COLUMN: Businesses still face months of change and challenge

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Jacqui Hall, non-executive director for CNG, a commercial based gas supplier in Harrogate, and regional chair of the CBI Yorkshire and Humber district:

Coronavirus and its impact has crept into every part of our lives. The world of business looks a very different place to what it did just a few months ago, and as it starts to reopen and begin its road to recovery, it will not look how we knew it.

The economy was hit hard by the necessary shutdown at the end of March, and recent data suggests the full impact of that difficult decision is still yet to come. Temporary closures and reduced operations have led to financial concerns with many business having faced or facing reduced income.

As businesses start to reopen, the Government has released some guidance on how to do so. The CBI has worked closely with the TUC and the Government to deliver a plan that works for employers and employees. All this builds on the good proactive plans many firms have developed during lockdown. Excellent employee engagement, fast workplace innovation and transparency have helped many companies support livelihoods. The financial support has been a lifeline for businesses and as the economy restarts and situations continue to change this is ever adapting to become more individual sector specific.

But even with all this support – the battle is not necessarily over yet. Businesses still face months of change and challenge as they navigate through the recovery phase, operational costs are higher, overheads are increasing and most businesses are having to operate at a reduced capacity in order to adhere to government guidelines.

Most businesses look extremely different to what they did prior to lockdown, with many of their operating models changing completely. We’ve seen B2B businesses move to B2C, restaurants become takeaways and innovators stimulating new technology adaption or bringing technologies already in place to the forefront of their businesses. As we move toward the ‘new normal’ these business are now faced with a new challenge – do they revert back to old ways or continue with the new model they’ve adopted? Customer habits and needs are changing and it is hard to predict where the next six months will go.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, it is an opportunity for businesses to adapt and change – there is an appetite for them to learn from others, adopt new strategies and build back better.

At CBI we are committed to this effort to ensure Yorkshire and every region across the UK is positioned to bounce back from this crisis as quickly as possible whilst making investments in skills, infrastructure and technology needed to sustain inclusive growth.

It’s not going to be easy, but it is just as important now than ever that we pull together – this is a long road, but one we aren’t on alone.

 

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Marks & Spencer likely to open Ripon store in mid July

Marks & Spencer is likely to open its M&S Food store in Ripon in mid July, The Stray Ferret understands.

The M&S store, on Rotary Way, was originally due to open on April 29 but that was put on hold because of coronavirus.

It is part of the £10 million Saint Michael’s Retail Park development. A spokesperson for M&S said:

“We’re working hard to finish our Ripon store and as soon as we have more information on the opening we will update the community.”

The new store, located close to the Ripon bypass, was first granted planning permission by Harrogate Borough Council in 2017. It will provide up to 80 new jobs, including people who have been recruited locally.

Ripon is currently served by four supermarkets – Aldi, Booths, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

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German budget supermarket Lidl, which already has a store in Chain Lane, Knaresborough, has announced that it plans to open up to 89 new stores in Yorkshire and has Harrogate and Ripon on its list, saying:

The company, which is hoping to double the number of stores it has in the UK added, that it was looking for ‘prominent sites  in town, district, edge of centre or out of town locations, ideally with main road frontage with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow.’

“We want to double our portfolio. To continue our phenomenal growth we require further sites across the country.”

The proposed locations for Lidl stores in Ripon and Harrogate is not as yet known.

Harrogate pub owners say they followed rules after crowds gathered outside

The owners of Three’s a Crowd and the Coach and Horses on West Park Stray said they followed government guidelines when they opened over the weekend to sell take-out beer.

On Saturday afternoon crowds outside the two pubs led Harrogate police to urge the public to stick to social distancing as people blocked the pavements and were not keeping 2 metres apart.  It led to a large amount of concern on social media that people are giving up on the rules.

John Quinlan of Three’s a Crowd told The Stray Ferret that safety was their priority:

We worked with the North Yorkshire police to monitor social distancing and they were supportive and helpful throughout. Helping us maintain the safety of our guests within the boundaries of our pub.
The majority of our guests were sensible and followed the social distancing measures set out with only a few that decided to ignore these. With the Stray being closed directly opposite and people beginning to congregate we decided to close early and stop serving, asking people to disband.
Mr Quinlan said his staff had cleaned up the street and public bins of any litter afterwards. Three’s a Crowd did not open on Sunday.

Tables and chairs put on the grass verge of the Stray for drinkers at The Coach and Horses on Sunday

At the Coach and Horses, owner John Nelson, said the pub had opened up as a garden centre selling plants and refreshments with all proceeds going to local charity, Horticap. Mr Nelson opened the pub again on Sunday. Inside dozens of plants lined the one-way system that snaked through to the bar where staff served behind a plastic shield. Mr Nelson said:
“You can go to Waitrose and buy a can and sit on the Stray and drink it or you can come here and buy a drink and do the same thing. The only difference is that every penny we take is going to Horticap. Saturday was the first day and a one point it did get crowded outside. You learn – today we’ve put chairs up on the other side of the road so that the pavement outside is free and we’ve put an extra barrier outside.
I have a licence to sell beer either on and off the property- what rules am I breaking?”

Whether Mr Nelson will be allowed to keep his chairs and tables on the other side of the road though, remains to be seen.

Five consecutive days with no covid death recorded at Harrogate Hospital

For the fifth consecutive day there have been no reported deaths at Harrogate District Hospital of patients who tested positive for covid-19. A total of 64 patients have died at the hospital of the virus since the start of the pandemic.

A further 85 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died- 25 in Yorkshire and the North East. The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England is 26,614.

Patients were aged between 56 and 100 years old.  Six of the 85 patients had no known underlying health condition.

WATCH:  A moving video of the 10 weeks of Clap for our Carers in the Harrogate District .

On Thursday the hospital reported a total of 109 patients, who tested positive for coronavirus, had recovered and been discharged – an increase of five on the previous week.

Harrogate Police tell public to stick to rules as crowds gather outside pubs
Harrogate Police called on the public to stick to the rules as crowds gathered outside pubs that opened to sell take-out beer. The Coach and Horses and Three’s A Crowd on West Park Stray both opened up yesterday to sell beer.
People queuing for beer were reported to be too close to each other, blocking the pavement. and spilling out onto the road, causing real concern that lockdown rules were being ignored. Harrogate Police said it was increasing patrols.
We have noticed an increase in gatherings on pavements due to queuing for takeaways from various premises and then staying around the area with bought goods. Please can we remind you that when queuing outside premises, you adhere to the social distancing guidelines and enjoy your bought goods away from the queues.

What is the guidance for take-aways?

Cones have been put up on some of Harrogate’s shopping streets to help social distancing – but not West Park.
The head of highways for North Yorkshire Council, councillor Don Mackenzie tweeted that officers were going to consult with police to “decide whether social distancing measures needed or appropriate at this location”.
There were other examples over the weekend of people ignoring the lockdown rules in the sunshine.
The hot weather saw groups of young people sitting together on the Stray breaking the current restrictions.

What are the current rules for meeting others?

A group of 11 on the Stray on Friday evening

 

 

Large groups of young people flout lockdown rules in Stray sunshine

Large groups of young people have gathered on the Stray in the hot weather – breaking existing lockdown restrictions and new the rules that are due come into force.

From Monday, people can meet in groups of up to 6 people in outdoor spaces like parks or private gardens – as long as they remain two metres apart.

The Stray Ferret witnessed many groups of up to 11 young people on the Stray yesterday evening and today who were lying or sitting close together.  There was no police presence at the time these pictures were taken.

North Yorkshire Police have said their officers would be out and about today and

“continue to engage with members of the public, explain the regulations and encourage people to adhere to them, using enforcement as a last resort”.

What’s your experience of being out in the sunshine today? Have you felt people are abiding by the lockdown rules and staying 2m apart? Get in touch: contact@thestrayferret.co.uk  or follow us and comment on social media @TheStrayFerret

 

No further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate District Hospital

For the fourth consecutive day there have been no reported deaths at Harrogate District Hospital of patients who tested positive for covid-19. A total of 64 patients have died at the hospital of the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Across England a further 146 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 26,529.

Patients were aged between 46 and 97 years old.  Six of the 146 patients had no known underlying health condition.

WATCH:  A moving video of the 10 weeks of Clap for our Carers in the Harrogate District .

On Thursday the hospital reported a total of 109 patients, who tested positive for coronavirus, had recovered and been discharged – an increase of five on the previous week.

No new deaths of coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital

There have been no new recorded deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital.

Yesterday the hospital said a total of 109 patients who tested positive for coronavirus had recovered and been discharged – an increase of five since last week.

Today’s figures showed a further 149 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,383.

Patients were aged between 35 and 101 years old. 11 of the 149 patients had no known underlying health condition.

WATCH: Harrogate’s Lady Mayoress pays tribute to the staff at Harrogate District Hospital who saved her life

COLUMN: Home once a week for love and cuddles

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Kate Simpson, who’s 16 year old daughter, Tess,  graduated from Henshaws College a few years and is now able to live independently in a assisted living home. Kate is a fundraiser for Henshaws charity.

Our daughter Tess is Autistic. At the age of sixteen, as if her plate were not already full enough, a rare brain tumour left her with a severe visual impairment and an array of complex medical conditions we had never even heard the names of.

So, in the very beginning of all this strangeness, I felt my heart begin to quicken, to skip the odd beat and send hurtling, through my whole body, an all too familiar and  overwhelming sense of dread and a very specific kind of fear. How was I going to protect her from, explain to her about, and minimise the impact of this brand-new imposter in her life? Throughout her diagnosis, illness, operations, and treatments we had made all the decisions for her. We did the research, we had the conversations, we set the time scales and we made the plans. Most importantly, we were able to defend her world and keep it as comfortable, and as safe as was humanly possible.

This was going to be hugely different. This was completely outside of our control.

Peculiarly, that substance called Adrenalin, which seemed to be almost bursting from my every vein is one of the things which Tessa’s body is no longer able to produce, and a main reason for her highly compromised immune system. We knew the letter was coming.

How could I possibly begin to shelter this independent young woman, no longer under our roof and happily going about her daily life in her assisted living accommodation?

Of course, her physical safety has been a huge concern. For Tess, contracting Covid would be truly life threatening.  Fortunately, I learnt incredibly early in her journey along the path to independence that unless I could let go and employ the “trust” factor, that journey would be short and unfulfilled. This situation was calling for a whole different level of trust.

Should we bring her home, tear her away from the place and the people she now felt so secure with. If we did, could we keep her safer. Would we be setting her back; would she ever want to go through the process of leaving us again. Could we even cope with working from home and a full time Tessa. Could she cope with a full time Mum and Dad?

When the letter landed on the door mat, we were told that we would not even be able to visit her for twelve long weeks. The one thing I knew with absolute certainty was that Tess would never be able to understand this. Her life, overnight, had been stripped of all routine and security. There were no outings or external activities. No trips, even to McDonalds, and familiar smiles had been covered with anonymous blue face masks.

Because we were both self-isolating, we were able to successfully challenge the decision. For someone with an adrenal insufficiency, increased levels of stress can be just as detrimental to physical health as any external virus or resulting illness. We have been incredibly lucky. Our girl has been able to come home every Saturday for love and cuddles and a slice of normality. We have been able to give her our own brand of emotional support, as well as support her staff and carers to deliver theirs. I cannot begin to imagine how life during this time could have been for us, has been, for so many others.

Tess is fit and well and coping brilliantly. We have found ways to overcome some of the challenges and to live alongside the others.

My heartbeat, along with the rest of the population’s, is as regular as current circumstances allow, because once a week, I get to hear hers. To feel hers and to see it radiate out in her smile.

 

Kate’s experiences of Tess’ care at Henshaws have resulted in her being a fundraiser for them. Want to help support those – likes Tess – living with disability? You can donate online at www.henshaws.org.uk

 

 

One further death of coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital

The death of the patient who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital was recorded on Bank Holiday Monday. It bring the total number of hospital deaths in the district to 64.

A further 183 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,049- 24 were in the North East and Yorkshire region.

Yesterday figures released showed Harrogate’s care homes have reported 60 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.

It was an increase from last week’s figures of nine more deaths in the town’s care homes.

The latest numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the care home deaths are from the week ending May 15.