bit of a wobble recently and sometimes I wake up thinking I’ve signed up for hell on Earth and other times I think it is a great, once in a lifetime opportunity. I will just go and try my best.”

He aims to raise £10,000 for St Michael’s Hospice and his fundraiser is currently over £5,000.

St Michael’s Hospice is a care charity that provides care and support to people affected by terminal illness in the Harrogate district. It is a charity is close to Ross’ heart as his Mum spent her final days there in 2020.

He said:

“I am donating to charity in honour of my mum. It will be an honour giving back to St Michael’s. It is a strange way of thinking but doing one of the hardest races in the world hardship is nothing compared to what people in St Michael’s go through every day.”

He will out to Cusco in Peru next Wednesday and the race begins on Sunday June 2. With a downhill race from the mountains into the rainforest.

Mr Grange continued:

“Everyone thinks we’re a bit mad. It is an incredible event, people do great events raising money through running but the ultra-marathon is so extraordinary because it is just completely wild. At first, I didn’t know if it was possible for someone to even do something like this.”

To find out more and donate to the cause click here.

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