As a senior nurse at Marie Curie in North Yorkshire, Susan Ebbage is responsible for supporting both the charity’s staff and patients.

Ms Ebbage allocates nurses to patients after receiving daily updates on their health.

The nurses then visit the patient’s home, introduce themselves to the family and care for their loved one overnight, usually from 10pm to 7am.

Ms Ebbage, who works regularly across the Harrogate district, said:

“This allows the families to have some rest. Patients are reassured by their presence and family members are able to go to sleep. It’s an incredibly emotional time and therefore you can’t put a price on a night’s sleep.

“A lot of the families, particularly in Harrogate, live abroad and that can be horrible for them. It’s about identifying situations like this and trying to give them support where we can.”

Twenty five years

Ms Ebbage has been working in her current role for around eight years and has been with Marie Curie for 25 years.

She lives in the Yorkshire Dales, and while her role is often administrative, she still visits patients in the area when she is needed.

She said:

“I trained at the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and was a community midwife. I always loved patient care. I love being able to support them and helping them be able to become independent and regain control. These are all things as human beings we dread being taken away from us.

“If people are dying or ill, I like being able to take good care of them so they don’t feel like a burden.”

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Ms Ebbage said a highlight of her Job was working with families who clearly love the person they are looking after.

But she added that there were also difficult issues that had to be dealt with.

‘Sorrows, sadness and regrets’

She said:

“I never tire of seeing families care for their own well. I get upset when I see families who aren’t interested. But you have to try and understand what has gone on. You listen to sorrows, sadness and regrets.

“We talk to people who tell us quite dark things at times. We have to ask them what to do with that. That might involve getting a minister to go and see them.

“We also have to keep an eye out for safeguarding. It’s not just about abuse or cruelty. Some are difficult to spot straight away. We have to make a case and follow that through.”

Ms Ebbage said the work of Marie Curie was really important.

She added:

“We have struggled like may other charities over the last two years. The nurses have been outstanding. Up to 300 nurses go out seven nights a week across the country.”

Co-ordinated approach

Ms Ebbage explained that the charity worked in conjunction with Saint Michael’s Hospice in the Harrogate area. They have meetings three times a week and share patients. Marie Curie also works with services and charities including Harrogate end of life co-ordination, NHS Continuing Healthcare and Macmillan Cancer Support.

She said:

“We have a co-ordinated approach to care in the Harrogate district. It’s really important and we have got that down to a fine T. In Harrogate there are a lot of care providers. This ensures people get the most appropriate care they need and we are not wasting resources.

Fundraiser

The Marie Curie Brain Game is returning to Yorkshire for a fourth time on Thursday, January 26 and for the first time in Harrogate in the newly refurbished Majestic Hotel & Spa.

Guests will be treated to a drinks reception before enjoying a gourmet three-course dinner. The celebrity-hosted quiz will run throughout the evening and guests will also have the opportunity to bid for exclusive lots in the live and silent auctions, and win prizes in the grand raffle.

This black-tie event invites companies from across Yorkshire to come and enjoy an evening of brain-teasing entertainment and battle it out in the ultimate corporate quiz to be crowned Yorkshire Brain Game champions.

To book a table, click here.

Saint Michael’s Hospice is set to hold its annual remembrance service in Harrogate tomorrow.

The hospice, which is based at Hornbeam Park, will hold the event on Saturday (December 11) at Crimple House.

Held every year, the service will feature music, comforting readings and quiet time for reflection alongside the heart-warming moment where the community’s dedicated lights are illuminated together.

Portia Crewe, Knaresborough, has attended the hospice’s Light Up a Life service annually since her father Bill’s passing in 2015.

Bill was cared for by the hospice in the last three weeks of his life.

Bill Crewe and his daughter Portia

Ms Crewe said:

“Since attending the first time, several friends and family now attend, and it has become a staple within our family’s calendar. It was so poignant that we haven’t missed a service since.”

The Light Up Life event at St Michael’s Hospice is now an established Christmas tradition for the Crewe family.

The service will start at the hospice on Saturday from 4pm.

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After making a dedication, people will receive a personalised dedication card in the post with a star to place on the tree and help memories of loved ones shine on through the festive season.

For more information, visit the Saint Michael’s Hospice website here.

Charity fundraiser Mary Philpott completed the Nidderdale sprint triathlon on her own — after the race was cancelled following the Queen’s death.

Ms Philpott, 65, had received pledges of £900 to complete the 400 metre swim, 20 kilometre bike ride and five kilometre run on Saturday.

But the event was cancelled 24 hours before it was due to take place because Brimhams Active, the organisers, felt it would be inappropriate to take place during a time of national mourning.

Not wanting to let down Saint Michael’s Hospice, who she was fundraising for, Ms Philpott decided to complete the course alone anyway.

She had already endured disappointments in 2020 and 2021 when the event was cancelled due to covid.

Ms Philpott, who lives in Pateley Bridge and works at Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre, where the triathlon was due to start and finish, ended up finishing the course in one hour and 44 minutes.

Mary Philpott completes the course.

The pool roped off a lane to allow her to complete the swim. She then cycled the hilly route to Lofthouse and back before finishing with the run around Pateley Bridge, following the intended route. A ribbon was installed at the finishing line.

With Barclays expected to give £700, Ms Philpott expects to have raised £1,650 for the Harrogate-based hospice, which cared for her husband Paul when he died of cancer in 2015.

She said her legs “felt like jelly” during the run but she said she was “astounded” by her rapid finishing time, particularly as she didn’t start training for triathlon until she was in her 60s. She recalled:

“About three or four years ago pre-lockdown I learned how to swim the front crawl because I could only do breaststroke.

“Somebody said ‘you should challenge yourself by doing a spring triathlon’. I thought it would be a bit of a challenge so why not.”

“I’ve done various things over the years to raise money for Saint Michael’s but this was the big one. So it was a big blow when it was cancelled but I decided I’d go ahead anyhow.”

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A group of community-minded children will set up shop in the streets of Harrogate tomorrow to raise money for Saint Michael’s Hospice.

The children will sell cakes they’ve baked along with bric-a-brac for what has become an annual event on Valley Mount.

It was started in 2015 by sisters Yasmin and Louisa Stokes when they were aged five and three respectively. Last year’s event generated £647.

In 2019 the group was invited to visit Saint Michael’s headquarters at Hornbeam Park to see where their funds had gone.

Yasmin and Louisa will be joined at this year’s sale by friends Ben and Chloe Annett and Annalise Plummer-Rooke.

It will take place from about 9am on Valley Mount until the cake sells out.

Presenting a cheque to Saint Michael’s in 2019.

A charity tournament with a friendly feel will return to Harrogate this summer.

The Saint Michael’s Cup sees teams of petanque players – from amateur to more experienced – compete to win the trophy and support the town’s hospice at the same time.

Teams of three can enter for a £20 donation to the hospice and will then be put in a group to play against others. The winner from each group will go into the knock-out rounds.

Although it marks 10 years since the first Saint Michael’s Cup was held in 2012, it has had a two-year gap thanks to covid. Organisers Harrogate Montpellier Petanque Club are hoping there will be renewed enthusiasm for the simple yet competitive game.

Club chairman Nigel Clay said:

“We’re fortunate we still have support from Ellis Bates as our sponsor for the tournament. We’re looking forward to raising money for the hospice again, and hopefully meeting some new teams as well as those who’ve taken part before.”

The tournament will be launched next Sunday and run until September, when the finals will be held.

The new club headquarters in Oatlands

The launch will be part of the official opening of the club’s new base at Pannal Ash Junior Football Club (PAJFC) on the playing field next to Oatlands Junior School, off Hookstone Road. The event runs from 11am to 3pm, with the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham, officially opening the new courts and kicking off the charity tournament.

Club members will be playing against a team from Leeds, offering visitors a chance to see how the game works, and there will be time for social play.

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While covid may have put a stop to the tournament for two years, the club has seen a rise in membership. As a game which lends itself to social distancing yet is sociable, petanque – also known as boules – was ideal for playing outdoors when covid restrictions allowed.

The launch of the new venue with its 10 courts adds to the existing four at the pierhead bouledrome on top of Montpellier Hill in Harrogate town centre. Club chairman Nigel Clay said:

“The pierhead is ideal for social play and small groups, but lacks facilities. We have been working for some time to find a larger venue to host full club events and competitions.

“Oatlands provides all we need in terms of facilities over the summer, when we will use it, and for PAJFC during the football season.”

For more information about the Saint Michael’s Cup tournament, visit the club website or call Nigel Clay on 07735 388359.

Ripon Arcade signs contract on final two units

Ripon Arcade is now fully occupied after Yorkshire Physio and Gladrags Ripon signed contracts on the final two units.

The arcade, in the heart of the city, recently underwent a £100,000 refurbishment. The 16,484 sq ft arcade was bought by Bradford-based property development and investment company Frank Marshall Estates off a guide price of £2.2m from the Westcourt Group in 2019.

Four friends who worked together as teachers have raised almost £2,500 in memory of a former colleague who died of cancer.

Dee Oultram was helped by The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre in Harrogate and Saint Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate in her final days. She died aged 52 on January 1 this year.

Dee had intended to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge with Paula Conroy, Laura Hunt, Fiona Laycock and Steph Cargill to raise money for the two organisations.

The five women taught together at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Knaresborough.

The challenge involves reaching the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in under 12 hours.

The women had to postpone their attempt twice due to covid and Dee died before it could be completed.

Her friends decided to carry on and fulfil the quest to help the organisations that did so much to help Dee and last weekend completed the challenge.

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Ms Conroy said Dee was with them in spirit throughout the day. She added.

“It took us 11 hours to complete the 40 kilometres and around 55,000 steps.

“But every penny donated was worth every single step to go towards helping beautiful people through various stages of their battle with cancer!

“We laughed and we cried, there were ups and there were downs.”

Main pic: (from left) Laura Hunt, Paula Conroy, Steph Cargill and Fiona Laycock on Whernside during the challenge.

A Knaresborough family are to return to Saint Michael’s Hospice for a remembrance service after losing their loved one.

The remembrance service has become a tradition in Harrogate district over the past 20 years.

For families such as the Gill’s the service is a comforting experience. It gives them the chance to return to the place their loved one, Tim Gill, spent his final days.

Tim was cared for by Saint Michael’s from October 2018 to January 2019 after his kidney cancer progressed and he lost the use of his legs. His family said he was a lover of nature and the outdoors and often took refuge in the hospice’s peaceful grounds in Hornbeam Park overlooking the Crimple Valley.

The remembrance service gives families a moment to come together to remember loved ones and bring comfort and hope to families living with terminal illness and bereavement.

Tim’s daughter, Sam Gill said:

“The care Dad and our family received at Saint Michael’s could not have been more perfect. What was absolutely priceless was feeling that Dad’s and our individual wishes were respected. Dad could be exactly who he wanted to be thanks to their wonderfully personal approach.”

The tree will be lit during the service on Sunday.

The Light up a Life remembrance event had to be held online last year due to covid but this year it will be held in the hospice’s grounds at 4pm on Sunday, December 12.

There will also be a virtual service later on the Sunday at 6.30pm.

The events will feature readings, reflections from the community and live music, as well as the memorable moment when the outdoor trees are illuminated – each light dedicated to the memory of someone special.

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Tony Collins, Saint Michael’s chief executive said:

“We are pleased to be able to gather, while taking the necessary safely precautions, with members of our community in-person once again, if the time is right for them.

“We know how much Light up a Life means to the families we’ve cared for and our wider community, and it means so much to us too

“After another challenging year of the pandemic, we want to let our community know that we are here for them. We understand the winter months can be difficult emotionally, especially if living with bereavement or anxiety, and we want to do all we can to support people in whatever way is right for them.”

The charity’s  Just ‘B’ team will be sharing comforting reflections during the Light up a Life services. The service helps those experiencing bereavement, anxiety or low mood via its Hear to Help helpline

To make a donation or dedicate a light on the virtual tree, click here.

A former prison governor from Harrogate has raised almost £5,000 for charity by giving speeches about her 35 years in the prison service.

Veronica Bird, a Harrogate resident of over 20 years, worked with some of the most notorious criminals in the country, including Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, and Charles Bronson, a man labelled ‘the most violent prisoner in the country’.

Proceeds from Ms Bird’s speaking engagements will be handed to nine local and national charities at an event on Tuesday. The event, which will be held in a garden on Cornwall Close, will be opened by Brackenfield school choir.

Ms Bird, who received an OBE for her work in the prison service, said:

“I came from a big family, a lot of poverty, and so I know what it is to be without food, without clothes.

“My school motto was ‘not for oneself, but for all’ and that is what I try to follow. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

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She has chosen local charities Saint Michael’s Hospice and Girlguiding’s Birk Crag Centre. Cheques will also go to Jacqui’s Million, Barnsley Hospice, St Leonard’s Hospice, and Mind, alongside the MS Society UK, Royal British Legion, and the NSPCC.

The event begins at noon, at 100 Cornwall Close, Harrogate, on Tuesday 2nd November.

Charity fundraising events in the Harrogate district have been slowly returning.

But whilst the smaller events have successfully returned, such as HELP‘s Nidderdale walk or Saint Michael’s ‘Go Purple’, the big set-piece charity balls are yet to return.

The balls play a vital role in the annual fundraising calendar for many charities – often raising significant amounts of money. Such as the Firecracker Ball, which raised over £250,000 in 2019.

Claire Mills who’s partner, Tony Furlong, received end of life care from Saint Michael’s Hospice, has organised one of the first balls to return.

The event named ‘The Tony Furlong Memorial Ball’, will take place at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, on Friday, November 5. It has already sold over 150 tickets at £60 per person.

Ms Mills said:

“I am looking forward to welcoming friends, family and colleagues of Tony to the ball, I am hoping that we raise a huge amount for St. Michael’s Hospice whilst remembering Tony and sharing some great memories. Tony loved to attend a black tie ball, particularly as he spent his career managing hotels and I am sure everyone attending will do him proud by having a fantastic evening, particularly after such a challenging year, I think everyone is ready for a party.”

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Other annual charity balls, such as the Barnardo’s Firecracker Ball, Martin House’s Glitter Ball, and the Candlelighters Ilkley Ball – have not been confirmed to be returning this year.

The Glitter Ball, though, is scheduled for May next year at Rudding Park. 

Sara Cracknell, senior events fundraiser at Martin House Children’s Hospice, said:

“We are excited to announce that the Martin House Glitter Ball will return to Rudding Park Hotel on Friday 6th May 2022, hosted by Bargain Hunt star Charles Hanson.”

“The Glitter Ball is our most glamorous fundraising event, and also our biggest – in 2019 it raised over £172,000.”

The Ilkley Candlelighters Ball, will not return in 2021, with 2022 still under review. In past years the ball has raised upwards of £52,000 in donations.

Alison Clay, chairman for the Ilkley Candlelighters Ball, said:

“With rising costs and dwindling returns, year on year, and the current situation we all find ourselves in, we are fearful this type of event will ever happen again! I sincerely hope and pray that this is not the case as the charity provides an invaluable resource for patients and their families in the most dire of circumstances and I urge all our supporters, past and present, to do their utmost to make sure that the Ilkley Candlelighters Ball continues for many years to come.”

For more information about the ‘The Tony Furlong Memorial Ball’, contact: cmills@classiclodges.co.uk and to support Claire’s fundraising for Saint Michael’s click here.