Charity Corner: Harrogate baby loss charity stops families feeling ‘alone’

A Harrogate charity has been described as “the club you never want to be a part of”.

Yet Our Angels offers vital support for many families across the district after the loss of a baby. It was set up by Emma Lofthouse in 2009, after she lost her son Charlie 35 weeks into her pregnancy the year before.

Losing Charlie came as a huge shock to Emma, who already had two children. She said she wanted something to put her energy into and a way to keep talking about her son.

Our Angels started as a support group for anyone affected by baby loss, whether that is an early miscarriage or a neonatal death.

Mrs Lofthouse said:

“I was astonished there was no support in Harrogate. I felt lost and alone.”

Bubble celebration for Our Angels

Every year the charity gets families together to send bubbles into the air in memory of their loss. Photograph: Our Angels

The charity now fundraises thousands of pounds for Harrogate District Hospital’s maternity ward and training for midwives across the county.

Mrs Lofthouse said she believes it’s important for midwives to be trained to support the family straight away, as the midwife is often the first person there when they lose their baby.

Along with the trustees, Mrs Lofthouse runs monthly meetings at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate where families can come to talk about their babies and get emotional support.

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Mrs Lofthouse said:

“We can’t stop this happening but we can offer support after it does.

“People don’t want to talk about baby loss because it is heart breaking, but it is also so much more common that people think. It shouldn’t be a taboo subject.”

In October 2020, work was completed on the newly renovated and renamed Bluebell Suite at Harrogate Hospital after the charity donated £45,000.

The suite is a place where parents go after losing their baby. The charity wanted to ensure parents had everything they needed as they spend precious time with their child.

The charity also provides memory boxes to the hospital which are given to every set of parents. The box was one of the first things Mrs Lofthouse began fundraising for.

She added:

“When I left hospital I had nothing tangible to hold in his memory. This was one of the first things I wanted to fundraise for.”

Our Angels memory box

The memory box is a way for the charity to tell families they aren’t alone. Photograph: Our Angels

The box includes a blanket the family can wrap their baby in and then take photographs. This way they have as a keepsake when they leave hospital. It also contains a leaflet about the charity, giving parents and other family members the option to get in touch for extra support.

Mrs Lofthouse says she will always be grateful for Our Angels giving her the chance to keep talking about her son Charlie almost 12 years on. She says she is honoured to offer families support after losing someone so precious.

To learn more about Our Angels you can find their website here or get in touch with them on Facebook, just search ‘ Our Angels charity and support group’.

Reduced rail service from Harrogate to Leeds today

Northern is running a reduced rail service between Harrogate and Leeds due to faults with the signalling system caused by a fallen tree yesterday.

Several trains have already been cancelled this morning and from 10.45am, trains will leave Harrogate Station once an hour rather than the usual twice hourly service.

Trains will leave Leeds Station to Harrogate at 29 minutes past the hour, every hour.

All services, in both directions of travel, will pick up and drop off on platform 1 at Burley Park, Headingley and Horsforth stations.

The disruption is expected to continue until the end of today.

For an up to date timetable visit National Rail.

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Harrogate hotels ready to offer beds for coronavirus patients

Ripon couple saved as tree falls in heavy snow

 

Harrogate hotels ready to offer beds for coronavirus patients

Three major Harrogate hotels are ready to offer up beds to the NHS for coronavirus patients should they asked to help.

The Crowne Plaza, Cedar Court Harrogate and the Majestic Hotel and Spa have all thrown their weight behind the proposals.

Each have hundreds of beds which could be used to ease pressure on the NHS.

The hotel beds could be used for those patients on the recovery path, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed on Sky News.

NHS England’s media team has declined to give more details.

When asked about the potential for hotel beds to be used Mr Hancock said:

“We would only ever do that if it was clinically the right thing for somebody.

“But in some cases, people need step-down care, they don’t actually need to be in a hospital bed.”

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Wayne Topley, the managing director of the Cedar Court Hotels Group Yorkshire, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are here to help and in the spirit of kindness we are focused on what our hotels can do to support the now critical effort.

“In Harrogate we are in touch with number of care providers, primarily the hospital itself. We have reached out to offer our support and they know we are here if they need us.”

A spokesman for the Cairn Hotel Group, which owns and operates the Majestic Hotel and Spa, also said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with other industry leaders to offer support and help to the NHS if and when needed.”

A spokesman for the Crowne Plaza, which is connected to Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital and pictured above lighting up for the NHS, said:

“We already have a good working relationship with the NHS team in Harrogate. We are open to further conversation.”

Harrogate District Hospital confirmed yesterday that it currently has 47 coronavirus patients, up from 28 a week ago.

This surge in patients has forced the hospital to postpone some non-emergency surgeries to free up space and staff to deal with coronavirus patients.

Jail for ‘prolific’ Harrogate drug dealer

A drug dealer who brought crack cocaine and heroin into Harrogate has been sent to jail for five years and four months.

Lee Bavin, 27, of Manchester Road in Bradford, appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing today.

North Yorkshire Police has had Bavin on its radar since 2018 as part of a county lines investigation.

Officers stopped Bavin on his way to Harrogate at the time and found 40 heroin wraps and 140 wraps of crack cocaine in his underwear.

They also seized 82 methandienone tablets and his phone, which linked him to county lines.

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Police arrested Bavin again in January 2020 when a plain clothed officer watched a drug deal take place in Harrogate.

The officer followed the suspects to a block of flats where Bavin was hiding with more than £800, 19 wraps of heroin and a phone.

The courts granted the officer’s request to remand Bavin in custody at this point to “protect the wider public.”

Bavin subsequently faced charges of two counts of possesing heroin with intent to supply, one count of possesing crack cocaine with intent to supply and one count of possing methandienone with intent to supply.

He changed his plea to guilty to all offences when he appeared at court in November 2020.

Investigating officer, detective constable Tom Barker of Harrogate’s Operation Expedite Team, said:

“Lee Bavin is a prolific offender who showed no regard whatsoever to police action.

“I am hopeful that while he is in prison he is able to reflect on the crimes he has committed and receives help to rectify his criminal behaviour.

“Drug dealing causes misery in our communities we hope local people are reassured that we are committed to disrupting it and taking those responsible off the streets.

Court orders Harrogate builder James Moss to pay £11,000

A court has ordered Harrogate builder James Moss to pay £11,495 to a woman who was unhappy about the quality of his work.

The Harrogate Justice Centre held a virtual hearing yesterday with claimant Anna McIntyre, which Mr Moss failed to attend.

District judge Helen Wood said at the hearing:

“I understand that you have limited your claim to £10,000 to get this small claims court hearing and that it would cost £22,705 to put this right.

“I have no difficulty giving you what you have asked for. As well as the £10,000 for your claim I can give you £745 for your court fees and £750 for your expert fees.

“The company has filed a counter claim without any supporting documents so I am striking that out.”

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The judge added enforcement of the claim was “a different matter”.

In a separate case last month, Harrogate Justice Centre adjourned another civil claim against Mr Moss after he told the court he was self-isolating.

Karen Macgillvray-Fallis claimed £9,996 through the small claims court, which is close to the maximum threshold of £10,000.

The court said Ms Macgillvray-Fallis’s case would be held in January but it has yet to be heard.

Harrogate BID votes in new chair

Harrogate BID has elected a new chair for the next 12 months, with a unanimous vote in a virtual meeting.

Sara Ferguson, who co-owns Sasso and Caffe Marconi, had been the acting-chair since last May.

She stepped up into the role when former chair Bob Kennedy resigned along with three directors in April last year.

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As well as the appointment of Sara Ferguson as the chair, six new directors have joined the board.

Bokmun Chan, Studley Hotel & Orchid Restaurant, Nick Hubbert, Hoopers, Dan Siddle, the Crown Hotel, and Wayne Topley, Cedar Court Hotel have just joined.

Jim Mossman, Cold Bath Brewing Co, and Lesley Wild, Bettys, have been co-opted members since last summer.

Existing board member Richard Wheeldon, Berwins Solicitors, has taken on the position of Harrogate BID deputy chair.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“I’d like to thank my fellow directors for placing their faith and trust me for the coming 12 months, and I’m proud to become Harrogate BID’s chair.

“I’m also delighted Richard Wheeldon, who has been involved with Harrogate BID since its inception, has agreed to become deputy chair.

“In officially welcoming the new board members, who bring with them a wealth of business experience, I’d like to thank those directors who stood down at the AGM, for their contribution over what was an exceptional 12 months in many ways.”

Harrogate district trains and buses to run reduced timetable

Trains and buses in the Harrogate district are operating reduced timetables during the third national lockdown.

Northern announced yesterday it will begin its new timetable on Monday, with the company warning there will be fewer trains.

From Monday there will be 30 daily departures from Harrogate to Leeds on Monday to Friday, compared to 38 before the new timetable.

Tricia Williams, the chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“We will focus on delivering services during the morning and evening peaks so those who need to travel can get to where they’re needed and have the space to maintain social distancing.”

“We’re therefore calling on people to check carefully before they travel and behave responsibly on our trains.”

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The Harrogate Bus Company started its new timetable on Sunday and said it will run eight out of 10 journeys. The following applies:

(The 1) Harrogate to Knaresborough:

(2A) Harrogate to Bilton and Dene Park:

(2B) Harrogate to Bilton and The Knox:

(3) Harrogate to Jennyfield:

(6/X6) Harrogate to Pannal Ash:

(7) Harrogate to Wetherby and Leeds:

(36) Ripon to Harrogate and Leeds:

The Harrogate Bus Company’s chief executive Alex Hornby said:

“Our message to our customers is that we are still very much here for you – our buses are clean, safe and ready to go, just as they have always been throughout the pandemic.

“We know from experience that our buses provide a vital service for key workers and others who depend on us to reach essential shops and services.”

Staff let go as Harrogate Debenhams will not reopen

Debenhams has announced today that its store on Parliament Street in Harrogate will not reopen and staff will therefore lose their jobs.

It marks the end of the department’s store’s long history in Harrogate.

Debenhams had planned to reopen all of its stores to sell off stock but has changed its plans in light of the third national lockdown.

Harrogate is one of six sites where the company has been unable to agree a lease extension and its store will therefore close.

A total of 320 staff across the six sites will lose their jobs. The Stray Ferret has asked Debenhams how many staff are affected in Harrogate but had no response.

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Debenhams announced on December 1 that it would wind the business down after entering administration in April.

FRP Advisory, the administrator for Debenhams, said it was continuing to engage with third parties about the sale of all or parts of the business.

Geoff Rowley, a joint administrator to Debenhams and partner at FRP Advisory, said:

“We continue to engage with interested parties over alternative proposals for the future of Debenhams.

“Inevitably the latest lockdown has had an effect on our plans for the wind-down of the business.

“We regret the impact on those colleagues affected by today’s announcement.

“We would like to thank all those who continue to keep the business trading in very difficult circumstances.”

Coronavirus surge forces Harrogate hospital to postpone surgeries

Harrogate District Hospital has announced it is to postpone some non-emergency surgeries to free up space and staff to deal with coronavirus patients.

There are currently 46 coronavirus inpatients in the hospital — more than double the figure of 19 just a week ago.

The hospital has said previously it has the capacity to care for up to 100 coronavirus patients. But this is only possible if the hospital frees non-covid wards.

It is not clear yet how many appointments will be affected by the news.

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Tim Gold, the chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Clearly, this past week has seen a very significant increase of people needing inpatient care.

“This is placing a significant strain on services at the trust.

“In response to rising numbers we are increasing the number of beds available for patients with covid on wards and in critical care.

“We will be continuing to provide urgent and cancer care during this time.”

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, the executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“The trust and the wider NHS remains open to all who need us. My colleagues here at the trust are working extremely hard to ensure your safety is paramount.

“The vaccine means there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we have still have some way to go.

“We know these next week few weeks will be very tough, it impacts on all of us here as people.”

M&S buyout set to bring closure of Harrogate Jaeger store

Marks & Spencer’s buyout of Jaeger is expected to lead to the permanent closure of the fashion brand’s remaining stores, including the one in Harrogate.

M&S workers were seen this afternoon clearing stock from the Jaeger store on Cambridge Crescent and removing objects from the windows.

The future of the Harrogate store has been uncertain since November, when Jaeger and its sister company Peacocks went into administration.

Other brands have been in talks with Jaeger’s administrators for months but no deal had been reached.

The deal with M&S is still being finalised but is expected to include Jaeger’s intellectual property and not its 63 stores, leaving jobs at risk.

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M&S did not confirm, when questioned by the Stray Ferret, whether its deal would save Jaeger’s existing stores.

In a M&S statement, Richard Price, managing director of M&S clothing and home, said:

“We have set out our plans to sell complementary third party brands as part of our Never the Same Again programme to accelerate our transformation and turbocharge online growth.

“In line with this, we have bought the Jaeger brand and are in the final stages of agreeing the purchase of product and supporting marketing assets.

“We expect to fully complete later this month.”