Bilton road closure ‘a complete disaster’, says traderHarrogate domestic abuse charity sees referrals triple due to covid

The founder of a Harrogate domestic abuse charity has blamed coronavirus for an increase in domestic abuse after the number of referrals tripled in a year.

Lindsay Oliver is chief executive of New Beginnings, which provides comfort and support to abused women when they have settled into new homes and the crisis team has withdrawn.

This time last year the charity took two referrals a month. More recently it has been receiving on average six a month.

The number of active clients over the same period has also more than doubled, from 15 to 35.

That increase in referrals and clients, Ms Oliver believes, is the after-effects of coronavirus lockdowns this year and last year. She told the Stray Ferret:

“We are just now starting to see the outcome of coronavirus. Many people need support but the Harrogate district has been so generous.

“It’s very difficult, particularly at Christmas. Part of the abuse is financial so these women often have lots of debt so struggle to buy gifts and a nice meal.

“With donations from the community and businesses we work with Roots and Fruits (Harrogate greengrocers) to provide our families with a big hamper of food and a turkey.

“Not only are we able to provide food with the support of our amazing community but we are also able to give them gifts, not just for the children but for the women too.”

Some of the donations for the Christmas campaign.

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Where can I go for further support?

If you are in a physical or emotionally abusive relationship, click here to contact IDAS, which is the largest charity in Yorkshire supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

If you’re out of an abusive relationship but need further support, you can self-refer to New Beginnings. Email enquiries@newbeginningspeersupport.com.

Bilton father and son supply top shops from ‘hidden gem’ allotment plot

With tonnes of tomatoes, reams of runner beans and buckets filled with flowers growing on an incredible allotment plot – this father and son team in Bilton are able to supply some of the top shops in town.

Gary Sibson and his son James run Naturally Grown Farm from a plot and a half, the equivalent of a fifth of an acre, at a committee-run allotment just off Bachelor Gardens.

He started working with just half a plot 15 years ago as a way to bond with his children and teach them the skills his father taught him.

Gary Sibson is the man behind Naturally Grown Farm in Bilton.

Over the years he has taken on the neighbouring plots to get it to the size it is today. Gary has also changed the way he farms and what he produces over the years as he learns from those around him and from YouTube.

While running an allotment is a hobby for some these days, running Naturally Grown Farm is a full-time job for Gary.

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The farm supplies the likes of Fodder, Roots and Fruits and Regal Fruiterers as well as a dozen florists around the Harrogate area. Gary told the Stray Ferret over a cup of tea at his shed:

“Especially since coronavirus local shopping has become massive, Everyone seems to want to support local and buy local. So much so that it’s been difficult to keep up at times.

“Not only does local mean the produce does not have to travel far but here we try to keep everything plastic free and as environmentally-friendly as possible.

“We do alright. I have questioned myself a few times, it can be an uphill battle at times. My lad James would never let me pack it in. This place is like our home.

“But I was a builder for 35 years and this allotment was always my escape from the world. I would never let it go now, I am much happier now.”

A bountiful supply of salad leaves.

Naturally Grown Farm is now going so well that Gary is keen to take on a much bigger space to be able to keep up with the demand for his fruit, vegetables and flowers.

This year he has had a lot of requests from florists as weddings return. But it has meant that Gary has had to reduce the space he has to grow food.

So he is looking at taking on a field with 10 to 20 times the space he has now and employing an assistant to keep up with all of the work.

More pictures from this hidden gem farm:

He supplies plenty of florists.

Checking on the tomatoes.

The allotment is quite large.

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

‘Hidden gem’ Harrogate shop more than a greengrocer

With a refill station, fresh milk and planters on sale, this Harrogate shop has more on offer than the traditional corner shop greengrocer.

Julia Corbett and James Sore took over Roots and Fruits, on King Edward’s Drive, two and a half years ago and have made it thrive.

The shop front will change throughout the year with pumpkins, Christmas trees and flowers on display, but there always seems to be a steady flow of people popping in to shop and chat.

Coronavirus has of course been a struggle at times, but they adapted to take advantage of soaring demand for home deliveries.

When residents struggled to get in an order at the supermarket during the first lockdown, Julia and James say they were there to pick up the phone and drop off food.

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It’s something the customers appreciate. One even made the bold claim while I was there that it is “the best shop in Harrogate”.

The owners get their just reward for the hard work. In the early days of the pandemic, orders shot up from 50 to 550 each week, meaning they needed to expand their delivery fleet.

Julia explained how the shop front is the face of Roots and Fruits, but the real magic happens in the back, where they pack up delivery boxes:

“So this is Phil. He’s packing the boxes at the moment. In the first lockdown there was a team of seven people packing boxes and bringing in produce.

“This is where we store everything. We had to increase the storage, so it’s all out here now and there’s more in there. In fact, we were packing on the street at one point.

“We deliver to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Birstwith, Hampsthwaite, so we are all over.

“People find us online and through word of mouth. We may be tucked away but people can still find us.”

Since James and Julia took over the business they have focused on reducing the mileage for their produce and cutting the plastic it comes in.

They estimate that they’ve reduced plastic by about 75% in the shop, which they think is a big draw for their more eco-concious customers.

“We re-use everything. We contact suppliers and ask them to reduce plastic. We were the first in Harrogate to have a refill station.

“People come here because they are shopping ethically. We get lots of customers who make new year resolutions to shop with us more.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.