This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal has raised £5,000.

We’re so thankful to everyone that has donated to the appeal, which is raising money to buy Dementia Forward a new minibus.

However, we’re still a long way off our target and, with time running out, we need your help more than ever.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and tired and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and bettering the lives of those living with dementia. It also provides much needed for carers and loved ones who are struggling to watch their loved one slip away.

Without it, so many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help they so desperately need.

There are currently 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040. It’s a disease that affects whole families.

We know times are hard, but please donate whatever you can to our appeal.

It’s a lifeline for hundreds of families in the Harrogate district. Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas.

Thank you.

The votes have been cast, the totals tallied, and we can now reveal whose photos will feature each month in our first ever Stray Ferret Charity Calendar. 

Every Sunday, we publish a Photo of the Week taken by a reader, and the subject matter is as varied as the life and landscapes found in our district: furry and feathered friends, fields and fells, ferris wheels and fireworks. 

Back in August, we invited you to vote for the best images from last year’s Photos of the Week, and hundreds of you chose your favourite pictures. 

The 12 winners will each feature on a different month in our 2024 calendar, which we are selling to raise funds for Dementia Forward, our chosen charity this Christmas. 

Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate has generously offered to cover the printing costs, which means the money raised by calendar sales will help to support people living with dementia and their families across North Yorkshire. 

James White, Centre Manager of Victoria Shopping Centre, said: 

“We are thrilled to be supporting such an important cause this Christmas, funding the printing of the calendars so that 100% of the profits can go to Dementia Forward. 

“Giving back to the community is of extreme importance to us at Victoria Shopping Centre, so we feel proud to partner with such a worthy charity.” 

The Stray Ferret’s Christmas charity campaign this year aims to raise £30,000 for Dementia Forward, a local charity dedicated to supporting people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. The money will be used to buy a new minibus, so that Dementia Forward can continue offering client’s lifts, trips and excursions around the region.

Emma Harris, commercial manager at the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret was founded as a local news organisation serving the community, so we’re very pleased to be raising funds for a local charity that serves the same community.

“Most of us know someone affected by dementia, and those who do also know how devastating it can be. Dementia Forward does so much to bring positivity into people’s lives at a time when they need it most.

“But this charity calendar also serves another purpose. We receive so many fantastic submissions for Photo of the Week over the year, and it always seems a shame that the ones we feature only get one outing. So it’s wonderful that we’ll be able to see some of the very best images again throughout the coming year in the 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar.

Congratulations – and thank you – to all our winners!”

The winning photographers are: 

The 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar in aid of Dementia Forward is now available to order online for delivery. Click or tap here to pre-order your copy now. 

The calendar will also be available for collection at the Victoria Shopping Centre on select dates to be announced in December.

Our readers will soon be able to plan 2024 with the Stray Ferret charity calendar, however we need your help to decide which images will be included!

Using our photo of the week entries, we will be creating a calendar that showcases the beauty of the Harrogate district.

From our furry friends enjoying the snow to misty mornings on the Stray, vote for your favourite images to be included in the winter months.

See the contenders in our gallery below and vote for your winner via our competition page!

Help create the best 2024 charity calendar featuring beautiful reader images from across the Harrogate district!

The Stray Ferret will be showcasing the best photo of the week entries – posted every Sunday on our channels – in our calendar, but we need your help to decide the lucky winners.

The winning photographs will be included in the autumn months of the calendar, so whether you love the flaming orange leaves or a twinkling starry night, take a look at our shortlist below and vote for your favourite images via our competition page.

You never know…perhaps your own picture could be the winner!

The Stray Ferret is launching a charity calendar to showcase this years’ Photo of the Week entries. Now, we need your help to decide the summer images.

From Studley Deer Park to flowing rivers, Photo of The Week showcases the natural beauty offered in the Harrogate district every Sunday.

See the contenders below and vote for your favourites on our competition page! The winning photos will be included in the summer months of the calendar.

The Stray Ferret is launching an inaugural charity calendar showcasing the very best images from our photo of the week feature.

Photo of the week is published every Sunday to showcase the beauty the Harrogate district has to offer, and now we need your help to decide which images will be included in the spring months of our calendar.

So, whether you’re partial to a warm March sunset or the famous Harrogate cherry blossom, have your say on our competition page to decide which photos will be included.

Take a look at the contenders below and click here to vote for your favourite.

The Stray Ferret is launching its inaugural charity calendar to raise money for our Christmas appeal and showcase the beauty of the Harrogate district.

As many of you know, we post our photo of the week feature on our website and social media every Sunday, inviting local people to send in their images of the district.

Now, we need your help to decide which photo of the week entries will feature in our calendar!

From cherry blossom on the Stray to furry friends and ferris wheels, the winning images will be included in our 2024 desk calendars.

Keep an eye out for each season’s gallery of shortlisted images and vote for your favourites via our competition page.

Calendars will be available to buy later this year as part of our Christmas appeal.

To send in your entry for photo of the week, email letters@thestrayferret.co.uk .

More than 500 bags of food and gifts were distributed to families across the Harrogate district after an annual Christmas appeal run by the Salvation Army in Ripon.

Each year the church and charity takes part in the nationwide Salvation Army appeal, which provides food and festive gifts anonymously to people recommended by agencies in the community.

Church leader Pat Clark said:

“This year, with the cost of living crisis, we faced a tsunami of need and we would like to say a big thank you on behalf of all the families supported by the appeal.”

Approximately 250 bags of gifts and 300 bags of food were provided, with each family member receiving a main present, chocolates and several small gifts. The food bags contained basic non-perishable foodstuffs and festive goods – mince pies, cake and puddings.

Ms Clark said:

“The huge effort was only made possible through the work of volunteer packers and sorters, donations from the public and other churches , schools and businesses.

“Planning for next Christmas is already underway, as arrangements have to be made to store cans and packets of food ready for the huge demand in December.”

Read more:

• Wildflower planting programme launched at Ripon nature reserve
• Plan to install donation point for upkeep of Ripon park

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. 

The last four weeks have seen an incredible £25,000 donated to the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal.

The campaign has been supported by Techbuyer, which generously offered to match fund up to £5,000 of donations from the public and other businesses.

With their contribution now added, the total raised through the appeal is more than £30,000. Helen Blakey from Techbuyer said:

“Techbuyer have been involved with Resurrected Bites in various capacities over the last couple of years donating IT hardware and providing monetary donations.

“As champions of the circular economy, we think it is important that every resource is properly used – especially when precious food can help sustain someone in need. That’s why we chose to work with Resurrected Bites as their values really resonate with ours.

“We are amazed at the generosity of local people and businesses that have helped increase the total. It is reassuring to know that, with the success of this appeal, many more people can enjoy as merry a Christmas as possible.”

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:

“All of a sudden, we were hundreds of pounds down a month on what I would have earned.  

“We were at the point of incurring a lot of debt. Thanks to Resurrected Bites, we didn’t. It was the only thing that kept us from having to fall into quite bad debt.” 

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:

“I love coming here. It gives me a purpose. Everyone is so friendly and I feel like I’m giving something back.

“It’s heart-warming and beneficial for me, just to be part of a team and know I’m appreciated…

“I feel like I contribute – I give as much as I can. Thinking about where I was, if it wasn’t for Resurrected Bites, Lifeline and my network of friends, I don’t know where I would be now.” 

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:

“You feel you are paying something, so it’s not a hand-out. It’s fresh fruit and vegetables. They’re the kind of things I can’t afford to buy.

“If I go to the supermarket, the only thing I have to buy is cheese and butter, sometimes meat. There’s stuff there I could never have afforded to buy even if I wasn’t in this situation.” 

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

“It has made such a massive difference. I know I don’t have to worry.

“If you have an extra fiver you put it on your account so you don’t have to worry about paying next time.

“I just can’t thank them enough. They’re angels. The service is a life-saver.”

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’

Resurrected Bites also has plans to extend its service and reach more people in new communities.

In early spring, founder Michelle Hayes hopes to open its third pay-as-you-feel cafe, this time at Killinghall Methodist Church.

Like the others at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and Harrogate’s West Park United Reformed Church, it will use food that would otherwise go to waste. Ingredients collected from supermarkets and other commercial outlets will be turned into delicious, filling hot meals.

A roast beef dinner at Resurrected Bites’ pay-as-you-feel cafe in Knaresborough

They’re sold on a pay-as-you-feel basis: if anyone can’t otherwise afford to eat out, they can contribute whatever they are able for their meal. The cafes are also open to those who can afford to give more, as cafe manager Ian Booth told the Stray Ferret:

“Often, people don’t come because they think it’s just for people who are struggling. We’re absolutely dependent on people who can afford to give generously.  

“At the same time, it’s great when people come who can’t afford to, knowing that someone who is struggling has had a good hot meal.” 

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:

“I always think one of the best things about my job is the people I work with.

“We’re totally reliant on volunteers. The sort of people that volunteer are nice people, kind and caring, thinking of others.

“I just feel so blessed to have so many nice people to work with.”

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. 

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky gives an update on the fundraising, with five days left of the appeal.

Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help. 

An incredible £22,000 has been raised for Resurrected Bites in less than four weeks thanks to the generosity of Stray Ferret readers.

As well as contributions from individuals across the district, many businesses have donated to the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal.

Taking us over our £20,000 total this week was a fantastic £5,000 from Windsor Private Office Financial Planning, based in Harrogate.

Every penny from those donations goes directly to Resurrected Bites. Click here to see the latest total.

The Stray Ferret chose to support Resurrected Bites after it warned in autumn that it faced significant financial challenges in running its community groceries and pay-as-you-feel cafes, all using food that would otherwise go to landfill.

It costs £7,500 each month to keep the organisation going, and its income was falling short by £3,000 every month.

Michelle Hayes, founder of Resurrected Bites, said:

“A massive thank you to the Stray Ferret for running the appeal and to everybody who has donated.

“This money is going to give us security for about eight months, covering the shortfall we have. We’re in a much stronger position starting 2023 than we were a few months ago.”

We launched the appeal on November 29 to run for four weeks until Christmas. With an initially modest target of £5,000, we soon realised we were going to pass that in a matter of days.

We increased the target to £20,000 and your donations continued to roll in.

Knowing the challenges of the cost of living crisis and the extra strain on many household budgets these days, we have been overwhelmed by just how generous our readers have been in supporting Resurrected Bites.

It’s all down to the willingness of its members and volunteers to be open about the challenges facing them. From the young Ukrainian family working to build a new life in Knaresborough to the single mum and full-time NHS employee whose circumstances changed dramatically, they have illustrated how vital Resurrected Bites is to so many local people.

Their powerful stories have also highlighted how easily many of us could end up in the same situation.

It’s often said that many households are just one pay day away from being in serious financial trouble. If you were to lose your job, or find yourself unable to work, could you cover your bills and still put food on the table?

Read more:

• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘I shouldn’t need this – but it’s a lifesaver’
• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘We had good jobs but we were still struggling’
• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘My life collapsed like a wicket’

That situation is facing new people every day. Michelle said just this week, there have been more people coming through the doors of the community groceries, looking for support to get them through the toughest of circumstances.

She said:

“It has been heartbreaking this week, with people who haven’t heard of us before getting in touch very late in the day saying they have nothing for Christmas, no presents for the kids.

“The situation is certainly not improving.”

Resurrected Bites is there to support people with dignity, providing affordable groceries – and reducing food waste at the same time – for as long as people need them.

While calls for help have continued to come in, so have donations of food. Resurrected Bites is often chosen as the recipient of ‘reverse advent calendars’, where organisers put an item in a box every day through December and donate it all at the end of the month.

Anyone wishing to give food can do so at Resurrected Bites’ warehouse at the rear of Disability Action Yorkshire on Hornbeam Park Oval, Harrogate, on Wednesday, December 21 or Thursday, December 22, between 9am and noon.

Meanwhile, we may have passed our £20,000 fundraising target, but our appeal continues right up until Christmas.

Later this week, we’ll bring you stories about how Resurrected Bites is helping to make Christmas magical for everyone, ensuring people are fed and children don’t go without presents.

Please keep donating to the appeal. It really will make all the difference to local people this Christmas and beyond.

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas. 

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it. 

Click here to contribute now. Thank you.