charity Archives - Page 13 of 41

Where to see Open Gardens in the Harrogate district

Some of the best private gardens in the Harrogate district have been opening their doors to the public over summer.

The National Open Gardens Scheme enables people to view gardens that are not usually accessible. Visitors are normally asked to pay a small fee that is then donated to charity.

About 3,500 gardens across Britain take part in the initiative, which started in 1927 to raise money for nurses. Last year it raised £3.11 million.

We have previously featured events in Great Ouseburn, Norton Conyers, Knaresborough and Marton-cum-Grafton, which took place in June.

Some venues run their own open gardens days, which are not part of the national scheme. If you have one coming up, let us know and we will add it to our listings. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Hampsthwaite

Hampsthwaite will be hosting 12 open gardens on Saturday 1 July from 12.30pm to 5pm.

The trail will begin on the village green, viewing historical properties. There should be a wide variety of planted and naturally wild areas.

It will then follow down Church Lane and end at Station House.

Entry is £5 and free for accompanied under-15s. All proceeds will go to St. Thomas a Beckett Church, Hampsthwaite.

Tickets can be bought on the day from the Memorial Hall.

For more information about what’s on check here.

Harrogate

Saint Michael’s Hospice is opening the grounds of its hospice on Hornbeam Park, between 11am and 3pm on July 2. Visitors can admire the work of the volunteer gardening team, see the hospice’s ‘secret’ viewpoint and enjoy the beauty of the space.

Refreshments will be served on the terrace overlooking Crimple Valley and there will be a raffle, craft activities, live music from the Spa Town Ukes and a plant sale.

Entry is free with donations welcome for refreshments and activities. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and assistance dogs are the only dogs permitted.

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Local disability charities work together on mosaic project

Two Harrogate based disability charities have worked together to create a mosaic that will displayed at a new training centre.

Artizan International and Harrogate Skills 4 Living (HS4L) both work to provide care and support to disabled people.

The mosaic was made by disabled artists from Artizan, a Harrogate-based charity that runs arts and crafts workshops and provides training to disabled people.

The ceramic-tile piece has been given to HS4L for it to display outside its new training centre.

HS4L bought the training centre in early April and has been using the space to run education programmes and internships for young people with learning disabilities.

Hadyn Moorby-Davies, HS4L’s chief executive said:

“It’s wonderful to collaborate and work with people who share the same vision, values and aspirations as we do – to help disabled individuals overcome the barriers they face and lead fulfilled lives”

“The beautiful mosaic will look stunning on the bare brick walls of our new training centre.”

Mr Moorby-Davies added that the theme of the mosaic, ‘Many Hands’ encompassed the charities’ ethos of “supporting each other to achieve the best possible outcomes for all.”

Artizan has become a local specialist in mosaics and in 2022 created the giant Harrogate letters displayed on the side of the Boots building in the town centre.

Liz Cluderay, Artizan’s UK director said:

“We have been delighted to create this beautiful mosaic for our friends at HS4L for them to display in their fantastic new training centre – North Barn.

“Working together on projects as organisations serving the needs of our disabled community will help us to reach more people that will benefit from our services.”

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Teenage Ripon golfer to complete 100 holes in a day

Ripon Grammar School sixth former Samuel Cann is aiming to complete 100 holes of golf in a day for charity this week.

The teenage golf fan, who only started took up golf two years ago, estimates the five-and-a-half rounds will take about 16 hours to complete.

He therefore plans to tee-off at Ripon City Golf Club at 4am on Wednesday and finish by 8pm this Wednesday, June 21.

Sam, 18, who will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, said:

“I am undertaking this challenge in support of friends and members at the golf club who are suffering or impacted by someone suffering from prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 143 men diagnosed every day, and 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime.”

The charity’s Big Golf Race, which has been running since 2020, challenges golfers to take on either 36, 72 or — new for 2023 — the ultra marathon 100 holes in a day.

Sam will be supported by other Ripon City Golf Club members who will join him for a round during the challenge, which he hopes will raise up to £500.

Sam, from Sharow, hopes to study aerospace engineering at the Manchester University after completing his A-levels.

There is a JustGiving page for the event, which you can find here.

Nidderdale Showground to host Parkinson’s charity fundraiser

Nidderdale Showground will host a new charity fundraiser for Cure Parkinson’s later this month.

The event is being organised by Melanie Mawer, a retired grandmother of three and Nidderdale resident.

The fundraiser includes an obstacle course, food stalls, animal petting and Morris dancing.

The day will also include a series of races hosted by Nidderdale Fell & Trail, with routes through woodland and open moorland.

There’s promised to be a 10k trail run, a 2k kids run and a 3k Canicross. Canicross is an increasingly popular sport involving doing cross country running with dogs.

The fundraiser is aiming to raise money for Cure Parkinson’s, a charity looking to slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s.

Melanie, the organiser, has had experience with the condition. Both her late father suffering from it, and her running partner being recently diagnosed.

While working as a nurse and a carer, she also saw her fair share of cases in the community.

She said:

“This is the first fundraiser I’ve organised in my life, and I didn’t think it was going to be this big!”

“I’m just hoping we can make some money for Cure Parkinson’s… I just didn’t realise that so much is done on computers, and there’s so much admin to look after! I’ve learnt a lot though!”

Helen Matthew, Cure Parkinson’s deputy CEO, added:

“Fundraising support is absolutely critical for the charity to enable us to achieve our goal. We aim to cure Parkinson’s and the only way we will do this is through the help of all our incredible supporters – it’s as simple as that!”

The event will be held on June 25, from 8:30 to mid-late afternoon. Melanie is also running a JustGiving Page alongside the event, which can be found at here.

Entry to the event is free with a small fee to compete in the races. Registration for the races is at 8:30am with the first race starting at 10. More information on the races and prebooking can be found here.

There is no need to prebook to attend the wider event or things on offer.

Harrogate sixth formers ‘twin’ toilet with Malawi school

A toilet in a Harrogate school has been twinned with one in Malawi thanks to an international project.

Rosset School sixth form has raised enough money to build a toilet block in a school in the African country, with support from Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District.

The toilet twinning scheme aims to increase access to safe facilities around the world, delivering better sanitation and improved quality of life. At Rossett, £240 was raised to sponsor the toilet block in Malawi.

Roger Keyworth, head of sixth form at the school, said:

“We would like to thank Harrogate & District Soroptimists for supporting our students with this initiative and for their partnership with our students and the wider sixth form throughout the year. I am very pleased that we were able to raise some money for this great cause.”

Sandra Frier, on behalf of Soroptimist International of Harrogate, said:

“We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Rossett School on the Sharing our Skills project and to have had the opportunity to work with the students throughout the year, supporting them to raise funds for Toilet Twinning.”

The Harrogate charity that resurrects old bikes

In an era when back street bike shops are being replaced by high performance showrooms, a Harrogate charity keeps cycling affordable.

Resurrection Bikes was set up nine years ago by John Rowe, a cycling enthusiast who still leads the venture.

The basic idea remains the same: people donate bikes, which are resurrected back to life and sold in good condition for about half the price of a similar new model.

For people who enjoy cycling and don’t want to spend vast sums, Resurrection Bikes has been a godsend, particularly since the demise of Ace Cycles on King’s Road, which was one of the last old school bike shops.

Ace Cycles owner Tony — a legend in local bike repair circles — helped set up the organisation.

About 1,500 bikes are saved from the scrapyard and donated each year. Thirty volunteers restore and sell half at the charity’s workshop and the other half are given to the Margaret Carey Foundation, which runs bike maintenance workshops for young people at risk of crime.

The charity’s Harlow Terrace home

Mr Rowe started the venture almost by chance. His daughter needed to raise £7,000 for a charity gap year so he started fixing cycles to generate funds and “the bikes wouldn’t stop coming”.

He carried on to raise money for charity, supporting Harrogate charity Artizan International and local legend John Shackleton, who buys old ambulances, stocks them with aid and drives them to countries in need. Last year £53,000 was raised.

Overheads are minimal as Resurrection Bikes is based on Harlow Terrace, just off Cold Bath Road, on land donated by the adjoining Kairos Network Church.

The bikes for sale

People used to be able to turn up and browse the bikes but since covid viewings are arranged by appointment only. All bikes are listed on the charity’s website.

Many basic bikes cost between £50 and £150 but there are some higher end models too. Recent offers include a Cannondale Synapse full carbon road bike, worth about £3,000 new, offered for £1,500 and a never-used Brompton fold-up bike up for grabs at £1,000.

Mr Rowe isn’t aware of anywhere in North Yorkshire, besides one operation in York, that provides a similar service. Customers travel from as far as Manchester to buy bikes they’ve seen online.

Resurrection Bikes

Besides helping people cycle and raising money for charity, Resurrection Bikes also helps volunteers learn about bikes. Mr Rowe says:

“We are a kind of men’s shed. People join us for all the reasons they join a men’s shed. We are welcoming and fun.”

Few organisations have done more to promote cycling and the good news is Mr Rowe, a retired project manager, has no plans to stop. He says:

“I love it. We have fun in a workshop and I love playing with bikes. What could be better?”

BedFest to add festival feel to Knaresborough Bed Race

Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre will be pulling out all the stops to bring a festival feel to Knaresborough on Bed Race day next month.

As the race gets underway on Saturday, June 10, Henshaws will be celebrating with BedFest, which promises to be bigger and better than last year’s sold-out event.

Kicking off at midday, BedFest will offer some mouth-watering food options, with wood-fired pizzas, loaded fries and sweet treats, plus pop-up Mexican street food thanks to Paradise Tap & Taco.

Harrogate Brewery and Knaresborough-based Turning Point will be serving a top range of beers, as well as gins, wine, fizz, cider and soft drinks for the kids.

There will also be some of the finest local musicians around, across two eclectic stages, including renowned DJ Rory Hoy, acoustic singer Leo Hicks, Yorkshire reggae band Drop Leg Steppers, Hot Sauce, DJ Trev and rapper legend Lence.

Photo of Knaresborough DJ Rory Hoy on the decks at last year's BedFest event.

Award-winning DJ Rory Hoy has produced music for film, TV and adverts, including tracks for Disney.

The venue is on the route of the Great Knaresborough Bed Race, which starts at 3pm, following the Dressed Bed parade through town at 1pm.

Visitors to BedFest will be able to gather at the Arts & Crafts Centre gates to watch the parade, whose theme this year is “That’s Entertainment”, then come back inside the Centre to enjoy the food, drink and music. They can then go back to watch as the beds speed down Bond End before they take on the final challenge of crossing the River Nidd. A wristband will give visitors access from midday right through to 11pm.

BedFest sponsorship and corporate hospitality packages are now available. Gemma Young, fundraising development manager at Henshaws, said:

“A real local gem, the Arts and Crafts Centre – available to hire for celebrations and events year-round – offers a unique setting in the heart of Knaresborough. We are looking forward to welcoming friends old and new to share our special and inspiring space.

“As a small fundraising team, we rely on the support of our fantastic volunteers to deliver our programme of events. If you’d like to find out more about getting involved and supporting a local charity through volunteering, we’d love to hear from you.”

Photo of a little girl, wearing a 'Be Happy' top and eating an ice cream, at last year's BedFest event.

BedFest promises fun, food and music for visitors of all ages.

Caroline Sullivan, optometrist director at event sponsor Specsavers, said:

“BedFest represents a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community to raise money for a very important cause. We are proud to have Henshaws as our chosen charity, and the team at Specsavers had a brilliant time volunteering at the recent Beer Festival and are looking forward to being involved in the annual Henshaws Hundreds challenge in June too.”

Tickets for BedFest are on sale now at Henshaws Bed Fest 2023. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children (3-17); under-2s go free. Complimentary carer tickets are also available.

A full programme of Knaresborough Bed Race events is available at www.bedrace.co.uk.

Harrogate army college instructor sets up scheme in memory of Captain Tom Moore

A Harrogate Army Foundation College instructor has set up a charity scheme in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Corporal Robert Chamberlain set up the Project Give Moore scheme this year.

The aim of the initiative is for junior soldiers to set up their own fundraising events for any given charity with the chance of winning the Project Give Moore award.

Each junior soldier company will be tasked to compete to fundraise the most each year.

Mr Chamberlain, who first joined the British Army in 2012, set up the scheme after winning the college’s Captain Sir Tom Moore Award for Charitable Endeavour in 2021.

He said the idea behind Project Give Moore was to create an initiative that raises more money for more good causes.

Mr Chamberlain said:

“I wanted to create an annual event that would bring the whole college together in support of different charities.

“But it wasn’t just about raising funds or donating money, I wanted to show the junior soldiers, those who were just starting their military careers, the incredible impact of charity work and selfless commitment.”

The scheme is in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised funds for NHS charities by walking lengths of his garden in Bedfordshire during the covid pandemic.

He died aged 100 in February 2021.

Captain Sir Tom was made honorary colonel at the Army Foundation College in 2020 and a memorial walkway opened at the college in July 2021.

Corporal Robert Chamberlain receives the Sir Tom Moore Award in 2021.

So far, Project Give Moore has Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and The Armed Forces Charity as its chosen causes.

All the charitable events will take place at the Army Foundation College on Harrogate’s Penny Pot Lane.

However, Mr Chamberlain said he would be open to hosting events elsewhere should there be enough public interest.

For more information on how to donate or get involved with the scheme, visit the Project Give Moore website here.

Cowpat makes Masham woman £2,000 richer

A Masham woman is £2,000 the richer thanks to a special delivery from a cow called Storm Pooper.

Kathryn Driver won Masham Community Office’s Cow Pat Competition, which was the surprise hit of the town’s coronation bank holiday celebrations.

The competition, which was resurrected after a 25-year absence, saw four cows, named for the occasion Storm Pooper, Harry Plopper, Poo Patrol and Daisy Dung, let out at 2pm on Monday to roam around a fenced-off piece of land.

The land had been divided into squares, and tickets sold in advance at £1 per square. The winner would be whoever held the ticket corresponding to the square the first cowpat landed on.

Rear view photo of four cows, called Storm Pooper, Harry Plopper, Poo Patrol and Daisy Dung, that took centre-stage in Masham Community Office's Cow-Pat Competition over the Coronation bank holiday.

The winner was the holder of the ticket corresponding to the square of land the first cowpat landed on.

Hundreds of hopefuls waited to see if they’d win the big prize, and after nearly an hour’s wait, it was Storm Pooper who produced the goods on Kathryn Driver’s square. She said:

“I can’t believe it! It’s amazing. My mum got the ticket for me, so I’m going to use the money to pay for a holiday and take my mum away.”

The event raised £5,000, which will go towards the purchase of Masham Community Office’s building, The Old Police Station, retaining it as a community hub. The community office aims to reach a target of £215,000, and after months of hard work has so far raised £190,000.

Photo of Masham Community Office volunteers Gaynor Pearson, Tessa Klemz, Amanda Horsell awaiting the result of the Cow Pat Competition.

Masham Community Office volunteers Gaynor Pearson, Tessa Klemz and Amanda Horsell celebrate the ‘culmination’ of the cowpat competition.

Hayley Jackson, community office manager, said:

“Going through the process of fundraising for the community office building in the last few months has brought people together in such an amazing way, it’s been lovely to see.

“We have seen just how much pride people have in the community office building and what a central role it has in the community. We knew it was important, but we’ve been able to see just how much it’s at the heart of the community and how much people care.

“The people of Masham see it as their building, and it’s really important to them that we retain it for the future. Who would have thought cowpats would bring the community together like this?”

Masham Community Office is a charity providing support and services to the local community, and is home to Masham Community Library, Acorns Preschool, Masham Parish Council clerk, tourist information and local art and craft shop Masham Flock.

Donations to the community office fund can be made online here.

CrossFit Harrogate prepares for charity challenge

Thirty members of Crossfit Harrogate will take on the national three peaks challenge this weekend to raise money for four charities.

The super-fit bunch will attempt to scale the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales — Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon — in 24 hours.

It involves walking 23 miles and climbing more than 3,000 metres, which is twice the ascent of the Yorkshire three peaks. Participants also have to drive 460 miles.

The challenge will raise money and awareness for Harrogate Homeless Project, Saint Michael’s Hospice, Williams Syndrome Association and Artizan International.

Beth Crewe, who is among those taking part, said:

“The gym is raising funds for four charities, three of which are local, which all have special places in the hearts of the members.

“We decided to take on this challenge to not only push ourselves physically and mentally but to help make a difference to those in need of support from these amazing charities at this difficult time.”

More than £4,600 has already been pledged towards the £5,000 target. You can donate here.