Ripon boy enjoys safe outdoor space thanks to community support

William Riddler from Ripon needed a safe outdoor space to socialise in during his cancer treatment – and thanks to donations from the local community he got just that.

The 13-year-old needed the space to be able to enjoy time with friends and family without the worry of infection.

William was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in March 2021. He is undergoing chemotherapy currently and then will move on to radiotherapy.

The top item on his wish list was a hot tub and with the £10,000 raised via his JustGiving page, the family were able to buy one and build a wooden shelter around it.

Since getting the hot tub this month, William has been able to relax after treatment and invite a friend over.

He said:

“It’s great, I’d wanted one for a while. My friend liked it too but he did say it was too hot!”

Family friend Sarah Bostock had set up the fundraising page as her way of helping the family. In a matter of weeks it had hit its £10,000 target.

This is William’s collection of ‘beads of courage’. He gets a new bead each time he receives treatment, has surgery or has a community nurse visits.

William has to go Leeds General Infirmary every three weeks for chemotherapy, which requires him to stay in hospital for three days.

Since his diagnosis William has had several operations and will need five more rounds of chemotherapy before starting radiotherapy.

Despite all this, his smile remains bright.

William’s mum, Louise Riddler, said:

“His immune system is so low after the chemo that any infection can make him really poorly.

I couldn’t believe how many people wanted to help, it was just amazing. We had planned to do it ourselves but when the clot was found on his heart we knew we had to move quickly.”

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Ms Riddler is hoping that William’s physio may be able to give him some exercises to do in the hot tub to build up the strength in his legs and arms.

Besides the outdoor space, William is enjoying have tutors in twice a week while he can’t attend lessons at Outwood Academy. He says his favourite subject is maths.

More work is set to be done to finish the outdoor space, including a new roof and electrics for a projector.

Councils could pave the way for pop up beer gardens in Harrogate

Councils in the Harrogate district could soon pave the way for pop up beer gardens and outdoor cafes to help boost hospitality businesses.

There are plans to allow pubs, restaurants, and cafes with space outdoors to reopen on July 4 with special safety measures in place.

Many in Harrogate’s hospitality sector do not have those spaces and would, under the current rules, need to stay closed or continue with takeaways.

Harrogate BID has urged both local authorities to help speed up the application process for businesses to open up on pavements.

Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said at the cabinet:

“Even if it’s at a one metre distance but, as it stands, it’s a two-metre distance it is going to be very difficult for those businesses to survive. I believe we should give businesses space where there is currently tarmac. I think that is something absolutely mission critical.”

What Mr Cooper means exactly by “space where there is currently tarmac” will be closely scrutinised – any proposal that would cut on street car parking spaces or lead to permanent changes such as pedestrianisation will be fiercely opposed by retail group Independent Harrogate.

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Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for granting the premises licence and North Yorkshire County Council licenses the use of pavements, so they will need to work together.

The BID board is concerned that if the hospitality industry isn’t supported, Harrogate’s economy could be irreparably damaged.

Harrogate Borough Council is now in talks with North Yorkshire County Council.

David Bowe, Corporate Director for Business and Environmental Services, said:

“We are working with the Harrogate BID, Harrogate Borough Council and retailers at a local level to create as much space within the public highway as is practicable to support safe social distancing, café culture and safe access. It is important to understand that there are inevitably differing demands on the public highway and these have to be safely balanced.”

Robert Ogden, on behalf of Independent Harrogate, said:

“It is extremely important that Harrogate’s businesses are able to thrive in the current crisis, and Independent Harrogate supports measures that will enable smaller cafés or restaurants to open while respecting social distancing guidelines. We know the councils will do their best to balance the commercial imperative with reserving sufficient space for the public to walk on, without resorting to road closures.”