Harrogate sixth former raises £5,000 in virtual concert for Macmillan

A Harrogate sixth form pupil has raised almost £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support after hosting and performing in her own virtual concert.

Niamh Boyle, 17, staged her first concert for the charity, which supported her aunt and uncle in their final days, in 2018.

That event raised £12,000 and now Niamh has generated another significant sum for Macmillan from her second concert, which was held online and included performances from current and former Ashville pupils.

Niamh editing the performances during her school holidays before broadcasting them on her Youtube channel in September.

She has far exceeded her £3,000 target.

Niamh said:

“It just goes to show that Macmillan is a charity close to so many hearts.

“I hope that we can do a live one again next time. I can’t wait to do more for this amazing charity.”

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The concert included 25 songs from musicals. Niamh performed in three solos and three duets.

Adele Burrough, fundraising manager for Macmillan, said Niamh’s efforts would help people living with cancer, adding:

“Niamh’s remarkable efforts have also made sure that cancer doesn’t become the ‘forgotten C’ during this pandemic.

“Right now, there are around 179,000 people living with cancer across Yorkshire. When coronavirus hit, thousands of vital cancer treatments and appointments were postponed or cancelled.”

Several hundred people miss early cancer diagnosis in Yorkshire

Several hundred people in Yorkshire have missed potentially life-saving early cancer diagnosis because of covid, according to a Harrogate-based research charity.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research, gave the figure in an interview with the Stray Ferret.

The NHS halted screenings in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Scott said:

“We have lost some opportunities to find early cancers. People were also very nervous to go to the doctors. Then the people that do go have delays in diagnosis and treatment.

“The NHS tried innovative ways to get around that. But it is still a sad fact that we think several hundred people have missed out on early diagnosis in Yorkshire.”

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She added that when people miss out on early diagnosis they often have to go through more invasive treatments and have a worse chance of survival.

Dr Scott spoke to us after the publication of the charity’s annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020, which showed total income had increased from £12.8 million to £18.7 million.

Royalty income accounted for £12 million – up from £6.7 million – of this.

The charity, however, is expecting its next accounts to be more challenging because of covid, with fundraising income likely to be down by more than £1 million.

£8.3 million for new cancer research

To combat what Dr Scott sees as a “big hill to climb” with cancer, the charity is pumping another £8.3 million into new research.

Of this sum, £3.4 million will be used to fund research into whether chemotherapy before surgery in bowel cancer patients improves survival rates.

Other projects it funds will look into ways to use medication to slow the spread of prostate cancer, urine tests to detect bladder cancer and whether vaping products can help those with mental illness quit smoking.

How coronavirus vaccine push can help cancer research

There has been much excitement about the development of coronavirus vaccines with efficacy of up to 95%.

Dr Scott hopes the development of new technologies, such as synthetic DNA-based vaccines, could be adapted to improve cancer treatments. She said:

“One of the benefits of the way they have run the clinical trials is the new technology and the new techniques they’re using in those trials.

“It really compresses the time and so absolutely in the future, fingers crossed, we can get cancer treatments and therapies through that pipeline faster.”

Although the pandemic is likely to hit Yorkshire Cancer Research hard financially, it believes its future is bright, and that it will be able to continue with its aim of helping 2,000 more people survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

Charity Corner: research in memory of ‘brave and funny’ Frank

Frank’s Fund is a Harrogate-based charity set up by the Ashton family after their son Frank died from a rare form of bone cancer last year.

Frank Ashton was a “brave, funny, kind and positive” young man who loved playing sports and going to Nando’s with friends.

He lived in Harrogate with his family and beloved dog Barney and attended St Aidan’s high school.

But in May 2016 the family’s world changed when Frank was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. Frank went through relentless rounds of chemotherapy, all the time staying positive.

Frank Ashton

Frank’s family said he was always smiling.

By May 2017, Frank’s tumour had been removed during an eight hour operation and he had gone through 12 months of chemotherapy – he was in remission.

Only five months later, in September 2017, the cancer came back. This was just before Frank’s 13th birthday. Louise Ashton, Frank’s mum, said:

“With a cancer like this when it comes back there is no treatment, it’s like being given a life sentence. The doctors said he has two years to live, he had another seven months of chemo.”

Over the next year Frank continued to remain positive and see his friends but in January 2019 his health was failing fast and Frank died a month later, aged 14.

Frank Ashton's family

Frank’s Fund was set up to keep Frank’s memory alive and remind people of the positive person he was.

Louise added:

“He had a fantastic smile and we miss him massively. We set up the charity to keep Frank’s memory alive, we want him to be remembered as the funny boy he was.”

Frank’s Fund was set up to raise funds to go to dedicated cancer research. Primary bone cancer received just 0.028% of funding from major UK cancer charities in 2018/2019. The treatment and survival rates of this cancer haven’t improved in over 30 years.

To donate to the fund click here.

Louise said:

“It’s really shocking how little this cancer receives. The best way for people to fund bone cancer research is to give to a dedicated charity. I would have been really angry if I knew how little funding went into research when Frank was alive.

But now we are doing something about it with Frank’s Fund.”

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Frank's Fund comedy night

Frank’s family with Maisie Adam a charity patron (second from the left) and other comedians who performed during the charity’s comedy night last year.

The family are determined to raise as much as they can to follow Frank’s wishes to prevent children suffering as he did.

This year several of their fundraising events have been cancelled but they are continuing to fundraise with a virtual comedy night on December 11 and selling Christmas cards, follow the charity on Facebook to see updates.

Knaresborough gymnast inspired by sister for flipping fundraiser

A young gymnast from Knaresborough inspired by her sister has raised more than £1,000 for charity.

Imani Jones, who attends Harrogate Gymnastics Club, wanted to do something positive in lockdown so she decided to do 1,021 flips to help Shine 21, which helps young children with Down syndrome.

Her 11-month-old sister Felicity has Down syndrome so it is a cause close to Imani’s heart.

She started the challenge on Sunday and needs to complete an average of 50 flips a day to reach her target.

Thanks to lots of generous people donating in the first few days, Imani has already beaten her fundraising target of £1,021 and now hopes to raise as much as possible.

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Depending on the type of flip the nine-year-old gymnast performs, it can take between a few minutes to about an hour to complete her daily target.

Chris Jones, Imani’s dad, told the Stray Ferret her daughter started training in gymnastics at the age of four and had never stopped bouncing or flipping.

The money will go towards a £10,000 overall target to set up Shine 21 as a new charity in North Yorkshire.

Donations will go towards providing resources for people with Down syndrome aged below five as well as for speech and language therapy.

To support Imani, click or tap here for more details.

 

Imani Jones with her young sister, who inspired the fundraiser.

Harrogate illustrator designs Leeds United charity Christmas card

A Harrogate illustrator has designed a Leeds United Christmas card to raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Graeme Bandeira’s wintry scene features the iconic Billy Bremner statue wearing a blue Santa hat at Elland Road, with Yorkshire Cancer Research’s rose on the East Stand.

The cards are being sold in packs of five for £6, with £2 from each pack donated to Yorkshire Cancer Research, which is based in Harrogate.

Leeds United, who have many supporters in the Harrogate district, began a charity partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research in September to raise awareness of the organisation’s work.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We were keen to mark our partnership with Leeds United in a special way and offer the fans an opportunity to celebrate Christmas while raising money to save lives in Yorkshire.

“Inviting Graeme to design our Christmas card felt like the perfect choice. We hope Leeds United supporters will love it as much as we do.”

Left to right: Angus Kinnear, chief executive at Leeds United, Graeme Bandeira and Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Mr Bandeira said:

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to join forces with two Yorkshire icons and it being for such a great cause too.”

Money raised from the cards will fund research, end of life care and cancer screening.

The packs of cards can be bought online here or in any of the five Leeds United stores if they are allowed to reopen before Christmas.

Mr Bandeira is also auctioning the original artwork on eBay to raise will be donated to Yorkshire Cancer Research. To make a bid, click here.

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Paul Bell, executive director at Leeds United, said:

“Christmas is always a special time of the year and it’s fantastic that we’re able to mark the occasion this season with our official charity partner.

“We know our supporters will get behind the initiative, with money raised from the sales helping to support the world-leading research taking place to help more people survive cancer.”

 

Dog rescue charity launches £250,000 appeal for new home

A dog rescue charity has launched a £250,000 fundraising appeal to buy a dedicated home.

Saving Yorkshire’s Dogs, which is based near Masham, wants to buy the former Jerry Green Dog Rescue centre near Thirsk.

The charity already has £170,000 in pledges but needs another £250,000 to make the dream come true.

Over the last six years the charity has rescued about 200 dogs, many of which would otherwise have been put to sleep.

The Jerry Green site closed in the summer and will be sold by informal tender in mid-November.

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SYD, which currently rents premises, believes this is the right time to buy dedicated kennels and “secure its future”.

Julie Hart, who is organising the fundraiser, told the Stray Ferret:

“This would make a big difference. We would have much more space so we would have room to grow. This would be the dream place to move into, it is fully furnished in a great location.

“It has been incredible to watch all of the donations coming through already. People have been very generous. We have had pledges from some people of £10,000.”

So far the gofundme page has reached £2,600 in donations out of the £250,000 target. Click or tap here to donate.

The asking price for the former Jerry Green site starts at £300,000. SYD hopes the fundraiser will help with bidding and set-up costs.

Gracie finds a new home

The English Bulldog Gracie, star of the first Stray Pets Club and SYD rescue, has been given a new home.

Gracie was used for breeding to make money and was abandoned after reaching the maximum age for reproducing.

She has given birth to around 30 puppies in her lifetime and has been left with the scars to show it.

Harrogate district businesses urged to give leftover food to needy

Shops and restaurants in the Harrogate district that will close this week due to lockdown are being urged to donate their leftover food to needy people.

Resurrected Bites, a not-for-profit group that aims to fill bellies not bins, provided weekly food parcels for 1,350 people in October.

It now hopes to generate enough donations to help vulnerable people during the second lockdown, which starts on Thursday.

Knaresborough businesses Mother Shipton’s Cave and Scarlett’s Vintage Tea Rooms have already donated food.

Michelle Hayes, director of Resurrected Bites, told the Stray Ferret:

“The vulnerable people we have helped already have called us a life-saver. Businesses will be sad that they have to close but they are happy to help.

“At the moment we have around 180 people on our system that we help. Many were worried about the end of furlough so are happy that it will continue for a month.”

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When the March lockdown started, Resurrected Bites closed its cafes at St Mark’s Church in Harrogate and Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and instead delivered food to those in need.

While it is still delivering food to those in need, its cafes will remain closed. The charity expects its cafes will remain closed until Easter next year.

Businesses wanting to help can email Ms Hayes by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate shop ‘blown away’ by free school meals support

A Harrogate sandwich shop has been overwhelmed with support for its free school meals pledge.

Thug Sandwich, on Albert Street, set up a donations board at the weekend. Just a few days later it is filled with “free packed lunch” notes, all paid for by customers.

When someone is in need of a free school meal, they can use one of the notes as payment. The shop has asked people to get in touch beforehand.

Daniel Bell, one of the owners at Thug Sandwich, told the Stray Ferret:

“We set out to foot the bill ourselves but there were so many people who wanted to help. So far we have the equivalent of more than 200 packed lunches. It should not be businesses stepping up to do this, but we are happy to do our bit to help people.”

A packed lunch from Thug Sandwich can vary but will include a sandwich as well as a range of flapjack, fruits and fruit shoot drinks. So far the sandwich shop has handed out just over 20 of the free school meals.

If there are any donations left over at the end of the week, Thug Sandwich will take the monetary value to Harrogate District Food Bank.

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Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council has confirmed it will continue to support vulnerable families using its existing funds.

Neil Irving, assistant director, policy, partnerships and communities, said:

“We have targeted funds that are available not just to children entitled to free school meals, but to anybody who is suffering financial hardship as a result of the pandemic or anything else. We have extended the fund during the pandemic and we may review that in future.”

How many other places do free school meals?

(Please make sure to check how long the offers are available for as some may vary.)

Please get in touch using contact@thestrayferret.co.uk to be added to the list

Harrogate women cycle 2,000 miles for teenager’s surgery

Four women from the Harrogate district are cycling a total of 2,000 miles in a month to fundraise for a teenager’s life-changing surgery. 

Mia Wright, 14, who has scoliosis, which causes a severe curvature and rotation of the spine, was diagnosed when she was eight years old. She underwent surgery in Turkey in September, recovering well enough to go back to school last week. 

Susie Little, Mia’s godmother, set up a GoFundMe page last month to raise £60,000 for the spinal surgery.

Ms Little decided to take on her latest fundraising challenge of cycling 500 miles after reading about a similar fundraising initiative in The Stray Ferret.

To meet her target, Ms Little will add an extra mile to the distance each day to correspond with the date. For example, on October 1 she cycled one mile, on October 2 she cycled two miles, continuing to October 31 when she will ride 31 miles in a day. 

After hearing about her idea, friends Jude Humphrey and Emma Oates decided to get involved, shortly followed by Mia’s mother Jane. Together they’re aiming to raise £2,000 for the 2000 miles covered. 

Currently completing their miles on exercise bikes at home, the four women hope to celebrate their final day of fundraising by cycling together. 

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Speaking about what the surgery means to her, Ms Little said:

“I went to pick Jane and Mia up from the airport after the surgery. The difference in both of them was amazing, Mia could stand up straight for the first time, and she even cried last week when she put her jeans on after surgery for the first time because she was so happy.” 

Total donations for Mia’s surgery currently stand at £44,600. You can donate to Mia’s cause here. 

Charity calls on community to help spread Christmas cheer

A community project which has provided thousands of meals to vulnerable families this year is hoping to spread extra cheer at Christmas.

Resurrected Bites has received almost 3,000 calls for help since lockdown began in March, delivering three days’ worth of food, toiletries and cleaning products to the equivalent of 4,528 adults and 2,807 children – though many of these are returning customers.

Yet this was never what the community interest company was set up to be. It was a pay-as-you-feel cafe, using food intercepted from restaurants, supermarkets and suppliers before it was sent to landfill, offering hot and cold meals at three churches in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

However, director Michelle Hayes said when lockdown began and the cafes had to close, she immediately knew what she would do.

“Within two days I had switched over. I decided to close the cafes on the Monday and by Wednesday we had started the food distribution.

“I knew there would be lots of people needing food and people were panic-buying. I knew a lot of businesses would have to close really quickly and there would be a lot of food going to waste. Supermarkets were struggling with their ordering systems.

“We were able to get a lot of food and start delivering straight away.”

Although other organisations, such as the foodbank, were already set up to support families in need, Michelle knew there was still a gap for additional help. Where the foodbank supplies mostly tinned and dried food, Resurrected Bites uses perishable items such as fruit and vegetables, eggs, and bread.

Volunteers at Resurrected Bites sort through donated food

Volunteers Sally and Richard sort through donations to make parcels of food for local families

It can also provide cooked meals thanks to a team of volunteers who turn some of the ingredients into complete dishes. Though Resurrected Bites never distributes food which is out of date or of poor quality, using it to make meals can extend its usable life.

After lockdown began, requests for help began to escalate quickly, largely through referrals from other organisations but in some cases direct from struggling families. With several months of activity now behind them, Michelle and her team have settled into a rhythm of deliveries each week.

Michelle knows demand is likely to rise again if more lockdown measures are put in place.

“We’ve got really busy again this week. I wanted to be running at capacity of 30 orders a day – but when you realise how much food that involves, it’s quite overwhelming. By Friday, you’re just hoping there’s enough food available for everyone who needs it.

“I’m expecting that demand is going to go up as more people get laid off. People who are waiting for Universal Credit to start, people who have been self-employed and their business has closed. Quite a few families whose kids have been sent home from school and families have to self-isolate, but can’t get a supermarket deliver for a few days.”

If she needs to increase capacity, the only option for Michelle is to source more food and other supplies. She could request more from charity supplier Fareshare, but demand is likely to increase everywhere and more deliveries may not be available.

The only other option would be to buy more in, which they have been doing as necessary – but that needs more money to be coming in as well. It already costs more than £4,000 each month to meet the existing demands for food and toiletries.

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Now, with Christmas looming, Michelle is keen to make it special for the families supported by Resurrected Bites and is calling on the community to help.

She’s asked each family to say what their children are interested in so supporters can buy something from the list, and can donate wrapping paper and sticky tape too. She added:

“Hopefully we’ll try and get the right kind of present to the right child so there’s something for everybody.”

Donations of food and toiletries can be made at drop-off points around Harrogate and Knaresborough. Financial donations are also welcome to help fund any extra supplies. Details of both, along with order forms for people needing support, can be found on the Resurrected Bites website.