Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe has appointed Mat Walker as the new deputy chief fire officer of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Mr Walker, a 43-year-old father-of-three who has been in the role on an interim basis since June, will receive a salary of £95,294 plus an operational allowance.
He joined the fire and rescue service in 2003 in South Yorkshire before moving to a national role where he was involved in the response to major incidents including east coast flooding and the Salisbury Novichok attacks.
He has since worked in the West Yorkshire service, most recently as an area manager responsible for service assurance and improvement.
Mr Walker was appointed after three candidates were interviewed by an independent panel.
Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said:
“I am delighted to be able to appoint Mat into this permanent role. He faced a strong challenge from an excellent field of candidates but I’m confident he’s the right person to help lead North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service on its continuing transformation.
“This is also an exciting time to be joining the service as we begin to put in place our refreshed plans on how to keep the people of North Yorkshire safe, and feeling safe over the next two years.”
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Mr Walker takes up the role at a time when unions have raised concerns over cuts worth around £8m a year.
At Harrogate fire station, it means the number of night-time fire engines will be reduced to just one.
At a meeting this month, it was revealed North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire engine availability was classed as being at a “critical” level for 10% of the time during May this year.
This level refers to the service having fewer than 32 staffed engines and other appliances available across North Yorkshire. Commissioner Metcalfe described availability as “incredibly concerning”.
Why Reed Boardall in Boroughbridge is a great place to work
This advertorial is sponsored by Reed Boardall.
Harrogate man Tom Cowgill is proud to work at Reed Boardall.
The long-established Boroughbridge company is a local success story and has grown into the UK’s largest single-site cold storage facility with an 800‐strong team.
It stores and delivers stocks of the UK’s leading chilled and frozen brands across the UK, Europe and further afield to all of the best‐known supermarkets and food service providers.
Tom joined the company straight out of school aged 18 and works in its warehouse operation. He said he enjoys being an important cog in a well-oiled machine and says “there’s no place” like Reed Boardall.
Family values
Reed Boardall’s HQ is capable of storing over 168,000 pallets of frozen produce at any one time.
It’s a huge operation but Tom, who is now 24, said the company has strong family values.
However, that wasn’t a surprise to him as his dad, Paul, works there too – he’s been with the company for 12 years and is currently a Development Manager.
Tom has earned three promotions and is currently a team leader in the picking department. He said the company is “great for advancement”.
Reed Boardall, which is based in Boroughbridge. Picture: Reed Boardall.
He added:
“They’ve looked after me really well and I got promoted quickly. They obviously see something in me.
“You build good relationships with management and they’ll help you as much as you help them.”
Every day is different
Tom manages a tight-knit team of seven people who he said can have a laugh together. He considers them to all be his friends.
The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and Tom said shifts are flexible to fit around employees’ lives.
He said there are always opportunities to earn extra money too by doing overtime.
Tom hopes to progress further with the company and said there are teams that specialise in engineering, transportation, packing or office-based roles.
He said:
“There are always different career paths at Reed Boardall.”
He added:
“It is a challenging job, especially in a picking department. It’s different every day and it’s a great place to work.”
Click here to find out more about what careers are available at Reed Boardall.
Meet the Knaresborough woman who is a dog chaperone at weddingsWould you like to have your dog walk down the aisle with your wedding ring?
It’s all part of a service offered by wedding dog chaperone Katie Abbott, who looks after couples’ pooches during their special day.
The Knaresborough-based professional dog walker first heard about the trend from America, and she thought she could offer newlyweds something a bit different in Yorkshire.
“People were getting family members in to look after their pets, but it took the day away from them.”
Prices start at £225 to hire Ms Abbott as a wedding dog chaperone. She usually stays with the dog for the wedding service and photos afterwards.
She can also stay overnight with the dog whilst newlyweds enjoy themselves at the reception and evening party.
Ms Abbott said the service is particularly popular with millennials who look at their furry companion as a member of their family.
“They want their dog there for the biggest day of their lives.”
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Ms Abbott is trained in canine body language, so on the day, she looks out for fear or stress signals to make sure the animal is not overwhelmed.
At a recent wedding, an excitable labrador charged down the aisle, so she took the dog outside for a walk to calm it down.
One of her jobs is ensuring that the bridal dress is not spoilt by mucky paws — and the dog is kept safely away from the cake.
She’s been to two weddings this year where she walked the dog down the aisle, and there are even custom collars with on them pillows so they can carry the ring.
She said:
BID advertises for new manager at £45k per year“I love my job so much. As an animal lover, being able to work with dogs is amazing, as is being at a wedding, which is the happiest day of people’s lives.
“Having a dog there is the cherry on top of the cake.”
A new manager is being sought for Harrogate BID as it enters its third year of operating.
The organisation is offering a salary up to £45,000 for the permanent role, which will lead the business organisation as it tries to support town centre businesses through and beyond the coronavirus crisis.
Simon Kent, who helped to establish the BID (Business Improvement District) in late 2018, was appointed interim manager last April and announced in December he was stepping down. The BID had been without a manager for six months prior to that, following the resignation of its first manager after less than four months in the post.
The newly-advertised job description says the manager will be responsible for the budget of £3m over the five-year term of the BID, managing staff and partners, driving forward projects and delivering on key performance indicators (KPIs).
Harrogate BID acting chair Sara Ferguson said:
“This is very much a hands-on role, and ideal for someone already used to leading a team, supervising a number of external contractors, and leading high-profile consumer campaigns with tangible results for sponsors and stakeholders.
“Additionally, the position will require the successful candidate to report to a board of directors on a regular basis, understand the sometimes challenging differences between the private and public sector, liaise with other interested parties, to act as an ambassador, and be (traditional and social) media savvy.
“Most importantly, they will bring with them fresh and exciting ideas to help promote Harrogate as a must-visit destination for residents and visitors alike, looking for a welcoming and friendly destination to ‘stay, shop, eat and drink’.”
The manager will report to the 14-person BID board, made up of representatives of different sectors in the business community. The role has a six-month probation period.
In the last year, the BID has used its funds – taken from a levy on business rates – to carry out additional street cleaning, provide signage to aid social distancing, and put up Christmas lights around the town centre. It also brought a giant elf to Harrogate in the run-up to Christmas, encouraging families to come into town in order to support local businesses.
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