Hundreds of farmers expected at major new event in Harrogate this weekHarrogate to host three-day electric vehicles event

Harrogate is to host a three-day event promoting electric vehicles and green energy next month.

Everything Electric North will take place from May 24 to 26 at the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The event aims to encourage greater use of electric cars.

According to North Yorkshire Council. there are currently 133 electric vehicle charging units in Harrogate, 74 of which are in the town itself.

Expert panels will debate whether electric vehicle charging at work and destinations should be standard practice and whether you really need a driveway to own an electric car.

Last year’s Everything Electric North event in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Council’s electric vehicle infrastructure officer will feature on the panel.

The council’s electric vehicle infrastructure rollout strategy is part of the North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan.

Barrie Mason, the council’s assistant director for highways and transport, said:

“More and more people are turning to electric vehicles as ways of driving down the cost of motoring and helping the environment and North Yorkshire is no exception.

“Harrogate, in particular, has shown a steady month-on-month increase in the number of charging sessions since the EV infrastructure became live at the beginning of last year.

“Our aim is to encourage more people to make the move to electric vehicles and our infrastructure rollout is an important part of convincing people across the county that there is a dependable, viable alternative to petrol and diesel.”

According to the council, in 2023 there were almost 11,000 charging sessions recorded, with a further 3,520 up to the end of February.

This means that 340,770 miles were travelled by electric vehicles which used these facilities last year, with a further 123,475 miles covered up to the end of last month.  In total, this has saved more than 175 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

This is the second consecutive year that Everything Electric North will be held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, and its 15th exhibition around the world.

Event chief executive Dan Caesar said:

“The venue and location received a huge thumbs-up from our audience.

“We display electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes from micro-mobility options like bikes and boards, up to trucks and tractors, but the centrepiece is an array of hundreds of electric cars and thousands of test drives.”

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Business Breakfast: Ripon firm marks 20 years of top farm machinery show

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Ripon Farm Services will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its New Year Show this month.

The event, which is one of the UK’s leading agricultural machinery displays, will be held in the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25, from 10 till 5pm. Entry is free.

Product specialists from Ripon Farm Services, Ripon Ground Care and Ripon Technology will be on hand to provide advice on machine choice, set-up, optimisation and job management. Visitors will be able to explore the latest innovations, speak to experts and see the products up close.

The star of the show is expected to be the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said:

“We are delighted to be showcasing the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer, it was first introduced at Agritechnica in November last year so it’s great for it to be taking centre stage at our show in January.

“We can’t wait to welcome our customers and guests for what promises to be a very busy 20th anniversary event.”

A vast range of ground care machinery will be on display, from ride-on mowers through to pressure-washers and hedge-trimmers, as well as parts, tools and store items from brands including Milwaukee, Draper and Portek.

Mr Simpson added:

“Apart from the stand-out John Deere machines, we will be showcasing our high-quality machinery, ground care and parts brands that are including Kramer, Bailey Trailers, Kuhn, Sumo, Dalbo, Ifor Williams, Stihl, Husqvarna and Spearhead.

“This really is the very best opportunity to see all that Ripon Farm Services has to offer in agriculture and turf technology, new and used machinery, parts and services in one single location. We’ll also have some special show offers and a wide range of used equipment deals.

“Our specialists across all sectors will be on hand to answer any questions during the two days, so the event is truly a one-stop shop for farmers and ground care professionals across the north of England.”

Ripon employer grows

Wolseley, the national plumbing supplies firm that employs around 250 people in Ripon, continued to grow organically last year, according to figures published in its latest annual report.

Over the 12 months to July 31, 2023, the company increased revenues by £140 million (8%) to £1.87 billion. This caused a jump in operating profit to £75 million, from £65 million in 2022.

However, profits before tax fell to £73 million, from £146 million in 2022, and the directors have not yet declared a final dividend to shareholders.

The company also increased its number of branches by one to 544, and its employee headcount rose by 234 to 4,720.

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More than 100 of UK’s best artists to exhibit at Harrogate Art Fair

This story is sponsored by Harrogate Art Fair.

More than 100 artists from all over the UK will be converging on Harrogate next month to exhibit their best work at the Harrogate Art Fair. 

The event, on October 13-15 at the Yorkshire Event Centre on the Great Yorkshire Showground, will bring together painters, printmakers, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists and selected galleries from all over the UK, offering the best in British contemporary art. Prices range from £50 to £5,000. 

The perfect place to immerse yourself in a world of art.

One of the most popular exhibitors is Jos Haigh. Jos is a painter based in Harrogate and Buckinghamshire whose vibrantly colourful pictures of African animals made her one of the best-selling artists at the inaugural Harrogate Art Fair last year. She said: 

“I’ve been showing my art all around the country for years – at Windsor, Surrey, Manchester and Edinburgh – and Harrogate Art Fair really is one of the best. It’s fantastically organised, everything’s made very easy for exhibitors, and it attracts a lot of the UK’s best artists.

“When I came last year, people were so warm, enthusiastic and interested – I didn’t have to think twice about coming again.”

Although she was born in Goa, Jos’s art is inspired and informed by her childhood in Kenya. But her trips north have provided her with new sources of inspiration. So her most recent paintings include striking images of cows, owls and other British animals.

Artist Jos Haigh, who will be exhibiting her work at the Harrogate Art Fair, with one of her works.

Jos has found inspiration for some of her latest works here in Yorkshire.

 Jos’s spectacular painting of a red kite even features on this year’s general admission ticket. She said: 

“I’ve been enchanted by animals ever since I saw them roaming right next to the road in Kenya, which is why I’ve always enjoyed painting pictures of elephants, giraffes and zebra. But there are so many wonderful animals right here in the UK that it would be a shame not to paint some of them. 

“I just hope that visitors to the Harrogate Art Fair will love viewing them as much as I’ve loved painting them.” 

Harrogate Art Fair is organised by Contemporary Art Fairs. The company also hold art fairs in Windsor and Surrey. 

The fair will be open from private viewings from 6 to 9pm on Friday, October 13 (tickets: £15), and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15 (£8, concessions £6). 

Find out more:

You can book tickets for this event online at the Harrogate Art Fair website.  

For information about exhibiting at the Harrogate Art Fair, visit the website or call 01753 591892.  

You can also see more of the artworks on offer at Harrogate Art Fair on its Instagram page. 

 

Comic Con brings stars and cosplay to Harrogate

Celebrities and cosplay fans were in Harrogate at the weekend for the two-day Comic Con Yorkshire.

John Cleese led the line-up of comic, TV and film stars at Yorkshire Event Centre, which is situated at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Comic Cons enable fans to meet their heroes and cosplay as their favourite characters.

They have been held around the world for years but this was the first such venture in Harrogate.

Here are some photos of the event.

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All images by Tyler Parker

Trans-Pennine Run cancelled as organisers seek new Harrogate venue

A popular event that has been held in Harrogate for more than 50 years will not return this summer.

The Trans-Pennine Run, first staged in 1969, sees dozens of historic vehicles driven from Greater Manchester to Harrogate.

Residents and visitors would flock to the Stray along Oatlands Drive to look around the vans, lorries, buses and other vehicles after their arrival.

However, in 2019 the Stray was left unusable by heavy rain, leading the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society, which organises the event, to seek an alternative site.

It found a home at the Yorkshire Event Centre, on the Great Yorkshire Showground, and returned there in 2022 after a two-year break during the covid pandemic.

But this year, event chairman Chris Sant told supporters:

“The management of the Yorkshire Events Centre have informed us that the large area of hard standing that we have in past years used for the finish will not be available this year.

“I contacted them in early January to request the use of the site, and after confirming receipt of my request it [took] over two months to inform us that the area will be unavailable, leaving us too little time to find an alternative.”

Mr Sant said he was hopeful it would be possible to hold the Trans-Pennine Run again in 2024 and was working to find another location for the vehicles to convene at the end of the route.

A spokesperson for the Yorkshire Event Centre said no agreement had been made to use the venue this year, adding:

“We stepped in to help organisers two days before the Trans-Pennine Run in 2019 when their original site at the Stray was waterlogged. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to covid and an agreement was made for it to be held again at the showground in 2022.

“Unfortunately, no agreement was put in place for 2023 and the area is now under offer for another event.”

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Business Breakfast: ‘Bed bug dog’ proves a hit as pest event returns to Harrogate

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

More than 500 professionals have been in Harrogate for a pest control conference for the first time since early 2020.

PPC Live, hosted by the British Pest Control Association, shared the latest innovations in the industry with visitors from across the UK and Europe.

Held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, it included a demonstration by Brian Leith and Benji the dog, showing how they can identify a bed bug infestation.

Lauren Day, events manager at BPCA said:

“We were delighted to be back in Harrogate and networking with visitors, sponsors and exhibitors from across the industry.

“PPC Live gave visitors the chance to get hands-on with new pest kit, meet the people designing and distributing the latest in pest control technology and of course see interesting demos like Benji the bed bug detection dog in action.”

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Harrogate firm secures first council wellbeing award

Pemco has completed the North Yorkshire Workplace Wellbeing Award

A council-run workplace wellbeing scheme has given the first level of accreditation to a Harrogate business.

Pemco, based in Starbeck’s Spa Lane, signed up to the Workplace Wellbeing Award through the public health team at North Yorkshire County Council.

The scheme gives businesses a framework to ensure staff welfare is made a high priority.

For Pemco, which offers management support and training services to other companies, this has meant hybrid working, modern office facilities, and team-building events. The company has also committed to not contacting staff by email outside working hours.

Holly Astbury, a partner at Pemco and the company’s wellbeing lead, said:

“The award process has been a fantastic opportunity for us to focus on our employees’ health and wellbeing.

“The support from the Workplace Wellbeing team at the council has been invaluable, especially the opportunity to carry out an in-depth health needs assessment, which gave us an insight into our employees’ needs and allowed us to tailor an action plan to suit them, rather than guessing in the dark about which interventions to implement.”

Design lead Andrew Liddle said:

“Flexible working has made a massive difference to mine and my family’s routine. It takes away a huge headache of having to pick the kids up from school before work finishes.

“The monthly team meals are great for us all to catch up together, as well as the social events outside of work like the picnic and quiz night.”

Established in 2010, Pemco currently has a team of seven, and is recruiting as part of its expansion plans.

Fully Charged LIVE, making its debut up North at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate

This story is sponsored by Fully Charged Live

The world’s number 1 home energy & electric vehicle show, Fully Charged LIVE, will be making its debut up North at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate over the weekend of the 19th – 21st May 2023 following the success of events around the world in Farnborough, Sydney, Vancouver, San Diego and Netherlands. 

Fully Charged LIVE North in Harrogate is expected to bring in 10,000 visitors over the weekend of the 19th – 21st May. After the success we have received at the South event over the past few years, coming to the North was a natural progression.

We want to spread our message: #STOPBURNINGSTUFF and make more people aware of the greener choices that we can all be making and help others gain a better understanding of how they can help to make an impact against climate change and save our planet. 

This Festival of Electrification will showcase a host of quality exhibits and attractions including:  

 

Fully Charged LIVE, will be making its debut up North at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate over the weekend of the 19th – 21st May 2023.

Click or tap here to get your tickets for Fully Charged Live now. 

New events to attract thousands more visitors to Yorkshire Event Centre in 2023

The Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate is expecting to host tens of thousands more visitors after securing several new deals for 2023.

The new events include an epic comic convention, the UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home show, a model rail showcase and an electric vehicle extravaganza.

Heather Parry, managing director of the Yorkshire Event Centre, said:

“We are excited to be heading into 2023 with a number of new, high-profile shows to be held here for the first time. All of these have strong national profiles, guaranteed to attract thousands of visitors into the region, and we are proud to host them here.”

Harrogate Model Engineering Exhibition and Model Rail 2023, on Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11, will have large-scale traction engines, model boats, military, earth-moving display, live steam, model trucks, aero modelling, railway locomotives and over 40 club and society displays.

Model Rail 2023 will feature  the largest model railway in the UK. ‘Heaton Lodge Junction’ is a 200ft x 50ft masterpiece that took over seven years to build.

Fully Charged LIVE North 2023, which is billed as the world’s number-one electric vehicle and clean energy show, is expected to attract 10,000 to 15,000 visitors to the YEC.

The show, which will be held from Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 21, will complement a series of other Fully Charged LIVE shows which are held in Europe, America, Canada and Australia, as well as Fully Charged LIVE South, which is held in Hampshire.

Founded by actor, author and presenter Robert Llewellyn, the hugely popular Fully Charged YouTube channel has more than 163 million views and nearly a million subscribers, and covers electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from electric bikes to electric boats, as well as covering the clean, sustainable energy sources that these technologies can run on.

Fully Charged at the Yorkshire Event Centre: (l to r) presenter Robert Llewellyn, YEC venue manager Richard Moorhouse, Dan Caesar and YEC sales manager Ben Chatburn.

Fully Charged at the Yorkshire Event Centre: (l to r) presenter Robert Llewellyn, YEC venue manager Richard Moorhouse, Dan Caesar and YEC sales manager Ben Chatburn.

Comic-Con will be at the Yorkshire Event Centre on the weekend of June 3-4 as part of a national tour. Visitors can expect big-name guests, amazing set and prop builds, major attractions, cosplay, anime, traders, gaming and more.

Finally, organisers of the UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home show, HERCMA, recently announced their relocation to the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Rebranded as The Great Holiday Home Show, it will be held from Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10 for the public, followed by a trade-only show from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14. The outdoor show of holiday homes, caravans and motorhomes, is set to get a brand-new look, with new content to be announced nearer the time.

The Great Yorkshire Showground has 250 acres of outdoor space to offer event organisers, thousands of free parking spaces, and can host large-scale indoor events.

The Great Yorkshire Showground has 250 acres of outdoor space and can also host large-scale indoor events.

The YEC is based on the 250-acre Great Yorkshire Showground, which has 250 acres of outdoor space to offer event organisers and free parking. It can host large-scale indoor events across the two halls in the Yorkshire Event Centre or in one of the 14 rooms at the Pavilions of Harrogate.

Businesses and events held at the Great Yorkshire Showground contributed £73.7 million to the local economy in 2019, the latest year for which figures are available.

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Business park near Flaxby that could support 2,000 jobs approved

Ilkley-based property developer Opus North and Bridges Fund Management have been granted planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council to build a 600,000 square feet business park near Flaxby.

The business park will be called ‘Harrogate 47’ as it will be built close to junction 47 of the A1 (M). The developer believes it could support 2,000 jobs.

It’s allocated as the main strategic employment site in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan and already has existing planning permission for more than half a million square feet of employment space.

The new plans include up to 130,000 sq ft of office accommodation, about 75,000 sq ft of tech starter units and approximately 430,000 sq ft for logistics and warehouses.

Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, said:

“This development is key for the Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire economy due to its capacity to transform vacant land into office and industrial space for local, regional and national occupiers, and the vast job-creating potential it has.

“The delivery of Harrogate 47 will allow local companies to expand and grow within the region in addition to attracting inward investment into the district and we are delighted that its potential has been recognised through the positive planning outcome.”

Electric vehicle show comes to Harrogate

A global event that promotes clean energy and electric vehicles will come to Harrogate’s Yorkshire Event Centre in May 2023.

The event is called Fully Charged, the World’s no.1 Electric Vehicle and Clean Energy Show, and is expected to attract 10,000 visitors from May 19 to May 21.

The event will be hosted by Red Dwarf actor and YouTuber Robert Llewellyn.

There will be 120 exhibitors and visitors will be able to test drive some of the latest electric vehicles on sale in the UK.

Dan Caesar, joint chief executive of Fully Charged Live, said:

“Fully Charged Live has been a huge global success, and we are delighted to be bringing the show to the north of England at last. Harrogate is a great location, and the Yorkshire Event Centre, with its indoor and outdoor space, and its sustainability credentials, is a natural partner.”

(L to R) presenter Robert Llewellyn, Richard Moorhouse operations manager at the YEC, Dan Caesar, joint CEO of Fully Charged Live and Ben Chatburn sales manager at the YEC.

Grants of up to £100,000 available for Yorkshire social enterprises

The Social Enterprise Support Fund is now open for the second round of funding and will provide grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 for social enterprises that have been impacted by covid.

This follows the first round of applications in December that saw over 800 applications from enterprises across England, requesting grants worth over £37m.

The fund is available to social enterprises if most of their beneficiaries are in England, and their annual income has been between £20,000 and £1.8m in either of the last two financial years.

Sheffield-based Key Fund supports social enterprises across Yorkshire. Its chief executive, Matt Smith, said:

“The UK’s social enterprises have been at the heart of community survival and recovery during the pandemic. In a post-covid world, where the inequalities within society are even starker, the work of these organisations will be needed more than ever.

“This grant funding has already proven to be a lifeline to many social enterprises and the communities they work in, and so we welcome this second round of financial support.”

Matt Smith, CEO of Key Fund