Scriven Park Pre-School fighting to stay open

Major concerns about the future of Scriven Park Pre-School have been raised after it continues to struggle to find additional finances to stay open.

The Knaresborough pre-school, next to Meadowside Academy, currently has 16 children but says it needs more children and staff to keep running.

The pre-school runs as a charity with a committee, in the past two weeks it has elected a new committee in the hopes of making it financially stable again.

The new co-chair, Hayley Fiorentino, said the pre-school can reopen in January but the next three to six months were critical.

As a charity-run facility the centre relies on fundraising and funding from the county council. It gets £4.05 per hour for each child that is there on council funding.

This money goes towards the wages of four staff and bills but Ms Fiorentino said that the committee is desperate for more fundraising. She said:

“My son loves going there and when I found out how much trouble it was in I had to step up. As a student nurse, I can’t afford to send my son anywhere else so I had to do my bit to keep it open.

“We need to claw it back. It used to hold events like summer fayres and bingo nights but covid has hit us hard.”

Ms Fiorentino said since a social media plea for help last week, the charity had been approached by other charities and nurseries locally offering help to run the centre efficiently.

It was also due to meet with a local town councillor in the coming week to discuss potential funding opportunities.

She added:

“We need to everything we can so if it doesn’t work we can say we did all we could.”

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New centre manager, Leanne Holdworth, took on the position in October and said it has been a struggle but she hopes there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

She said her and the other staff were determined to remain open for the children and hope the new committee can look into funding available to them:

“We’re struggling massively, we get funding from the county council but this instantly goes on wages and bills. It’s not enough. Now we are at a point where we can’t even be sure of the future.

“Lots of parents have chosen to keep their kids at home during covid which has impacted us massively. Now I’m left with a ship that’s about the sink.”

The pre-school is set to welcome three new-starters in January and hopes if it can hire more staff it can take on more.

It also thanked local residents who had dropped off donations of toys and books allowing them to save money. Any further donations can be given here.

Harrogate and Ripon hospitals restrict visitors due to Omicron

The NHS Trust running Harrogate and Ripon’s hospitals has said visitors will only be allowed onto wards in exceptional circumstances due to the threat of the Omicron variant.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the “highly transmissible” nature of the variant has meant it must bring in new measures.

The new rules will come into place on December 23 and will mean visitors will only be allowed onto wards in certain circumstances.

The exceptions are:

The changes also apply to people coming for outpatient appointments. Patients won’t be bale to bring someone with them unless it is they are a parent of a child or a carer.

Emma Nunez, executive director of nursing, midwifery & allied health professionals at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“This decision has not been taken lightly. We understand that this will be disappointing for people who have a loved one in our care, and we apologise for any upset that this will cause, but we have had to take this difficult decision to protect both our patients and our staff.

“We will be reviewing our visitor arrangements regularly and we will look to relax visiting restrictions at the earliest opportunity.”

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The hospital has had to make this decision before in previous covid peaks and says, once again, it must make the safety of patients and staff a priority.

The trust also emphasised the need for everyone to get behind the vaccine and booster roll-out. It said nearly 90% of its staff have had a first and second dose.

A vaccination centre has been set up at Harrogate hospital as part of the acceleration of the booster vaccine programme. Appointments can be booked on the NHS website.

London estate agent returns home to Harrogate to open new firm

A new estate agents is opening in Harrogate after its owner, Libby Watt, decided to leave London to return home.

After more than 20 years in the capital working for firms such as Featherstone Leigh and Manors, Ms Watt said she chose to move back home to be closer to her parents and set up a new firm, Barclay Watt Estates.

The new agency will cover all of Harrogate and surrounding towns.

Ms Watt said she is hoping her London contacts and love for property will help her stand out among the numerous well-established Harrogate agencies.

She said:

“I’m obsessed with property and never ever tire of visiting clients and seeing other peoples houses.

“I am always friendly, always fair, but will fight to the death to get my clients the best deal, and ensure their transaction is pushed along to a swift and satisfactory conclusion.”

Initially, Ms Watt was planning to buy a second home to be closer to her parents and commute regularly but said it was her experience with local agents planted the seed to set up her own firm.

“After registering with pretty much all the agents, only three made contact with me. I also made an offer on two properties – one I never heard back from, and the second emailed about five days later.

“I was genuinely shocked, after all, clients give you their properties to sell/let in good faith and to me it is just not acceptable to not get back to people, or not to act in your clients best interest. I discussed setting up on my own with friends here, who had been left frustrated when buying or selling properties here, and they thought it was a great idea – so here I am.”

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Ms Watt has said she will be focussing on sales, lettings, management and property acquisitions. In London, she said it is common for agents to close deals on homes before they hit the market she is hoping to offer the same in Harrogate.

She is currently working alone but said she hopes to hire more staff in the future.

Ms Watt said she is also in the process of securing an interior designer to work alongside her and will also offer a national, and international Global Relocation service.

Harrogate running club congratulates founder after she wins BBC award

A Harrogate running club is hoping to encourage more members to join them in the new year after its founder won the Unsung Hero award at Sunday night’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Sam Barlow won the award for her efforts to set up the Yorkshire based club Fitmums and friends four years ago. The group aims to give everyone, not just mums, the opportunity to run without feeling any pressure.

Fitmums and friends now has 13 branches across Yorkshire and Grimsby, one is in Harrogate.

The Harrogate branch has said they are “over the moon” for Ms Barlow adding that after she helped to set up the Harrogate group four years ago it has gone from strength to strength.

One of the volunteer leaders, Kathryn Morrison, said:

“Now Sam has won this award we’re expecting Fitmums to expand and we just want to encourage people around Harrogate to come join us.It’s really inclusive, it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel fit enough we can support you in so many ways.

“We’re all about encouraging community and communication, I can’t imagine any of us fancied coming out on a cold night last night but we did and we all felt better for it.”

The branch now has 43 members and 12 leaders and coaches all coming together each Monday night for a run.

The aim is to encourage anyone of any ability to run or walk with the group. The group has a strong focus on mental health, encouraging members to speak openly and make friends.

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Ms Morrison joined the first run in January 2017 as a member, she said she was a new mum and “not particularly fit” but said the support spurred her on and a year later she became a volunteer leader for the group.

She can now take groups out on different routes, ranging from one to six miles. She added:

“You never have to worry about being the slowest because we always make a thing about starting and finishing together.”

The group meets at Harrogate Railways AFC in Starbeck every Monday at 7.15pm. People can have a free trial which includes three sessions or joing for £36 per year which includes all your sessions and allows you to join any Fitmums run across Yorkshire.

Christmas timetables for bus and train services in Harrogate district

Several services across the Harrogate district will change over the festive period including some days where services will be suspended.

Here’s a day-by-day list of the festive timetable across the district:

Friday, December 24:

Saturday, December 25:

Sunday, December 26:

Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28:

Wednesday, December 29 and Thursday, December 30:

Friday, December 31:

Saturday, January 1:

Sunday, January 2 and Monday, January 3:

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Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning it’s Suzannah with you today. I’m here to keep you updated on any road or public transport delays.

If you spot anything, let me know on 01423 276197. Let’s help everyone have a smooth journey today.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That’s it from me today, it’ll be Connor back with you.

From myself, have a very Merry Christmas.

Roads

Traffic is building here:

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Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

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Traffic is building here:

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8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are getting busier in their usual spots but no hotspots yet.

Road closures:

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Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are getting busier but no hotspots to report yet.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

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Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are still running smoothly so far this morning, but keep checking back as things will likely get busier.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

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Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are running smoothly so far this morning, but keep checking back as things will likely get busier as the morning goes on.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate district covid case rate rises above 500

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate jumped above 500 today to stand at 518 infections per 100,000 people.

The infection rate, which was last seen at current levels almost four weeks ago, has risen by 25% in the last three days.

However, it still remains considerably lower than the England average of 844 but slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 471.

Harrogate District Hospital has reported another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

According to NHS England figures, the death was recorded on December 16.

Today, the district reported 141 covid cases.

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A total of 92,912 people in the district have received either booster or third doses of the covid vaccine.

If you want to know where to go for your covid vaccine or booster, keep checking our vaccine blog for updates on those open.

More roadside weather stations in Harrogate district to help drivers

North Yorkshire County Council has installed an extra 13 roadside weather stations on remote roads to alert drivers to treacherous road conditions during bad weather.

It means there is now a total of 23 weather stations across the county, powered by solar and wind technology, that display up-to-date images of road conditions on the council’s website.

The Harrogate district is covered by one new station on the A658 Harrogate bypass as well two others in Low Burton, near Masham, and Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge.

The images can be monitored by commuters but will also be used by highways teams to track conditions.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said the cameras were a great tool for highways staff:

“The introduction of more weather stations over recent months marks a huge step forward in our winter service delivery.

“Many of North Yorkshire’s roads pass over the high ground of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, resulting in dangerous driving conditions at times during the winter months.

“The stations broadcast up-to-date images to anybody who views our website. They allow you to see what road conditions are like before you even leave the house.”

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The county council is encouraging all road users to check the cameras prior to heading out if extreme weather is forecast.

For a list of the weather stations and to view live images click here

Woman speaks of ‘life-changing injuries’ after Masham cow attack

A woman has spoken about being left with “life-changing injuries” after she was attacked by a herd of cows in Masham.

Janicke Tvedt had to be air-lifted to hospital for emergency surgery after the ordeal, which occurred when she was walking her dog on a footpath off Foxholme Lane in July.

As Ms Tvedt, her partner and dog headed to leave the field they were approached by a herd of around 30 cows and two calves.

A lone cow with two calves attacked the dog, which was on a lead, and as the couple attempted to escape the field three cows blocked their exit and trapped them against a hedge. Cows with calves sometimes instinctively attack dogs.

After sniffing them for some time, the cows attacked the dog, which pulled Ms Tvedke to the ground. A cow then stamped on her abdomen, chest and throat before another fell onto her leg and rolled on top of her.

Her partner managed to get her up and to a tree where they were surrounded for about 20 minutes until the cows left them alone. They were then able to leave the field and Ms Tvedt was put in the recovery position by her partner whilst the police, ambulance and air ambulance came to her aid.

She was left with seven broken ribs, other ribs partially fractured and a broken thumb. The trampling also destroyed part of her colon and after two days of sedation she had a colostomy bag fitted.

Ms Tvedt spoke of her “traumatising” experience:

“I know I’m very lucky to still be here. It’s had a huge impact on my life, I’m now having to take time to come to terms with what’s happened to me and how it’s changed my life.”

Hoof prints of chest

Nearly six months on from the ordeal, Ms Tvedt is waiting for her colostomy bag to be removed, which is likely to be in March next year. She still has two large hoof prints on her chest.

She is also waiting for two hernias to be removed from her chest and to be given the go-ahead from an ear, nose and throat specialist to return to singing in her local choir.

Ms Tvedt has been attending regular counselling since the attack and says she is very wary of where she walks her dog now.

She had been due to go into surgery for cancer a few days prior to the incident but it was delayed.

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Ms Tvedt’s ordeal was discussed at a recent Masham Parish Council meeting where a police community support officer Alison Swan said officers were hearing of more cow attacks, especially among tourists, and more warning signs were required.

The parish council heard that the farmer of the field had put up additional warning signs since the incident but these had been pulled down. The farmer had requested to have the path re-routed to the adjacent arable field but this had been refused.

Cllr Atkinson recommended the parish council write to the county council in support of moving the footpath to try to add weight to the application.

The council added it would speak to the farmer again to try and find way to prevent a similar incident happening again, for instance by putting up sturdier signs.

The incident is set to be included in the TV series Helicopter ER next year.

Organisers ‘hopeful’ Hampsthwaite v Birstwith tug of war can go ahead

The organisers of the annual News Year’s Day Hampsthwaite vs Birstwith tug of war competition have said they’re keeping their fingers crossed it will go ahead in a fortnight’s time.

The tradition dates back to the 1980s, but about eight years ago it became a competition between two pubs in the neighbouring villages; The Joiners Arms in Hampsthwaite and The Station Hotel in Birstwith.

Hundreds of people often watch the competition at Hampsthwaite cricket ground before heading to The Joiners Arms.

The event had to be cancelled this year due to coronavirus restrictions. Knaresborough’s Boxing Day tug of war has been cancelled this year but organisers have said they’re hopeful the event will be able to take place on the first day of next year.

Rebecca Cranage, the owner of Joiners Arms, said:

“We thought we’d definitely be OK for this year, we are just hoping it can still go ahead. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

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Ms Cranage has lived in the village for 20 years and, like many villagers, has fond memories of watching the event.

It has evolved over the years after starting as a Brits vs Americans competition featuring men from the RAF Menwith Hill base.

The upcoming event is due to include men’s and women’s teams, with 10 people on each end of the rope pulling for victory.

There will also be a raffle to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.