Back in the 1970s, It’s A Knockout was one of the most popular family game shows on TV – it was essentially a sports day for adults.

Now, Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity (HHCC) is inviting friends, families and work colleagues to take part in its version in June.

Teams of 10 entrants will battle it out on an It’s a Knockout inflatable assault course at Harrogate Railway Athletic Football Club on Sunday, June 5.

An ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ challenge of wacky games will see contestants face water and foam in their quest to be crowned champion.

Community spirit

Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager, said:

“HHCC are so excited to be able to host the Summer Extravaganza and bring people together once again.

“We want to bolster community spirit by creating the opportunity for families, friends and colleagues to meet for a day of summer fun while supporting their local NHS at the same time.”

Members of the community have the chance to rise to the challenge or come and support their team.

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The event forms part of this year’s Summer Extravaganza, which will raise funds for NHS services at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

It will include a range of shopping stalls, summer game stands, a bar and barbecue.

Entry to It’s A Knockout Game is £30 per person. Participants must be over 16 and each registration includes entry to the Summer Extravaganza.

Challengers can sign up as an individual or as part of a team. Teams will be entered into one of three groups, with limited availability.

Tickets

Tickets for entry to the Summer Extravaganza are available for a donation of £2 for adults and children over the age of five. Children under the age of five go free.

Register for It’s A Knockout or buy tickets by emailing hdft.hhcc@nhs.net or visit the HHCC website.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, made a rare visit to St Andrew’s in Kirkby Malzeard to honour one of the church’s most loyal servants.

In what was the first visit by an archbishop to the church in living memory,  he presented a specially-commissioned silver medal to Chris Slater.

Mr Slater retired from his unpaid role of parish sexton and  verger at the church near Ripon last year.

The award was in recognition of his work over more than six decades, which included meticulously caring for the  grounds at St Andrew’s while keeping the building’s fabric in good condition and the clock on time.

Chris Slater, wearing his silver medal for long-service, is pictured at St Andrew’s.

Mr Slater married his wife Mary at St Andrew’s 58 years ago and the church, where they and their daughter Susan were christened, has been supported by the family for decades.

Mr Slater, who is 81, told the Stray Ferret:

“This church has been my life for more than 60 years and I looked after it in the way I have looked after Mary and Susan, with care and devotion, taking great pride in everything I have done there.

“It was a surprise, when I heard that the archbishop was coming to Kirkby Malzeard and I was honoured to receive the long service medal from him.”

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As well as looking after the grounds and the fabric of the church, Mr Slater attended, without fail, funerals there while his wife and daughter prepared the church for wedding services.

An indication of his dedication to St Andrew’s came in 2003 when he  raised £3,000 with the help of family and friends to pay for the installation of an electronic mechanism to wind the church tower clock and its chimes.

He said:

“Before then, I had to wind the clock twice a week – with hundreds of turns each time – one to keep the clock going and the other to set the chimes. It was hard work.”

The presentation of his medal was made as part of the Plough Sunday service at the church.

A national charity has called for more funds to help make a wish come true for eight-year-old Harrogate boy George Hinkins, who was born with half a working heart.

George lives with a rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly and had his first open-heart surgery at just 36 hours old. The defect means he can’t pump blood to his lungs as well as other people and struggles with oxygen levels.

In his eight years, George has had three major open-heart surgeries “to correct as much as they can”, said dad Matthew Hinkins.

With more surgeries inevitable, George has asked Make-A-Wish UK to help him become a ‘Ghostbuster for the day’.

However, due to the pandemic, the charity has had a 40% drop in funding. It said it needs £155,000 to grant the wishes of the 62 children living with a critical condition in the North East.

George Hinkins dressed as a ghostbuster.

George’s love for the Ghostbusters franchise started when he was six years old. He took his Ghostbuster figurines into his third surgery in March 2020.

George’s mum, Jane Hinkins, said:

“We can’t go out with George very much, especially in winter as his heart makes it difficult for him to regulate his temperature. So we’ve had to find alternative ways to keep him entertained.

“Ghostbusters really captured his imagination – he talks about the characters being brave, facing the unknown, going into scary situations. It’s been an amazing tool for us to talk about how he’s feeling.”

George said:

“When I’m in hospital, it’s a bit scary. But just like the Ghostbusters, I try to face my fears. I try to be brave.”

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His family said more surgeries are inevitable and a transplant may be considered when George is older.

The charity has said it hopes to raise the money by World Wish Day on April 29. In total, there are 503 critically ill children waiting for a wish to be granted in the UK, which would cost £1.25 million.

To find out more or donate to Make-A-Wish UK, click here.

A Harrogate woman with severe sight loss and her friend are set to walk 100km continuously for almost 40 hours whilst tethered together in aid of Retina UK.

Penny Uglow has been losing her sight since she was 13 and is now left with just a 10 pence piece area of her vision in focus. Her condition is called retinitis pigmentosa which progressively breaks down the cells in the retina.

Her sight loss makes the challenge of 100km continuous walking even harder.

But Penny will have the help of her personal trainer and friend James Winder, a crew manager at Harrogate Fire Station, who has to describe each step to Penny and alert her to any obstacles.

Penny chose to fundraise for Retina UK as the charity is currently funding a research trial into a possible cure for her condition. The treatment is attempting to stop the cells dying to maintain as much sight as possible.

Penny is undergoing tests to be part of the trial and although her sight will never return this treatment may help pause any further degeneration.

The pair are taking on the Yorkshire Ultra Challenge and instead of spreading the distance across two days, they have chosen to push through in one go.

When asked why she wanted to take on such a challenge, Penny said:

“I am very excited but also nervous, I don’t know how it will go until I’m there. Maybe it was a slightly crazy plan but I knew it had to be a huge challenge to get people to donate.

“It’ll be such a big achievement for me and that is what will keep me going, especially through the night.”

The pair will be connected by a 60cm tether rope.

Due to Penny’s sight loss and the need for constant guidance the pair expect to walk at a reduced pace of 3km an hour meaning they are likely to be walking for up to 40 hours.

The route is split into two 25km loops going north and south of Pateley Bridge, the pair will walk each loop twice to reach their total distance.

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James Winder said:

“This is a huge challenge for anyone never mind someone with such reduced sight like Penny. When she first came to me with the idea of a marathon for charity I, of course, said yes and then it just progressed. How could I say no when the charity is working so hard to help people like Penny?”

Penny has set her target at £3,500 and has nearly reached £3,000. To donate and support the pair click here.

A  large annual parade that has taken place in Ripon for about 1,000 years is under threat.

Thousands of people turn out for St Wilfrid’s Procession, which celebrates the city’s patron saint.

The procession sees decorated floats travel around the city led by an actor playing St Wilfrid on a horse, followed by musicians, dancers and finally the Wakeman of Ripon.

There are also stalls and events on the Market Square for what is one of Ripon’s main events of the year.

The parade traditionally takes place on the last Saturday of July but covid prevented it taking place for the last two years.

Most funding comes from street collections on the day. But when the organising committee applied for a street collection permit for this year’s event, on July 30, it discovered Harrogate Borough Council had already granted a permit to another organisation — and only one a day is allowed.

The council told St Wilfrid’s Procession committee it was unable to reveal the identity of the other organisation because of data protection legislation.

This prompted the committee to put an appeal on social media asking for anyone who knew who it was to get in touch to see if a solution could be reached.

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A committee spokesman said:

“We want an open discussion with whoever has the permit to see if they are able to switch days.

“Without a permit, the procession won’t take place next year because most donations are made on the day from people who give to fundraisers with buckets.”

The spokesman stressed nobody was to blame for the “unfortunate coincidence” and the council was trying to help find a solution.

The Stray Ferret contacted the council but did not receive a reply.

Fundraising in Ripon is continuing for refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK and elsewhere.

On Saturday evening (April 9) the family of Ripon man Lewis Edwards has arranged a casino and curry evening  to support the appeal launched after he fled Kyiv with partner Tanya Bogdanovska and set up a transfer station for fellow refugees in Slovakia.

Though the couple have left Slovakia and are currently in Spain, awaiting clearance for both of them to come to the UK, the money raised by the appeal continues to help Ukrainian people.

At the time of publication, the gofundme page set up in late February has raised almost £19,700 and Ali Edwards, Lewis’s mother, told the Stray Ferret:

“This will be our final fundraiser and it would be fabulous if we could pass the £20,000 target that we set.”

The event, like the music bingo evening last month, will be held at The Magdalens on Princess Road and tickets at £10 apiece are available from the pub.

The Mayor of Ripon Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy (pictured right) hosted a previous fundraising event for Ukraine at The Magdalens Pub last month.

Attendees will be entitled to a curry and given a fistful of ‘fun dollars’ to buy chips – not to eat, but to play the blackjack table or give the roulette wheel a spin.

Ms Edwards said:

“The response to the appeal has been incredible and reflects the generosity of the people of Ripon.

“We are grateful to so many people, and particularly thank the city’s Mayor Eamon Parkin and his partner Nigel, for the kindness that they have shown in letting us host this and the music bingo event at their pub.”

Sponsors for Saturday evening include Davis and  Lund estate agents, Lynne Furlong, owner of DogZone and Ms Edwards’ own business, Pamperyourself Ripon.

A raffle for prizes donated by local independent businesses will also be held.

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Harrogate estate agents take on Yorkshire Three Peaks for charity 

Harrogate estate agents, Feather Smailes Scales (FSS) are hoping to raise more money for Maggie’s Centres by climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

The team at FSS said they wanted to support a charity that helps those undergoing treatment.

Maggie’s Centres builds centres next to NHS hospitals to offer professional support for anything from treatment side effects to money worries.

The FSS team will take on the 24-mile hiking challenge tomorrow.

Partner and auctioneer Richard Smailes said:

“Last November, I was incredibly touched by the enthusiasm of those supporting the charity. Those who were affected by cancer planned to carry out incredible tasks to raise money for a cause that supports those suffering take back control when cancer turns their life upside down.”

To donate click here.

Networking event for SMEs at Harrogate Convention Centre this month

Harrogate Borough Council and SME Growth Managers have organised an event for Harrogate district businesses to share ideas and solve problems.

The event, on April 21, is aimed at local SMEs, small to middle-sized businesses.

‘Five tips to sales and marketing effectiveness in challenging times’ will hear from numerous business owners about the impact of marketing.

The event lasts 90 minutes and is free to attend. It will highlight funding opportunities and give business owners the chance to meet with similar, like-minded businesses.

The event begins at 9.30am at Co-Lab Harrogate, through entrance three at the convention centre.

Harrogate Convention Centre

Coppice Valley Primary School is hoping to raise £10,000 to improve its library and provide a space for students to be inspired by books.

The current space inside the Harrogate school is more than 20 years old and the second-hand shelving is beginning to collapse.

The plan is to use the funds to completely redesign the space with new storage, books and floor mats.

Ms Emma Meadus, headteacher, said the school set up a covid-safe book swap outside during the pandemic and because of that many books weren’t returned or were returned in poor condition.

The school wants to improve its current library.

The school has had a quote from a design company of £8,800. Any remaining donations will be used to buy new books.

Ms Meadus said:

“It’s been a make-shift, make-do area and the books are in need of an upgrade. We knew it needed to be better for our kids, we have a lot of catch-up learning to do after the pandemic and we want a beautiful space for the kids to be inspired.”

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The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary in September and hopes the library will be a legacy project.

Although the target is £10,000, the school wants to raise £20,000 over the next two years it so it can build another library for younger children in a separate area of the school.

To support the school’s appeal, click here.

Reminders of the desperate plight of the embattled people of Ukraine have been evident across Ripon in recent days.

From the Rotary Club of Ripon collection at a bustling Market Place, to the contemplative silence of churches, there have been opportunities for residents to provide financial support, pray, or both.

On Rotary Way, customers at the Marks & Spencer food store are being invited to make a donation when they pay for their shopping. Similar collections are being held at other Ripon shops and businesses

Further down Rotary Way, an iconic image from another war provides a simple and moving message of support for passing motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The silhouette of the First World War soldier and his sweetheart has had the blue and yellow ribbons of Ukraine added along with a posy of flowers of the same colours.

The Our Lady of Fountains Altar at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, where The Pope’s prayer for peace can be seen

At St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, the altar of Our Lady of Fountains is decked in yellow and blue. The altar also displays the prayer for peace of Pope Francis.

The altar was bequeathed to the church by the family of the 1st Marquess of Ripon, a man known for his kindness and compassion, who died in 1909.

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy (right), are pictured with Ali Edwards (centre) her partner Lizzie, and some of the 40-plus people who attended the fundraising event

Ripon’s Lewis Edwards, who escaped Kyiv late last month with his Ukrainian partner Tanya Bogdanovska and is now in Slovakia, spoke via his mobile phone to family, friends and supporters gathered at a fundraising event held at the Magdalens pub on Saturday evening.

Mr Edwards told attendees at the packed venue, how former Harrogate soldier Mike Heelan had arrived safely in Slovakia to lend an extra experienced pair of hands to the 10-strong team, which is helping refugees seeking sanctuary in countries across Europe.

The event, hosted by the pub’s owners, the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy, raised more than £1,300, which be will added to £16,000-plus already raised through donations to the gofundme page set up by Mr Edwards’ family.

Ripon Runners made up for lost time when the Lightwater Valley 10k returned at the weekend after two years off because of covid.

Ted Leahy completed the testing course in 35 minutes and 43 seconds to win the men’s open race, 19 seconds ahead of Ripon Runners clubmate Jamie Baker.

Jamie was outright second in the race and also won the men’s seniors event in a time of 36.02, almost five and a half minutes ahead of the second-placed senior runner.

Ted Leahy, winner of the men’s race and Emily Abbey, who won the women’s race

Other winners from the club, included Ian Harrison in the male veterans 40 race and Lenny Lennox who was the first male veteran over 60 to cross the finishing line.

The outright winner of the women’s race was Emily Abbey of Swaledale Runners in a time of 44 minutes and.37 seconds.

Morag McDowall and Lucy Philpott capped an outstanding day for Ripon Runners by winning the female veterans 55-years old and female veterans seniors categories respectively.

A total of 136 runners completed the race and many more, including junior runners, took part in the 3k event.

The other winner was North Stainley Primary School, which raised much-needed funds from the entry fees paid by runners.

The annual race, over an undulating multi-terrain route, is organised by the charity Friends of North Stainley School and covers a course that  passes through the Lightwater estate and the surrounding countryside.

Money raised contributes towards the cost of school trips, technology for pupils, music lessons and sporting activities.

North Stainley Primary School opened in 1871 and is still based in its original building, close to the village church of St Mary’s.

All photographs provided by Tyler Parker Photography.

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