charity Archives - Page 16 of 40

New Year’s Eve cycle ride in Harrogate to raise money for homeless

A New Year’s Eve cycle ride is being held around Harrogate to raise money for Harrogate Homeless Project.

Entrants will depart from cycling shop Prologue on Cold Bath Road, Harrogate and take part in either a 35-mile or 55-mile route.

Coffee will be served from 9am and rides leave from 9.30am, with the fastest riders leaving first in groups of 16.

The entry fee is £5 with all the proceeds going to Harrogate Homeless Project.

Victoria Mannakee, director of Harrogate-based event management company Struggle Events, which is organising the event, said:

“Just two £5 entries is enough to provide a hot meal, shower, clothing and laundry facilities for one person. Three entries is enough to get someone off the street for a night.

“Over 100 riders entered last New Year’s Eve. Think what we can do as a cycling collective if every rider simply turned up to Prologue and rode their bikes this New Year’s Eve.”

“It’s a great social atmosphere; Harrogate’s cycling club members, local professional riders, individual riders, triathletes and social cyclists join forces to raise much-needed funds for the Harrogate Homeless Project.”

Many top cyclists, including Olympic champions Jonny and Alistair Brownlee and Tour de France stage winner Tom Pidcock, often take part in Struggle Events’ community rides.

You can enter here or on the day.

Charities stall set for Harrogate Christmas Fayre return

Harrogate Christmas Fayre returns from December 2 and so does the stall dedicated to local charities.

Harrogate Borough Council and operators Market Place Europe have collaborated to offer local charities the chance to promote themselves and generate funds.

The number of charities which are set to be featured on the stall has increased from 10 to 11 this year.

Artizan International, Carers Resource, Dementia Forward, Girlguiding North Yorkshire West, Harlow Hill Men’s Shed, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust Community Charity, Harrogate Easier Living Project, Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, Samaritans of Harrogate and District, and Ripon Walled Garden are all set to use the stall to raise money and awareness.

Carol Chapman from Samaritans of Harrogate and District said:

“We are always delighted with the heartfelt support of our local community and especially at times when we are able to connect with them during events such as this.

“Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year for people, for lots of different reasons which may trigger feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression to name a few.

“Samaritans volunteers want to raise awareness that they are here for emotional support on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year.”

The charities involved were identified via the Local Lotto initiative. This is a council-run initiative to raise additional funds for voluntary or community groups across the Harrogate district.

HBC leader Cllr Richard Cooper said:

“Building on the success of last year, Destination Harrogate is due to be even bigger and better. And with thousands of people expected to visit the town, I’m sure these charities will be able to raise their profile and generate some funds for their worthy cause, at a time when it is needed the most.”

Harrogate Christmas Fayre begins on Friday, December 2 and ends on Sunday, December 11. It will take place on Cambridge Street and Market Place in the heart of Harrogate town centre.

There are several attractions debuting at the fayre this year, including a new ice skating rink, an après ski bar and York’s 32m ferris wheel.

Ripon woman sets up dyspraxia support group

A Ripon woman who believed she was “broken”, but went on to graduate from university after being diagnosed with dyspraxia, has launched a not-for-profit company to help others who may share the condition.

Carol Turnbull set up Chrysalis Dyspraxia Awareness last year with a view to providing one-to-one support for people pre- or post-diagnosis and helping them to understand their potential.

She has also given a talk to a government department and hopes to expand this side of the business, speaking to companies and organisations about neurodivergency and its workplace implications.

Dyspraxia is a condition affecting physical co-ordination and causes children to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.

How people make plans and decisions, organise their lives and regulate their emotions may also be affected. The condition is closely associated with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and dyscalculia.

Carol Turnbull

Carol was 47 before she was diagnosed with the condition, but says she had always known there was something wrong.

“I had a life of thinking I was broken; I could feel something wasn’t right,” she says.

“As a child, I was always looked on as different and was picked on a lot. I always wondered why people didn’t like me, and that lasted right through till adulthood.”

After more than 30 years working in the care industry, Carol happened to take her son to an open evening at York College, but ended up herself enrolling on an access course. That led to her taking a psychology degree at Leeds Beckett University, where she was first diagnosed.

She says:

“It changed my life. Learning about myself and how I function neurologically and socially has greatly improved my confidence and this directly contributed to the development of Chrysalis.”

Now, she wants to pass on that knowledge, giving others the support that she missed out on. Contact can be made via her website here. She says:

“A lot of people with dyspraxia pigeonhole themselves, and it can feel quite disabling if people around you don’t know why you are the way you are if you yourself don’t know why.

“Giving others this power and supporting them to understand themselves and their dyspraxia better can open up the world to so many people who may feel their wants and desires are beyond their capabilities. This is something I am passionate about. I strongly believe that, given the right support, people can achieve absolutely anything!”

Final appeal for donations towards £10k cost of Harrogate bonfire

The organisers of the Stray Bonfire are appealing for help to meet the costs of putting on one of Harrogate’s best-loved events tomorrow.

Harrogate Round Table has set a £10,000 fundraising target, but so far less than a tenth of that has been pledged.

The Stray Bonfire event costs about £13,500 to stage, with £5,000 spent on fireworks alone. Organiser Andy Rickard said:

“We run the event as volunteers, but there are costs we can’t avoid, such as parking, medical care and closing roads. It’s free to attend and we’d like to keep it that way, so if you can afford to help out with the costs it would be very much appreciated.”

The event, which starts at 5pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 5) and finishes with a fireworks finale at 7.15pm, will also feature music from three bands, hot food stalls, a licensed bar and – new this year – on-site toilets. The Met Office is forecasting an evening of dry weather.

The organisers had planned to ditch the traditional bonfire this year in favour of other entertainment, but changed their minds last week and reinstated it.

As well as individual donations, the team of volunteers is interested in hearing from any businesses or other organisations which might sponsor the event.

Mr Rickard said:

“If there are any companies that are interested, for £250 you can become a community sponsor and we’ll put your logo up on the big screen in front of about 10,000 people – right before Christmas.

“You can also donate at our GoFundMe page, or give £5 by texting BONFIRE to 70460.

“On the night we’ll even have card-readers, so you can donate that way, but we’ll only have four of them, so we’d urge people to bring cash, as we’ll have 60 bucket-shakers collecting donations.”

Any surplus funds will be donated to Harrogate Homeless Project, which marks 30 years in the town this year.

Mr Rickard added:

“We really wanted to celebrate Harrogate Homeless Project’s 30th anniversary, but also, the cost-of-living crisis is going to affect everybody, but the homeless are potentially the most vulnerable, so we wanted to help as much as we can as winter approaches.”

Diners to eat blindfolded to raise funds for Harrogate guide dogs

An unusual charity dinner at Harrogate’s Rudding Park next month will see diners eat their main course blindfolded.

The event is being organised to raise money for Guide Dogs UK in Harrogate and to stimulate what dining out is like for people with a visual impairment.

Dine in the Dark will take place at the hotel on November 11.

Guide dog owner Kim Murphy said:

“Having my guide dog Jango has completely changed my life and events such as this are crucial for raising funds so that somebody else with sight loss can get a life changing guide dog like Jango.”

Nicola Ridgway, community fundraising manager for Guide Dogs UK in Harrogate, added:

“Dine in the Dark gives you the opportunity to enjoy great company and to have fun while experiencing the sensory effect of eating food with no vision.

“It will give you an insight into how visually impaired guide dog owners experience life on a daily basis.”

Tickets are £53.30 each (Inc booking fee) and are available here.

All funds raised will be donated to Guide Dogs UK.

10K run set to be held in aid of Harrogate Homeless Project

A charity 10k run is set to take place in Harrogate in aid of the Harrogate Homeless Project.

Called “Run, Walk, Move”, the initiative is being held to raise money for the charity on its 30th anniversary.

The charity has urged people to run or walk either as individuals or as a group throughout October, with each runner contributing £10 to the cause.

This Sunday (October 9), Harrogate Triathlon Club has organised a 5k and 10k starting from the Harrogate Homeless Hostel on Bower Street at 10.30am.

Jon Chamberlain, who is part of the Harrogate Triathlon Committee, said the runs would include areas of interest around the town.

He said:

“We are doing a bit of a circle around Harrogate where we can find some interesting places.”

He added that he hoped that the run would help to raise around £400 for the Harrogate Homeless Project.

After the end of the run, those participating will meet up at North Bar social room for coffee and cake along with the chief executive and chair of the charity.

All money raised as part of the anniversary fundraiser will go towards providing hot meals, laundry facilities, showers and clothing for those who experience homelessness.

Prizes are being provided by Up and Running, which has donated a £75 voucher for fastest 5k, 10k and half marathon times and a £100 voucher for the top fundraising team.

Francis McAllister, CEO of Harrogate Homeless Project, said:

“The Virtual Run has been set up to be as inclusive as possible, enabling people of all abilities to take part and set their own personal challenge.

“We hope to get as much of the Harrogate district as possible walking, jogging or running for homelessness this October in support of our 30th anniversary fundraising and publicity campaign.”

For more information on how to get involved visit the Harrogate Homeless Project website here and the Harrogate Triathlon site here.

Harrogate church to hold baby loss event

People who have lost babies are being invited to light a candle or leave a message at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate next week.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs from October 9 to 15, is an awareness and support campaign around pregnancy and baby loss.

One in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage and 250 babies are stillborn every day in the UK.

Reflect, a pregnancy loss support charity, will be holding a Light a Candle remembrance event from 12.45pm to 2pm on Tuesday at St Peter’s Church. People will be able to light a candle or leave a message in remembrance of their loss.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 20th year, enables those affected to come together to remember and commemorate lost children.

The week also provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss and the importance of bereavement support.

Tanya Allen from Reflect charity said:

“We hope that our Light a Candle event will provide an opportunity for local bereaved parents and families to remember their precious babies. We also would like anyone dealing with the pain of pregnancy and baby loss to know that there is support available; at Reflect we provide free one-to-one support for individuals and couples.”

Baby Loss Awareness Week is observed internationally and culminates with the Wave of Light on October 15, when people across the world light a candle at 7pm local time and leave it burning to remember all babies that have died too soon.

Ripon Tractor Fest raises £4,000 for hospital’s children’s ward

A charity tractor fest in Ripon has raised £4,000 for the Leeds General Infirmary Neonatal Unit.

It was organised by Tom Tate after his newborn son recently spent time in intensive care at LGI with a life-threatening condition.

Mr Tate’s partner Sarah gave birth to their son, Freddie, three-and-a-half months ago.

But soon afterwards he was diagnosed with Atrial flutter, a type of abnormal heart rhythm that makes the heart beat too quickly.

Mr Tate said it was a frightening time for the family. He said:

“When he was born straight away we knew something wasn’t right. In a baby, Atrial flutter is life threatening.

“But after two weeks in intensive care at the LGI, they got him right, and they looked after me and Sarah.”

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Freddie is thankfully now at home and fighting fit, but his dad said he wanted to repay the hospital by raising money for the LGI Neonatal Unit through the Leeds Hospitals Charity.

Mr Tate is a member of West Yorkshire Tractor and Engine Club and around 80 vintage and modern tractors from the club attended F. Tate and Sons garden centre at Studley Road on September 24. It was also attended by the Yorkshire Vet, Peter Wright.

A total of £4,000 was raised, which will be used to transform the corridors in the neonatal ward. They have been renamed the ‘corridors of courage’ and will include pictures and stories to help other families through their hard times.

Mr Tate said:

“I’m absolutely amazed at how the day went. Massive thank-you to everyone who attended and donated, helping us raise a massive £4,000 for the LGI neonatal unit. It’s such an overwhelming feeling to gi\ve a huge amount of money to an excellent cause.”

Knaresborough concert raises £800 for Resurrected Bites

A concert last weekend at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough raised over £800 for local food poverty organisation Resurrected Bites.

The concert featured musicians and singers including the Silver Keys Clarinet Quartet, Thula Mamas and Knaresborough Silver Band.

Music included Graham Kendrick’s ‘Teach me to Dance’, Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’, Lennon and McCartney’s ‘When I’m 64’ and Brian Hoare’s ‘Born in Song’.

The event was organised by Sarah Darvill and Nick Garrett.

Resurrected Bites was established by Michelle Hayes in 2018 and began life as a ‘pay-as-you-feel’ community café working with local businesses and suppliers to divert good quality food from landfill.

It turns the food into meals in its cafes and provides it to families through its community groceries scheme.

The organisation runs cafes at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and West Park United Reformed Church in Harrogate. It has also launched a community groceries scheme with bases in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Masham farmers fundraise in memory of colleagues who died of sepsis

Masham Young Farmers’ Club is fundraising in memory of two local farmers who died after contracting sepsis.

Hannah Brown was in her twenties when she cut her hand and the wound became infected.

David Cooke thought he had covid but also ended up dying of sepsis, which occurs when your immune system overreacts to an infection.

Masham Young Farmers’ Club is working with the UK Sepsis Trust this year to spread awareness of the condition and raise money.

A tractor run in May generated £2,500, now the club has organised an auction of promises, which will take place at Masham Town Hall on October 14. People will bid for donated prizes, which range from a family ticket to the Forbidden Corner to a quad bike package.

Jack Jobling, chairman of the club, which has about 40 members, said sepsis was a cause close to the heart of the farming community. He said:

“Sepsis, if diagnosed early can be treated successfully, however if people are unaware of the signs of the illness it can rapidly become very serious and untreatable.

“Masham Young Farmers’ Club is aiming to not only raise money for the charity, we are trying to increase awareness of sepsis so that people are able to detect signs of the disease faster and therefore save lives.

“This is particularly important within the farming community as farmers often cut themselves and come into contact with muck and other contaminants in their work, and this is one way that an infection can be brought into the body that can lead to sepsis developing.”

There are 48 lots on offer at the auction. Profit will be donated to the trust, with a small amount kept to go towards club running costs.

Tickets cost £10 and include a buffet. The event will begin with a short talk and video from a trust ambassador and then auctioneer Kenton Foster will sell the lots.

For more details email mashamyfc@gmail.com, call or text 07521 595412 or call 01677 470353.