More Afghan refugees are to be housed in Harrogate and Ripon following an urgent request from the Home Office.

North Yorkshire Council has approved the use of eight Ministry of Defence properties in the county — but also flagged up concerns about the pressure on its housing stock.

Six of the new homes are in Catterick and one each is in Harrogate and Ripon.

A council report cited humanitarian concerns as the reason for agreeing to the request and said eight properties “would be manageable in relation to school places, integration support and English language classes”.

But it added:

“Caution is necessary in relation to accommodating more than eight additional households.

“Existing housing pressures in the county need to be considered alongside the fact that North Yorkshire Council is responsible for finding move-on housing for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy households in the service family accommodation properties should they wish to stay in North Yorkshire.”

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The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, which was implemented in April 2021, entitles Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK in Afghanistan and their partners and children to relocate to the UK.

The report said North Yorkshire had resettled 175 people from 45 Afghanistan households under the scheme since February 2021 and had also received over 1,300 Homes for Ukraine arrivals since spring 2022 , “some of whom are requiring move-on housing in the county following the end of their sponsorship period”.

Rachel Joyce, the council’s assistant chief executive local engagement, said:

“There are specific timelines for this process, however, the Ministry of Defence have identified eight properties in total in Harrogate, Ripon and Catterick Garrison which would provide safe and suitable accommodation for eligible Afghan refugee families.

“Families will be matched to the properties giving them the independence, space and privacy they require. It’s also a chance for them to integrate with the local community and play a part in community life.

“We are unable to reveal the exact addresses of the properties at this stage.”

A pop-up-restaurant created by Afghan refugees will hold its launch event this month in Knaresborough. 

The Afghan Kitchen will offer food and drink for up to 60 diners at Gracious Street Methodist Church, with both meat and vegetarian menus available. 

The initiative is the brainchild of Nahid Hamidi, who fled Afghanistan in August 2021 when the Taliban seized control of country. Her husband, Jamil, was an interpreter for the British Army – and was even injured in the line of duty – but his role with British armed forces made him and his family an immediate target, so even though they had visas to travel to the UK and were packed and ready to go, they were forced to leave with nothing in an American cargo plane. 

University educated, Nahid was the director of an international charity in the northern province, Badakhshan, and speaks English well. But after the family moved to Harrogate in November 2021, she quickly recognised how difficult it was for many of her fellow countrywomen who lacked the necessary English skills to find work. 

She told the Stray Ferret: 

“I worked for a charity in Afghanistan, and helping is like my hobby! I wanted to help my Afghan lady friends, because they really want to work, and cooking is one thing they really know how to do – we all learned to cook from our mothers. 

“I’m employing two of them so far, but eventually I hope to employ 20 or more. I want to run these events in Skipton, York, and right across Yorkshire.” 

Diners at an Afghan lunch cooked by Nahid for the Refugee Council earlier this year.

The Afghan Kitchen is supported by Harrogate District of Sanctuary, which has been helping the Hamidis and other Afghan families since their arrival in the region. 

Nahid said:

“I really hope it all goes well. There will be Afghan food, Afghan music, and hopefully also an Afghan atmosphere – a real Afghan experience.

“I just want to get feedback as good as I received from the Refugee Council when I cooked lunch for 32 of them – they really liked my food. In Afghanistan, if someone visits and we can’t feed them, it just doesn’t feel right. But if we can, then we’re happy!”

Feedback from the Refugee Council lunch for 32 people was overwhelmingly positive.

The first Afghan Kitchen pop-up restaurant will be held on Saturday, September 23 from 7pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are running out fast, but a second event is planned for Harrogate, on Saturday, October 21 at Kairos Church, just off Cold Bath Road.

Two set menus are available: a meat menu at £20 and a vegetarian menu for £17. Both include a starter, main course, bread, salad and dessert. Gracious Street Methodist Church is not licensed, so no alcohol is permitted on the premises. 

Tickets for either of these events can be reserved by emailing TheAfghanKitchenYorkshire@gmail.com.

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Harrogate College is hosting its first Afghanistan Day next Tuesday.

The college is seeking to shine a light on Afghan culture in a variety of forms. Artwork and traditional dress will be on display, and poems and songs will be performed throughout the day.

There will also be traditional Afghan food available for a small fee to raise money for women’s healthcare and education.

Afghan refugee Sabreyah Nowrozi is organising the festivities.

Sabreyah said:

“I think most people just know about the war and troubles we’ve had in Afghanistan, but this day will be a chance to show the other side and share information about our culture and the country’s positive qualities.”

Sabreyah is currently studying English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at Harrogate college after being forced to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021.

She was captain of the Afghan women’s development football team, so was targeted by the Taliban which has banned all women from playing sports.

Sabreyah said her escape was fraught with danger due to the numerous Taliban checkpoints. She managed to flee with help from former captain of her team Khalida Popal, Leeds United F.C and a flight funded by Kim Kardashian.

She has since managed to continue her footballing career at Harrogate Town AFC Women.

Now with herself and her family settled in the UK, she has set her sights on a psychology course at the University of York.

Afghanistan Day on 13 June comes just before refugee week beginning June 19. The theme selected for this year is compassion.

If you are interested in booking a free place at Afghanistan Day click here.

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Harrogate Borough Council is set to receive a £2.5 million from central government to help buy 21 homes for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees.

A report will go before the council’s Conservative-run cabinet next week that asks councillors to accept the grant and continue Harrogate’s “long and proud history” of welcoming refugees that dates back to the First World War.

Many Ukrainian families have found homes in the Harrogate district since Russia’s invasion through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Afghan families have also arrived through resettlement schemes but there is still a “pressing need” to provide homes for those fleeing war zones, according to the report.

The money will come from the Local Authority Housing Fund, which is a £500 million grant fund launched by the government so English councils can provide housing for those unable to find accommodation.

In the Harrogate district, just over £2 million will go towards buying 19 homes for Ukrainians and just under £500,000 will help buy two larger four-bedroom homes for Afghan families currently in temporary accommodation.

Funding from the LAHF equates to 40% of the cost of a single property. A total of £20,000 per property is also available to cover administrative and repair costs.

The government asks that local authorities secure match-funding to raise the remaining money needed to buy a property and the report says Harrogate Borough Council has come to an agreement with Broadacres Housing Association, which is based in Northallerton.

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The LAHF grant will be managed by Broadacres, which will identify and buy the homes with the council’s approval.

They will then be refurbished by the housing association so they can meet the decent homes standards.

The government says all homes should be bought and ready to be moved into by November this year.

The report says:

“Harrogate has a long and proud history of welcoming those fleeing violence and oppression in their home countries. In the past, this has included Belgium victims of the First World War and Jewish people escaping the Nazis.

“More recently the area has welcomed Syrians, vulnerable children, Afghans and Ukrainians.

“The acceptance of these funds will help the UK’s humanitarian duties to assist those fleeing war and ultimately provide a lasting legacy by increasing the supply of accommodation available to local authorities to address homelessness pressures.”

After a number of frustrating hold-ups, Nidderdale Community Welcome (NCW) has finally found a house for a refugee family from Syria.

The group, founded in late 2020, has raised more than £13,000 to fund the initiative and had originally hoped to bring a family here before Christmas.

But the house they had in prospect did not materialise.

Now there is positive news and NCW chair, Peter Wright, told the Stray Ferret:

“A local landlord has kindly agreed the rental of a three-bedroom property in Pateley Bridge for a minimum period of two years.”

With this key element of the resettlement support  programme in place, NCW has submitted its application to the Home Office, uprating from ‘approval in principle’ to ‘final approval.’

Peter Wright of Nidderdale Community Welcome, anticipates that a refugee family from Syria will be arriving in Pateley Bridge this summer

Mr Wright, pointed out:

“It is anticipated it will be granted shortly, with a view to a family being welcomed into the Dale in early summer.”

He added:

“We have decided to stay with our original intentions of welcoming a Syrian family, many from Syria are still in camps in the Middle East whilst the conflict in their country continues.

“We have every sympathy with those from other countries displaced by war, Afghanistan and Ukraine who we hold in our thoughts and prayers, we believe the support we can offer best suits a vulnerable family from Syria.

“NCW will assist the family to sign up for all the allowances they will be eligible for as part of our national response and commitment to those displaced by conflict.

“Refugees are keen to be a valuable part of the community they move into, and to integrate as soon as they are able, but many also wish to be able to return home as soon as conditions allow.”

NCW is working in conjunction with Ripon City of Sanctuary and Harrogate District of Sanctuary, who will be helping the family learn English so they can become self-sufficient and participate in daily life. Courses will be run both locally and in nearby towns.

People from around the dale and further afield have already provided funding, resources, and their time and skills towards making the NCW project a success.

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Since 1949, Royal Engineers based at Claro Barracks have had the Freedom of Ripon and the right to enter the city, with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.

The covid pandemic and lockdown, brought a halt to mass attendance events and meant that the 2020 freedom weekend could not go ahead.

But it was back in force today, with information stalls and a display of heavy machinery and equipment for the public to see.

Lance Corporal Craig Kerr with Erin Price, in front of the Terrier engineer tractor

Lt Col Simon Graham, commanding officer at Claro Barracks, where four 21 Engineer Regiment squadrons and 650 personnel are based, told the Stray Ferret:

“A lot of our time in Ripon is behind closed doors and though our work takes us to many places around the world, we feel very much part of this community.”

He added:

“It’s marvellous to have the honour of the Freedom of Ripon and this weekend is a great opportunity to let let people know what we do.”

Tomorrow morning, the Mayor of Ripon Cllr Eamon Parkin, will take the salute as the Royal Engineers march past in Market Square and today, he and the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, visited the square to meet with Lt Col Graham and his colleagues.

Sappers TJ Dockerty (left) and Nathaniel Blakey, with the giant Able vehicle that the Royal Engineers use to build bridges

The Royal Engineers have served on operations in Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, providing light role close support that enables the army to live, move and fight.

In Afghanistan, the regiment was deployed on Operation Herrick, the codename used for all British military operations in Afghanistan since 2002.

Sgt Ross Mellon of the 21 Royal Engineer Regiment light aid detachment, that keeps the troops moving

The operation included the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

It also supported military action on the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom, principally within the Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan.

In recent years, the engineers’ main focus has been on support to UN peacekeeping operations. This has included deployments to Cyprus, Somalia and South Sudan, as well as Afghanistan.

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Ripon’s military links go back over many decades and in 1915, when its population was under 9,000, an army camp was created in the city to accommodate 30,000 troops.

Up until the end of World War I more than 350,000 soldiers passed through the camp – among them the famous war poet Wilfred Owen.

A former British army sergeant major from Harrogate has spoken of his fears for the future of an Afghan family he has been trying to help leave Kabul.

Rob Smith taught locals boxing during a six-month tour of duty at Camp Souter military base in Kabul in 2010. Mr Smith is now head coach at H Hour Amateur Boxing Gym on Harrogate’s Skipton Road.

One Afghan man he coached called Omar died in a car accident last year, leaving a young wife and daughter, two sisters and parents.

Mr Smith says the family are at risk from the Taliban and he has been trying to get then out of Kabul. He said:

“I am very worried for them. I don’t know what to do now or tell the family, as there are no flights out of Kabul.”

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Mr Smith has written letters of recommendation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel, former veterans minister Johnny Mercer and his successor Leo Docherty, and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He said only Mr Mercer and Mr Jones had replied expressing interest to help.

But with the paperwork incomplete before the British and American departure from Kabul, the situation is now desperate.

Mr Smith coaching in Afghanistan.

Mr Smith said:

“I realise the top tier are under immense pressure to deliver many things. Johnny Mercer and Andrew Jones MPs responded, but my request for help went in too late for assistance.

“No one thought the Taliban would be able to seize control of Afghanistan in such a short period of time, I’m sure evacuation plans for at risk people were in place but in slow time to ensure vetting and other checks took place.

“What many people forget is the percentage of Afghans that can’t read or write Dari/Pashtun, let alone read English and be expected to fill out forms.

“I am just gutted that my friends are not safe, I hope measures are being planned to assist the people at risk left in the country.”

Attempts to resettle a refugee family in the Pateley Bridge area have taken a significant step forward.

Nidderdale Community Welcome, a community group set up to sponsor a refugee family in Nidderdale, has found a house and raised more than £12,000.

Peter Wright, who heads the organisation, said:

“We can expect a refugee family to be selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and for the family to be with us in about four months time.”

With funding and housing in place, the application to bring the family to the Dales now needs Home Office approval, which should be a formality.

In preparation for the resettlement, Nidderdale Community Welcome is to hold a meeting at Pateley Bridge Methodist Church between 7pm and 9pm on Tuesday next week. For further details email wrightpandh@gmail.com

The search for a house in the Pateley Bridge area for a refugee family has been successful.

Mr Wright said:

“We are now moving from the planning to the implementation stage and need to put together small teams to assist the family with benefits, schooling, language, etc.

“The meeting will allow people to hear what is involved and to help us by signing on to one or more of the teams.”

The steering group is also looking at the possibility of establishing a community investment scheme to purchase a house for the longer term of this project.

People able to invest between £5,000 and £40,000 in a fixed-term scheme with an anticipated return of two percent per annum would have a proportionate share in the capital of the house.

John Tarrant, treasurer of Nidderdale Community Welcome, can be contacted at johntarrant@leakhb.plus.com  for further information.

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Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the refugee focus has switched from those displaced by war in Syria to Afghan nationals fleeing their country.

While Nidderdale Community Welcome, which was set up in November, plans for its first refugee family, Ripon City of Sanctuary has already resettled a number of Syrian families and is ready for another.

The group, established in 2016, has been fundraising since April, in anticipation of bringing another Syrian family to the city.

It has raised 85 per cent of the money needed and a has identified a suitable house.

Nicola David, chair of the Ripon group, said:

“We have been trying to build a little Syrian community here.

“Some Afghan interpreter families are currently being assisted to resettle in the UK, and a very small number have arrived in the Harrogate district.”