As Henshaws celebrates the progress it has made for those with learning difficulties and disabilities in the past 50 years, the current principal believes there is much work still to do.
The Duchess of Kent , pictured, opened the college in 1971 when it was smaller and only for people with visual impairments. The college and attitudes have changed significantly since that day.
Today the charity welcomes a more diverse range of people, including those aged 16 to 25 with a range of sensory impairments, autism, physical disabilities, learning difficulties and specialist healthcare needs.
Coronavirus forced more muted anniversary celebrations, with students learning how to sign happy birthday in Makaton and creating art to express their feelings about the milestone.
Adrian Sugden, the current principal, is proud of the legacy and has big plans for the future. He told the Stray Ferret:
“I think Harrogate has a strong connection with Henshaws. Just in the three years I have been here I have seen that connection only grow stronger. We get much more support.
“It is lovely taking the students into Harrogate. They all wear their lanyards to say where they are from and they get lots of recognition.
“Lots of the local businesses are much more supportive as well. Not as many as I would like, I want to get more companies accepting students for work experience.
“I have seen people’s awareness of disabilities improving. They are starting to see our students as people who can contribute positively even though they have complex needs.”
Jono Lancaster (right) and Principal Adrian Sugden (left) presented graduating students with their certificates.
The last couple of years with coronavirus has been difficult for Henshaws. While the college remained open throughout thanks to the commitment of staff, the charity has struggled.
Last year the Stray Ferret reported how Henshaws made the decision to close its supported living supported living services and residential services, which were taken by North Yorkshire County Council and Homes Together.
Mr Sugden pointed to a problem with the way the college is funded. As it is classed as independent it cannot access government or council funding so when it needs money the only way is through fundraising or increasing fees.
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One of the things Mr Sugden has enjoyed seeing is the increasing number of opportunities for students in Harrogate.
Not only is there Hopkins for those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre opened its Harrogate Chocolate Factory cafe earlier this year and Artizen is also planning to open a cafe. He added:
Ripon company that played key role in covid marks 50 years in the city“It’s really positive to see that progress but sadly we are following America’s lead on this. I am doing a really interesting piece of work with Harrogate College on this at the moment.
“I am also a believer in job carving, where our students could do one type of job which they enjoy at many different businesses. That way our students could make an incredible contribution.
“When you look at the national statistics of people with disabilities going into employment, it’s frighteningly low. If we could improve that in Harrogate the town could become a leading example.
It was many happy returns for Wolseley today, as the company marked 50 years in Ripon with the reopening of its headquarters.
The building on Boroughbridge Road underwent a £500,000 refurbishment during lockdown.
While that was underway, Wolseley continued to supply vital plumbing and building materials to the NHS in its fight to save lives and beat the pandemic.
At today’s family open day, Wolseley chief executive Simon Oakland told the Stray Ferret:
“The NHS required critical building materials and parts for the repair and maintenance of hospitals and we provided them throughout the lockdown.”
The Wolseley UK headquarters on Boroughbridge Road.
The Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate was one of the major infrastructure projects the company supplied.
Mr Oakland said:
“We are proud to have been involved in supplying every Nightingale Hospital in the UK and have also supported the UK mass vaccination programme through the provision of refrigeration equipment.”
New training centre
The company, which opened its headquarters building in 1971, has 280 employees based in Ripon, and a further 120 at its Melmerby distribution centre.
The Boroughbridge Road site provides administrative services, including finance and IT support and UK-wide the company has 500 branches with 5,000 employees.
Ripon City Band provided musical entertainment.
At today’s community party to celebrate 50 years in Ripon and the centre’s reopening, head of office and finance director Mark Stibbards, told invited guests:
“We have some people who have worked for us for 40 years and they are part of a great team.
“We employ locally in this area and have throughout our history, supported Ripon charities and other organisations, including Ripon Walled Garden, Ripon Cathedral Primary School and Ripon City Football Club.”
A new training centre on the site will not only develop the talent of the Wolseley team but also provide opportunities for community organisations that help individuals improve their skills and employability.
Farhan, who works in the IT department at Wolseley is pictured with his wife Samera and their six-year-old daughter Maiza on one of the children’s rides.
Today’s celebration event was attended by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson, representatives from charities, Wolseley employees and their children, former company directors and members of the community.
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The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, who cut a ribbon to signal the reopening of the offices, said:
“I was born and bred in this city and have known Wolseley for most of my life.
“The 50 years of investment and employment they brought by selecting Ripon for their headquarters is greatly appreciated.”
Help for businesses to support staff through covid challenges
The well-being of employees at businesses across the Harrogate district will be under the spotlight next week.
A meeting is being held to help businesses understand how they can support staff, both working remotely and in person, as the coronavirus crisis continues.
Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the event, with four speakers giving their advice. Among them is Emily Snaith, HR advisor for the 200-strong workforce at CNG, who will explain the measures taken by the company in the last year to look after its employees.
She will be joined by Laura Brett, head of fundraising and promotion at Starbeck-based Wellspring, who will look at the impact of poor mental health on a workplace, as well as outlining the work done by the charity to support local businesses.
Also speaking are Steve Ellis from Prosperis Ltd, focusing on returning SME employees to full productivity, and Phil Holdsworth of AurumGold, looking at the impact of financial stress and how employers can support their staff with money worries.
Sandra Doherty, CEO of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:
“With the covid pandemic propelling mental health and employee wellbeing to the fore, this meeting is a must for all employers, and will provide plenty of useful and practical advice from four local experts.”
The meeting takes place on Monday, March 8 at 6pm and is open to any local businesses to attend. For more information or to book a place, visit the chamber’s website.
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- Harrogate chamber seeks new leader as CEO stands down
Harrogate Citizen’s Advice ‘bracing themselves’ for unemployment rise
Harrogate’s Citizens Advice Bureau says they are “bracing themselves” for a sharp rise in unemployment in the town when the furlough scheme winds down.
Ed Pickering, who runs the Harrogate branch of the charity, told the Stray Ferret that whilst the scheme has protected employees from losing their jobs, he expects the economic impact of coronavirus to eventually hit workers in the district.
Over 15,000 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough have had their jobs protected through the furlough scheme. New claims for out-of-work benefits such as Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s allowance stabilised over the past few months.
Local MP Andrew Jones previously said concerns over a surge in unemployment at the end of the scheme were “alarmist”.
Mr Pickering called the last few months “the calm before the storm” but said the charity is already starting seeing to see people who are furloughed in Harrogate and concerned about losing their job.
He said:
“A lot of people are now coming to us with employment problems. The furlough scheme has protected them but now they may be discovering that they won’t have a job.
“We’re starting to see it already and we’re bracing ourselves for the impact. There are people who’ve never dealt with the benefits system and we’re pretty well geared up for that, but it’s a little bit like ‘calm before the storm’.”
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In 2019 the government announced that the Harrogate Job Centre would be the first place in the country to pilot the Universal Credit managed migration programme, which transfers people claiming other benefits such as income support and job seeker’s allowance onto Universal Credit — but the process was beset with delays.
The Harrogate pilot was announced with great fanfare, including a visit from then-Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. Ms Rudd said 10,000 benefit claimants would eventually move over to Universal Credit at Harrogate, but figures released to the Stray Ferret by Harrogate Borough Council revealed that only 64 people had by the end of last year.
The pilot was suspended in March this year, Mr Pickering says news on the scheme has gone “very, very quiet”, with the charity in the dark on whether it will even continue.
But despite a challenging 2020 with charity staff now working from home and speaking to clients over the phone, Mr Pickering praised the dedication of its volunteers:
“We’ve been incredibly busy but our staff of volunteers have been amazing.”