walking Archives - Page 4 of 5

Harrogate transplant patient completes 850-mile charity walk

A double transplant patient from Harrogate received a warm welcome at the hospital today when he completed a year-long 850-mile charity walk.

Mark Smith, who received a new kidney and pancreas, is a keen walker and has completed various challenges raising £17,000 in total but this latest feat was his most difficult yet.

Hospital staff, representatives of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, as well as Harrogate borough mayor and mayoress Trevor and Janet Chapman cheered as he arrived at the hospital this afternoon.

His 850-mile target represented the 850 million people who suffer with kidney disease across the world.

His latest challenge has raised £615 for Kidney Care UK and Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity. You can donate by clicking or tapping here.

Mr Smith told the Stray Ferret:

“My favourite walk was a 23-mile walk from my home in Jennyfields. I first went to Ripley then all the way out to Birstwith and then to Winksley and back. I got some ice cream on the way.

“It’s about determination and resilience. You can’t think about the ‘what ifs’. Life is short. The transplants have not stopped me and neither have my other conditions.

“When you go on the organ donor register you are not just saving someone’s life but you give them the chance to lead a better life they never imagined.”

Harrogate businesses set for crunch talks on £10.9m Station Gateway

Transport chief Don Mackenzie has agreed to meet sceptical Harrogate businesses for crunch talks about the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

Many firms in Harrogate have deep reservations about the scheme, which aims to make the town centre more attractive and encourage cycling and walking.

Some fear a reduction in parking spaces, the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and potentially a year of major road works would damage businesses already struggling to recover from covid.

One recent survey of businesses, which received 180 responses, revealed 72% were against reducing the A61 from Cheltenham Mount to Station Bridge to a single lane, which is one of the most controversial aspects of the scheme,

Cllr Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, has agreed to take part in a question-and-answer session at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce’s next monthly meeting at the Cedar Court Hotel on November 8,

Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, which also supports the gateway initiative, will also participate.

Members of the project team will give a presentation before chamber members get the chance to quiz them on issues such as what assessments have been made of the likely impact on the town’s economy.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said:

“Our meeting will hopefully put businesses fully in the picture about the Harrogate Station Gateway Project, and the implications for them and their customers.

“I must stress this is a business meeting and open to our members, those in the Harrogate BID area, as well as members of Independent Harrogate.

Those planning to attend the meeting must register their interest in advance on the chamber website.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

A consultation is currently taking place on the revised designs. It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Boost to Nidderdale Greenway extension plans

Harrogate Borough Council has pledged to support plans to extend the Nidderdale Greenway by up to 23 miles.

The authority has agreed to join a steering group leading on the plans, which would see the four mile cycling and walking route from Harrogate to Ripley extended through the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Scar House Reservoir.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting last night, councillor Stanley Lumley, who represents the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Moors ward, said:

“These plans have been approached on several occasions, but this is the first time it has got real credence.

“The first part of the Nidderdale Greenway has proved to be an enormous success creating a safe cycling and walking route.

“The ambition to extend it through Nidderdale to Pateley Bridge would have great benefits for businesses and residents. It would also be a great asset to Nidderdale and the district as a whole.”

Councillor Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, added:

“Sustainable transport is a key priority of this council and opportunities such as this should be supported.

“We do need representation on the steering group otherwise we would have no input into the development and delivery of the project.”

Councils, campaigners and residents will make up the steering group which could be officially formed by this autumn.

It is being led by cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis, who long before the greenway opened in 2013 has always held an ambition of extending the route, which is used by an estimated 200,000 people every year.

Mr Margolis worked with Sustrans, a national charity that lobbies for and helps build cycling infrastructure, to produce a feasibility study for the extension plans before the pandemic struck and caused some delays in moving the project forward.

The plan though does have its detractors with some landowners in Nidderdale calling it a “Blackway”, arguing it will urbanise the rural footpaths.

The steering group will oversee the next stages of the project, including route planning and further talks with landowners. The aim is for the route to follow disused railway lines or existing rights of way wherever possible.

Mr Margolis previously said he hoped the route would be “substantially built” within the next five years and be funded by government grants and fundraising.

Join the pilgrims walking from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey

The not-for-profit group Ripon Together has organised a mass walk called the Yorkshire Pilgrimage from the the city’s cathedral to Fountains Abbey next month.

Like the Boxing Day pilgrimage between the iconic religious sites, which has been staged for 45 years, walkers will trace the steps of the 13 Benedictine monks who, in 1132 AD, were the original founders of the abbey.

The pilgrimage, which takes place on 4 September, is part of Walkshire series of walks organised this year by the tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire, which encourages people to discover the county’s great outdoors.

It is also part of Ripon Together’s Healthy Journeying campaign to encourage people to walk in the Yorkshire countryside, following the lifting of covid restrictions.

The Ripon Together Yorkshire Pilgrimage will depart from the cathedral at 12.30pm on September 4.

The walk will be led by Canon Barry Pyke, of the cathedral, and will take approximately an hour at a leisurely pace.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend John Dobson, said:

“Ripon Together has been promoting walking and cycling for a couple of years now. This is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Ripon and across the region to walk together from the oldest cathedral in the country to Fountains Abbey, one of Yorkshire’s World Heritage Sites.

“Ripon Together is devoted to improving the wellbeing of people in Ripon and the area. I am delighted that people are uniting to encourage healthy journeying and urge people from across the area to join us in the pilgrimage.” Further walks and cycle routes can be found at https://www.ripontogether.com/healthy-journeying/.”

Book in advance

Justin Scully, general manager at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal said:

“The past 18 months have been tumultuous to say the least, so we’re delighted that the long-running tradition of a pilgrimage between Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey is taking place in September.

“We know that the pilgrimage, which normally takes place on Boxing Day, is much loved by our community and we were so disappointed that we couldn’t run the event in 2020.”

The Yorkshire Pilgrimage is free to take part in, but to ensure a safe journey Ripon Together needs to know the numbers attending in advance.

Tickets for the event are available through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilgrimage-from-ripon-cathedral-to-fountains-abbey-tickets-158397195275.

For those who cannot access that link, paper numbered tickets are available from Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey visitor centre.

There are three food outlets at Fountains Abbey. Cakes and liquid refreshments will also be available on the Abbey Green.

Music will be provided at the abbey by Ripon City Band, which is one of the country’s leading brass bands.

They will perform two sessions, including Yorkshire pieces, finishing at about 3.30pm.

Free walking tours back with new focus on Harrogate people

Harrogate’s free walking tours are making a comeback with a new focus on the people behind the town.

Free Walking Tour Harrogate will restart on Wednesday next week with a six-person limit per tour. As usual, there will be four tours a day, five days a week.

With a tighter limit on numbers, tour guide Harry Satloka has urged people to book ahead online rather than just turn up to avoid disappointment.

The usual tour will now be accompanied by a new ‘locals tour’, which discusses the lives of Harrogate people.

It will start in the usual place, at the war memorial, but will take people towards High Harrogate instead of Valley Gardens.

This new tour starts at 4.30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including Bank Holidays.

Mr Satloka told the Stray Ferret about his new tour:

“I call it the ‘locals tour for local people’ but, of course, it is open to everyone. It will be more focussed on the people of Harrogate, I want to tell their story.

“Over the years I have found more of these stories but since December I have had the time to figure out a way to show off these amazing people

“It will still be fun but there will be a more sombre element to this tour as it is based around World War One and the Edwardian period.”

The locals tour will tell the story of Walter Ogden, who was the youngest son of Harrogate jeweller James Roberts Ogden.

Walter Ogden was just 19 when he died at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 in charge of a tank nicknamed Harrogate.

His story was only recently discovered during renovations at the Ogden Harrogate store in 2014.

New walking and cycling routes to wellbeing in Ripon

An initiative to promote walking and cycling for fitness and wellbeing during the lockdown has been launched in Ripon.

The community interest company Ripon Together is behind the Healthy Journeying scheme.

It encourages people to get their daily exercise on foot or bike while enjoying the city’s scenery.

A website which gives details about safe local walking and cycle routes has been set up to support the project.

The Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, is chair of Ripon Together. He said:

“In this further lockdown it is even more important to look after each other.

“Ripon Together is supporting people’s health and wellbeing through its website where they can find lots of local walks and cycle routes.

“We are also hoping – covid restrictions permitting – to hold the traditional pilgrimage to Fountains Abbey, which could not take place on Boxing Day, on 1 May”.

He said Ripon Together was set up to make Ripon an even better place to live and it was important to encourage people to move around the city and its surrounding area sustainably, adding:

“We want more people to cycle and walk, and we want better access to the city and its countryside for those with disabilities. We need local infrastructure to support this. We would love to hear from anyone with ideas on how that can be delivered.”

Ripon Together is also supporting the creation of local greenways and a walking and cycling strategy for the city, as envisaged in the City Plan approved in a referendum in February 2019.

The proposed Clotherholme development would significantly increase traffic in the city. Healthy journeying – cycling and walking – would reduce congestion and pollution.

Ripon Together is also asking local people to help walking charity The Ramblers to identify paths that have been in public use but are not shown as footpaths or bridleways so that they can be protected under law.

If you know of any such paths, or want to volunteer to help the project, e-mail info@ripontogether.com

People who find public footpaths or bridleways obstructed or in poor condition can use the same e-mail address and Ripon Together will pass on the information to The Ramblers.

Stunning Harrogate district walks included in new guide

Walks around Pateley Bridge, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate are among those included in a new campaign to promote Yorkshire as the walking capital of the world.

The year-long initiative, known as Walkshire, began yesterday. It includes 365 walks in God’s own county — one for every day of the year.

Tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire, which is behind the campaign, hopes it will encourage more people to discover Yorkshire’s spectacular scenery and history on foot.

Routes in the Harrogate district include:

53 miles of the Nidderdale Way

14 miles Bramhope to Harrogate via Arthington viaduct

9 miles Ripon to Fountains Abbey

8 miles Hackfall woods near Masham

5 miles Thruscross reservoir

6.5 miles Burton Leonard, Copgrove and South Stainley

2 miles Ripon canal

The routes can be viewed here:

Arthington viaduct. Credit: Welcome to Yorkshire

James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:

“2020 has been a tricky year for all and certainly a time to reflect on the importance of health and well-being so what better way to start the new year and continue through 2021 than promoting walking in Yorkshire to the world and welcoming visitors to the most diverse of counties.”

The campaign features a daily walk and businesses can sponsor and nominate routes.

There are four big seasonal walks and special plans for Yorkshire Day on August 1, as well as a Tour de Walkshire to replace the postponed Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

People are invited to participate in Walkshire by sharing their own favourite walks using the hashtag #Walkshire.

Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research is the official charity partner of Walkshire.

Three Harrogate cycling schemes to share £1m government funding

Three new walking and cycling schemes in Harrogate could potentially get the go-ahead after the government announced over £1m in funding.

North Yorkshire County Council has accepted the grant as part of a five-year, £2 billion programme by the Department for Transport to improve walking and cycling infrastructure.

£1,011,750 has been awarded to NYCC in total, which will go towards three schemes in Harrogate plus one in Whitby.

The schemes under consideration in Harrogate are:

Oatlands Drive, Harrogate: segregated cycle lanes along an existing cycle route, improved crossing facilities at four locations and other improvements;
A59, Maple Close, Harrogate to Knaresborough: segregated cycle lanes along an existing cycle route and improved crossing facilities at either end;
Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, Princes Square to Station Parade: pedestrian crossing improvements, segregated cycling infrastructure and bike storage facilities.

In a statement the council said it will now consult with local residents and stakeholders before deciding which schemes can be taken forward “within the available budget and timescales.”

NYCC’s councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“The grant awarded to us by the DfT comes with strict conditions. The schemes need to be delivered quickly, should reallocate road space from vehicles in favour of cyclists and pedestrians, and offer alternatives to existing, well-used bus routes.

“All 300 schemes put forward by organisations and members of the public were assessed within the limitations of timescale and cost. Many exceeded by large margins the amount of funding available.

“Following these assessments, those schemes which were most suitable were included in our bid. Whilst this meant that a number of very worthwhile proposals had to be omitted this time, we are confident that there will be many more funding opportunities for them in future.”

Funding for the programme has been released in phases. The county council made a second bid for £1 million worth of funding in August amid criticism it was not ambitious enough in the first phase.

In the first wave of emergency funding, the authority received £133,000 from government – half the potential amount available.

Teenager tackles Yorkshire Three Peaks as tribute to granny

A Harrogate teenager will attempt to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks in December as a tribute to her grandmother, who died of sepsis.

Leah Gresty undertook the challenge, which will raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust, in honour of Elizabeth Simmonite, who died on September 29.

Elizabeth was a former butcher and baker on Knaresborough Road, Harrogate.

Leah said:

“She always liked being with nature and going for walks, so it seemed quite fitting, and it’s something that she would have liked to do herself.”

Leah’s grandmother, Elizabeth, enjoying the outdoors

There are about 48,000 deaths from sepsis every year in the UK.

Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates. Leah, who has so far raised more than £500, hopes her challenge will spread the message.

The tough Three Peaks challenge involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in less than 12 hours – a particularly difficult feat in the darkness of winter.

You can donate here to Leah’s JustGiving fundraising page.

How to spot Spesis:

Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs, causing organ failure and death if not treated quickly.

www.nhs.uk advises you to call 999 or visit A&E if an adult or older child experiences any of these symptoms:

Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense.
Blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue.
A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it.
Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.

Yorkshire Dales National Park enjoys £350,000 post-lockdown boom

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has forecasted an extra £350,000 income for the year due to visitors flocking back after lockdown restrictions eased.

A financial progress report for the period from 1 April to 31 August said the authority revised its budget in May to assume a number of services would be seriously diminished or stopped altogether.

But the situation changed when car parks and visitor centres reopened later that month and visitors flooded to the national park to walk and enjoy the outdoors.

The report said this had an ‘extremely positive’ effect on finances and there was now ‘no emerging risk of a financial shortfall’.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park

The report, which will be considered by the authority’s finance and resource committee next week, also revealed expenditure is £253,000 less than forecast.

It adds:

“Although the current projection is considerably more positive than had been allowed for in the revised budget, it does assume that the second half of 2020/21 will be unaffected by covid, both in terms of income (especially from visitors and planning applications) and expenditure on programmes.”

The full report can be read here.

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