In June every year, something close to a miracle occurs in a small village 11 miles from Harrogate.

Major names in the international arts world converge for 10 days on Aldborough — a beautiful and historic place but hardly known for capturing the zeitgeist.

For arts lovers, however, an annual pilgrimage to the Northern Aldborough Festival has become part of the summer arts scene. They park in fields, drink Pimm’s in a churchyard marquee and get to see the kind of names who usually appear in less soulful venues in Leeds or York.

The festival, which grew out of a fundraising initiative to restore the church organ in 1994, consistently attracts major international talent.

This year’s line-up, from June 15 to 24, includes the likes of South Korean pianist Sunwook Kim, TV historian Lucy Worsley, trumpeter Matilda Lloyd and a singing competition judged by a panel that includes Dame Felicity Lott.

Lucy Worsley is among those appearing this year. Credit Hay Festival / Paul Musso 

Festival director Robert Ogden, who overseas the programme, is best known locally for running Ogden of Harrogate, the fifth generation family jewellery business on James Street.

But Mr Ogden has strong credentials in the arts world: a former chorister at Westminster Cathedral Choir School in London, he completed a choral scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge before forging a successful career as a countertenor, singing around the world in major productions alongside the likes of Jose Carreras.

Since he became festival director in 2010, the festival line-up has broadened and this year includes spoken word events and jazz as well as classical music and culminates with an outdoor pop music party and fireworks in the grounds of Aldborough Manor.

Mr Ogden says the change reflects his own wide tastes but also acknowledges “we can’t rely on our core audience”.

Robert Ogden

Festival planning is year-round but he takes a two-week break from the jewellery business to focus fully on the festival in the immediate run-up.

He says things are shaping up well this year ahead of Thursday’s opening night. Asked for his personal highlights, he cites Matilda Lloyd, the opening night Haydn opera double bill, Monteverdi’s Vespers and the new £7,000 singing competition. He says:

“Of all the things we have done in the last 15 years this competition is perhaps the most exciting. I’m certain at least one or two of the semi-finalists will be household names in the next few years.

“There’s nothing a festival wants to do more than to unveil and support new talent.”

How does he persuade occasionally temperamental artists to head to the eastern side of Boroughbridge? He says it’s a combination of the festival’s reputation, the St Andrew’s Church acoustics, the setting and the welcome. Aldborough, he says, is the “perfect chamber music space” and there is something undoubtedly magical about it.

St Andrew’s Church in Aldborough

Mr Ogden says he never feels the festival is in competition with the year-round Harrogate International Festivals and thinks there is scope for another local summer arts festival “if it’s marketed well”. Besides Ryedale Festival and Swaledale Festival, competition isn’t fierce.

But it isn’t an easy time in the arts world. Brexit, he says, has denied many emerging artists the opportunities he enjoyed to develop his craft in Europe. The cost of living crisis had had an impact on ticket prices, but Mr Ogden says Aldborough hasn’t made “any major price rises”.

Future festival ideas include live streaming, although digital connectivity in the village isn’t great, and recording music under the Northern Aldborough label.

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He plans to stay at the heart of things, reporting to festival chairman Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred:

“As long as I feel I still have that creative urge and impetus I will aim to do it as long as they allow me to.”

What is his message for anyone thinking of attending, perhaps for the first time?

“Aldborough is not far to drive from Harrogate. It’s an oasis of calm, the acoustics are wonderful and the welcome is wonderful. Try something new.”

Further information on the Northern Aldborough Festival is available here.

Harrogate Borough Council spent almost £3,000 of taxpayers’ money on booze for a staff party, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The party was held to mark the abolition of the council at the end of March — even though nearly all staff transferred to the new North Yorkshire Council the following day on the same terms.

The Stray Ferret reported last month the party cost £14,910. But a full breakdown of the costs, including the amount spent on alcohol, was not known.

The FoI has now revealed the costs included £1,438 on beer, cider and lager, £630 on wine and £587 on spirits. Just £376 was spent on soft drinks.

The council also spent £4,745 on food, £450 on a DJ, £765 on event staff and £302 on decorations. A further £5,556 went on technical equipment for the event, which was held at the council-owned Harrogate Convention Centre on February 23.

The party was held at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Stray Ferret was alerted to the party by an unnamed source who said they were “appalled, disgusted and downright annoyed that this amount was spent without the prior knowledge and consent of the people paying for it”.

Conor Holohan, media campaign manager of the pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, added:

“Taxpayers will be shocked to find they were funding parties for council staff.

“While residents were struggling with the cost of living crisis, town hall officials were charging them for dinner and drinks.”

Final day parties

Seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council were abolished on March 31 to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council’s final day staff party cost the most.

Scarborough was the next highest, spending £9,004, followed by Hambleton at £3,783. Ryedale awarded staff a £148 bonus and spent £3,001 on a party. North Yorkshire County Council did not spend anything.

Staff from the district councils, except the chief executives and a handful of others, transferred to North Yorkshire Council on April 1. It said in a statement:

“The new council for North Yorkshire did not play any part in sanctioning or organising any parties.

“For any further comment you will need to ask the district and borough council decision-makers who were in place at those councils at the time.”

Former Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has declined to comment on council business since the authority was abolished.

Read more:

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Boroughbridge Primary School has celebrated its 90th birthday with fun activities and a look back at history.

Years 1 and 2 learned about play time games from the past, such as hopscotch, drop the handkerchief and catch the flag.

Year 2 children looked at photographs of the past and went to see where they thought they were taken from and watched a film from 1933, Alice in Wonderland, and compared it to modern films.

Key stage 2 children took part in three different sessions: playground games from the 1930s, a music quiz to see how music has changed in the last 90 years and a history session exploring the old school logbooks, photographs and newspaper clippings.

Friends of Boroughbridge School organised tea, cake, hot dogs and an inflatable.

Former headteacher Mr Roberts, who was in charge when many parents were pupils, also attended and said he was delighted with how well the school is flourishing. 

Year 5 teacher Ms Frampton was able to provide many historical photographs and school logbooks from past years.

Headteacher Emma Ryan said:

“The event was the perfect opportunity to involve the children within their history lessons and learn about our school and how much it has changed over the years.

“It was an absolute delight to welcome all our families into school to celebrate its 90th birthday.”

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It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.

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 home care service has set up a new office in Harrogate.

Radfield Home Care, which was founded in 2018, opened its new headquarters on Tower Street in the town centre this week.

Matthew Nutting founded the company after leaving the NHS five years ago when he saw a “gap in the market for premium care”.

Radfield, which employs 55 staff, offers a range of services including home care, dementia care and personal care.

The new offices on Tower Street include a day care centre on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and a training centre on the top floor.

Mr Nutting said the move to Harrogate would help the care service grow.

He said:

“Our ambition is to be the home care provider of choice for this area and to grow.”

For more information on Radfield Home Care, visit their website here or call 01423 895766.

New Swinton Estate bar opens for the summer

A new bar has open at the Swinton Estate.

The Swinton Rose Bar, which is based in the Terrace Gardens at the Terrace Restaurant and Bar, opened its doors to the public this week.

The new bar offers a range of wines including Château la Gordonne de Provence and Champagne Pommery Brut Rosé Champagne NV.

It will be open until August 31 this year and no booking is required.

For more information, visit the Swinton Estate website here.

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North Yorkshire Council has agreed to pay £171,000 a year on weather services for the county.

The council uses weather forecasting and data to plan highway services, such as gritting.

It awarded three-year contracts to MetDesk and Vaisala in 2018 to provide forecasting and weather stations respectively.

The contracts were renewed for two years in 2021 and the council has now agreed to extend them for a further two years.

Vaisala’s contract was for £114,000 and MetDesk’s was for £57,000.

James Gilroy, team leader for highways asset management at the council, said in a report to councillors, who approved the deals last week:

“The weather forecasts from Metdesk enable an overall winter maintenance plan to be established. The real time data from the Vaisala weather stations allow this plan to be more finely tuned to the situation on the ground.

“Extending the contracts is the lowest cost option and given the current performance of the respective contractors it is a low-risk approach.”

A council photocall at one of the weather stations last year

The report added 10 new solar/wind-powered weather cameras and two new weather stations had been bought at the cost of £200,000 in autumn 2021.

Sixteen original weather stations were also upgraded at a cost of £265,000 “to broaden the coverage we have across the county”.

Met Office among bidders

A council spokesperson said the weather forecast it used “requires more detail that than the standard free to access services”.

They added the services were put out to competitive tender in 2018, when the Met Office was among the bidders.

The report said there are 10 climatic domains within North Yorkshire’, which are defined as areas with similar weather characteristics.

The domains are Northern Dales, Central Dales, Western Dales, Harrogate, Vale of York and Vale of Mowbray, Selby area, North York Moors, Vale of Pickering, Northern Wolds and Howardian Hills, Eastern North York Moors and Coast and Scarborough and Filey.

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• More roadside weather stations in Harrogate district to help drivers
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Asked why it was necessary to have 27 weather stations in North Yorkshire, the spokesperson said:

“Weather stations are placed across the county and monitor humidity, road temperature, air temperature and wind speed. Some stations have cameras on them, allowing you to see the road conditions. This helps road users to make more informed travel decisions.

“As you know, weather conditions can change rapidly. Having a wider coverage of stations allows us to make more informed and accurate decisions on gritting.”

Greenhow is the highest area around Harrogate. Pic: John Benson

Of the 27 sites, four are located in the Harrogate district, on the A6108 near Masham, the A658 Harrogate bypass, the A59 at Kex Gill and at Greenhow village.

The council is also able to access sites managed by National Highways on the A1(M) near Dishforth.

A list of all the locations in North Yorkshire is available here.

A Boroughbridge butchers has announced it will close due to the cost of running the firm.

Fryer’s Butchers, which is based on Horsefair in the town, opened last year.

However, in a statement posted on social media, the business said it will close this Saturday because the costs of running the business have become unsustainable.

It said:

“It’s not been a decision we’ve taken lightly. 

“We always knew it was going to be a challenge when opening, due to the situation globally and nationally and unfortunately the cost of running the business has gotten the best of us this time and it’s not sustainable.”

The business added:

“Thank you to all of our wonderful customers for your support and we’re sorry we couldn’t continue to serve the wonderful community that is Boroughbridge any longer.”

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The Yorkshire Party’s candidate for the North Yorkshire mayoral election in 2024 has promised 2,000 households three chickens each.

Keith Tordoff, who lives in Pateley Bridge, has announced he will be the Yorkshire Party candidate to lead the North Yorkshire joint authority and has already made a list of ambitious pledges.

Mr Tordoff, 67, a former police officer who worked on the Yorkshire Ripper murders, has also been a specialist fraud investigator for banks.

Born and raised in Leeds, he is proud of his Yorkshire heritage and even brags that he ‘never goes abroad’ due to his fondness for his home county.

Having previously stood in elections to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, coming third in 2021, he feels he is the best candidate to lead North Yorkshire.

He said:

“Ultimately, Yorkshire ought to be brought together under one mayoral authority and if I were elected I would work with other mayors in the region to achieve that so it ends up with the best in charge of Yorkshire.”

Mr Tordoff criticised the government’s record on ‘levelling up’, adding:

“They haven’t delivered on it.

“They’ve had ample time to do it now, so it needs somebody with a bit of drive, passion and who is able to negotiate to get a better deal for Yorkshire.

“There needs to be someone, such as myself, with some honesty, integrity, and who will deliver.

“Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens aren’t going to do that.”

Nutrients from eggs

One of his policies involves poultry. Mr Tordoff explained:

“2,000 households, where suitable – we’ll provide you with three chickens; that’s 6,000 chickens.

“Those households, in a short space of time, would have eggs with all the nutrients they need.”

Read more:

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Mr Tordoff claims it would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.

His four main pledges are ‘to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse’, ‘improve transport links’, ‘make North Yorkshire a safer place’ and ‘make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability’.

Other initiatives he outlined included free public transport for those under 18-years-old, as well as free membership at boxing clubs, drama clubs, art groups and gaming rooms.

To fund these ambitions, Mr Tordoff is relying on his negotiating skills to get more money for North Yorkshire.

He has also pledged to set up a York and North Yorkshire venture fund lobbying the government for an additional investment of £25 million.

Yorkshire Party co-leader, Dr Bob Buxton, said: 

“Keith is the clear alternative to the Tories in North Yorkshire.

“His experience, skills and passion make him ideally equipped to take on the complex challenges that come with being the first Mayor of North Yorkshire.

“He is a man who sees the big picture but also has the critical skills to understand the details and ensure that the solutions are the right ones.”

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives in Aldborough, has announced she hopes to be selected by the Conservatives in the mayoral election.

A move to press North Yorkshire’s police commissioner to resign, amid claims she has failed in her duty to hold the force’s leadership to account, appears to have been swept aside.

The opposition leader on North Yorkshire Council, Cllr Bryn Griffiths, told a meeting of the authority’s corporate and partnerships scrutiny committee he had issued the notice of motion after hearing Conservative commissioner Zoe Metcalfe’s response to a highly critical inspection of the force.

The Liberal Democrat leader said his Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services re-inspection of how the force keeps children safe took place about a year after Mrs Metcalfe was elected as commissioner and that she had ample time to recognise and start tackling some of the issues.

After the report found 14 of the force’s child protection cases were inadequate and eight required improvement, Mrs Metcalfe said the force had “let the public and the most vulnerable in our society down”.

In a 1,650-word letter to the committee, Mrs Metcalfe said her “activity is aimed at robustly scrutinising and driving assurance on behalf of the public, to see to it that North Yorkshire Police continues its journey to being exemplary”.

She added she would submit a report to highlight her actions to North Yorkshire and York’s police, fire and crime panel, for its consideration on June 21.

However, Cllr Griffiths said the motion was not political, but rather “a failing by the admiral of the fleet, for not keeping control of the captain running the ship”.

He said while the commissioner had spoken of her “surprise” about the report’s findings, it appeared Mrs Metcalfe did not know “what was going on in her own patch”.

Cllr Griffiths said: 

“She was monitoring, she wasn’t managing, she was not in charge of direction for her captain, the chief constable. If oversight had been under control she would have known what was going on and she would have been asking the right questions to the right people.

“This police, fire and crime commissioner has not been doing their job.”

Read more:

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• North Yorkshire Police ‘still needs to improve’ on child safeguarding, say inspectors

Other councillors questioned the commissioner’s performance and whether she had held the force’s senior officers to account sufficiently.

Independent councillor for Hunmanby and Sherburn, Michelle Donohue Moncrieff, said the motion represented “a very tempting but simplistic answer”, but it was the police’s leadership, rather than solely the commissioner, who needed to be held to account.

She added: 

“Bearing in mind even if the commissioner did resign, we are running down the clock towards a mayoral combined authority, what net benefit would there be in having a by-election?

“I sometimes feel that she is representing the force to us, rather than us to the force. Some of the things in that report are not acceptable at any level. They need resolving now.”

Conservative colleagues of Mrs Metcalfe highlighted the commissioner was “not the manager of North Yorkshire Police”, but rather was “the public voice” who had “elected oversight” of the force.

Former police officer Cllr Malcolm Taylor called for the committee to take no further action, saying the right body to deal with the matter was the police, fire and crime panel, and instead the commissioner  be invited to address the serious issues highlighted in the report with the committee.

Describing the motion as “wrong-headed” and misguided, another former police officer, Cllr Tim Grogan, said the proposal had wasted the time of the committee.

Ahead of a vote to call the force’s chief constable, Lisa Winward, to answer councillors’ questions, Cllr Grogan said the commissioner had turned around the persistent issue of long waiting times for the non-emergency police phone line and if she dealt with the child protection issues as robustly he had every confidence in her.

North Yorkshire Council has revealed the spend for councillor’s locality budgets for the last financial year.

Each councillor on the authority is given a budget of £10,000 to spend in the area they represent.

The money is spent on small schemes which “promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent”.

This can include items for local charities, maintaining public footpaths and cleaning memorials or attractions.

Projects and activities can include services provided by the council provided that these are additional to normal service levels and do not create an ongoing expenditure commitment for the council

Here is a breakdown on what councillors in the Harrogate district spent in the last financial year.

Cllr Chris Aldred – High Harrogate and Kingsley

£2,000 Provision of essential items for the Winter Warmth Project / Harrogate District Foodbank

£1,000 Fund the purchase and planting of new trees on the Stray in Harrogate / Harrogate Borough Council Parks and Environmental Services

£750 Fund the children’s visit and travel costs to the Elf Village in Harrogate / Grove Road Community Primary School

£2,000 Purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & District Community Action

£3,000 Provide a contribution towards the creation of the sensory garden / Harrogate Neighbours

£1,250 Fund the Willow workshop, Willow planting and pond development at the school / Northern Star Academies Trust at Harrogate High School

Cllr Margaret Atkinson – Masham and Fountains

£1,090 Fund the rent increase and purchase of projector and trolley / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Atkinson died last year while serving as a councillor

Cllr Philip Broadbank – Fairfax and Starbeck

£5,000 Fund phase two of new playground equipment at the school / Willow Tree School Parent Teachers Association.

£5,000 Fund the replacing of the door to the ground floor side entrance at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Barbara Brodigan – Ripon Ure Bank and Spa

£1,195 Purchase of tools, equipment and a customised picnic bench / Ripon Community Link.

£500 Fund the cutting of the grass verges and planting flowering bulbs along Ripon by-pass / Ripon Rotary Club.

£500 Fund the venue hire and equipment for the 5th Poetry Festival in Ripon / Ripon Poetry Festival £1,000 Fund the provision of financial literacy advice and guidance for the community hub / Ripon Community House.

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the materials for children’s workshops and activities in Ripon Library / Ripon Theatre Festival.

£1,000 Fund the wool and fixings for the knitted displays around Ripon / Ripon Community Poppy Project.

£1,009 Purchase of a digital printer for the students / Evolve.

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Cllr Nick Brown – Wathvale and Bishop Monkton

£2,000 Provision of a traffic management scheme with a 40mph speed limit in Cundall Village / Cundall and Norton le Clay Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of a VAS for Sharow Village / Sharow Parish Council.

£1,500 Fund the purchase of materials and equipment for the creation of a Garden of Sanctuary/Bishop Monkton CE Primary School.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Marton Le Moor Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Hewick and Hutton Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Roecliffe and Westwick Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Wath and Norton Conyers Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / North Stainley with Sleningford Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Cundall and Norton Le Clay Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Langthorpe Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Rainton with Newby Parish Council.

Councillor Sam Gibbs (centre) at the installation of tree lights in Harrogate

Cllr Sam Gibbs – Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

£1,500 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£3,000 Fund the materials to carry out building and plumbing repairs and install LED lights / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£4,000 Purchase and installation of ‘ball catch’ netting and a rope barrier / Harrogate Pythons RUFC £1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow – Knaresborough East

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites.

£1,000 Fund the staffing costs for the kiosk at Conyngham Hall / Chain Lane Community Hub. £1,250 Fund the purchase of a replacement cooker for the Wellbeing Hub’s kitchen /Knaresborough Wellbeing Hub.

£750 Provision of funding for the festive tea party, catering and Christmas project / Knaresborough Lions Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,500 Fund the support for the running costs of the Junior Youth Club / Inspire Youth Yorkshire. £1,000 Installation of a defibrillator and cabinet in Old Scriven Village, Knaresborough / Scriven Parish Council.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Michael Harrison – Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate

£500 Purchase of reusable plastic glasses for the event in July / Hampsthwaite Feast.

£1,000 Fund the restoration of the flagpole at the village church / Hampsthwaite PCC.

£1,160 Fund the improvements to PROW 15.65/18/1 at Crag Lane Killinghall to improve safety and accessibility / NYCC PRoW.

£1,340 Provide a contribution to the operational costs of the No 24 Winter Bus Service / Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£750 Fund the preparation of drawings for the expansion project / Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall.

£300 Fund a contribution to the running costs and white goods replacement / Hampsthwaite Village Room.

£3,950 Fund the resurfacing of the public footpath in the churchyard forming the Medieval Way/Hampsthwaite – Thomas a Becket Church.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of various potential initiatives in the parish / Killinghall Parish Council.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of the digital champion / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library

Cllr Paul Haslam – Bilton and Nidd Gorge

£2,558 Fund the room hire and volunteer costs for the weekly support group / New Beginnings.£3,438 Provide a contribution to the running costs of New Park Grocery / New Park Resurrected Bites.

£749 Fund the purchase of essential cleaning products and accessories for the River Nidd water improvement project / Bilton Conservation Group.

£750 Fund 6 months of rent for Dean Park Community Group / St Johns Church Bilton.

£345 Purchase a replacement folding table and banner for the library / Bilton and Woodfield Library.

£2,160 Purchase fleeces for the volunteers and 2 months fresh fruit & veg / Harrogate Foodbank.

Cllr Peter Lacy – Coppice Valley and Duchy

£1,500 Purchase soft furnishings and equipment for the ‘Warm & Well’ space / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

£1,500 Fund the trip to Harrogate Theatre for pupils to see the pantomime / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,000 Purchase a vehicle activated sign for the village / Duchy Residents Association.

£2,960 Purchase of furniture and fittings for Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre / Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre.

£982 Fund the plants, materials and labour for the Bog Garden at Coppice Valley Primary School / Horticap Nursery.

£558 Fund the cost of converting Harrogate Community House to high quality LED lighting with individual controls / Harrogate & District Community Action.

Cllr John Mann – Oatlands and Pannal

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£4,000 Funding of the general running costs for Oatlands Community Centre / The Trustees of Oatlands Community Centre CIO.

£1,500 Purchase and installation of a commemorative bench for Queen Elizabeth II / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

£3,500 Fund the re-furbishment, replacing and provision of additional lights within the 7-8 trees on the Green / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

Cllr Pat Marsh – Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone

£300 Purchase of training balls and match balls, with any remainder put towards coach transport to away matches / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£500 Fund the minibus hire and activities to support people with Dementia / Dementia Forward.

£300 Purchase of gardening equipment for junior school children / Hookstone Chase Primary School £380 Purchase a speed radar gun / The Langcliffe Community Group.

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£2,000 Fund the purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & Area Council for Voluntary Service Ltd.

£500 Fund the heating costs for the Warm Wednesday community club / Oatlands Community Group.

Cllr Andrew Murday – Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale

£1,500 Fund the co-ordination of the community transport service/Nidd Plus Partnership.

£750 Fund the accommodation, transport, catering, tutors’ fees, venue hire, music purchase and hire for the winter residential course / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£1,500 Fund the winter Sunday service on bus route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge/Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a servery with disabled access in the foyer of the Playhouse/Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£725 Purchase of materials to enclose the kitchen in the workshop / Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed CIO.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of materials for the redecoration of the Pateley Playhouse / Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£1,000 Fund the maintenance of the Christmas lights / Pateley Bridge Town Council.

£1,000 Fund the resurfacing of the courts at Dacre Tennis Club / Dacre Tennis Club.

£1,000 Purchase a replacement oven for the village hall kitchen / Dacre and Hartwith Village Hall.£525 Fund a contribution towards the Digital Champion Coordinator’s salary / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos – Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale & Tockwith

£300 To purchase a replacement battery for the defibrillator / Wighill Parish Council

£1,000 Fund the materials and hire of the petting farm for the show / Tockwith and District Agricultural Society.

£500 Fund the printing of the parish and village Christmas edition of the magazine / The Church of the Epiphany.

£300 Provision of an ice cream van for the pupils on the last day of term / Tockwith CE Primary School.

£1,000 Fund the replacement and installation of new equipment for the play area / Kirkby Overblow Summer Arts Festival.

£300 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£400 Fund the purchase of a Christmas tree and refreshments for the carol service / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a second defibrillator at the other end of the village / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the room hire for the weekly sewing and chatting club / The Crafty Hens.

£800 Purchase and install a new notice board for the village / North Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the production and printing of the by-monthly parish magazine / Wighill Parish Council. £300 Purchase of food for the Christmas Party / Tockwith Community Hub.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a white gate on the verge next to the highway / Sicklinghall Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a new defibrillator / Little Ribston Village Hall Committee.

£500 Fund the purchase of a new bench for Follifield Play Area / Follifoot Parish Council.

£1,000 Fund the installation of a new bench / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

Rossett Acre Primary School

Cllr Michael Schofield – Harlow & St Georges

£450.99 Purchase a hammer drill, dummy CCTV camera, promotion table, cloth and printing / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£875 Purchase 6 copies of each of the Phase 2 Phonics Books so to provide “Guided Reading” in Reception / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the swimming for the pupils at the school / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£5,000 Fund the installation of strengthened glass on the balcony at Harrogate Cricket Club / Little Crickets Nursery.

£400 Purchase sensory equipment to aid in the development of children at the nursery / Little Crickets Nursery.

£750 Funding the Green Elf production for the children to educate them on and around ecological issues / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,024.01 Fund the Year 6 pupils’ residential trip to East Barnby / Rossett Acre Primary School.

Cllr Monika Slater – Bilton Grange & New Park

£1,872.84 Purchase equipment for the polycom system to evolve the digital activities / Open Country .

£476 Fund the van hire and fuel for the Jamboree trip / 16th Harrogate Club Scout Group.

£5,000 To extend the footpath from Redhill Road up to the corner of Knox Avenue / NYCC Highways. 

£302 Fund the purchase of a wheelchair ramp and kitchen equipment for the Big Breakfasts / Bilton Community Centre.

£1,500 Purchase of 13 new mattresses / Harrogate Homeless Project.

£849.16 Fund the purchase of 3 x eDNA bacteria testing kits from Nature Metric / Bilton Conservation Group.

Cllr Matt Walker – Knaresborough West

£2,000 Fund the printing costs of the Harrogate District Breakfree Pack / Open Country.

£500 Fund the purchase of a lawn mower cartridge to rake the grass / Crown Green Bowling Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of flags and bunting for the Arts Trail and Entertainment / FEVA.

£500 Purchase of garden supplies for the creation of the community garden at Conyngham Hall/Knaresborough Connectors.

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,000 Purchase a new cooker, hood and extractor fan for the Scout Hut / 1st Knaresborough Scout Group.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

£500 Fund the coach hire and entrance fees for the day trips / Harrogate & District Over 50s Forum.

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Cllr Arnold Warneken – Ouseburn

£400 Fund the materials for the Jurassic beach at the show / Tockwith Show.

£684 Fund the cleaning of the village war memorial and plaque / Kirk Hammerton Parish Council.

£715.20 Provision of a solar pavilion clock / Whixley Cricket Club.

£992.75 Fund a contribution towards the production of Treasure Island the panto / Badapple Youth Theatre Group.

£1,000 Purchase and install a parish council noticeboard / Nun Monkton Parish Council.

£672 Fund the groundworks and labour for the Parish Woodland Restoration project / Marton cum Grafton Parish Council.

£2,141.90 Fund the purchase of materials and tools for the wildlife haven at Goosemoor Nature Reserve/Cowthorpe Community Forum.

£2,250 Fund the supply and installation of a defibrillator at Prince Rupert Drive Tockwith / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

£500 Fund the purchase of food and drink for the Green Hammerton Warm Hub and Support Hub /Green Hammerton Parish Council.

£644.15 Purchase a memorial bench for former councillors / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

St Wilfrid’s Procession

Cllr Andrew Williams – Ripon Minster and Moorside

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the support for the scouts to attend the 25th World Scout Jamboree / 6th Ripon Scout Group.

£500 Fund the travel and venue hire costs for the concerts / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£2,000 Fund the children’s activities on Ripon Market Place / St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee.

£1,000 Funding towards events and staging of the Poetry Festival / Ripon Poetry Festival.

£1,000 Funding towards the events and activities at the library / Ripon Library Volunteer Management Group.

£2,000 Fund the fireworks finale at the coronation event / Ripon City Council.

Cllr Robert Windass – Boroughbridge and Claro

£2,500 Fund the repair and refurbishment of the clock in the Church Tower / St Bartholomew’s Church Arkendale.

£1,953 To purchase and install a defibrillator for Flaxby / Goldsborough & Flaxby Parish Council.

£3,000 To purchase and install VAS units and laptop computer within the village / Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of an outdoor canopy for the outdoor learning area / Scotton & Lingerfield Primary School PTA.