The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Supporting those with young onset dementia

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we talked about young onset dementia.

Dementia is often mistaken as a disease that only affects the elderly.

But young onset dementia is robbing people of retirement age – and younger – of their former selves every day.

It refers to those who develop symptoms of dementia under the age of 65, but the Dementia Forward team has helped people as young as 39. Karen Thomas, head of young onset, said:

“Often, GPs don’t recognise dementia in younger people. They can be tested for menopause, or anxiety, or a B12 deficiency.

“It takes some people four years to get a diagnosis – that means vital years of help and life have been cut into.”

Around 5% of those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s in the UK have young onset dementia – but how can they access the support they need if their condition is not recognised?

That’s where Time Out Together comes in.

The Time Out Together group at Castle Howard.

Time Out Together began 10 years ago when Dementia Forward took over a carers’ respite service at Harrogate Hospital. When the team heard the service would be axed, they immediately stepped in.

The group, which is now held every Wednesday in Burton Leonard, supports people living with young onset dementia. It provides a temporary escape from this awful disease and prevents people from struggling alone.

They begin by catching up over coffee and cake, before heading out on their chosen activity. The group has ventured across the district and beyond; they visit the beach, art galleries, nature reserves, they play golf, they go on walking trips, and much more.

Karen said Dementia Forward wants to connect the group with other communities and educate people on young onset along the way. She added:

“The young onset care service is based on the same model as the rest of Dementia Forward, but the advice they’re given is different – it’s much more tailored to their age.”

(L) one member, Mark, with the Nidderdale Llamas.

The team also helps people with legal aid, financial advice, employment and navigating relationships.

Whatever the needs of the person with dementia and their carer, Dementia Forward provides sensitive and specialist care to guide them through a dark time.

Dementia is a multi-faceted disease that affects everyone differently. Those living with young onset dementia can experience memory loss; a decline in co-ordination and movement; they can face complete personality changes and can even become entirely incontinent.

It’s an evil, silent disease that is taking people from their loved ones every day, and without Dementia Forward, many people would be struggling alone.

More than 50 people use the minibus service to access Time Out Together and the charity’s other social groups, which is why we need your help to keep it going.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Please give generously to those who need our help. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Yemi’s Food Stories: My festive favourites from local suppliers

Food often takes centre stage at Christmas, but there are so many elements to the Christmas meal, it can become overwhelming in the kitchen.

So, this week I thought I’d share some of my festive favourites from local suppliers which will be sure to wow all your guests.

Wine: Ake & Humphris

The turkey may be the main attraction of the table, but we all know the value of a good glass of wine on Christmas day.

Ake & Humphris, in Harrogate, has the perfect accompaniments for you: Kovacs Nimrod Monopole 777 Pinot Noir.

This comforting red has gentle notes of fragrant cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, as well as exotic spices. The savoury characters add complexity to this intriguing pinot with moderate tannins and good body.

It feels like a warm fire on a crisp evening, and has become a staple in my house every Christmas.

The wine, which has aged for more than 4 years in oak barrels, has a velvety and round finish, making it very moreish!

Luckily for Stray Ferret readers, this beautiful wine is available on your doorstep at Ake & Humphris, on Leeds Road.

You can even get 10% off by quoting code GREATWINEFERRET or by ordering it from their website.

Ake & Humphris also offers a six-bottle hamper, specially curated to compliment the entire Christmas meal.

Enjoy!

Ake & Humphris Christmas wine selection.

Cheese: The Cheeseboard

When the post-dinner lethargy kicks in, many of us just reach for a packaged selection of cheese for our Christmas cheeseboard, but why not make it a talking-point of the meal?

The Cheeseboard, on Commercial Street in Harrogate, will make all your dairy dreams come true…

One of my personal favourites, the Stonebeck, is made locally in Nidderdale by Stonebeck Wensleydale Farmhouse.

The cheese is made from the milk of Northern Dairy Shorthorn cows, a rare breed native to the Yorkshire Dales, and is hand pressed and bound in calico before maturing.

The taste and texture are an expression of the farm: soft and creamy with long, complex and layered flavours.

It’s delicate and rich and is guaranteed to put a smile on your guests’ faces.

Blue cheese is probably the most polarising of the cheeses, but I can guarantee you’ll fall in love with Swaledale Blue.

This pasteurised cheese, which is made by the Swaledale Cheese Company in Richmondshire, has a soft, melting texture that dissolves to cream on the tongue and a taste that is mild with gentle, herbal sharpness.

It is certainly full of flavour, but the peppery hints take the classic Swaledale cheese to a whole new level.

I cannot recommend these cheeses enough and both can be bought at The Cheeseboard. Make sure to get them before they sell out!

Appleton’s Butchers: Pies

I know many of us devote ourselves to one particular butcher, but Appleton’s Butchers has become a local institution for a reason.

Pork pie is something I look forward to every Christmas and the premium quality meat on offer at Appleton’s has me dreaming of it from summertime.

The standout medium lattice pork pie, which is even loved by King Charles II and Phil Tufnell, is a testament to Appleton’s commitment to quality, with a perfect balance of pork and pastry.

It also offers the highest quality locally-sourced beef, poultry and Yorkshire lamb.

It may seem a risk trying a new butcher, but this one will pay off when you taste Appleton’s Butcher’s meat!

You can find them in Harrogate, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Wetherby, or order online here.

Appleton’s medium lattice pies.

Chutney

 Christmas isn’t complete without condiments – and chutney is no exception.

Fodder, in Harrogate, stocks a wide range of flavours that will accompany your cheeseboard brilliantly.

The Christmas Chutney is made from plums, apples, onions and sultanas, while the Boxing Day chutney offers flavours of caramelised onion and cranberries.

Find them in store, just off Wetherby Road.

This story contains sponsored content and links. 

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Business Breakfast: Century-old nurseries rebrand for growth

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

One of the UK’s largest commercial horticultural nurseries, Johnsons of Whixley, has changed its name to Johnsons Nurseries following a company rebrand.

The third-generation family business achieved a record sales turnover of £18.8 million in its last financial year and hopes the rebrand will boost its plans for growth. Its website address has also changed, from nurserymen.co.uk to johnsonsnurseries.co.uk.

Graham Richardson, group managing director at Johnsons Nurseries, said:

“We have used the generic term ‘nurserymen’ as part of our branding for years, and it has been an accepted historical collective term that describes the profession and not a deliberate specific reflection on gender within the workforce.

“We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and the contributions that all of our employees make.

“However, we are acutely aware of this being perceived as outdated and intend to phase out the term over time as we introduce our new brand. This is also an opportunity for us to solidify our place in the market and ensure that the quality and reputation of Johnsons’ products are maintained for future generations of our workforce, customers and stakeholders.

“Our values remain the same as we aim to continue the legacy of professionalism and reputation that Mr Johnson and the Richardson family have built.”

Johnsons was founded in 1921 by war veteran Eric Johnson and then purchased by John Richardson in 1964. It now employs 140 people, including 11 family members, at its 150-acre nurseries east of Knaresborough, in the Vale of York.

Industry ‘Oscar’ for car dealership

A Boroughbridge used car dealership has picked up a prestigious accolade at the 2023 Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards, which are often described as the Oscars of the motor trade.

Alexanders Prestige, based in Roecliffe, won the Days To Turn trophy, which was awarded by assessors looking for an efficient and well-run sales operation, with cars leaving dealers’ forecourts soon after they arrive. The quick turnaround of a dealer’s stock indicates high levels of pre-sale preparation, fair pricing and good levels of customer care.

James Baggott, editor-in-chief of Car Dealer Magazine, said:

‘‘In judging the Days To Turn award, we collaborated with Auto Trader to find the dealers who are selling their cars the fastest.

‘‘Their data team looked at nearly 13,500 dealers to help us identify the best – with those nominated then subjected to our own rigorous checks and mystery shopping.

‘‘Alexanders Prestige absolutely aced the mystery shopping round, and its online feedback showed countless customers had received similarly impressive levels of service and communication. This is a well-deserved win for the team.’’

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‘Flatlining’ North Yorkshire stop smoking service blamed on lack of medicines

Efforts to help people stop smoking are being undermined by the unavailability of key medicines, North Yorkshire councillors have heard.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive heard while the authority’s public health team had seen improvements in the numbers of people quitting since taking its stop smoking service in-house, fewer people were using the service due to “no access to Varenicline (Champix) or Bupropion (Zyban)”.

The medicine issue was highlighted by the authority’s scrutiny of health committee chair, Cllr Andrew Lee, referred to performance figures which he said showed the council’s stop smoking results were “flatlining a little bit”.

According to Public Health England statistics in 2021, Harrogate and Scarborough have the highest smoking prevalence across North Yorkshire with 14.4% and 13.6% respectively.

Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable ill health and premature death in the county and is a key driver of health inequalities.

Nearly 3,000 deaths in North Yorkshire between 2014 and 2016 were estimated to be attributable to smoking.

Analysts say the government’s target for England to become smoke-free by 2030 is being significantly hampered by the unavailability of smoking cessation medicines, and in particular “nicotine receptor partial agonists”.

Medicines such as Varenicline work by stopping nicotine from binding to receptors in the brain and reducing the rewarding effects of smoking.

When asked to explain why the number of people stopping smoking had tailed off, health and adult services director Richard Webb said there had been an improved level of quitting since the council had taken the service back in-house, before he pointed to the lack of medicines.

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An officer’s report to the executive meeting stated quit rates were remaining low compared to previous years.

It stated the reductions in people accessing the service had been “largely driven by the limited access to stop smoking medications over the course of the last 18 months”.

The report stated although e-cigarettes have been an option as a stop smoking tool since July this year, e-cigarettes were only available via the Living Well Smokefree service and not through primary or secondary care, as well as not being available for pregnant smokers.

It added:

“Whilst it is still too early to quantify if this has influenced referral rates into the service and therefore successful quits, it will be interesting to compare to previous years and previous quarters to establish this if this is the case.

“We also expect the return of medications to market that support an individual to stop smoking.”

Free warm spaces offered in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Temperatures have plummeted this week across the Harrogate district as winter begins to bite.

The cold weather, which has in some areas dropped to -3 degrees, has left many worried about how to keep warm.

Netmakers, a movement of churches formerly known as Harrogate Hub, has provided a list of churches and community organisations offering support during the cold weather.

The list includes organisations in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Starbeck offering space Monday to Friday.

You can find the list below.

Resurrected Bites and Harrogate District Food Bank are also offering space amid the freezing temperatures.

If you know of any others in these places or in Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham let us know and we will add them. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Further information on warm spaces can also be found on the Harrogate and District Community Action website here.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales pub in Starbeck has also invited people to use the pub as a free place of warmth this winter.

Landlady Alison Griffiths told the Stray Ferret previously that “inflation has caused everything to go up – I just hope to save some people money”.

People don’t have to declare they’re using the service, she added, but instead can just take a seat, chat and enjoy themselves for as long as they like.

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The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: How does Dementia Forward work?

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise £30,000 for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we find out how Dementia Forward works.

For over a decade, Dementia Forward has become a lifeline for thousands of families in the Harrogate district.

Many don’t know where to turn after a dementia diagnosis. Their lives have changed suddenly, and it can feel lonely and isolating. But the Dementia Forward team are on hand every step of the way to provide unrivalled support.

The dementia support advisers’ (DSAs’) first step is to visit the person living with dementia and their carer at home. They want people to feel as comfortable as they can in a time of such uncertainty. The advisers form a relationship with them and let them know they’re not alone.

One of the founding members, Kathy Patton, said:

“We see how they are, see how they feel about the diagnosis and signpost any help they need.

“That’s our core service.”

The team make it their mission to advise on what they see in front of them – rather than to frighten people over what is to come – and, from there, the support and care remains.

For those that may not be ready to take the leap with Dementia Forward yet, the team makes routine check-ins every six months to ensure the person is doing well and to provide any updated guidance that may be needed.

Better yet, the core service is entirely free.

Some of the Dementia Forward team.

The DSAs tailor their care and support to the individual. Whether this is emotional or physical support, financial or legal advice, the team understand the condition and the needs of the families, and work tirelessly to meet them.

CEO Jill Quinn said:

“Once the ducks are in a row, we work with people to keep them well. Our advisers need to know everything in their area that could help them – like walking groups, singing groups etc.”

Dementia Forward also offers regular social groups across the district. These offer a temporary escape from the disease, a place to feel understood and less isolated, as well as much-needed respite for carers.

The charity’s Hub Club takes places every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Those living with dementia spend the day at the Burton Leonard’s site and enjoy hours of games, puzzles, music and good company.

People with dementia can also visit the weekly wellbeing café, which offers board games, table tennis and lunch to enjoy. It’s a safe space where they can feel heard and carers can offload to others sharing the experience.

Kathy added:

“Dementia Forward is support for the person with dementia and their family or carer.

“The support can be as much or as little as they want.”

Dementia Forward also hold monthly coffee mornings for those living with dementia, their carers, their families, and anyone else in the wider community. They fundraise for the charity and educate people on dementia and the life changing affects it has.

But none of this would be possible without Dementia Forward’s minibus service. The minibus is already used by more than 50 people in the district; it allows those living around Harrogate and Ripon to attend social groups and access support they may not otherwise receive.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.

Please give generously to those that need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Farmers urged not to leave mud on North Yorkshire roads

Farmers and lorry drivers in North Yorkshire are being urged not to leave mud on the roads.

North Yorkshire Council said today people have been in touch reporting muddy roads following the recent wet spell.

It prompted the council to call on drivers of agricultural and construction vehicles to be responsible when using public routes.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said:

“We understand that this is a busy time in the farming calendar, and that this year the prolonged period of rain is likely to have made conditions worse than usual.

“However, that makes it more important than ever that if farmers or construction vehicle drivers do need to use public roads, they take their responsibilities seriously.”

Cllr Duncan added drivers leaving mud risked legal action:

“If mud on the road results in injury, damage to property, loss or inconvenience, legal action can follow, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.”

The council said farmers or construction vehicle operators must:

You can report mud on the road here.

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Council plans to bring North Yorkshire leisure services in-house

North Yorkshire Council looks set to bring the entirety of its leisure services in-house.

The move would consolidate its operators, including Brimhams Active, into an in-house service over the next four years.

North Yorkshire Council’s transition overview and scrutiny committee will consider the proposal at a meeting on Monday (December 4).

Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing at North Yorkshire Council, said:

“The strategic leisure review provides us with an exciting opportunity to transform the delivery of our leisure service and improve outcomes for communities across North Yorkshire.

“What we are recommending puts us at the forefront of a national movement to transform services with a renewed focus on physical and mental health and wider well-being.”

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The recommendations follow the first phase of the council’s strategic leisure review, which includedinput from communities and sports groups, as well as organisations such as Sport England and North Yorkshire Sport.

A cross-party working group of councillors visited sites throughout North Yorkshire and their feedback also informed the proposals.

The council said the proposals will build on current best practice, expertise and experience and aim to transform leisure centres into sport and active well-being hubs.

Meanwhile, a report to the committee also recommends carrying out a leisure investment strategy, which will include a review of each leisure site.

The report added:

“This will build on the work already undertaken from the asset condition surveys and will consider further the condition of each site, future role and sustainability as a part of the new delivery model.”

The move comes as Brimhams Active, which was set up by the former Harrogate Borough Council in 2021, recently completed multi-million pound refurbishments at the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The company was set up following a strategic review carried out by the borough council, which recommended a local authority controlled company called Brimhams Active be formed to run leisure services in the district.

Its sites include Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon and Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre in Pateley Bridge.

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: The story of Dementia Forward

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we hear the story of Dementia Forward.

“I sometimes feel national charities have lost touch with local communities.

“The need for dementia support was huge and the funding was usually decided in London.

“We felt we could do a better job by being rooted in the community.”

It was this realisation that prompted Jill Quinn to improve local dementia support in the Harrogate district.

Jill, who previously worked for two national dementia charities, said she “wasted many years in retail management” before realising that the voluntary sector was where she belonged.

Dementia Forward was born in 2012 after Jill and other founding members left their previous healthcare jobs on a Friday and launched the charity the following Monday morning.

The team places need at the centre of the charity – something that can’t be done 200 miles away. She added:

“People know when they put their pound in the pot, they’d be getting better services in the local area.

“You can’t design a service to be delivered in the local area from an office in London.”

Dementia Forward began with just seven members of staff. The team was donated second-hand laptops and worked from a small office in Ripon.

Kathy Patton, one of the founding members, added:

“We knew from working at a national scale what clients really want and needed, so we set up local activities – like the hub club and coffee mornings.

“It was our dream to have a hub building like we do now.”

George Armitage House – the flagship hub in Burton Leonard – was donated to Dementia Forward by a lady who had previously lived there. After her husband died, she wanted the money from his estate to go to something meaningful – and so the team’s first hub was born.

Some of the Dementia Forward team.

Things were looking bright for Dementia Forward and the team was right – there was a huge need for local dementia support. Within just 18 months, the charity was commissioned to cover three areas of North Yorkshire. A decade later, Dementia Forward now covers the entire county.

The charity now employs more than 60 staff members, has 250 volunteers and helps 4,500 families.

Dementia Forward offers unrivalled support for those suffering with these life-changing diseases and their carers. It hosts weekly social events and groups for people to attend, as well as community groups and cafés.

The charity also has a young onset group – known as Time Out Together – which helps those who have developed symptoms of dementia under the age of 65.

People enjoy puzzles, board games and quizzes. They sing together, go on trips to the beach, walking excursions, art gallery visits and much more.

There is a certain sense of family that runs through Dementia Forward and it is clear the demand for its help and companionship is only growing.

It provides a lifeline for families and carers that are losing their loved one before their eyes.

However, the charity can only continue its amazing work with the help of charitable donations.

Kathy added:

“Every penny donated will go towards improving the lives of our clients. The money goes to them rather than the machine of a charity.”

Without Dementia Forward and its services, many people would have nowhere to turn.

Please give generously and support this vital local organisation. Nobody deserves what these families are facing – especially at Christmas.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.

Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Please click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or your friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas. Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

 

First human case of swine flu strain in UK detected in North Yorkshire

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced the first human trace of the influenza A(H1N2)v strain was detected in a North Yorkshire patient.

The disease, which is commonly known as swine flu, is similar to flu viruses currently circulating in pigs in the UK.

The UKHSA said yesterday that the strain was detected during a routine flu inspection undertaken with the Royal College of General Practitioners and is the first human case to be detected in the UK.

It said the individual was tested by their GP after “experience respiratory symptoms”, adding:

“Influenza A(H1N2)v virus was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and characterised using genome sequencing.

“The individual concerned experienced a mild illness and has fully recovered.”

The source of infection has not yet been discovered and the case remains under investigation.

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Anyone experience respiratory symptoms is advised to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist – particularly the elderly and those with existing medical conditions.

The UK Health Security Agency also said:

“As is usual early in emerging infection events, UKHSA is working closely with partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and assess the risk to human health.

“UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely and is taking steps to increase surveillance within existing programmes involving GP surgeries and hospitals in parts of North Yorkshire.

“To assist in the detection of cases and assessment of transmission, those people who are contacted and asked to test are encouraged to do so.”

The last outbreak of swine flu was in 2009; a virus spreading through pigs and birds caused a subsequent pandemic in humans in the UK.

The UKHSA said there have been 50 human cases of influenza A(H1N2)v reported globally since 2005 – none of which are “genetically related” to the most recent strain.

Chief veterinary office, Christine Middlemiss, added:

“We know that some diseases of animals can be transferred to humans – which is why high standards of animal health, welfare and biosecurity are so important.

“Through our animal and human surveillance systems we work together to protect everyone. In this case we are providing specialist veterinary and scientific knowledge to support the UKHSA investigation. Pig keepers must also report any suspicion of swine flu in their herds to their local vet immediately.”