This story is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law.
A Harrogate lawyer says the enthusiasm of his latest three recruits has transformed the working culture of his firm.
Andrew Meehan, who is founder and director of Harrogate Family Law, has hired a solicitor apprentice and two paralegals over the last few months to help the firm service an expanding client list. He said:
“The best thing about them is their enthusiasm. They’ve come straight from school and university and their keen interest in things we take for granted is infectious. They’ve really invigorated the rest of us.”
At 19, Freddy Wharton is the youngest of the bunch. He was spotted by HFL director Laura Mounsey when she gave a careers talk at St Peter’s School in York, where he was a sixth-former. Recognising his potential, HFL offered him a contract as a solicitor apprentice, and he started the programme in January.
Andrew said:
“Freddy works four days a week on the job, and does a mix of online and face-to-face learning one day a week at the University of Law in Leeds. He’s mature beyond his years and is doing very well. In six years’ time he’ll qualify as a solicitor with a law degree. It’s a great way to enter the profession.”
Harrogate Family Law’s two new paralegals are Tija Purandere, who earned a first-class degree in law from the University of Liverpool and took a Masters degree at Durham University, and Charlie Main, who graduated from the University of Leeds last year with a first-class degree and a prize for excellence in European Union law.
Both started at HFL in November and will complete two years of on-the-job training, passing their Solicitor Qualifying Examinations (SQE1 and SQE2) before being signed off as fully-qualified solicitors by Andrew.
Andrew said:
“We find it difficult to find good, trained solicitors who are still in their 20s and want to work in Harrogate. So, we identified fresh talent straight from education and train them the way we want to.
“When we’re looking for someone new, we look for people who are very bright, personable and empathetic, and Freddy, Tija and Charlie all fulfil that brief very well.
“Taking them on makes good business sense too. From an internal perspective, it’s reinvigorated the team, and from a client’s perspective, it’s cheaper to have the more routine work done by paralegals rather than by me. Everybody wins.”
Andrew Meehan founded Harrogate Family Law in 2010. The firm has grown significantly over the last couple of years, almost doubling in size to cope with client demand. The firm is consistently ranked as a leading law firm for divorce and family law in Yorkshire by prestigious legal guides Chambers UK and Legal 500. An office move to bigger premises to accommodate the growing team is planned for the summer.
Find out more:
When going through divorce, getting the very best legal advice can make a huge difference to your future.
If you think you may benefit from a free telephone consultation with acknowledged experts, call Harrogate Family Law on 01423 594 680.
Former Harrogate council charged county council for CCTV footage
Harrogate Borough Council charged North Yorkshire County Council £28,000 last year to view CCTV related to parking fines, according to a report.
The report, which will go before councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council tomorrow, outlines the financial performance of parking enforcement in the county.
It includes details of how much money the now-abolished North Yorkshire County Council spent on traffic management and on-street parking in 2022/23.
Harrogate Borough Council, which was also abolished last week, manned its own CCTV centre which had control over a network of 212 cameras across the district.
However, if another organisation wanted access to its video they had to pay an hourly fee. This included North Yorkshire County Council, which had responsibility for on-street parking in Harrogate.
The council also charged North Yorkshire Police to obtain footage to support prosecutions in court. This led to comments from some councillors and members of the public who felt public bodies should share footage free of charge.
Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the issue of who pays for the CCTV control centre in Harrogate has been “a bit of an historic running sore”.
He said:
“My understanding is that North Yorkshire County Council used to contribute to the CCTV provision across Harrogate district until a few years back, then they rather unceremoniously and at the last minute in one particular round of budget cutbacks, took the decision to pull out of an annual commitment to assist with their funding.
“It’s quite expensive to provide, not the actual kit, although that’s not cheap, but the officers who have to do the monitoring and then provide the footage for court — and they only pay for what they actually use.”
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But the debate over which council should pay for CCTV in Harrogate is now over with the introduction of the new unitary council that launched on April 1 and now owns the control centre.
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive for local engagement, Rachel Joyce, said:
“North Yorkshire County Council was previously charged to access open space cameras in the Harrogate district in order to assist its highways team with day-to-day operations such as traffic monitoring. This made best use of an extensive CCTV infrastructure.
“In the new council, we have the opportunity to look at our CCTV network across the county. Our aim is to maximise the existing CCTV infrastructures, explore opportunities for enhanced partnership working including how CCTV control rooms are funded.”
Councillors to elect ceremonial mayor for Harrogate this month
Councillors will elect a mayor for the town of Harrogate at a meeting this month.
Called a ‘charter mayor’, the non-political role will involve promoting the historic and ceremonial traditions of the Harrogate area during events and occasions such as Remembrance Sunday.
The mayor will be chosen by the Harrogate ‘charter trustees’, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions covering the unparished parts of Harrogate town.
This differs from the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor who covered the whole of the former borough and undertook a much wider range of engagements.
Like the Harrogate Borough Council mayor, the charter mayor will also serve a term of 12 months.
If a Harrogate Town Council is created, it will assume responsibility for the mayoral position from North Yorkshire Council.
The new council has allocated an annual budget of £12,100 for Harrogate charter trustee business.
The mayor and deputy mayor will be elected at a meeting of the Harrogate charter trustees on April 17 at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.
Ceremonial robes and chains most recently used by the last HBC mayor, Victoria Oldham, will be used by the new mayor.
On the final day of the council’s existence last week, Ms Oldham tweeted:
“Thank you everyone who has made my 10 months as the last mayor of the borough of Harrogate so special.
“I have enjoyed meeting so many caring, marvellous people. Also, special thanks to my deputy mayor Cllr Robert Windass for his help, and being my consort.”
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North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive for legal and democratic services, Barry Khan, said:
Harrogate hospital: Patients will be safe during junior doctors’ four-day strike“The charter trustees are non-political. Nominations for mayor and deputy mayor will be made at the first annual meeting on Monday, April 17, where they will be voted on.
“The mayor will wear the chains of office when acting as mayor. The robes are usually reserved for ceremonial occasions at which the mayor feels they are appropriate.“
The chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has given assurances that patients will be safe during an upcoming junior doctors strike.
Doctors union the British Medical Association announced that its members will take part in industrial action from today until 7am on Saturday, April 15.
The strike will be longer than the 72-hour action by junior doctors that took place at Harrogate District Hospital last month and follows other strikes this year by nurses and ambulance workers.
Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of the hospital trust, told a meeting of the trust’s board members that the hospital has a “robust plan” in place to deal with any disruption should the junior doctors strike goes ahead as planned.
He said:
“Lots of work went into preparing for the last junior doctor’s strike. The biggest learning we found was the role of other professionals to cover roles.
“The strike is obviously concerning but I’m confident we’ll have safe services. There’s a cost of people covering the work and planning it and the cost to the patients who have work delayed. Services will be safe and let’s hope theres a solution relatively quickly.”
It’s estimated that more than 175,000 patient appointments and procedures had to be cancelled in England during the last junior doctors strike.
The BMA is asking for a pay-rise of 35%, which it says will reverse 15 years of real-term cuts. However, the government says this demand is unaffordable.
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The trust says outpatients appointments and planned activity may be affected at Harrogate hospital but patients will be contacted if appointments need to be rearranged.
It has asked people who require medical assistance and are considering visiting A&E to contact 111 first unless it’s life-threatening or a severe injury.
Why are the junior doctors striking?
Junior doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training and they make up nearly half of the medical workforce in England.
The British Medical Association says while workload and waiting lists are at record highs, junior doctors’ pay has effectively been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.
A BMA spokesperson said:
“If junior doctors are forced out of the NHS because of poor pay and conditions, the services we all rely on to look after our loved ones will suffer.”
A NHS spokesperson said:
Business Breakfast: New investor joins Harrogate IT company“Our door remains open to constructive conversations, as we have had with other health unions, to find a realistic way forward.”
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A new investor has joined an IT hardware company in Harrogate.
Ryan McCarry has made the investment in Intelligent Servers and acquired a minority shareholding in the business amounting to a 14% shareholding with follow-on funding.
Mr McCarry, who founded Sleek Networks and was chairman of Concepta Capital, will also join the firm as a director and chairman of the board.
Andy Hughes, founder and chief executive of Intelligent Servers, said:
“Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge to our business and board. His appointment comes at a time when we plan to expand our services and reach to achieve our revenue target of £22 million in the next three years.
“We are delighted to welcome him to our team and look forward to working closer together.”
Mr McCarry said:
“I am thrilled to be joining Intelligent Servers as a shareholder and chairman. Having worked with Andy over the last year or two I know the company has a great culture, solid foundations, fast growth and huge potential.
“Intelligent Servers is very much a sustainable technology business with strong ESG credentials and significant growth potential in the UK, Europe and globally. The team have a fantastic reputation for delivering high quality services to their clients and we plan to achieve our targets through organic growth and selective acquisitions.”
Knaresborough company sets up employee ownership trust
A Knaresborough company has set up an employee ownership trust.
Consultancy service The Whole Systems Partnership, which is based on York Place, announced the move last week.
Peter Lacey, owner of The Whole System Partnership, and James Wright sign the trust papers.
An employee ownership trust sees staff at a company take shares in the business.
The move will see James Wright, Mark Gregson and Dr Pauline Milne MBE become initial directors of the trust at WSP.
Mr Wright said:
“I have always enjoyed being part of the WSP team and to be part of the management team only makes me more excited for the future.”
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Chocolate and coffee cafe opens in Harrogate
A chocolate and coffee cafe has opened in Harrogate town centre.
The Chocolate Works is situated on Station Parade between the Everyman cinema and restaurant Farmhouse.
It is the third venture of its kind launched by owner Guy Middleton.
Mr Middleton opened his first Chocolate Works cafe in Clitheroe in 2017 followed by a second in Skipton in 2020.
The cafes serve predominantly Belgian chocolate dishes, including hot chocolate, as well as loose chocolate that can be taken away.
They also stock a wide range of coffees and speciality teas plus waffles, ice cream and milkshakes.
The premises was intended to house the vegan restaurant Vertigo, which went out of business a year ago before its Harrogate eatery opened.
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Harrogate wellness centre celebrates 20 years on Duchy Road
The Yorkshire Centre for Wellbeing is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month.
The business is the longest-standing yoga and pilates studio in Harrogate, having opened on Duchy Road in 2003.
The owners said opening the studio was a “big financial risk at the time”.
However, founder Anne-Marie Burford believes “post-covid anxieties” caused a surge in prioritising health and boosted the credibility of yoga and pilates, as well as causing a shift in attitudes towards them.
She said:
“Yoga in the West can often be about images, especially now a lot of celebrities do it.
“That isn’t the true form of yoga – we just want to support health and wellbeing”.
Ms Burford also said social media has “probably caused the most significant change” in attitudes towards wellbeing.
The studio centres on being entirely holistic and focusses on incorporating Ayurveda, a traditional Indian healing therapy, into the yoga, pilates and tai chi classes.
The centre also “places focus on the spiritual aspect of wellbeing”, including soul coaching, reiki, and various Eastern-style massages.
Staff members have extensive spiritual and physical training, including one-to-one training with Deepak Chopra, as well as a South Asian spiritual pilgrimage. The business also offers yoga retreats to members, both nationally and abroad.
James Burford, one of the teachers at the wellness centre, said:
“I feel very encouraged by the support we already receive form our students, many of whom I consider friends, and the increase in number of students joining and connecting with our centre over the last few years“.
Yorkshire Centre for Wellbeing is holding an anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 16, with pop-up classes, afternoon tea and live music. Full details are on its Instagram feed.
Read more:
Dashcam footage appeal after serious crash on Leathley Lane
Police are appealing for dashcam footage of a serious collision on the edge of the Harrogate district.
A woman in a green 12-reg Mazda broke several bones and was hospitalised for five days.
The crash happened at 9.20am on Tuesday, March 14 at Leathley Lane near Castley Lane.
According to North Yorkshire Police, three other vehicles were involved: a white 21-reg Ford Transit van, a grey 21-reg Hyundai Ioniq and a grey 10-reg Skoda Roomster.
The stretch of road was closed for several hours while officers investigated and vehicles were recovered.
A police statement said:
“We’re appealing for witnesses to the collision or anyone who recalls seeing the vehicles involved prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation.
“In particular, we’re appealing for motorists in the area at the time who may have relevant dashcam footage of the collision itself or of any of the vehicles involved prior to the incident.”
You can email Megan.Smith1@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Megan Smith.
Quote reference number 12230046167.
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Harrogate hospital reports improved A&E waiting times
People attending A&E at Harrogate District Hospital are experiencing much shorter waiting times than earlier in the year when some patients were forced to stay at the hospital for 12 hours or more.
The department has been under-pressure throughout the winter due to a higher average number of admissions as well as a fresh wave of covid and flu inpatients that has saw the hospital almost completely full every day.
Harrogate has also been a high number of patients aged over 70 attending A&E compared to nationally.
While attendance figures have returned to near pre-covid levels, many patients have experienced longer-than-usual stays due to the high bed occupancy.
It meant some A&E patients had to stay overnight, which has put further strain on staff who have had to conduct medicine rounds, serve meals, wash patients and conduct ward rounds.
Industrial action by paramedics, nurses and junior doctors has also put pressure on the hospital.
To improve the situation in A&E, the hospital introduced a new streaming model for minor injuries so staff can focus on patients with more serious conditions.
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Speaking at a public board meeting of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust last week, chief executive Russell Nightingale said the changes have worked.
Mr Nightingale said the number of people waiting for 12 hours was down to the single figures in March.
He said:
“It’s come down hugely and we’re aiming for zero by August. It’s been driven by improvements in the streaming model. That’s been the primary driver.
“We’re working through some of those sticky admittance issues plus the industrial action.”
As the hospital moves out of its most challenging winter period, next week’s junior doctors strike means there is likely to be some disruption for patients.
The strike is set to take place from 7am on Tuesday, April 11, until 7am on Saturday, April 15.
Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of HDFT, told the meeting the hospital has a “robust plan” in place to deal with any disruption should the strike goes ahead as planned.
He said:
Harrogate Youth Council ‘actively recruiting new voices’“The strike is obviously concerning but I’m confident we’ll have safe services. There’s a cost of people covering the work and planning it and the cost to the patients who have work delayed. Services will be safe and let’s hope theres a solution relatively quickly.”
Harrogate Youth Council is actively seeking new recruits from across the constituency.
The council consists of young people aged 11 to 18 aiming to positively shape the dynamic of society.
Those with additional needs can also join the group up to the age of 25.
The members aim to echo the views of young people in Harrogate, as well as campaigning for change and have even attended national events.
Members can work on a range of societal campaigns, from mental health awareness and harassment, to climate and transport.
Pictured: The Youth Council discussing a campaign.
The members campaigned for mental health resources with The Go-To, as well as structure resources for safeguarding and child protection with Be-Aware.
Sixteen-year-old Lulu Halloum, chair of Harrogate Youth Council, said:
“We can’t keep making decisions about young people without young people.
“By failing to support youth in making positive change, our communities suffer. Now, more than ever, we must see young people as not just the leaders of tomorrow, but today.
“We have the energy, talent, and ideas to make a positive difference now”.
The council welcomes anyone that may be interested to attend its next meeting on Thursday April 13, from 3pm – 6.30pm.
Prospective members can stay for as little, or as long, as they like. The meeting will be held at the Civic Centre, on St Luke’s Avenue in Harrogate.
During term time, the council meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month, from 5 – 6.30pm.
Contact chloe.thwaites@northyorks.gov.uk for further information.