Lina Turner, Author at The Stray Ferret

Harrogate schools trust celebrates training 1000 new teachers

A Harrogate-based teacher training organisation has celebrated training more than 1,000 qualified teachers.

Red Kite Teacher Training reached the milestone after the graduation of its ninth cohort.

The association was founded in 2015 and is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, which works with schools across North and West Yorkshire, including Harrogate Grammar School.

This year, 150 successful trainees were recommended for Qualified Teacher Status, bringing the total number of qualified teachers trained by the association to 1,049.

Director of Red Kite Teacher Training Victoria Lickley said:

“We are immensely proud to have supported so many newly qualified teachers.

“Our school-centred approach equips trainees with the skills and confidence to become innovative and passionate teachers who go on to enjoy brilliant careers.

“this year’s trainees will be future mentors and facilitators across our courses.”

Ellie Rowe, the 1000th trainee to qualify from Red Kite Teacher Training, was proud of her achievement and added:

“Teaching is the profession that teaches every other profession.”

The trainee teachers from this year’s cohort came together to celebrate their graduation at an event hosted by Harrogate Grammar School.

Hotels in Harrogate district jump on rising ‘ecotherapy’ trend

In the past few weeks, three local hotels have opened new outdoor spa experiences to customers.

Swinton Estate, Grantley Hall and Rudding Park are hoping to attract guests with the promise of ‘reconnecting with nature’.

In June, Swinton Estate offered up a new wild swimming experience in its private lake at the heart of the hotel’s grounds.

A week later Grantley Hall opened a ‘Nordic spa garden’ complete with outdoor ice baths and a sauna for immersion therapy.

Gillian McGraffin, spa and wellness manager at Grantley Hall’s Three Graces Spa, said:

“With the increasing trend of cold-water immersion therapy making more noise in the wellness space recently, we knew that we wanted to offer guests something new that had many incredible health benefits.”

Shortly after Grantley announced this new spa addition, Rudding Park opened a woodland spring bathing experience, equipped with mineral-enriched freshwater tubs.

Sarah Johnson, head of the hotel’s spa, said:

“Woodland spring bathing is a wonderful way to relax; the stillness of the water promotes a sense of calm, heightening the connection with nature.

“Offering guests something new and embracing our natural environment is really important.”

All three additions demonstrate the increasingly popularity of outdoor spa and wellness experiences – often referred to under the broader term of ‘ecotherapy’.

It encompasses a number of therapies and practices which promote interactions with nature as valuable tools for improving psychological and physiological health.

The demand for outdoor spa experiences has grown significantly since covid.

According to data collected by the People and Nature Survey last year, nearly half of adults in England spent more time outdoors than they did before the pandemic. Meanwhile, 39% also said that after the pandemic, nature and wildlife had become more important than ever to their well-being

Commenting on the trend, Ms Johnson told the Stray Ferret:

“The popularity of embracing the outdoors to boost well-being shows no sign of slowing down.”

Bishop Monkton cyclists ride 275km across Italy in a day to thank air ambulance

A village cycling group near Ripon has taken part in a gruelling ride across Italy to fundraise for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The Bishop Monkton Next Challenge Cycling Club (BMNCCC) cycled 275 kilometres across the width of Italy as part of the Chase the Sun challenge.

The challenge is held every year, departing at sunrise in the town of Cesenatico on the eastern coast and finishing in Tirrenia on the west coast at sunset.

Besides cycling in the Italian summer heat, one of the most demanding aspects of the journey was climbing to an elevation of 3,300 metres.

The cyclists initially aimed to raise £2,000 but generated well over £6,000 for the air ambulance charity once they completed the difficult ride.

The cycling group’s motive for the fundraiser was deeply personal. Two members, Ollie Coughlan and Ben Cairns, have received critical medical assistance from Yorkshire Air Ambulance services in the past.

In 2018 Ollie suffered a cardiac arrest aged just 39. After he received immediate aid from his friends, air ambulance crew swiftly arrived at the scene to help, playing a vital role in his survival.

More recently, in January 2022, fellow cyclist Ben Cairns was airlifted to hospital for emergency surgery after he broke his hip, femur and ribs in a major cycling accident.

Ben’s cycling accident in 2022.

Ollie said:

“I will be forever grateful for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew’s fast response on the day of my accident.

“Now, I am determined to give back by actively fundraising for the charity, ensuring they can continue their life-saving work for others in need too

Yorkshire Air Ambulance relies on volunteers and fundraising to continue running services.

Linda Stead, regional fundraising manager at the charity, commented:

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the cyclists for their incredible support and dedication.

“This epic ride is not only a test of their endurance and determination but also a heartfelt initiative. Their fundraising efforts will make help us to continue flying across Yorkshire and saving lives.”

To learn more about the challenge visit the BMNCCC’s Just Giving page here.

Harrogate student complains after university dispute leaves her with ungraded degree

A Harrogate student has complained to one of the UK’s most prestigious universities after discovering her degree cannot be given a classification.

After studying for four years at Edinburgh University, Issy Murray found out that she would have to graduate with an ungraded degree.

This was due to an ongoing marking boycott by the University and College Union (UCU), which led to most of her work being left unmarked.

The boycott, which started in April, is part of a long-running standoff between the UCU and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) over staff pay and working conditions.

Across 145 UK universities, students like Issy have been caught in the crossfire, with around a third having their grades delayed. As a result, thousands are facing complications with applications to jobs and postgraduate courses.

Issy hopes to become a doctor and has applied to a competitive postgraduate medicine course, but thinks her chances of getting a place could be slim with an ungraded degree.

She told the Stray Ferret that the university has provided her with very little support. The most she has received was a letter confirming her attendance and, what she considered a somewhat insincere, late apology.

Issy’s mother, Sue Murray commented:

“The letter they’ve been supplied with isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. It is very vague and Edinburgh Uni takes no responsibility for anything”

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The former Harrogate Grammar student has been particularly unlucky. As well as the ongoing boycott, her time at university has been badly disrupted by multiple UCU strikes and covid.

Issy feels she has been continually let down by university management and strongly believes students should be compensated for their “huge investments”.

Her mother added:

“As it stands these poor (many young) people have nothing to show for their best part of the £40k debt they’ve incurred.

“They don’t know when; how or if their work is ever going to be marked as the university cannot confirm by when it will be assessed or by whom”

The Harrogate family have appealed to the university’s management team and Vice-Chancellor but with little success. They have also reached out to the Department of Education and their local MP, Andrew Jones, for help.

Issy said:

“We had a blind trust that we would get our degrees. No one expected this to happen”

“It’s not right and not fair so we are making a fuss, not just sitting back and taking it”

She still plans to attend her graduation ceremony this month to celebrate her time at university with friends and family.

However, without a classification for her degree, Issy said the event would be “bittersweet”.

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show is a sell-out

For the third year in a row, the Great Yorkshire Show has sold out.

This year 140,000 people are expected to visit the 250-acre showground next week.

Traditionally, the Harrogate-based event was three days long. However, in 2021, it was extended to four days to help spread out crowds to meet covid safety regulations.

During the pandemic, capacity was also limited to 35,000 visitors a day and tickets were sold exclusively in advance on the show’s main website.

The event’s organisers decided to keep the changes for this year’s show following feedback that visitors found the experience more enjoyable when the showground was less crowded.

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The Great Yorkshire Show is run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and is one of the largest agricultural shows in the UK, generating millions of pounds each year for the local economy.

Some of the main attractions include the Cock ‘O The North show jumping competition and several stunt-riding performances by Lorenzo the ‘flying Frenchman’.

TV presenter Adam Henson, MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, and The Duke of Gloucester are some of the many special guests invited to attend.

A free shuttle bus service from Harrogate bus station to the showground will be available to attendees throughout the four-day event.

Second-hand tickets will be available to purchase on the show’s official ticket reseller site, Ticket-Swap.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty learns about ageing in Darley and Harrogate

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has visited Nidderdale and Harrogate to collect information for his annual health report.

His report this year will focus on health issues in an ageing society.

To learn first-hand about the issues, Prof Whitty talked to various local groups about the challenge of tackling social isolation in rural communities.

He was shown around Darley Village Shop, a community hub set up in 2016 which is home to a café and a post office. The shop was launched in 2016 following a major £60,000 fundraising drive organised by Darley locals.

As well as providing a space for locals to sit and socialise, staff and volunteers at the village store have been delivering meals to elderly residents in the local area.

He spoke to Tracey Dawson of Nidderdale Plus, which provides services that improve the wellbeing of older residents, such as minibus trips, and met the chair of Christ Church Community Centre in Darley, which stages coffee mornings and exercise classes for older people.

Prof Whitty said:

“It is really insightful to see how local people have found solutions to support their communities.

“What people are doing here in Nidderdale shows what can be achieved, and it is helping address some of the big challenges we face as a society.

“People have demonstrated how they can come together to help others, especially during the covid-19 crisis, and it is good to see this good work is continuing to be built on.”

Prof Whitty with (left to right) Nidderdale Plus digital champion co-ordinator Jo Hayes, Christ Church Community Centre committee member Erica Spencer, and Christ Church Community Centre chair, Angela Houseman.

Prof Whitty also travelled to The Cuttings care home in Starbeck run by Harrogate Neighbours, as well as a hub club that operates at the Dementia Forward community hub in Burton Leonard.

He also went to Harrogate District Hospital, where he spoke with NHS staff and social workers about local services including those provided by Harrogate and Rural Alliance and North Yorkshire Council’s Living Well project, which is a free service to improve the health, wellbeing and independence of adults.

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les, said:

“In North Yorkshire, we are leading the way nationally with schemes such as Extra Care, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

“To be able to show the chief medical officer first-hand how those initiatives work was a real honour”

According to the latest census, over 65s represent around 25% of the population in North Yorkshire compared to 18% for England as a whole. The council predicts this figure will increase to a third by 2043.

Louise Wallace, the council’s director of public health who accompanied Prof Whitty on his visit. said:

“To have the chief medical officer visiting to see these challenges and also all the good work that is being done by our communities was an invaluable opportunity.”

From Harrogate to New York to the World Cup – Rachel Daly’s ‘whirlwind’ career

Before finding fame on England’s national team, Rachel Daly started out playing for a village club near Harrogate.

The Aston Villa Women striker began her career on the pitches of the Killinghall Nomads JFC, playing for the boys’ squad until she was 12.

Recounting her grassroots story on the official website for England Football, she said:

“No one could believe that I was a girl. I used to have really short hair and people would think I was a boy. I remember there was a local report on it as I was banging in hat-tricks and stuff at that age.

“I was the only girl playing for the boys’ team at that time, but there were never any issues because I’d been playing with all of the boys for years before that anyway.”

Eventually, the junior club formed a girls’ team, which Rachel joined soon after.

She was then invited to join the Leeds United Girls Centre for Excellence. Being a huge fan of the club, Rachel was overjoyed to have the chance to train there.

During her time at the centre, she attended Rossett School, where she found encouragement and support from her PE teacher Mike Sweetman.

She praised her former teacher and said:

“Once I got to high school, I met Mike Sweetman who played a really big role in my development

“He really believed in me, when I didn’t want to do PE with the girls playing netball, he’d let me play football with the boys.”

After she left Rossett, Rachel travelled to New York for a sports scholarship, where she played for her university team and was later drafted to play for Houston Dash.

She added:

“It was such a whirlwind, to go from Harrogate to a place like New York City for college.

“In the end, I was over there for nine years playing for what was a large chunk of my life before returning home last summer to join Aston Villa.”

The 31-year-old has now risen to the highest level of women’s football.

She was a key member of the Lioness squad that won the Euro 2022 Cup and on May 31 was chosen to represent England at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

She also won the 2022-2023 Women’s Super League golden boot, a prestigious award given to the top goal-scorer of the season.

The football star’s home town is immensely proud of her and in March the Killinghall Nomads honoured Rachel by opening a café named after her at the club.

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12-foot horse sculpture to be installed at the Great Yorkshire Show

A large horse sculpture has been delivered to the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The art work is made out of more than 600 welded horseshoes, collected from across Yorkshire.

The 750-kilogram piece is named ‘Os II’ after the Yorkshire slang word for horse and was craned into position outside the Yorkshire Event Centre today.

Its creator, Ollie Holman is a thirty-one-year-old artist from North Yorkshire, who has been welding since he was a teenager.

‘Os II’ will be displayed next to the Yorkshire Show’s art show from Tuesday, July 11 to Friday, July 14 along with some of Ollie’s other sculptures.

The sculptor cannot wait to see his work displayed at the event and said:

“I hope it stops people in their tracks and creates a big crowd around it. It will be nice to see people’s reactions,”

“The driving force behind this one was to improve myself as an artist and really capture the raw physical power of the horse in more detail. I layered up the horseshoes to give it that sense of power.

Ollie has made many horse sculptures, including another 12-foot piece which was sold to Cheltenham Race Course, but he is especially proud of his latest creation, which took five years to make.

Charles Mills, Director of the Great Yorkshire Show added:

“Ollie’s sculpture is a true epic that I have no doubt will turn heads at the Great Yorkshire Show.

“We are proud of the high-quality equestrian classes we have at the Show each year, so this is a very fitting sculpture to have in such a prominent position on the Showground.”

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Local girls’ football team struggle to find a female coach

A Harrogate based children’s football club has launched an urgent appeal for a young female coach.

Pannal Ash Panthers under fourteens girls’ football squad has been looking for a suitable candidate for more than 18 months.

The squad members have asked for a female coach closer to their age range, ideally between seventeen and twenty-five years old.

Chris Makin, head coach at Pannal Ash Junior Football Club said:

“We understand the importance of representation and relatability for our young players.

“Unfortunately, despite casting our net far and wide, we have encountered several false starts, leaving us empty-handed.”

The number of girls playing football has seen a huge rise following England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 win.

At Pannal Ash FC, the girl’s section has grown rapidly over the last five years, with around 110 more girls from ages five to eighteen joining.

According to Mr Makin, the Lionesses are icons to the girls playing at Pannal Ash.

He believes a young, sports-minded female coach, like those playing for England’s women’s team, would “inspire and empower” the squad’s players.

The district has spawned its own football superstar, Rachael Daly, who won the 2022-2023 Women’s Super League Golden Boot and recently opened a café in Killinghall named after her.

The club has made many efforts to find a suitable match but have been unsuccessful.

Mr Makin told the Stray Ferret:

“We have left no stone unturned in our search, leveraging extensive social media coverage with captivating video content featuring esteemed members of the England Lionesses squad.

“Additionally, we have even offered funded FA Coaching qualifications to potential candidates. Our aim has been to find a coach who resonates with our girls and meets their specific preferences”

Throughout the search, many potential candidates were contacted. However, the club was met with few responses, as well as several last-minute cancellations and no-shows.

The team will continue to look for a coach who is more representative of its members and hopes to find the right match soon.

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Harrogate acting school student lands major role in CBBC series

A Ripon teenager who attends a Harrogate drama school has landed a major role in a a children’s TV series.

Evie Elgie, 17, who studies at Articulate Drama School, had only done two auditions before and said she was surprised to get the part on the CBBC series.

The show, A Kind of Spark, follows the story of an autistic girl, Addie, who wants to create a memorial for women put on trial for witchcraft in her village. Addie believes many of the women condemned as witches were also autistic.

Evie plays the role of Addie’s 11-year-old best friend Jenna, who struggles with how being friends with an autistic girl affects her image at school.

A Kind of Spark is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Elle McNicoll.

Evie Elgin (left) playing Jenna. Pic: BBC/9 Story Media Group

Talking about her experience on set, Evie said:

“It was fantastic! I filmed in Manchester for 11 weeks between August and October 2022, just after completing my GCSE exams.”

“The cast and crew were all great and I loved working with them all. It was a very friendly welcoming atmosphere.”

Evie added:

“I’ve wanted to be an actress since I was 10 years old so this was such an amazing opportunity.”

Evie has been attending weekly acting classes at the drama school in Harrogate, which trains and finds filming opportunities for child actors in the area.

The school has helped secure roles for their performers on programmes such as Gentleman Jack, All Creatures Great and Small, Waterloo Road and A Gentleman in Moscow.

A Kind of Spark is available on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.

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