Ripon fundraising tops £31,000 for orphaned Ukrainian teenagerFundraising for 15-year-old Liza Bartienieva, who was orphaned following a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her mother, brother and half sister, received a £4,000 boost at Ripon’s Black Swan over the weekend.
Regulars of the Westgate pub and members of the wider community dug deep to support the teenager, whose father also died earlier this year.
But there was disappointment when it was discovered that an anonymous donation of £10,000 to the GoFundMe page set up for her will not be added to the fund.
Donna Chilcott who set up the page, which has received more than 1,300 donations, told the Stray Ferret:
“I have been contacted by GoFundMe and told that the person who donated the £10,000 has retracted their donation.
“This is disappointing, but we have still raised more than £31,000, which is an incredible amount in less than a week and when you consider that the initial target set was £3,000.”
Saturday’s fundraiser at the Black Swan raised £4,000.
She added:
“Working alongside Sara and Kelly Hirst who run the Black Swan, we achieved this through the generosity of the Ripon community, businesses and regular pub customers and we cannot thank them enough for their kindness.”
Freddie Cleary
The money raised at the pub’s fundraiser will be added to the GoFundMe page which stood at £27,331 this morning.
Kelly Hirst, added:
“The situation that Liza faces has captured the hearts of the people of Ripon and everyone that we approached wanted to help by either donating prizes for the raffle that we held or by putting money in the donations bucket that we had on the bar.”
Live music was part of Saturday’s event and among the performers was Ripon singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary, who donated more than £600 to the GoFundMe page raised while busking in the city.
Liza has been looked after by a Ripon family since the accident occurred on Sunday September 3.
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Charities benefit from Ripon Old Car Classic Gathering
Ripon Old Car Classic Gathering (ROCCG) has been back in gear raising much-needed funds for nine charities.
The principal beneficiary from the 2023 gathering at the city’s racecourse was Alzheimer’s Research, which received £5,000 from funds raised through entry fees.to the event, where a total of 700 classic cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and tractors were on display.
ROCCG chair Phill Greetham told the Stray Ferret:
“Our 28th annual gathering was held in late July and proved a great success. Over the years we have raised more than £200,000 for a broad range of charities.”
Some of the classic vehicles that were on display at Ripon Racecourse. Picture: Gary and Liz Smith Photography
He added:
“Profits from the event are shared between local groups and other good causes and each year our committee donates a large amount to one chosen charity, while smaller donations are made to a number of other deserving causes.”
In addition to Alzheimer’s Research, the other beneficiaries which received £150 apiece were: Guide Dogs, Vision Support, RNLI, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Macmillan Cancer Support, Saint Michael’s Hospice, Dementia Forward and Fighting Ependymona.
The cheque presentation evening was held last week at Hazel House in Allhallowgate and each recipient gave a short talk on how the money would be spent by their respective organisation.
Ripon Canal to celebrate 250th anniversary with open day on Saturday
Ripon Canal, one of the city’s hidden historic gems, will celebrate its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a day of festivities, including displays and live music.
The festival is part of the Heritage Open Days programme running from tomorrow (September 8) until Sunday September 17, which will see dozens of venues across the Harrogate district take part, offering free entry to anyone wishing to visit.
Saturday’s open day at the canal basin runs from 11am until 3pm and at 1pm the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, will unveil a plaque to mark the waterway’s landmark anniversary.
The day, which has been organised by Richard Willis , owner of Ripon Scenic Cruises with support from Ripon Civic Society, will be attended by representatives from organisations including the Canal & River Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and civic dignitaries.
The picturesque approach to the canal basin
The history of Ripon Canal
The canal opened in September 1773, principally to bring coal by boat from the mines of West Yorkshire for domestic use in Ripon and to carry cargos of wool and lead ingots from the Dales for use in Yorkshire’s cloth and heavy manufacturing industries.
However, 75 years after its opening, the canal became virtually redundant overnight with the arrival in Ripon of the railway and the opening in June 1848 of a station to the north of the city centre.
Barges could not compete with the new rapid delivery service and with the loss of trade, the canal’s fate as a commercial enterprise was sealed.
Operators of the new mode of transport that caused the canal’s demise soon became its owner, as the waterway was purchased by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1844, which subsequently became part of the North Eastern Railway in 1855.
Decades of dereliction followed and at one stage Ripon City Council mooted the idea of filling in the canal to create an extension for the Dallamires Lane Industrial estate.
Prior to this suggestion, the British Transport Commission had obtained Royal Assent for the abandonment of Ripon Canal in 1956.
Regeneration and conservation
Calls to regenerate the canal to realise its potential as a leisure and tourist asset for local residents and visitors proved successful, gaining momentum through the formation of the Ripon Canal Society, of which Mr Willis was appointed secretary in 1982.
The waterway reopened for navigation as far as Littlethorpe Road Bridge in 1986 and was officially reopened right into the centre of Ripon in September 1996, with the assistance of the society and local authorities and with funding from English Partnerships.
Further improvements have been brought about through work carried out by Ripon Motor Boat Club, which has its marina and clubhouse on a section of the canal at Littlethorpe.
The waterway is now managed by the Canal & River Trust, which is the charity that succeeded British Waterways. It was awarded a Green Flag for its water quality in July 2018 and the improvements brought about by conservation volunteers and the Environment Agency have attracted more wildlife to its banks, while otters are regularly spotted hunting for fish.
Mr Willis told the Stray Ferret:
“The festival provides the opportunity for people to find out more about Ripon Canal and the role it has played, first as an industrial transport route and now as a leisure and recreational asset that attracts both visitors and wildlife into the heart of the city.”
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Ripon pays respects to tragic Ukrainian family
Staff, parents and children from Holy Trinity School in Ripon have been paying their respects to the three members of a Ukrainian family killed in a car crash on Sunday.
The family members were named by North Yorkshire Police yesterday afternoon as Daria Bartienieva (known as Dasha), 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, aged 6, and Daria’s step-daughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva.
Ihor had been a pupil of Holy Trinity School.
From 2.30pm yesterday, a steady stream of people visited the quiet space created in Holy Trinity Church to light candles, write messages and sign a book of condolence.
A poignant message posted online yesterday by Holy Trinity Church, said:
“We have lost mother, Dasha, daughter Anastasiia (known as Staci) and Ihor. Dasha was 35 and had lost her husband in February this year. Staci had been in this country only 5 weeks and was just 15 in June.
“Ihor had his 6th birthday last month. Liza at 16 was not with them in the car and has now lost all her immediate family. Please pray for Liza at this terrible time, and for her family abroad and friends here as they support her.”
A fundraising appeal to raise money for Liza has now generated more than £11,000. You can donate here.
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Major water leak delays opening of Ripon junior schoolRipon’s Holy Trinity Junior School was unable to open today for the start of the new academic year because it had no water supply.
The Church Lane school was without water from Friday, when a major leak was discovered but will be back open tomorrow morning (Wednesday) after water engineers and plumbers completed repair works this afternoon.
Executive headteacher Sue Sanderson, who confirmed that the water is now back on, told the Stray Ferret:
“We were forced to close the site to children as there was no water for toilet, hygiene, cleaning etc. The caretaker’s bungalow has also been without water since Friday.”
The water pipe junction
Ms Sanderson added:
“We discovered a major water leak on the junior site which involved the water supply being turned off on Friday afternoon for essential repairs – a junction on the main supply pipe urgently needed replacing.
“The replacement part arrived on Monday and was fitted. However, we were informed later in the afternoon that the supply could not be turned on for a further 24 hours. I’m pleased to say that the water is all back on now.”
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Ripon’s YMCA charity shop closes suddenlyThe YMCA’s charity shop at the Marshall Way retail park in Ripon has closed at short notice less than seven months after it opened.
The closure was announced on Friday in a brief message posted on the shop’s Facebook page. It said:
“It is with great sadness to announce the closure of our shop. Unfortunately, we had no notice to inform our customers and we ceased trading at 5.30pm today.
“Thank you to all our staff, volunteers, customers and to everyone who donated.”
The Stray Ferret visited the retail park this morning and discovered that all but a handful of items had been removed from the premises, while a handwritten sign on the door thanked customers and pointed out that the closest YMCA shop is in Boroughbridge.
The shop, part of a portfolio of 100 plus YMCA stores in England and Wales managed by the charity’s national retail team in London, opened in February in the unit formerly occupied by Argos.
Staffed by a manager and two assistant managers, with assistance from volunteers, it sold a range of items, including furniture and electrical goods.
The Stray Ferret contacted the YMCA’s London office to ask why the shop had closed so suddenly, what was going to happen to the staff and what was happening with goods that had been donated by members of the public. No reply has been received so far.
Nidderdale company awarded £4.6 million MOD contract
Ripon remains in party mode for Bank Holiday fiestaThe focus turned to Kirkgate and Minster Gardens yesterday, as Ripon’s extended weekend of Bank Holiday entertainment continued with a fiesta of food and live music.
Saturday had seen fairground rides and a concert featuring tribute acts on Market Square, in the last large-scale public event of the summer staged by Ripon City Council and paid for from the parish precept.
Sunday and Monday brought a Little Bird Artisan market to the square and yesterday, independent businesses in the city, with administrative support from Ripon BID, joined forces for the second Bank Holiday street party of the year.
The Little Bird Artisan Market
Kirkgate closed to traffic and an al fresco dining and entertainment from the junction with Duck Hill to Minster Road.
In the evening the party moved to Minster Gardens, where there was a paella picnic, including performances from violin virtuoso Nadia and guitar duo Bailey Brown (pictured below).
Richard Hughes, owner of the Manchega Tapas Restaurant, who was one of the organisers of yesterday’s event told the Stray Ferret:
“This shows what can be achieved when independent businesses come together and stage events that are designed to attract more visitors and local residents onto the city’s streets.”
Richard Hughes
He added:
“Working alongside Ripon BID, the council and all other interested parties in Ripon, we are looking to build on this success, with the aim of doing even more next year, with the objective of making the city a must-visit destination.”
Could you take up a role with Summerbridge Players?Summerbridge Players have put out an urgent call in a search for actors, lighting/sound technicians and people who can perform various backstage roles.
With a proud history of many performances over 73 years, the players are looking to the future.
The Rev Alastair Ferneley, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Dacre Banks, who in May was in the cast of Give us a Sign – a comedy of errors written by award-winning playwright Tony Domaille – said:
“We are asking the Nidderdale community to help keep our local theatre group going – and have fun doing it.
“Anybody who feels that they can play a role – whether acting or behind the scenes – will be made most welcome at the open day we are holding at Dacre and Hartwith Village Hall on Saturday, September 9.”
Those who visit between 11am and 2pm will have the opportunity to find out more about the players and their planned future productions and further details about the open day can be obtained by emailing Sue Wright on suewr1ght@yahoo.co.uk
Since its foundation as an independent group in 1950, the Summerbridge Players have performed a broad portfolio of plays, ranging from The Vicar of Dibley to The House of Frankenstein.
Other notable productions include Oliver!, My Fair Lady, Jonah and the Whale, Twelfth Night and A Christmas Carol.
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Last summer concert brings hundreds to Ripon Market SquareHundreds of people gathered on Ripon Market Square yesterday for the last large-scale public event of the summer organised by the city council.
Families with children from tots to teenagers came early in the afternoon to ride the Ferris wheel and roundabout, both of which proved a constant draw until dusk, when tribute acts took centre stage in front of the town hall.
The queue for the Ferris wheel stretched the length of Market Square
Evening entertainment was provided by tribute acts playing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, while the Big Boyband Reunion, played a selection of the chart-topping songs made famous by leading boy bands.
The crowd on Market Square steadily grew throughout the evening.
One of the concert highlights came when the Neil Diamond lookalike and soundalike sang Sweet Caroline, the adopted anthem of the England women’s football team.
Sweet Caroline struck a chord with the Ripon crowd
The Robbie Williams tribute act
Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me rang out before sunset arrived and at 9pm Allison Clark, a member of the Ripon hornblower team (pictured below) provided a reminder of the city’s ancient roots, by performing the nightly setting of the watch ceremony, which has reputedly been carried out without break for more than eleven hundred years.
You can watch a live video from last night on our Facebook page.
More free Bank Holiday entertainment
The free family-focused entertainment continues in Ripon on Monday, with a street party in Kirkgate from 11am until 4pm and a Spanish-themed fiesta on Minster Gardens from 5pm until 9.30pm.
Organised by independent businesses in the city as part of the Totally Locally initiative developed with Ripon BID, the Bank Holiday event will see the closure of Kirkgate from 9am.