Harrogate NHS Nightingale contract extended until end of July

Harrogate Borough Council has extended the contract for the NHS Nightingale at the Harrogate Convention Centre until the end of July.

The HCC, which is owned by the council, was converted into Yorkshire and Humber NHS Nightingale in April in just a few weeks. It has a 500 bed capacity  – but so far has not treated seen a single covid patient. The NHS said recently that it was opening up its CT scanning facilities at the Nightingale for non-covid outpatient use.

The council confirmed this evening that the NHS had “taken up its option” for an extension until July 31st.

Beds inside the NHS Nightingale- ready for covid-19 patients that have never come

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The NHS has not payed any rent to the council for the initial contract until June but ,in May, documents that went to a council cabinet meeting stated:

“The contract does not provide for rent to be paid during the NHS occupation up to the end of June, as no planned events were being held during this period. However, should the agreement be extended there is provision for compensation in the event of the cancellation of future events.”

Harrogate hospital boss opens up about racist abuse at the trust

Harrogate Hospital’s chief executive has opened about how his staff have been subject to racist abuse at work, as well as his own experiences.

Steve Russell said examples of different treatments exist in the UK “and, if we are honest, here at [the hospital.]”

He made the announcement to colleagues on the day of George Floyd’s funeral.

The Harrogate NHSFT chief executive spoke about the different examples of treatment towards BAME staff.

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He said patients have refused treatment from BAME staff. Risk assessors have singled them out because “people like them live in crowded houses.” They have also been subject to criticism for spending time at work following religious pursuits, he added.

Steve Russell also opened up about his own experience of racism at the hospital and when he was younger:

“When my appointment was announced and my picture was shared some people ‘well, he doesn’t look like a Steve.’

“My dad being asked on a bus ‘where he got me from,’ being told in school that I should get back on my banana boat, and to this day I appear to regularly end up being one of the people randomly selected for a search at airports and events.”

Harrogate NHSFT’s board of directors has committed to stamping our racism and promoting equality at the trust.

The trust said it was taking action but added that “there is always more we can do.”

Steve added: “George’s murder has ignited a call for the end to racism and injustice across the world. If it is to be more than just a call, we have to look at ourselves, not at others. We are all part of the solution to end this. It is no longer good enough for us to be neutral in this. I want to clearly say that, here at HDFT, Black Lives Matter.”

Union concerns over leisure ‘ridiculous’, says council

Harrogate Borough Council has described union concerns that the authority is being tight-lipped over its leisure plans as “ridiculous”.

The authority was responding to concerns from Unison that the council had not kept union bosses informed over proposals and that it had “no overwhelming support”.

But, the council said the plan, which it has consulted residents on, will save the authority £400,000 a year.

It comes as the council faces an estimated £15 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report due before the authority’s cabinet next week, the company would be called Brimham’s Active and has a target set up date of August 2021.

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If given the go-ahead, it would mean facilities such as Harrogate Hydro, the Turkish Baths and Ripon Leisure Centre would be run by the new company.

Unison bosses said they were concerned that not enough information had been shared with them about the proposal, but the council has said it would be unrealistic to provide a running commentary on the company.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“For Unison to suggest we have been “tight lipped” is ridiculous.

“The union is aware of the proposal to create a local authority controlled company to manage our sport and leisure services.

“To expect a running commentary while a report is prepared for councillors to consider at next week’s meeting of cabinet is unrealistic.

“The proposal would enable us to save £400,000 a year and invest in new facilities for the benefit of people across the district.

“Our valued colleagues would be transferred to the new company on exactly the same terms and conditions they enjoy now.”

Harrogate’s deep clean is underway

A deep clean of Harrogate town centre began last night as retailers prepare to re-open next Monday.

The four-year contract for the clean was given to a team from the Yorkshire-based company UK Nationwide Cleaning services. The team began on Market Street and Cross James Street.

The clean is expected to take three weeks with a team working through the night, five days a week. The pavements and street furniture will be power washed throughout Harrogate’s retail space.

The cleaning team began in the heart of the retail town today.

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Once the town centre clean is complete, it will then continue into the wider BID area.

Harrogate BID Interim Manager Simon Kent said:

“The deep clean of Harrogate town centre has been a long time coming, and I’m delighted that it has now got under way. In a recent survey by Harrogate BID, the majority of businesses who responded said they saw this as the number one priority. UK Nationwide Cleaning Services, whom we awarded the contract to, are experts in this line of cleaning, having worked successfully with BIDs across the UK, including a number in Yorkshire.”

 

Shortlist revealed for Harrogate’s crime writing festival

Harrogate’s crime writing festival has announced this years shortlist which includes one debut novelist alongside 5 Theakston award alumni.

The Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, part of the Harrogate International Festival, received a record number of submission this year. 6 books have now made the shortlist.

Organisers say the shortlist takes the reader on an international crime journey, visiting places such as New York, London, Lagos and the Australian outback.

Debut booker nomination – My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite

The executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston said:

“Seeing the huge variety and originality within this shortlist, it comes as no surprise to hear that crime fiction is dominating our lockdown reading habits. Offering both escapism and resolution, these exceptional titles transport readers around the world and I can’t wait to see where we settle on 23 July when one of these extraordinary authors takes home the 2020 Theakston Old Peculier cask.”

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The overall winner will be revealed in a virtual awards ceremony on 23 July with the winner receiving £3,000 and an engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

The winner is now down to public vote. If you are a fan of crime fiction you can read them all and cast your vote for your favourite at: www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com.

Here is the shortlist:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic Books)

Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books)

The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

Joe Country by Mick Herron (John Murray Press)

The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

Yorkshire Tea goes viral with Black Lives Matter tweet

Yorkshire Tea went viral last night with a Black Lives Matter (BLM) tweet after responding to a right-wing commentator.

Laura Towler said that she was “dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea [had] not supported BLM.”

The brand, which is owned by Harrogate-based Bettys and Taylor Group, rebuked her:

“Please don’t buy our tea again.

“We’re taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.”

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Other tea brands like PG Tips and Teapigs got involved with the row by showing #solidaritea with Yorkshire Tea.

PG Tips added: “If you are boycotting teas that stand against racism, you’re going to have to find two new tea brands now.”

Please don't buy our tea again.

We're taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.
#BlackLivesMatter

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) June 8, 2020

So far, Yorkshire Tea’s response has been retweeted nearly 12,000 times with around 6,000 responses.

Many of the people responding praised the tea brands for its stance but some condemned them for “virtue signalling.”

Advocacy group Hope Not Hate has previously named Laura Towler, who is from Yorkshire, among a list of influential and “racist alt-right” YouTubers.

District farm shops see rise in customers during lockdown

More of us shopped in farm stores during lockdown – that’s according to the Farm Retail Association.

The FRA, which is managed by the Yorkshire Agriculture Society,  said 92% of farm retailers it surveyed reported a “significant” rise in new customers. It said the success of the stores had secured jobs and helped food suppliers.

One Harrogate farm shop owner said she’d seen unprecedented orders during lockdown. Julia Corbett, from Roots and Fruits, said:

“We have definitely seen an increase, we’ve had so many people come to us who have never used independent shops before. When lockdown happened we moved to delivery only to protect our staff and customers in our small shop. We had 30 deliveries per week before lockdown but after three weeks we’d hit 550. I think people love how fresh and quick their order is and we offer a really personal service that you can’t get at the big supermarkets.”

Packages of fresh produce have become popular over lockdown

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Heather Parry, managing director of Fodder, which is based at the Yorkshire Showground said:

“We have worked hard to adapt quickly to ensure our customers continue to have access to quality, fresh locally-produced food without disruption.

“The feedback we have received from new and returning customers has been hugely rewarding and gives me enormous hope that they will keep shopping with us, long after the coronavirus pandemic ends.”

As lockdown measures ease, independent shops in the district are hopeful new customers will remain loyal to them. .

 

Harrogate retail prepares to fight for survival

As nearly 10% of Harrogate town centre’s retail spaces sit empty, traders prepare to fight to survive as lockdown is eased.

After 10 weeks of closure, retailers and independent boutiques now face the task of making up lost ground, earning a living and protecting their customers at the same time.

Non-essential shops, such as clothing outlets, can reopen from Monday. But the aim for some is to see if they can survive the challenge that comes with social distancing measures and the cost of the crisis.

As an economic downturn looms, Harrogate’s outlets face an uphill task in surviving. During lockdown, among those retailers to leave the town’s prestigious James Street is Jack Wills.

Among traders’ concerns ahead of Monday include:

Despite support from government and the local authority, it may not be enough as traders face the difficult decision of whether to open up or not on Monday.

Sophie Hartley, who owns Sophie Likes boutique on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

One of the shops reopening is lifestyle boutique Sophie Likes, which has been operating on Beulah Street for the past six years.

Sophie Hartley is the owner and sole employee in the store and has prepared for social distancing. But she said it will be difficult for local traders to make a living after lockdown.

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The closure of the shop left Sophie’s family without some of their income. She received a government grant but still hopes to have discussions with her landlord to help make it through until the end of the year.

She said: “It’s been pretty scary.

“All of a sudden you have the close the shop and you have no income.

“We are still not sure of our opening hours because we do not know how busy it is going to be.”

Another store owner, who did not wish to be named, said she had been “stung” financially by the lockdown and may have to close the store in future due to a lack of customers.

She said she had to seek advice after discussions about rent support with her landlord broke down and that Harrogate was a “ghost town” and the financial situation may lead her to reconsider the future of the store.

She said: “I cannot just keep going for face value.

“The high street is suffering and Harrogate is already a ghost town.”

Despite these difficult times, there is no place for small businesses to turn to for support when negotiations with landlords prove to be difficult.

Retail in Crisis

This week we report on Retail In Crisis as stores prepare to reopen after lockdown.

Over the coming days, we will look at the fear of shoppers returning to the High Street, how trade associations are working to entice customers into Harrogate and the long view of the future of retail in the town.

Tomorrow, we look at shoppers anxieties over returning to shopping in town.

Council plans for leisure have ‘no overwhelming support’, say Unions

Union bosses in Harrogate have claimed there is no overwhelming public support for council-run leisure services to be handed over to an arms-length company.

Officials from Unison have sought further information on the proposal after they say they have had no contact from the authority on the matter.

Harrogate Borough Council has consulted with residents on plans to hand over services to an authority-run company which it says will save £400,000 a year.

It comes as the council faces an estimated £15 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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If given the go-ahead, it would mean facilities such as Harrogate Hydro, the Turkish Baths and Ripon Leisure Centre would be run by the new company.

But unions say they fear that the move could lead to job losses and have requested further information on the survey carried out by the council.

A spokesperson for Unison Harrogate Local Government Branch said today: 

“To date Unison, have had no proactive contact from the council on the LACC, either before or after the consultation period ended.

“We do not believe there is overwhelming public support for such a change so we are seeking further information.

“We have recently requested information on how many residents had previously stated the cost of sport and leisure was too high (at 37p a week), which the council have said is one of the drivers of the move to a LACC.

“We have also requested to know how many residents have responded to the recent survey and what the responses are.

“We do know staff are worried because there has been an increase in our membership in sport and leisure since the proposal became public and our concerns remain around changes to terms and conditions, together with pension provision if staff transfer over.  There should be no doubt that this can happen if the council ultimately decides to go ahead with the transfer.”

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment.

No coronavirus deaths as Harrogate total cases pass 300 mark

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any new coronavirus deaths but the number of cases in the district is at over 300 since the start of the pandemic.

Statistics from the government’s coronavirus tracker show that there have been 308 confirmed cases of the virus in the Harrogate district. North Yorkshire as a whole has confirmed 1,320 cases of coronavirus.

The hospital has, so far, recorded 70 deaths where the patient has tested positive for COVID-19.

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On Thursday, the hospital reported that it had discharged 118 patients who tested positive for coronavirus – an increase of nine on the previous week.

The number of deaths and discharges as well as a further 72 who have died in care homes accounts for the majority of cases in the area.