£1.5m fund for voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire

Voluntary organisations that helped North Yorkshire communities during covid could benefit from a share of £1.5 million funding.

The funding will be available following the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council in just under four weeks, on April 1.

It will allow community and voluntary groups to increase their capacity to act as so-called “community anchors”. 

The funding, spread over the next three years, will be available to organisations to act as hubs for the public to access advice and support and to increase resilience in communities. 

The project is building on the work that was undertaken by all of the current eight councils in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate Borough Council, to develop close working relationships with a network of community and voluntary groups which were instrumental in providing support to residents during the pandemic. 

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr Greg White, said:

“Volunteers and community groups have always played a hugely important role in North Yorkshire, but their work came even more to the fore during the covid crisis. 

“These organisations became a trusted voice for communities and helped us to publicise key public health messages and provided support at a grassroots level by co-ordinating the delivery of food and other essential items while checking on the most vulnerable members of society.”

Community anchors

While the concept of community anchors has been employed elsewhere in the country, the scheme in North Yorkshire is thought to be among the biggest of its kind nationally. 

The vast swathes of rural North Yorkshire which are home to some of the most isolated communities in the country present significant challenges in ensuring that the 615,000 residents in the county are given the support and services that they need. 

Groups that are already established in North Yorkshire can apply for £15,000-a-year in funding to become a community anchor ahead of a deadline on March 20. 

To qualify for the funding, organisations need to be established in communities with an existing base where they are delivering services, while also demonstrating a proven track record that they are financially sustainable. 

The funding is being made available to broadly increase the capacity of the groups, rather than being targeted at a specific project, and to strengthen the resilience of communities to build on the solid foundations that developed during the pandemic. 

The investment would be available to finance a range of activities such as building partnerships with organisations including the council and health services and increasing their capacity to deliver physical and mental well-being programmes for communities. 

The money could also be employed to help develop projects such as community transport services, running social enterprises and delivering skills and education. 

The funding would also be potentially used to help communities to respond to emergencies, and improve people’s financial resilience, especially in relation to food and fuel. 

Nidderdale Plus and Ripon Community House

Groups which could apply for the funding and played a key role throughout the covid pandemic include Nidderdale Plus, the Upper Dales Community Partnership and the Grassington Hub as well as the Community Care Associations in Stokesley, Thirsk and Easingwold. 

Ripon Community House, which is based in part of the city’s old workhouse and celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, was another of the community support organisations established in the pandemic, and staff are due to apply for funding to become one of the new community anchors. 

The venue, which provides meeting rooms for the community as well as a food bank and activities such as chair-based exercise classes, currently houses a base for Harrogate Borough Council to offer services such as waste and housing, and this will continue with the launch of North Yorkshire Council. 

Ripon Community House’s chief officer, Suzanne Bowyer, said:

“The legacy of covid has meant that we have become a real trusted voice in the community, and people come to us for advice – if they don’t know which organisation to go to, then we can invariably help. 

“To have the chance to build on this work by becoming a community anchor is so important, and the launch of the new council in North Yorkshire will undoubtedly help ensure the public can access services even easier by knowing there is one single organisation to deal with.” 

Funding from the government has already been used for North Yorkshire’s voluntary sector as part of financial support provided nationally to help the country recover from the pandemic. 

However, the new funding is being provided via North Yorkshire County Council’s Stronger Communities Achieve Together programme and is aimed at supporting about 30 different organisations over a three-year period. 

North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough authorities will merge from April 1 to pave the way for a devolution deal, which is set to transfer decision-making powers and millions of pounds of funding from Westminster to local political leaders. 

The new council will retain a main office in each of the former district areas, supported by additional customer access points in public locations.

Information on how to apply for the community anchors project is available online on the county council’s website.

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Harrogate council approves recruitment plan to help under pressure taxation staff

Harrogate Borough Council has approved £42,000 worth of funding in an effort to tackle a work backlog in its revenue department.

The council has faced an increase in workload and staffing shortages during covid and the energy crisis.

In a report to Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development and resources, the authority said the response to the pandemic and the £150 energy rebate had increased pressure on “an already busy team”.

The authority now plans to appoint 2.5 full time equivalent staff until March 2023 to help tackle the backlog.

It comes as the government awarded the borough council funding to help cover costs associated with covid and the energy rebate.

A report presented to Cllr Swift by officers said:

“Revenues section has currently been using temporary staffing resources to provide experienced revenues staff with quality assurance checking for both council tax and business rates.

“The ability to extend this provision through to March 31, 2023 will provide resilience and continuation of consistent knowledge within the team to be able to effectively prioritise on clearing the backlog.”

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Nun Monkton-Beningbrough Hall boat ride returns

The ferry which links Nun Monkton to National Trust property Beningbrough Hall will open once again on good Friday.

It had been temporarily closed by the pandemic.

The boat crosses the River Ouse, making one stop on the Moor Monkton bank of the Ouse.

It will operate every weekend during the warmer weather, up until the end of September. The service remains open for business on Good Friday, Easter Monday, and other bank holidays.

Started up six years ago, the ride began as a charitable endeavour. Now, it is a paid-for service run by a team of volunteers and operates regularly from 11am to 4pm.

Volunteers are trained to drive the boat in preparation for the summer season.

Wally Grout, who has been leading the training, said:

“All the skippers and crew have been out on the water to prepare for the opening weekend.

“We’re a good, friendly team and there’s no better way of spending a morning or an afternoon pottering about on the River Ouse. At the same time, we’re providing a service that people really value and enjoy.”

At Beningbrough Hall, children can enjoy an Easter egg hunt and nature trail as part of the Easter celebrations. A collection of paintings from the National Portrait Gallery are also displayed at the Hall.

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Harrogate law firm opens new office in London

A Harrogate-based employment law firm has expanded its offices to London.

Boardside in London is close to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Bank of England. The location will mean it is easily accessible for clients in the city.

The company now has branches in three different regions, with its headquarters in Harrogate.

The firm wrote in its newsletter:

“Almost five years after launching our niche employment law practice in Yorkshire, we are delighted to announce that we now have a presence in the capital.

“We believe that by having offices in the two biggest legal centres (Leeds and London) in the country, it will be easier for us to meet clients from across the UK.”

Boardside is run by owners Richard Port and Nadine Martson.

Support for Ripon businesses

Shop - Oliver's Pantry

Ripon’s Business Improvement District has appointed the Place Support Partnership to help firm in Ripon save on running costs.

PSP will visit BID businesses to support and advise them on reducing costs associated with utility and trading bills.

Lilla Bathurst, manager of the BID, said:

“The Place Support Partnership offers various services and acts as a savings scheme to support businesses.

“During the consultation process, businesses identified that they would like 10% of their levy to go on business support.”

Ripon BID says it has also worked to make businesses aware of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.

OHLG grants totally £141,342 were distributed to hospitality businesses in Ripon which were negatively affected by the pandemic.

Harrogate BID provided a business grant of up to £750 last month, for qualifying businesses to improve paintwork, signage and accessibility.

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Pateley Bridge and Bewerley recognise the community response to covid

The people of Pateley Bridge and Bewerley have been recognised for their selfless contribution to the community during the covid pandemic.

Plaques have been unveiled within both of the parishes that make up the town council serving the area.

The unveilings were carried out by the Mayor and Mayoress of Pateley Bridge, Cllr Mike and Dr Janet Holt and the chair of Bewerley Parish Council, Cllr Graham Spooner.

The wording on the plaques says that each council: ‘Acknowledges and thanks the volunteers, shopkeepers and parishioners who have all contributed so much to the town during the covid-19 pandemic.’

Cllr Holt said

“This has been a great opportunity to make people aware that our town is governed by two councils, and how those councils work together for the benefit of the whole community, the local businesses and of course our all-important visitors.

The Pateley Bridge plaque. Photo: Cllr Stanley Lumley

He added:

“We are privileged to live in this amazing area and although everybody in this country has, to a greater or lesser extent, been affected by covid we have been incredibly lucky.

“We have an amazing community which, over these last 18 months has pulled together to help their neighbours, relatives and friends to cope with the personal issues that have occurred during this time.

“Both councils appreciate how our community has worked selflessly to help during this crisis and the plaques will act as a long-standing reminder of both councils’ gratitude, and they will also hopefully remind everyone how monumentally life-changing this pandemic been.”

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The purchase and erection of the plaques came after Pateley Bridge Town Council was approached by many people recommending that individuals should be recognised for their efforts during the pandemic.

While it was not possible to recognise each individual, because of the large number involved in voluntary activities and service that helped others, it was agreed that the plaques would be a poignant way of marking the collective community effort.