Obituary: Geoff Webber’s life was dedicated to helping others

A long-serving councillor and community champion, Geoff Webber has died at the age of 75 after a short illness.

Tributes have come from across the political spectrum, as well as the community groups he worked with and supported over the years.

His family described him as a “loving husband, father and grandfather” who was dedicated to helping others.

Born in 1945, Cllr Webber had a 32-year career in the RAF before moving to Harrogate with his wife, Pat, and their three sons, Samuel, Simon and Matthew.

He spent the final years of his service at the St George’s base in the town, including a four-month tour of the Falkland Islands, followed by a spell as a civil servant back in Harrogate. Having left school with few qualifications, he gained a degree in the late 1980s through the Open University.

When St George’s was closed in 1994, Cllr Webber decided to open a music shop specialising in classical and jazz. Pomp and Circumstance began its life in Wetherby before moving to Commercial Street in the centre of Harrogate.

Cllr Webber became heavily involved in his community in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when plans were being put forward to build a supermarket around the Jennyfield area. He helped to establish a community group and fought the plans for the junction of Jenny Field Drive with Ripon Road, which instead became the site of the Hydro swimming pool with open green space for locals to enjoy.

Matthew said his desire to help people drove him to get involved in local politics, as well as community issues.

Supporting homeless people

One of his passions was access to affordable and social housing, so it was natural that he became a volunteer and supporter of Harrogate Homeless Project.

Its chairman, John Harris, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is so sad to hear of the death of Geoff: he was a great supporter of Harrogate Homeless Project. As well as being a trustee he was deputy chair and chair as well – and importantly he was a volunteer with Pat, preparing meals at the day centre each week for years.

“The day centre was a priority for him as HHP needed to focus on fundraising for it and it is the key place for the trust to be established, leading to encouraging homeless individuals to a life off the streets. As a member of the Wesley Chapel he was thrilled when HHP were able to transfer to the Lower Hall which will be transformational for what HHP can provide in the future, post Covid.

“We are so grateful to Geoff for his wonderful commitment over very many years to the homeless – and this included personal help. It was unstinting and committed support from someone who was determined to help others in desperate need.

“Our condolences to Pat and his family.”

Geoff Webber, pictured far left on the middle row, was a keen supporter of Bilton and Woodfield Library. Greta Knight received an award on behalf of the library from NYCC chairman Jim Clark last year.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library also received extensive support from Cllr Webber over the years. Chairman Greta Knight said:

“Geoff Webber was a staunch supporter of Bilton & Woodfield Community Library from the very beginning, in fact it was he who identified our current premises on Woodfield Road as a suitable home for us when we moved out of the old vicarage.

“He always attended any events that we held, and along with his wife Pat was a regular at our Saturday coffee mornings. He voiced any concerns we had with NYCC on our behalf and was always prepared to help us whenever he could.

“We will miss his support and enthusiasm for what we have achieved in the library.”

Cllr Webber supported the Richard Taylor Foundation, which helps families struggling to meet the costs of education, including school trips and uniforms. He was also a governor at Woodfield Community Primary School, which paid tribute to him:

“We were incredibly saddened to hear of Geoff’s passing; he served our school as a Governor for a number of years and will be truly missed in the community. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Local politics

Cllr Webber was first elected to North Yorkshire County Council in 1993, representing the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division for the next eight years. He was re-elected in 2009 for four years, after which he said he would not stand again – but he was re-elected in 2017.

Tributes have already been paid by Cllr Webber’s colleagues at NYCC, who praised his dedication to the role and his willingness to engage in productive debate.

Cllr Webber also sat on Harrogate Borough Council for 17 years, first representing the Duchy ward from 1994 to 2002 and then the Saltergate ward from 2002 to 2011.

During that time, he was Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate for a year in 2006. He also served as council leader and chaired the planning committee.

Royal Hall

It was a time of significant change for the district in many ways, and one of his proudest achievements was helping to save the Royal Hall.

By 2000, the building had fallen into disrepair and faced being mothballed because of the huge repair bill for major structural problems. However, Cllr Webber called for a meeting of the council to find a way forward.

As a result, £8m of funding was found from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Harrogate Borough Council to save the building, along with a massive community effort to raise £2.7m. The Royal Hall was reopened in 2008 and returned to active use.

Cllr Webber was made an honorary alderman of Harrogate in 2011, in recognition of his long service. A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“It is with great sadness to hear that Honorary Alderman Webber has passed away. Our thoughts and condolences go his family and friends.”

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Cllr Webber was still active in local politics until the beginning of this year. He spoke passionately about devolution at a meeting of NYCC in November, and put forward the motion that led to the council writing to local hospital bosses to call for free parking for NHS staff.

After being diagnosed with cancer six weeks ago, Cllr Webber spent time on the Littondale Ward at Harrogate District Hospital before moving to St Michael’s Hospice, where he died on Thursday morning.

His family said they were grateful to all those who provided outstanding care for him in his final weeks, and that they were able to be with him throughout his illness at both the hospital and the hospice.

He leaves wife Pat and sons Simon and Matthew, who still live locally, and Samuel, who lives in Florida, along with four grandchildren to whom he was devoted. Matthew said:

“He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. For me, he was also a wise counsel in my role in local politics, for advice and support.”

A small family funeral will be held in line with covid restrictions, and led by Lord Willis, according to Cllr Webber’s wishes. Later in the year, the family hope to be able to hold a more formal service at the Wesley Chapel to celebrate his life.

Column: ‘My sexual assault in Harrogate shows why all attacks must be reported’

Bethany Sadler was 19 when she was sexually assaulted in the centre of Harrogate in 2018. The recent murder and kidnap of Sarah Everard as she walked home in Clapham, London has brought back memories of her assault. Waiving her right to anonymity, Bethany writes about her experience and why she believes it’s important to report such crimes to the police. 

On August 4, 2018, I was on my way to baby-sit for some family friends. I had been shopping in town, and was walking towards West Park Stray where their flat was. I remember it was an incredibly warm day, so I was dressed in a blue denim skirt and a red t-shirt. It must have been early evening, around 5pm, as it was still very light outside and busy in town.

I turned off into an alleyway, which leads to the apartments within metres of the street. As I was opening the gate into the apartments, I felt a hand reach up into my skirt and grab me in extremely intimate areas. Startled, I turned around to see a man staring right at me. It took a moment’s eye contact before I slammed the gate and rang the apartment bell, causing him to sprint away.

As my friends let me in and I explained what happened, I remember crying and feeling violated. I was extremely shaken up, but wanted to shake it off and leave it behind. I called my mum, who insisted I report it to the police, but even then I was reluctant. I didn’t think it was a ‘big deal’, or important enough to report. I just thought I’d be wasting police time.

But, as it turned out, it was a big deal, and the police took it extremely seriously. Once I reported the assault I was contacted by a female detective, who came to my house to take a statement from me. She was incredibly kind, and explained to me that many of these events are not isolated.

The police thought they knew who had assaulted me. He had been caught on CCTV following me from the town centre and was already on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. If I could identify him, it could prevent other women from going through the same thing, or worse. I am five foot two and have a very young face, and at the time I remember constantly thinking about how young I could have been. It affected me a lot more than I thought it would, so I can’t imagine the detrimental impact it would have had on a child.

The alleyway where Bethany was assaulted

The process of identification before the arrest was tough. I was called into the police station in York a month after the assault, where I was to be shown a series of pictures of men. I knew that if I identified the man who assaulted me, the charge would be much easier to prove. Each time I was shown the pictures, I was asked if I knew which male was the offender, how sure I was that it was him (on a scale of 0 to 100% sure). This was the hardest part the process for me, as not only was I potentially staring at the man who violated me, but I also began to doubt myself and my memory.

Until you have been through this process, it is hard to comprehend why someone wouldn’t report these crimes. But it is difficult to keep going through the trauma of the incident – no part of the process was easy. But when I got the news that he was going to prison for three years, alongside a sexual harm prevention order, I was so glad I had chosen to be brave. It turned out he had been following me with the intention of groping me. My identification and suspect description had linked him to CCTV footage which warranted arrest.

At the time I thought I could brush it off, but the truth is it did affect me, and it took a while before I felt completely safe. But if I hadn’t reported it, the problem wouldn’t have been fixed, and to this day I might still be dealing with the consequences.

Sexual assault should not be brushed under the carpet – it is always a big deal. It is always worth reporting.

 

If you have been affected by this story, North Yorkshire Police provides support and signposting for victims of rape and sexual assault. Click here for more information.

To report a crime to police, call 101. In an emergency, dial 999.

Grants awarded to 10 Harrogate district charities

Ten charities will receive a share of almost £40,000 in grant funding thanks to The Local Fund for the Harrogate district.

The money will help with essential running costs and specified projects, helping them to continue supporting local people despite the pandemic.

Among those to have benefitted is Masham Town Hall Community Charity, which received £3,852 to pay running costs for six months while it is unable to open. Its administrator, Nick Reed, said:

“This grant is vital as it helps us to stay in touch with user groups and hirers as we prepare to reopen. The Local Fund is a wonderful resource as it understands that these costs, while not glamorous, are essential to the running of a small local charity.”

Also benefitting was Badapple Theatre Company, based in Green Hammerton, which received £2,980 to resume live performances when restrictions allow. Artistic director Kate Bramley said:

“We are incredibly grateful for this vital support which contributes to our business overheads and crucially keeps our Youth Theatre services for young people open while we work to rebuild our community events network.”

Other grants included £5,000 each given to St Mark’s Church to fund Harrogate Food Bank, Samaritans of Harrogate and District for running costs, and to the Wesley Centre to employ an administrator. Harrogate Bowling Club and Harrogate Hospital Radio each received £2,500 towards their costs during the pandemic.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library received £3,525 to fund lending sessions and stay and play events while capacity is limited, while Chain Lane Community Centre has been given £2,885 to meet health and safety requirements.

Having seen a 350% rise in demand for its services during the pandemic, Peer Support at New Beginnings has been given £4,680 to increase staff hours.

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The Local Fund for the Harrogate District is supported by a partnership of Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and the Two Ridings Community Foundation. It aims to support community groups and charities which are meeting the needs of local people.

Money for the grants has come from the Harry Bolland Fund, The Local Lotto and other sources, along with £30,000 from Harrogate Borough Council. Cllr Sam Gibbs, who chairs the authority’s voluntary and community sector liaison group as well as sitting on the Local Fund grants panel, said:

“The Local Fund provides continuous support for our local voluntary and community sector organisations and charities across the Harrogate district and the residents they support.

“It has been an incredibly tough year for them. And now, more than ever, it is critical these charities receive vital funds to ensure they can exist in the future when life returns to normal.”

The Local Fund will open in May for applications from local groups looking to restart activities and services as lockdown restrictions are eased. For more information, click here.

Warning to dog owners after rare disease found in Knaresborough

Dog owners have been warned to be alert for the symptoms of a rare disease after a case was found in Knaresborough.

Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy, better known as Alabama rot, begins as skin lesions but can develop quickly and lead to kidney failure.

Specialist veterinary referral practice Anderson Moores, which leads research into the disease from it Winchester base, confirmed yesterday it had seen three new cases in the UK including one in Knaresborough. There have been 271 confirmed cases of the rare disease since it first emerged in the UK in 2012, with 20 since the beginning of this year.

Hannah Philipson, who runs The Harrogate Dog Walking and Pet Company, said while there was no need for alarm, dog owners should be aware of the symptoms of Alabama rot.

“It tends to be their feet and legs that are affected more, which is why they advise you wash your dog down when it’s muddy after a walk.

“It can be treated if it’s noticed early – it’s down to your vet and how quickly they act, whether they think it’s something else. It does tend to take hold in a couple of days, which is very fast.

“If it takes hold, it’s really unlikely a dog would survive.”

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When she posted about the Knaresborough case on Facebook, Hannah said some people were alarmed and said they would not walk their dogs in the area any more. However, there is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted by dogs being walked in the same place, and vets do not know how it is contracted.

Hannah said she has known families with two dogs, both cared for and walked together, where one has caught Alabama rot and the other has not.

She has spoken to fellow dog walkers to discuss what measures can be taken to minimise risk. Rather than trying to avoid it, she said the best thing to do is to be vigilant for the early signs and speak to a vet if there are any sores or swelling on the dog, particularly around the legs and paws, but also on the face, mouth and body.

She added that, with a rise in dog ownership during the pandemic, it was more important than ever to raise awareness of the rare disease.

“A lot of people don’t know about it and what to look for – they might think it’s just a sore and nothing to worry about.”

A paw lesion in a case of Alabama rot

A paw lesion in a case of Alabama rot

David Walker, a specialist in small animal internal medicine, leads the team at Anderson Moores and is the UK’s foremost authority on Alabama rot. He said:

“Sadly, we find ourselves at the time of year when cases are most commonly identified. It is understandably a worrying time for dog owners with regard to CRGV; however, the disease remains rare.

“The disease seems to appear across many counties at this time of year. January and February are typically our highest case number months and, sadly, this year was no different.

“We’re advising dog owners across the country to remain calm but vigilant and seek advice from their local vets if their dog develops unexplained skin lesions. If a dog becomes affected by CRGV, the best chance of recovery probably lies with early and intensive veterinary care which may be best provided at a specialist facility.”

Although around 90% of cases to prove to be fatal, he said the team had recently successfully treated a Labrador for the disease.

Tributes paid to ‘gentleman’ councillor Geoff Webber

Fellow councillors have paid tribute tonight to Cllr Geoff Webber, the Liberal Democrat group leader on North Yorkshire County Council, who died today.

Cllr Webber represented Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge on the county council. He sat on the council’s audit committee, Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee and the corporate and partnerships overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Webber has a long history of public service. He was first elected to the county council in 1993, serving until 2001. He was then re-elected in 2009, serving until 2013, and again in 2017. He was also a Harrogate Borough councillor until 2011.

County council leader Cllr Carl Les said:

“I am very saddened to hear of Geoff’s death and my thoughts are with his wife and family at this time.

“Geoff and I served on the county council for a similar length of time and I enjoyed many discussions and debates with him, and when he spoke I listened. He was a very principled man and was passionate about the community that elected him. He is a very sad loss to his community and the county council.”

County council chairman Cllr Jim Clark added:

“I have worked closely with Geoff over the years, both at the county council and Harrogate Borough Council, and I know how much he cared, particularly about the issues of homelessness, education and health services.

“At the county council we worked on education and, latterly, the issues facing the NHS. While our opinions may have differed, he was an excellent champion of people who were in need of help. He will be greatly missed.”

Fellow Liberal Democrat county councillor Cllr Philip Broadbank said he was saddened to hear the news. Speaking on behalf of the Liberal Democrat group on the county council, he said:

“Geoff was a sincere, devoted family man and he will be missed by many. He was a strong campaigner and supporter of the Harrogate Homeless Project over the years and also fought for more affordable housing in the Harrogate district as well as throughout North Yorkshire.

“As a councillor and county councillor at different times over the last 28 years he was often prepared to take a controversial position on issues the councils were faced with at the time. As leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall, he was always working to be constructive when faced with challenging issues and was a strong believer in the important role local government had in people’s daily lives. A former mayor and leader of Harrogate Borough Council, he was a determined fighter for the issues he believed in and made a considerable impact on so many people.”

Cllr Eric Broadbent, leader of the Labour group on the council, said:

“Geoff was a lovely person and an excellent councillor to work alongside. He always saw both sides of an argument and was always supportive, no matter what your views were. He will be very much missed. I am saddened by his death and my thoughts are with his family.”

Cllr Stuart Parsons, North Yorkshire Independents group leader, said:

“Whilst we didn’t always see eye to eye, Geoff was a gentleman. He was very sure in his convictions and worked hard for his constituents. I have never heard anybody say a bad word about him, which for a politician is pretty good. Politics in North Yorkshire will be poorer for his passing.”

County Council chief executive Richard Flinton added:

“Geoff was hugely respected by his fellow councillors and officers of the council. He was a champion for his community and on issues across the county.”

Half of responses ‘strongly oppose’ Oatlands Drive plan

Half of the responses to a consultation over plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way were strongly against the proposal, according to a new report.

Of the 2,298 people who responded to North Yorkshire County Council’s consultation, 50% indicated they ‘strongly oppose’ the scheme, while 38% said they supported or strongly supported it.

The scheme proposes making the road one-way southbound, towards Hookstone Drive, to create more space for cycle paths and widened footpaths.

It has already proved controversial, with more than 1,600 people having signed a petition set up by resident Anna McIntee opposing the plans. Opponents have cited the impact on school buses and the increasing creation of a ‘rat run’ on surrounding residential streets at peak times.

However, Harrogate and District Cycling Action said roads including Oatlands Drive need to be made safer for cyclists in order to reduce traffic around Harrogate.

Kevin Douglas, chair of the HDCA, told the Stray Ferret:

“The main aim is to get people cycling for short journeys into the town centre. We hope to have segregate cycle lanes on all the arterial routes.

“Some think that we want the roads to be car free but we just want to be able to share the roads safely.

“Even the most experienced cyclists feel unsafe with big lorries passing them close by and would feel much safer with a segregated lane.”

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In a report due to be considered by NYCC’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee next week, network strategy officer Louise Neale said:

“In total, we assessed over three hundred potential schemes to put forward as part of our bid for tranche two [funding from the Department for Transport] in August 2020.

“The criteria of the funding was particularly stringent and with a relatively small amount of funding available only a handful of schemes were deemed suitable for this round of funding. Three of the five schemes included in the bid were in Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

As well as the Oatlands Drive scheme, the consultation asked for people’s views on plans to introduce cycle lanes and crossings on the A59 near Harrogate Golf Club, and to improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure on Victoria Avenue near Harrogate Library.

Both of those schemes proved more popular in the consultation, with 44% and 43% respectively supporting or strongly supporting them.

Full details of the responses to the consultation have not yet been released, but NYCC said it will take the feedback into account. In her report for the area committee, Ms Neale added:

“The first round of consultation focussed on the corridors for the routes rather than detailed design. The feedback from the first round of consultation will be collated to inform more detailed consultation plans.

“The second round of consultation is planned to take place in late March.”

Extra cash for Harrogate district families struggling in pandemic

Families across the Harrogate district struggling to pay their bills could receive one-off support of £20 thanks to North Yorkshire County Council.

The money is in addition to the £15 per week food vouchers the authority will give to families entitled to free school meals.

It was revealed at a meeting of NYCC’s executive today that the government has provided additional funding to help families, and the authority agreed to let headteachers use their discretion about which families should receive the money.

NYCC’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, told the meeting:

“With the best will in the world, nine or ten of us sat round this virtual table do not know where those families are that are in real need.

“I would suggest that schools, headteachers, touch those families every day and would be better placed to help identify where it’s going to make the biggest difference: so just about managing, those who have perhaps have just lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic or whatever, that might need that bit more support…

“Quite often there are those that fall through the cracks – hard-working people that perhaps are just having a little bit of a bad time of it.”

The executive was originally going to vote on distribution of the food vouchers to families through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, funded by the government. However, an amendment was made when additional funding was released to local authorities, enabling NYCC to add the £20 vouchers to support families struggling as a result of the pandemic.

The nine members of the executive voted unanimously in favour of the measure. They also agreed to allow the corporate director for children and young people’s services, Stuart Carlton, to use his discretion to allocate future funding through the scheme in consultation with the relevant executive member, without having to bring each decision to the executive for approval.

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Meanwhile, a new Holiday Activities and Food scheme is set to be brought into effect to support families on benefits from the Easter holidays onwards.

The county council is working to develop a scheme of holiday clubs and activities, including providing healthy meals, for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Pilot schemes have been running elsewhere in the UK since 2018, but are only now being introduced in North Yorkshire. A report to the executive said:

“The rationale behind the scheme is that families may experience increased pressure points in holiday periods because of increased costs – such as food or childcare – and reduced incomes.

“This potentially leads to holiday experience gaps with children from disadvantaged families less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health, and more likely to experience social isolation.”

The scheme proposes offering four weeks of activities in the summer and a week each at Easter and Christmas. However, the current situation with covid guidelines means the programme will be delivered virtually this Easter, using online resources as well as activity packs including sports equipment and healthy recipes.

NYCC has been awarded almost £1.2m of funding for the project for the coming financial year and will work with other organisations to deliver it, including North Yorkshire Police and community groups. Existing council resources, such as libraries and the early help service, will also be used.

The council could add to its funding through contributions from “philanthropists, businesses, supermarkets or other organisations”.

Any family in receipt of free school meals would be eligible for the holiday programme, though NYCC said it did not expect every family to apply.

Council’s £500k Welcome to Yorkshire loan extended for ‘technical reasons’

A loan given by North Yorkshire County Council to tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire will be extended for another six months.

The £500,000 agreement was taken out in September 2019 to help cashflow and was originally due to be repaid by November last year.

However, the council agreed to extend the term by a year to November 2021, and has now added a further six months to the term. NYCC’s executive today voted unanimously to support the deadline of April 2022 for the loan to be repaid.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of NYCC, said:

“This is done for a technical reason – it’s not offering any more funding to Welcome to Yorkshire in any shape or form. It’s merely a technical extension to that loan repayment period in order for them to cover their accounting year.”

The loan was secured on a property owned by WtY on Tadcaster Road in York, and will continue at an interest rate of seven per cent. Cllr Dadd added:

“Financially, we do OK out of this loan to Welcome to Yorkshire, and that wants emphasising. And I would suggest, given the value of the property, it’s absolutely secure.”

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WtY posted losses of £198,997 in the last two years, according to its latest accounts. It published two sets of accounts last month, which covered the six months to March 31, 2020, and the 18 months to September 30, 2019.

The organisation, which is a limited company, was bailed out last year by Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, plus other local authorities across the region.

Both authorities approved funding totalling more than £300,000 after WtY warned it faced a £1.4 million funding gap amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson for the organisation told the Stray Ferret previously that it had been a “difficult time” but added the organisation had undergone “significant operational, staffing, cultural and strategic changes” since the periods covered by the two sets of accounts.

The spokesperson said:

“The accounts were filed after an extended period as a result of issues relating to the coronavirus crisis, including subsequent uncertainty of funding which had previously been assigned from the North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Committee.

“The organisation is focusing on the future, moving forward and supporting the economic recovery of the tourism sector in Yorkshire through the coronavirus crisis and post-pandemic to reopen, recover and rebuild as part of Welcome to Yorkshire’s tourism recovery plan, working closely with the county’s businesses and local authorities.”

Pupils ready for return to classrooms across Harrogate district

Pupils across the Harrogate district will be returning to classrooms this week after online learning since the start of term.

While teachers have remained on site to support children of key workers and provide virtual lessons, for many families it is the first time children have been in school since before Christmas.

As well as readjusting to classroom life, including wearing masks, secondary school students will be expected to begin a covid testing regime as the government aims to reduce the number of cases in schools. However, schools are keen to make the return to classroom teaching as normal and positive as possible.

For Harrogate Grammar School, one of the key aims over the remaining weeks of the school year is to ensure students do not become “the covid generation”. Headteacher Neil Renton said they had shown their resilience through all the challenges of the last 12 months:

“They have gone through so much in the last year, they have been used to adapting and changing. They have been at home, then brought back, then had periods of isolation – there have been lots of different scenarios.

“That’s why we should call them ‘generation remarkable’ because they’re more independent and they’re more resilient.”

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Mr Renton said the government’s announcement about the way exam grades will be awarded this summer had given reassurance to students, and the school had organised online sessions to give more information about how teacher assessments will be completed.

With all the grammar school’s students having access to an iPad for home learning, and now being back in the classroom, he said teachers had had regular contact throughout the year to inform their assessments. However, any further lockdown before the summer could pose new challenges.

“Year 11 and year 13 have got three weeks when they get back, then seven weeks after Easter, and in that time we have got to do some assessments so we can come up with teacher-assessed grades.

“If we have to close again, it means doing assessments remotely and that’s much more difficult to achieve. It’s a critical period for schools.”

At Ripon Grammar School, students will return to in-person lessons from Thursday. Sixth form student Hannah Burfield said she and her fellow pupils were nervous but excited about returning to the classroom.

“Despite my positive attitude throughout this lockdown, I admit there have been moments when my motivation has wavered.

“To help cope with stress I made a promise to myself that I would go outside at least once every day, and I feel that this has really helped to keep me grounded and improved my mental health.”

She said many students have enjoyed the additional time with their families, as well as having enough time to complete extra projects or begin planning their university applications. However, they know a more normal routine has to return and hope to adjust quickly to life in school again.

Ripon Grammar School sixth form student Hannah Burfield

Ripon Grammar School sixth form student Hannah Burfield

Hannah added:

“Despite my initial anxiety about returning back to school I recognise that it is time for things to finally move back to normality and I hope our routines won’t be disrupted by any more lockdowns.

“It will be challenging for all students to return to school and many will find it difficult to motivate themselves and may feel overwhelmed by their work at first. That’s why it is so important, now more than ever, to check in with your friends and to make sure you speak up if you ever need any help.”

It is not only the students preparing for an adjustment this week. Jonathan Webb, headmaster of Ripon Grammar School, said the return to classrooms is important for everyone in schools:

“One thing is clear – that there is no substitute for school when it comes to the social and emotional benefits we all get from interacting and learning together. This applies, I am sure, as much for staff as it does for students.

“We all miss being be able to read on our students’ faces those expressions of joy and confusion, enlightenment and frustration, grumpiness and happiness; in essence, all the things that make us human.”

At St Aidan’s High School in Harrogate, staff are also looking forward to seeing all pupils in school again. A spokesperson said:

“Over the past few months we have been delighted with the way that students have adapted to learning at home and over the last year have been hugely impressed by their resilience and ability to manage the challenges that have been put in front of them.

“We very much look forward to the corridors being filled with happiness and laughter once again and, crucially, face to face personal interactions becoming an integral part of students’ everyday lives again.”

One more covid death confirmed at Harrogate Hospital

Another patient who had tested positive for coronavirus has died at Harrogate District Hospital, according to today’s figures from the NHS.

The death was registered yesterday, Saturday, March 6, and brings the total number of deaths at the hospital to 166 since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, just 10 new cases of covid have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today. The total number of confirmed cases in the district since the start of the outbreak now stands at 7,376.

However, the district’s seven-day rate of cases per 100,000 people is now the highest in North Yorkshire, at 59.7, just ahead of Richmondshire at 59.6. The lowest is Ryedale at 18.1, with the average across North Yorkshire now 46.8.

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From tomorrow, the Stray Ferret will be paying tribute to some of those from our district who have lost their lives to covid. if you would like us to include a loved one in our series of tributes, please get in touch.