Time Together is a small charity based within the Harrogate district which helps autistic people and those with additional needs to live independently.

The charity was setup in 1995 after a number of institutions closed. People with disabilities or additional needs were left “scattered” across the Harrogate district struggling to adjust to a new community.

Time Together was set up to bring people together, over the years it has evolved into the charity it is today offering one-to-one and group sessions to ensure people get all the support they need.

This could be helping them with their weekly shop or giving them the space to have a good catch up with friends.

Time Together volunteers will support clients with day to day tasks such as cooking.

Since the pandemic, the charity has only been able to hold a small number of group sessions online. One to one sessions have continued.

The aim of the charity is to support their client’s wellbeing by encouraging them to engage in their local communities.

The charity works with 40 clients, assisting them in various ways and encouraging them to socialise with other people in the community.

The charity is currently looking for local businesses that could offer volunteering or work experience placements for their clients. Service manager, Louise Terzza, said all of the people they support would be a great asset to local businesses.

Louise added:

“Some people need us for one hour a week others for much more, our aim is to offer our clients whatever support they need. There are lots of barriers for people with disabilities and we want to help them overcome that.”

The charity works with around 40 clients supporting them in various ways.

The pandemic has come with its challenges for the charity. People are feeling isolated after adjusting to life with limited socialising.

Louise said coming out of lockdown will be “challenging and positive” for clients, many have used the time to create their own goals that the charity will help them achieve.

All their fundraising events have also been cancelled, taking around £12,000 away from the charity. It is now relying on local grants and donations.

The charity is hopeful green space will become available soon.

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As lockdown eases the charity wants to use the outdoors as much as possible to keep their clients safe. They are currently on waiting lists for an allotment to teach clients new skills and work on their mental health.

To donate to Time Together, you can click here.

The much-loved Pinewoods in Harrogate is looked after by a group of dedicated volunteers wanting to preserve the area and make it accessible to all.

Set up in 2002 the Pinewoods Conservation Group group has around 100 volunteers working to keep the Pinewoods a place everyone can enjoy. That may be for their daily dog walk or as a meeting point for a flask of tea with a friend.

The group works to maintain and conserve the 96 acres of Harrogate woodland, that can be found between the Valley Gardens and Harlow Carr Gardens.

The volunteers have been preserving the woods for nearly 20 years.

One of its founding members, Geoff Scurrah, visits the Pinewoods every morning to fill the bird feeders and walk his dog. He is a committed member of the group and a lover of the outdoors.

Mr Scurrah, along with other members, works hard to protect the natural habitats of wildlife in the Harrogate area. He said:

“What we wanted to do was to make the woods accessible to a greater cross-section. I got involved because I’m a country lad and I have an interest in the great outdoors.”

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Recently, it has taken a stand against proposed plans to build on an area of the woodland known as Rotary Wood.

It fought against Harrogate Spring Water’s plans to expand its bottling plant from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares this would have destroyed public woodland planted by local families in the area of Pinewoods.

The decision was rejected by Harrogate Borough Council last month.

Improving the footpaths in the woodlands was one of the main aims for the charity to make it accessible to all.

The fight to stop the bottling plant’s expansion might have given the group a higher public profile but beyond this is a great deal of daily work by a dedicated team who turn out not regardless of the weather.

Since setting up nearly 20 years ago the group has reinstated footpaths to make the woods accessible to those with wheelchairs and prams.

Mr Scurrah said the charity has raised and spent around £80,000 on the woodland.

The group has also erected fingerposts and information boards for visitors. A binocular was also installed to show the ‘Pinewoods Panorama’, the group spent around £4,000 on this to show off wood’s views.

The group is continuously planting trees and bulbs around the site. It also encourages local wildlife to live in the woodland by fixing bird and bat boxes to the trees.

The Pinewoods Panorama was a big achievement for the charity.

A Harrogate charity has been described as “the club you never want to be a part of”.

Yet Our Angels offers vital support for many families across the district after the loss of a baby. It was set up by Emma Lofthouse in 2009, after she lost her son Charlie 35 weeks into her pregnancy the year before.

Losing Charlie came as a huge shock to Emma, who already had two children. She said she wanted something to put her energy into and a way to keep talking about her son.

Our Angels started as a support group for anyone affected by baby loss, whether that is an early miscarriage or a neonatal death.

Mrs Lofthouse said:

“I was astonished there was no support in Harrogate. I felt lost and alone.”

Every year the charity gets families together to send bubbles into the air in memory of their loss. Photograph: Our Angels

The charity now fundraises thousands of pounds for Harrogate District Hospital’s maternity ward and training for midwives across the county.

Mrs Lofthouse said she believes it’s important for midwives to be trained to support the family straight away, as the midwife is often the first person there when they lose their baby.

Along with the trustees, Mrs Lofthouse runs monthly meetings at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate where families can come to talk about their babies and get emotional support.

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Mrs Lofthouse said:

“We can’t stop this happening but we can offer support after it does.

“People don’t want to talk about baby loss because it is heart breaking, but it is also so much more common that people think. It shouldn’t be a taboo subject.”

In October 2020, work was completed on the newly renovated and renamed Bluebell Suite at Harrogate Hospital after the charity donated £45,000.

The suite is a place where parents go after losing their baby. The charity wanted to ensure parents had everything they needed as they spend precious time with their child.

The charity also provides memory boxes to the hospital which are given to every set of parents. The box was one of the first things Mrs Lofthouse began fundraising for.

She added:

“When I left hospital I had nothing tangible to hold in his memory. This was one of the first things I wanted to fundraise for.”

The memory box is a way for the charity to tell families they aren’t alone. Photograph: Our Angels

The box includes a blanket the family can wrap their baby in and then take photographs. This way they have as a keepsake when they leave hospital. It also contains a leaflet about the charity, giving parents and other family members the option to get in touch for extra support.

Mrs Lofthouse says she will always be grateful for Our Angels giving her the chance to keep talking about her son Charlie almost 12 years on. She says she is honoured to offer families support after losing someone so precious.

To learn more about Our Angels you can find their website here or get in touch with them on Facebook, just search ‘ Our Angels charity and support group’.

Tucked away down Church Lane in Knaresborough is every child’s dream: rooms full of toys to pick from.

Based in St Mary’s Church, the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library has been around for decades but still remains unknown to some parents and guardians across the district.

Stacked high with doll houses, dinosaurs and board games, the library’s store room would make any child’s imagination run wild.

Before the pandemic, children could come in and pick two new toys to take home every other week. The toys were then returned and swapped for others.

It meant they can play with new and fun toys in a sustainable way.

Now, the toys are picked via the online library and picked up using click and collect.

The library has hundreds of toys ready to be enjoyed by local children.

For a £30 membership fee each year, the charity offers something for every child no matter their age, gender or interests, with the main aim being for them to have fun.

The charity also wants to help people who may be struggling to buy their children presents, especially this Christmas.

Lauren Rogerson has been working for the charity for three years. She said:

“If someone was struggling we’d try our best to help. We’re really passionate here about helping everyone in our community.”

Over lockdown, it has received toy donations and says it can put together bundles for children based on their age and interests to give as presents on Christmas Day.

A handful of the donations ready for new homes.

Lauren and her colleague, Rachael Bolton, run the toy library with a board of trustees. It is clear to see the pair are passionate about what they do.

Rachael added:

“We want to make sure out toys are educational too. Parents can pick up story packs with a book inside and toys to match or one of our pre-school packs.”

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As well as the toy library the charity offers play sessions for parents and children, but these have been suspended due to covid.

Lauren identified a gap in social support for new mums during the pandemic. She set up a new mother and baby group to help women socialise and feel supported.

The group is running from Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough and she hopes it will continue in the new year.

Prior to lockdown, the charity’s members enjoyed play sessions.

The charity buys most of its toys second-hand or from online sellers with a few being bought brand new. The duo are hoping to go from strength to strength and become a real community hub for parents and guardians.

To donate to the charity, click here, or to become a member click here.

Frank’s Fund is a Harrogate-based charity set up by the Ashton family after their son Frank died from a rare form of bone cancer last year.

Frank Ashton was a “brave, funny, kind and positive” young man who loved playing sports and going to Nando’s with friends.

He lived in Harrogate with his family and beloved dog Barney and attended St Aidan’s high school.

But in May 2016 the family’s world changed when Frank was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. Frank went through relentless rounds of chemotherapy, all the time staying positive.

Frank’s family said he was always smiling.

By May 2017, Frank’s tumour had been removed during an eight hour operation and he had gone through 12 months of chemotherapy – he was in remission.

Only five months later, in September 2017, the cancer came back. This was just before Frank’s 13th birthday. Louise Ashton, Frank’s mum, said:

“With a cancer like this when it comes back there is no treatment, it’s like being given a life sentence. The doctors said he has two years to live, he had another seven months of chemo.”

Over the next year Frank continued to remain positive and see his friends but in January 2019 his health was failing fast and Frank died a month later, aged 14.

Frank’s Fund was set up to keep Frank’s memory alive and remind people of the positive person he was.

Louise added:

“He had a fantastic smile and we miss him massively. We set up the charity to keep Frank’s memory alive, we want him to be remembered as the funny boy he was.”

Frank’s Fund was set up to raise funds to go to dedicated cancer research. Primary bone cancer received just 0.028% of funding from major UK cancer charities in 2018/2019. The treatment and survival rates of this cancer haven’t improved in over 30 years.

To donate to the fund click here.

Louise said:

“It’s really shocking how little this cancer receives. The best way for people to fund bone cancer research is to give to a dedicated charity. I would have been really angry if I knew how little funding went into research when Frank was alive.

But now we are doing something about it with Frank’s Fund.”

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Frank’s family with Maisie Adam a charity patron (second from the left) and other comedians who performed during the charity’s comedy night last year.

The family are determined to raise as much as they can to follow Frank’s wishes to prevent children suffering as he did.

This year several of their fundraising events have been cancelled but they are continuing to fundraise with a virtual comedy night on December 11 and selling Christmas cards, follow the charity on Facebook to see updates.

New Beginnings is a charity based in the Harrogate district offering support to female survivors of domestic abuse.

Its founder Lindsay Oliver has experienced domestic abuse first hand and recognised a gap for women after the initial support from crisis care services ends.

Lindsay fled 220 miles with her baby boy in June 2018 from the perpetrator after a two-year abusive relationship.

Once women are settled in new houses and often new areas the crisis care teams withdraw, Lindsay noticed they were then left feeling alone and confused.

Lindsay said:

“I didn’t have anyone that understood.

“New Beginnings is all about giving these women a network of people who get it. This week in the WhatsApp group someone asked ‘Have you experienced this?’ and we were able to help.”

The charity offers a number of different workshops for its clients and their children.

New Beginnings was set up in February 2020, with the help of Harrogate Borough Council officer Mel Milner, to offer women one-to-one peer support and to be part of a community of women who had similar experiences.

Over the years, New Beginnings has built relationships with local businesses and the food bank to offer their clients all the necessary support. The charity also works with therapists to offer workshops and coaching sessions for the women.

It currently supports 16 women, who have 34 children between them. The women are also offered help with family court processes and dealing with social services.

Lindsay added:

“For some, the abuse is still happening. Some of our clients’ children still see their other parent so they’re seeing their perpetrator week in, week out, and that is why they need ongoing support.”

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Lindsay is passionate about education and works with her clients and their children to demonstrate what a healthy relationship looks like. The relationship she fled from wasn’t her first abusive relationship – she had experienced abuse in other relationships too.

Lindsay understands about changing a women’s mindset on what a relationship should look like, and her own experiences encourage her to work one-to-one with women to ensure they don’t fall into another negative relationship.

She said:

“It all starts with our kids, and if we can educate our own generation at the same time, then it’s even better.

“It’s important they all understand what a healthy relationship is – this is something we’re really determined about.”

With further funding the charity hopes to expand and grow its team.

The charity is currently looking for premises which can offer office space and a dry storage area to keep goods ready for clients who come with emergency needs.

It is also hoping to grow its team. It currently works with three therapists and four volunteers but hopes to bring on more paid members of staff in order to expand to other areas in the district.

To support the charity you can visit its GoFundMe page here.

Where to go for further support

If you are in a physical or emotionally abusive relationship, click here to contact IDAS.

If you’re out of an abusive relationship but need further support you can self-refer to the New Beginnings charity. Email enquiries@newbeginningspeersupport.com or find them on Facebook here.

This is the first in the Stray Ferret’s ‘Charity Corner’ series. In this monthly feature we want to highlight the stories behind some of our small, local charities to raise their profiles. Get in touch with us if you know of a small charity in the Harrogate district working hard to fundraise for a worthy cause.