Access to support promised by the government is proving difficult for residents in the Harrogate district as people across the country attempt to get advice. 

From business rates relief to mortgage holidays, phone lines for government organisations and financial providers have been jammed by people trying to speak to someone about how they can access the promised support. 

And in some cases, even when they finally get through, people are finding the help is not available. 

Kate Curtis, a self-employed inventory clerk in Harrogate, spent seven hours on the phone to Santander only to be told she was not eligible for a mortgage holiday because she had money in her current and business accounts. 

She said: “I told them that money was to pay my tax bill, but they wanted to see last year’s tax bill to prove how much it would be. 

“I’m fortunate that I’ve earned more this year because I’ve been really busy so my tax bill will be much higher. They want to see this year’s accounts, which I can’t do until April, and I’ve just had an email from my accountant saying she’s unwell and having to self-isolate.” 

What concerns Kate is that the announcements from the government seem to be open to interpretation, so there is no consistency. Other people have reported that getting a mortgage holiday from their provider has been more straightforward, with few or no checks on their finances. 

Business as usual

That inconsistency is also affecting Kate’s work with lettings and estate agents, checking rental properties after tenancies end. There has been no clear instruction to property firms to stop working, so many of them are continuing to arrange viewings – albeit some online – and request her services. 

“There’s pressure on from a couple of my clients to still carry out some of the appointments,” she said. “I’ve said I’ve got a moral and social responsibility and I’m not going to work. 

“Even if the property is empty, I’m often asked to go to blocks of flats with communal areas – one yesterday was a retirement block. They’re not fulfilling their duty of care to people like me or to their staff.” 

For Kate, who is now home-schooling two children, the only solution is for the government to be much more stringent in the restrictions, so they are not open to interpretation by businesses, whether that is employers or banks. 

Meanwhile, she is anxiously waiting to hear what support will be on offer for the self-employed, with an announcement expected imminently from the Chancellor. However, the rapid growth of her business in the last year may again leave her with little support if long-term earnings have to be proved. 

With her pilot husband unsure whether he will be paid for the coming months, the family is in a precarious position. 

“We went through redundancy five years ago,” she said. “It’s only in the last six or nine months we have got back on our feet and cleared the debt and started to be able to put some money aside again.” 

Harrogate based construction company, HACS Group stopped all work after the government’s ‘lockdown’ measures were introduced on Monday evening. Mark Smith, Managing director of the firm told the Stray Ferret that he was in ‘disbelief’ when it was announced on Tuesday that construction could continue If guidelines were followed, he said this would be ‘totally impractical’ to enforce.

All NHS staff working at Harrogate District Hospital will be able to park their cars for free during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will cover the cost after a petition calling for the move reached over 400,000 signatures.

It also comes after some private firms decided to waive fees for NHS staff, who can pay up to £1,300 a year to park according to the GMB union.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: “I will do everything I can to ensure our dedicated staff have whatever they need.

“So we will provide free car parking for our NHS staff who are going above and beyond every day in hospitals across England.”

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust sent out a message to staff before the announcement to say that parking charges would be scrapped.

With a surge of volunteers signing up to help at hospitals, they will be able to use council parking bays for free.

They just need to display evidence of their role in their windscreen to avoid a ticket.

Ministers are also urging all businesses near hospitals to work with their local NHS Trusts to consider allowing NHS staff to use their car parks.

On Saturday, Harrogate Hospital  made an ‘urgent appeal’ for more volunteers as the Coronavirus pandemic worsens. A spokesperson from the Hospital has since posted  to say they have been ‘overwhelmed’ with the rapid response from the community. We have been speaking to some of those who have applied to volunteer.

North Yorkshire has recorded its biggest daily rise in confirmed coronavirus cases since records began.

The latest data from Public Health England has revealed that there are currently 45 COVID-19 cases.

It is a rise of 15 cases from the day before but that number could be far higher in reality.

At the moment, only patients in hospitals are being tested for coronavirus on a regular basis.

More regular testing could mean that those who have recovered from coronavirus and are now immune will be able to go back to work.

So far, one patient has died with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital with 463 deaths nationwide.

A young Harrogate farming family with underlying health conditions has urged walkers to stay off their land during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the lockdown, which was imposed on Monday, the farm in Haverah Park has seen an increase in people passing through.

Francesca Ryder, who farms sheep and suckler cattle with her husband Josh, are both in the high-risk category for COVID-19.

She fears that people will bring the virus to her home by touching gates, walls and other surfaces on their way through.

“People are treating it like it’s a bank holiday, not a health crisis.”

Francesca told the Stray Ferret: “When we politely ask people to avoid this footpath until the pandemic is over we often get abuse in return.

“We only want to protect our health, People don’t realise that their choice to walk here could kill us.

She fears for her family.

“A lot of people saying they’ll come through just to prove their rights. We know that legally we can’t obstruct the footpath.

“We’ve tried to get a temporary closure from the councils but they are so busy with the pandemic they haven’t given us a straight answer yet.

“We feel that it’s very important to protect ourselves and other farming families – there are five others on this footpath with equally vulnerable family members.”

What are the lockdown rules?

• People can only leave their home to exercise once a day, to commute to work when it is necessary or to shop for food or medicine
• North Yorkshire Police will soon have the power to fine people between £30 and £1,000 for breaching the rules

So far, there are 30 confirmed coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire with one death at Harrogate District Hospital.

Businesses in the Harrogate district will get a share of a new £40 million support package to help them stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

Any business eligible for small business rate relief or rural relief will get a £10,000 grant while hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 will get a £25,000 grant.

Those hospitality and leisure businesses, regardless of rateable value, will not need to pay any business rates during the 2020/2021 financial year.

It comes as Harrogate Borough Council announces that its commercial tenants will be able to get three months rent free.

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said: “We know businesses are struggling.

“Our business rates team are geared up to process tens of millions of pounds of government cash to support local businesses.

“As soon as it hits our bank account we will be getting it into the bank accounts of local businesses.

“We have also been lobbying government on behalf of freelancers and the self-employed who make up a significant part of our local workforce. We are expecting announcements on this over the coming days.

“But we want to go further. So we will be offering nearly all our commercial tenants three months’ rent-free.

“This includes some shops on our high streets, Harrogate Theatre and other offices and business premises around the district.”

More information on these initiatives will be available on the Harrogate Borough Council website.

A tough year lies ahead for charities in the Harrogate district after swathes of fundraising events were cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

From supporters taking part in the London Marathon to their own community activities, charities rely heavily on numerous events in their annual calendars. 

Now, with almost every event being cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis, many are left wondering how they will meet their costs. 

Stephen Tongue, director of fundraising at Henshaws, said:

“We have got all our usual costs and additional costs of getting back-up staffing and deep cleaning areas – that’s quite expensive.

“It’s a challenging time. We do have some money coming in, but there’s a huge question mark over so many events.”

The charity held an art auction in early March and, even then, attendance was only around half of what was expected. Meanwhile, several upcoming fundraisers have been cancelled, including Knaresborough Beer Festival in May. 

Stephen is hopeful two outdoor events – a golf day at Rudding Park and a Yorkshire Three Peaks walk – will be able to take place in June and July, depending on government advice at the time. Its corporate donations, however, may also dwindle over the coming weeks as SMEs in the Harrogate district – a key source of support to Henshaws – struggle to find spare cash. 

To make up the shortfall and meet the additional needs of its students during the crisis, Henshaws has launched a new fundraising appeal.

For Open Arms Malawi, which sends around £500,000 per year out to its projects in the African nation, the worries are just as severe. Founded by Harrogate couple Neville and Rosemarie Bevis in 2000, it still has strong links with the town and relies on local people to contribute to its work with orphaned children. 

Ashville College has been a long-term supporter of Open Arms Malawi, sending students to volunteer there last summer

Fundraising manager Claire Collins said: “We were having a really good year for fundraising and just starting to look at new and different activities. Everything has been cancelled – all the challenge events, runs, and activities in the schools which support us. 

“We have two corporate partners who do trips to Malawi to see how funds are helping and donate significant amounts to us. They still want to support us, but without the trips it’s very difficult: when people see the work, they become really big advocates for what we do.” 

The charity has two infant homes, 10 nursery schools and five family homes for older children, as well as an outreach programme supporting families in the community. As yet, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Malawi but, with high numbers elsewhere in Africa, all the homes and schools are taking extra precautions with hand washing and cleaning procedures. 

“HIV is still a big problem in Malawi, along with malnutrition,” said Claire. “Coronavirus is a huge risk on top of that. They’re taking it very seriously.” 

Claire has set up a new page on the charity’s website to keep supporters informed about the situation in Malawi. They are hoping supporters will still feel able to contribute, despite the difficulties being faced by many families across the Harrogate district. 

A family from Harrogate have ‘made the decision’ to live apart for 12 weeks. Leah Coates is a care worker and her husband Mark is in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ group after having a Kidney transplant 20 years ago. Leah told The Stray Ferret that ‘it is a very upsetting time, especially for our three year old son, but as a carer I need to be there for my patients too.’

Vital care workers say they are being left behind as people continue to clear supermarket shelves as soon as they open. 

Although NHS staff are being given priority access to some shops at designated times, the rules do not always apply to those employed by private organisations. 

However, care home staff and others all play an essential part in keeping elderly and vulnerable people safe and well as the coronavirus pandemic continues. As a result, their work relieves pressure on the NHS by reducing the number of people needing medical care or hospital beds. 

Suzanne Kay, who works at Belmont House in Starbeck, said she has been left unable to get basic provisions because of her long shifts. 

Suzanne Kay

“It’s an absolute nightmare,” she said. “Because I work 12-hour shifts, if I get a lift home I get back to Ripon at 8.30pm. By that time, there’s nothing left. What do you do?” 

After work , Suzanne said she is struggling to come up with meals to feed herself and her 18-year-old son, who has lost his job in a cinema this week. 

“We’re just having to live off what we can,” she said. “By the time I get home, it’s shower, bed and ready to do it all again the next day.”  

Routine is essential

Her role in the early-onset dementia unit is challenging in normal circumstances, but particularly tough at the moment, when relatives are unable to visit. With some carers having to self-isolate as a precaution, there is even more pressure on staff. 

“Everyone is having to pick up extra hours in order to keep residents with some normality,” said Suzanne.

“With them having dementia, routine is essential for them. It keeps them going. You take that routine and structure away from them and it has a really big effect.

“They ask, ‘when is my son coming?’ or ‘when is my daughter coming?’. You have to explain several times a day. A lot of them don’t know how to use a phone so they don’t have that option to keep in touch. When they get upset, it sets you off as well.”

Yesterday the Government urged people not to panic buy. In its daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary George Eustice, said that everybody in the UK needs to play their part and shop responsibly:

“Be responsible when you shop. Buying more than you need means that others may be left without.”