Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

Covid vaccinations postponed after snow

Covid vaccinations due to be given at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate tomorrow will be rescheduled because of the weather.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is rescheduling all its Saturday appointments because of lying snow, freezing conditions and further snowfall expected.

Instead, all appointments will be moved to the same time on Sunday, at the same venue.

GP practices, which are rolling out the vaccine to patients across the Harrogate district, are today contacting all those who have appointments to advise them of the changes.

A spokesperson for the CCG said the changes were being made to ensure the safety of those attending:

“Snow is forecast for the Harrogate district through the early hours of tomorrow morning. The majority of people who’d been invited to have their COVID jab tomorrow are elderly and many will be frail.”

The Met Office has issued another weather warning for snow overnight on Friday and into Saturday morning. It warns of a chance of travel disruption, with vehicles likely to become stranded, as well as the risk of slips on icy services.

Harrogate care boss ‘frustrated’ at vaccine rollout

The chief executive of a care charity in the Harrogate district has spoken of her frustration over the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

Care home residents and staff are classed as high risk groups and are among the first to be vaccinated as part of the national programme.

The government has set a target of February 15 to offer the vaccine to all vulnerable groups.

But Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, which provides accommodation for older people, has said so far no residents or staff at its premises have been vaccinated.

Harrogate Neighbours operates Heath Lodge on Pannal Ash Road and the Cuttings on Station View.

Ms Cawthray told the Stray Ferret she understood GPs were under pressure but the lack of communication was frustrating.

She said:

“Personally, I think the whole vaccine thing is a bit of a nightmare. None of us have had it yet. We’ve got a handful of people at the Cuttings who have got appointments at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“The vaccine only arrived in Yorkshire on Thursday so I’ve got to give them a chance. I’ve been told they’re giving it to the larger care homes first. When they had the first vaccine, they did that because of the way it came in quantities and had to be used quickly or it was thrown away.

“The GPs are under so much pressure anyway. People are still ill with other bugs. They’ve just finished doing flu vaccines and now they’ve got this to do. Part of me feels sorry for them because it’s such a big undertaking for them.

“The communication is really bad still. Everything comes out late. We’re just finding it frustrating. We were asked way before Christmas for lists and forms ready to receive the vaccine. Now here we are in mid-January and we’ve not even had a phone call.”

According to North Yorkshire County Council figures today, 79 out of 235 North Yorkshire care settings, which includes care homes and extra care facilities, has one or more covid cases among residents of staff.

Health chiefs have urged care homes to be vigilant over visits from family and friends, even with the vaccine rollout.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult care at the authority, said:

“Though it’s hard with a new lockdown, the vaccines have arrived and in the coming weeks and months more and more people in our settings will have much greater protection against the virus.

“But for now, we have to assume that the new, more transmissible variant of covid is in our county so, although everybody is tired, we must redouble our efforts to stay safe and to protect our care home residents and staff. Above all we must all stay vigilant with facemasks, hand washing and social distancing.”

Mr Webb added he has also asked care homes to be patient on the rollout of the vaccine.

“My main message to providers today is please be patient. The vaccination will be made available to people using your services and to your staff and this will happen in the coming weeks as more doses of the different vaccines become available. It is better that the vaccination programme is implemented in a safe way, than rushed.

“Local NHS colleagues are working around the clock and, as soon as the national distribution system delivers new vaccine batches to North Yorkshire, they will be contacting people to vaccinate them. In most cases, GPs and their teams will be contacting you. However, in some cases, your local hospital may also offer vaccinations to staff and to people using services.”

Teachers call for tighter key worker rules as schools under pressure

A schools leader in Harrogate has called for greater clarity on lockdown rules and guidance on who qualifies as a key worker as demand for classroom places remains high.

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust (RKLT), said primary schools in particular have seen far more pupils attending in person than was the case in the first lockdown last year.

While he sympathised with parents trying to balance home schooling with work, he said the pressure on schools was significant – and could mean lockdown measures would not achieve the results needed for restrictions to be eased.

“There’s a big difference between what’s happening in secondary and primary schools. Although there’s some rise in secondary, it’s nothing like the increase in primary. This indicates it’s about the ability of parents to cope with younger children at home and carry on working, or going to work.”

The RKLT is a group of 13 schools, including five in the Harrogate district. As well as Harrogate Grammar School, there are four primaries: Coppice Valley, Oatlands Junior, Rossett Acre and Western. Other schools outside the group have also reported much higher attendance in the current lockdown than last year.

Mr Sheriff said headteachers generally knew which parents were key workers such as doctors, nurses, care workers and others. However, he said the government’s extensive list of jobs which qualify for key worker status meant many people could ask for their child to be given a place at school.

With most children being taught from home, he said teachers needed to spend significant time supporting online learning. However, the number of pupils in schools and the need to keep them in small bubbles was placing extra pressure on staff.

‘Goodwill of parents’

In some cases, headteachers have spoken to parents who had requested a place and found a way for the child to be kept at home. Mr Sheriff said:

“We’re managing with the goodwill of parents in not utilising that place. It’s parents’ goodwill towards schools that’s allowing us to continue to function.

“The pressure on primary teachers at the moment is really significant.”

He added:

“We have managed to talk to parents in a way that has got demand to a level we can meet. If there was significant change, if everybody sent children who could, it would be impossible. We would be swamped.”

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust

Mr Sheriff said a review of what qualified as key worker status would help to ease the pressure, and would also help with enforcing lockdown measures. With so many children still in school, nurseries still open and cars on the roads, he said mixed messages were being sent, unlike in the first lockdown.

“This feels very different – almost that the schools are a signal to people about the level of activity. If schools were closed, the indication would be we lock up and stay home. Schools staying open is an indication, ‘it’s OK to be out and while I’m out, I’ll pop in to see so and so or have a chat at the school gates’.”

As well as reducing the number of jobs which qualified as key workers, Mr Sheriff said it would be helpful to have clearer guidance on the number of pupils who should be in schools. After the last lockdown, the government said 20% of students should be in at any one time, allowing schools to place limits on the number of pupils in their classrooms.

The RKLT, meanwhile, has prepared ways in which it could prioritise places in schools if needed. However, Mr Sheriff said with continued cooperation from parents and better guidance from the government, he hoped it would not be needed.

Kex Gill re-route decision delayed despite council support

A final decision on whether to proceed with plans to re-route the A59 at Kex Gill has been delayed.

Despite receiving extensive support from the public and North Yorkshire county councillors, the plans could now be called in by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Today’s meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s planning and regulatory functions committee unanimously supported the plans in order to prevent the continued disruption caused by landslips along the current route of the A59.

Committee chairman Peter Sowray said:

“I don’t think anyone can question the need for this road and it’s obviously impossible to build a road in this sensitive location without some harm to the environment, and to nature and wildlife.

“But I am satisfied that there are mitigation measures in place, both inside and outside the designated areas, to make it so that we can approve this route.”

However, councillors were unable to give the final sign-off to the proposal because minerals company Sibelco has asked the Secretary of State to call it in.

The committee heard from Lewis Williams, representing Sibelco, which argued the valuable minerals in the area should be given more consideration.

Although the Blubberhouses quarry closed some years ago, he said there remained significant mineral deposits which were valuable to industry but had been overlooked in a plan that was “ham-fisted, rushed and ill conceived”.

Objections were also received from nearby residents, who cited concerns about the impact on the surrounding countryside, which is subject to several designations for its beauty and importance.

Councillors were told that their approval of the scheme would be subject to a further agreement being made on mitigating measures against the environmental impact of the changes.

In their report to the meeting, the impact on the landscape and wildlife was acknowledged by council officers, but they said extensive planning had not found a better way to re-route the road.

While today’s unanimous vote in support of the proposal is a significant step forward, NYCC will have to wait to hear whether the Secretary of State will call in the plans as requested, before any work can begin.

Harrogate disability charity celebrates Yorkshire countryside

A Harrogate outdoor charity has thanked a national walking and cycling charity for its work to improve disabled access across North Yorkshire with an award.

Open Country is a Harrogate based charity that offers activities and outings to people with a disability so they can enjoy the countryside. It is vital for the charity to find routes suitable for all which it says the work of national charity, Sustrans, makes easier.

In 2020, Sustrans helped to upgrade paths on the Yorkshire Showground and improve its own National Cycle Network in Yorkshire meaning Open Country’s five tandem clubs could enjoy the routes safely.

To recognise the charity’s work, Open Country awarded it the Good Access Award during a virtual ceremony. The Harrogate charity has been running this scheme since 2015 to recognise the best countryside ‘access for all’ project in the county.

David Shaftoe, Chief Officer of Open Country, said:

“Sustrans’ efforts stood out for going the extra mile to ensure its network of paths can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter what their ability.

“Our five Tandem Clubs enjoy many of Sustrans’ National Cycle Network routes around Yorkshire. Riding on some of the excellent cycle routes managed and maintained by Sustrans makes it a more pleasurable and safe experience.”

Open Country said it hoped by recognising the works of Sustrans it will encourage other outdoor organisations to find ways to improve access for all visitors.

One of Sustran’s main aims is to remove 16,000 barriers from its cycling routes across England. It says it is passionate about removing barriers and stiles to ensure everyone, including young families and people who are older or disabled, can get to their local green spaces.

Rosslyn Colderley, Director for England North Sustrans, said:

“It was a real pleasure to receive this award from some of the people who use and enjoy our cycle network.

We are very proud of what has been achieved already and are determined to continue our work because we can see the difference it is making to the lives of people with a disability.

Bishop of Ripon: ‘Farmers give us hope on Plough Sunday’

On Plough Sunday, the Bishop of Ripon, the Right Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, reflects on how the traditions of the day can be maintained, despite not being able to gather at the Cathedral.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the green heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Words by the North American writer and farmer, Wendell Berry.

Well, usually on Plough Sunday I would have been in Ripon Cathedral blessing the plough and setting the mark for the agricultural year ahead. While it’s true that many farmers these days are exponents of the no-till method which is better for the ground, the plough remains an important symbol of our agricultural heritage.

One of the features of this extended pandemic crisis has been a reawakening of connection to land and to asking questions about where our food comes from? These are not new questions, and in many ways they were part of the Brexit landscape way before covid-19 and Zoom became part of our everyday language.

This new year sees us in a post-Brexit landscape but locked-down again. I have just spent a day taking part in the online 2021 Oxford Farming Conference. The theme of this year was ‘Business as Unusual’, a nod to the tension between recognising that a lot has changed, with the desire to get back to normal. In her opening remarks for the conference, the chairman Sally Williams reminded us that in the midst of so much change, ‘farmers kept on farming’. Many people in agriculture that I have spoken with in recent weeks have expressed concern about the virus yes, but confidence in the resilience of people to weather the storm. For all the emphasis on ‘social distancing’ many’s a farmer who has remarked ‘well we are pretty good at social distancing, it’s what we do most days’. But it is noticeable nonetheless that one of the sessions at this year’s OFC was again dedicated to issues of mental health in farming.

A couple of weeks ago, I took part in the first Zoom session of a new global book club called ‘Fieldwork’. Hosted by the NFU’s Adam Bedford (who himself participated in the Ripon Cathedral Plough Sunday service in 2018), the book under discussion was English Pastoral by Cumbrian shepherd James Rebanks.

It was fascinating to hear James talk about his book, but it was another book he mentioned that caught my interest; a book published in 1940 by Thomas Firbank called I Bought A Mountain. In this book, Firbank describes his purchase, aged 21, of a 2400 acre sheep farm in North Wales. James Rebanks mentioned it because it is a book that essentially describes someone from a non-farming perspective learning about rural life from the people he encountered. The book itself ends with the start of the Second World War, and Firbank’s enlisting to fight in the Coldstream Guards. I mention this as a reminder that we aren’t the first or only generation to face life-changing circumstances. We don’t know yet what a post-covid world will look like; it’s rather more certain that we will need to learn to live with the virus. The language of battle and defeat is distinctly unhelpful.

It is my strong belief that our rural communities are keepers of a narrative that speaks of the greatness of the small (to quote words by the Iona community member John Bell), as well as guardians of the treasures and riches of our land, our earth. After all, the word human comes from the Latin word ‘humus’, meaning earth or ground. I think that plough Sunday points us to that reality; of our own mortality but ultimately of new birth, of possibility and hope grounded in the knowledge that Spring surely does follow Winter. God the Creator is bound up in all of that; God who experienced human failure and defeat, and yet who rose again and who is present with us now in the blazing fire of the Holy Spirit, as sure as the spectacular skies of Winter sunset and sunrise.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:
for in your abundant care you have given us fertile land,
rich soil, the seasons in their courses.
You provide seed for sowing, water, light and warmth
to bring forth the miracle of growth.
You give us skill to work the land,
to prepare and nourish it, that it may be fruitful.
By your blessing,
let this plough be a sign of all that you promise to us.
Prosper the work of our hands,
and provide abundant crops for your people to share.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.

God speed the plough.
God speed the plough.

Amen.

Lottery funding helps Harrogate’s older adults stay active at home

A Harrogate organisation that encourages older adults to become more active has received £100,000 in funding to go towards its at home exercise classes.

North Yorkshire Sport is based in Harrogate but offers support to those over 65 across the county. Its main aim is to encourage local people to become active and improve their mental and physical wellbeing.

The funding comes from The National Lottery Community Fund and will be used to offer local adults tailored exercise sessions at their homes.

The organisation discovered that many older adults don’t have access to online resources so were missing out on exercise classes due to the pandemic.

Its new home exercise programme will allow participants to receive two face to face visits each week, for four weeks, from a qualified therapeutic exercise instructor.

This new funding means the sessions, sgarting this month, can be offered to 230 people locally.

David Watson, Chief Executive at North Yorkshire Sport says:

“We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way.

“This is important because it helps these adults to have a connection, in person, with other people whilst simultaneously supporting them to become more physically active and supporting their mental wellbeing.”

Man jailed for breaking police officer’s leg and threatening ex-partner

A Harrogate man has been jailed for breaking a police officer’s leg and terrorising his ex-partner.

Shane Povey, 38, started berating officers when he turned up at an incident in Boroughbridge.

As officers were breaking up a fight between two men, Povey – who knew one of the warring parties – turned up in a friend’s car, got out and started shouting and swearing at police, York Crown Court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Stephen Littlewood said:

“Mr Povey was remonstrating with police, asking who had reported the incident.”

Police told him to leave the scene, whereupon Povey, who was drunk, walked back to the vehicle, hurling a volley of abuse as he did so.

When police tried to arrest him, Povey grabbed two of the officers by the arm and shoved them away. One of the officers lost his balance, fell to the ground and felt his ankle crack.

Povey was restrained by other officers using pepper spray. The injured officer, who was lying “in agony” on the ground, suffered a broken ankle, fractures to his shin bone and ligament damage.

He needed two operations for his broken leg and was left with severe mobility problems and relying on crutches.

The incident had left deep psychological scars and the officer suffered lost earnings due to absence from work and restricted duties thereafter. He had been receiving ongoing orthopaedic treatment and was still unable to run.

Making threats

Povey, of Dene Park, Harrogate, was released on bail following the incident on August 1, 2019, but on January 17 last year he decided to seek out his ex-partner.

The victim, a mother-of-one who was named in court, had ended the relationship a few weeks before, but Povey bombarded her “throughout the day” with unanswered phone calls and a flurry of text messages “demanding money from her”.

In the evening, he turned up at her home in Boroughbridge and started banging at her door and windows, shouting dire threats and threatening to “do her car in”.

The victim – who had ended the relationship with Povey “because of concerns over his behaviour and the way he was treating her” – was in the living room “shaking” and refused to answer the door. She called police but then heard a “smash” and the car alarm going off.

Povey eventually left, but when she went outside, she found that all four tyres on her three-day-old Audi A1, a special mobility vehicle, had been slashed and were completely flat. Her front door had also been damaged.

The victim found a kitchen knife on the ground near her vehicle. Subsequent police analysis showed that the knife bore Povey’s DNA.

He was charged with criminal damage, putting his partner in fear of violence, causing serious injury to the officer, albeit without intent, and possessing a knife.

Previous convictions

After his initial denials, Povey ultimately admitted three counts including the attack on the officer and possessing a knife. One other charge was allowed to lie on file.

The court heard that Povey had six previous convictions, mainly for drug offences including production of a Class B drug.

Ian Cook, for Povey, said his client had only taken the knife to the scene to slash the tyres and not to use against the victim. He said his life had been marred by drug and alcohol abuse which had exacerbated mental health issues.

Povey had been “greatly distressed” following the break-up of his relationship with the victim, but he had never been violent to her nor any other women previously, added Mr Cook.

Judge Simon Hickey said although he recognised that Povey wasn’t habitually violent and was remorseful for his actions, he had no option but to send him straight to prison due to the seriousness of the offences against his ex-partner and the attack on the police officer which had had an “extreme” effect upon him.

The judge also noted the “significant damage” caused to the woman’s Audi and the fact she was “terrified” during the incident.

Povey was given a two-and-a-half year jail sentence but will only serve a tiny fraction of that because of the time he had already spent on remand in Hull Prison. He was also slapped with a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-partner or entering the road where she lives.

Read more:

Bus company steps up to help clear snowy roads

Key workers have been proving their worth every day in the pandemic – and some did so in spades again today.

Members of staff at The Harrogate Bus Company took to the roads with shovels and grit to help keep drivers moving.

When heavy snow fell for most of the day, major routes came to a standstill, leaving drivers stranded and holding up bus services. So, suspending services in the face of poor conditions, drivers, engineers, cleaners and even directors got to work in a new way.

A member of Harrogate Bus Company staff clears the road

Operations director Vitto Pizzuti said:

“Our team has really pulled together, to try and help around the town on a difficult day. The weather looks to have caught a lot of people by surprise, so we’ve been out gritting roads, getting stuck cars moving again, and doing what we can to help.

“The generosity of others has been really welcome too – like the team in Sainsbury’s in Knaresborough bringing hot drinks to our drivers waiting in the bus station.

“We’re hoping to have buses running normally again very soon, thanks to the effort of our colleagues.”

Online support group steps up for shielders in Harrogate district

The organisers of an online support group for shielders across the Harrogate district say they hope more will join them following the announcement of a new lockdown.

Susie Little, who founded the Covid Co-operation Harrogate Facebook group last March, said the announcement that very vulnerable people must begin shielding again has left many feeling anxious.

She is hopeful that the smaller group, Shielders’ Support, will provide both reassurance and comfort to people who face another period of weeks at home. She said:

“The first time, it was all so new and novel, there was a sense of panic. The whole shielding thing had never been a thing before. It got attention because you suddenly realised how many people in amongst us live with these conditions and literally couldn’t leave the house.

“These words are now every-day parlance – R rate, shielding and positive rate are all so run-of-the-mill, there’s a sense that people are going to get forgotten. Everybody is so bored with it now.”

While practical support – such as shopping and collecting prescriptions – was important during the first lockdown and will be again now, that has mostly been organised through the main Covid Co-operation group, by Susie and other volunteers.

By contrast, the shielding group is a place for members to express their feelings and frustrations, getting support and empathy from fellow shielders.

“People need to be able to post and say, ‘I’m struggling’. I’ve seen the activity in that group ramp up in the last 24 hours – they aren’t quite sure what to do, whether to re-register [as shielding] and so on.”

Although the group was set up in the Harrogate district, it includes people from around the country – though it remains relatively small, with just 130 members, after being set up in May as the first lockdown was coming to an end. Susie hopes more shielding people will get to know about it this time and turn to it for the emotional support they need to get through the coming difficult weeks.

To join the group, search for Shielders Support on Facebook.