Not-for-profit organisations, including schools and parish councils, are being invited to apply for grants of between £500 and £4,000 for food projects that improve the lives of young people in Yorkshire.

The Bettys and Taylors Family Fund has provided funding for the initiative, which opened for applications this week.

Organisations have until November 9 to submit bids.

Examples of eligible projects include cookery courses, food hygiene training and healthy eating initiatives.

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The fund supports food schemes because food is key to the business of Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate.

The guidance notes for organisations interested in applying say the fund “actively encourages applications to include costs for overheads (staff, rent, equipment, utilities etc.) that the project will incur”.

Organisations from all of Yorkshire can submit bids to York-based Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is distributing the funding.

Schools can only bid for projects that fall outside their curricular activities.

Contact Two Ridings Community Foundation on 01904 929500 for further information.

Organisers of the Harrogate food bank are concerned there maybe an increase in demand for food when the furlough scheme ends. 

The Stray Ferret reported in May that the amount of people who used Harrogate’s food bank more than doubled when lockdown was introduced. The facility, located at the Mowbray Community Church has continued to see a high level of demand.  

Linda Macrow, the temporary project manager, thinks that the end of the furlough scheme could cause a further increase in demand. She said: 

“I suspect numbers might increase but we will have to wait and see what happens”.

Among those needing its services are single people, who could be facing job difficulties, and people who are homeless. 

Linda feels confident that the organisation will adapt to any situation, as the food bank is well supported by volunteers and donations. She told the Stray Ferret: 

“The people of Harrogate have always been very generous”. 

Read more:

• Harrogate food bank use increases
• Knaresborough food bank reopens

North Yorkshire County Council recently allocated £18,055 of funding to other Harrogate organisations that help people get enough food. It is part of a national grant to local authorities from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.  

The money will be divided between two community groups: Resurrected Bites and Supporting Older People. 

A 14-year-old from Harrogate, who hopes to become a professional racing car driver, says he can’t compete against the best in the field because of a lack of funding.

Jacob Heap, who is currently studying for his GCSE’s has been racing since he was 8. However, his hobby comes at a large price and, despite his recent successes, his family is struggling to keep up with the rising costs.

Jacob recently achieved 3rd place at the Junior Saloon Car Championship but just missed out on winning a fully funded season. Last October he entered the Ginetta Scholarship but again missed out due to not having the funds to practice and take part in the media day.

Jacob pictured in the JSCC Teenage Cancer Trust car.

Jacob currently sends between forty and fifty sponsorship proposals a day to try and get funding. He told The Stray Ferret:

“This is all I want to do. Obviously companies don’t have as much money at the moment so aren’t as open to sponsorship. It’s just really hard to get your name out there.”

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• You can now hire low emission cars in Harrogate 
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Jacob’s dad has been working extra jobs on an evening and at the weekend to pay for his son’s racing but says it is getting too expensive and is desperate for sponsorship. He told The Stray Ferret:

“This is what he wants to do, it’s not just a bit of fun. He is so determined but he needs £10,000 for a years racing.”

During lockdown, Jacob has been keeping his fitness up by cycling up to 10 miles every morning during his paper round as well as doing weights and extra cardio.

There was “relief” at Harrogate Theatre as the government announced a £1.5bn rescue package for the arts, but the long-term picture for the venue remains bleak.

Announced late on Sunday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson said the money will help venues “stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”

David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the announcement as it “had been a long time coming” but said they are awaiting further details on how much money might be available to them.

He said:

“It feels as though it’s good news but the devil will be in the detail.”

The government will offer £1.15 billion for cultural organisations which will be made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million in grants, with applications opening later this month.

Mr Bown said the theatre is losing £1 million every three months and an injection of funds could help them become financially stable in the short-term.

In recent days pressure built on social media for the government to rescue the arts sector through the hashtag #SaveTheArts, with several actors making appeals, including Harrogate Theatre patron Reece Dinsdale.

Mr Bown said:

“We’ve all enjoyed Netflix over the last three months but it all starts here. Those actors have to train in theatres. There will be a matrix of consequences for some time to come.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Theatre raises £40,000 in emergency appeal
• Sponsor a seat to save Harrogate theatre from closure

Harrogate Theatre relies on a busy Christmas panto season to help fund it throughout the year which Mr Bown said they may have to cancel due to social distancing guidelines. He said this could have consequences well into 2021.

He added:

“The problem we’ve got is social distancing. We are the antithesis of that. We invite people to come in and share our confined space. That is the opposite of what we’re being instructed to do at the moment.”

Mr Bown also estimated Harrogate Theatre brings in around £25m a year to Harrogate’s local economy which is leaving a “huge hole” the longer it remains closed.

A video was published over the weekend about why Harrogate Theatre is important to the community, which you can watch below.

Ripon Museum Trust has received £40,100 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to safeguard its heritage buildings and provide much-needed support for essential costs during the coronavirus crisis.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began, Ripon Museum Trust has been without the visitors, volunteers and staff essential to the upkeep of the three museums – The Workhouse Museum & Garden, The Courthouse Museum and the Prison & Police Museum.

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust said:

“Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we are in a much stronger position to emerge the other side of the pandemic with the strength to welcome visitors again and to reach out to our audiences. We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

The emergency funding has come from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has made £50 million available to assist those most in need across the heritage sector.

The UK-wide fund will address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

“Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.”

She added:

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as Ripon Museum Trust during this uncertain time.”

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Like Ripon Museum Trust, other charities and organisations across the UK that have been affected by the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus outbreak are being given access to a comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million of repurposed money from The National Lottery. This money is supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and spans the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors.

Through National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including heritage of local and national importance.

Museum buildings across the Harrogate district remain closed, but at the weekend Ripon Workhouse Museum launched the ‘Inside Out Museum Trail’ which will see its Front Garden, Master’s Garden and Victorian Kitchen Garden open to the public on selected days in June and July. Places on the trail are limited to ensure social distancing is maintained and booking is via the Museum Trust’s website.