A CrossFit gym in Ripon will be hosting a 12-hour fitness challenge for charity later this month.
CrossFit Ripon will be running the event on Friday, December 29 in aid of children’s hospice Martin House.
Business owner Michael Meegan, 42, said:
“The charity resonates with quite a lot of people.
“A few of our members have brothers and sisters who have been cared for there.”
The gym will host a CrossFit workout every hour from 8am to 8pm.
A live DJ will be on hand to motivate volunteers, who plan to complete a marathon (42km, or 26 miles) on a rowing or skiing machine and 100km on an exercise bike.
While participants can choose how many workouts they want to attend, 12 people have signed up to do all 12 workouts.
The youngest volunteer is 18 and the oldest is 67. The diverse range of volunteers reflects how everyone is on their own fitness journey.
Ripon CrossFit was opened earlier this year.
Michael said:
“The journey is better than the destination. That’s the magic of it.”
Michael, who currently serves in the Royal Engineers, is a long-time fitness enthusiast.
He opened the gym with his wife Sarah this year and will finish his time in the army next April.
Martin House, in Wetherby, helps children and their families cope with life-limiting conditions and bereavement.
You can support Ripon CrossFit’s fundraiser online.
If you’re interested in attending the gym, email info@crossfitripon.com.
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Myrings partners with Martin House on Harrogate charity boards
This story is sponsored by Myrings.
Harrogate’s Leading Family Estate Agent Myrings has partnered with Martin House Children’s Hospice to support families with its new charity boards initiative.
Martin House provides hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses free of charge across North, West and East Yorkshire.
To support Martin House, Myrings will donate £10 for every “for sale” or “to let” board in Harrogate and the surrounding villages.
The new charity initiative is starting now so residents will start to see the new Martin House boards popping up soon and it will continue for the foreseeable future.
Gemma Myring, co-founder and director at Myrings, told the Stray Ferret:
“Martin House is a big part of Harrogate and has touched so many lives.
“We simply cannot praise the staff and volunteers enough. The hospice provides selfless dedication and love to those who need it most.
“It has been one of the guiding principles at Myrings from the day we opened our doors to ‘put something back’ into our hometown where we all live and work.
“Myrings has been in the property business for more than 20 years. It’s a long time but not close to the 35 years Martin House has faithfully served our community.”
Myrings has adapted many times over the years, investing heavily into the website and software.
However, the estate agents believes that a welcoming, dedicated and individual service is greatly valued by Yorkshire people so has recently remodelled its offices to allow for a more personal and private client experience.
Please look out for the new Myrings and Martin House boards over the coming months – and call in to see the team for a chat and a coffee soon.
Harrogate woman aims to complete 20 fundraising challengesA charity worker from Harrogate has set herself 20 fundraising challenges to mark her upcoming 20th anniversary with children’s hospice Martin House.
Mary Newbegin will have been employed in the care team at Martin House for two decades on August 1.
She has been busy this month and last ticking off the challenges, which have so far generated almost £2,000 for the organisation.
They range from completing 20 aerial yoga poses to walking The Ullswater Way to learning to crochet and paddle board.
One of the challenges, organising a yoga fundraising event, will take place at 10am tomorrow on the Stray, next to Oatlands Drive.
Learning the aerial yoga poses.
Ms Newbegin, who plans to retire next year, said:
“The idea evolved as I have in the past taken part in several fundraising events for Martin House.
“These have mostly been running, including the Great North run, which I’ve done about 12 times and on occasions three-legged, and the York Marathon.
“My knees no longer thank me for running so I was trying to think of something more creative as I really wanted to do something before I retire.
“I am excited about all my challenges but most anxious about those with heights involved as I’m not so good with heights.”
You can donate to the cause here.
Abseiling in Ilkley
Knaresborough daredevil, 70, performs 50th skydive
Knaresborough woman Helen Westmancoat, 70, has performed her 50th skydive, this time raising over £1,200 for Martin House children’s hospice.
Ms Westmancoat is well-known for her skydiving and fundraising efforts, and the Knaresborough Rotarian performed her latest jump from 15,000 feet with Harrogate Brigantes Rotarian David Billington.
The money the pair raised is enough to pay for six months’ worth of parent support, four sessions of bereavement counselling and a visit from bereavement counsellors offering support through the most difficult of times.
Her 50th jump was postponed several times to covid and unfavourable weather conditions but she finally made the dive this year, landing at Hibaldstow in Lincolnshire.
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Chris Verney, regional fundraiser for Martin House, said:
“What an amazing impact for those families who need it. We are truly grateful for Helen and David’s support in taking on this challenge, and I am so glad that Helen finally got to do her 50th jump. Congratulations on reaching this milestone!”
Ms Westmancoat told the Stray Ferret last year how her unusual hobby began.
She said:
Harrogate mum hosting family fun day to mark daughter’s legacy“The diving started in 2011 when I worked at York St John’s and there was a call to do a dive for the student support charity. I can’t do it alone in this country now as I’m over the age limit that it allows but I do hope to do more maybe abroad in the future.”
A Harrogate mum is hosting a family fun day in June to raise money for two organisations that supported her daughter before she died 13 years ago.
Katie Beadle gave birth to her daughter Millie in August 2009. But immediately after she was born, she knew something wasn’t right.
Millie was diagnosed with hypoxia, a condition that results in low oxygen levels in the blood. It can lead to multiple medical conditions and requires around-the-clock care.
Ms Beadle said:
“Most of Millie’s time with us was spent in Manchester St Mary’s Children’s Hospital in the beginning. When she was allowed back to Harrogate, we spent a few days on Special Care Baby Unit at Harrogate District Hospital, before finding a new way of living on Woodlands Ward.”
Millie spent a few weeks at home before she contracted an infection. The family returned to the Woodlands, which is the hospital’s children’s ward, before they were told the devastating news:
“Millie has suffered a substantial amount of trauma at such a young age, her body is tired and I’m afraid this time she isn’t strong enough to fight this one off. It’s only a matter of time, so enjoy your final days with your precious daughter.”
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Millie wasn’t strong enough to travel to Martin House Hospice in Wetherby, so the hospice came to them and set up a room for her on the ward until she passed away in December 2009.
She would have been coming up to her 13th birthday in August so her mum wants to mark her legacy by raising funds for Martin House and Harrogate hospital’s children’s ward.
The family fun day will be held at Knaresborough Rugby Club on June 25 from 11am where there will be a bouncy castle, live music, face painting, stalls, food and drink, rides and more.
Ms Beadle added:
“I am arranging Millie’s 13th birthday party with an open invite for everyone! It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, stress and required copious amounts of coffee & fizz, however, things are just about finalised and it should be a grand day for all.”
“An incredible job”
The two organisations both paid tribute to Ms Beadle for her fundraising efforts.
Chris Verney, regional fundraiser for Martin House, said:
“Katie has done an incredible job in organising this event and we hope everything goes well for her. Fundraising like this makes a huge difference to the families with seriously ill children that we support across West, North and East Yorkshire.”
Victoria Lister, manager of acute paediatrics at Harrogate District Foundation Trust, said:
“Katie has worked tirelessly to organise this event to help support our unit. We as a ward are so grateful for her hard work and preparation for Millie’s Fun Day in June. The funds raised will help transform the ward into a more welcoming, bright environment for the children attending Woodlands at HDFT.”
There are still some spaces to hold a stall on the day. If anyone would like more information email Katie-beadle92@hotmail.com
A seven-year-old Ripon girl will carry out a double act of kindness to help others next month.
Lacey Dyason is donating her hair to The Little Princess Trust, while also taking part in the Macmillan Cancer Support Brave The Shave fundraising challenge.
A pupil of Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School, Lacey decided to donate her long brown hair after seeing a television programme featuring children who have lost their hair because of illness.
She asked her parents Louise and Barry:
“Will they get bullied by other children because they haven’t got any hair?”
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Louise told the Stray Ferret:
“She couldn’t bear the thought of another child suffering embarrassment or hurtful comments because they have lost their hair through an illness and her mind was made up – she wanted to help.”
The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
Lacey, pictured with her parents Louise and Barry Dyason
While finding out more about the work of the charity, Mr and Mrs Dyason spoke with Lacey, asking her if she was absolutely sure she wanted to make the donation. The answer came back ‘yes’ every time.
As well as seeing the programme about the children who lost her hair, Lacey saw television advertisements about the Macmillan Cancer Support Brave the Shave challenge.
After talking about it with her parents it was agreed that she could also take part in this fundraiser and attempt to raise £500.
At the time of going to press she had beaten the original target on her fundraising page https://bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk/shavers/lacey-dyason in a matter of days and hopes more people will support her.
Louise, added:
“She is a thoughtful, but determined girl and Barry and I and her elder brother Mckenzie are so proud of her.”
The cutting and collection of Lacey’s hair will be carried out at the Saks salon in High Skellgate, which works with The Princess Trust.
The head shave will go ahead after her long locks have been safely packaged in readiness to send to the charity.
Louise added:
“We decided to select October for both the hair cut and the shave, so that we can let Lacey’s teachers and friends know in advance what she is doing and why she is doing it, so it won’t come as a shock when they see her temporary changed appearance.”
Since 2006, The Little Princess Trust has supplied more than 8,000 wigs to children and young people and invested £5 million into ground-breaking childhood cancer research.
Charity shops across the Harrogate district will not be reopening today. This comes as non-essential retail shops prepare to reopen on Monday.
National charities such as Age UK, Barnardos and Oxfam as well as local charities including Martin House and St Michaels, are amongst many who are taking a staggered approach to re-opening.
Yorkshire charity Martin House, who provide care for children and young people with life limiting conditions, is not planning on reopening their Knaresborough and Harrogate shops until July and has suspended all volunteering activities since the beginning of lockdown.
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Stephanie Rimmington, head of retail at Martin House said:
“We are currently working on plans to reopen our shops at the start of July. We are carrying out deep cleaning and installing safety screens and signing to help keep staff and customers safe, and will be limiting the number of people allowed into the shop at a time. Our top priority is the safety of staff, volunteers and customers at all times.”
Many charity shops are unable to open because they’re small which makes social distancing difficult. In addition, all donations made to charity shops have to be quarantined for 72 hours before being put on the shop floor.
Saint Michaels Hospice – Crimple House
Similarly, St Michaels Hospice has confirmed it plans to reopen its shops from July and is taking precautionary measures around hygiene and social distancing. The charity has encouraged the public to keep clothing donations at home for the time being.