This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, the final day of our appeal, we look at its success and the difference your donations will make to this vital organisation.

The fundraising page remains open. Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help. 

Thank you to everyone who has given any amount, large or small, to our appeal. Every penny will go directly to Resurrected Bites and will make an enormous difference to local people.

Thanks to your generosity, Resurrected Bites goes into 2023 with a more certain future.

Not only can it continue to support the customers who rely on its community groceries and enjoy its pay-as-you-feel cafe, it can welcome more people through the doors.

Times are hard for many and, with the cost of living set to rise further next year, it is likely more people will find themselves struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table.



Some of the stories we have heard have shown just how easily people can fall into a situation where their incomes do not cover all their outgoings.

Take Ickle Mills, mum to a young son, who found her maternity pay was nowhere near what she had expected. Despite her partner's steady job and good income, the family suddenly struggled to afford food after the added expense of a baby. She said:

Resurrected Bites enabled the couple to buy milk and other supplies for their son, as well as putting food on the table for themselves. As he moved onto solid food, Ickle found she had access to produce she might otherwise not have been able to buy, giving him a varied, healthy diet - all while reducing the amount of food going to landfill.

Then there was Justin Hardcastle, for whom a series of bereavements led to a mental health crisis - and Resurrected Bites was among the organisations that stepped in to help, alongside housing charity Lifeline. Now volunteering in its grocery and cafe, he told us:

Justin Hardcastle, left, and Lara Rundle

For single mum of four Lara Rundle, the problems began when her youngest child went away to university.

A small pay rise from the NHS meant she was no longer entitled to benefits, leaving her £90 a month worse off - and health problems for her and one of her children further impacted on her finances.

Speaking to her GP practice about the challenges she faced, Lara was referred to Resurrected Bites. She told the Stray Ferret:

The impact on her mental health has been significant, taking away the pressures she was feeling. She said:

Read more:

• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: How high standards help to feed hungry families


• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Making hearty meals from food waste


• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: 'It's our privilege to care for each other'

As Ian begins to look towards retirement, Resurrected Bites is recruiting cafe managers for both the new Killinghall cafe and the West Park cafe. Ian knows just what a privilege the roles will offer:

To find out more about Resurrected Bites and the paid and voluntary roles it has available, visit its Facebook page.



While the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal has officially ended, the donation page will remain open over the Christmas period.

Click here to contribute now. Thank you.