Headteachers from across the Harrogate district have issued a joint letter to all parents warning of the dangers of vaping.
The unusual move by secondary school leaders was prompted by “an increase in the number of incidents in our local community”, the letter said.
The heads of Boroughbridge High, Harrogate College, Harrogate Grammar, Harrogate High, King James’s, Nidderdale High, Ripon Grammar, Rossett, Springwell, St Aidan’s and St John Fisher schools have all put their names to the letter, which says:
“We are aware that there have been reports of young people becoming unwell and needing medical attention after using vapes.
“Vapes can come in a variety of different forms, shapes, and sizes. Some common styles of vapes include ones which look like a thick pen or highlighter pen.
“These devices are usually very small and can be concealed on a person or blend in with school/college equipment, therefore they can be easily mistaken or missed.”
Respiratory problems
The letter warns that vaping from a young age may lead to respiratory problems in later life, and recent research shows children could be inhaling unsafe amounts of lead and nickel. There have been reports of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, being used in vaping, the letter said.
The headteachers also said young people could view vaping as a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes, but the nicotine is still addictive.
The letter points parents towards information from Ash, Kids Health, and West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and says anyone with concerns can speak to their child’s school. It concludes:
“We are sure that you agree that the possession and use of vapes on any school/college premises is something that we simply cannot tolerate.
“Any student found in possession of a vape will be subject to a serious school/college sanction, including the risk of suspension. Please note that we will report possession of any illegal substances to the police.
“We hope that you welcome this letter in the spirit with which it is intended and that you share and understand our shared concerns about this potentially harmful issue.
“We want to be open about the risks involved and we encourage you to have a conversation with your child about this subject matter.”
Read more:
- County council plans programme to tackle children being ‘enticed’ to vape
- Doctor warns Ripon students about dangers of vaping
Laughing gas discovery fuels fears for young people in Harrogate district
A dog walker has expressed concern after discovering 10 canisters of laughing gas dumped by the side of the road.
John Chadwick stumbled across the canisters on the rural Gravelly Hill Lane in Huby.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is the second most-used drug among UK 16- to 24-year-olds. It can induce euphoria and relaxation, as well as hallucinations.
The drug can lead to various health problems but is not currently illegal to possess. However, selling it to children is prohibited.
Mr Chadwick said this was the first time he’d seen the canisters and it “highlights what I believe is becoming an increasing health and behavioural issue predominately amongst younger people”.
He added:
“I’ve heard lots about it on phone-ins, I guess maybe I didn’t expect it in a rural environment. In that sense it was a bit of a shock – a bit like seeing a few old fridges dumped. A violation of our village.
“I am concerned that what could be seen as some harmless fun could escalate into something worse.
“Had somebody driven to this place to inhale the gas for fun and then driven off? In that case there is a danger to the perpetrator and others. Or was it just littering?”
The canisters were dumped by the side of a rural lane.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
“There are significant dangers associated with using nitrous oxide. Inhaling it can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately suffocation as the body is essentially starved of oxygen.
“There is also evidence to show that people with heart conditions can be at risk of higher harm and that inhalation can lead to anaemia or long-term nerve damage.
“We would ask parents to be vigilant for the signs that their children may be purchasing the substance online.
“Anyone who is found guilty of supplying nitrous oxide could face up to six months in prison or an unlimited fine.”
Read more:
- Children in North Yorkshire face two-year wait for mental disorder assessment
- County council plans programme to tackle children being ‘enticed’ to vape
Stray Ferret Business Awards: Rising star award celebrates young talent
The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.
Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.
Next up is the Rising Star under 30 Award, which is sponsored by Thompsons Chartered Accountants.
This award is designed to highlight some of the young talent from across the Harrogate district.
Those nominated or who enter for the Rising Star under 30 Award are sure to make waves and build a successful career in the years to come.
Entries for this category need to provide details of the person’s background and position they hold in the business. Provide examples of how the entrant’s work ethic has affected the business.
Do you know someone who deserves to win the Rising Star Under 30 Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!
Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.
North Yorkshire Police issued a plea to parents tonight to keep an eye on their children after receiving complaints of anti-social behaviour in Ripon.
In a statement on social media, the force asked parents if they knew where their children were and what they were doing.
It added:
“We are getting calls of anti-social behaviour in Ripon city centre.
“This is in the form of large groups being disrespectful to members of the public.
“Ripon police are out and about but as you can imagine we cannot be everywhere at once.”
The post then urged parents to “get in touch with your children and help us by knowing where they are and what they are doing”.
Read more:
- Fears up to 3 million litres of water wasted during lengthy Ripon leak
- Older half of Ripon Leisure Centre ‘would have to close for good’ without £3.5m groundworks
Calls for action over ‘overwhelmed’ North Yorkshire children’s mental health services
Children’s community mental health services need a root and branch review, officials in North Yorkshire have said.
North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people’s services Stuart Carlton, said ongoing concerns over a lack of available support had been highlighted to the Department for Education.
It comes amid concerns the strategy to deal with a post-pandemic surge in youngsters requiring support is grossly inadequate.
Mr Carlton said increasing the amount of help for children with mental health issues ranked alongside child exploitation and online safety as the most significant challenges his colleagues were facing.
He was speaking at a meeting of the authority’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee a year after the NHS announced it was rapidly expanding children’s mental health services to offer support teams in schools to almost three million pupils by 2023.
At the time, the NHS said by intervening in mental health issues early it was hoped to prevent problems escalating into serious concerns.
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Earlier this year the committee heard mental health services for children in the county and elsewhere were struggling to cope with an “exponential growth in demand” due to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic, compounded by factors like pressure experienced by children on social media platforms.
In February, Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust bosses told the scrutiny meeting its community-based mental health team (CAMHS) was treating more than 2,500 children across the county.
They said referrals to its services for issues such as eating disorders had risen from about 100 a month at start of pandemic to more than 300 a month during 2021.
18-month waiting list
Four months on, a youth support worker told the committee the waiting list for CAMHS had risen to 18 months, which was not a sufficiently timely reaction to what children needed.
She said:
“The biggest challenge we face on the ground is mental health. I cannot overestimate how challenging it is. Pretty much all the young people we work with have some element of mental ill health.”
When asked about a timeframe for getting mental health support teams into schools, Mr Carlton said the authority had told government officials the scheme was too being implemented too slowly and the ambition needed to be to get mental health teams available for all schools.
He added:
“I just don’t see how that’s going to happen. I have called nationally for a fundamental CAMHS review because it is not working. It needs significant funding and significant review and enacting clearly across the whole of the country.”
Mr Carlton said the authority was providing support to schools through mental heath training while working with North Yorkshire NHS bosses to reassess what was needed from the service and how it could be modernised.
He said there had been promising collaborative work with the NHS, but financing extra support for children would be “very challenging”.
Mr Carlton said:
Harrogate district libraries offer self-care toolkit for young people“We can see through the pandemic increased demand. The services are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed and overstretched and it’s an area of absolute focus.
“Any interaction with a child from a professional is a mental health opportunity. However, we need enough capacity for specialist support when it is required.”
A toolkit which encourages self-care and aims to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of young people is now available to borrow from libraries across the Harrogate district.
The kit, which contains a variety of self-help activities, includes a portable collection of items and books for individuals or groups to share at home, in the library, or out in the community.
They also provide contact details for organisations, including Childline Mind and Health for Teens, that offer help and advice for young people.
Kits can borrowed for up to three weeks by library members, who can also borrow books, e-books, audiobooks and DVDs free of charge and use computers to access free online resources.
Cllr Greg White, executive North Yorkshire county councillor for libraries, said:
“We are delighted to be launching the self-care toolkits. The last two years have presented a number of challenges for us all – especially young people – with the impact highlighting more than ever the need and importance for all of us to look after our mental health.
“The self-care toolkits are a valuable addition to the wider health and wellbeing offer at your local library, including wellbeing bags for adults, Reading Well books on prescription and events and activities to support social connections.”
More details are available by clicking on this link.
Read more:
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Police have arrested three youths after reports that building materials were thrown off the roof of Harrogate Theatre.
The incident happened at around 4am this morning. A resident who lives nearby sent a video to the Stray Ferret of what appears to be broken tiles littering Cheltenham Parade.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue sent a crew from the Harrogate station to the scene. They managed to get the youths down from the six-storey building before leaving them with the police.
A £1 million refurbishment of the 120-year-old roof of the theatre is due to be completed in March. It is unclear whether this incident will affect the timescale.
Read more:
- Harrogate Theatre to replace 120-year-old roof
- Police case on missing Harrogate woman ‘remains open’
- Man in hospital after being struck by thieves’ getaway van in Ripon
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“Shortly before 4am Tuesday 25 January 2022, police were called to reports of young people on the roof of Harrogate Theatre on Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate.
“The group were believed to be throwing projectiles from the roof.
“Officers attended with colleagues from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and the young people were brought safely to the ground.
“Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with this incident.”
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:
Disabled people to help run new Harrogate cafe“A crew from Harrogate were mobilised to assist police with searching a six-storey property following reports of youths on the roof possibly stealing roof materials.
“Crews set up the aerial ladder platform to be used as a lighting platform to assist with the search. The youths were left in the care of the police.”
A new cafe will open in Harrogate next month to help people with disabilities learn skills and get into the job market.
Artizan International will open the South-American themed cafe in the former Game unit on Cambridge Road, just around the corner from its shop on Oxford Street.
The charity has taken on a large space set over three floors. The ground floor will be the main cafe and craft area, the first floor will have more cafe seating and the second floor will be for offices and storage.
With such a big space, the cafe will be run by four to six staff and volunteers who are there to support up to four adults with disabilities.
When it opens the cafe will serve its speciality of Peruvian hot chocolate. All of its coffee, tea and sugar will come from Fairtrade sources. It will also stock a range of soups, paninis and cakes.
Read more:
- Colourful charity crafts store opens in Harrogate
- ‘Drab’ Harrogate town centre street to get colourful makeover
- Harrogate’s own chocolate factory
Susie Hart, who founded Artizan International, told the Stray Ferret why she wanted to invest in the cafe:
“We are going to be training young adults. The idea is they get training here and get to a level of proficiency where we could then help them find work in other cafes in town.
“At the minute everybody in the hospitality industry is desperate for workers. Meanwhile there are loads of young people with disabilities who would love to have a job in a local business.
“It really could be a win-win for those who want the work and those who need the workers, it is a really exciting time for the charity.”
Ms Hart was originally planning to replicate the success of cafes she ran in Tanzania which were staffed by deaf people.
She worked with North Yorkshire County Council and found that local deaf people were managing to find work.
However, she found out that there were “countless” young people with other disabilities on the council’s records looking for practical training, work experience and employment.
Artizan International is looking for more volunteers to join the team and help run the cafe, which will be open Monday to Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.
Are you interested? Send an email to Sarah Davis by clicking or tapping here. Alternatively call 01423 561556 more more information.
Harrogate district youth service seeks trusteesAn independent youth service that supports young people across the Harrogate district is to become a charitable incorporated organisation.
To help it make the transition to CIO status, Inspire Youth is looking to recruit a number of trustees.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 July and an application pack and trustee jigsaw is available on www.inspireyouth.uk
Chief executive Jess Ward said:
“The successful individuals will take part in shaping and directing the organisation and ensuring that it operates legally, within the regulations set by the Charity Commission.”
Inspire Youth chief executive Jess Ward
The organisation, which is also changing its name to Inspire Yorkshire, works with young people aged 8 to 18 across.
Regarding its search for trustees, Ms Ward said:
“We are particularly looking for people with an experience of, and a compassion for, working with young people.
“The skills we are seeking include digital transformation and digital delivery, fundraising, social media/marketing/PR/campaigning, financial and accounting, human resources and employment law.”
Among the organisations that Inspire Youth works with is Ripon YMCA .
Through this and other connections in the city, it is contributing ideas and experiences designed to shape the future of services to young people in Ripon.
Its work in the community also extends to Harrogate and Knaresborough, and includes engagement with young people on health, wellbeing, lifestyle and career aspirations.
Ms Ward said:
“We offer a service, which is adaptive and responsive that meets the needs of the ever-changing world.
“Services are based on listening to young people and working with them to make sure they get the best out of all activities.”
Read more:
Inspire Youth has been able to extend its services through the launch of its mobile youth base, which has helped to engage young people in the community.
The mobile unit features a smart television screen, speaker, whiteboard and sensory lighting, laptop, kitchen facilities, table, and seating area inside.