Restaurants regularly turn me away, even though it’s illegal, says guide dog ownerCharities benefit from Ripon Old Car Classic Gathering
Ripon Old Car Classic Gathering (ROCCG) has been back in gear raising much-needed funds for nine charities.
The principal beneficiary from the 2023 gathering at the city’s racecourse was Alzheimer’s Research, which received £5,000 from funds raised through entry fees.to the event, where a total of 700 classic cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and tractors were on display.
ROCCG chair Phill Greetham told the Stray Ferret:
“Our 28th annual gathering was held in late July and proved a great success. Over the years we have raised more than £200,000 for a broad range of charities.”
Some of the classic vehicles that were on display at Ripon Racecourse. Picture: Gary and Liz Smith Photography
He added:
“Profits from the event are shared between local groups and other good causes and each year our committee donates a large amount to one chosen charity, while smaller donations are made to a number of other deserving causes.”
In addition to Alzheimer’s Research, the other beneficiaries which received £150 apiece were: Guide Dogs, Vision Support, RNLI, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Macmillan Cancer Support, Saint Michael’s Hospice, Dementia Forward and Fighting Ependymona.
The cheque presentation evening was held last week at Hazel House in Allhallowgate and each recipient gave a short talk on how the money would be spent by their respective organisation.
Harrogate chamber announces all-female line-up for June meetingHarrogate District Chamber of Commerce has announced it will have three female speakers at its June meeting.
The business networking event will include talks from Sarah Barry, chief executive of Harrogate Town, Rhiannon Wilkinson, headteacher at Ashville College, and Charlene Lyons, chief executive of Black Sheep Brewery.
Sue Kramer, president of the chamber, said:
“For my first meeting as chamber president, I’m delighted that we are hearing from three inspirational women leaders.
“I’m really looking forward to hearing from Sarah, Rhiannon and Charlene about their career paths, and it will be interesting to learn if they faced any challenges along the way.”
The meeting will take place on June 13 at 6:15pm at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel, and is open to non-members.
Doors open at 5.30pm for informal networking.
Rudding Park to host ‘dine in the dark’
Rudding Park will host its first ever ‘dine in the dark’ experience on Friday to raise money for Guide Dogs charity.
Guests will be served a three-course meal whilst blindfolded, with the main course being eaten in complete darkness.
The event aims to raise awareness of how visually impaired people experience daily activities, and educate people on the work of guide dogs in the region.
Organiser and guide dog owner, Kim Murphy, said:
“Even eating a meal without dropping the peas or knocking a glass of wine over is quite a challenge and that’s just one part of your day when you’ve lost your sight.”
Nicola Ridgway, community fundraising manager at Guide Dogs, said:
“Dine in the Dark experiences are just a small insight into the world of sight loss, but people often come away feeling enlightened and more aware of the challenges people with vision impairment face day to day.”
The evening will take place from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. Tickets are available here.
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Sight-impaired Ripon man calls for council boss to intervene over pavement cafe
A visually impaired man from Ripon has called on the Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council to intervene over a pavement cafe complaint.
Graham Wilkey has lodged a stage one complaint over the Caffe Nero outside space with the council. highlighting the issue about the amount of space that pavement licence holders are required to provide to ensure access can be maintained.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“Businesses that are given a licence to put tables and chairs outside their premises, should ensure that they are properly barriered off.
“They also need to ensure that the gap between the barriered off tables and chairs and edge of the kerb, is wide enough for people in two wheelchairs to safely pass by.”
Following the end of the first covid lockdown last summer, Mr Wilkey went out on his own into the city centre.
Graham Wilkey with the white stick that was bent after he collided with tables and chairs .
However, on his first solo walk in months, he collided with tables and chairs outside Caffe Nero in Market Place North.
His white stick got stuck and was bent out of shape.
Mr Wilkey, said:
“That shattered my confidence and made me wary about going out alone.”
He ;pointed out:
“I made a complaint to the council about the table licence that they gave to Caffe Nero
“I felt that council officers had not got the measurements right.
“I believe that the gap between the tables and chairs and the edge of the kerb is not wide enough.
“In addition to this, there are other obstructions on Market Place North, such as a lamp post.
“This makes it like an obstacle course for blind, partially sighted and disabled people in wheelchairs – that’s why I am calling on Mr Sampson’s intervention.
“I have asked the council’s corporate affairs team to bring this to his attention.”
In a written response to Mr Wilkey’s stage one complaint, the corporate affairs team, said that highways officers had visited the site during a consultation period and after the licence was granted and that they:
“Have confirmed that there is sufficient space.”
The letter goes on to say:
“Harrogate Borough Council is in agreement with this.
“Whilst there is no statutory requirement for barriers to be placed all around the site, Caffe Nero have confirmed their desire to deploy additional barriers.”
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Tanya Stimpson, director of Vision Support Harrogate District, said:
“With the easing of lockdown and more pavement licences issued, people with white sticks find it more difficult to navigate around the streets.
“I know this from personal experience, because I have my own white stick.”
She added:
“People who use white sticks are trained to walk close to the frontage of buildings.
“This becomes more problematic if there are tables and chairs in the way that hadn’t been in place previously.
“Where barriers have been put around seating areas, the barrier should go all the way to the ground, so that sticks can’t get stuck under them.”
Harrogate group fundraises for ‘life changing’ guide dogsThe coronavirus pandemic has badly affected the Guide Dog’s programme to train new dogs and the charity’s ability to raise money.
So the fundraising group of the Harrogate branch has combined with 400 other groups to support the ’12 Guide Dogs of Christmas’ event.
From today to December 12 the Guide Dogs charity will showcase a different dog online each day. The aim of the event is to fund twelve new life-changing guide dogs for those in the waiting list across the UK.
Within Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough there are five guide dog owners with a further four people waiting for their special companion. Funds raised from activities such as these go towards dog training.
In 2016 Kate Hammond, from Harrogate, was matched with her guide dog Sheba. She says the support from Guide Dogs and its local branches has meant her and Sheba “bonded very quickly”.
She said:
“Four and a half years ago I hardly ever left my home because my confidence had been shattered by my rapidly deteriorating vision.
“Then I was matched with Sheba. She has been an absolute life changer! Sheba quickly learnt my usual routes and we go for long walks every day with Sheba moving me out of the way of obstructions such as low hanging branches, wheelie bins and even puddles.
“Sheba has given me my independence back and with it a much, much happier life. I am eternally grateful to the Guide Dogs Charity for matching us together.”
This Christmas fundraiser will support owners across the UK.
During the pandemic, the Harrogate branch has adapted its services using online platforms to support its users. It says the pandemic will have a knock-on effect. It’s meant some people have to wait longer to get the right dog for them.
Nicola Ridgway, fundraising relationship manager for the Harrogate area, said:
“Fundraising groups have been unable to carry out the thousands of collections planned across the UK which could equate to a loss of £870,000 in 2020. That is why campaigns like our 12 Guide Dogs of Christmas which we are launching on the 1st December are so important to us right now and we are very grateful for any support people feel able to give to this.”
To support the appeal, click here.