Morgan Glazier, 18, is aiming to run an incredible 465 miles over 30 days this month.

The student from Rossett School, in Harrogate, is running in aid of the mental health charity MIND, after suffering with OCD for a number of years. He is hoping to improve his mental health during lockdown, through running, whilst raising money for a charity close to his heart.

To meet his 465 mile target, he will add an extra mile to the distance to correspond with the date. For example, on June 1 he ran one mile and then on June 2 he ran two miles, this will continue until June 30 when he will run 30 miles in a day.

His efforts will see him run the equivalent of a marathon or longer on each of the final days. Morgan hopes his run will highlight the positive effects that running can have on mental health. He said:

“Lockdown has been a bit tough and I haven’t been feeling great. I’ve always enjoyed long-distance running and I often use it to get away from everything. It’s a way for me to disconnect myself from negative thoughts and improve my mental wellbeing.”

The mental health charity, MIND, is close to Morgan’s heart. He hopes his running will bring awareness to positive mental wellbeing.

Read more: 

• Mental health charity launches fundraising appeal to meet increased demand. 
• Harrogate race for life postponed until October. 

The mental health charity means a lot to Morgan and his family, who said:

“I am doing it in memory of my uncle, who died as a result of his mental health problems, and for everyone who suffers or has suffered with a mental illness.”

To sponsor Morgan, click here.

Harrogate charity Open Country, which works with people with disabilities, has been innovating to find ways to bring wildlife activities into its members’ homes.

The charity normally runs weekly activities for people with a disability including tandem cycling, walking and nature study. Several of its activities require guidance and close contact, specifically to members with visual impairments. But over lockdown these were suspended to protect members.

Telephone befriending, virtual spinning sessions and blogs about nature are a few of the ways the charity is supporting its members as restrictions remain in place.

The ONS reported that more than a third of disabled adults had spent too much time alone since lockdown began, compared with a fifth of non-disabled adults.

Lizzie Hughes, the countryside activities officer for Open Country, told The Stray Ferret about the impact of lockdown on their members:

“For people with a disability it is an even bigger struggle, it’s not just the initial 12 weeks it will be difficult for them in the coming weeks too. Until we can resume in a safe way we have no confirmed date to return. The severity of the situation means some members may be able to return earlier but we want to be as inclusive as we can.

“We know it won’t return back to normal instantly, it will take time for us to adjust and offer the same service again.”

Open country members have previously enjoyed group activities, but now the charity has to find new ways to offer support to its members.

Read more:

• Harrogate Borough Council are offering discretionary grants for smaller businesses in the district, this includes charities. 
• The Nidderdale llamas are offering birthday messages and virtual treks over lockdown. 

Nature has a positive impact on the charity’s members but under lockdown their opportunities to go outside are limited. To combat this Open Country has introduced a new initiative ‘Breakfree’ – a collection of local walks suitable for all abilities round Harrogate, Nidderdale and Wharfedale.

Lizzie added:

“The Breakfree packs were developed with wheelchair users and those with limited mobility in mind. But they’ve been perfect for families and local people who have been limited to an hour’s exercise per day around their local area. The packs are free to download and will help you discover footpaths on your doorstep.”

Harrogate Borough Council has announced a £2.3 million new scheme to support smaller businesses in the district such as charities and bed and breakfasts.

The discretionary grant aims to help those businesses that may have previously missed out on other coronavirus grants. The government allowed grants of up to £25,000 to be offered, but the council has capped this at £10,000 to help as many businesses as possible.

As a discretionary grant the council has more input into the final decision process, in comparison to previous grants offered during the crisis.

In particular, B&B owners are hoped to benefit from the scheme. The eligibility criteria also includes charities and small businesses including those in shared offices and flexible workspaces. The businesses must have been trading before 11 March 2020 and have fewer than 50 employees.

One bed and breakfast owner from the Harrogate District, who wanted to stay anonymous, said:

I’ve had no income since the second week of March and there are things we have to continue paying for so if we got any money it would mean I don’t have to pay it all. This grant is the difference between re-opening soon or being unable to.”

B&B’s are still awaiting formal notice that they can re-open, but before then grants allow them to secure some income.

Read more: 

• The council have been given over £140,000 from the government to re-open the high street. 
• Harrogate charity, Wellsprings therapy and training, have launched a fundraising appeal to help more people in need during lockdown. 

Kimberley Wilson, the chairman of accommodation Harrogate, said:

“In Harrogate most bed and breakfasts were covered by the initial grant. We are hoping the few that weren’t covered will now be able to access this discretionary grant to help their business in the future”.

Henshaws has announced its Arts and Crafts centre in Knaresborough will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The centre has been hit hard financially during the current coronavirus crisis which has lead it to make this decision.

The centre was closed before lockdown, in line with safety measures. The centre had previously been running a fundraising appeal ‘Art is the Start’ to update the centre to suit the people who use it. But have now concluded the centre is no longer economically viable.

The charity is now considering options for the future in order to find a sustainable future.

Henshaws Chief Executive Nick Marr said:

“We are now consulting Centre staff about the future of their roles within the organisation. We also know that the Centre and its work are valued hugely by both the Art Makers and the local community. This decision will undoubtedly cause a great deal of distress to our Art Makers and their families and all of our loyal volunteers, as well as to our staff, and we will do everything we can to help during these sad times but we find ourselves unable to continue to provide this service. The financial situation was stretched before lockdown but COVID 19 has had a huge financial impact on us.”

The closure of the Arts and Crafts Centre will likely sadden some of its visitors, but the charity is hopeful for the future.

Read more: 

• A mental-health charity in Harrogate launches fundraising appeal to continue helping those in need over lockdown. 
• Girlguides use sunflowers to spread a little happiness during coronavirus. 

Henshaws Specialist College has remained open to students throughout the crisis. It is hopeful that numbers will be maintained into the new academic year starting in September.

Nick Marr added:

“This is an extremely difficult decision being taken in exceptional circumstances and our team has done, and is doing, some fantastic work supporting hundreds of people across Yorkshire.”

Covid-Co-Operation Harrogate has raised £11,155 for local charities as a result of its crowdfunding appeal.

Covid Co-Operation Harrogate was set up as a means of connecting local people who need help, with those able to help. The group rapidly expanded to more than 10,000 members. As a result of the incredible response, the groups admin team set up a fundraising page for local charities who need help during this difficult time.

The charities, who have all received an equal share of the donations, include: Supporting Older People, Harrogate Foodbank, IDAS, SparkSupport, Hear to Help and Canaan Warehouse.

Susie Little, founder of the group and the crowdfund appeal, told The Stray Ferret:

“I chose 6 small charities who I felt were helping sections of society who are particularly vulnerable at this particular time.”

Read more: 

• Cancellation of the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show 
• Knaresborough food bank re-opens 

The Great Stand Up To Covid-19 Bake Off is just one of the many activities run by the group. This event encourages members to bake their best cake and send a photo of their creation to the group.

Cake baked by Mia Wright, Age 14.

In order to take park, each participant donated a £2 entry fee to the crowdfund page and the bake off was judged by Bruce Reid and Harrogate’s White Watch. 10 finalists, 7 adults and 3 under 16 competitors, have been awarded a place in next weekends show stopper.

Cake baked by Dawn Peretti-Speirs.

The Bake-Off competition was one of many activities carried out by members of the group in order to raise money. Other fundraising events included a charity bike ride of 150 miles and auctions of jewellery and garden furniture donated by members of the group.

A charity which offers counselling to people across the Harrogate district has launched a fundraising appeal so it can help more people struggling with their mental health through the coronavirus crisis.

With its One-Day Lockdown Challenge, Wellspring Therapy & Training is hoping to fund more professional counselling for people going through mental ill health and emotional distress.

The charity, which is based in Starbeck’s High Street, has been offering remote counselling throughout the crisis and said demand has begun to increase. Executive director Emily Fullarton said:

“It has started to creep up. We’re definitely getting more referrals now and I think it will pick up further.

“People are starting to realise this is going to go on for longer than they realised. Normal life isn’t going to happen. Schools reopening and people having a bit more time to think – when you’re in a crisis, you don’t tend to process it. It’s only when you are out of it you start to think about how it has affected you.”

The urgent fundraising appeal was kicked off by young supporter Joe Lepine, 13, who decided to stay awake for 24 hours. Aiming to raise £200, with support from friends and family he achieved ten times that sum.

Now Wellspring is inviting others to follow his example and challenge themselves to do something for 24 hours – always within social distancing guidelines. From giving up TV to doing star-jumps every hour, the charity says there is something suitable for anyone who wants to show their support.

Ripon butcher Phil Marley, was amazed by the generosity of a Stray Ferret reader who made a large donation after reading the story which went online on Saturday about the way he and his colleagues are helping to feed families and individuals trapped in poverty.

Mr Marley, who has owned and run his shop on North Street for 20 years, has been supplying free meat packs to people in dire need who live in Ripon and surrounding villages and in Saturday’s story, said everybody must pull together to tackle the crisis and what lies beyond for people currently in financial difficulties.

After receiving the call from the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, he told The Stray Ferret:

“Following the story, I received a phone call and I was amazed by the generosity shown towards people who are in less fortunate circumstances. This means that we can help even more of those in need.”

The free meat packs comprising items including a joint of lamb, pork or beef, sausages and mince beef, are worth up to £25 and are delivered on a weekly basis.

Prior to receiving the donation, Mr Marley received support in both kind and cash from community-minded suppliers and customers.

Phoebe, 10 and Hermonie, 7, live across the road from the new Nightingale hospital in Harrogate. After watching all the work over the last three weeks and joining in on the weekly clap for our carers, they decided they wanted to do something in return.

The Smith sisters came up with the idea of designing t-shirts to help raise money for charity. They have called their venture KidSmith and all money raised will go to HELP Harrogate.

“Our designs are to celebrate how the community has come together to help those in need and we hope they will be a reminder of some of the good things that happened during this really hard time. We chose HELP Harrogate to try and help them continue to support older and vulnerable members of the local community during the Covid 19 crisis.”

Mum, Phillipa Smith told the Stray Ferret that she is very proud of the girls willingness and desire to try and help:

“It’s so lovely to see how excited they are when orders come in for something they have designed themselves. We’re all really pleased to support HELP Harrogate, they are a fantastic local charity on the ground every day helping our community at this awful time.”

Organisers of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Harrogate have said that the event will now go ahead in October after coronavirus forced them to cancel in July.

It means that the Race for Life 5K, 10k, Pretty Muddy, Pretty Muddy Kids on The Stray will no longer take place on Sunday 12 July.

The Race for Life event has now been rescheduled for Sunday 11 October.

Participants who had already signed up for the Race for Life event in July can transfer their entry to the new October date and will be contacted directly by the charity. If a participant is unable to make the new date they can request a refund or donate the entry fee.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for North Yorkshire, said:

“While our priority is ensuring that people affected by cancer get the support and information they need during unprecedented times, we’re having to work quickly to understand the impact the pandemic will have on Cancer Research UK’s fundraising.

“Since it began, Race for Life has raised over £890m for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has taken part and hope their support will continue throughout this time.”

Every day 83 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire but more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Many of the scientists and researchers funded by Cancer Research UK are currently being redeployed to help in the fight against COVID-19. By helping to beat coronavirus, the charity can lessen the impact that this virus is having on the care of cancer patients.

The Prince’s Trust Coronavirus Support Hub for young people is to receive £2,705, after Ripon Grammar School Student Araminta Praud, organised a charity Colour Dash at the school.

With competitors coated in the colours of the rainbow at the end of the event, those taking part were reminded that there is continuing hope that COVID-19 will eventually be conquered.

Araminta, who lives in Boroughbridge, anticipated that the Colour Dash would raise £1,000, but with support from students, families and teachers within the school community, almost tripled that amount.

The final total of money raised from the event, which was staged in the Ripon Grammar grounds the day before the government brought in restrictions on mass gatherings, has now been calculated and 18-year-old Araminta told The Stray Ferret:

“My aim was to raise £1,000 and I didn’t expect to raise this much. In these testing times, I know the money is going to a great cause. The Prince’s Trust is helping young people with the new Coronavirus Support Hub, as well as continuing to provide opportunities through other programmes for those aged 11 to 30.”

Araminta (pictured above) who has worked with the Prince’s Trust previously through the school, arranged the Colour Dash as part of her extended project qualification. Support was received from a benevolent fund and Yorkshire-based Harron Homes, which paid for the non-toxic paint used to provide the rainbow’s end effect at the finishing line, where she handed out medals to those who took part.

The work of the Prince’s Trust is very important for Araminta, who said:

“They help underprivileged young people my age and give them the opportunities that I am lucky enough to have. I strongly believe everyone should have the same opportunities, no-one should be limited.”

The Ripon Grammar School community has been involved in a number of activities in a bid to beat coronavirus and support the NHS and healtchcare workers, including a YouTube video recorded by the Sladden family, whose son Ned, is a year 8 student at the school.

The musically-gifted family, whose vocal talents have been heard in the Ripon Cathedral choir, recorded their version of Take That’s hit song ‘Shine’ adapting the words to present an important stay at home, stay safe message.

Ripon Grammar has also given practical assistance to the NHS, by donating protective glasses and other equipment usually used in the school’s laboratories.