This article is sponsored by Ashville College Sixth Form.

We understand that choosing a Sixth Form can bring excitement and nerves in equal measure. To any young person, Sixth Form is a time of enrichment, commitment and increasing independence as they move closer to adulthood. They may even have heard from people close to them that Sixth Form was the best time of their school lives. It is not a decision to take lightly.

Ashville College’s Sixth Form Taster Day on Thursday, January 18 is designed to give Year 11s a taste of Sixth Form academic and social life, and to hopefully help them decide if we will be a good fit, both for them as individuals and in paving the way for their future plans.

Here are six things your child will discover on our Taster Day. If they don’t, we are not doing it right!

High-quality teaching

By attending pre-selected sessions, your child will gain first-hand experience of our range of more than 25 A Levels plus BTEC and Cambridge Technical qualifications and start to get acquainted with our teachers, who are specialists in their chosen disciplines.

What it feels like to be a Sixth Former

The feeling may be a little artificial as they haven’t officially started yet, but a Taster Day is as close to the real thing as possible. They can wear suits, experience the school environment, have exclusive use of the dedicated Sixth Form Centre, and taste the food!

A sense of confidence that we will help them get into their preferred university

In 2023, 94 per cent of the summer 2023 cohort of Upper Sixth pupils were awarded places at their preferred universities in the UK and around the world, based on their A Level results. Teachers work tirelessly to deliver the best possible academic outcomes for each pupil.

They will be known as individuals

We work with every young person to get to know them and help them realise their potential, whether that is in their chosen fields of study or their co-curricular pursuits.

There’s more to gain than exam results

Sixth Form can be synonymous with A Levels, but they’re only part of the story. At Ashville, ‘Future Ready’ provides experiences and skills that aim to assist our young people well into the future, and our strong Co-curricular Programme enables them to continue to pursue existing interests and discover new ones, aiding personal growth as well as mental and physical wellbeing.

It’s not just about work!

By spending time with the Ashville community, attendees will learn that we as a College believe that the Sixth Form days are about more than studying and exams, and that pupils learn best when they are happy.

So much awaits beyond the Ashville classroom, from the friendships they will make to the incredible trips and end-of-year parties. Sadly, our Taster Day can’t convey all the special moments ahead of them; they will have to join us to discover those!

Sign your child up now for an enjoyable, valuable and eye-opening day.

We look forward to meeting them. Click or Tap here to register now. 

Harrogate Fire Station will welcome members of the public to its popular annual open day next weekend.

The Skipton Road site will open its doors on Sunday, September 3 from 10am until 3pm.

Visitors will be able to see a variety of fire engines, including some demonstrations and interaction, and speak to members of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Children will have the chance to pretend to be a firefighter, as well as learning basic first aid from St John Ambulance.

North Yorkshire Police, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue and the Red Cross will also be represented, along with some police vehicles on site too.

The open day is free, though there is a charge for some of the activities.

A bouncy castle, refreshments and a raffle will all be held, and donations can also be made to the Fire Fighters Charity.

Visitors get to know the emergency services at last year’s open day

Read more:

• Harrogate Fire Station installs swift nest boxes on drill tower
• Long-awaited £1.2m refurbishment of Ripon’s police and fire station confirmed

Summerbridge Players have put out an urgent call in a search for actors, lighting/sound technicians and people who can perform various backstage roles.

With a proud history of many performances over 73 years, the players are looking to the future.

The Rev Alastair Ferneley, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Dacre Banks, who in May was in the cast of Give us a Sign – a comedy of errors written by award-winning playwright Tony Domaille – said:

“We are asking the Nidderdale community to help keep our local theatre group going – and have fun doing it.

“Anybody who feels that they can play a role – whether acting or behind the scenes – will be made most welcome at the open day we are holding at Dacre and Hartwith Village Hall on Saturday, September 9.”

Those who visit between 11am and 2pm will have the opportunity to find out more about the players and their planned future productions and further details about the open day can be obtained by emailing Sue Wright on suewr1ght@yahoo.co.uk

Since its foundation as an independent group in 1950, the Summerbridge Players have performed a broad portfolio of plays, ranging from The Vicar of Dibley to The House of Frankenstein.

Other notable productions include Oliver!, My Fair Lady, Jonah and the Whale, Twelfth Night and A Christmas Carol.

Read more:

• Ethical issues under the spotlight in Pateley Bridge
• Stunning rainbow over Nidderdale

The Yorkshire Centre for Wellbeing is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month.

The business is the longest-standing yoga and pilates studio in Harrogate, having opened on Duchy Road in 2003.

The owners said opening the studio was a “big financial risk at the time”.

However, founder Anne-Marie Burford believes “post-covid anxieties” caused a surge in prioritising health and boosted the credibility of yoga and pilates, as well as causing a shift in attitudes towards them.

She said:

“Yoga in the West can often be about images, especially now a lot of celebrities do it.

“That isn’t the true form of yoga – we just want to support health and wellbeing”.

Ms Burford also said social media has “probably caused the most significant change” in attitudes towards wellbeing.

The studio centres on being entirely holistic and focusses on incorporating Ayurveda, a traditional Indian healing therapy, into the yoga, pilates and tai chi classes.

The centre also “places focus on the spiritual aspect of wellbeing”, including soul coaching, reiki, and various Eastern-style massages.

Staff members have extensive spiritual and physical training, including one-to-one training with Deepak Chopra, as well as a South Asian spiritual pilgrimage. The business also offers yoga retreats to members, both nationally and abroad.

James Burford, one of the teachers at the wellness centre, said:

“I feel very encouraged by the support we already receive form our students, many of whom I consider friends, and the increase in number of students joining and connecting with our centre over the last few years“.

Yorkshire Centre for Wellbeing is holding an anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 16, with pop-up classes, afternoon tea and live music. Full details are on its Instagram feed.

Read more:

• Temporary gym installed at Ripon leisure centre
• Pure Gym confirms May opening in Knaresborough

Hundreds of people visited Harrogate fire station today for an open day.

Children got the chance to sit in the fire engines and watch demonstrations while parents were able to receive advice on fire prevention.

There was also the chance to sit in police vehicles.

The station, on Skipton Road, has 40 firefighters operating on four watches.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters issue smoke alarm warning after house fire
• Up to 1,000 runners set for Sunday’s Harrogate 10k

Families will get the chance to meet Harrogate firefighters and sit in fire engines tomorrow.

Harrogate fire station is holding an open day at its site on Skipton Road.

The station, which will be open from 11am until 4.30pm, will host activities, stalls and demonstrations.

Two fire engines and the aerial ladder platform will be on display.

Firefighters will give safety advice and take part in two rescue demonstrations using the ladder platform.

Police will also be present.

There will be tea and cakes and a bouncy castle, as well as a maze for children.

Read more:

• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner
• Harrogate firefighters issue smoke alarm warning after house fire

A French-themed open day will be held to officially launch the new boules courts in Darley this weekend.

Darley Playing Fields Association is inviting the community and visitors from further afield for wine, cheese — and of course, a game of petanque.

Taking place this Saturday, May 21, from 2pm, it will be an opportunity to see the work that has gone into creating Darley’s new community facility at the playing fields.

Association chairman Mark Simpson said:

“It’s aimed at the local community and will be a relaxed affair with the aim of getting the availability of petanque known and getting people to have a go.”

Read more:

• Historic Darley Mill to be converted to housing
• Harrogate petanque club prepares to move home

The courts have been available to play on since Easter, with a few informal teaching sessions taking place.

They were created by the playing fields association with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, while Darley and Menwith Parish Council supported the work and funded two benches by the courts to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Harrogate Hospital Radio is inviting people to tour the station and even try being a DJ on air.

The charity broadcaster, which is run by volunteers and based in Harrogate District Hospital, will host an open day from 9am to 6pm on Saturday, October 2,

Visitors will be given a tour of the studios, have the opportunity to watch a show being broadcast live and have the chance to get behind a microphone and take on the role of a presenter.

At the beginning of September, Harrogate Hospital Radio became one of the first hospital radio stations to broadcast on FM.

Read more:

• Harrogate Hospital Radio wins three-year fight for FM licence
• Harrogate Hospital Radio takes to the air for 24-hour fundraising marathon

Harrogate Hospital Radio chairman Mark Oldfield said:

“This open day is aimed at informing the public of the role we provide to patients within the hospital, as well as hopefully recruiting new members.

“They will be able to find out about our broadcasting journey today, which has taken us from broadcasting from a single room with one turntable, one reel-to-reel tape player and one microphone, to the state-of-the-art studios we have now.

“For those interested in a broadcasting career, Hospital Radio is a great place to start. Some of the country’s best-known presenters, including Chris Evans, began their career this way.

“For those who aren’t looking for a presenting role, we have plenty of opportunities to help behind the scenes. Request collecting is one of the most important and rewarding roles there is.”

You can book a time slot to attend by contacting events@harrogatehospitalradio.org.uk.