A Boroughbridge police officer and an army officer based at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate are amongst the local residents recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

In this jubilee year, the Queen has recognised the service of four Harrogate district residents.

Knighthood

Martyn Oliver, chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, has been knighted for services to education.

The trust sponsors 40 schools in northern England, including Outwood Primary Academy Greystone and Outwood Academy in Ripon.

MBE

Barry Appleton, at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, has been made an MBE for his military service.

The warrant officer’s role at the college is to take care of the welfare of the 300 military staff and their families.

The college provides basic training to 1,300 under 18s. The honours list describes how he uses his imagination to “engage with and support his community, providing constant oversight and support in excess of what seemed possible”.

He has worked at the college for more than a decade and in that time looked after hundreds of military and civilian families.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Ellen Hughes, from Harrogate, has been made an MBE for services to sport during covid.

Ms Hughes is currently director of special projects at Sport England after starting her career in grassroots sport as a project manager at North Yorkshire County Sports Partnership.

She has been responsible for delivering the government’s £600million sports survival package to support spectator sports during covid when fans weren’t allowed in venues.

She has given funding to more than 1,200 organisations through this scheme and was also responsible for giving £32.7million worth of covid funding to rugby league teams.

Colin William Rodham, from Knaresborough, has been made an MBE for services to flood risk management in the Yorkshire region.

Mr Rodham currently works as a senior officer in the Environment Agency.

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BEM

Sharron Moverley-Homes, from Boroughbridge, has been made an BEM for services to policing.

Ms Moverley-Holmes is a special chief officer in the North Yorkshire Police Special Constabulary. Since joining the police in 1984 she has remained in the North Yorkshire force calling it “the family I could never leave”.

Over the three decades, she said she has worked in a number of departments but being out in the community remains the most rewarding part:

“The bread and butter of policing is being visible and speaking to members of the public. That could be walking the streets or it could be when they need us the most and are at the worst point in their lives.”

Ms Moverley-Holmes manages the special constabulary which is a collection of part-time volunteer officers. She said working with those willing to give up their free time is “truly rewarding” and dedicated her award to their hard work.

She said another passion of her’s is to ensure the force is as open and inclusive as it can be, she said to serve the community we must represent it, adding:

“Policing was very different when I started and so was the world. I hope my legacy is that we are open to everyone and inclusive.”

Talking about receiving the award, she said:

“I was shocked, surprised, I had to hide it away for a few hours and go back and check I hadn’t read it wrong. It’s a huge privilege to be recognised for a job I love.”

This weekend, on June 5, a group of special constables and Ms Moverely-Holmes will be walking 30 miles from York to Tadcaster to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Special Constable Glenn Goodman who was fatally shot whilst on patrol in Tadcaster.

Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service

Lisa Winward, the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

Ms Winward joined Humberside Police as a regular officer in 1994, before transferring to North Yorkshire in 2008, and took the position of Chief Constable in April 2018.

She is a national ambassador for volunteering, taking the National Police Chief Council lead for Citizens in Policing for a number of years and is national lead for women’s health and the intelligence portfolio.

Ms Winward, said:

“I simply wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the people who have helped me, taught me, inspired and motivated me and worked alongside me in the wonderful team that is policing. It is a privilege to be a public servant and a police officer.”

A 92-year-old woman has died after being involved in a serious car crash in the Harrogate district at the weekend.

The crash happened just after 8pm on Saturday at the crossroads of Spring Road, Moor Lane and Wharf Lane in Netherby, which is near Harewood, on the fringes of the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Police said after the incident that the woman had sustained serious injuries and today confirmed she had died in hospital. It said:

“Sadly the 92-year-old woman who was a passenger has passed away in hospital. Her family have been informed, our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

“We are continuing to appeal for information following this collision.”

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The collision involved a navy-coloured Jeep Cherokee and a Blue Volkswagen T-Cross.

The Jeep Cherokee was travelling down Moor Lane towards Spring Road and the Volkswagen was heading east to west on Spring Road.

Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the accident, saw the vehicles prior to the incident or have dash cam footage that may be relevant to contact them.

You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for 917 Jon Moss, of the major collision investigation team. Or email Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk.

The crime reference number is 12220091836.

A 92-year-old woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a serious crash in Netherby.

The collision happened at the crossroads of Spring Road, Moor Lane and Wharf Lane in the village, which is near Harewood, at 8pm on Saturday evening (May 28).

North Yorkshire Police said the crash involved a navy-coloured Jeep Cherokee and a Blue Volkswagen T-Cross.

The Jeep Cherokee was travelling down Moor Lane towards Spring Road and the Volkswagen was heading east to west on Spring Road.

A police statement added:

“Sadly, a 92-year-old woman passenger, sustained severe injuries and currently remains in hospital in a critical condition. The driver of one of the vehicles was also injured.

“Police are asking for witnesses to the collision and any members of the public who sighted either vehicle prior to the collision to come forward.

“Anyone with dash camera footage that was in the area at the time of the incident is asked to review their footage and pass this to police to assist the investigation.

“If you can help, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for, 917, Jon Moss, of the Major Collision Investigation Team. Alternatively, you can contact him via email on: Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk Please quote reference:12220091836.”

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More than £200,000 has been raised for good causes across the Harrogate district thanks to a community lottery scheme.

The Local Lotto, run by Harrogate Borough Council, has passed the milestone this month after being established in 2018 as a way for groups to raise more funds.

For each £1 ticket bought, 60p goes to local charities, voluntary organisations and community groups. Meanwhile, players have the chance to win a £25,000 jackpot as well as smaller cash prizes each week.

Karen Weaver, strategic lead at Harrogate and District Community Action, said:

“The Local Lotto has been such a great success in supporting good causes across the Harrogate district, providing a regular monthly income and an easy way for local people to support local community action.

“There is also a vital and fruitful link with the Local Fund, with 10p from every ticket sale being donated directly and helping to ensure that it exists in perpetuity to provide grants to grass roots volunteers, community groups and charities.”

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A total of 112 groups have signed up to be part of the Local Lotto to generate additional funding.

Beneficiaries include Autism Angels, Woodfield Millennium Green, Horticap, the Harrogate branch of Parkinson’s UK, Harrogate Dramatic Society, Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed, and other groups including Scouts, churches, sports clubs and more.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council and voluntary and community sector chair, said:

“It’s an incredible achievement to raise more than £200,000 in less than four years for our voluntary and community sector across the Harrogate district, through the Local Lotto.

“These vital funds can sometimes be a lifeline for smaller community groups and I’d like to thank everyone for getting involved and signing up to play the Local Lotto.

“It’s never too late to take part, whether as an organisations or a participant, and I’d urge anyone to sign up online.”

Kathryn Davies was elected Knaresborough’s new mayor last week.

Cllr Davies, a Conservative, had not been a town councillor before then and she said she was excited and ready to “jump in at the deep end” in her new role.

Green Party councillor Mark Flood will serve as her deputy.

Cllr Davies, who moved to Knaresborough 16 years ago, said she had got more involved in local campaigns over the last five years and felt the role of mayor would help her become more integrated in the local community.

Here are 10 facts about Knaresborough’s new mayor:

1 She has lived in Yorkshire all her life and used to visit Knaresborough for “a day out in the summer” as a child.

2 She met her husband, Rob, 25 years ago at a dinner in Nottingham and they married eight years later. She now has two step-daughters and two grandchildren.

3 Cllr Davies reached senior level in the civil service, working for the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and finally the Food Standards Agency.

4 She has completed a year-long accountancy course with the army and leadership training with the SAS.

5 Her areas of focus for the town will be housing and, as a lover of the outdoors, she wants to help preserve the town’s green space.

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6 She is a keen supporter of the weekly market and independent shops and tries to do all her shopping locally instead of at supermarkets.

7 During her term, she will be fundraising for Cliff House Community Support Services, a charity that helps older people live independently. She is also looking for a mental health charity to support. During her A-levels, Cllr Davies was involved in a serious car accident that left her deaf in one ear. It took her 10 years to overcome the trauma and she wants to use her experiences to help others.

8 Over the past five years she has worked with other residents and Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones to raise the issue of flooding by the River Nidd and to get a tree preservation order on a section of woodland near Waterside.

9 Since retiring a decade ago, she has taken a number of two-year courses at York University including creative writing and Spanish.

10 She is a member of Harrogate and District Naturalists Society, the Royal Horticultural Society and English Heritage. She also supports a nature reserve at Farnham.

Jubilee fever is increasing, with the Harrogate district transforming into a sea of red, white and blue ahead of the celebrations this week.

From costumes to bunting, there are plenty of ways to get into the party spirit.

But if the thought of daubing yourself in face paint or wearing a giant hat is just that little bit too extra, there is a more discreet way to get involved.

We have teamed up with Harrogate nail artist Helen Wren to offer a step-by-step guide to creating the perfect Union flag design for your digits.

Helen, who has a studio at her home on Cold Bath Road, said:

“I’ve definitely noticed people getting excited in the run-up to the jubilee weekend.

“Some are talking about celebrating with friends and family, street party style, and others are using the bank holiday in half-term to get away.

“So appointments have been full and fun. Classic post box red is always on point. Then royal blue and strong white are really popular colours for nails right now anyway – so simple great British colours are perfect.

“Of course you can’t beat a Union Jack. Keep it low key and just pop it on one nail.”

1. Primer/base coat.   2. Blue all over the nail

3. Thick white strip vertically.   4. Thick white strip horizontally

5. Slightly thinner white stripe diagonally through the cross both ways.   6. Go over the white with a fine vertical red line 

7. Fine red line horizontally.   8. Fine red lines diagonally and finish using a top coat in either a high shine or matte. 

Top tip: If using gel polish and a lamp then be sure to cure in between stages. If using a normal nail polish then leave enough time in between stages to dry a little, otherwise they’ll run.

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A new group set up to support women going through menopause has attracted almost 100 members after its first meeting.

Set up by Vic Smith-Dunn through her social enterprise MyLifePool, the group met for the first time on Monday evening at Oatlands Community Centre.

As well as hearing from nutritionist Linda Le Floch of Quality Health Foods, the evening offered members the chance to ask questions anonymously — which produced some surprising results.

Ms Smith-Dunn said:

“We ran a questionnaire asking what kind of topics people would like covering at future events.

“The responses ranged from the best types of exercise for bone health to skin care and fashion advice. However, one of the biggest demands was for advice on how to improve libido.”

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Ms Smith-Dunn was able to share some tips about supplements which can help, but the group discussed how much it comes down to mindset and self-confidence.

She added:

“I would love to make contact with local businesses or professionals who may have information or products to share that may support and empower our growing tribe of women, who are determined to grab back their lives along with their libido to truly make the most of living through this hormonal change rather than just pushing through.”

For more information about the group, visit the MeNoPause website.

Harrogate Borough Council is set to award a £40,000 contract to create a pet crematorium at Stonefall Cemetery.

The crematorium will be built inside a converted shipping container at the crematorium on Wetherby Road.

The contract would cover the purchase and installation of a cremator, as well as five years maintenance.

Councillors backed plans for the district’s first pet crematorium in March 2022.

Stephen Hemsworth, bereavement services manager at the council, said at the time it was likely to cost about £50 for a rabbit to be cremated and over £200 for a dog.

The contract, which is being advertised on a government procurement website, is expected to start in June this year.

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It says:

“This contract includes the purchase of a pet cremator and container in which the cremator will be housed and operated, including delivery, installation, training and periodic maintenance.

“The anticipated contract value is £40,000.00 for the purchase, delivery, siting and installation of the containerised pet cremator including five years maintenance from the date of installation.”

The move to set up a pet crematorium follows in the footsteps of councils in North East Lincolnshire and Barnsley, which have built similar facilities.

The Harrogate facility will include a “goodbye room” in a converted garage where owners can say final farewells to their pets.

Harrogate has become the first district in the UK to achieve toilet twinning status thanks to a group of campaigners.

Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District arranged for the title to be given by national charity Tearfund’s Toilet Twinning project.

It aims to provide safe toilet facilities, along with education about sanitation, for people in developing countries by encouraging people in the UK to sponsor a toilet in Asia, Africa or the Americas.

The Harrogate district has now twinned with 36 individual toilets and a block of four toilets in low income countries, equating to £2,400 donated by local schools and businesses, Harrogate Borough Council and the Soroptimists themselves.

The certificate was presented by the group’s president, Val Hills, and Toilet Twinning project leader Sue Williams, to outgoing Mayor and Mayoress of the Harrogate district, Cllr Trevor Chapman and his wife Jen.

Ms Hills said:

“We are delighted to achieve toilet twinning status for the Harrogate district which, we believe, is the first district to be given the award in the country.”

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A log burning stove is believed to have caused a fire at a former dairy building in the Harrogate district.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to the building at North Rigton at 4.45pm yesterday.

Harrogate fire station said in a social media post last night:

“Crews extinguished the fire using breathing apparatus, hose reel jets, thermal imaging camera, Harrogate’s aerial ladder platform and Tadcaster’s Water Bowser.

“Fire was believed to be caused by a log burning stove.”

More pictures from the scene taken by Harrogate firefighters

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