A Harrogate woman has been creating crystal art to raise funds for a local cancer charity after being diagnosed with the disease.

Paula Grainger, 79, discovered she had ovarian cancer in 2019. Since then she has been “giving something back” to Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research by selling her artwork at community events.

She said:

“I came across Yorkshire Cancer Research, and I didn’t realise that there was a regional cancer charity, so I thought ‘right, what can I do to help?’. I’ve always liked crafts, so I started producing some artwork to sell and donating the profits to the charity.”

Paula creates crystal art by placing crystals onto a canvas and sells it at events such as Bilton Cricket Club’s party of the pitch. She said:

“I’ve always made cards and other bits, but when I started doing crystal art, I just loved it. It’s really satisfying and once it’s finished it shimmers and shines.

“I live with my eldest daughter and her family, and I’ve almost taken over with all my craft supplies and artwork. They’ve given me half of the garage to store everything.”

Paula first visited her doctor after she noticed that she’d lost weight and was having trouble eating.

She was referred for further tests at St James’s Hospital in Leeds and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, Paula was told that her cancer was incurable.

Paula Grainger

She said:

“I didn’t go to the doctors immediately when I started feeling unwell. I meet up with a group of friends once a week and they gave me a push to make the appointment to speak to my doctor. It was such a shock when the diagnosis came through.

“That’s something I’d want to get across to people, it feels daunting but it’s so important to go and speak to your doctor if you have anything you’re concerned about so you can catch the cancer early.”

Read more:

• £3.5m gym for cancer patients to open in Harrogate
• Harrogate Mojo plans bar extension

Paula had chemotherapy and after two years of monitoring, was given a second round in 2021. She now takes medication to prevent the cancer from spreading.  She said:

“It’s been a difficult journey, especially when your mind is constantly thinking about the cancer, but I’m pleased with where I am now.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research funds research to tackle cancer in the region.

Mum-of-three Paula said:

“It was important to me to raise funds for a local charity. Yorkshire Cancer Research funds research in Leeds, where I was treated, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to help support the people who had supported me.

“I’m not doing it for people like me, I’m doing it for people like my daughters and my grandchildren, and everybody else who may be affected by cancer in the future and can benefit from developments in cancer research.

“When you think about the developments that have been made even in the past 10 years, it’s incredible. My mum and grandmother both passed away from cancer, and it was a very different prognosis then than it is now.”

More than 140 walkers have already signed up to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK this Sunday but the charity is still urging people to join them for a sponsored walk around Ripley.

Walk for Parkinson’s is the charity’s national community fundraising series, and everyone is encouraged to get involved to get active, meet new people, and help fund life-changing research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s. 

The Walk for Parkinson’s event will follow two paths around Ripley which walkers can choose from: a five-and-a-half mile route and a shorter, family-friendly, one-mile route which is fully accessible. All walkers will warm up and set off together as they start and finish at Ripley Star Club.

One of the many families to have taken part in a Walk for Parkinson’s.

Jacquie McGuire, regional fundraiser for Yorkshire and Humber at Parkinson’s UK, said: 

“Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. In Yorkshire there are 12,280 people living with the condition. Every hour, two more people in the UK are diagnosed, meaning one in 37 people alive today will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their lifetime. 

“There’s no cure for Parkinson’s. Yet. But if we walk together, we can make a difference to the lives of people with Parkinson’s. We can make breakthroughs. We can find a cure.  

“Whatever your age or fitness level, we’d love to see you at Ripley near Harrogate to Walk for Parkinson’s. Take the first step and sign up today.” 

Parkinson’s is the result of the brain cells that make dopamine starting to die. There are more than 40 symptoms, from tremors and pain to anxiety, and some are treatable, but the drugs can have serious side effects. The condition gets worse over time and there is no cure yet. Around 145,000 people in the UK have Parkinson’s.

Walkers warming up before taking part in a Walk for Parkinson’s.

It costs £12 to sign up to Walk for Parkinson’s (under-18s go free) and it is suggested that participants raise £50 in sponsorship. All walkers will receive a fundraising pack with tips and advice, sponsorship forms and an exclusive Walk for Parkinson’s t-shirt to wear on the day.  

As well as walkers, the charity is on the look-out for volunteers to help on the day. To find out more about Walk for Parkinson’s and to sign up to walk or volunteer visit the Parkinson’s UK website or email walk@parkinsons.org.uk. 

Read more:

• Six choirs to sing together at festival in Harrogate
• Hospital team to hold Parkinson’s event at Harrogate hottel
• Harrogate man wins gold at Parkinson’s table tennis world championships

Harrogate Fire Station will welcome members of the public to its popular annual open day next weekend.

The Skipton Road site will open its doors on Sunday, September 3 from 10am until 3pm.

Visitors will be able to see a variety of fire engines, including some demonstrations and interaction, and speak to members of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Children will have the chance to pretend to be a firefighter, as well as learning basic first aid from St John Ambulance.

North Yorkshire Police, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue and the Red Cross will also be represented, along with some police vehicles on site too.

The open day is free, though there is a charge for some of the activities.

A bouncy castle, refreshments and a raffle will all be held, and donations can also be made to the Fire Fighters Charity.

Visitors get to know the emergency services at last year’s open day

Read more:

• Harrogate Fire Station installs swift nest boxes on drill tower
• Long-awaited £1.2m refurbishment of Ripon’s police and fire station confirmed

A nine-year-old Harrogate boy is walking 200 miles, inspired by his dad who has Friedrich’s ataxia.

He aims to raise money for Ataxia UK, a charity that funds treatment and provides support for those with ataxia.

Ataxia is a term for a group of neurological disorders that affect balance, coordination and speech

His mum, Helen Gibson, explained the impact of his dad’s condition on Jack:

“Jack and his dad are very close but Jack sometimes struggles as his dad can’t do all of the things he would like him to because of his condition and tires easily.”

Jack attends young carers events in Harrogate. After smashing his original goal to walk 126 miles, he chose to increase his goal to 200 miles.

He has been walking at least three miles a day for four weeks to complete his goal. Some days he has walked as far as 8 miles.

Jack’s inspiration to walk was explained by his mum,

“He chose walking as he said it was something that was free and something that his dad can still do at the moment.”

Jack’s walks have been local, on the Stray or at Fountains Abbey. On holiday, he has completed his walks at Alton Towers or nearby National Trust locations.

He also walked the coast where his parents are originally from.

Both family and friends have joined Jack on his walks.

The family have a goal of £500 and have already raised £435.

If you are interested in donating to Jack’s fundraiser, there is a Just Giving page.

A fundraising campaign by a Knaresborough man to buy a fire engine to send to Ukraine has received a £10,000 donation.

Bob Frendt was hoping to raise £20,000 to buy the appliance and send it to Volodymyr, which had its fire engines commandeered by the army in the fight against Russia.

However, he said he was worrying the total was unachievable, after getting stuck at £7,000 for several weeks.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I was getting a bit depressed and very stressed over it. I was thinking, ‘I’ve bitten off more than I can chew’, making promises I couldn’t keep and letting people down.

“Then I got this call out of the blue from a man who came to a fundraising folk night in Wetherby and heard me say a few words about what I was doing.

“He said he wanted to make a donation and asked for my bank details. He didn’t say how much – but when I saw it come through, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’m still buzzing now. I can’t believe it has happened. It just shows you what wonderful people there are around.”

The donor has asked to remain anonymous, but said the money was taken from a legacy left by his mother after she died earlier this year.

The man told Mr Frendt she was always a generous supporter of good causes, and had left him “more than he could ever spend” in her will.

In recognition of their generosity, Mr Frendt said he will name the fire engine after the man’s mother.

Read more:

• Ukrainian twin sisters in Harrogate excel in A levels
• North Yorkshire Council awarded £830,000 to support Ukrainian refugee housing

Now, he is working with a former fire officer to source an appliance that he can take across Europe and hand over to the fire service in Volodymyr.

He added:

“I just need to raise the last £3,000 now.

“The paperwork shouldn’t take too long to get sorted. Hopefully, we can get it to Volodymyr before the end of October, when the weather closes in.

“If we can’t do that, we’re looking at not doing it until the end of March next year. I don’t want to leave it that long – they’ve got to have that fire engine.”

To help him take his funds from £17,000 to the total, Knot Another Choir will be performing a fundraising concert at Trinity Church in Knaresborough on October 6.

Tickets are £10 and available to buy online in advance.

Donations can also be made via Mr Frendt’s Just Giving page.

A year of more than 40 performances has seen a Harrogate ukulele group raise £4,500 for charity.  

The group is partnered with Saint Michael’s Hospice, and all donations and performance fees are given to the Harrogate-based charity. 

The Harrogate Spa Town Ukes was formed nearly 10 years ago by two members of the Bingley Ukulele club who wanted a group closer to home.  

Since then, it has gone from strength to strength.

Bob Mansfield, the group’s events coordinator, said:

“The club has increased steadily over the years with over 40 members now. Ages do vary, but it is fair to say that the majority are around, or over, retirement age. The gender mix is pretty well equal.” 

The group meets weekly on Wednesday evenings at Oatlands Social Club and includes many former guitarists.

Mr Mansfield said their sets are “not all George Formby classics”, instead being made up of vintage rock and pop music.  

The band has up to 20 players and regularly performs on Saturdays around Harrogate and the surrounding area. All performances are by volunteers with the aim of raising money for charity.   

When asked why they chose the ukulele over other instruments, Bob Mansfield referred to a comment made by one audience member, who said, “you can’t listen to the ukulele without smiling”.  

Further information about the group can be found on its website.

Read more:

• Harrogate woman to swim English Channel distance for charity
• Woman seriously injured in Masham tractor accident becomes fundraiser for rescuers

A new community group has been set up with the aim of building more support for people in Knaresborough.

Life Aid Knaresborough was created by volunteers four weeks ago and has already attracted more than 200 members to its Facebook group.

Its aim is to organise events, raise money for charities, and bring the community together.

Stacey Worrall, who was one of the founders, told the Stray Ferret:

“There’s so many people in what some say is a rich town, but it’s not – the poverty at the moment is higher than ever.

“It would be nice to be able to have some funding in a pot where, if we hear of a family that’s struggling, to be able to help the people of Knaresborough out.”

While local support is the long-term aim, the first project the group is working on is raising money for a fire engine to send to Volodymyr in Ukraine.

The city has strong links with Knaresborough, after resident Bob Frendt made eight aid trips there over the course of 15 months after the war began last February.

Bob Frendt has delivered eight lorry loads of medical and other supplies to Ukraine

He built connections with local dignitaries and, on what he said was his final trip, was asked by the mayor to deliver a fire engine after its appliances were commandeered to help in the war effort.

While an official scheme has seen fire engines delivered to Ukraine from the UK, these have gone directly to Kyiv and have not benefitted outlying communities like Volodymyr, which is in western Ukraine.

Bob said:

“The problem is, for the towns to try and get an engine back, they have got to grease the wheels, they’ve got to give a backhander to someone.

“Volodymyr is such a poor place, they can’t afford to give a backhander, so they can’t get the fire engine back.

“When I was there, I met a woman whose husband was killed in the war. She lived in an apartment on the sixth floor of a building – and those buildings are poorly built to start with.

“We asked what would happen if the apartment block caught fire. Without thinking, she said, ‘we will die’.

“For her sake and her children, I have to get a fire engine to them.”

Mr Frendt hopes to raise enough money to deliver a second-hand fire appliance in October, and has already passed the £5,000 mark.

Life Aid has already begin helping his fundraising efforts, with several events planned for the summer.

Knaresborough Cricket Club will host live music on Friday, August 25. Entry will be free, with donations taken towards the fire engine fundraising.

The following day, venues around Knaresborough are taking part in a series of events designed to get the whole community involved.

There will be face painting and children’s games at the kiosk at Conyngham Hall, while the World’s End pub will have live music from a folk duo.

A disco will be held at Park Place Social Club, supported by Yorkshire Young Farmers, and other venues around the town will offer open mic nights.

Entry is free, but volunteers will be visiting all the venues to collect donations.

The organisers are also keen to hear from local businesses interested in sponsoring or supporting the events, or getting involved in the future.

Stacey added:

“We hope Knaresborough will be heaving with visitors and locals for the bank holiday.

“If it’s a success, we’re planning to carry on every year on the same day, raising money for different charities and helping locals in need.”

To find out more, join the Facebook group. To donate to Bob Frendt’s fire engine fundraiser, click here.

Read more:

• Postman Pat illustrator to display work during Knaresborough arts festival
• Knaresborough man launches crowdfunder to send fire engine to Ukraine

Two back-to-back football matches will be played at Harrogate Railway this weekend as part of a day of fundraising.

Ladies’ Day will see the women’s reserves play at noon on Sunday, followed by the first team facing Farsley Celtic at 2pm.

Entry will be free for spectators, with a barbecue, raffle and refreshments all on offer as part of the entertainment.

First team coach Rich Burns told the Stray Ferret:

“it’s a celebration of ladies’ football in the club and the region. We’ve gone from one football team to four in the space of two years.

“I’ve been there for 15 years and we’ve only had one senior ladies’ team and various girls’ teams. Since the Euros, where the Lionesses were successful, now the World Cup and the WSL, there’s a real growth and demand for women’s football in the region.”

As well as first and reserve teams, Railway now has an under 18s ladies’ side, offering teenagers the chance to learn, or continue learning a sport they have enjoyed at school.

Rich said it offers a natural pathway into the adult teams too.

And it is for one of the first team players that the day has been organised.

Dee Swales played for the club for around five years, before moving to Farsley Celtic. She returned two years ago, but last year was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Rich said:

“She has been undergoing significant treatment and dealt with the first part really well, but she has unfortunately developed a secondary cancer.

“The NHS doesn’t fund the treatment she needs when it’s for secondary cancer, so you have to raise funds yourself.

“She has been dong loads of stuff and fundraising, but the club really wanted to show our support for this as well.”

Setting a target of £1,000, the club said any money raised that exceeds the amount Dee needs will be split between Macmillan and Cancer Research UK.

Harrogate Railway Football Club on Station View, Starbeck, will host the event

Dee is also planning to join in the fun on the day – though will have more reason than most to play it safe. Rich said:

“She’s a week away from being married. I think the biggest challenge is keeping her off the pitch, because [fiancee] Abi would absolutely kill us if she gets injured for the wedding!”

With women’s football much more popular than ever before, Harrogate Railway are hoping for a big crowd at the event on Sunday.

Rich added:

“Everyone’s aware of Rachel Daly and her ties to the region. She spent a small amount of time with Railway and when she came back from the US during the summers, she used to come to our training sessions.

“It has been really fantastic that the Lionesses have been offering discounted tickets to grassroots clubs.

“We’ve been able to support them a few times and we went to see them at Wembley.

“You don’t get the same level of animosity you can get at the men’s game and it does seem very family-friendly.

“Seeing 87,000 people in Wembley for a ladies’ game was fantastic – it was a celebration of football.”

Read more:

• Garden near Ripon to open its gates for charity this weekend
• Woman seriously injured in Masham tractor accident becomes fundraiser for rescuers

Five decades of dedication will be on show in a village near Ripon this weekend as part of the national open gardens scheme.

David and Sally Walden have lived at Greencroft for 49 years, slowly transforming the one-acre garden and adding new features.

For the last 25 years, they have opened the gates to the garden on Pottery Lane as part of the National Garden Scheme, and will do so again this Sunday, from noon until 4pm.

Daughter Rachel Beadle told the Stray Ferret:

“When they bought the property it was just one field going right up to the back of a two-up, two-down house.

“My dad is a builder, now retired aged 80, and mum is the gardener, aged 79.

“They have built and gardened the whole thing over 49 years, adding bits on over the years. Mum spent many, many days mixing cement for dad!

“Dad has built every structure, wall and waterfall, from the log cabin to the the summer house. Mum still gardens the whole thing herself: there are no external gardeners.”

The annual open afternoon always raises money for charities chosen by the NGS. Over the years, Rachel said the couple have raised £35,000 for the likes of Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and the Carers’ Trust.

Entry is £5 for adults, while children go free, and there will be tea and cakes available.

Rachel added:

“My sisters, brother and I are all super proud of them.”

A woman seriously injured in a tractor accident near Masham has become a fundraiser for the air ambulance charity that came to her rescue.

Michelle Raine suffered a broken pelvis and serious spinal injuries when a tractor she was a passenger in rolled down a hill in August 2017.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance provided her with critical emergency medical care, pain relief and airlifted her to Leeds General Infirmary.

Ms Raine underwent emergency surgery to stabilise her pelvis and during her two-week hospital stay she also battled pneumonia, which resulted in the collapse of her lungs.

She then spent two months in a wheelchair but eventually made a full recovery.

Ms Raine, whose rescue was broadcast on the TV programme Helicopter ER, has now become a community fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

She said:

“Their swift response and expert care during my accident were nothing short of miraculous.

“Now, as part of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance family, I cherish the opportunity to give back and make a positive impact on the lives of others, just like they did for me.”

Read more:

• Rev Jane Ball installed as new vicar for Masham group of parishes
• Rural homes in North Yorkshire could face years of poor broadband

Ms Raine’s passion for the cause has been evident a long time already: one year after her accident she organised a fundraising ball that raised £15,000 for the charity.

Regional fundraising manager Linda Stead said:

“Michelle is an invaluable asset to our fundraising team. Her firsthand experience as an ex-patient allows her to connect with donors and supporters on a deeper level, inspiring them with her remarkable journey and gratitude.”