Dean’s banquet raises £16,000 for Ripon Cathedral

The Dean of Ripon’s annual banquet has raised £16,000 for the city’s cathedral.

Last year’s event was cancelled due to covid but the 2021 evening of feast and fundraising was attended by 150 guests, including sponsors, local businesses, parishioners and members of the public.

The Very Rev John Dobson, said:

“What a pleasure it was to welcome the guests to the 2021 Dean’s banquet in the spectacular surroundings of Ripon Cathedral.

“For over 1,300 years people have gathered in this sacred space to celebrate life’s joys and blessings. I am extremely grateful for the remarkable levels of generosity that have been shown by the community, particularly over the last year.”

Photo of the Dean of Ripon

Dean John said thanks for the generosity shown.

The sparking evening was supported by business partners Raworths solicitors, in Harrogate, and wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin, Leeds.

A champagne reception welcomed guests back in to the cathedral once more and a four course dinner, provided by the Yorkshire Party Company, was followed by a live auction conducted by John Tennant and a silent auction.

A number of high value raffle prizes were donated, including dinner for two at Grantley Hall, two cases of wine and a family season pass to Newby Hall.

The prize draw proved popular, raising £1,170 on the night. The vouchers and prizes were donated by local businesses keen to support the cathedral as it recovers from the financial impact of the pandemic.

Guests were entertained by magician Rob Hutchinson and danced to a silent disco wearing headphones.

The date of next year’s banquet will be Friday 14 October to mark the end of the 1,350th anniversary of St Wilfrid celebrations, which will be taking place throughout 2022.

For further information about how to get involved or to pre-book places contact margarethammond@riponcathedral.org.uk.

 

 

 

 

Harrogate woman discovers she’s pregnant and has cancer within a month

A young woman from Harrogate has urged people to check themselves after finding out she was pregnant and had breast cancer within a month.

Nicky Davis, 38, found out she was pregnant with her “miracle baby” on April 14 after three failed rounds of IVF.

But exactly a month later she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after finding a lump.

At first she thought the lump could be related to her pregnancy but it wasn’t. The cancer was in her breast and spread to the skin causing an orange peel effect.

She began chemotherapy in June when she was 11 weeks pregnant and will keep going until November before giving birth.

Nicky said:

“We’d been trying for a baby for a long time so it was an absolute miracle.

“My cancer is hormone-responsive so it’s likely I’ve always had cancerous cells but the pregnancy had a huge impact. Without the baby I may never have known, this baby basically saved my life.

“We went from the highest of highs then to the lowest of lows.”

A week ago, Nicky had a single mastectomy to remove her breast and several lymph nodes to prevent the cancer spreading.

Due to her high risk pregnancy, Nicky will be delivering her baby girl early in November. After this she will continue chemotherapy and then move onto radiotherapy.

Nicky with her husband Mark on their wedding day in August.

Despite all of this she wants to raise awareness and encourage people to check themselves regularly:

“Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are or how old you are. I had no family history and I’m still young.

“Even if people set a reminder in their phones to check themselves every few weeks, it’s so so important and we all need to do it.”

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Nicky is very grateful for all the “incredible” care received at Harrogate District Hospital but said it has made her more aware of the difference is healthcare in different countries.

She is now working with her family to fundraise for Breast Cancer Support. The charity works with breast cancer patients across the world who can’t afford medication or treatment.

Her family are arranging a walk of the Harrogate Ringway, around 20 miles, in hopes of raising money for the charity. Nicky is hoping to take part in the final few miles on October 30.

To support Nicky’s fundraising, click here.

 

Boroughbridge sunflower field opens in memory of BBC radio presenter Dom Busby

A business near Boroughbridge has planted a 15-acre field with sunflowers to try and raise £40,000 in memory of their friend and BBC radio presenter, Dom Busby, who died this year.

Mr Busby, who worked for BBC Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live, died in June four weeks after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The owners of The Log Shed, near Boroughbridge, had been planning a fundraiser with Mr Busby shortly before he passed away.

Rachel Sowray, who was friends with Mr Busby and is also one of the managers of Log Shed, said he would have wanted them to continue to raise as much money as possible.

Ms Sowray said:

“We wanted to do something for charities after such a difficult year for them. Dom was heavily involved and was going to be front of house on it all. Now we are doing it in memory of him.

“The field looks amazing, I really can’t wait for more people to see it.”

Visitors can walk around the field and pick their own flowers. The entry fee is £6 per person and 50% of funds raised will go to the two charities nominated by Mr Busby’s mum: Macmillan Cancer Support and Saint Michael’s Hospice.

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The flowers are expected to be in full bloom by the end of the week. The field will then be open for the public to come and walk round for three to four weeks.

For more information on when the field is open, visit this Facebook page.

Knaresborough men trek 900 miles in wheelchair and on foot to raise £2m

Two Knaresborough men are on day five of an epic 70-day John O’Groats to Lands End challenge.

This is no ordinary challenge because one of the men, Lucas Schofield, aims to complete the route in his wheelchair — which will add miles to the usual 874-mile distance.

Lucas has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a genetic, progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder, but insists it won’t slow him down.

His best friend, Dan Stott, will carry most of the pair’s luggage on his back.

The pair, who aim to complete about 15 miles a day, are no strangers to insane challenges. The pair have been planning this for two years and have found a route suitable for them both.

Lucas will be pushing himself most of the way but when he does need a helping hand Daniel will be there to push him.

The usual challenges of uneven terrain and weather are compounded by the wheelchair, which has meant adjusting the route to avoid the A9 in Scotland and therefore extending the journey to over 900 miles.

Lucas Schofield

Lucas Schofield on route on day three.

Lucas said:

“Our spirits are still high. People are honking their horns and giving us money.

“I was looking for some huge physical feat and this looked like just it. You’ve got to be a bit crazy to do something like this.”

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The pair have set themselves an ambitious fundraising target of £2 million. The money will go to Ataxia UK, Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust and CALM (Campaign against Living Miserably).

They are currently on £5,000 and with over 60 days to go are optimistic of achieving it. You can donate here.

The pair have been offered free hot drinks and asked for pictures on route. After being featured on BBC Look North they’ve even been asked for autographs.

The two men have no plans to slow down — they are already thinking of an even tougher challenge after this one.

 

£22,000 fundraising campaign launched for Ripon Walled Garden

The charity that runs Ripon Walled Garden has launched a £22,000 fundraising campaign to buy new facilities for the disabled people it helps.

Ripon Community Link, which provides day support services for people with learning difficulties, operates from two sites in the city area — St Wilfrid’s Bungalow and Ripon Walled Garden.

Many of the people it helps work at the walled garden. The fundraising campaign will help to finish and furnish a new building on the site which they will use.

The building, which includes four classrooms, a reception and toilets, has already been paid for by grants and donations.

Victoria Ashley, Ripon Community Link chief executive, said:

“The new building is the next phase of our improvements for the walled garden to benefit members, customers, staff and volunteers.

“The opening of the toilet block was a major step for us, and now we are setting our sights on this new building, specifically aimed at benefitting our members. Our aim is to have this new facility fully opened in autumn”

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A charity gold day at Rudding Park on August 19 is among the events planned to support the fundraising campaign.

To donate, click here.

Harrogate channel swimmers reach the finish line

A group of intrepid swimmers have just returned home after completing the channel swim in heatwave temperatures on Tuesday.

The team of four, three from the Harrogate district, swam 30 miles in their relay swim yesterday completing it in just over 14 hours.

After swimming together for eight years, friends Andrea Stark and Jacqui Hargrave decided to do the relay for charity. They then convinced Jonty Warneken and Richard Powell to join.

This was the team’s fourth attempt to complete the challenge after cancelling previously due to covid and bad weather.

Jacqui Hargrave said the feeling was “incredible” when her feet finally touched the pebbly beach off the French coast. Due to the pandemic, the final swimmer, Ms Hargrave, could only stand on the beach for 10 minutes before returning to the boat.

Along the way the group would write inspirational messages or warnings on a whiteboard so the one swimming their hour-long lap was kept in the loop.

Channel swimmers

Jacqui keeping Andrea motivated through the swim, even after a jellyfish encounter!

They encountered jellyfish, large cargo ships and clogs of seaweed but kept spirits high by singing their way through.

Ms Hargrave said:

“It was amazing, the water was just incredible, We never thought we’d do it during a heatwave so the waters were over 30 degrees. We’re all a little sun burnt.

“It’s very different to any of the practice we’ve done, there’s so much you just can’t prepare for. But still it was magical.”

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Setting off at 6.20am from Dover yesterday. Changing tides and avoiding shipping lanes meant their swim was an additional 9 miles. They swam 30.5 miles in 14 hours and 58 seconds.

Each swimmer has chosen a different charity to fundraise for; Jacqui Hargrave is donating to Saint Michael’s Hospice, Andrea Stark is donating to the Samaritans, Richard Powell has chosen Combat Stress as his charity and Jonty Warneken is donating to Open Country.

The foursome have managed to raise £5,469.15 together so far. To donate, click the links above.

Knaresborough police officer to ride 106.6 miles in memory of best friend

Local police officer Pierre Olesqui will take on his third annual fundraising challenge this weekend to raise awareness of mental health in memory of his best friend.

Mr Olesqui’s best friend Mick ‘Aky’ Atkinson died in October 2018 after suffering with his mental health.

Aky, an active, “proud Leeds man”, did not tell his friend that he was struggling. Mr Olesqui uses the challenge to encourage people to talk about their own battles.

Tomorrow, Mr Olesqui will set off from Hunslet Warriors rugby club, where Aky used to coach, alongside 98 other riders to complete the Tour de Aky challenge.

Tour de Aky cyclists

This year nearly 100 cyclists have registered to take part in the fundraising challenge

The 106.6-mile route heads towards Leeds, past Elland Road – Aky called the stadium “his church” – on to Otley and through the Harrogate district to Kirkby Overblow, before heading back to York and Hunslet.

The distance is a reference to Aky’s collar number: 1066.

Over the past two years just under £40,000 has been raised, but this year Mr Olesqui hopes to reach £50,000.

To donate, click here.

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The pair started working together in 2001 for North Yorkshire Police, where Aky was a dog handler, and bonded over their love of sport – Aky was even Mr Olesqui’s best man.

Mr Olesqui, who works in Knaresborough, said:

“He was my best friend and I want to keep his memory alive. I want to raise awareness for mental health, especially for men it’s a secret battle like Aky.

“It’s incredible how many people will come on the ride and tell us their own struggles. It’s great to talk and we all understand. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

The money raised from this weekend’s cycle will go towards Mind, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Macmillan Cancer Support. These have been chosen by Mr Olesqui and Aky’s family.

Harrogate Girl Guides continue push towards fundraising goal

The Girl Guides Association has resumed fundraising for its new site at Birk Crag with a series of forthcoming events.

The foundations of the building have been ready for several months, but funds were short to fit out the inside, and fundraising had to be paused due to the national lockdown.

So far more than £1.5 million has been invested into the site, with £400,000 left to be raised for its completion.

The ambitious site will be open to the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers for weekly meetings and residential trips for members nationwide.

It will have a meeting hall, kitchen and dining room, a campfire area and a residential accommodation to fit 40.

It replaces the old centre in the same spot, which had become dilapidated.

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Members of the Girlguiding association have been working hard to raise the last stretch of the money needed, including setting up a bake sale on the first Saturday of every month (excluding August).

On Saturday July 3 there will be a fundraising fete at Burley Avenue Community Centre hosting stalls from The Body Shop, Painting Pots Knaresborough and others, which will all be donating a percentage of profits towards the site.

The sale will also include a raffle, refreshments and a cake stall.

Sam Jennings, division commissioner for the group, said;

“The project has gone on a long time and now we can see a finish point it is getting exciting; everyone just wants to get it finished.”

People can also leave individual donations here.

 

Ripon boy enjoys safe outdoor space thanks to community support

William Riddler from Ripon needed a safe outdoor space to socialise in during his cancer treatment – and thanks to donations from the local community he got just that.

The 13-year-old needed the space to be able to enjoy time with friends and family without the worry of infection.

William was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in March 2021. He is undergoing chemotherapy currently and then will move on to radiotherapy.

The top item on his wish list was a hot tub and with the £10,000 raised via his JustGiving page, the family were able to buy one and build a wooden shelter around it.

Since getting the hot tub this month, William has been able to relax after treatment and invite a friend over.

He said:

“It’s great, I’d wanted one for a while. My friend liked it too but he did say it was too hot!”

Family friend Sarah Bostock had set up the fundraising page as her way of helping the family. In a matter of weeks it had hit its £10,000 target.

This is William’s collection of ‘beads of courage’. He gets a new bead each time he receives treatment, has surgery or has a community nurse visits.

William has to go Leeds General Infirmary every three weeks for chemotherapy, which requires him to stay in hospital for three days.

Since his diagnosis William has had several operations and will need five more rounds of chemotherapy before starting radiotherapy.

Despite all this, his smile remains bright.

William’s mum, Louise Riddler, said:

“His immune system is so low after the chemo that any infection can make him really poorly.

I couldn’t believe how many people wanted to help, it was just amazing. We had planned to do it ourselves but when the clot was found on his heart we knew we had to move quickly.”

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Ms Riddler is hoping that William’s physio may be able to give him some exercises to do in the hot tub to build up the strength in his legs and arms.

Besides the outdoor space, William is enjoying have tutors in twice a week while he can’t attend lessons at Outwood Academy. He says his favourite subject is maths.

More work is set to be done to finish the outdoor space, including a new roof and electrics for a projector.

Harrogate cyclist rides 288 miles in under 24 hours

A Harrogate cyclist has completed a 288-mile charity bike ride in under 24 hours in memory of his aunt.

Simon Gregory embarked on his journey on Friday and raised over £11,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

His journey took him from Harrogate to Southampton. He smashed his 24-hour target, arriving at his destination with over 2 hours to spare.

https://twitter.com/MacmillanYorks/status/1406171644691992579

Simon completed his fundraiser in memory of his aunt, Reverend Ruth Scott, who died from cancer in February 2019.

She was a presenter on BBC Radio 2 show Pause for Thought for 25 years and one of the first female vicars in the country.

She embarked on similar challenges, including cycling from Rome to Jerusalem without any training.

Simon chose the charity Macmillan Cancer Support as it supported his aunt during her illness.

You can still donate here.