Two Harrogate community organisations have received £3,000 in funding after winning a photography competition showcasing their work.
Artizan International won the Our People category and the 1st Pannal Scout Group the Our Place category of the amateur photography competition, which was run by the Two Ridings Community Foundation in conjunction with North Yorkshire’s High Sheriff Clare Granger.
Artizan International’s Harrogate cafe supports adults with learning disabilities by providing real-life working experience, a sense of confidence and self-esteem.
Liz Cluderay from Artizan said:
“We were delighted to win first place and the funding is very well timed as we need to replace key pieces of equipment such as a dishwasher and under counter fridges and freezer.”
The 1st Pannal Scout Group is planning to use their prize money to gain match funding for the refurbishment of the Scout Hall, which is used by their 80 children and young people as well as the whole community.
A number of other Harrogate groups were also highly commended in the competition and will receive a small amount of funding. They are Dancing for Wellbeing which runs ‘Keep Dancing’ sessions at Oatlands Community Centre, Harrogate Clothes Bank, New Beginnings Peer Support, and Open Country, which helps disabled people access and enjoy the countryside.
The Artizan Cafe in Harrogate
Two Ridings helps individuals and businesses across North and East Yorkshire to invest in and support small local charities and community groups by turning their donations into funding.
The winners of the competition were announced at a Photography Exhibition & Showcase in the ballroom of Allerton Castle. The event gave local business leaders, friends and supporters of Two Ridings the opportunity to view the impact of community organisations through 16 photographs, and to hear the stories behind the images.
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Two Ridings chief executive Celia McKeon praised Two Ridings’ donors and supporters for enabling the foundation to channel resources direct to the front line, where it makes a difference.
She said:
“The work everyone here does is the humble, selfless work of people acting out of love. Some of the people supported by this work are often failed by our institutions. And yet they are centred in these images. And that is because they are centred in the work of the organisations.
“This work is transformational. It changes people’s lives. This everyday extraordinary work is the power of community action, and it enriches all our lives. We must not take it for granted.”
Sixteen cash prizes were handed out on the night, including to the photography competition runners-up Scarborough & Ryedale Mountain Rescue, Chopsticks in Northallerton that supports adults with disabilities to develop new skills in a workshop environment, the Walled Garden Whitby, and York-based Shine 21 which supports families who have a child with Down’s Syndrome.
Two Ridings recently launched a Cost of Living Crisis Fund appeal, to help support community organisations that offer a lifeline to people in need. Make a donation here.
