Model boaters in Valley Gardens call for public support to stop fountain

Claro Marine model boating club has called on the public to help stop a fountain being installed in the Valley Gardens’ boating pond.

Harrogate Borough Council plans to put the fountain in the pool next year at a cost of £6,000.  The boaters have argued it will stop their hobby as water from the fountain will damage the engines of their model boats.

The club’s secretary, Dave Finnegan, wrote to the council outlining its concerns and earlier this month received a response.

Head of parks and environment services, Alison Wilson, wrote:

“As the body [of the fountain] consists of a base and jets there is little infrastructure involved. Once in place, we will consider any protection required to ensure there is no damage to the jets from boats and vice versa.

“We do not wish to curtail your clubs activities, simply make the area more attractive and usable at other times of the week”.

Mr Finnegan told the Stray Ferret he was unhappy with Ms Wilson’s reply.

“You can’t use a model boat where there is a fountain. If your boat goes wrong or there is some interference with the remote control you can find the boat in the fountain area which damages the boat.

“If there is a fender cutting off the fountain, then you’re cutting off a huge area for the boats to go. It is a small pond really not a lake. The boats need the deeper water which is where they’ll put the fountain. “

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The council has also said it was working on a scheme where the club could disable the fountain but Mr Finnegan said it had additional concerns that in hot weather the fountain water could pose a public health risk. As a result it doesn’t want responsibility for operating it

“The pond is shallow and we’re concerned that if the water temperature rises above 20 degrees celsius the fountain could create the risk of spreading legionnaires disease.”

The council has rejected this, saying the pond will be monitored and tested in hot weather.

The boating pond in Valley Gardens, which is currently drained

The club though has its supporters — retired lawyer, Dr Trevor Dale, wrote to Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones, outlining concerns for the boaters and raising the legionnaires disease issue.

Mr Jones then contacted Alison Wilson and sent Dr Dale a letter with her response in it.

So the club felt it had got no further and it has left the boaters feeling frustrated and powerless.

Mr Finnegan said:

“We’ve no idea how to change their minds. When you consider it has been used as a boating pool for 98 years, it’s very sad.

“Nobody is helping us so I’d like the public to get involved and write to the council or to Andrew Jones and call for the fountain plan to be cancelled.”

 

Business Breakfast: Christmas Harrogate networking event this Sunday

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A free Harrogate business networking event is to be held at Cold Bath Brewery this Sunday, December 4.

Normally the Harrogate Social meets on the first friday of every month. It’s a space where around 50 local business owners get together  for a drink at a local independent bar and share news.

The Christmas event though is on a Sunday afternoon and this year the venue is Cold Bath Brewing on Kings Road.

The organisers, Liz Wild or Wild and Co Chartered Accountants and Martin Mann of Martin Mann- I.T. are asking participants to support the Harrogate Homeless Project.

For more information click here.

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Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors in Harrogate are to sponsor the Inclusivity Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023.

The Inclusivity Award recognises a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity.

In total there are 10 Award categories for the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 which will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate.  The main event sponsor is Knaresborough based financial advisers and consultants, Prosperis. 

Andrew from Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors said:

“Harrogate has many legends…..  Betty’s, Valley Gardens, The Blue’s Bar…. But, there is a new kid on the block, The Stray Ferret and we are proud to be working as a partner with them.

“The Stray Ferret has quickly become known as the place to find impartial, honest, local news, at Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors we are pleased to be partnering with the Stray Ferret, after all our clients want impartial honest advice on their property purchase”

The event promises to be great occasion which recognises best practice and business excellence.

If your business has a good story to tell enter now . Entries close on January 13.

 

Owners of Harrogate trophy store retire after 40 years

A Harrogate couple who have run a small independent trophy store for 40 years are to retire.

Martin and Jane Newton have operated Trophies and Engravings out of their small shop on Valley Mount since the early 1980’s.

Before his career in trophy making,  Mr Newton worked for ICI at Hornbeam Park but left to set up a darts shop.

A keen dart player, he was running a number of darts leagues across the district at the time.

When he was asked to run a competition for Theakston’s Brewery and make the trophies, it marked the start of a new business that would soon take over his life for the next four decades.

Now at the age of 72, he said. it’s time to hand the business over to people younger.

“I was busy up to covid and I was worried afterwards that we wouldn’t have enough business but we’ve had queues since then and we’ve not stopped running. Once you hit 70  it is hard work.

Making trophies for the Great Yorkshire Show starts early in the year and goes onto June. We also have school presentations at that time of year and all the winter sports leagues ending, it’s manic. ”

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The trophies the Newtons have made and commissioned come in all shapes, sizes and budgets, ranging from £5 for a school award to hundreds of thousands of pounds for a bespoke trophy plated in silver or gold.

Whilst the couple have worked with local organisations such as the Army Foundation College, Harrogate Swimming Club and Yorkshire Gymnastics, they also have contracts much further afield.  Their bus awards – a gold coloured bus on a plinth- are popular in Australia and America.

Jane Newton has run the business with her husband. Even in a world now obsessed with social media, she said, there’s nothing like winning an actual physical trophy:

“People are really proud when they get their name on a trophy – they’re beaming”

The Newtons have now sold the business to Paul and Linda Shreeve who will soon be creating  moments of joy for award winners everywhere.

Business Breakfast: Prosperis to be main sponsor of Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

Prosperis, the Knaresborough based financial advisors and employee benefit consultants, are to be the main sponsor of the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023.

Nominations are now open for 10 award categories that highlight all aspects of business from leadership, business growth to inclusivity.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards judging panel is made up of some of the districts most influential leaders : Marcus Boardall CEO of Reed Boardall, Charlene Lyons CEO of Black Sheep, Martin Rae CEO of Cloud Nine and James Farrar COO of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Managing Director of Prosperis, Niall Gunn said:

“We’re delighted to be the main sponsor of the Stray Ferret Business Awards.  As a leading corporate consultancy working across Yorkshire, we know there is so much best practice in the Harrogate district to celebrate and highlight.

“The event promises to be a great occasion – the judging panel is impressive and I’m sure competition for each award will be stiff.”

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 will be held on 9 March 2023.

If your business, team or staff member has an award winning story to tell then now is your time to shine!

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Harrogate law firm McCormicks Solicitors has appointed a new Partner.

David Birks (left) joins as head of the commercial disputes and sports litigation team which offers a wide range of litigation services to both individuals and businesses across the region as well as nationally.

Before becoming a solicitor Mr Birks headed up the North Yorkshire Trading Standards Consumer Advice Team and Special Investigations team, dealing with regulatory matters and specialising in anti-counterfeiting matters.

 

Senior Partner Peter McCormick OBE said:

“We are delighted to welcome David on board, bringing as he does in-depth expertise in a complex area of law which is a key focus for the practice.”

Mr Birks has experience in sports disputes, including arbitrations, tribunals and FA, Premier League and EFL regulatory matters. His specialisms include insolvency (individual and corporate) and Directors Disqualification Act Proceedings.

 

The Stray Ferret launches 2023 Business Awards

Does your business or workplace have a good story to tell? We’re looking to recognise the best and the brightest in the Harrogate district’s business community.

On March 9 next year, the Stray Ferret Business Awards will celebrate those businesses at a glittering black tie ceremony in the Pavilions of Harrogate and we want your entries.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023, sponsored by local financial advisers Prosperis, are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district including Ripon, Masham, Boroughbridge, Harrogate, Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough.

We are delighted to announce four of the region’s most influential leaders are on the Stray Ferret Business Award’s judging panel:

There are 10 award categories − from Dynamic Leader to Business Growth and Inclusivity.

It doesn’t matter if the business is large or small − the awards are to recognise excellent organisations, their leaders or unsung heroes.

It’s free to nominate and we will profile the great work of all the winners, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 16.

In tough times we need, more than ever, to celebrate success and give individuals and teams the recognition they deserve.

Appeal for pet food donations in Harrogate

There’s been an appeal for donations of pet food in Harrogate as owners struggle to feed their animals.

The call for donations has come from the Harrogate District Foodbank after finding that many pet owners feel they cannot afford to keep their pets with the rising cost of living.

Dog food prices in particular have risen by 40%.

Seeing the appeal, a Harrogate pet shop owner volunteered to collect and deliver pet food donations for distribution across Harrogate district.

Jon Bradley, owner of HG Pets on Cold Bath Road is asking pet owners to come to the store and give unwanted pet food away.

He said:

“We will take any pet food – if it has been sitting in the cupboard because your pet doesn’t like it, we’ll have it. If it is opened, we can tape it up and it can be donated.

The appeal is for all types of small animal pet food –whether that is for a budgie or a dog.”

Mr Bradley said many pet owners are being forced to consider giving away their pets:

“Having got two dogs, I can’t think of anything worse than having to choose between them or myself… I’d put my animal first if I didn’t have a wife and daughter.”

More information regarding food banks in Harrogate district is available on the Harrogate District Foodbank website or via their email at: info@harrogatedistrict.foodbank.org.uk.

If you wish to donate pet food to HG Pets, you can visit them at 47 Cold Bath Road or call at: 07921 169061.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate workshops to help refugees find work

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

Recruitment company delivers employment workshops to new communities in Harrogate

Recruitment company, Corecom Consulting, has delivered three employment workshops to refugees in Harrogate.

Managing Director, Jonathan Sanderson, and Delivery Consultant Elise Simpson, approached Migration Yorkshire with a proposal to provide employment support on their Connecting Opportunities scheme.

Elise Simpson said:

“I had volunteered with refugees at university and knew that Corecom’s ethos centres around wellbeing and empowering individuals

Our MD, Jonathan, has already carried out a multitude of activities to promote equality and diversity within the workplace and our local communities so, with his support, I made contact with Migration Yorkshire.”

An initial workshop focused on CV writing, followed up by a second on interview preparation with the final workshop guiding on the use of LinkedIn as a marketing tool.

Following a successful pilot, there are now plans to roll the workshops out to other Connecting Opportunities participants.

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Recognition for Harrogate College’s sustainability work

Harrogate College’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised by a major environmental awards scheme.

The Green Gown Awards celebrates examples of exceptional green projects that are being carried out by education institutions across the country.

Harrogate College reached the finals this year after being shortlisted for the Tomorrow’s Employees category.

The judges said they were impressed by the college’s partnership work to provide retrofit training, delivery of green skills based on local feedback, and efforts to embed sustainability into its courses.

Principal Danny Wild said:

“As a college that is determined to play its part in tackling the climate emergency, we are pleased to see our ever-evolving sustainability work being recognised in this way.

“The Green Gown Awards celebrate best practice in environmental initiatives across the country, so we are in good company.

“This recognition will inspire us to work even harder to become a centre of green excellence and, as outlined in our Sustainability Pledge, become a net zero college by 2035.”

 

 

 

 

Business Breakfast: NYnet to create district’s biggest full fibre business park

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

County council-owned technology firm NYnet has announced that Hornbeam Park is set to become the district’s biggest full fibre business park.

The expansion aims to support the local economy with reliable fibre broadband and guaranteed bandwidth.

The company already delivers full fibre to Saint Michael’s Hospice, which is located at the end of the business park.

The project is supported by the Digital Enterprise Grant which plans to match investments made by businesses at the park.

The CEO of Nynet, Alastair Taylor, said:

“The expansion of our network at Hornbeam Park will mean every business on the site can have access to fast and reliable fibre to the premises, at a price not dissimilar to current non-fibre services.

“The investment we are putting into Hornbeam Park and the service levels businesses will be able to access is excellent news for our region and will help to put Harrogate at the forefront of the UK’s digital economy.”

Nynet Limited was established by the North Yorkshire County Council in 2007. All profits from the company are returned to the council to fund frontline services.

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Free breakfast seminars to review agricultural prospects coming to Harrogate

Rural land surveying firm GSC Grays will be hosting a free breakfast seminar to aid farmers this December.

The seminar will take place on December 6 at Pavillions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The company will be reviewing the prospects and options for farmers in the area, as well as advising them.

GSC Grays will give advice and support the agricultural industry in the free seminar 

The session comes at a time of need for farmers with basic payment scheme payments ending and inflation rising.

The Harrogate seminar is one of four scheduled across the North of England as part of GSC Grays’ farm business advice service.

The service has been funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Future Farming Resilience Fund Scale Up Project. This gives organisations like GSC Grays grants allowing them to offer free business advice.

Farmers can register their interest by email or by calling 03333 059059.

Businesses across Harrogate district to face ‘tough winter’ after autumn statement

Local organisations are in unison with their reaction to the autumn statement, warning there will be a ‘tough winter’ ahead of us.

Small businesses are expected to struggle as result of this morning’s autumn statement, with consumers predicted to cut disposable spending.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce chief executive David Simister said the statement was “exactly as previewed”:

“Whilst it will no doubt have reassured the markets, there seems very little to support businesses when they need it most.

“The cost of running business will continue to rise and these increases will have to be passed on to the customers, who in turn are worse off with soaring inflation and eye watering energy prices…

“I’m afraid to say many businesses are looking at a very bleak future.”

David SimisterDavid Simister

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson echoed the chamber’s projection:

“There was little in today’s autumn statement to boost our high street economy… Everyone is going to have less disposal income, this will mean consumers pairing back on their spending, which will shrink the economy further.”

Mr Simister and Ms Ferguson also agreed that the £13.6 billion business rates relief package would help soften the blow of April’s expected rise.

Sara Fergusson of Harrogate BID, Sasso and Caffe MarconiSara Ferguson

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Ripon BID welcomed some elements of the statement, such as the increase to pensions and benefits in line with September’s inflation rate as well as the early news of the rising national living wage for over-23s.

In a statement, the organisation said:

“The UK falling into recession was expected and Ripon BID hopes that the chancellor’s measures to reduce inflation will be in his words ‘as short and shallow as possible’, however we would welcome any help available to businesses from the government and urge them to come up with non-inflationary measures which would aid them.

“Now more than ever it is important that we try and support our local businesses by shopping locally and giving support to our Ripon city region independents.

“Ripon BID is here to help BID businesses and would urge those businesses to get in touch with us to enable us to help promote their business and any promotions over the festive season and into the new year.”

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered the autumn statement earlier today. Millions across the country will face rising taxes and Mr Hunt spending cuts have been made to “tackle the cost of living crisis and rebuild our economy”.

Warning as fallen tree blocks path in the Pinewoods

A tree has fallen along the main path between Valley Gardens and Hallow Moor Road.

The tree was spotted this morning by the Pinewoods Conservation Group who subsequently tweeted to alert the public.

The tweet read:

“Please take care in the very wet woods. Tree down over the main path from Valley Gardens to Harlow Moor Rd that should hopefully be cleared soon.”

The path connects Valley Gardens to RHS Garden Harlow Carr and lies deep within the Pinewoods.

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Weather warnings have been issued across North Yorkshire with Harrogate in particular being affected by the rain and flooding.

Please let us know if the rain is causing problems where you are, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk