Phoebe Graham to promote women and girls at Harrogate Cricket Club

Professional cricketer Phoebe Graham has agreed to become Harrogate Cricket Club’s ambassador for women and girls’ cricket.

Graham, who is contracted to Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Northern Diamonds, will provide regular girls coaching.

She will also act as a consultant to the club on how to expand its number of female players and grow the game in the Harrogate district.

Graham, who is a fast bowler and qualified coach, will advise the club on formulating a schools’ programme to encourage more girls to take up cricket and help it work with other clubs in the area to promote women and girls’ cricket.

The club currently includes about 25 girls, whose season is due to start next month.

For the first time ever, Harrogate’s girls’ section has entered a team in to the Nidderdale under-13 boys league this summer.

Graham, who also runs a gender equality consultancy, will now build on work done by head junior coach Andy Hawkswell, along with Nat Crossland and Tim Robinson to further develop the girls’ section.

Club chairman Steve Clark said:

“This new partnership is an incredibly exciting one. We hope it will be a long-lasting relationship that ensures that women and girls’ cricket continues to grow and thrive in Harrogate.”

Graham said:

“Providing women and girls with opportunities to play sport is something that I am extremely passionate about and I love Harrogate’s commitment and long-term ambitions to grow the female section.”

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Ten more covid cases confirmed in the Harrogate district

Ten more covid cases have been recorded in the Harrogate district, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,542.

Meanwhile, the district’s covid seven-day rate remains at 48 infections per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 47 and the England rate is 55.

Read more:

It was revealed today that the number of covid patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to six.

Last week, there were 13 patients at the hospital.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital today.

Harrogate district reports 14 more covid cases

A further 14 cases of covid have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today.

The figure, by Public Health England, takes the total number of cases to 7,532.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has increased to 48 infections per 100,000 people.

Read more:

The North Yorkshire average is 44, while the England rate is 55.

In the Harrogate district, Killinghall and Hampsthwaite is again the local area with the most covid cases in the last seven-days, with eight infections.

Harrogate East and Harrogate West and Pannal have recorded seven cases each, according to North Yorkshire County Council figures.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate district records 10 further coronavirus cases

The Harrogate district has recorded a further 10 coronavirus cases.

It takes the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 7,507, according to Public Health England statistics.

The district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 44 per 100,000 people. Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire average is 46 and the England rate is 55.

Meanwhile, NHS England figures show a death from a patient who tested positive for covid was reported on March 16 at Harrogate District Hospital.

Read more:

It takes the total deaths at the hospital since March last year to 177.

Today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that more than half of adults across the UK have had a first dose of a covid vaccine.

In the Harrogate district, 70,138 people have been vaccinated according to NHS England figures.

Covid vaccine tally in Harrogate district hits 70,000

A total of 70,138 people in the Harrogate district have received their first coronavirus vaccine, according to NHS England figures today.

The data, which covers the period until today, reveals almost 6,000 vaccines have been given in the last week.

North Yorkshire’s health officials insisted yesterday the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and urged people to continue to come forward for their jabs when invited.

However, under-50s will now not be offered a vaccine during April due to supply problems.

Read more:

Meanwhile, another 12 covid infections have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England.

The district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 39 cases per 100,000 people. The national average is 58, while the North Yorkshire rate is 48.

Survey reveals strong business confidence in Harrogate district

A survey of businesses in the Harrogate district has found high levels of confidence, despite months of restrictions.

Harrogate law firm Berwins conducted the survey in the last week of February to gauge confidence as many firms prepare to re-open.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the approximately 50 respondents were confident about their prospects.

The figure rose to over 70 per cent when asked about the next six or 12 months, suggesting businesses are looking to the future with a renewed sense of optimism.

However, 30 per cent thought the next three months would pose challenges, highlighting short-term concerns.

Part of this growing assurance has been put down the government’s proposed road map.

While the overall handling of the pandemic by central government generated mixed responses, the phased approach to re-opening was generally well received.

Confidence in the wider business community was, however less assured. While firms are broadly positive about their own position, just 30 per cent felt the same way about the local commercial community over the next six months.

Read more:

Although that figure improved in the medium term – 50% of respondents were confident about the community over the next 12 months – the gap between business leaders’ perceptions of their own business and the wider community remained.

Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins, said:

“Over the past year, we have seen some fantastic examples of enterprise and innovation, which has stood many businesses in good stead. We are now also starting to see wider signs for optimism.

“Tourism and hospitality remain key strands of our local economy and play a crucial role in bringing visitors to our high street.

“I am hopeful that these sectors will be boosted by a roadmap out of restrictions, reports of an increase in people choosing to holiday in the UK and the prospect of major events returning to the convention centre as the Nightingale hospital closes.”

 

Harrogate council halts covid business grants

A “very high number” of Harrogate businesses applying for coronavirus support grants could mean the council runs out of cash under one scheme sooner than expected.

Harrogate Borough Council was allocated £4.6m as part of the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant scheme to help firms forced to close during lockdown. So far it has handed out more than £2m in two phases of payments.

It had planned to open a third phase tomorrow but now says this is “on hold” because it is still working through a backlog of applications.

And because the council is not expecting any further grant money from the government under this scheme, it could mean some businesses expecting a third and final payment later this month may not get it.

The council said in a newsletter to businesses:

“We received a very high number of applications in phase two, far more than anticipated, and we are continuing to work hard to complete assessment of these.

“Until we have assessed and awarded all the grants in phase two we are unable to commit to a further grant funding phase.”

The high number of businesses asking for financial support shows how seriously the strain of the pandemic is still being felt in Harrogate’s shutdown sectors of the economy and could mean all of the £4.6m is used up before the third phase is opened.

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Some business owners who had been expecting a third payment told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the grants will be “the difference between survival and closure” for many firms as they also called on the government to provide more support.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“We recognise that many businesses across the district are relying on this financial support for their survival, so that’s exactly why we’ve been working as hard as possible to get money out the door.

“In total, across all schemes since the first lockdown, we’ve distributed £70 million to more than 5,000 businesses.

“There are strict criteria for the various grant schemes, and the different phases of those schemes, and we’ve had to make sure businesses are eligible for the support on offer.”

Under another scheme, the Local Restrictions Support Grants, the council was allocated £23m and up to the end of February had paid out £18.5m.

Almost £100,000 has also been paid out to pubs that do not serve food and are eligible for a one-off payment of £1,000.

Harrogate Borough Council said it was now keen to signpost towards the government’s Restart Grant, which will aim to help businesses get back on their feet as lockdown is lifted.

Non-essential retail businesses able to reopen from 5 April will receive grants of up to £6,000, while hospitality and leisure businesses will receive up to £18,000 before they make a full return on 17 May.

For more information go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/business-investment

17 covid cases confirmed in Harrogate district today

A further 17 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since March to 7,478.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 39 per 100,000 people. The national average is 58, while the North Yorkshire rate is 48.

No further deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Read more:

The number of covid patients at the hospital has fallen to 13 – nine fewer than the 22 last week.

In other covid news today, North Yorkshire’s health bosses have insisted that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and urged people to continue to come forward for their jabs when invited.

It was also announced that more than 188,000 people in North Yorkshire have now received their first coronavirus jab and 13,000 their second.

More than 50,000 of those have been delivered at Harrogate’s mass vaccination centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Those who are currently being called up for their vaccine include over 50s and those with underlying health conditions between 16 and 60-years-old.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to our live updates on traffic and travel for the Harrogate district.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. Thanks again for checking out of traffic and travel blog. Do get involved if you have any updates we may have missed – it helps others to avoid problems. I am heading over to the news desk now but will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads look clear so far this morning but there are some areas likely to cause delays later on.

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads look clear so far this morning but there are some areas likely to cause delays later on.

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

Harrogate district covid rate at lowest level since September

The Harrogate district’s seven-day average rate of covid infection has fallen below 40 cases per 100,000 people.

Currently, the average stands at 38 and is at its lowest level since September last year.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire rate is 46 and the national rate is 57.

Read more:

Sixteen covid cases have been confirmed in the district in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since March to 7,461.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.