“The restoration will enable us to reveal classical features, such as stunning stained glass windows and ornate tiles dating back to the elegant Edwardian era, that have been covered up since 1936 when the site was remodelled to include a public swimming pool.

“These features are part of Ripon’s heritage and will be freely accessible for people to see in the pump room area, which will be open for the community to visit.”

The proposed north (top) and west elevations.

“We have carried out a great deal of research into the history of the spa to produce a scheme that re-establishes the seamless link that it previously had with Spa Gardens.

“The new buildings have been designed to be sympathetic to, and respectful of, their historic surroundings.”

Rhe distinctive terracota cladding.

Local voluntary organisations in the Harrogate district are set to be given 17 public defibrillators.

The move comes as part of £22,000 worth of funding from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council, which will be abolished at the end of today, launched a defibrillator grant scheme in January.

Defibrillators provide 24-hour access to life-saving emergency equipment when a cardiac arrest is suspected.

The council has now selected the 17 groups which will receive them.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council and chair of the voluntary and community sector liaison group, said: 

“I am delighted that the borough council has been able to provide these defibrillators to local communities.

“They can save lives, and while I hope they never have to be used, it is reassuring to know that so many are now out there across the district.”

Read more:

• New plans submitted to create 12 flats in former Harrogate care home
• Government ‘refuses to consider’ compensating North Yorkshire for scrapped care pilot

Dishforth Parish Council, which has received funding for a defibrillator, said: 

“This grant will play a vital part in ensuring our parishioners and members of the public have the use of a defibrillator at the playing field and sports pavilion should it be needed.”

Starbeck Tennis Club said: 

“It is so important to our members and the neighbourhood that this defibrillator is available for anyone who needs access as every second matters in a medical emergency.”

Groups that will receive defibrillators

1.      Dishforth Parish Council

2.      Fewston Parochial Hall

3.      Haverah Park with Beckwithshaw Parish Council

4.      Healey Masham

5.      High Ellington Masham

6.      Knaresborough Football Club

7.      Knaresborough Lions

8.      Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club

9.      Little Ribston Village Hall

10.  Low Burton

11.  Moor Monkton Parish Council

12.  Ripon Community Link

13.  Rotary Club of Knaresborough

14.  Starbeck Tennis club

15.  The Parish Meeting of South Stainley with Cayton

16.  Thornthwaite Scout Centre

17.  Thruscross Parish Council

The Harrogate Rugby Club has set up a foundation to help make the game more accessible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

The Harrogate Rugby Club Foundation will promote physical activity and teamwork amongst all age-groups and aims to benefit a thousand people by 2024.

It will host free tag rugby sessions for schools, as well as community fitness classes, walking rugby programs and mixed-ability rugby sessions.

The rugby club has acted as a social hub since its foundation in 1871.

The project’s mission-statement outlines its aims:

“From primary schools to retirement home, we are here to keep people physically and mentally fit throughout their life. Using rugby as a means to access areas of inequality, deprivation and hardship, we will ensure that everyone in the Harrogate community has the opportunity to benefit from the amazing game that is Rugby Union.”

The foundation will launch officially on Saturday 18th February, at a match between the Men’s 1st XV and Sheffield Tigers.

Local schoolchildren who have already got involved in the rugby club’s free tag rugby sessions will be pitch side at the weekend, taking up the role of ball boys/girls for the match.

Entrance to all matches this weekend will be free.

The rugby club has created a crowdfunding page for the foundation to raise money for free coaching in schools, as well as equipment.

To support the fundraising campaign, visit the crowdfunder page.

Read more: 

• Former Leeds Rhinos captain joins Harrogate Rugby Club as coach
• Harrogate rugby club under 15s win international tournament in Portugal

This story is sponsored by Ashville College.

At Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School, passionate and experienced teachers provide an encouraging and safe environment where children can be creative and curious, discover their strengths and interests, and are known and appreciated as individuals.

Parents with children aged two to 11 are encouraged to come along to the Acorns and Prep School Open Doors event on Tuesday February 7, 2023. Here are just some of the ways we help children to thrive:

1. We take the classroom outside

Ashville’s pioneering Outdoor Learning programme gets kids out into the fresh air, makes tricky curriculum topics easier to understand, and teaches problem solving and teamwork skills for life. Outdoor Learning Specialist Teacher and Consultant, Mr Paul Oldham, said:

“I have seen first-hand that outdoor lessons work. When you take children out of an enclosed room and into the outdoors, you open so many possibilities.”

Outdoor learning with Mr Paul Oldham

2. We provide confidence-boosting opportunities

Whether it’s taking part in an informal music concert, representing the school as part of the Swim Squads, or getting creative for a good cause in Charity Club, children get the opportunity to boost their confidence and shine in the areas they enjoy the most.

Pupils can choose to take on positions of responsibility from a young age, such as House Captains and members of the Prep School Parliament, helping to develop their leadership skills and appreciation for the ideas and opinions of their peers.

3. Pupils are part of a wider community

Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School are part of Ashville College, an all-through school up to the age of 18. A sense of community is nurtured from the start; from enjoying lunch together in the Dining Hall to cheering each other on at numerous Competitive House events.

There are regular vertical links between Senior School and Prep School for the delivery of subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages, Music and PE, and achievements are celebrated, such as the Head Teacher Award, for pupils who go over and above in their contributions to the Ashville community.

Year 3, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Day

4. Regular, memorable experiences aren’t a one-off thing

Whether it’s the classroom being transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, taking part in a real-life magic trick, toasting cinnamon-coated apple slices around a fire pit, or a trip to the Leeds Playhouse, no two school days are the same at Ashville.

You only go to school once, and the teachers ensure that each lesson is fun, stimulating and memorable, to nurture that love of learning every day.

5. Pupils love their School

When you see pupils skipping down the corridor for break, or getting involved in a learning activity, they exude positivity. From our youngest pupils in Little Acorns to our most ‘senior’ Prep pupils in Year 6, you can tell they’re happy to be here.

Pupils in Little Acorns

Mrs Charlotte Cryer, Head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep, which covers ages two to five, said:

“The beauty of an ‘Open Doors’ event is that it enables parents to see happy and engaged children taking part in activities and see the staff in action too. A child is the most valuable thing in a parent’s life, so they need to be able to trust the people they’re handing them over to.”

Mr Asa Firth, Head of Ashville Prep School, added:

“The children at Ashville Prep School inspire me on a daily basis; they are polite, confident and open minded. I am very proud of our School and how it has developed since my arrival last April.”

We would love to see you on 7 February. Take a tour, see our pupils on a normal teaching day, meet the staff, and find out more about how to apply. To sign up, click here.

A former firefighter will serve Christmas dinner to as many as 100 locals from across the Harrogate district.

Bruce Reid has been working with a team of volunteers to coordinate the Knaresborough Christmas Day Dinner, ensuring nobody has to feel lonely.

From peeling sprouts to organising gifts for children, they are spending this week putting on the event, with Mr Reid set to be busy in the kitchen at the Masonic Lodge in Knaresborough for most of Christmas Day.

After years spent working shifts on Christmas Day, following his retirement he said he has no interest in sitting quietly at home while he could be helping others:

“I haven’t had a Christmas Day off in all those years and now I’ve got the option to have it off, but it doesn’t appeal to me, not doing something on Christmas Day.

“My kids have long grown up and are perfectly happy with their own families. As a dad, i’m not needed.

“My wife is more than happy. She’s just used to me doing stuff like this. She’ll be with her mum and grandkids on Christmas Day morning.

“We’ll get back together later on and we have our Christmas Day on Boxing Day.

“I get so much pleasure out of doing this, I would be more miserable if I didn’t do it.”

Mr Reid – who was made an MBE in 2015 for services to the Firefighters Charity and the community – first put on a Christmas Day meal at Harrogate Fire Station before he retired. With nobody in the force stepping up to host it, he decided to continue in the community from 2020.

Last year, he and the organising committee served Christmas lunch to around 60 people, and there are already more than 70 signed up for this year’s service.

Read more:

• Retired Harrogate firefighter flies out to volunteer in Ukraine
• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Making hearty meals from food waste

As well as being referred by social services, Harrogate Borough Council and community organisations like Resurrected Bites, people can contact the organisers directly.

Mr Reid said the meal is open to anyone who wants to join, as are the home deliveries of a hot Christmas dinner. He added:

“There might be people who have got somewhere to live and plenty of money, but are just on their own and lonely.

“It all started for me when my dad had dementia. My step-mum cared for him until the point he had to go into a care home.

“Although she had somebody with her, there was no stimulating conversation – it was quite lonely. How many people might be out there whose partner is ill or they still feel lonely even though they’re not alone?

“I wanted to do something that’s not just for people who are homeless but people who have got financial struggles and can’t afford to eat, people on their own who want someone to share Christmas with, or people who are looking after someone.

“The carers themselves might want some company so they can bring the person they’re caring for and join us.

“We offer people the option of coming into the hall and eating with us, but if they don’t want to do that, they have a young family or whatever, we deliver the food to them.”

So far, around 30 people have signed up to eat at the Masonic Lodge, and another 45 will receive their meals at home. Bruce expects there to be more than 80 in total by the time they stop taking requests on Friday – and he said he wouldn’t be surprised if that number reached 100.

There are volunteers wrapping gifts to send out to children, prepping veg for the meal, serving to visitors, driving hot food around to people’s homes, and clearing up at the end of the day.

To find out more about the meal, email the organising committee or call Bruce Reid on 07958  653084.

This story is sponsored by Truth Legal.

Whether it is for employment or family support, Truth Legal offers a range of support for Polish people in the Harrogate district.

Based and founded in Harrogate in 2012, the firm has been helping people with legal advice for more than 10 years and has prided itself on a “honest and ethical” ethos.

In that time, it has expanded by opening a branch in Leeds and, as a result, its client base.

But one of its unique services is how it focuses on communities which are hard to reach – one being Polish speaking clients.

In an effort to tackle this, it decided to employ Polish-speaking staff to help bridge the gap for Polish nationals and offer support to those who need to navigate UK law.

So Truth Legal hired two experienced legal professionals in family and employment law, Katarzyna Zatorski and Mirek Ksiezarek. For other types of law Truth Legal can put you in touch with an interpreter.

But it didn’t stop there. The company also set up a Polish website aimed at offering support for those who may need help navigating the UK law.

When asked why Polish nationals should choose Truth Legal for legal advice, Mirek said:

“We are a local, moral legal firm that understand the difficulties the Polish communities may face when having to navigate the English legal system and want to offer the best support available in the clients own language.”

The site and experience of having Polish legal staff also allows Truth Legal to offer cultural understanding, emotional support and clarity for clients.

Mirek added:

“We know it is important when you are facing a legal dilemma to talk through them in your own language. We are here to provide some comfort in a turbulent time.”

If you are a Polish national who needs legal support with personal injury, employment, family law or immigration claims, visit the Truth Legal Polish website. Alternatively, call Truth Legal on 01423 788538 or email enquiries@truthlegal.com.

A cafe in Starbeck has become a hub for the local community, which is rallying together in the face of the cost of living crisis.

The Living Room Café is run by Sarah Khanye and inside the Life Destiny Church at 93b High Street.

The family-friendly space opens from Tuesday to Friday from 9am until 3pm and hosts a variety of events that aim to bring the community together with homemade food, drinks and treats available.

Ms Khanye, 31, has worked in catering all her life. When the Stray Ferret visited yesterday, she looked at home with a spoon in a bowl as she made a cake.

She set up the cafe over two years ago, before covid and before the cost of living crisis.

Both have unquestionably increased stress, isolation and anxiety for people living in Starbeck.

The cafe aims to be not just a place to fill up your belly, but also somewhere where local families and friends can get together in a welcoming space.

Ms Khayne said:

“One cup of tea can last all day. The cafe helps people feel safe, combats loneliness and improves mental health.”

Affordability

The cafe is volunteer-run, with prices kept affordable.

It also includes a pantry and community fridge that includes donated food from places like the Co-op, which people are able to pay for with whatever they can afford.

The cafe also hosts events including community running clubs, craft and coffee mornings and get-togethers for mums, among other activities.

Read more:

• Residents flock to Starbeck Community Day
• Paris proposal for Starbeck nurses on charity bike ride across Europe

Cost of living

Starbeck is one of the least affluent areas in the Harrogate district with many residents more vulnerable to increasing prices.

Life Destiny Church also runs a food bank, which has seen demand increase sharply.

Ms Khanye says in the last two months alone, the number of people coming to the food bank has gone up by a “massive, massive” amount as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.

She said:

“People in Starbeck are worried about the cost of living. A lot of people have limited income so numbers are growing.”

But with difficult times ahead, Ms Khanye believes Starbeck will stick together through choppy waters.

She added:

“I just like to see people enjoy the community where they live.

“Seeing families being able to support each other is massive. It would be a sad thing not to work here!”

Some of the events the cafe puts on.

Overgrown grass on a community green in Knaresborough was cut this week following complaints from residents.

Homeowners on Appleby Green had described the site as an “eyesore”.

After they raised their concerns with Harrogate Borough Council and contacted the Stray Ferret, the green was finally mown on Monday following a period of more than four weeks.

However, they remain sceptical that the maintenance, which they were promised would be fortnightly, will regularly continue.

The impact of staff shortages on the council’s ability to maintain green spaces, plus its policy to re-wild parts of the district, has divided opinion. Some welcome the return to nature; others feel it looks untidy.

There are 200 houses on the Appleby Green estate, near the Nidd Gorge, with 14 situated around the green, overlooking the area.

Speaking on behalf of a number of homeowners, Stafford Dent said there had been numerous complaints raised over the last three years.

He said:

“It was only last summer when the head of parks and the parks manager visited the site with around 20 residents present.

“A plan of action was agreed with the management team to maintain key areas of the Appleby Estate, including, most importantly, the green.

“It was agreed the green and surrounding areas would be cut every two weeks.

“Unfortunately, Harrogate Borough Council have not kept their promise.

“Our lovely green is becoming an absolute eyesore.”

Appleby Green, before it was cut.

Mr Dent said residents were told by the parks manager that there weren’t enough staff to maintain areas across the district and the teams were working “flat out”.

However, Mr Dent said it had been an ongoing problem over recent years and the council therefore had “more than adequate time to manage staff attrition”.

He added:

“After numerous complaints the residents feel that we are constantly being fobbed off with lame excuses as to why key activities are not carried out on a regular basis.”

‘Striking a balance’

A council spokesman said a programme of work was in place to cut the grass in parks and open spaces, verges and other areas managed by the authority.

Read more:

• Leisure facilities closed at Knaresborough’s Conyngham Hall
• Secure woodland for dogs to play off-lead opens in Knaresborough
• New Dales bus service from Knaresborough and Harrogate

He said this was in addition to maintaining the numerous award-winning floral displays, for which the Harrogate district is well known for and attracts thousands of visitors every year.

He said:

“Like many services across the country, we have vacant positions that is having an impact on our ability to deliver the service as desired.

“Some areas are also being left to grow and not mown as regularly as we want to attract pollinators, encourage biodiversity and create habitats.

“As we’ve said before, this approach is favoured by some and an eyesore to others. So we have to strike a balance to ensure all residents can enjoy the district with the resource we have available.”

Mr Dent said he believed the council had only cut the grass on Monday on the back of “all the noise that has been raised”.

He said:

“I know in a few weeks time we will have the same old problem though, as this is an ongoing issue.

“In addition to sending an email direct to the parks manager, to which I received a response stating that her teams were currently so stretched, I have also logged a formal complaint on the council site. This has been acknowledged by the customer service team and I still await a response.

“It’s the same old issue, not enough staff to cope, but due to this being an issue for a few years, I feel that the management team have had more than adequate time to solve their headcount problem.”

Green Shoots is the Stray Ferret’s monthly feature that explores the people and places who are doing great things for the environment in our district.

Boroughbridge residents are queuing out of the door at Boroughbridge Methodist Church to pick up potatoes, bread, carrots and other kitchen essentials.

But it’s not a food bank, they are here to do their bit to tackle the food waste crisis, which is one of the most under-reported environmental issues of our time.

In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of food, worth £10 billion, is thrown in the bin every year.

There is a hidden environmental price too with much of the unwanted food heading to vast landfill sites which emit climate-damaging methane into the atmosphere.

The community larder is run jointly by volunteers from Boroughbridge Lions and Boroughbridge Community Care. The food comes from Morrisons supermarket, Fink, Minskip Farm Shop and Great Ouseburn Post Office.

As well as fruit and veg there are tins, drinks and even some rather tempting-looking cakes, which really would be a shame to see go to waste.

‘All about the environment’

The larder has been running for 11 weeks and kicks off each Wednesday from 12pm.

It also doubles up as a social get-together for the Boroughbridge community who gather for tea and coffee whilst they wait for their turn to collect the food.

The volunteers recently totted up how much food has been handed over so far, they had saved a massive 1.6 tonnes of food from going to landfill. Not bad going for a couple of hours every Wednesday lunchtime.

Sue Johnson from Boroughbridge Lions is one of the key figures behind the larder. She said, “It’s all about the environment”.

“We are reducing food waste and surplus food that would normally go to into landfill and create greenhouse gases. That’s what we are all about.

“We also want to bring the community together. The buzz in the coffee room is fantastic. “

Residents having tea and coffee in the church

Some of the food in the larder

Read more:

• Green Shoots: Ethical raw dog food brand founded in Tockwith
• Green Shoots: Keeping Harrogate district trees healthy
• Green Shoots: Harrogate care provider buys electric bikes for staff

‘It’s still good food’

Unlike a food bank, you don’t need a referral to visit. It’s open to everyone, which the volunteers are keen to stress.

Andrea Bryson, one of the volunteers, said:

“We’re preventing food from going to waste. It’s still good food. We’re protecting the environment so there’s less methane in the atmosphere. It puts a smile on everybody’s face.”

Mo, who has lived in Boroughbridge for many years, said helping the environment is the main reason she comes along. She said:

“A lot of people wouldn’t go to a food bank because they think they are not deserving. This is a win-win as you are helping the planet and stopping food from going to waste so the environment is benefitting.”

Boroughbridge resident Mo

Kirri said she enjoys the range of items on offer which helps give new ideas for meals to cook for her family. She said:

“I get different ingredients here to what I am used to so I am cooking lots of new things. I can’t believe some of it was being thrown away, it’s crazy!”

Kirri

Green shoots

The Stray Ferret didn’t leave empty-handed, either, and took home some potatoes and carrots, which will look good as part of a Sunday roast this weekend.

Tackling climate change can seem like a daunting task for the individual but lessons learned from groups like the Boroughbridge Community Larder might just be one way for us to slowly turn the corner, one bag of potatoes at a time.

The Nelson Inn on the A59 is set to reopen in the autumn following a takeover by a pub restaurant chain.

Brunning and Price said today it was “thrilled” to have received the keys for the 18th century inn, which has changed hands several times in recent years.

The new owners have a portfolio of 80 pub restaurants, including the Highwayman in Kirkby Lonsdale and the Bull at Broughton.

They plan to spend the next few months refurbishing the Nelson Inn, which is on Skipton Road in Killinghall, before a planned reopening in early October.

Former popular Harrogate French restaurant Chez la Vie owned the pub in 2019, before new owners took it on in 2020, which also saw a sweet shop and ice cream parlour launched at the site on Skipton Road.

Mary Willcock, managing director at Brunning and Price, said:

‘’You’ll find us traditional in style, with wooden floors, bookcases, open fires, trusty old furniture and lots of rugs and plants. We love to restore old buildings, learning about the character they have within them.

“Being foodies, our menu, which will be published on our website each morning, will be something of an eclectic mix, striking a balance of hearty pub classics, complemented by more exotic influences from around the world.

“We think simple things done well are often the best and we want to create a friendly atmosphere in attractive surroundings where locals, regulars and new customers can meet, eat, drink and relax. That for us, is what being a good pub in the heart of its community is all about.’’

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Nelson Inn accepts takeover bid
• New Harrogate pub opens tomorrow

The Nelson Inn was built around 1776 and remained a private house until early in the 19th century.

For much of its early years the pub used to be more or less a farm with a sack over the door where locals came in for a drink.

It received its name around 1805 when Nelson was victorious at the Battle of Trafalgar  and it has remained all that time, except for its short spell as Chez La Vie in 2019.

Brunning and Price is set to launch a recruitment drive for the pub, with job opportunities including management, chefs, front of house, cleaners and gardeners.