Cost of living crisis fund launched for North Yorkshire

Two Ridings Community Foundation has launched a fund aimed at helping communities in North Yorkshire as the cost of living crisis deepens.

The charity is set to open applications for the fund next month and has already received £210,000 worth of pledges towards it.

The fund will give grants to groups who provide practical, financial and emotional support to people struggling to manage bills, with their day-to-day existence and the emotional impact of constantly worrying about finance, debt and their loved ones’ wellbeing.

It comes as people across the Harrogate district have seen energy bills increase and inflation hike the prices of goods and services.

Two Ridings Community Foundation is one of 47 community foundations in the UK which co-ordinate local charitable giving. Its new initiative will help people in north and east Yorkshire.

James Lambert, founding donor of the crisis fund and high sheriff of North Yorkshire, urged others to donate to the fund.

He said:

“As a local businessman I urge everyone who can to donate to this crucial fund.

“As high sheriff I have seen the amazing work that local charities do and know that any money donated is used wisely and well, where it is most needed.”

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The fund will also ensure charities can cope with the impact of the cost of living on their own costs, so they can continue to offer support.

The fund will open for applications from North and East Yorkshire community organisations from early October 2022. Full details will be available on the Two Ridings website.

Harrogate Porsche driver who killed cyclist was ‘scrolling’ through social media

A Porsche driver from Harrogate knocked down and killed a cyclist while scrolling through social media posts on his phone, it’s alleged.

James Bryan, 37, was rushing to get some shopping for his parents during the covid lockdown when his Porsche Carrera 911 ploughed into the back of a bicycle ridden by married father-of-two Andrew Jackson, 36, on the A168 between Wetherby and Boroughbridge, a jury at York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Anne Richardson said that at the time of the collision, Mr Bryan’s Instagram and Facebook accounts were open.

She said Mr Bryan must have been looking at, scrolling through, or reading posts on social media in the moments before the crash at Allerton Park.

She said that Bryan had been taking cocaine and drinking at his friend’s house in Cheshire the night before the fatal collision at Rabbit Hill Park.

Although he wasn’t over the limit for either drink or drugs, there were traces of cocaine in his system.

Ms Richardson said that Bryan, who celebrated his 35th birthday just two days before the fatal crash, would have been impaired by the drugs in his system and from being hungover and tired from the alcohol and festivities the night before.

‘Incredibly sad case’

Ms Richardson said that forensic analysis of Mr Bryan’s phone showed that at the time of the collision he had his Facebook and Instagram apps open.

He was on the way to drop some groceries off at his parents’ house. They were isolating during the covid lockdown when the accident occurred at about 1.40pm on May 10, 2020.

Mr Jackson was wearing a helmet on a straight stretch of road where visibility was good. Ms Richardson said:

“The front of the Porsche collided with the rear of Mr Jackson’s bike and Andrew Jackson came off his bike, went up in the air and hit his head on the windscreen and roof of the car, and landed on the road behind the car.”

“He was pronounced dead at the scene by an off-duty intensive-care consultant.

“This is an incredibly sad case. A young mother has lost her husband and father to two (very young) children. Her in-laws have lost their only son.”

Mr Bryan, of St Mary’s Avenue, Harrogate, has already admitted that he caused the death of Mr Jackson by careless driving in that he didn’t leave enough room to drive around the bicycle, but he denies causing death by dangerous driving on the grounds that he wasn’t using his phone at the time.

Head injuries

The prosecution insists that Mr Bryan’s driving was dangerous because he “wasn’t looking at the road ahead of him” as his car approached Mr Jackson. Ms Richardson said:

“If he had been (looking ahead of him) he would have had an uninterrupted view of the road (for) over 500 metres.”

Mr Bryan, who had been at a barbecue the night before to celebrate his birthday and set off for home early the following morning, called 999 moments after the accident and told a call operator he thought the cyclist was dead.

Other motorists, including the off-duty doctor and his medically trained wife, were on the scene in minutes and called police and an ambulance, but Mr Jackson had already died from head injuries.

Police arrived at the scene and arrested Mr Bryan, who was “very distressed” and appeared to be in shock.

A roadside drug-impairment test showed that Mr Bryan was positive for cocaine but not over the specified legal limit.

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Subsequent forensic examination of his phone showed that it was unlocked in the moments before the crash and the Instagram and Facebook apps were open.

Mr Bryan was taken in for questioning and told police that after arriving back home from Cheshire he decided to do some shopping for his parents who were shielding because his father had cancer.

He said that Mr Jackson, who lived locally, “came out of nowhere” but then claimed the cyclist had veered into the middle of the road and that he had tried to overtake him, only for the cyclist to “swerve into my path”.

An accident investigator who carried out a reconstruction of the crash said that the bike was not in the middle of the road, but on the edge of the carriageway, near a grass verge, and that Mr Bryan had not tried to move around the bicycle.

Mr Bryan told police he had gone to Cheshire the day before to view a “potential development site” and that he wanted to become a property developer.

In one message found on his phone on the way back from Cheshire, Mr Bryan told a friend he was hungover from the night before and was “concerned about being late for his parents with their shopping”.

In another sent by Mr Bryan to a female friend while he was at the birthday party, he told her: “I’m so drunk I can’t see.”

‘Fit to drive’

Defence barrister Sophia Dower claimed that Mr Bryan was in a “fit and proper state” to drive and was not using his phone at the time of the crash.

She claimed that Mr Jackson’s bike had veered right from the edge of the road into the path of Mr Bryan’s black Porsche, and that her client “didn’t have enough time to react”.

Witnesses including the off-duty doctor and his wife said they saw the cyclist with torn clothes lying on his back in the road.

The doctor said that when he checked for a pulse there was none, and he certified him dead at the scene.

He said that when he told the Porsche driver the cyclist was dead, he “moved backwards, crouched down and put his hands on his head”.

He said Mr Jackson had suffered a serious head injury and his helmet was broken.

The trial continues.

90-year-old skydiving for Harrogate care home

A 90-year-old man from Harrogate will perform a skydive to help buy wheelchairs at a care home where his wife lives.

Frank Ward’s wife Margie has vascular dementia and lives at Berwick Grange care home on Wetherby Road.

As Mr Ward approached his 90th birthday in November, he decided to mark it by doing something special.

The energy crisis has increased costs at the care home for heating and food and Mr Ward hopes the fundraiser will help it buy some much-needed wheelchairs for residents.

He is especially looking forward to the jump because the last time he did a skydive was in the 1950s during National Service.

Mr Ward said:

“It occurred to me that a skydive would be a nice thing to do to mark my 90th — and I could try and do some good at the same time. 

“I’ve raised over £1,500 so far, that’s marvellous and will buy a lot of wheelchairs. 

“If I get to 95 I might do another one!”

To donate, visit the JustGiving page.

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Double council tax on North Yorkshire second homes approved

Owners of second homes in North Yorkshire are set to pay a 100% premium on their council tax.

Senior councillors on North Yorkshire County Council yesterday approved the measure, which is expected to come into force within two years.

The council’s executive unanimously backed the plans, which would effectively double council tax bills for second home owners, and the proposals will now be considered at a full council meeting.

The move will see the premium introduced for homes which have been sat empty for a year or more.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said the move would help local people access housing.

He said:

“There is no simple solution to the issue of affordable housing, second homes and the impact they have on housing for local communities.

“But we recognise that bold and decisive action needs to be taken to deal with the affordable housing crisis in North Yorkshire, and that is why the executive has decided to pursue the policy of a council tax premium.

“It may not be popular with everyone, but that is not the key factor in this decision. We need to act to try and ensure more local people have access to housing in their own communities, and the premium on council tax bills for second homes will be a significant step towards achieving that.

“Second homes and the impact they can have on the availability of housing has been a long-running problem that has affected communities not just in North Yorkshire but across the country, and this was reinforced by the findings of the independent North Yorkshire Rural Commission.”

Analysis by the county council showed the introduction of a 100% premium on council tax bills for second homes in North Yorkshire could generate in excess of £14 million a year in additional revenue.

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The research said that Richmondshire could generate about £1.8 million through the second homes premium, while the Craven, Harrogate and Ryedale districts could each provide about £1.5 million in extra revenue.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for finance, Cllr Gareth Dadd, who is also the authority’s deputy leader, said: 

“We know that there is an acute shortage of housing for local people in many communities in North Yorkshire, and this has been an issue that has long affected their opportunities to actually buy their own home.

“Places such as the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors as well as coastal towns such as Scarborough and Whitby are without question wonderful places to live.

“But with that comes the fact that these areas also see very high numbers of second homes, which affects the availability of housing for local people.

“The scheme to introduce the council tax premium will ideally see these second homes brought back into use for local people. But if not, then there will be a valuable new revenue stream created that will help fund council priorities, such as helping introduce more housing for local communities.”

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough company to build solar farm

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Knaresborough-based energy company has been given the green light to develop New Zealand’s largest solar farm in Waikato.

Harmony Energy will create the development, which will generate enough electricity to power 30,000 homes.

The country’s Environmental Protection Authority has approved Harmony’s proposal for the 147-megawatt solar farm to be installed on 182 hectares of a 260-hectare site at Te Aroha West, 140 kilometres south of Auckland.

Harmony Energy director, Pete Grogan, who is based in New Zealand, said: 

“We are thrilled this important renewable development can now proceed. Renewable energy is critical to mitigate the negative impact of climate change and help support New Zealand’s net zero ambition.

“One of the great advantages of solar power is that it accommodates dual use of land, allowing for energy generation alongside continued farming production, as will happen at Tauhei.

“This proposal creates opportunities for local businesses and employment and creates significant biodiversity gains. We will deliver an exceptional project that Waikato can be proud of.”

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Yorkshire estate agent introduces online auction

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley.

Harrogate district estate agents Dacre, Son & Hartley has introduced a new online auction service.

The service allows people to buy and sell land and property online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The company, which has offices in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, partnered with Bamboo Auctions to launch the service.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley, said:

“This new service is specifically designed to make it quick, easy and straightforward to list and sell properties and vendors don’t have to wait to join other sellers in a collective auction catalogue.

“Buying and selling a property through this method provides each party with an additional degree of certainty, because once the auction ends, both the buyer and seller are legally bound to proceed with the transaction, in accordance with the published terms and conditions.”

Harrogate’s John Shackleton selling firewood to fund 48th ambulance

John Shackleton, 83, is preparing to deliver an ambulance to a humanitarian organisation in Moldova next month.

If you’re not familiar with Mr Shackleton’s work, he’s been delivering ambulances to hospices and hospitals in Europe since 1990.

The Harrogate man has since delivered 47 of them to an exhaustive list of countries, including Albania, Kazakstan, Armenia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

To raise money to pay for the ambulances, John and his team chop down trees in need of felling all over Harrogate that they dry out before selling as firewood.

He’s currently selling a large barrow bag of oak for £90, much lower than the market rate, and it includes delivery within the Harrogate area.

He said:

“I’ve been chopping logs this morning. At my age, and after my heart attack, it’s hard work.”

The price of second-hand ambulances has risen sharply since the covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine from around €12,000 to €24,000.

Mr Shackleton sources ambulances in the Netherlands but he’s struggled to buy one due to a shortage.

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In a couple of weeks he will set off to Europe, with a crew that includes his grandson and a German TV crew, and he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to buy one in time.

He added:

“We’re going to quite a big Christian organisation in Moldova. I’ve got my team, all we need now is an ambulance.

“I never thought I wouldn’t be able to buy one. But the story of my life is I’m always optimistic”.

If you’d like to buy some firewood from John to help him buy an ambulance, give him a ring on 01423 871255 or email johnshackleton@aidtoeasterneurope.co.uk

Council launches pilot scheme as escalating numbers of children are overweight

North Yorkshire County Council has reported an escalating number of overweight youngsters since axing a well-regarded scheme to help children and their families make positive changes to their diet.

A council report has revealed since Healthy Choices was abandoned due to government cuts in 2020, the county has had no weight management service for children and has seen annual rises in children with excess weight that have been “much higher than in previous years”.

After completing Healthy Choices, 80% of youngsters saw marked weight reductions.

In 2016, 21% of five-year-olds and about 30% of 11-year-olds in the county, significantly lower than the national average, were found to be living with excess weight.

However, a public health report has revealed these figures have since overtaken or moved close to the national average, with 29% of reception pupils and 38% of primary school leavers classed as overweight.

Although child weight statistics for different local authority areas for last year will not be published by the government until December, last year it was reported  obesity rates in both reception-aged and Year 6 children increased by around 4.5 percentage points between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

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Concerning the sharp rise in children with excess weight, the council report said: 

“There is a real need for families across the county to receive compassionate support to manage weight, eat well and move more.”

Such is the concern over the rise in children with excess weight since its Healthy Choices programme was abandoned two years ago that senior councillors and officers have agreed to pump up to £106,000 from its reserves to kick start a family weight management service.

The 18-month pilot service will utilise the county’s current successful service for adults to support adults who have dependents that need a holistic support for the whole family. It will also take referrals for children and young people through the National Child Measurement Programme and other health professional referral routes.

However, unlike Healthy Choices, which was delivered in children’s homes or at a local venue, the new service will be remote, with up to 12 phone or video calls.

The officer’s report states the service will be “more cost effective” than Healthy Choices, which cost £300,000 annually.

The authority’s executive member for health, Councillor Michael Harrison said since 2020, both locally and nationally there had been the largest rise in obese primary schoolchildren on record.

He said: 

“We have a good record on our adult weight management initiatives, with five per cent body weight reductions for those completing programme we offer, and that weight loss is sustained 24 weeks later.

“If these figures are going up there is an increasing number of people who are having their lives impacted by complications to their health in later years. As public health professionals it is right that we should try and something about it in a practical but compassionate way.”

Royal Hall Proms returns to Harrogate next month

A Last Night of the Proms charity concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall next month will pay tribute to the Queen and celebrate the new King.

The concert, which will feature the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band and acclaimed violinist Kate Chruscicka, will take place on October 7.

The event is being organised by the Harrogate fundraising team at end of life care charity Marie Curie following the success of the first proms in 2019, which raised more than £20,000.

Royal Hall Proms

The group is now hoping to recreate “the magic” of the event following a break as result of the pandemic.

Chair of the group, David Beswick, said:

“The team are determined to ensure the concert will deliver a ‘last night concert’ to remember.

“We know the Queen was a music lover and at major ceremonial and celebratory events, the sound of brass and marching band music was a fundamental component.

“We’re delighted to have Grimethorpe Colliery Band at the event. They are the most famous name in the world of brass band music. They will lead the celebration of the Queen’s life, and wish our new monarch, King Charles III, a long and successful reign.”

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Before his accession to the throne, King Charles was a patron of Marie Curie.

Mr Beswick added:

“He has opened hospices and hosted many fundraising events for the charity, including joining people across the UK as part of our National Day of Reflection.

“For many of us, it will be our first opportunity to join in the singing of God Save our Gracious King.”

The event starts at 7pm and will feature classic Last Night of the Proms staples, such as Royal Britannia and Jerusalem.

Last Night of the Proms Marie Curie

Senior community fundraiser Gemma Hewitt said:

“I’m thrilled to have the proms event back after such a difficult time for everyone over the past two years.

“Now with the sad death of the Queen, this hopefully will bring us all together to celebrate her, and our wonderful community spirit – with singing and flag waving, you will be sure to leave with a smile on your face.”

All money raised from the event will support Marie Curie, which provides nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness.

Tickets start from £20, and can be booked from the Royal Hall website, in person or on the phone on 01423 502116.

 

Harrogate Photographic Society to show historic photos

Harrogate Photographic Society has announced plans for its 100th anniversary, which include showcasing historic images of the town as well as photos from the early days of Ukraine’s independence.

The society was founded on October 23, 1922 and was originally based at a shop on King’s Road.

Mike Hudson, the society’s president for its centenary year, said:

“There were seven members originally but that rapidly expanded… and it took off big time from then.”

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A team from the society has gone through the image archives at Harrogate Library and North Yorkshire County Council to find pictures from that time.

Many images have been lost but the ones which remain are set to be digitised and displayed to the public in the near future.

Mr Hudson said they were hoping to preserve elements of Harrogate’s history. He added:

“When someone passes away, the sons, daughters and relatives… [put photos] in the bin or in the skip and they’re lost forever. We’re very lucky to have just a few photographs and prints that have survived.”

There are also plans for a special presentation alongside local jewellers Ogden of Harrogate about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt in 1922.

JR Ogden was tasked with advising archaeologist Howard Carter on the jewels and gold found within the tomb.

The covid pandemic was a challenge for the group, Mr Hudson admitted, with its meetings having to be held online.

However, he hoped that people would now be encouraged to return and meet the photographers in-person.

Four photos of the Harrogate Photographic Society from its recent history

Some of the society members’ photos (photos: Harrogate Photographic Society)

Photos from Ukraine

Following the look at Harrogate’s past, the society will hear from globally renowned photographers including Tim Smith and Paul Haley.

Mr Smith will discuss his time spent in Ukraine and Russia in 1991, when Ukraine voted to declare independence from the Soviet Union.

Mr Haley, a war photographer, will be sharing his photos for the Falklands War, the 40th anniversary of which was this year.

Mike Hudson believed that each photographer brought something different in terms of their work. He said:

“Each photographer has something special to say themselves. They each excel in the genres of photography they take.”

Richard Taylor school in Bilton receives ‘good’ Ofsted rating

Richard Taylor Primary School in Bilton has received a ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.

The government schools inspector, which visited Richard Taylor in June, praised the quality of learning as well as how much children enjoy attending.

The report said pupils work hard to meet the high expectations set by teachers and that children with special educational needs were particularly well supported by a “broad and ambitious” curriculum.

The report said:

“Pupils say that they love school and their friends at Richard Taylor primary.

“Pupils feel safe, and are safe, because staff look after them well and help them with any problems they may have.

“Teachers help them to do their best. They are well supported by school staff.”

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The report praised the “calm and orderly environment” and said child welfare and safeguarding were well catered for. It said:

“Pupils say that bullying does not happen, but if it did, they trust that adults would deal with it quickly.”

Richard Taylor school

Richard Taylor school

Staff, it added, “are proud to work at the school” and “say that leaders support them well”.

Most parents say the school is a “great community to be part of” and feel supported by staff.

Founded in 1793

Richard Taylor was founded in 1793 and moved to its current site on Bilton Lane in 1973.

The 275-pupil school, which is a founding member of the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, was last inspected in 2017, when it was also rated ‘good’.

The latest report highlighted “some inconsistencies in staff expertise to deliver phonics”, adding:

“As a result, some pupils in the earliest stages of reading are not competent at blending letter sounds to read a word.”

It said leaders were in the process of putting in place “a more systematic approach to the teaching of phonics”.

Andrew Symonds and Emma Crisell (1)

Headteacher Andrew Symonds and deputy headteacher Emma Crisell

Andrew Symonds, who has been headteacher at Richard Taylor for 13 years, said:

“Everyone at Richard Taylor school is very pleased with the outcome of our most recent report.

“We are delighted that the inspector recognised the strong sense of community where a culture of respect and kindness is in every classroom.

“The report also clearly identified the strong duty of care and united vision for the pupils, based upon our Christian values, which is shared by everyone associated with the school.

“I would like to thank the children, parents, governors and leaders within the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust for their hard work and support which is reflected in this report.

“As a school we are ready to focus on the agreed targets for development as we prepare to celebrate 230 years as a learning community in Harrogate and our 50th anniversary on our current site.”