MP’s memorial tree at RAF Menwith Hill savedA memorial tree at RAF Menwith Hill that was under threat of removal has been saved and replanted.
The tree was originally planted in 1994 in memory of Bob Cryer, who was the Labour MP for Bradford South. He was a vocal campaigner for transparency at the base and died in a car accident in 1994.
Mr Cryer secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died when he claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.
The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, is building a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.
However, this work involved removing the memorial tree that was replanted close to the site’s main gate in 2002. It was planted alongside the public highway on land not owned by the MOD.
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Last year, the Stray Ferret spoke to the late MP’s wife, Ann Cryer, who was the MP for Keighley from 1997 until 2010. She said she was “very upset” about the possible removal of the memorial tree.
But on Thursday, the MOD replanted the tree 100 metres away from its old location with work overseen by both an arboriculturist and an ecologist.
This means the tree should hopefully survive while plans to upgrade the entrance at the base can continue.
Bob Cryer’s alder tree in its new location
Sqn Ldr Geoff Dickson, RAF Menwith Hill, said the MOD wanted to ensure the move was done in a way that was “sympathetic to the memory of Mr Cryer”.
A second alder tree was also planted.
Sqn Ldr Dickson said:
“Mindful of the significance, we wanted to be sympathetic to the memory of Mr Cryer and to the sensitivities of the protest groups. Accordingly, we hired a professional tree removal company to re-locate the alder some 100 metres further west on the verge bordering Menwith Hill road.
“The operation was successfully carried out last Thursday, with the roots of the tree being dug out by hand so as to avoid damage to the roots system. The work was overseen by both an arboriculturist, and an ecologist. A second alder similar in size was planted a few feet away to complement the original tree. We sincerely hope the tree will survive and thrive in its new habitat.”
The move was welcomed by Lindis Percy, co-founder of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases.
Ms Percy said:
“The America base at Menwith Hill is to be significantly upgraded so the alder tree dedicated to the memory and work of Bob Cryer MP had to be moved.
“He worked tirelessly to make the base accountable to Parliament. His work has been continued by many people since his untimely death in 1994 and we hope the tree survives the move.”
Starbeck shows support for Ukraine with giant painted flagA group of Prince of Wales pub regulars have shown their support for Ukraine by painting the country’s flag on the side of a derelict supermarket in Starbeck.
The idea came from Starbeck Community Group’s Lucky Hubbard and pub landlady Alyson Griffiths. They wanted to show Starbeck is behind the war-torn country whilst at the same time tidying up the former McColl’s supermarket that was ravaged by fire in 2018.
Within hours, a group of drinkers at The Prince of Wales had volunteered their time and they have been there from 5am to 7am for the last few mornings painting the blue and yellow flag before they go to work.
The group of painters included John Kean, David Stead, Colin Shiel, Nick Mills and John Read.
It still has doves of peace and sunflowers that will be added next week as well as six new planters and hanging baskets donated by Starbeck Post Office.
Farball Coatings donated £500 worth of paint and Jewson donated the timber.
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Ms Hubbard said:
“The difference is unbelievable. It looks a lot cleaner and tidier.”
Andrew Hart, who set up Starbeck Community Group and owns the post office, said he has been in contact with the landlord of the building who was very supportive of the flag being painted.
He added:
“We wanted to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this terrible situation.”
A Starbeck knitting group has decorated this post box with the Ukraine flag.
A month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lewis Edwards is planning to return to his home city of Ripon with Ukrainian partner Tanya Bogdanovska.
Teachers Mr Edwards and Ms Bogdanovska fled Kyiv, where they had been working at a private school, on February 25.
Joining the mass migration of refugees who sought safety in neighbouring NATO countries, they arrived in Slovakia.
There, they and eight friends created a shelter to help Ukrainian women, children and men over 60 find sanctuary in other parts of Europe.
This morning Mr Edwards told the Stray Ferret:
“We are awaiting the outcome of Tanya’s application to travel with me to the UK and once all is in place, our plan is to head straight to Ripon.
“That will give us time to find our feet again, while being with family, friends and meeting some of people who have been so generous in supporting our work with refugees.”
Former soldier Mike Heelan is also returning home to Harrogate after travelling to Slovakia to help. Mr Edwards said:
“I would like to say a massive thank you to Mike Heelan, who came over from Harrogate when he read about what we have been doing in Slovakia.
“His help has been invaluable and we will be wishing him well when he heads off back to the UK later today.”
Former soldier Mike Heelan is returning to Harrogate.
Fundraising for Ukraine to continue
Their efforts have been supported by a gofundme page launched by Mr Edwards’ family. More than £19,000 has been raised.
Though they are leaving Slovakia, the fundraising will continue.
Mr Edwards’ mother, Ali, said:
“We are excited that he will be returning to the UK with Tanya and look forward to their safe arrival in Ripon.
“Though they leaving Slovakia, we are committed to continuing the fundraising for the people of Ukraine, who face a desperate situation for the foreseeable future. The monies raised will go to other groups who will be providing humanitarian assistance.”
The flag of Ukraine flies above Ripon Town Hall
The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, supported the gofundme appeal through an event staged this month at The Magdalens Pub, which he owns and runs with his consort, Nigel Guy,
Cllr Parkin, said:
“We already have the flag of Ukraine flying on the town hall and Lewis and Tanya will be welcomed as heroes, when they arrive in the city.”
Funds raised in Ripon have been used to source ambulances, buy and transport vital medical supplies and food and provide shelter.
This work will continue, through the increased involvement of the Slovakian government, acting in liaison with humanitarian aid agencies and on-the-ground volunteer groups.
Harrogate schoolchildren hold peace walk for UkraineMore than 200 children from a Harrogate primary school took part in a peace walk for Ukraine this morning.
Pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, on Coppice Rise, walked from the school to St John’s Church on Bilton Lane to raise money and awareness for those fleeing the conflict.
Children were encouraged to come to school dressed in yellow and blue, the colours of the Ukraine flag, for the walk and to make a donation to the UNICEF campaign to support children in the country.
Beforehand, they took part in a liturgy led by pupils from years three and five.
Pupils at St Joseph’s with their banners which they created for the Ukraine walk.
Children sang peace hymns for Ukraine, held prayers and read from passages in the Bible.
Rachel Rouse, headteacher at St Joseph’s, said:
“We do a lot of fundraising for other things.
“We felt as a whole school that we needed to do something for Ukraine.”
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On the walk, pupils were given blue and yellow ribbons and waved banners at passing drivers on Skipton Road.
Once at St John’s, the whole school gathered to sing a hymn to show they were united for Ukraine before returning to finish with further prayers and singing.
You can donate to Unicef’s campaign for children here.
Harrogate’s John Shackleton hoping to deliver ambulance to UkraineHarrogate’s John Shackleton, 83, is hoping to deliver an ambulance to war-torn Ukraine in September.
Local hero John has delivered almost 40 ambulances to hospices and hospitals in Eastern Europe since 1990 through his charity Aid to Eastern Europe.
He is no stranger to Ukraine, having previously delivered ambulances there in 2014 and 2016. He described it as “such a beautiful country”.
He said if the situation with the war improves, he will buy an ambulance from auction in Amsterdam and drive into Ukraine so it can be used by people injured in the conflict.
If he’s not able to enter the country, he has a backup plan to deliver the ambulance to a hospice in Georgia.
John said:
“Its very sad, I’ve been trying to contact my pals there but haven’t been able to get through. The situation is terrible.
“Ukrainians are exceedingly friendly, lovable people and they are very devoted to their country. They are so powerful in their thinking, they will die for their country”.
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To raise money to buy the vehicles, John chops down trees, cuts lawns, mends bicycles — anything to raise the £12,000 to £15,000 it costs to purchase an ambulance.
But he is currently under doctor’s orders to rest after suffering a heart attack last month.
It happened while he was chopping a tree down at the Oval in Harrogate last month whilst he had his chainsaw in hand.
Fortunately, he had his team with him and they took him straight to Harrogate District Hospital.
Amazing adventures
In January, The Stray Ferret met John at his home to discuss his amazing charity adventures and life.
Since then, he’s been featured on BBC News and had offers from Japanese, German and Gibraltar TV to come on his next trip.
He added:
“I don’t know how to deal with this, never had this publicity!”
To donate and help John buy a new ambulance, email johnshackleton@aidtoeasterneurope.co.uk
Ripon responds to desperate plight of Ukraine peopleReminders of the desperate plight of the embattled people of Ukraine have been evident across Ripon in recent days.
From the Rotary Club of Ripon collection at a bustling Market Place, to the contemplative silence of churches, there have been opportunities for residents to provide financial support, pray, or both.
On Rotary Way, customers at the Marks & Spencer food store are being invited to make a donation when they pay for their shopping. Similar collections are being held at other Ripon shops and businesses
Further down Rotary Way, an iconic image from another war provides a simple and moving message of support for passing motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The silhouette of the First World War soldier and his sweetheart has had the blue and yellow ribbons of Ukraine added along with a posy of flowers of the same colours.
The Our Lady of Fountains Altar at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, where The Pope’s prayer for peace can be seen
Prayers were said at churches of all denominations in the city and surrounding area yesterday and will continue throughout the week.
At St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, the altar of Our Lady of Fountains is decked in yellow and blue. The altar also displays the prayer for peace of Pope Francis.
The altar was bequeathed to the church by the family of the 1st Marquess of Ripon, a man known for his kindness and compassion, who died in 1909.
The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy (right), are pictured with Ali Edwards (centre) her partner Lizzie, and some of the 40-plus people who attended the fundraising event
Ripon’s Lewis Edwards, who escaped Kyiv late last month with his Ukrainian partner Tanya Bogdanovska and is now in Slovakia, spoke via his mobile phone to family, friends and supporters gathered at a fundraising event held at the Magdalens pub on Saturday evening.
Mr Edwards told attendees at the packed venue, how former Harrogate soldier Mike Heelan had arrived safely in Slovakia to lend an extra experienced pair of hands to the 10-strong team, which is helping refugees seeking sanctuary in countries across Europe.
The event, hosted by the pub’s owners, the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy, raised more than £1,300, which be will added to £16,000-plus already raised through donations to the gofundme page set up by Mr Edwards’ family.
Harrogate school fundraiser raises over £500 for UkraineSt Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate has raised £504.98 for a Ukraine humanitarian appeal by selling crafts and old school uniforms.
St Robert’s has a large number of Eastern European children so the school wanted to do something to help at such a difficult time.
Mum Catherine Maguire made Ukraine-inspired crafts, including painted stones, cards, bookmarks, ribbons, pom-poms and cupcakes.
The school also donated all proceeds from a school uniform sale held at the same time to the Ukrainian disaster appeal run by the Catholic aid agency Cafod on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Some of the crafts that were on sale
Ms Maguire said:
“It’s about showing our support for them and their families. It’s not just about raising money”.
The school also created a prayer tree where children could write prayers on a sunflower and hang them.
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Headteacher Jill Collins added:
“St Robert’s Catholic Primary has lots of children from different countries and especially eastern European countries. We want to extend our love and support to our families who have relatives in Ukraine and nearby countries.
“The fundraising event is small way of letting people know we are truing to help and support in any way we can.”
Thankful for support
Ukrainian couple Taras and Viktoriia Jakubiak, whose daughter Isabella attends St Robert’s, said they were thankful to everyone at the school for holding the fundraiser, which took place on Friday afternoon.
The Jakubiak family at the fundraiser.
Mr Jakubiak also spoke about his fears for close family members who are encircled by Russian forces in Ukraine and unable to flee.
Read the full article here.
Bus leaves Knaresborough on 1,550-mile mission to help Ukrainians fleeA van has set off from Knaresborough to transport Ukrainians out of the war-torn country to safety.
The 34-seat bus has been provided by two Harrogate district businessman, Mark Smith of The HACS Group and Ray Allott of Chimneycrete.
Mr Allott had the idea after a chat with a friend called Pavl in Poland.
Pavl said he was using his car to drive 39 miles from his home to the Polish/Ukraine border each night to transport people and supplies.
Mr Allott wanted to do all he can to help so, with support from Mr Smith at HACS, he acquired the bus.
He set off from Knaresborough yesterday afternoon to drive 1,550 miles to Ukraine.
The bus will then be left in Ukraine to be used to help refugees get to safety. It is currently packed with generators and radios, donated by local supporters.
Once it reaches the border it will be handed over to local activists to help get women and children out of Ukraine to other European countries, including the UK.
Mr Smith said:
“It was all Ray’s idea, as soon as he asked I just said ‘yes’. We’ve got to do something and do it fast, there’s plenty of people that need help. Our aim is to get as many people as possible out of Ukraine or further from the Polish border into mainland Europe.
“We’ve put a tracker on the bus too, to see how often Pavl is going into Ukraine then we can send over sufficient funds to cover petrol costs.”
Mr Allott has set up a justgiving page for people to donate to. Money raised will be used for petrol and supply costs. So far it has raised more than £3,000.
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Ray Allott
Almost 97,000 people who have contributed to the North York and York local government pension scheme could see up to £5 million of the fund wiped out unless those managing it are able to recover investments they have made in Russia.
However, council bosses have emphasised that whether or not the investments in Russian companies can be retrieved when trading eventually resumes on Moscow’s stock exchange the £5 billion pension fund is in a particularly strong position.
The North Yorkshire and York Pension fund represents a tiny fraction of the £5 billion in shares British investors have trapped in Moscow’s stock market, which has remained closed since sweeping sanctions were launched against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Officers overseeing the pension scheme said while it had no direct investments in Russia, some of the external fund managers the fund used had discretion to invest where they could generate the greatest returns for the former and current local authority employees and numerous other public, education and voluntary sector staff in the scheme.
They confirmed while the pension scheme had no holdings in states such as North Korea or Iran, some 0.1% of the investments were in Russia and due to China’s economic strength it was almost impossible to avoid having a significant amount of holdings on the Shanghai exchange if the pension fund was to grow.
The last decade has seen a turnaround in the fortunes of the North Yorkshire Pension Fund which has been described by council officers as “miraculous”, going from a funding level of just 35% to 129%, with a £1 billion surplus.
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Officers said even with the loss of the Russian holdings the funding level would remain well above 128% funding level.
Despite this, opposition councillors have questioned why those managing the pension fund did not withdraw the Russian investments as the prospect of war mounted over several weeks.
Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the opposition on the county council, said it had been clear Russia was an unsuitable place to invest in since its invasion of Crimea in 2014, and those concerns had been heightened by Russia’s actions such as the Salisbury novichok posoinings.
He said many of the 97,000 people invested in the fund would recoil in horror at the thought of their contributions bolstering the Russian economy and regime.
While the pension fund’s managers already invest within parameters, it is understood some bosses overseeing the fund will examine whether it is possible to further restrict where and how the pension fund can be used in future.
Cllr John Weighell, who led the county council for 14 years and now chairs the Pension Fund Committee, said fund managers were instructed to go over and above ethical criteria, with a commitment to “responsible investments”.
He added the pension fund had a responsibility to generate returns for its contributors so councillors would never direct experts it employed about individual investments.
Asked why the Russian investments had not been withdrawn before the invasion, Cllr Weighell said the Russian action had not been foreseeable as there had not been such a conflict in Europe for many decades.
A spokesman for the North Yorkshire Pension Fund said it was working with fund managers and its investment advisers to determine the most appropriate action in the longer term.
He said:
“We are saddened by and strongly condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
“Given the current circumstances we have immediately suspended making any further investments in Russia, and continue to review our existing investments including our approach to exiting in due course as and when markets permit.”
Starbeck nurses to embark on mammoth charity cycle rideStarbeck nurses Andy Dennis and Tracey Hill are to embark on a mammoth 2000km charity cycle ride from Amsterdam to Gibraltar.
The trip is to raise money for a charity close to their hearts, which offers vital medical care for those who need it around the world.
The couple hopes the journey will raise £30,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
An impressive £115,000 has already been raised for the charity to reach their overall target of £200,000, which was set in 2010.
It’s the third major fundraising effort they have undertaken for MSF. In 2011, Mr Dennis walked from Amsterdam to Barcelona and in 2016, the couple cycled across the USA.
Ms Hill said:
“We are raising money to give to MSF so they can use it to help people who are desperately in need of healthcare. That’s relevant right now as MSF are in Ukraine. We’re trying our best to get the word out to raise as much money as we can.”
Ukraine crisis
MSF’s medical teams act fast to save people’s lives in conflict zones, natural disasters and epidemics and go to where they are needed most.
MSF works in over 70 countries and has health workers in Ukraine at the moment.
Mr Dennis has worked in Uganda, South Sudan and Sierra Leone for MSF
Specialist teams are in hospitals in the war-torn country treating wounded people, providing surgical care, emergency medicine and mental health support.
Mr Dennis said donations big or small are greatly appreciated.
“There’s no such thing as a small donation, it impacts someone somewhere.
“£3 can pay for an oxygen mask, for example. We can’t change the world but you can change the life for the person sat in a clinic and bring them healthcare access they wouldn’t normally have.”
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‘All about grit’
The trip will take three months, which they will break up so they have time to rest and connect with local media outlets to promote the fundraiser.
Mr Dennis is an ICU nurse at Harrogate District Hospital and Ms Hill is a dermatology nurse at York Hospital. Both of their employers have supported them by giving them time off with some unpaid leave.
Ms Hill said the endurance trip will be “all about grit”.
“You find out the core of you, you peel back so much and you know how determined you are. It’s all about grit, can you tolerate being dirty every day? If you find a river, you go for it.”
The couple cycling in the USA in 2016.
Mr Dennis added:
“What Tracey described is the every day life of the people we are raising money for. We are choosing to do this to make a bit of difference.”
Proud Starbeck man
Mr Dennis has a reputation in Harrogate as a caring and compassionate member of the local community.
The proud Starbeck man said, “I’m not Bob Geldof”, but wants to show how anyone can make a difference in the world.
He said:
“I was no achiever but I was interested in biology at school and it was the only subject I was good at. Combine biology with compassion you find nursing at the end. It’s an incredible job, it might not look attractive with jaded looking nurses on the TV during covid, but I’ve travelled the world.”
All money raised for the trip, which they have called Ride To The Rock, will go to the MSF and the couple will pay for all expenses themselves. It will start in May.
They are also looking for corporate sponsors too. You can email Andy at andy4msf@pm.me for more information.
Their websites are www.andy4msf.com and www.thecyclingnurse.co.uk
To donate, visit the JustGiving page.