Race for Life returns to Harrogate today

The charity fundraiser Race For Life is set to return to Harrogate today after being cancelled last year due to covid.

Five events will take place on the Stray to raise money for Cancer Research UK. There will be three, five, and 10 kilometre runs. plus two muddy obstacle courses.

Some groups have already generated significant sums ahead of the race, including Tracy and Lorraine’s Angels, which has raised £1,200.

The group. which met through their involvement in the Dishforth Military Wives Choir, will be taking on the pretty muddy obstacle course. Out of the eight in the group, two have been affected by breast cancer since 2020.

Dishforth Military Wives Choir where Tracy and Lorraine’s Angels met

Read More:

Tracy Seavers said:

“I was the 1 in 2 to have a cancer diagnosis and spent all of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 undergoing treatment.

“It has been a long hard slog but made easier by all those people who have gone before me trialling medications to make treatment kinder. Without research I would not be where I am today.”

Pretty Muddy 5K

All five events will be held on The Stray, starting with the 10 kilometre run at 9.30am and ending with the pretty muddy five kilometre obstacle course at 1.15pm.

Oatlands Drive will be shut today for the event.

Adult entry is £19.99 and child entry is £10. Men have been able to join in since 2019.

For more information about Sunday’s race for life in Harrogate, see Cancer Research UK‘s website.

Harrogate library set to host activities fair

Harrogate library will host an activities fair from 10.30am to 2pm on September 23.

The fair will feature activities such as arts and crafts, dancing and photography. Anyone can drop in.

Cllr Greg White, executive member for libraries at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Getting out, taking part in activities and meeting people is a really good way to boost your mood and combat loneliness.”

Groups taking part include Harrogate Chess Club, St Paul’s Art Group and Harrogate Photographic Society.

Read More:

Groups that are unable attend on the day will still have information available for those attending to see.

The library, on Victoria Avenue, hopes the activities fair will be an opportunity for Harrogate district residents, especially retired people, to meet new people and learn new skills.

For more information see the Harrogate Library Facebook page.

Runners raise funds for all-weather track at Bishop Monkton school

A 10 kilometre race and fun run that raise money for a Harrogate district primary school is set to return this month.

The event, which was founded by race director Rebecca Owen, is called Beck Busters and helps Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School.

It hopes to generate £10,000 to get an all-weather track for the school field that children can use all year round.

Beck Busters didn’t take place last year because of lockdown restrictions but will return on September 19 for a fourth time.

Nina Swainston, one of the organisers, said:

“It’s a big local community event, anyone of all ages can take part.”

Read More:

Ms Swainston said runners were still welcome to enter. There are currently about 20 spaces for children out of a maximum entry of 150 and about 110 adult spaces out of a maximum entry of 330.

Entry costs £5 for children and £18 for adults (£16 for members of a running club).

The Beck Buster run is 10 kilometres, while the fun run is two kilometres.

Participants from clubs such as Ripon Runners and Harrogate Harriers have taken part.

In past years, the fundraiser has allowed the school to afford iPads for children, as well as save towards creating an all-weather track.

For more information see the Beck Busters website.

 

Harrogate College works with local firms to skill future staff

Harrogate College is to work with local firms to make sure its courses provide the skills they need.

The college has created what it calls an Employers’ Network.

The aim of the network is to hear from local businesses about the skills they need and then tailor its courses to provide them.

The college said the food and drink manufacturing industry could be one of the first areas to be tackled.

Local businesses that are currently involved: include Techbuyer, Energy Oasis, and AurumGold Ltd.

Read More:

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, said:

“This is an opportunity for employers to influence the content of our courses so that they get the skilled employees they need coming through”

The network aims to benefit businesses and students.

Firms will benefit from the creation of bespoke courses tailored for the businesses involved while students will take courses better suited to help them find jobs.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, performance and projects coordinator at Harrogate College, said other benefits included reducing the time and resources businesses would need to spend on training, and combatting current and future skill gaps within businesses by giving students the tools needed to fill the gaps.

The launch event will be on October 21 and local businesses can attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swinton Park hosts Royal car tour

HRH Prince Michael of Kent took part in a royal car tour of North Yorkshire this week driving a classic Bentley.

The tour was based at Swinton Park near Masham. Participants came from the US, Mexico and Europe to take part with sixteen of the most collectible vintage and classic cars in the world.

The event is part of an annual Royal Concours, at Hampton Court Palace this weekend. Last year the tour, which is held in different parts of the UK each year, was cancelled due to covid.

A spokesperson from Swinton Park said:

It’s been an absolute privilege to finally host the Concours of Elegance – Yorkshire Tour, both cars and participants, following its postponement last year. Our guests and staff are thoroughly enjoying getting up close to such beautiful classic cars and it is always a pleasure to have a member of the royal household visit Swinton.

Below are some images for the car enthusiast:

HRH Prince Michael of Kent driving a classic Bentley

Austin Healey

Alfa Romeo 6C

Jaguar SS100

Ferrari 330 GTC

Read more:

 

Harrogate-born musician to kick off London festival

A musician from Harrogate will be playing a three-day London festival later this month.

Joe Flanagan will be one of the first acts to perform at the Islington Radio Festival on September 10.

Joe was born and raised in Harrogate and is a former Harrogate Grammar School pupil, now residing in Bournemouth.

The guitarist, who has been influenced by the Gallagher brothers, began penning his own songs aged thirteen. He will be performing entirely original pieces during his set.

The Islington Radio Festival is a new event for this year founded by presenters at the station of the same name.

The gig will be one of many during the month as he is also set to play London venues such The Amersham Arms and Bethnal Green.

Read more

Joe spoke of his music;

“I started writing as a naughty kid aged 13 as an outlet for my emotions.
“My songs are based on personal experiences but written in a way that everyone can relate to.”

He isn’t currently signed to a record label, however he hinted of an upcoming EP in the works which he hopes will boost his career.

Almsford Community Day to offer fun for the family

Almsford Community Fun Day will take place next month after being cancelled last year due to covid.

The event is open to all on Sunday September 12 at Almsford Playing Fields near Hornbeam Park.

From 1pm until 6pm attendees can enjoy live music, sports events and family entertainment.

Acts in the main marquee include the All Together Now Choir and the Harrogate Band. In the children’s marquee, kids can enjoy magicians and stage shows.

Other family entertainment includes a bouncy castle, assault course and a human football table. Homemade food will be available from a range of local vendors.

Read More

The event was organised by local football team Pannal Ash Junior FC. Chairman Chris McVey said;

“We’re so looking forward to celebrate all that’s positive in our community after having to cancel our 2020 event due to the pandemic.”

“The Fun Day is about bringing people of all ages together in a Covid-safe way to enjoy fantastic entertainment after months of being apart.”

Any money raised from the event will go towards maintenance work on the playing field.

Harrogate teenager completes Yorkshire Three Peaks as tribute to granny

A Harrogate teenager has completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge and raised more than three times her original target.

Leah Gresty climbed the mammoth Three Peaks with her partner in under 11 hours earlier this month, leaving more than an hour to spare.

She was raising money for the UK Sepsis Trust in memory of her grandmother who died of sepsis last September.

Her grandmother Elizabeth Simmonite was a former butcher and baker on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate.

Leah raised £1,115, more than double her original £300 goal. She hopes that her challenge will also hope to spread awareness of the disease.

Read more

The Three Peaks challenge involves climbing Pen-Y-Ghent, Whemside and Ingleborough peaks in under 12 hours.

Leah said:

“It was even harder than I anticipated. It was my first big hike and I hadn’t trained at all so it was very challenging.”

“The third peak was definitely the hardest as we were already exhausted.”

Sepsis is a blood infection which is responsible for 48,000 deaths every year in the UK.

Leah is still accepting donations on her JustGiving page.

Young Harrogate tennis star, 12, makes Wimbledon debut

A pupil from Ashville College has competed in a juniors tournament at the famous Wimbledon ground.

12-year-old Emi Linley made her way to the doubles quarter final in a six day juniors tournament.

The Road to Wimbledon under-14s tournament saw pupils across the country compete on Wimbledon’s grass courts.

Emi was one of two players in Yorkshire to be selected as part of an initiative by All England Lawn Tennis Club.

9,000 pupils across the country competed, making it the largest junior girls competition in the country. Only 120 made it to the quarter-finals in which Emi competed.

Emi has been tennis training since she was four years old and now trains a minimum of 12 hours a week. She said;

“This was my first time playing at Wimbledon, and it was a great experience. It felt very special being there and I’m determined to win a place again next year.”

Duncan Archer, Ashville’s head of sports development, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Emi, and she should be incredibly proud of reaching the finals of this national tennis tournament.

“Almost 9,000 young players took part in this competition and Emi was one of just 120 who made it through to the finals. She is a fantastic tennis player and regularly beats competitors older than her.

“While this may have been Emi’s Wimbledon debut, I can assure you it won’t be her last.”

She is currently hoping for a victory in the ongoing 2021 Yorkshire Tennis Championships.

Security firm to plant over 100 trees in Summerbridge

A security firm has teamed up with a Harrogate environmental business to reduce its carbon footprint by planting 131 trees.

Dardan Security joined forces with Make it Wild to plant the trees to offset its annual carbon emissions.

The company said the trees planted will offset 480 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.

Make it Wild planted the trees at Dowgill Grange in Summerbridge on the company’s behalf. Co-founder Christopher Neave said;

“Where there are unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions, caused by their business activities, our trees will be removing an equivalent quantity and more from the atmosphere as they grow.”

“We will never cut them down and they are destined to become the trees of the future.”

Make it Wild was founded by Harrogate couple Christopher and Helen Neave eleven years ago. They aim to plant over 100,000 trees in the district by 2030.

Their site in Kirk Hammerton is now open to the public as Sylvan Nature Reserve.

Dardan Security has also pledged that any new additions to their transport fleet will be electric or hybrid. Transport fuel emissions currently equate to nearly 90% of the firm’s total carbon output.

Read more