charity Archives - Page 31 of 41

Harrogate charity speaks out after recent violent crime against women

A Harrogate domestic abuse charity has spoken out after two recent crimes in Harrogate show the realities of coercive relationships for women.

In recent weeks a murder-suicide has been reported at the Majestic hotel and a man has been jailed for 18 months for exerting military-like control over his ex-partner.

Lindsay Oliver, CEO of New Beginnings a charity supporting female survivors of domestic abuse, and a survivor of domestic abuse herself, said these examples are difficult to read but far more common than people think.

As well as offering support for women she also campaigns for stronger sentencing for ex-partners and more education.

What is Coercive Control?

“Coercive control” is ongoing oppression with one partner trying to take control of the others’ life. This could include limiting access with family and friends, monitoring money and name calling.

Ms Oliver says victims of coercive behaviour are often not immediately aware of the behaviour. For the perpetrator it becomes about gaining control and limiting their partner’s self-worth to try and en-trap them further.

According to Refuge, two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales alone.

Two weeks ago Chenise Gregory was found dead at the Majestic hotel in Harrogate alongside another man. The police are treating it as a murder-suicide.

Her family spoke out online about their “beloved” Chenise and said she was “lured to her death at the hands of her controlling and manipulative ex-boyfriend.”

Last week we reported on a court case in which a man was sentenced to 18 months in jail after preventing his pregnant partner from getting pain relief during labour and assuming military-like command of her day-to-day life.

Ms Oliver said:

“The lucky ones survive. Many survivors will tell you the control, coercion, emotional and psychological abuse is so much harder to recover from than the physical injuries. It’s in your head and the video is on constant replay. The lack of self worth this creates in victims and survivors is soul destroying.”

One of the women who has been supported by the charity spoke anonymously to the Stray Ferret. She said:

“If I went out with friends he would throw me down the stairs, he made me feel like staff in my own home. He told he behaved like that because of me and would say ‘if only your friends and family would but out.’ He convinced me over time I’d be better off dead and in the end I believed him.”

The women was with the man for six years, she said at the beginning it wasn’t easy to spot. She added over time you stop listening to other people who are trying to warn you.

Her mother also spoke anonymously to us, she said:

“It was very difficult. There’s only so many times you can tell her to leave. If I called her he’d smash the phone. To have that much control over her was scary.”

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.

Charity Corner: the Knaresborough centre putting mental wellbeing first

An arts charity in Knaresborough puts mental wellbeing at the forefront of everything it does making sure local residents have the space to express their creativity.

Orb Community Arts offers numerous different classes and 1-2-1 sessions to support people who may be struggling with their mental health.

In this month’s Charity Corner we wanted to acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Week and highlight one of the district’s smaller charities doing all it can to support people.

The charity offers different classes from guitar lessons to a ukulele orchestra; you can lay down your own track in the studio or plant some vegetables in the garden.

Set up 12 years ago, the charity has evolved into a centre with over 200 users and seven core members of staff as well as plenty of volunteers.

The charity’s art room is decorated with artwork created during the sessions.

The charity’s strapline “positive mental health” is what it aims to achieve. It hopes to remove the stigma surrounding acknowledging your mental health and make it as important as physical health.

Leon Fijalkowski, strategic director, said:

“Since moving to Knaresborough a decade ago we have grown. We are there for everyone including people who may think they don’t have poor mental health. Our centre can help you speak openly about your mental health and do something about it.”

In the summer the charity will be working with the Woodland Trust to explore the Nidd Gorge offering mindfulness, drawing and foraging classes. The charity are passionate about the embracing nature and the impact it can have mentally.

David Littler in his natural habitat is one of the charity’s music studios.

The charity relies on a number of funding streams and charitable donations.

During the pandemic they received a £65,000 grant as part of the covid response fund from the National Lottery.

It welcomes people from across the district and says moving onto zoom during the pandemic has helped them reach more people.

If you want to find out more about the charity you can get in touch here.

The garden is the pride and joy of several of the users. It includes several vegetable patches, a pond and a hobbit hole for reflection.

Accessibility for all becomes top priority for Harrogate shops

A number of Harrogate shop keepers have called in a local charity to help them become more accessible for disabled customers.

Disability Action Yorkshire is working with some retailers on Commercial Street in a move that it is hoped will also make them more profitable.

The spending power of disabled people and their families, known as the purple pound, is estimated to be worth £249 billion and increasing each year.

Josh McCormack, Disability Action Yorkshire’s think access co-ordinator, has been advising businesses.

Mr McCormack recommended the owner of The Cheeseboard, which is a small store and has a step in the entrance, put a sign in the window saying, “If you can’t come into to us, we will come out to you”.

This informs customers with wheelchairs or prams that they are welcome and can get help.

Mr McCormack said:

“More and more businesses are now looking at making their premises accessible to all, particularly as online shopping became a way of life during the three national covid lockdowns.

“In many cases, becoming accessible need not cost a penny. Businesses are starting to realise the value of the purple pound and to become accessible they need someone who can advise them.

“My role at Disability Action Yorkshire is to go into a business, conduct an audit, and them produce a report. Disabled people want to enjoy the same experiences as everybody else, and a business becoming accessible makes complete sense.”

The charity has said it is keen to work with shops across the Harrogate district that want to become more accessible.

Gemma Aykroyd, the owner of The Cheeseboard, said:

“I’d like to thank Josh for visiting our shop and speaking to me about what we could do to become more accessible.

“Whilst the limited space and step are a barrier, Josh offered us some very practical and simple advice. This simple measure says we will go that extra mile, ensuring we cater for everyone.”

Insurance problems make Stray bonfire event a ‘huge gamble’

Organisers behind the annual bonfire and firework display on the Stray fear that putting the event on this year would be a “huge gamble”.

The Harrogate District Round Table, which was forced to postpone its 50th anniversary display last year, is currently weighing up the risks.

Although all coronavirus restrictions are set to be lifted well before November, large event organisers are struggling to find insurance in case they need to cancel again.

This has prompted many to postpone plans for another year.

So the round table, which is a charity run by men aged between of 18 and 45, may have to spend thousands of pounds that it may never get back.

The charity was unable to hold its annual beer festival this year so it has already missed out on an opportunity to generate income.

Ben Taylor, who works to recruit new members, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are currently working with Harrogate Borough Council. If we submit plans now then they have to follow all the social distancing guidelines in place currently.

“So we will have to wait until the restrictions ease before we do anything.

“I think it is fair to say that it is a risk putting the event on this year because there is no protection. It’s a huge gamble really.”

The round table is also on the lookout for new members. The group is for young men to make friends and help the local community. Interested? Click here.

Ripon grandma ‘rattling and crackling’ on charity 30km run

A Ripon grandma with no running experience and severe health conditions has embarked on a mission to run 30 kilometres to raise money for a children’s charity.

Joy Kalus, 75, suffers from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes breathing difficulties, disabling osteoarthritis and is recovering from viral heart failure.

Despite all these ailments, the former British Rail worker is determined to complete her challenge within 30 days.

She aims to do so by running laps of Ripon rugby field. Money raised will go to the NSPCC.

In just one day, Joy has already beaten her £120 target. So far she has raised £245. Click or tap here to donate on JustGiving.

The cause is close to Joy’s heart. Ten years ago she flew to Brazil to help children on the streets and orphanages.

Joy, who has two daughters and is a grandmother to three boys, said:

“I am just an old lady rattling on to do her best. I can only trot about 25 steps at a time at a time before I start flapping my arms so I look like I am taking off.

“Osteoarthritis has made most of my joints swell. So everything is rattling and crackling as I move.

“I’ve never run before but that isn’t going to stop me. It’s more of a trot because I can’t breathe well.

“But I always tell my daughters they can do anything if they are determined enough. So can I.

“I don’t care how old I am, or what illnesses I am suffering from. Even if it takes me all year I’ll get there.”

Daughter Lisa Bradley, 43, said:

”Both my sister Suzanne and I are so unbelievably proud. Our mum has always been a force to be reckoned with.

“When she first told me I thought she was mad, but she laced up her trainers and off she went. She really is our inspiration.”

Harrogate hospital staff walk, run and bike to New Zealand for charity

Staff at Harrogate District Hospital have raised money for charity by walking, running and cycling the distance from Harrogate to Wellington in New Zealand.

They started the challenge in February and walked 22,866 kilometres by Easter, raising £1,600 in the process. That is £400 more than the original target.

45 staff from the pharmacy department took part. They all tracked how far they had ran, walked and cycled each week and added up the total.

The money will go to Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity. It supports staff, services and patients at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Elizabeth Gill, pharmacy support worker and organiser, said:

“At a time when we are all stretched thin and covid has meant we can’t get together outside of work, we wanted to come together to challenge ourselves while raising money for our hospital charity.

“We decided to do the ultimate challenge and get to Wellington in New Zealand as this is the furthest capital from Harrogate and also a country which is covid-free!

“I’m so proud of everyone and how hard we’ve all worked. Our fundraising total is over £1600 which is incredible!”

Yvonne Campbell, head of charity and business development project manager, said:

“Everyone at Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity is blown away by the amount raised by our pharmacy team and the effort they’ve put in to supporting us.

“Recently, money raised by our supporters funded some portable DVD players for inpatients to use to watch films on while they’re in hospital, so the money they raise will go a long way to supporting services, patients and fellow colleagues at the trust.”

Wishing well to raise money for St Michael’s hospice

Victoria Shopping Centre has installed a wishing well for Saint Michael’s Hospice. They hope to raise £25,000 to support the hospice’s end of life care for the terminally ill.

The centre has raised £11,192 for Saint Michael’s and hope that the wishing well will encourage more shoppers to donate. Tony Collins, the hospice’s chief executive, says he is “delighted” with the initiative and the Victoria Centre’s support.

“We hope shoppers at the Centre enjoy making their wishes, particularly in the knowledge that their kind donations go directly to help local families living with terminal illness and bereavement. Each ‘wish’ will make a real difference to our work.”

The Hospice’s current running costs are around £6 million per year, which averages to £15,000 per day. It receives much of their funding through donations, fundraisers and sales from their eight Harrogate based charity shops.

The Victoria Centre manager, James White, says they “couldn’t be happier” to support the hospice.

“Saint Michaels Hospice is a charity that we couldn’t be happier to support. Harrogate shoppers are well known for their generous contributions and compassion for others, so I’m sure this wishing well will be another success.It’s a fun way to donate to a highly worthy cause, as well as a great initiative to welcome back our shoppers to the centre.”

The well is located on the first floor, between Next and Toyland.

Saint Michael’s and Cancer Research UK shops reopen locally

Saint Michael’s Hospice and Cancer Research UK‘s charity shops in the Harrogate district will be opening their doors next week as they try to recover from financial losses during the pandemic.

The two charities rely heavily on money raised from the shops and are eager to reopen once more.

For local charity Saint Michael’s, most of its shops will reopen on Monday, while those in Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Jennyfield Drive and 149 King’s Road in Harrogate are reopening on Tuesday.

Donations can be dropped off on Tuesdays and Fridays each week but customers are advised to call the shop beforehand.

The donation drop-off point on Hookstone Wood Road is no longer in operation.

Saint Michael’s chief executive Tony Collins said:

“We’re pleased that our shops will now begin to reopen their doors from next Monday, giving those across the Harrogate district the opportunity to purchase a range of preloved items.

“Stringent health and safety measures will be in place in each of our shops, with the safety of our community, staff and volunteers at the forefront of our reopening plans.”

The Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon Cancer Research UK stores also hope to welcome back plenty of customers to boost their finances.

The charity has predicted its fundraising income will decline by £300million over the next three years, due to the pandemic.

Ripon’s Cancer Research UK shop is looking forward to welcoming back shoppers

Anticipating a staycation boom, Cancer Research UK is asking for donations of men, women and children’s summer clothing. Any items can be dropped off in store.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson, said:

“Covid has hit us hard. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to please bag up and bring in any unwanted items.

“Right now, we need quality clothing, shoes, homewares, accessories and books to help keep our tills – and bargain hunters – busy. Most important of all, the sale of these items helps to ensure we can keep making progress for people with cancer.”

Knaresborough’s Yorkshire Cancer Research shop reopening next week

Yorkshire Cancer Research is to reopen its shop in Knaresborough next week when covid restrictions ease.

The charity shop, on Market Place, will reopen on April 14 at 9am, two days after non-essential shops are allowed to trade again.

The shop helps the charity, which is based in Harrogate, raise funds for cancer research in Yorkshire. Its mission is for 2,000 more people to survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

Covid measures, such as hand sanitisers, social distancing and PPE worn by staff and volunteers will operate.

The shop will start accepting donations once its reopened, by appointment only. The Harrogate donation centre is still closed for drop-offs.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“Along with many other charities, we have experienced a significant loss of income during the coronavirus pandemic.

“To try to reduce this loss, we acted quickly to start selling donated goods online.

“We are thankful to all those who continued to support us by donating second-hand belongings and searching for bargains in our online marketplaces during lockdown.”

The shop will be open Wednesday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. It will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s other shops in Northallerton and Tadcaster will also re-open.

Charity Corner: Making ‘Time Together’ the priority

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.

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.

What is Coercive Control?

Read more:

Where to go for further support

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

READ MORE:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: