Harrogate district charities urged to get creative to win Dragons’ Den event

Harrogate district voluntary organisations that come up with a striking photograph encapsulating what they do could receive a funding boost this year.

Two Ridings Community Foundation holds an annual High Sheriff’s Dragons’ Den event in which community groups pitch for funding in front of a panel and audience.

It usually awards individual grants of between £3,000 and £7,000 from a total funding pot of £30,000.

Birstwith artist Clare Granger has been nominated High Sheriff of North Yorkshire this year and she plans to take a creative approach to the event.

Allerton Castle ballroom

This week’s event at Allerton Castle

Speaking at an event at Allerton Castle this week to thank groups that took part in last year’s Dragons’ Den, Ms Granger said the idea of a more visual approach and an exhibition of entries appealed to her.

She said organisations would be assessed on the strength of their images and an explanation of how each one represented their work, rather than by making a standard spoken pitch.

Two Ridings Community Foundation has yet to reveal final details of this year’s event.

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As high sheriff Ms Granger, who has a studio at home, will represent law and order in the county on behalf of the king, assuming her nomination is ratified at York Crown Court in April.

About 100 representatives from voluntary organisations took part in this week’s event at Allerton Castle, which will host this year’s Dragons’ Den event and exhibit the photos.

It was organised by Jonathan Wright, a trustee of the charity that maintains Allerton Castle. Harrogate district Mayor Victoria Oldham and deputy mayor Robert Windass were among those attending.

Robert Windass Victoria Oldham and Jonathan Wright

(from left) Robert Windass, Jonathan Wright and Victoria Oldham

 

£41,000 given to 14 community groups in Harrogate district

A total of £40,688 has been given to 14 community groups and charities by The Local Fund for the Harrogate District.  

The grants of up to £3,000 each will fund activities for young people and older people, sports clubs, mental health and wellbeing groups, and help people affected by the cost of living crisis.  

Some of the projects funded by the grant include:  

The fund is a joint initiative between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action, and Two Ridings Community Foundation, with donations from the Harry Bolland Trust Fund, The Local Lotto and businesses and individuals.  

Two Ridings Community Fund has found that many community groups are still struggling after the pandemic with funding, turnover of key staff, poor mental health, and the cost of living crisis.  

Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the funding, said: 

“We are delighted that 14 small community groups benefit, because we know they make a huge impact on the wellbeing of local people all over the district.” 

Councillor Sam Gibbs, who is a panel member for The Local Fund, added:   

“The work these numerous organisations and charities do makes such a huge difference so I’d like to thank everyone involved in providing this on-going support.”

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The Local Fund has been running in Harrogate since 2017, and last year it donated over £80,000 to 29 different community groups in the district.  

This year, the groups receiving funding are:  

Rural property firm opens office in Boroughbridge

Rural property firm GSC Grays has opened a new office in Boroughbridge.

The High Street branch, which opened on Monday, is the company’s ninth office to open in the past 10 years.

It now employs over 100 people, mainly in the north of England. Twenty-three are based at the Boroughbridge branch, five of whom have been newly recruited. 

A number of the farm and land management consultants are from the local area, and some members of staff grew up or live on farms.  

Managing director Guy Coggrave said:  

“This gives us exceptional expertise at a time when the farming industry is dealing with the impact of the Agricultural Transition Plan, the biggest change in agricultural policy in half a century.”

GSC Grays specialises in land and farming, estate agency, planning and development, and environment and sustainability.  

HSBC and Harrogate BID install third contactless donation point for Street Aid

A third contactless donation point for Street Aid has been installed by HSBC and Harrogate Business Improvement District in Harrogate town centre.  

The ‘tap terminal’ encourages people to make donations to Street Aid, which supports people in Harrogate who have experienced homelessness.  

The most recent donation point is in the Cambridge Street branch of HSBC, where donations from £3 to £20 can be made via a contactless payment.  

The new donation point in HSBC

Linda Lewis, senior network manager at HSBC, said:  

“It’s our pleasure to be part of this scheme and house the third Street Aid terminal.  

“Since its installation, I’ve seen a number of customers tapping it with either a card or a phone to make a donation.” 

The scheme was launched in October 2019, after research was conducted by Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate Homeless Project and North Yorkshire Horizons.  

Since then, the charity has raised over £20,000 through online donations and the three donation points. 

The two other stations are in the Oxford Street M&S window and in Victoria shopping centre. 

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:  

“We are delighted to throw our weight behind the Street Aid scheme, which helps those who are genuinely in need get back on their feet. 

“We want Harrogate to be known as a friendly, caring, welcoming town.” 

Money raised has been administered by Two Ridings Community Foundation to fund items for 28 individuals, ranging from fishing equipment, furniture, a gym membership, bikes and clothing.  

Will Harrogate district charities lose funding in council shake-up?

Many charities in the Harrogate district rely significantly on Harrogate Borough Council for funding.

So the council’s abolition next year could pose a threat to the financial stability of some of the best-known voluntary organisations in the district.

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of the council, said last month it had been a generous funder of charities and urged organisations to prepare for the change in the local government, which will see a single new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council come into existence next year.

He said:

“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”

Local Fund 

One of the district’s main funding sources for charities is the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which was set up in 2018 as a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Last year the fund awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups. Applications for its next funding round open on Monday.

Local Fund

An event last year celebrating the Local Fund.

Last year Harrogate Borough Council gave £200,000 to Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the fund, to go towards an endowment so that the fund continues in perpetuity.

It also receives a steady stream of income from the Local Lotto — and the future of this is less certain because it is run by Harrogate Borough Council.

At least 60% from each £1 ticket sold on the lottery, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.

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Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said

“The Local Fund will continue and thrive as it is a fund with Two Ridings and out of any local government process.”

But Ms Garrill added she “could not comment” on the future of the Local Lotto because it is run by the council.

Who else could be affected?

Some charities also rely on council grants for funding.

When the Stray Ferret asked for a list of recipients, the council directed us to a report from October last year that listed five beneficiaries of its voluntary and community sector strategic funding programme, which awards grants to charities to ‘deliver key services across the Harrogate district’. But it does provide other grants.

The recipients and sums received are:

Harrogate and District Community Action – £40,000

Harrogate and Craven Districts Citizens Advice – £60,000

Harrogate Homeless Project – £22,500

Nidderdale Plus Community Partnership – £8,000

Community First Yorkshire – £5,000

Frances Elliot, chief executive of Hadca, which supports other charities in the district, said that besides its £40,000 grant, it received a separate £32,000 grant from the council.

Frances Elliot

Ms Elliot said:

“It’s a difficult time for lots of organisations but it’s relatively early in the transition. I genuinely don’t know what will happen. We are optimistic for our funding over the next financial year and we will have to wait and see after that, People at the top don’t know what’s happening yet.

“We have a good relationship with both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council and we hope that continues.”

All the North Yorkshire councils facing abolition have various workstreams underway, considering what will happen after the shake-up. The voluntary sector is among the issues being discussed.

‘Don’t destroy a model that works well’

Pateley Bridge charity Nidderdale Plus works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to provide services, such as a community library, a front desk for local council and police matters and a tourist information point.

It receives three council grants worth a total of £21,000, which helps it employ 2.5 staff and manage 150 volunteers to provide the services.

Chief executive Helen Flynn said:

“We hope we don’t have to destroy this community support model that has been working so well.

“We are starting to build relationships with North Yorkshire County Council. I do feel they want to work with us. They have been good at talking to us so far.

“I wouldn’t say I was relaxed but I am engaged with developments.”

Local Fund for the Harrogate District awards £85,000 to 29 community groups

Representatives of about 30 voluntary organisations joined councillors and civic dignitaries this week to celebrate the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups this year.

The fund, which will be issuing more grants in the new year, awards up to £3,000 to small voluntary organisations that have a positive impact on the wellbeing of people in the Harrogate district.

It helped Resurrected Bites launch a community grocery store for low income people and enabled Wellspring Therapy and Training to offer reduced costs on counselling.

Other successful applicants this year included Harrogate Clothes Bank, Artizan International, the Wesley Centre, Masham Town Hall Community Charity, Harrogate Bowling Club, Chain Lane Community Centre and Harrogate & Knaresborough Toy Library, Nidderdale & Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed and Boroughbridge and District Community Care.

The fund is a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

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At least 60% from each ticket sold on the Local Lotto, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.

Harrogate Borough Council has made a £200,000 endowment donation, which will help the fund provide sustainable long-term funding.

Local Fund

This week’s celebratory event at West Park Hotel.

Jan Garrill , chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, told the gathering at Harrogate’s West Park Hotel that it would match fund any donations to the Local Fund by individuals or businesses.

Karen Weaver, strategic lead at HADCA, which supports charities in the district, said:

“The Local Fund is all about addressing the hidden needs in our district, like loneliness and mental health.

“It’s so important that there is a dependable fund for small groups that make such a massive impact in the district.”

Further details of the fund are available here.

 

Bilsdale: charity given £50,000 to help vulnerable get TV signal

A charity which covers the Harrogate district is set to receive £50,000 to support people as television coverage is restored following the Bilsdale fire.

The transmitter has been out of service since August and left thousands in the district without television and radio signal.

Next week, an 80-metre temporary mast is set to be built which Arqiva, operator of Bilsdale, promises will restore 95% of coverage.

Ahead of the restoration, Paul Donovan, chief executive of the company, has announced Two Ridings Community Foundation will receive £50,000 to help support the over-65s and vulnerable people with their televisions after the swtich-on.

It will also be used to “support work on digital inclusion and social isolation”. County Durham Community Foundation has been allocated the same amount of funding.

Mr Donovan said:

“It was extremely helpful to have the support and input of our partners and stakeholders across the area as we work to fix this together. 

“Arqiva is absolutely committed to restoring services to those who are affected as quickly as possible, and to supporting the most vulnerable people as a priority.”

As part of the restoration on October 5, Arqiva will also have a helpline staffed by 75 people to help those who may still be without coverage despite the temporary mast being in place.

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Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, held a call with the company yesterday to hear an update on the transmitter.

He said on a local conservative run website:

“It is important that work proceeds on the temporary mast at pace as I know that several vulnerable constituents are without their main source of companionship and information.”

Last week, Arqiva confirmed the first of more than 200 air lifts of materials to the site of the 80-metre temporary transmitter had taken place.

It said 100 staff are currently on the Bilsdale moor site as part of the project.

However, Arqiva bosses warned that television services will be disrupted the day before the transmitter is switched on due to checks on the mast.

Harrogate district charities receive £45,000 from Local Fund

Nineteen not-for-profit organisations in the Harrogate district have been awarded a total of £45,000 to help restart their activities after covid from The Local Fund for the Harrogate District.

The fund, which is a partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation, was established in 2017 to provide grant funding to local voluntary organisations.

Successful applicants include Boroughbridge and District Community Care , which will use the grant to fund the running costs of providing a new minibus service to a farm shop and Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed, which will spend the money on power tools.

This was the third round of funding from the Local Fund.

Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said:

“All the projects funded are working so hard to help local people safely reconnect, get active and be social again, whatever their circumstances.”

Sam Gibbs, chair of Harrogate Borough Council’s voluntary and community sector liaison group and a member of the Local Fund grants panel, said it had been an incredibly tough year for charities, adding:

“Now, more than ever, it is critical these charities receive vital funds to ensure they can restart their activities and continue supporting as many people as possible.”

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Full Circle Funerals contributed to the sum of funding awarded.

Those that received funding were:

Harrogate district groups can bid for grants up to £3,000

Voluntary organisations can apply from today for grants of between £200 and £3,000 from the Local Fund for the Harrogate District.

The fund, which has opened for its second funding round, will award about £30,000 to £40,000 in total.

Not-for-profit groups in the Harrogate district running projects or wanting to restart their activities and services after covid are eligible to apply.

Applications need to be received by June 21 and grants will be awarded in late July.

The fund, which is a partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation, was established in 2018 to provide grant funding to local voluntary organisations.

Harrogate firm Full Circle Funerals has boosted the amount available in this funding round by contributing £10,000.

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Sarah Jones, chief executive of Full Circle Funerals, said:

“We have been very keen to do something positive to help activities and projects resume after covid and the Local Fund seemed like the perfect opportunity to offer far-reaching support where it is most needed.”

Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said:

“The Local Fund in this round will focus on supporting community-inspired and led projects, activities and events.

“We know many local groups are keen to re-start activities once the current covid restrictions are lifted and we want to be able to support them with grants.”

Councillor Sam Gibbs, chair of Harrogate Borough Council’s voluntary and community sector liaison group and Local Fund grants panel member, said:

“The Local Fund provides continuous support for our local voluntary and community sector organisations and charities across the Harrogate district and the residents they support.

“It has been an incredibly tough year for them. And now, more than ever, it is critical these charities can access funds for projects.

Further details are available on the Two Ridings Community Foundation website and the HADCA website.

Harrogate district groups invited to apply for £2,500 grants

Community groups and charities in several rural parishes in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply for grants of up to £2,500.

Organisations in the parishes of Felliscliffe, Hampsthwaite, Birstwith, Norwood, Menwith with Darley, Haverah Park with Beckwithshaw and Fewston can apply.

Applicants must show their projects meet some, or all, of the following criteria: they enhance quality of life for local residents; contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; promote community spirit and encourage community activity.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, which provides grants in north and east Yorkshire, is administering the awards on behalf of the Knabs Ridge Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

The fund, which was set up by the company RWE Renewables UK, awarded more than £22,000 in grants to 20 applicants last year.

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Previous successful projects range from a scheme to create safe roadside parking at Christ Church Community Centre in Darley to improving a children’s play area at Blubberhouses Cricket Club.

Blubberhouses Cricket Club

Blubberhouses Cricket Club

Other recent successful projects include community planting, coronavirus response, purchase of musical instruments, eco-friendly lighting systems and a project to help people use the internet.

The fund also supports projects that are aimed at encouraging sustainable energy use, reducing carbon emissions, or are generally environmental in purpose.

Grant applications must be submitted before the closing date of May 10. Funding decisions will be made in early summer.

Jackie McCafferty, programme manager at Two Ridings Community Foundation, said:

“We are proud to be working with communities to make a difference to people in their local area, especially during what has been a particularly difficult time.”

Full details are available here.

 

 

 

£2,000 grants available for Harrogate district sports clubs

Sports clubs affected by covid in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply for grants of up to £2,021.

Made by Sport, a charity that promotes the power of sport to tackle social issues, has made the unrestricted funding available to not-for-profit groups.

Organisations that work with young people aged five to 25, and have annual turnover of less than £75,000, are eligible to apply.

They need to be able to demonstrate they work in one of five key areas, which include improving mental health and developing life skills.

They must also show the pandemic has adversely affected them, either operationally or financially, and funding could save, resume or adapt their activity.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, the community foundation for north and east Yorkshire, is administering the grants programme on behalf of Made by Sport.

The deadline for applications is May 31.

The guidance notes for organisations interested in applying are here.

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