Family and friends gathered in Littlethorpe at the weekend to celebrate the 90th birthday of one of the Ripon area’s most inspirational women.

Over 50 years, Sylvia Grice taught an estimated 250,000 people to swim, including Olympic diving champion Jack Laugher, who won gold and silver medals at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro and bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Her lifelong devotion to teaching a much-needed skill in a city with three rivers and a canal, earned her an MBE in the 2010 New Year’s Honours and Freedom of the City of Ripon in 2019, but that’s just part of her remarkable story.

Sylvia Grice, pictured with Jack Laugher after his medal-winning success at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

Daughter Helen Mackenzie, herself an accomplished swimmer and swimming teacher, told the Stray Ferret:

“Mum suffered a broken leg when she was three and was in hospital in traction up until the age of eight, but she didn’t let that hold her back.

“She learnt to swim when she was 15 and married my dad, Jim, the love of her life, when she was 20.

“When my sister Alison and I came along she regularly took us to swim at Ripon’s Spa Baths and caught the eye of the manager Fred Windsor.

“He encouraged her to become a qualified swimming teacher and over the years she went through all of the grades to become an Amateur Swimming Association tutor and then a Fellow of the Institute of Swimming Teachers.”

Sylvia used her qualifications to help people of all ages and abilities, from toddlers having their first visit to the pool to her mother-in-law Florrie, who learnt to swim when she was 58.

She taught people to swim at Ripon Grammar School and at Ashville College in Harrogate, where she set up Triton Swimmers and away from her busy teaching schedule, found time to run the Spa Gardens cafe, be an active member of Ripon Lions and raise money for numerous charitable causes.

Ripon City Netball Club’s Falcons, Kestrels, Ospreys Eagles and Hawks, flocked together for their social highlight of the year — the annual awards.

More than 40 members from the teams, which are each named after birds of prey, gathered at Ripon Bowling Club on Saturday for a sparkling evening of prize presentations, congratulations and celebration of the 2021-2022 season.

The event was compered by the club’s head coach, Helen Mackenzie who, at Christmas, received her own accolade from former BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration when the votes of readers of the Stray Ferret saw her win the Harry’s Heroes community award.

Thandi Mahlangu, winner of the players’ player award for the Eagles, received her award from Alastair Little of Biffa.

The club, which was formed seven years ago, is based at Ripon Grammar School and has teams playing in the Harrogate, Hambleton and the North Yorkshire Ambassador leagues.

Its focus, since formation, has been on inclusivity, providing the opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to join in both sporting and social activities.

Club member Jackie Laugher (left) mother of GB diving star and triple Olympic medal winner Jack, presented Helen Mackenzie with gifts on behalf of the club.

Ms Mackenzie said:

“The aim since we set off has been to create a club based on three words – participate, enjoy, succeed.

“We are inclusive, welcoming all-comers.

“This sees mothers play alongside their daughters and siblings enjoying training and playing together.”

The trophies that were presented.

The award recipients

Presentations were made by Alastair Little, Yorkshire regional general manager of waste management and recycling company Biffa, one of the club’s sponsors.

For each team, trophies were awarded to the most improved player, the coach’s selected player and the players’ player.

The award winners were:

Falcons: Steph Parker, Jo Wallace, Helen Peacock

Kestrels: Suzanne Armstrong, Jen Addyman, Alice Scurr

Ospreys: Lindsey Stockdale, Karen Ellam, Becky Ash

Eagles: Lesley Watkinson, Cat Walmsley, Thandi Mahlangu

Hawks: Rachel Cattley, Karen Dodds, Laura Cardin

Winners of other club awards were: Nicole Greenwood, Nicola Lymer, Michelle Ingham, Kirsteen Dixon, Anne Groves, Beth Beadle and Hayley Blaymires.

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Helen Mackenzie was crowned the winner of Harry’s Heroes yesterday after beating five other finalists for the accolade.

The Stray Ferret launched the competition in partnership with Harrogate Spring Water and former BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration to find the people in the Harrogate district doing exceptional things to help others in the community.

Ms Mackenzie received the most votes in recognition of her work to help families in Ripon.

In 2019, she started a project called Back to Basics (B2B), which gives families ingredients and instructions on how to make meals.

Throughout the pandemic, she has fundraised, shopped, collected donations, packed and delivered food, along with electrical goods and other items, to families in need.

More than 20 people were nominated for exceptional work in their communities. This list was then narrowed down to the final six; Cath Wilson, Greta Knight, Helen Mackenzie, Lauren Doherty, Mark Oldfield and Susie Little.

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Once all the 1,300-plus votes were counted, Ms Mackenzie came out top.

Harry Gration visited Ms Mackenzie yesterday to give her the good news.

You can learn more about each hero by listening to their podcasts here.

Ripon PE teacher Helen Mackenzie has received the British Citizen Award for outstanding work tackling food poverty and encouraging sport.

Ms Mackenzie, who works at Ripon Grammar School, overcame breast cancer after being diagnosed 11 years ago.

She is among a select group of 27 adults across the UK to be honoured with the award this year.

The British Citizen Awards are held twice a year to recognise individuals doing extraordinary work in their local community.

In November 2019, Ms Mackenzie and her friend Sarita McDermott, who owns the Realitea Cafe in North Street, Ripon set up the food charity Back to Basics.

Ms Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“The idea is that we provide families who are struggling — usually those with kids on free school meals — with the ingredients for a delicious nutritious meal.”

A typical weekly Back to Basics food donation, which is given to families along with a recipe card.

She added:

“We are not a soup kitchen so we don’t provide the meal for them — we expect them to get ‘back to basics’ and cook with their family.”

Netball for all

Ms Mackenzie and Ms McDermott fundraise for the charity and have secured financial support from local businesses, as well as donations of goods from individuals.

This enables them to provide families with everything they need, from food ingredients to recipe cards, designed to help parents and children to work together in creating the meals.

In addition to her Back to Basics charity, Ms Mackenzie is also well-known in Ripon for encouraging sport.

She vowed to make competitive sport, which is normally the preserve of the ultra-fit and young, accessible to all after overcoming an aggressive form of stage three breast cancer.

In 2015 she started Ripon City Netball Club, which attracts not only girls but also seniors and people with varying levels of mobility, ability and sporting prowess.

Many mums — including Ms Mackenzie — play alongside their daughters. Nearly 100 people now take part.

‘Remarkable and inspirational’

Alec Lutton, who set up the first Ripon food bank, nominated Ms Mackenzie for the British Citizen Award.

He said:

“She is a remarkable and inspirational person with a can-do attitude and a determination to do help others in need of assistance or encouragement.”

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The nomination was supported by Ripon councillor and three-time former city mayor Pauline McHardy, who has known Ms Mackenzie for many years,

She said:

“Helen is the salt of the earth and her contribution to the community in Ripon is absolutely immense.”

Today her bespoke BCA medal with the inscription ‘For the Good of the Country’ was delivered by special courier to her Ripon home.

Ms Mackenzie and her husband, John, have two grown-up daughters, Laura and Amy, and from now on, she can call herself Helen Mackenzie BCA.