This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.
The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.
Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.
Today, we spoke to Dementia Forward’s founder and CEO, Jill Quinn.
“I sometimes feel national charities have lost touch with local communities.
“The need for dementia support was huge and the funding was usually decided in London.
“We felt we could do a better job by being rooted in the community.”
It was this realisation that prompted Jill Quinn MBE to improve local dementia support in the Harrogate district.
Jill, who previously worked for two national dementia charities, said she wasted many years in retail management before realising that the voluntary sector was where she belonged.
Dementia Forward was born in 2012 after Jill and other founding members left their previous healthcare jobs on a Friday and launched the charity the following Monday.
The team places need at the centre of the charity – something that can’t be done from 200 miles away. She added:
“People know when they put their pound in the pot, they’d be getting better services in the local area.
“You can’t design a service to be delivered in the local area from an office in London.”
It began with just seven members of staff. The team were donated second-hand laptops and worked from a small office in Ripon.
Now, with a flagship hub in Burton Leonard, 64 employees and more than 250 volunteers, Jill was right – Dementia Forward can serve the local community better.
It now covers the whole of North Yorkshire and helps more than 4,000 families.
“It was meant to a small, fluffy, local charity, but we hit a model that works.
“I like to believe every single person at Dementia Forward is just as passionate as me.”
Some of the Dementia Forward team.
Jill and her team made – and still make – it their mission to help those living with dementia and the people around them from the very early stages, all the way until end of life.
“We meet people, we gently inform them of what may come in the years ahead, and then we’re here for them going forward.
“We don’t hold hands with people because they’re independent enough, but we’re just an arm’s length away.”
The charity also educates people in the wider community on dementia, as Jill felt general awareness of the disease was very poor when it started, and has worked with transport companies, shops and churches to increase knowledge.
She has also led the charity to receive various awards for its work, including the Queen’s Voluntary Service Award and the King’s Fund Impact Award.
The Dementia Forward team receiving the Queen’s Voluntary Service Award in 2021.
Jill said:
“It’s hard to describe what Dementia Forward means to be – it’s just my life.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve done, but there’s still a lot to do, and some things are harder to fundraise for than others – like a minibus.”
Dementia Forward offers various social events and groups to combat loneliness and bring those living with dementia together. The groups go on regular trips out and many use the minibus service to access the support services.
However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and tired and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.
Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.
Please give generously to those who need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or your friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.
Thank you.
If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.
Andy’s Man Club to open Harrogate branchA new branch of Andy’s Man Club is set to open in Harrogate in January.
The male suicide prevention charity, which hosts free peer-to-peer sessions at locations across Yorkshire and the north of England, will open at Harrogate College.
The weekly sessions will begin on Monday, January 22, at 7pm and are open to men aged 18 and over.
The
branch has received the backing of Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk in the soap.
He said:
“I’m overjoyed to let you know that there’s a new Andy’s Man Club opening in Harrogate, at Harrogate College.
“So see you there: it’s ok to talk.”
The arrangements for the new branch were led by Neil Waine, who appeared in an episode of Emmerdale earlier this year when the storyline focused on men’s mental health, and saw ‘Paddy’ seek out a local Andy’s Man Club for help.
The aim of the sessions are for men to talk through their issues and help each other deal with their mental health.
Mr Waine, who is project development champion at Andy’s Man Club, said:
“We are really excited to get going in Harrogate and delighted with the college’s support.
“We have been trying to open here for roughly twelve months and once we had the right team in place it was time to find a venue.”
The charity was founded by Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler after Andrew Roberts, Elaine’s son and Luke’s brother-in-law, took his own life aged 23 in 2016.
It held its first session in Halifax, Andrew’s hometown, and now helps to support more than 3,000 men on a weekly basis at more than 150 locations.
For more information on the Harrogate branch, follow them on Facebook here or email info@andysmanclub.co.uk.
Morning trains disrupted due to trespasser at Starbeck
Trains between Harrogate and Knaresborough were disrupted this morning due to a trespasser near the line at Starbeck.
Northern Rail alerted commuters on social media at 9.18am, saying a “trespass incident” was causing delays.
Network Rail and British Transport Police both attended the incident, which happened at around 8.20am.
In a statement, British Transport Police said:
“Officers were called to the line near Starbeck railway station at around 8.20am today (18 December) following reports of concern for welfare.
“Officers attended and a person has been taken to a place of safety.”
Lines have re-opened but Northern said disruption is expected until 12.45pm.
No further details have been released.
Police appeal after 14-year-old injured in Harrogate collision
Police have appealed for witnesses after a 14-year-old girl was injured after a collision in Harrogate.
The incident happened on Otley Road near to Queens Road and West End Avenue at 4.45pm on Tuesday, December 12.
Officers said a black motor vehicle collided with a 14-year-old girl who was a pedestrian. Following the collision, the girl attended hospital for treatment.
The driver, who is described as aged between 60 and 70-years-old, bald and was wearing all black clothing did stop at the scene but didn’t leave any details.
A North Yorkshire Police statement added:
“Police are now requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“In particular, officers are appealing for information about anyone that witnessed the collision or anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage.
“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email paul.dixon@northyorkshire.police.uk You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Paul Dixon.
“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230236668 when passing information.”
Pedestrian involved in collision near Starbeck trailer park
Emergency services were called out following a collision in Starbeck this morning.
The incident, which happened on Knaresborough Road near Shaws Trailer Park, happened at 7:45am.
North Yorkshire Police said a car and pedestrian were involved.
The force told the Stray Ferret:
“Police and ambulance are at the scene.
“Motorists are asked to avoid the area as road closures are in place and due to be there for some time.”
Officers said any further updates will be posted on North Yorkshire Police’s website and social media.
Boots pharmacy in Jennyfields to close next year
The Boots pharmacy inside the Co-op at Jennyfields in Harrogate is set to close next March.
The move comes after Walgreens Boots Alliance, its US-based parent company, announced the closure of 300 UK stores in an earnings call in June.
In a separate report, Boots said it will “consolidate a number of stores” in order to “concentrate its team members where they are needed”.
It added:
“[It will] focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up to date environment.”
The report also said the stores affected are “in close proximity” to other Boots sites.
The retailer declined to comment on the Harrogate store closure, however staff at the Jennyfields pharmacy told the Stray Ferret they have been “given options” about employment going forward.
Following the closure, the nearest Boots pharmacies will be in Harrogate town centre, Knaresborough Market Place, the St James’s Retail Park near Knaresborough and at Market Place West in Ripon.
The Co-Op at Jennyfields
Twenty UK stores, including four in Yorkshire, have already closed following the announcement.
Harrogate piano school celebrates 25 years with pupil concert
Harrogate-based piano school, Saphir Piano Studios, has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a pupil concert at the Wesley Centre on Oxford Street.
Julian and Nichola Saphir, who are directors of the studios as well as teachers, are both concert pianists and Royal College of Music alumni.
They moved to Harrogate from London in 1998 and have continued to build their full-time piano school ever since. They currently have more than 80 pupils.
Their December concert is a long-standing tradition but had not taken place since 2019 due to covid.
To celebrate their quarter of a century in Harrogate, the concert saw 34 pupils perform an eclectic programme of piano music on the Wesley Centre’s prestigious hand-crafted Yamaha CF-lllS concert grand piano, which has been played by some of the world’s most famous concert pianists, including Sir Stephen Hough, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Marc-André Hamelin.
Among those taking part was five-year-old Grace Xiu, who is the studios’ youngest pupil.
Alongside the young performers were three of Saphir Piano Studios’ adult students, Moira Morgan, Alistair Duff and Phil Howarth, who treated the audience to music by Chopin and Robert Schumann.
One of the highlights was a six-handed piece by Rachmaninoff, performed by St. Aidan’s Church of England High School sixth formers Annabel Baxter, Krish Desha-Beerachee and Jack Brierley.
The concert was brought to a sparkling finale with the Saphirs themselves giving a duet performance of the ever-popular Christmas favourite, Sleigh Ride.
Julian and Nichola said:
“It’s very important to give each of our pupils the opportunity to play on a fine concert grand piano before a large audience. The atmosphere in the room is always so warm and enthusiastic.”
Stray Views: Harrogate hospital queues ‘very dangerous’ for cyclists
Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Being a local resident, I have no experience of trying to park in Harrogate hospital with the new system. However, I have lots of experience as a cyclist, trying to bypass the regularly huge queues of traffic that built up in both directions at certain times of the day on Lancaster Park Road, waiting to get in to the hospital car park – queues sometimes extending all the way to Knaresborough Road and Willaston Crescent.
Very dangerous – with queues of traffic on one side and parked cars on the other, cars suddenly moving out of the queuing traffic made it very dangerous for anyone, particularly a cyclist, trying to pass. Yes, I’ve had a few close shaves.
It also made it very difficult, sometimes impossible for a vehicle to bypass the queue – I have witnessed flashing ambulances that were delayed as they couldn’t get past the queuing traffic to get to the car park entrance.
Hazel Maxwell, Harrogate
Whilst I have absolutely no brief for North Yorkshire Council, perhaps an aspect of your story regarding what the Royal Baths is costing the taxpayer is a little misleading.
Yes when they purchased the legal interest it will have been the £9.5million, you quote. Any subsequent valuation whilst they own (hold) it (and local authorities are required to do them over a five year period on all categories of assets) will be at a point in time and a ‘book figure’. A true comparison can only be made when they actually sell their legal interest to a third party.
To arrive at the current book figure, they are required to take in a number of factors, to arrive at a valuation as at that point in time. It is conjecture therefore that it is actually costing the taxpayer money at this stage as the valuation is hypothetical and only if and when they sell their interest, can the true loss (or profit) be ascertained.
Other current losses, such as rental income and rates, are indeed losses that the taxpayer will need to pick up.
Bernard White, Ripon
Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.
Photo of the Week: Harrogate SunriseThis week’s photograph was taken by Kevin Griffiths, capturing an early morning sunrise across the stray in Harrogate.
Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.
Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.
Some may find the word “triathlon” daunting and exhausting, but Jon Chamberlain disagrees.
The Harrogate Triathlon Club chairman has been in post two years, but has ambitions to broaden the club’s appeal.
The organisation boasts 160 members and an eclectic membership base, ranging from 70 year old athletes to those taking their first steps into the sport.
For Jon, the club is a family – but it could be more than that.
Jon moved to Harrogate from Leicester nine years ago.
He had first got a flavour of the town while based at the Army Foundation College during his time in the British Army as a physical training instructor.
After upping sticks and moving his life to North Yorkshire, he joined the Harrogate Triathlon Club.
He had initially started the sport in 2011, when he took on an event with his brother.
“There was a sprint triathlon in Stratford and I really enjoyed it. He didn’t enjoy it so much, so I decided to progress from there.”
Jon, who is 51, has gone onto the race the world and European triathlons in Venice and Ibiza in his age group.
The sport has fostered a community for Jon, which he enjoys on a weekly basis in Harrogate.
The club was founded in 2012 as a legacy of the London Olympics and is made up of 130 adults and 30 juniors.
It hosts fundraising events, training sessions and an annual triathlon at Ashville College – the next of which will be held in April 2024.
Jon took up the chairmanship in 2021 and oversees the running of the club.
For him, much of the enjoyment comes from facilitating the club for its members – some of whom have never run a triathlon before.
“The ethos of the club is bringing together like-minded people.
“We have a range of athletes who are very experienced, Great Britain level age group and compete in iron man distances. Then we have got members who have never done a triathlon in their life and just want to start out in doing swimming, biking or running.”
Some members of the club are athletic and compete at a high level – but not all of them.
Jon points to Dave Newby as an example of one of those people.
Dave came to club in late 2022 with an aim of losing weight and making new friends – both of which he achieved within 12 months.
“Dave has been on a massive journey and lost a considerable amount of weight. He’s a lot stronger, because we do a lot of fitness training in the club.
“He’s now swimming, biking and running on a regular basis.”
Jane Holmes and Dave Newby.
Last year, Dave completed four triathlons and various 5k,10k and 21k races. Now, he’s training to compete an ironman contest in Nottingham in May 2024.
On the other end of the scale, Jane Holmes is competing in world championships in her 70s.
Jane is described as an “inspiration” to members of the club, Jon says, and helps to coach youngsters starting out in triathlon.
She currently world champion after finishing first in the World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships in Hamburg this year.
She also finished first place in the World Duathlon in Ibiza and European Duathlon in Venice this year.
“She is a real high performer when it comes to age group representing her country.
“She competes in the 70-74 age group, which is incredible. If you look at many 70 to 74 year olds, you wouldn’t expect them to be competing for their country and winning those races.”
Jon has ambitions for the club in his time as chairman.
While there is no time limit on how long he can hold the post for, there are areas which he feels the club can improve.
Jon says part of the club’s strategy is to bring in younger athletes within the 20 to 45 age bracket, as well as female and disabled athletes.
But, perhaps the biggest challenge is to tackle the stigma of triathlon.
“Triathlon is sometimes a word that scares people.
“We don’t want to put that as a barrier. So we’re thinking of potentially rebranding into some multi-sports domain where people see us and they can do different sorts of events – not just triathlon.”
Another element is tackling the expense that comes with participating in triathlon.
“It can be seen as an expensive sport because potentially there is lots of gear to buy.
“You don’t need all the gear to start. If you’ve got a pair of trainers, goggles and a bike then that will do to get you going. There’s an endless list of things you can invest in, but you don’t need all that to start.
“The best thing is to just come along and try it.”
So, what does Jon want to achieve before he relinquishes his position as chairman?
Attracting a younger demographic is among the top priorities.
“It’s quite a challenge, because at that age people are busy doing other stuff.”
For Jon, the key will be maintaining the culture of the club and keeping it as the big family that attracted people to it in the first place.
While there is an ambition to attract more people to take up triathlon, he does not want to grow it “too big”.
“I think ultimately we want to keep the culture of the club. There’s a lot of clubs you go to where you feel like you’re the only one and you’re out of the clique.
“All the members are really supportive. The culture of the club is very social and very supportive. That’s something that we want to keep.”
If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.