The 1st Pannal Scout Group is selling Christmas trees to raise funds for the renovation of its scout hall.

The group, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, has more than 100 members aged four to 24.

The hall, which is on Spring Lane near Harrogate, has undergone renovations to make the building more accessible, including the installation of a disabled toilet and ramp. There is also a new outbuilding and mezzanine level in the existing hall.

The group hopes its latest festive initiative will raise another £1,500 to fund the final improvements to the building, which will be unveiled in January 2024.

Scout leader Andy Bielby told the Stray Ferret:

“Our group turned 75 last month and we’re just finishing up some exciting renovations to our scout hall which we hope will keep us going for many more years.

“This year we’re using the funds raised to complete some amazing transformation work to our scout hall in Pannal.

“We’ve been lucky to get some grant funding to bring the hall up to date. Unfortunately, that funding restricted us to certain uses so we’re raising money towards some more modest repairs and painting!”

The locally-supplied Nordmann fir trees, which range from 3ft – 8ft, can be ordered online and collected from the Scout Hall.

Prices start at £25.

Read more:

• Harrogate village doctors’ surgery to close
• ‘Absolutely sickening’: 20 Christmas trees stolen in Knaresborough

Traffic will be prohibited on several roads in Harrogate on Sunday afternoon for the annual St George’s Day parade.

The parade, which was held for the first time in three years last year, sees hundreds of Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs and more join together in uniform to mark the occasion.

North Yorkshire Council, the highways authority, has issued temporary prohibition of traffic orders lasting from 1.30pm to 3pm.

It covers Victoria Avenue and parts of West Park, Beech Grove, Station Parade, Marlborough Road, Queen Parade, North Park Road, Coach Road and Christ Church track.

Victoria Avenue is among the roads affected.

Alternative routes will be signposted.

The closures do not apply to emergency vehicles.

Read more:

• Regal floral art wows visitors at Harrogate Flower Show
• ‘It will hurt businesses’: Lib Dem councillor to vote against Harrogate’s Station Gateway

A festive fundraiser ending this weekend is set to raise around £1,500 for a group of Scouts near Harrogate.

1st Pannal Scout Group will be collecting Christmas trees from households on Saturday for the fourth time.

This year, the service has expanded – and the team also added in tree sales int he run-up to Christmas to further boost its fundraising.

Deputy group Scout leader Andy Bielby said they sold 34 trees in one day, and it was such a success they hope to turn it into more of an event next Christmas. He said:

“It was great to meet our customers, some of whom told us they were former Cubs and Scouts from Pannal.”

Now, the volunteers will be out collecting trees from pre-booked households on Saturday as the final stage of what is expected to be the biggest fundraiser of the year by some margin.

Proceeds from the project will be put towards ensuring young Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts at 1st Pannal, along with the partner Explorer unit, have valuable experiences in the coming year.

The children, all aged between four and 18, have already been able to go on camping trips thanks to the money raised by previous tree collections.

Read more:

• Knaresborough Christmas tree fundraiser expands after huge demand
• Christmas tree disposal service provides vital funding for Ripon Walled Garden

This year, there are two gold and one bronze Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expeditions planned, as well as a group summer camp, and an autumn Scout and Explorer camp with more than 1,000 young Scouts taking part.

1st Pannal members will also be learning vital life skills in their weekly sessions and working towards the Chief Scout awards.

Mr Bielby said demand for places was as high as ever and the group was always keen to hear from anyone who could volunteer to ensure as many young people as possible could benefit from the experiences of Scouting.

He added:

“The experience of camping and becoming more independent has never been more important than for the young people impacted by the lockdowns of the last couple of years.

“We have seen the changes that they have gone through, with many having their first opportunity to be away from home much later than they would usually have had if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

“In our Scouting, we aim to provide access to events and opportunities they might otherwise not have such as trips to the fire station, talks with local services like the police and activities like scuba diving and even gliding.”

The traditional St George’s Day parade returns to Harrogate for the first time in three years this weekend.

Taking place tomorrow, it will see hundreds of Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs and more join together in uniform to mark the occasion.

After gathering on Coach Road, they will parade into Christ Church for a short service when they will renew their promises.

It is a shorter parade than usual, after the decision to go ahead was only made two months ago. Attendance is also likely to be reduced because the event falls at the end of the Easter holidays.

District commissioner Karsten Hartmann told the Stray Ferret:

“In the past, we have started on Beech Grove, but it was too short notice to get everything into place. We hope to come back stronger next year.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Scouts group could close after 68 years unless new leaders found
• Ripon’s annual St Wilfrid Procession under threat

This year marks the first time the youngest Scouts have been able to take part in the parade. First Pannal Squirrels caters for boys and girls aged four and five, and was set up during the covid pandemic.

The deputy mayor of Harrogate, Cllr Christine Willoughby, and her consort Andrew Willoughby, will also be at the event.

The parade will gather from 2pm with the 45-minute service, led by Rev Matthew Scott Evans, set to begin at 2.30pm.

It will be the first major event in the district’s scouting calendar since 2019. Mr Hartmann said he hopes it will begin to raise the organisation’s profile again, and particularly help to attract volunteers to enable more people to join Scouts and other groups.

For more information about joining Scouts or becoming a volunteer, click here.

Over 2,000 trees have been planted on the edge of Nidd Gorge to form a new woodland for people to enjoy.

Bilton Conservation Group was helped by employees from Belzona Polymerics as well as members of Knox Valley Residents’ Association and the Scout movement to plant the trees at Bilton Fields during February.

Sixteen native broadleaf species were planted, including a specimen of the rare wild service tree.

The woodland is sponsored and paid for by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Catholic congregation of women that was founded in 1846.

Scout volunteers planting a tree

Four nuns, representing the order, came from Oxford and France to help on the second day.

Read more:

• Bilton and Woodfield Community Library closed due to flooding
• Dramatic photos show firefighters saving Bilton tree in storm

Bilton Conservation Group has planted over 20,000 trees in Bilton Fields since 1985.

Keith Wilkinson, of Bilton Conservation Group, said:

“We had hoped to plant them last year but the weather and covid got in the way.

“Fringed with blossom species such as wild cherry, crab apple, dog rose, hawthorn, blackthorn and rowan it will be magnificent in years to come, providing food and shelter for birds, butterflies and bees. It will look fantastic.”