The Harrogate Fire Ants are raising money to improve sanitation on the small island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

The Port Vila Fire Ants, Vanuatu, came to the Harrogate Fire Ants attention in April 2020, when they discovered they shared the same name.

Along with New Zealand based charity the Butterfly Trust, the Harrogate team are now fundraising to build toilets, hand washing stations and clean water pumps from materials sourced in Vanuatu.

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Chair of the Harrogate Team, Stuart Morris said:

“We realised quite quickly that locals in Vanuatu struggle a lot. They suffer from typhoons which are often category 5, knocking out entire infrastructures. We wanted to do something that would benefit them and raising money gives the locals a decision of how we can help, like what they want doing and where.

We share the same name so we are just us two, just 9,800 miles apart!”

Rugby League for Harrogate

The Harrogate Fire Ants were only established in April 2020 as an attempt to encourage rugby league in the Harrogate area.

Since then, they have already gained a spot to play at Ashville College, where former New Zealand and Leeds Rhinos league player, Gary Mercer is head of rugby.

Mercer is the liaison between the team and Ashville and will be offering a coaching session for the Fire Ants. In the off season for rugby league, Ashville’s rugby team will be using the Fire Ants for training and fitness.

The Harrogate Fire Ants say that starting a rugby league team hasn’t been the easiest, and said they faced some difficulties setting up a league team in a union dominated area.

Stuart Morris, Chairman of the Harrogate Fire Ants said:

“The hardest part was trying to work around the differences between league and union in this area. Ideally we wanted to be in Starbeck but there wasn’t enough space so we’ve moved from Rossett to Knaresborough until we finally got space at Ashville College in Harrogate.”

The team are due to start training again on May 4.

The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon is set to reopen today. The 45-acre site in Grewelthorpe is home to 80 outdoor sculptures and nearly 20,000 plants.

The gardens were shortlisted for the BBC Countryfile Magazine awards 2020 and were winners of the Yorkshire in Bloom tourist attraction award in 2018 and 2019.

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A spokesperson for the gardens said:

“We believe that being outdoors and in beautiful gardens is restorative and important for people’s wellbeing. It can be a source of much-needed tranquillity in these super-anxious times.

“We are, however, mindful that the safety of visitors and our staff is our number one priority. We’re pleased to welcome visitors, that they may enjoy the blooms of spring in a safe and tranquil environment.”

The gardens have implemented additional staff training and measures to ensure key points, such as the visitors’ entrance, are safe. Natural materials have been used to create one-way systems and social distancing markers. Visitors must book tickets in advance. The plant sale area will be open and the tearoom and refreshment horsebox will be serving takeaways.

The spokesperson added:

 “Thankfully, our attraction benefits from being in the great outdoors with plenty of space.”

The actor Joanna Lumley, who is patron of the gardens, said:

“They are a slice of paradise. Gardens are the greatest healers on earth, and as our stressful anxious lives tie us up in knots, we may turn to the sweet silence of the great green earth for solace.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have asked locals not to have BBQ’s or campfires in the countryside this weekend.

Since lockdown restrictions were eased on Monday and travelling further afield is allowed, the Easter weekend is expected to be a busy time for countryside walks.

This raises concerns that walkers may use disposable BBQs and campfires to enjoy the outdoors.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:

“Every year we attend grass and wild fires that are started accidentally by people having barbecues on grass or through campfires that have spread.”

“You can help us reduce these types of fire by listening to our advice and sharing it with friends and family. If you spot a fire in the countryside please report it to us by dialling 999.”

In 2018, a fire caused by a disposable BBQ at Brimham Rocks led to 8,700 square metres of damage to moorland.

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Countryside visitors have also been asked to leave everything as they found it and keep their dogs under control.

Spokesperson for the National Trust Yorkshire said:

‘We know lots of people will be heading out to enjoy the Yorkshire countryside over Easter, and we’re asking them to help us protect the outdoor places we care for and make sure everyone can enjoy their visit by following government guidance and observing the Countryside Code.”

People in the Harrogate district have been advised to avoid household recycling centres this weekend because of expected queues.

North Yorkshire County Council’s 20 recycling centres remain open during lockdown but queueing systems to comply with social distance guidelines have caused tailbacks.

The Harrogate district has three centres: Wetherby Road and Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon.

Queues at the recycling centre on Wetherby Road. Photo: Mark Westerman

Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for open to business, said:

“We expect the household waste recycling centres to be extremely busy over the holiday weekend, as Easter is always a busy time.

“Given the rules in place to ensure the sites can operate safely, this will inevitably lead to queues.

“We’re asking people to consider whether they really need to visit their household waste recycling centre this weekend. Could you keep the waste at home for another week or so and take it at a less busy time?”

The centres moved to summer opening hours today, meaning they are now open from 8.30am to 5pm every day except Wednesdays.

Hannah Corlett, spokesperson for the Harrogate and District Green Party said the location of the centres was the main issue. She said:

“I know people from Ripon who have travelled all the way to Bedale recycling centres because the queues are so large so we should be asking why the centres are where they are.

“These high traffic areas are a bad place for them if they’re causing such big queues.

“Asking people to avoid them this weekend also sends a bad message about accessibility. Lots of people don’t have time to travel to their local recycling centre and so more and smaller recycling centres would probably be a better option.”

A plaque in Stonefall park has been shattered with what police describe as “considerable force”.

The vandalism took place on the night of March 20 or March 21.

The plaque, which gives visitors information on the history of the park, including Queen Victoria passing on the former train line that ran alongside it, is thought to have been smashed with a rock.

It’s thought repairing the plaque could cost Harrogate Borough Council about £300.

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Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh, whose Harrogate Hookstone ward includes Stonefall, said:

“It’s concerning that there are people who will inflict this kind of force on a public board. This history plaque is for the community to read and damaging it is just mindless.

“However, this mindless vandalism has been overbalanced by the community spirit, lots of people have already said they will donate to fix the plaque. That gives you faith back in the community.”

The local police community support officer has begun to patrol the park more frequently to keep an eye on the area.

The council and police have urged anybody who may have seen anything or have any information to come forward.

A man has appeared before magistrates charged with attempted robbery at Summerbridge Stores.

Munashe Chikomba, 22, is accused of attempting to carry out the robbery at the village shop near Pateley Bridge on Saturday.

Chikomba, of Cardigan Road, Headingley, is also accused of possessing offensive weapons, namely a knife and a hammer, without reasonable excuse in a public place.

He appeared at York Magistrates’ Court in Monday where he was sent for trial at York Crown Court on April 26. He was denied bail.

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A photograph of a nurse found on the Stray has prompted a search to find the owner of the image — and discover who the mystery woman is.

Harrogate resident Dawn King found the black and white image, which she thinks could date back as far as the 1950s, lying in the grass at about 2pm on Monday.

Ms King said she found it on the West park Stray near to Beech Grove.

Ms King, who trained as a nurse in the 1980s, said:

“When I trained we had exactly the same uniform but the pinafore had gone, which makes me think the image must be dated either in the 1970s or before.”

The photograph was quite damaged when Ms King found it lying in the grass.

But there was no water damage, which suggests it hadn’t been on the ground for long.

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Ms King has posted her appeal on various Facebook groups in the hope it will solve the mystery and reunite the image with its owner. She said:

“It’s obviously precious to someone.”

If you are the owner of the photo or have any information, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will forward the information to Dawn.

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A project to help young people overcome sleeping difficulties has been extended to cover the Harrogate district.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group initially commissioned The Sleep Charity to run pilot projects in Whitby, Scarborough and Ryedale.

The scheme has now been extended to families across North Yorkshire for 12 months, starting on April 1.

The free scheme uses behavioural therapy, sleep clinics and workshops rather than medication to aid sleep.

It also provides professional training to GP practice staff, health visitors and school nurses.

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Research by The Sleep Charity, The Sleep Council and Sleepstation found that since the pandemic began, 70% of children are going to bed significantly later than usual.

Vicki Dawson, chief executive of The Sleep Charity, which is based in Doncaster, said:

“Quality sleep is absolutely essential for a child’s growth and development.

“It helps children to concentrate on learning, allows them to react more quickly to situations, have a more developed memory and solve problems.

“Plus, it makes them less susceptible to colds and other minor ailments, less irritable and better behaved.”

Dr Charles Parker, NHS North Yorkshire CCG clinical chair, said:

“We know how debilitating, disruptive and distressing it can be for families when a child is struggling to sleep, and we see first-hand how it can lead to a number of physical and mental health issues which require treatment.

“It’s heartening to hear that The Sleep Charity’s work has already made a huge difference to many families in Whitby, Scarborough and Ryedale and I’m delighted these services are now available across North Yorkshire.”

Families participating in the project gain access to the Teen Sleep Hub, which contains links to twice-weekly live chats with professional sleep practitioners.

The service is available for people aged 12 months to 18 years.

For children and young people with a special education need or disability and/or education health care plan, the service is available from ages 12 months to 25 years.

Access to the scheme is available by self referral. Email support@thesleepcharity.org.uk for details.

This year marks 100 years of The Rotary Club of Harrogate. The organisation hit its centennial on January 8 and has multiple celebratory events planned this year.

Since 1921, The Rotary Club of Harrogate has raised money for hundreds of causes, from tackling environmental issues to providing affordable accommodation.

To celebrate, the club will be planting a Centenary Garden flower bed at Valley Gardens in the colours of its logo.  Members say they will dress in 1921 style for its unveiling in June. A date is not yet confirmed due to covid.

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March 22 had been set as the date for a sold out centenary concert at the Royal Hall, Harrogate.

Lockdown restrictions meant this couldn’t go through, so Mervyn Darby, chair of the International Committee encouraged ticket holders to donate the refunded money to the Royal Hall to support it through the pandemic.

School Competition

The Rotarians are also running a competition with the 35 schools in Harrogate. This will be for 4-8 year olds and will involve a colouring competition and an essay about their favourite locations in Harrogate.

The winner’s school will be awarded £750, second place £500 and third place £250. This competition is hoped to begin in Autumn term.

The club also said that an additional sum of money will be gifted to schools across Harrogate to fund art and sports.

Chair of the Youth Services Committee, Malcolm Campbell, wants to encourage more young people to become a Rotarian with concerns that current membership tends to be the older community of Harrogate. Malcolm said:

“We are optimistic in working and growing with younger people and are always looking for new, younger members.

We should focus more on children, the 4-8 year olds now will be the students in 5 years, apprentices in 10 years and world changers in 20 years. We must put more effort in for them.

The Youth Services Committee has also been involved with projects to inspire children. With help from PC world, the club donated 10 laptops to Rossett Acre Primary School.