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.
Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery has partnered with a baby charity to help support the donation of milk to sick and premature babies.
The brewery is supporting the Human Milk Foundation with a fundraising campaign for the second year running.
The charity provides donor human milk to over 40 NHS hospitals and thousands of families across England and Wales.
Black Sheep will help to raise awareness of the issue by placing a ‘peel and read’ label on its Milk Stout drink in supermarkets, which will direct people to the HMF site with instructions on how to donate.
Charlene Lyons, chief executive of Black Sheep Brewery, said:
“We’re delighted to once again partner with the incredible people at Human Milk Foundation to launch this fundraising campaign.
“We consider the blood bikers to be real heroes; when they receive the call, they do whatever it takes, day or night, to pick up the donation from the nearest milk bank and quickly but safely transport the milk to the necessary hospital or family in need.”
Natalie Shenker, co-founder and director of the HMF, added:
“We are delighted to again partner with Black Sheep brewery as we aim to raise further funds to save the lives of sick and premature babies, as well as supporting the ‘blood bikers’ in their incredible efforts.
“The support of Black Sheep has allowed for the expansion of our milk bank operations so we can make safe, screened donor milk available via the blood bikers for hospitals and families across England and Wales.”
Harrogate MP visits local health business
Andrew Jones MP visited a Harrogate business supporting NHS hospitals with patient discharges.
Vivid.Care, which is based at Forest Lane Head, sells rehabilitation and recovery equipment across the UK.
Andrew Jones MP visits Vivid.Care.
The Harrogate and Knaresborough MP visited the firm this past Friday and was shown products which were being given to the NHS.
Tristan Hulbert, managing director of the company, said:
“We wanted to demonstrate just how Vivid.Care products and healthcare solutions help to enable timely patient discharge from hospitals and reduce system costs where possible.”
Mr Hulbert added:
“We showcased some of our innovative healthcare solutions such as the Raizer lifting chair and our Lento specialist seating range which are being used by healthcare providers across the UK to reduce delays to patient discharge and existing backlogs.”
Read more:
- Business Breakfast: Knaresborough pest control company appoints new chief
- Business Breakfast: Knaresborough finance firm makes three new hires
23 ex-employees of failed Harrogate firm Amvoc join new office
A Brighton firm has hired 23 former staff members of failed Harrogate telemarketing firm Amvoc after setting up a new office.
The company, which was based at Cardale Park, entered administration on Friday after abruptly closing its offices last month citing “covid debts” as the cause.
Up to 450 people lost their jobs as a result of the move.
However, One Family, a financial firm based in Brighton, said today 23 former Amvoc staff had started work at its new call centre in Leeds on Monday.
One Family was a customer of Amvoc before it entered administration.
Matthew Ellis, sales and marketing director, said:
“We were saddened to hear of the closure of Amvoc, which is a company that we have worked with for three years.
“We were worried about the talented team who had been working so hard for us during that time. We wanted to help them and swiftly put plans in place – sending colleagues to Leeds to find new office space, meet the team, unpack kit and make the seemingly impossible possible. We set up a fully operational call centre in just eight days.
“It was a very quick turnaround, but I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our new Leeds team members to One Family.”
Read more:
- Law firm to represent about 100 staff at failed Harrogate firm
- Hundreds of job losses as Harrogate company goes under
- Collapsed Harrogate firm Amvoc set to enter administration
The move comes as Leeds-based Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency has taken over as administrators of Amvoc.
Director of the firm, Gareth Lewis, and Matthew Russell have been appointed joint administrators.
Law firm Atticus said in the days after Amvoc’s collapse it has been contacted by 145 former employees.
The law firm says it is investigating the circumstances of the company’s collapse and concerns around how the redundancy process was managed, as well as whether ex-staff are eligible to claim for compensation.
Beckwithshaw attempted murder accused ‘strung bow and arrow’ before attackA Beckwithshaw man accused of trying to kill two young children had strung a bow-and-arrow in the hours leading up to the attacks, a court heard.
The weapon was discovered at his home, along with several knives, following the horrific incident on June 20 last year.
The accused, who is in his 40s, appeared at Leeds Crown Court today for the second week of his trial. He is accused of attempting to murder both children, one of whom had his throat slit.
In her closing speech this afternoon, defence barrister Kama Louise Melly said the discovery of the weapons was indicative of the accused’s paranoia and deteriorating mental health.
Ms Melly said it was clear that her client’s “thought processes” were “completely consumed” by a delusional belief that he was under threat and that people were “out to get him”.
She said he was “genuinely paranoid about a significant, far-ranging risk to his life”.
Me Melly added that in the past, her client had sought help from his doctor about his paranoia, although there was no diagnosis of paranoid psychosis.
She said the defendant had once asked for a brain scan because he was “concerned his brain was not working right”. He was convinced his house and car had been bugged and that his phone had been hacked.
Ms Melly said the accused had long-standing “paranoid beliefs” including that people were following him in his car.
She said the fact that her client had strung a bow-and-arrow and left it lying around his house, along with several knives, suggested he was “utterly preoccupied” with his delusional beliefs that people were out to get him and were conspiring against him.
Ms Melly said the evidence suggested it was “absolutely plain” that the defendant had no intention to kill the children.
‘Like a horror film’
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard harrowing evidence about how one of the children had his throat cut by the accused who also allegedly tried to kill a young girl.
The accused is alleged to have told them “this needs to happen”, before attacking them.
Two workmen went to the aid of the children, one of whom was holding his neck to stem the bleeding and the other who had blood on her shirt and was described as “hysterical”.
They said the scene resembled a “horror film” and that at first they thought it was a Halloween prank.
Read more:
- Harrogate woman jailed for 10 weeks
- Harrogate crime hotspot gets £6,000 railings to prevent loitering
- Beckwithshaw attempted murder accused told boy ‘this needs to happen’
They described the boy’s injuries as “horrific, like (in) a horror film”.
One of the named witnesses said:
“He had his throat cut open and I could see inside the cut.
“He had his hands across his throat. There was blood everywhere. He seemed in shock and really distraught.”
They called the emergency services and an ambulance took the children to hospital, where the boy, who suffered life-threatening injuries, was taken straight to an emergency operating theatre.
He suffered a “large neck laceration”, severed jugular veins and nerve and muscle damage, as well as damage to his Adam’s Apple. His neck wound was closed with deep sutures.
He was expected to make a good recovery, but doctors said it was very likely he would continue to suffer from complications including scarring and nerve damage.
‘Paranoia and drinking’
A female witness for the prosecution who knew the accused man said he had mental-health problems including bouts of paranoia and that his drinking made this worse.
The accused is alleged to have slit the boy’s throat with a 10-inch serrated knife.
Prosecutor Laura Addy said police found numerous knives at the defendant’s home, as well as a home-made petrol incendiary device and a bottle of morphine on the kitchen table.
Two psychiatrists who assessed him following his arrest deemed him fit to stand trial and said he was not insane.
The defendant admitted wounding the boy with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and attempting to cause the girl serious harm but denies two counts of attempted murder.
The trial continues.
Let’s Get Better: NHS and partners launch new website for Harrogate district and beyond
This story is sponsored by Let’s Get Better.
Are you looking for help to improve you or your family’s physical and mental health? Do you want to take charge of your wellbeing and live a happier and healthier life? If yes, then read on.
If you live in the Harrogate area, Let’s Get Better is the ultimate destination for all your health and wellness needs. Our website, www.letsgetbetter.co.uk offers comprehensive resources, support and signposting to help you and your family Start Well, Age Well and Live Well.
The website has been put together on behalf of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership – a collaboration of health, social care, community and charitable organisations in North Yorkshire and York, Hull and East Riding and North and North East Lincolnshire.
The launch of Let’s Get Better brings together lots of useful information and guidance to support you at every stage of your lifelong health journey – as well as help to take you to the “right care, first time” when you or a member of your family is unwell.
Whether you’re a young person looking for mental health support, a mum-to-be who’s looking for help to manage your pregnancy, or just want to get fitter, improve your diet, or manage stress, there’s something for everyone at Let’s Get Better.
We firmly believe in empowering people to take control of their health and wellbeing – and take steps to prevent ill health. With the right information at your fingertips, it will help you to play your part in looking after your health and the health of those around you – and help you choose the right care when you do have a health issue.
Dr Nigel Wells, clinical lead for the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said:
“Our Partnership’s ambition is for everyone in our area to: start well, live well and age well.
“This means shifting the focus of our work from picking people up when they fall to helping to prevent them from becoming unwell in the first place and supporting more people to manage their health and wellbeing at home so they can get on with living happy and fulfilling lives.
“We hope the Let’s Get Better website will become the ultimate online health and wellbeing companion for everyone living in our area – and people’s first port of call when they need extra information and support to make decisions about their health and wellbeing.”
Stephen Eames, CBE, the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chief Executive added:
“We know that at the end of the day many people want to not only look after their health but also improve their wellbeing, both physically and mentally.
“There are lots of sources of health information available; the aim of Let’s Get Better, as more and more content is added, is to have an easy to navigate, dedicated online space where people can find out more about how to look after themselves – and where to go when they’re unwell.
“We want people to think beyond their family doctor – there are lots of other expert health professionals working in GP surgeries and many minor ailments can be resolved by going to see a local pharmacist. Or for more urgent care needs NHS 111 or an Urgent Treatment Centre can help, without having to go to a hospital’s Accident and Emergency department. Let’s Get Better explains all these services along with when you should use them and much more useful information.”
The Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is one of 42 Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) which cover England to meet health and care needs across an area, coordinate services and plan in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups.
We work across a geographical area of more than 1,500 square miles and serve a population of 1.7 million people, all with different health and care needs.
Find out more:
In addition to the Let’s Get Better website, the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership has launched a new Facebook page, Do give us a like!
We’ll be regularly posting short videos, sharing hints, tips, advice and guidance and posting topical content.
Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into River Nidd 870 times in 2022Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into the River Nidd 870 times last year.
The Environment Agency published 2022 monitoring data on Friday from all 10 water and sewerage companies in England.
It reveals the 870 sewage discharges into the Nidd lasted for a total of 6,177 hours. Dacre sewage pumping station alone saw 87 spills and 1,014 hours of sewage discharged.
By comparison, there were 318 spills into Oak Beck and Coppice Beck, which lasted for 438 hours.
Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full, which can happen during increased rainfall.
In a statement, Yorkshire Water said it was working to improve the number of times sewage is discharged into rivers in the county.
A spokesperson said:
“While 2022’s figures on overflows show improvement we understand they happen more than our customers would like, and we are determined to tackle this issue and do our bit for river health.”
Read more:
- Andrew Jones MP ‘confident’ of achieving bathing water status for River Nidd
- Harrogate and Knaresborough MP says sewage criticism ‘ridiculous’
However, the latest figures prompted Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrats’ prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough to call for a ban on sewage discharges in protected waters.
Tom Gordon
Mr Gordon also called for a ban on water company executives being paid multi-million pound bonuses.
He said:
“These figures are a damning verdict on the government’s attempt to stop Yorkshire Water from dumping sewage into our waterways.
“Local people are furious that our swimming locations and previous wildlife habitats have become poisoned with raw sewage. The Conservative government just doesn’t seem to care. I think it’s time the Environment Secretary resigned and was replaced with somebody who actually cares about our rivers and lakes.
“It is time ministers got tough with Yorkshire Water. They are raking in massive profits all whilst destroying the environment. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”
The Stray Ferret approached Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for comment, but did not receive a response.
Water minister Rebecca Pow said:
“The volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable and we are taking action to make sure polluters are held to account.
”By bringing in comprehensive monitoring – up from just 7% in 2010 to the most extensive level ever now being at 91% – this government and its regulators have enabled the extent of sewage discharges to be revealed, so that we are better equipped to tackle this challenge.”
Thousands of teachers descend on Harrogate as new strikes called
Thousands of teachers are in Harrogate this week for the National Education Union‘s annual conference.
Delegates poured into Harrogate Convention Centre this morning for the four-day event, which began with news that teachers had rejected the latest government pay offer and were preparing for more strikes on April 27 and May 2.
Visitors were greeted by dozens of activists outside the convention centre handing out leaflets and distributing copies of left-wing publications such as Morning Star and Socialist Worker.
The week will see numerous fringe events take place in Harrogate as well as at the conference centre and nearby hotels.
Delegates arrive this morning
The NEU is the largest teachers’ union with 32,000 members from 1,700 schools.
Its latest pay ballot was rejected by 98% of teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%.
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, issued a joint statement to delegates in Harrogate:
“This resounding rejection of the government’s offer should leave Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.
“These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.
“No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK.”
Read more:
- Picket lines across Harrogate district as teachers’ strikes continue
- Harrogate fashion show to celebrate town’s retailers
Harrogate school raises £6,500 in 1,000-mile cycling challenge
A Harrogate primary school cycled 1,000 miles in 24 hours to raise £6,560 — triple its fundraising target.
Teachers, pupils and parents from Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School set off on a virtual race from John o’ Groats to Land’s End with the target of raising £2,000 to fund playground improvements.
Riders took 15-minute turns on one of four stationary bikes in the school hall, with quick changeovers to ensure the pedals never stopped moving.
Video messages of support were received from professional cyclist Lizzie Deignan and Olympic gold medallist, Jonny Brownlee.
The first day finished with a disco ride in the dark, complete with lights and motivational music until 9.00pm and riders were back on the saddles again by 6.00am to continue the virtual journey.
An online fundraising page and cash sponsorships have so far generated £6,560.
Ms Ross with the head girl and head boy
Headteacher Amy Ross said:
“I am so proud of Team Hampsthwaite and what we have collectively achieved in these past two days.
“Every child has been involved and had the chance to take a turn on the bike and the support from parents and family has been incredible.
“I am overwhelmed by the amount of money that we have raised; it will make a tremendous difference towards improving the playground, which all pupils will get to enjoy.”
Read more:
- Hampsthwaite pupils prepare for epic 1,000-mile bike ride!
- The Harrogate school providing children with additional support
Harrogate fashion show to celebrate town’s retailers
Harrogate is to celebrate its mix of retail shops with a fashion show in the town centre.
The Celebration of Fashion event on Saturday, May 20, will be hosted by Harrogate BID and is sponsored by the Victoria Shopping Centre. The Stray Ferret will cover the show as media partner.
The aim of the fashion show is to showcase what Harrogate has to offer in terms of high street chains and independent boutiques, and to invigorate the high street.
A pop-up catwalk will be installed in the town’s Victoria Shopping Centre piazza area and retailers will host in-house pop-up experiences to attract customers.
Morgan Clare, Hoopers, Specsavers, Lush and Primark have already signed up to take part, demonstrating the level of interest in the event from the outset.
Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:
“Harrogate is renowned for being home to many retailers that offer visitors the opportunity to purchase the latest trends in fashion, whatever the occasion.
“What could be better than retailers coming together to display their unique offering and for visitors to head to the piazza and take a tour of the Harrogate Celebration of Fashion’s programme of events – to see what fashion suits them?”
The fashion show will run from 10am to 5pm.
Retailers wishing to showcase their ranges, from wedding collections to activewear, vintage to seasonal outfits, are invited to secure their place by emailing info@harrogatebid.co.uk.
Read More:
- Business Breakfast: Small indies to pop up on Harrogate high street
- How Harrogate is following the town centre living trend
Business Breakfast: New specialist health store opens in Harrogate
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 specialist health and nutritional supplement shop has opened in Harrogate.
Go Herbs, which is based on Station Parade, offers customers a a wide range of vitamins, natural health products and sports supplements.
The store is overseen by Emilija Krukoniene and Abbie Green, who wanted to create a welcoming, positive and educational experience for customers to learn how they can improve their health, wellbeing and sports performance.
Ms Krukoniene said:
“We are really excited to see our vision coming to fruition as we open our first store in Harrogate and welcome customers.
“Whilst most of us can get all the vitamins and minerals we need by eating a healthy, balanced diet, sometimes we need a little extra help and so we are looking forward to getting to know the local community.
“Health and nutrition is my passion and it has always been a dream for me to be able to help people look and feel their best by helping them find the best products to support them whatever their goals, with a welcoming in-store experience.”
The store is planning a series of events throughout the year such as Q&A sessions, collaborating with local groups and organisations, providing expert advice and support alongside high-quality products.
Women’s networking event to be held in Harrogate
A networking event for women in business is set to be held in Harrogate.
The event is organised by She Business UK, which aims to support women within the workplace.
The networking lunch will be held at Co-Lab on Kings Road and will take place from midday until 2pm on Tuesday, April 18.
It will include a discussion led by Fiona Kearns, women’s ambassador at She Business UK.
For more information, visit the networking EventBrite page here.
Read more:
- Business Breakfast: Knaresborough pest control company appoints new chief
- Business Breakfast: Knaresborough finance firm makes three new hires
Stray Views: Knaresborough electric vehicle charging bays ‘an own goal’
Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Following the furore concerning the installation of 10 electric vehicle charging bays alongside the Chapel Street car park, on turning in to the street yesterday, I was astounded to see a large tour bus parked across eight out the ten bays.
Later, a different tour bus was parked there also. This appears to be yet another own goal by the council, not only do these bays not conform to short stay provision, it appears that tour buses continue to use the site for disgorging their punters into the town.
Nick Bentley, Staveley
Station Gateway proposals ‘highly questionable’
North Yorkshire Councillor Keane Duncan is a welcome breath of fresh air in challenging the supine response of Harrogate Borough Council to the evangelical cycle-lobby which has resulted in many hundreds of thousands pounds being spent on whimsical cycle lanes which the vast majority of Harrogate residents, if properly consulted, would have preferred to be spent on eliminating the pot holes which plague our streets.
There is absolutely no doubt that the public piazza outside the Victoria Centre is tired and needs updating. But the rest of the £11 million plans are highly questionable.
Bus and train visitors would in future have to navigate a two-way cycle lane on what is currently a one direction traffic flow.
The latest London experience statistics show that far less than 50% of cyclists stop at pedestrian lights. At present there are four sets of traffic lights in a 300 metre stretch on Station Parade to help pedestrian visitors to cross the road. It works extremely well. When was the last injury recorded?
Will the plans improve life for cyclists wanting to go to the train station? Not really. They can do that already via the dedicated cycle lanes on East Parade.
Councillor Duncan has promised that “ traffic flows will be revisited and re- assessed”.It is wonderful to me to hear that ,at last, someone on the new NY council seems to be giving balanced consideration to the welfare of residents of Harrogate.
But will the NY council have the guts to turn down the free £ 11m government grant or the wit to redefine the plans to recognise that the interests of many potentially adversely affected residential council tax-payers should also be given due consideration? I have my fingers – crossed.
Tim Emmott, Harrogate
Read more:
- Stray Views: Rossett Nature Reserve ‘has been slashed back’
- Stray Views: Otley Road cycleway a “scandalous waste of public money”
- Stray Views: North Yorkshire rural transport ‘desperately inefficient’
Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.