Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Newtons Solicitors is to move to larger premises in Ripon.

The Harrogate-based firm has nine offices across Yorkshire and the North East; it employs 90 staff and has an annual fee income of £6m.  It’s current Ripon office is based on Kirkgate.

Managing director Chris Newton told the Stray Ferret:

“An opportunity arose to purchase our own premises in Ripon. The Ripon office is very good for business.

“We saw a good new location in Market Square and seized the opportunity. It’s the old Yorkshire Bank office and needs a lot of refurbishment work. That work is underway and we hope to be in by November in time for Christmas. “

Six staff work at the current Kirkgate Ripon office. Mr Newton said he hoped that number would expand with the new premises.

The interior of the building on Market Square

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New charity store in Harrogate

The charity has secured the site of the former Porters store on Oxford Street as part of its plans to open shops on every high street in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Cancer Research has been based in the spa town of Harrogate since 1978.

Funds raised at the shop will help fund research to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in Yorkshire.

Juliet Glendinning, director of Yorkshire Cancer Research said:

“Harrogate has been home to Yorkshire Cancer Research for over four decades, and we have always felt very lucky to be an integral part of this beautiful town…

“With the opening of a new shop in the heart of the town, we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of the fabric of Harrogate.

“Our charity shops play a vital role in raising funds to support pioneering research, and the new store means we can offer volunteering and employment opportunities while contributing to the local high street.”

The new shop will be run by manager Kate Morris, who said:

“I am so excited about the opening of a Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Harrogate. It is so great working for Yorkshire Cancer Research, knowing that we are playing a part in raising money to fund vital research and really having an impact on the lives of people with cancer, right here in Yorkshire.”

While the shop is being prepared for opening, good quality clothes, homewares, toys, books, small electrical and furniture can be dropped off at the charity’s donation centre at i2D Hornbeam Park Oval, Harrogate, HG2 8RB. The donation centre is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Secrets of TikTok success to be shared at Harrogate networking event

A business owner who uses TikTok for recruitment will be the guest speaker at a networking event next month.

Sally Bendtson, who runs Limelight HR, became a social media sensation with her entertaining videos during the first covid lockdown.

She has used them to raise the profile of her business and, most recently, even as part of her own recruitment.

She will be sharing the secrets of her TikTok success with Business Ladies around Harrogate (BLaH) on Friday, July 1.

The group meets at William and Victoria Restaurant on Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, at 11.50am on the first Friday of each month. The speaker’s presentation is followed by informal networking over a two-course lunch, finishing at 2.30pm.

Tickets are £30 per person. For more information, visit the BLaH website.

Harrogate colleagues climb Snowdon at sunrise for Yorkshire Cancer Research

A group of Harrogate colleagues have climbed Snowdon at sunrise to help raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The employees from Belzona hiked up the highest mountain in Wales as part of their year-long fundraising for the charity.

Lily Alexander-Pike from the company said:

“We first suggested the idea to the team after one of our colleagues had done it and said how amazing it was.

“We had so much interest and everyone really got behind it, either taking part or donating. We were amazed to raise over £3,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Research in sponsorship.”

The team, which consisted of 28 people from design and manufacturing firm Belzona and two employees from Yorkshire Cancer Research, began their climb at 1am to reach the 1,085-metre peak for sunrise.

Lily added:

“It was surreal walking up in complete darkness, but when the sun rose the views were just incredible. The journey back down was like a completely different walk when you could see everything around you.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research was nominated as one of this year’s charities by Sarah Furber, a member of the finance department, because she has family members who have been affected by cancer.

The team has also organised a chocolate raffle, a cutest pet competition and more to add to its fundraising.

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New marketing agency launches in Harrogate

A new marketing agency called Next Chapter has launched in Harrogate.

Charlie Hartley, founder of creative agency Impression, set-up the company. Working alongside marketer Daniel Swepson, the agency will offer market and consumer research, strategy, digital advertising, search engine optimisation, content strategy and social media.

Mr Hartley said:

“We shall be delivering more advanced services within strategy, digital marketing and SEO and Daniel’s experience aligns perfectly with this vision.”

Mr Swepson said:

“We’re both clear in our vision and intend to do things differently from other agencies. From the start we shall enable brands to challenge and disrupt. Our strategies are bespoke and aim to break the mould, pushing our clients to lead the way in their sector.”

Chartered surveyors help Harrogate charity expand

Max Vause, of Carter Towler (left) and Tony Graham of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Chartered surveyor Carter Towler is to help a Harrogate charity expand its network of shops.

Yorkshire Cancer Research currently has shops in Ripon, Knaresborough, Tadcaster and Northallerton. Carter Towler has been tasked to find five suitable retail units per year for the next three years.

Tony Graham, head of retail at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added:

“By having Carter Towler working with us we will be able us to scale-up our retail operations quickly and efficiently. By 2025 we are aiming to have 20 outlets.”

Leeds-based Carter Towler is one of the largest independent property consultants in the north, with 55 staff.

Linley & Simpson staff fundraise for charity partners

Linley & Simpson’s Aydin Arslan, Kerry Ferguson and Greg Smallwood.

Staff at Harrogate estate agency Linley & Simpson are embarking on the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for a young people’s hospice.

A dozen employees, including property manager Aydin Arslan, branch manager Kerry Ferguson and land and development consultant Greg Smallwood will bid to scale the summits of the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – all within 24 hours in June.

The challenge forms the centrepiece of the company’s pledge to raise £25,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice, at Boston Spa, as part of its 25th anniversary year.

Linley & Simpson, which has more than 20 branches across Yorkshire and The Humber, has raised more than £100,000 for the hospice since their partnership began six years ago.

A Harrogate breast cancer survivor is urging people to check their breasts and contact their GP with any concerns.

Annette Ward was diagnosed with breast cancer in June last year after noticing a lump and a change in the shape of her breast.

Ms Ward, 61, spoke to her GP and was referred to hospital for further tests. She was then told that she had cancer.

It was diagnosed as primary breast cancer, which meant it had not spread to other areas of her body and could be treated more easily. She had surgery to remove the lump, followed by radiotherapy.

She said:

“I feel blessed that my cancer was found early. From diagnosis to treatment, the NHS have been marvellous.

“I’m so grateful to the doctors and nurses at Harrogate District Hospital and St James’s Hospital in Leeds. They did everything they can to make sure I was treated quickly and effectively.”

Ms Ward now urges others to make sure they take part in breast screening when invited and also check for changes.

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She said:

“It’s so important to check your breasts regularly. I had my routine mammogram just over a year before I was diagnosed, and that had been clear. These things can happen very quickly, and the sooner it’s found the sooner it can be treated.

“Self-check as much as you can. If there’s anything out of the ordinary or that you’re concerned about, contact your GP and have it looked at as soon as possible.”

After treatment, Ms Ward started volunteering as a way to regain confidence and took up a role at Yorkshire Cancer Research’s Knaresborough shop.

She added:

“I thought that Yorkshire Cancer Research would be ideal. It’s my way of giving back and of saying thank you for the research they fund.”

It’s a little known fact that 2,000 more people die of cancer each year in Yorkshire than the national average.

More smoking, less exercise, pockets of deprivation and variable screening rates are among the causes.

Dr Kathyrn Scott, chief executive of Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research, is leading the fightback:

“We currently have 14,000 deaths a year. It could be 12,000 if we just had better funding and infrastructure.

“”We’ve got this hidden tragedy happening in Yorkshire and we are determined to change it.”

Dr Scott, a scientist, joined Yorkshire Cancer Research in 2008 as an office junior and worked her way up to chief executive four years ago. She’s far from the archetypal scientist, laughing a lot and joking that “I actually like people”.

Yorkshire Cancer Research, which is the largest voluntary organisation in the Harrogate district, has had remarkable financial success in recent years: income has soared from £6.2 million in 2016 to £18.7 million in 2020 and is expected to increase again this year.

By contrast, covid has decimated many charities’ finances — cutting donations, cancelling fundraising events and closing charity shops.

New Harrogate headquarters with wellbeing centre

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s coffers are bearing the fruits of royalties from a drug called Lynparza that it funded Sheffield University to develop.

Royalty income alone increased from £6.7 million in 2019 to £12 million in 2020, which is enabling the charity to press ahead with plans to expand and tackle cancer.

It has opened more shops, employed more staff and is set to announce a move to new Harrogate headquarters, which will include a wellbeing centre where people with cancer can exercise as part of their recovery.

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Wellbeing has become a major focus of the charity’s work and it hopes to open similar exercise facilities across Yorkshire. Dr Scott says:

“For years people with cancer were told to rest, sit down and have a cup of tea and although there’s still a place for that you need to exercise. It can halve the chances of some some cancers coming back.”

The charity, which is currently based at Grove Park Court, expects to reveal its new headquarters in autumn. Dr Scott says:

“We’ve found the perfect site but it’s definitely a secret for now.”

Recruiting more staff and opening more shops

The number of staff has grown from about 40 when Dr Scott took charge to 53 now and is expected to rise to 65. From September, it will trial a hybrid system whereby employees work two-thirds of the week in the office and one-third from home.

The charity, which is the largest regional cancer research charity in England, opened its fourth charity shop in Ripon this year and hopes to have 20 shops within five years.

The charity’s strong financial position has also ensured it hasn’t had to cut funding to research programmes — unlike some other cancer charities during covid. It funds £10 million of cancer research each year.

But for all its success, Dr Scott admits Yorkshire Cancer Research’s overarching ambition to save 2,000 Yorkshire lives by 2025 might not happen on schedule because of the wider impact of covid on cancer services.

Hospital services have been scaled back and people who have discovered symptoms, such as blood in their poo, have felt less inclined to bother their GPs.

But she says people in the Harrogate district have been luckier than most in Yorkshire:

“Harrogate District Hospital has been one of the more resilient hospitals in the sense that it has got a lot of services up and running again quickly. It feels like it’s been an agile organisation.”

Dr Scott, who was born and bred in Bradford but has lived in Harrogate for about 20 years, is a keen cyclist who nominates Norwood Edge and Greenhow Hill as among her favourite rides.

They’re two of the most notorious climbs in the area — Dr Scott will be hoping the charity can continue to avoid such uphill struggles in the years ahead.

There will be one fewer empty store on Ripon’s high street with the addition of a Yorkshire Cancer Research charity shop.

The charity, which was founded in 1925, raises funds to help prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in the county.

Its fourth branch is part of plans to open a network of stores locally. This is the second in the Harrogate district, after the Knaresborough shop opened in 2019.

Taking over the former Fulton’s Foods premises at The Arcade, the shop is expected to raise more than £100,000 a year.

The size also means it can accept and sell small furniture and household items.

The charity is planning to open the shop in autumn 2021 and is inviting local volunteers to register their interest.

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Juliet Glendinning, director of brand and relationships at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We are thrilled to be opening our latest shop in this fantastic location in the heart of such a thriving community.

“They become a key part of the community, providing both employment and volunteering opportunities and contributing to a busy high street by putting otherwise empty premises to good use.

“As well as boosting skills, our volunteer roles help to combat isolation and loneliness in local communities.”

The store will sell clothing for men, women and children as well as toys and home furnishings.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is to reopen its shop in Knaresborough next week when covid restrictions ease.

The charity shop, on Market Place, will reopen on April 14 at 9am, two days after non-essential shops are allowed to trade again.

The shop helps the charity, which is based in Harrogate, raise funds for cancer research in Yorkshire. Its mission is for 2,000 more people to survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

Covid measures, such as hand sanitisers, social distancing and PPE worn by staff and volunteers will operate.

The shop will start accepting donations once its reopened, by appointment only. The Harrogate donation centre is still closed for drop-offs.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“Along with many other charities, we have experienced a significant loss of income during the coronavirus pandemic.

“To try to reduce this loss, we acted quickly to start selling donated goods online.

“We are thankful to all those who continued to support us by donating second-hand belongings and searching for bargains in our online marketplaces during lockdown.”

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The shop will be open Wednesday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. It will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s other shops in Northallerton and Tadcaster will also re-open.

Harrogate District Hospital Trust provided over 17,000 fewer scans in the six months after the pandemic began than the six months prior.

The Stray Ferret has found data on the NHS England website to show that 39,348 scans took place between October 2019 and March 2020.

During the six months after coronavirus took hold, April 2020 and September 2020, there were 22,157 scans delivered at the hospital.

That is 17,191 fewer scans.

These numbers include scans delivered at the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate after a referral from the trust. The exact number has not been disclosed.

Coronavirus has had a huge impact on the NHS, with staff working longer hours under difficult conditions.

The district hospital has seen an impact in the number of scans it delivered. Coronavirus meant many appointments were delayed and some patients were left feeling reluctant to go into hospital with health issues.

The hospital said its staff are working hard to re-book appointments.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We are working hard to reschedule appointments and operations impacted by the pandemic for as soon as possible. However, the pandemic means that for many of our patients there will be a delay, and waiting times will be longer.

“We have arrangements in place to risk assess every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we prioritise people on the basis of their clinical need. These decisions are being made by doctors and other clinical colleagues who are following national clinical guidelines.

“Colleagues both in hospital and in community services have been absolutely fantastic throughout the pandemic and despite the ongoing challenges, continue to be.”

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The data included 12 scans covering all areas of the body including CT, MRI and Cystoscopy scans. Some of those included in the data are used in cancer diagnosis.

Seven of the 12 scans included in this data can be used for cancer amongst other conditions.

Huge drops in cancer referrals have been reported throughout the pandemic. Cancer Research UK found that 40,000 fewer people started cancer treatment last year.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research and Services at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We know that there has been a reduction in urgent referrals for suspected cancer during the pandemic which is slowly getting back to normal. Early diagnosis of cancer is vitally important. It is easier to treat when caught early.

“We encourage anyone with any worrying symptoms to approach their GP.”

Several hundred people in Yorkshire have missed potentially life-saving early cancer diagnosis because of covid, according to a Harrogate-based research charity.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research, gave the figure in an interview with the Stray Ferret.

The NHS halted screenings in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Scott said:

“We have lost some opportunities to find early cancers. People were also very nervous to go to the doctors. Then the people that do go have delays in diagnosis and treatment.

“The NHS tried innovative ways to get around that. But it is still a sad fact that we think several hundred people have missed out on early diagnosis in Yorkshire.”

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She added that when people miss out on early diagnosis they often have to go through more invasive treatments and have a worse chance of survival.

Dr Scott spoke to us after the publication of the charity’s annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020, which showed total income had increased from £12.8 million to £18.7 million.

Royalty income accounted for £12 million – up from £6.7 million – of this.

The charity, however, is expecting its next accounts to be more challenging because of covid, with fundraising income likely to be down by more than £1 million.

£8.3 million for new cancer research

To combat what Dr Scott sees as a “big hill to climb” with cancer, the charity is pumping another £8.3 million into new research.

Of this sum, £3.4 million will be used to fund research into whether chemotherapy before surgery in bowel cancer patients improves survival rates.

Other projects it funds will look into ways to use medication to slow the spread of prostate cancer, urine tests to detect bladder cancer and whether vaping products can help those with mental illness quit smoking.

How coronavirus vaccine push can help cancer research

There has been much excitement about the development of coronavirus vaccines with efficacy of up to 95%.

Dr Scott hopes the development of new technologies, such as synthetic DNA-based vaccines, could be adapted to improve cancer treatments. She said:

“One of the benefits of the way they have run the clinical trials is the new technology and the new techniques they’re using in those trials.

“It really compresses the time and so absolutely in the future, fingers crossed, we can get cancer treatments and therapies through that pipeline faster.”

Although the pandemic is likely to hit Yorkshire Cancer Research hard financially, it believes its future is bright, and that it will be able to continue with its aim of helping 2,000 more people survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

A Harrogate illustrator has designed a Leeds United Christmas card to raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Graeme Bandeira’s wintry scene features the iconic Billy Bremner statue wearing a blue Santa hat at Elland Road, with Yorkshire Cancer Research’s rose on the East Stand.

The cards are being sold in packs of five for £6, with £2 from each pack donated to Yorkshire Cancer Research, which is based in Harrogate.

Leeds United, who have many supporters in the Harrogate district, began a charity partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research in September to raise awareness of the organisation’s work.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We were keen to mark our partnership with Leeds United in a special way and offer the fans an opportunity to celebrate Christmas while raising money to save lives in Yorkshire.

“Inviting Graeme to design our Christmas card felt like the perfect choice. We hope Leeds United supporters will love it as much as we do.”

Left to right: Angus Kinnear, chief executive at Leeds United, Graeme Bandeira and Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Mr Bandeira said:

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to join forces with two Yorkshire icons and it being for such a great cause too.”

Money raised from the cards will fund research, end of life care and cancer screening.

The packs of cards can be bought online here or in any of the five Leeds United stores if they are allowed to reopen before Christmas.

Mr Bandeira is also auctioning the original artwork on eBay to raise will be donated to Yorkshire Cancer Research. To make a bid, click here.

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Paul Bell, executive director at Leeds United, said:

“Christmas is always a special time of the year and it’s fantastic that we’re able to mark the occasion this season with our official charity partner.

“We know our supporters will get behind the initiative, with money raised from the sales helping to support the world-leading research taking place to help more people survive cancer.”