Tamsin O'Brien, Author at The Stray Ferret

Business Breakfast: Ministry of Defence recognises Reed Boardall’s support

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker.

Boroughbridge based Reed Boardall has been accredited with a Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The award recognises an employer that has supported defence personnel and inspired others to do the same. Reed Boardall has 23 veterans, serving personnel employed part-time and reservists in its team.

Over the last year, the company has formalised its support of former and serving defence personnel and built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders.

It has partnered with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.

Daniel Delacoe-Eyre, a veteran who served for over 17 years in a number of regiments before joining Reed Boardall said:

“As a former soldier and officer myself, I understand only too well the concerns and even fear felt by service personnel as they contemplate leaving the armed forces. It’s vital that businesses do what they can to ensure there is a job for them when they return to civilian life and we have, therefore, embarked on a pro-active campaign to help them transition into a new career in the logistics sector.”

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, add:

“We are extremely proud not only to number so many defence personnel among our staff, but also for our efforts to have been recognised with a Bronze Award from the MOD. We will be working hard towards gaining our Silver award next year and even have our sights set on Gold.

“We believe it’s very important that people are given a second chance, whether that’s veterans embarking on a new career, or ex-offenders trying to secure employment and, as a responsible, people-focussed business, we are committed to doing all we can to support this. It’s extremely rewarding to see such talented people redeploying their skills and seizing the opportunity to become part of the Reed Boardall family.”

Ruth Hansom takes up residency at Swinton Estate

Swinton Park in Masham has announced that Ruth Hansom will be taking up a six-month residency at Samuel’s Restaurant and launching her first signature menu in April.

Ruth originally from Darlington, trained at Westminster College, followed by a three year apprenticeship at the Ritz under John Williams.

Both a finalist in the Roux Scholarship and winner of a Caterer Acorn Award in 2022, Ruth has become a familiar face on the TV as a finalist on the Great British Menu and regular appearances on James Martin’s Saturday and Saturday Kitchen.

Ruth said

“Swinton is a fabulous environment, aligned very closely to my love of cooking with seasonal, local and regional produce. I’m particularly looking forward to developing a signature menu, encapsulating the flavours of produce from across the Swinton Estate”.

Iain Shelton, chief executive of Swinton Estate said :

“Ruth is an incredibly talented chef and we are looking forward to her developing a menu that demonstrates the amazing produce we have here and reflects the elegance and heritage of the Estate”

Chef Ruth Hansom

Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm strengthens commercial team

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty. Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun.

Harrogate law firm, Berwins, has announced a string of appointments in its commercial property team.

Parminder Matharu has been appointed Team Leader, Khal Shahjahan joins the unit as a Senior Associate, and Jonny Noble has started as a trainee solicitor with the unit.

Parminder has experience of working on a broad spectrum of commercial property work, including secured lending and acquisition finance.

Khal, who has almost 20 years’ experience as a property lawyer, focuses on development and agricultural work. Jonny will work as a Legal Assistant in Berwins’ Residential and Commercial Property departments.

The team is supported by Gayle Waring, who celebrated 23 years with Berwins in the summer.

CEO, Paul Berwin said:

“Berwins has a strong track record with supporting businesses, landlords, tenants and landowners in a range of commercial property matters. That record has been built both on the deep expertise within the unit and the levels of care it seeks to employ when delivering legal services.

“I’m excited to see the drive Parminder and her team have to build on those core ways of working, continuing to service not only existing clients, aided by Berwins’ growth as a rapidly growing regional presence, extend that into new and emerging markets.”

The owner of Harrogate’s gastropub, Three’s a Crowd is set to open a second venue in Leeds.

John Quinlan has bought The Reliance on North Street. It’s understood the venue will change its name to Threes a Crowd and is currently closed for refurbishment. All current staff have been retained and ten new jobs have been created.

Three’s a Crowd opened on West Park in 2019. The venue is to open in February.

Weather warning for freezing fog across Harrogate district tonight

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for freezing fog across the district tonight as temperatures plummet.

The yellow warning is from 2am -11am Saturday morning with overnight temperatures of -2 degrees celsius.

The weather conditions could lead to travel delays and cancellations and slower journey times.

The met’s advice for people who need to travel by road in the fog is:

Avoid travel if possible
Drive very slowly with dipped headlights, full-beam lights reflect off the fog causing a ‘white wall’ effect
Keep an eye on your speed, fog can give the illusion of moving in slow motion
Use fog lights, but remember to turn them off when the visibility improves
Don’t hang on the tail lights of the car in front, rear lights can give a false sense of security
Watch out for freezing fog which is made of water droplets that freeze on contact with objects such as the pavement, road, car, etc. It can quickly form a layer of ice.

Harrogate offers free Saturday parking to boost sales post Xmas

Harrogate shoppers will be able to park for free over the next five Saturdays to give the town centre a post-Christmas boost.

Free parking will be available in the Victoria car park on January 21 and 28, and February 4, 11 and 18 between 10am and 6pm. The initiative has been funded by the Harrogate Business Investment District (BID).

It comes after the Christmas ‘Free after Three’ initiative, where the BID funded free parking on the first four days of the week from Monday, December 5, until Thursday, January 5, 2023, to support retailers during the traditionally quieter days of the week.

Harrogate BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“This is one of the examples of how Harrogate BID is supporting town centre businesses, in particular those in the retail and hospitality sectors.

“Thanks to the efforts of a number of organisations, including Harrogate BID, businesses in retail and hospitality saw increased sales, including some reporting their best December in many years.

“By providing free parking in Harrogate over the next five Saturdays, we are giving residents and visitors an added incentive to come in to town to shop, eat and drink, to continue the positivity into the new year.

“Eight hours free parking gives people plenty of time to explore the great shops and enjoy a bite to eat in one of our many excellent bars, restaurants and cafes.”

The BID has also sponsored the ‘Sunday Freeway’ during January and February which provides bus passengers with free travel into the town centre on The Harrogate Bus Company’s buses.

Business Breakfast: Final hours to submit entries for the Stray Ferret Business Awards

Today is the final day to submit entries for the prestigious Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

The award night on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate promises to be a glittering event which will celebrate success and best practice across the business community in the Harrogate district. The guest speaker will be the Chief Executive of the new North Yorkshire Council, Richard Flinton.

A distinguished, independent, judging panel made up of key business leaders in the district will meet on Wednesday to make decisions on ten categories – ranging from Unsung Hero and Business Growth to Sustainability. Competition in each category will be tough with entries submitted from large organisations to very small operations.

With the deadline for entries closing at midday it is not too late to submit for an award. All entries are free.

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. Get your entry in now!

Women’s Business Club is launching a ‘Coffee & Co-Working’ initiative in Harrogate to bring more working women together.

The three hour event at Manhatta will be monthly and free to attend. Women can come along, work and chat – there are also more structured sessions based on the needs of those who attend.

Founder of the Women’s Business Club, Angela De Souza said:

“The pandemic and various lockdowns has had a greater negative effect on women in business.

“Many women run businesses from home and had to shift their focus on to home-schooling and caring for children. Many women also did not qualify for any kind of government funding or support and therefore their business plans were put on ice or were stopped in their tracks from March 2020.

“It will take years for some women to get back to where they were while some women have realised throughout the pandemic that they want a different career path.

We believe collaboration is the key to this and we want to bring these women together.”

Pre-booking is required.

Asylum seekers given woodland conservation experience in Nidderdale

A group of asylum seekers has taken part in coppicing activities in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as part of a Farming in Protected Landscapes funded project.

This the second time the AONB has offered conservation activities for refugees and given them the opportunity to come together, and experience a “positive, welcoming experience in nature”.

This month, hedge-laying was planned but due to bad weather, the asylum seekers took part in a woodwork workshop hosted in the Harrogate and Nidderdale District Scouts activity centre, at Thornthwaite.

The group carved wooden spatulas and spoons and sharpened hedge stakes with help from tutors from the Leeds Coppice Workers.

All those who took part have fled violence, war and oppression in their home countries and are in the process of applying for refugee status.

Matt Trevelyan, farming in protected landscapes officer at Nidderdale AONB, said:

“Here in the UK, refugees suffer from acute anxiety about the complex asylum process. They worry about accommodation, money, education, access to legal advice. They fear detention, deportation, destitution and homelessness.

And there is a constant concern about loved ones left behind or missing. All this takes a heavy toll on their emotional and psychological wellbeing.”

Asylum seekers have no right to work in the UK, while applying for asylum. Research shows 61% of them experience serious mental distress.

To date, asylum seekers from Syria, Iran, Turkey and Sudan have taken part in the volunteering scheme.

A further four outings are planned to take place throughout the year, with activities including dry-stone walking and visits to working farms.

Matt said:

“It is such a pleasure to work alongside people from other cultures, on this occasion, Kurdish, Eritrean and Iraqi.

I’m hugely impressed by the beautiful manners of these men, who show such resilience, embracing the unknown, and facing new challenges with real joy.”

The Nidderdale Way Café provided hot food for the asylum seekers on the day.

Freemason grants totalling £94,000 given to district charitable organisations

Eight organisations in the Harrogate district have benefitted from a share of £94,000 worth of grants provided by the Freemasons.

Freemasonry is a male only, fraternal organisation that traces its origins back to the local guilds of stonemasons.

A total of 40 grants have been distributed to organisations across Yorkshire, with many charitable organisations, including youth clubs, food banks, community groups and schools.

Those Harrogate District organisations benefiting from the latest round of grant giving were:

Artizan Café and Creative Space, Harrogate, £5,000
Henshaw’s Society for Blind People, £3,395,
Harrogate Hospital Radio, Harrogate, £3,000, for broadcasting software
Coppice Valley Primary School, Harrogate, £2,748, for outdoor playground equipment
Ripon’s Men’s Shed, Ripon, £2,000, for woodworking equipment
Girlguiding Birk Crag Centre, Harrogate, £2,000, for shop storage, display units, seating and furniture
Supporting Older People, Harrogate and Knaresborough, £1,586, for warm comfort packs
Ripon YMCA, Ripon, £1,000, for branded clothing for staff and youth leaders
Staveley Sports Association, Staveley, Knaresborough, £1,000, for football goal posts, nets and equipment

James H Newman, OBE, The Provincial Grand Master of The Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said:

“With these grants we are able to financially support 40 organisations, which are each integral to the local area in their own way, is something I am very proud of.

“Each year, we donate some £200,000 from this specific fund to good causes around the Province, with the money coming directly from our members, keen to help support the community they live and work in.

“These grants were a superb way to end 2022, and the money each of these 40 recipients is receiving will help them continue the work they do in their own individual communities.”

Based on the old West Riding, the Province has around 5,000 members and reaches from Sheffield in the South to Ripon in the North, Goole in the East to Bentham in the West.

Mixing modern and traditional – Harrogate’s Sunday Series concerts 2023

The Harrogate International Sunday Series has announced its line up for next year.

Hosted by Harrogate International Festivals and staged in the Old Swan Hotel, the Sunday Series “coffee concerts” were an annual fixture on Harrogate’s classical music calendar before covid.

Now it is back with a programme that includes the return of a festival young musician alumnus.

The 2023 series opens on Sunday, January 29, 2023, with the current director of music at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Ashley Wass.

The internationally-renowned pianist won the London International Piano Competition in 1997, and was a prize winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2000.

Ashley-Wass. Image credit: Patrick Allen, Operaomnia

February features Trio Balthazar, a new chamber group, committed to imaginative, diverse programming.

Since their launch this year at Wigmore Hall, the group has appeared at the City Music Foundation’s Wigmore Hall Gala, the Rye Festival and Petworth Festival.

At the Sunday Series, the Trio present a programme where central masterpieces sit alongside diverse repertoire.

Also in February pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will be making her Harrogate debut.

Jeneba will perform a work for solo piano by Price, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in D major, and an exclusive performance for the Sunday Series.

In March there is a performance by Japanese violinist, Coco Tomita, who first gained recognition after winning the BBC Young Musician 2020 strings category.

She will be accompanied by pianist Simon Callaghan, who performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician.

Their programme will include music from Coco’s debut album, Origins, plus works by Ravel and Beethoven.

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals chief executive, said:

“At the heart of the 2023 programme is the idea that innovation goes hand-in-hand with tradition.

“For our latest programme we are joined by a previous Young Musicians, have two of the fastest rising stars in the business making their Harrogate debut – plus it features a brand new ensemble project.

“A key aim of ours is to introduce classical music to new audiences, and I believe the line-up we are bringing to the 2023 Harrogate International Sunday Series will help achieve that.”

For further information about the Harrogate International Sunday Series 2023, and to book tickets, visit the Harrogate International Festivals website.

Rossett sixth formers turn orange in global campaign to end violence against women and girls

Sixth form students and teachers at Rossett School in Harrogate turned orange as part of a global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

The students partnered with the Harrogate & District Soroptimists for 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence as part of the Orange the World Campaign.

The students developed a short presentation which focussed on three issues: female genital mutilation; violence against disabled women and a national day of remembrance.

Over each of the 16 days Harrogate & District Soroptimists have joined soroptimists worldwide in in promoting gender equality and calling for an end discrimination and the violation of human rights.

President Val Hills said:

“We are delighted to be working with Rossett School on the Sharing our Skills project. Younger people are our future. This is a fantastic example of how we educate, empower, and enable young women to find their voice.

“The students have embraced the challenge of their first project by spreading the word about important global issues that are around us in our communities every day.”

Head of Rossett sixth form Mr Keyworth said:

“I am incredibly proud of all of the students for supporting Harrogate and District Soroptimists.

“The Orange the World Campaign with the 16 days of activism has given our students the opportunity to discuss, share and campaign in relation to these important issues. Students have had both assemblies and Personal Development lessons focussed solely on these issues.

“Educating students in these real world issues is vital for both the students’ education and development, and also for the future and ending gender based violence”.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal hits £5,000 target in less than a week

There’s been an overwhelming response to the Stray Ferret’s Christmas Appeal for local food charity, Resurrected Bites.

Our target of £5,000 was reached over the weekend – less than a week after we launched the appeal. Public donations now stand at £7,638.

With Harrogate firm Techbuyer generously match funding the first £5,000 of public donations – it means our overall total is now £12,638.

Many of the donations have been given anonymously so whoever you are, we would like to thank you and everyone else who has generously given money in these difficult economic times.

THANK YOU!

But we keep going. As we have a few weeks to go before the appeal ends at midnight on Christmas Eve, we have now raised the overall target to £20,000.

This would give Resurrected Bites almost three months of operating costs, as each month costs the charity a minimum of £7,500 to run the cafes and grocery stores. If you want to know more about the charity please read the stories below.

Michelle Hayes of Resurrected Bites says to hit the target so quickly is amazing:

“I am blown away by the generosity of so many people who have got the total to £7,558 in under a week. This equates to a month’s basic operating costs and with Techbuyer’s amazing donation of 5k match funding on top, we are heading towards covering our costs for two months. We have a lot of anonymous donors and so I have not been able to thank them directly but please know that every penny means so much.

I know there was a significant amount of anxiety amongst some of our service users when they saw the headline that Res Bites might close and I said at the time, I was determined to ensure we wouldn’t close as we know so many rely on our services.

In the same way that we need to talk about mental health more, we also need to talk about food poverty more..I hope these articles [on the Stray Ferret] help to end the stigma and encourage more people to come forward for help as we don’t want anyone to go hungry.”

Please don’t let anyone go hungry this Christmas — Resurrected Bites needs your support.

The more money raised, the more people it can feed at a time of rising demand for its services.

Thank you again. To donate click here.

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