Council delivers major funding blow to Harrogate district charitiesHarrogate community action group reports surplus — but warns of financial uncertainty23 Harrogate district community groups awarded £55,000

Twenty three community organisations have shared £55,000 in the latest round of grants awarded by The Local Fund for the Harrogate District.

The successful applicants are small organisations that can use the funding to make a big difference on a range of initiatives, including helping older people participate in activities and addressing loneliness.

They include fortnightly lunch club Lifeline Harrogate,  Knaresborough Museum Association, Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Boroughbridge and District Community Care.

The Local Fund was created in 2017 to fund local voluntary organisations.

It is supported by North Yorkshire Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation. It also receives at least 10p from every ticket sold by the Local Lotto.

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Celia McKeon, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said the grants would “make a huge impact on the wellbeing of local people all over the district”. She added:

“This round of funding has been really interesting and far reaching, distributing grants to address rural isolation alongside activities and support in the local towns.”

Ms McKeon urged local people and businesses who wanted their charitable giving to benefit the communities they live in to invest in the fund.

Here are details of the successful applicants.

 

Community groups in Harrogate district given chance to win £3,000

Community groups in the Harrogate district could win up to £3,000 in a new photography competition.

The competition, which has opened for entries, celebrates the work of voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire.

It is being run by Two Ridings Community Foundation, which coordinates charitable giving in North and East Yorkshire, in conjunction with Clare Granger, the Birstwith-based High Sheriff of North Yorkshire and professional artist.

The contest, which is open until September 5, seeks the best amateur photographs that capture the essence of community. There are two categories: our people and our place.

Bec Horner, communications manager at Two Ridings, said:

“We really want groups to show off the people of our region and what community means to them.

“They say a photo says a thousand words, and we want to see that! We know that community organisations in the region do such vital work for local people. We want them to capture the energy, the vibrancy and the magic that is happening all over.”

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A panel of six judges will shortlist the three most impactful photos in each category.

The shortlisted groups will be invited to a photography exhibition in October where final decisions will be made.

The first prize in each category is £3,000, second prize is £2,000 and third prize £1,000. These are unrestricted funds groups can use to fund anything they choose.

The photography exhibition will take place on October 25 at Allerton Castle, near Knaresborough, where the winning and highly commended photographs will be enlarged and displayed.

More information is available here.

£1.5m fund for voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire

Voluntary organisations that helped North Yorkshire communities during covid could benefit from a share of £1.5 million funding.

The funding will be available following the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council in just under four weeks, on April 1.

It will allow community and voluntary groups to increase their capacity to act as so-called “community anchors”. 

The funding, spread over the next three years, will be available to organisations to act as hubs for the public to access advice and support and to increase resilience in communities. 

The project is building on the work that was undertaken by all of the current eight councils in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate Borough Council, to develop close working relationships with a network of community and voluntary groups which were instrumental in providing support to residents during the pandemic. 

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr Greg White, said:

“Volunteers and community groups have always played a hugely important role in North Yorkshire, but their work came even more to the fore during the covid crisis. 

“These organisations became a trusted voice for communities and helped us to publicise key public health messages and provided support at a grassroots level by co-ordinating the delivery of food and other essential items while checking on the most vulnerable members of society.”

Community anchors

While the concept of community anchors has been employed elsewhere in the country, the scheme in North Yorkshire is thought to be among the biggest of its kind nationally. 

The vast swathes of rural North Yorkshire which are home to some of the most isolated communities in the country present significant challenges in ensuring that the 615,000 residents in the county are given the support and services that they need. 

Groups that are already established in North Yorkshire can apply for £15,000-a-year in funding to become a community anchor ahead of a deadline on March 20. 

To qualify for the funding, organisations need to be established in communities with an existing base where they are delivering services, while also demonstrating a proven track record that they are financially sustainable. 

The funding is being made available to broadly increase the capacity of the groups, rather than being targeted at a specific project, and to strengthen the resilience of communities to build on the solid foundations that developed during the pandemic. 

The investment would be available to finance a range of activities such as building partnerships with organisations including the council and health services and increasing their capacity to deliver physical and mental well-being programmes for communities. 

The money could also be employed to help develop projects such as community transport services, running social enterprises and delivering skills and education. 

The funding would also be potentially used to help communities to respond to emergencies, and improve people’s financial resilience, especially in relation to food and fuel. 

Nidderdale Plus and Ripon Community House

Groups which could apply for the funding and played a key role throughout the covid pandemic include Nidderdale Plus, the Upper Dales Community Partnership and the Grassington Hub as well as the Community Care Associations in Stokesley, Thirsk and Easingwold. 

Ripon Community House, which is based in part of the city’s old workhouse and celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, was another of the community support organisations established in the pandemic, and staff are due to apply for funding to become one of the new community anchors. 

The venue, which provides meeting rooms for the community as well as a food bank and activities such as chair-based exercise classes, currently houses a base for Harrogate Borough Council to offer services such as waste and housing, and this will continue with the launch of North Yorkshire Council. 

Ripon Community House’s chief officer, Suzanne Bowyer, said:

“The legacy of covid has meant that we have become a real trusted voice in the community, and people come to us for advice – if they don’t know which organisation to go to, then we can invariably help. 

“To have the chance to build on this work by becoming a community anchor is so important, and the launch of the new council in North Yorkshire will undoubtedly help ensure the public can access services even easier by knowing there is one single organisation to deal with.” 

Funding from the government has already been used for North Yorkshire’s voluntary sector as part of financial support provided nationally to help the country recover from the pandemic. 

However, the new funding is being provided via North Yorkshire County Council’s Stronger Communities Achieve Together programme and is aimed at supporting about 30 different organisations over a three-year period. 

North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough authorities will merge from April 1 to pave the way for a devolution deal, which is set to transfer decision-making powers and millions of pounds of funding from Westminster to local political leaders. 

The new council will retain a main office in each of the former district areas, supported by additional customer access points in public locations.

Information on how to apply for the community anchors project is available online on the county council’s website.

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Free advice on running costs for North Yorkshire community buildings

Community and volunteer groups that run venues including village halls, sports and leisure facilities, theatres and museums in North Yorkshire are being offered access to expert advice on how to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and save on running costs.

Up to 50 buildings will be included in a free study, which will show members of community and voluntary groups how to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings, enabling them to become more energy-efficient and to save money.

The project will be funded by £75,000 from the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is open to venues managed by the community and voluntary sector. Elderly people’s residential care homes are also included.

The study will create a decarbonisation plan for each building, highlighting opportunities to decarbonise properties through energy efficiency measures, such as double glazing and insulation and improved heating options, as well as considering renewable energy such as solar power and battery storage.

Property design company Align Property Partners, which is wholly owned by North Yorkshire County Council, will conduct the surveys between January and March next year.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for climate change, Cllr Greg White, said:

“Many community-managed buildings tend to be older and can be poorly insulated. They are often ‘off gas’ and rely on either expensive and high-carbon electric or oil and gas for heating.

“This study will show organisations where there are opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases and to save money.”

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Venue managers will be asked to provide information on heating costs and patterns of usage, and there will be a site visit to each building.

They will then receive free information on how to make decisions on any alterations needed and how these might be funded. There is no commitment to implement the findings.

For your venue to be considered for inclusion in the study, register your interest by January 10 by contacting Fiona Protheroe at FProtheroe@cravendc.gov.uk or on 01756 706230.

City council opens funding scheme to more Ripon organisations

Community groups in Ripon are being invited to apply for funding up to a maximum of £3,500.

Ripon City Council has reviewed its partnership funding scheme to allow more organisations to apply for assistance covering an extended period, rather than making repeat annual applications via the council’s small grants scheme.

Funding will be approved for the council’s current term of office and will be subject to agreed outcomes defined in service level agreements and a regular review.

The partnership funding scheme will no longer be limited to those organisations who have previously benefited from it on a year-on-year basis.

Local not-for-profit, charitable and community organisation are invited to submit applications by November 30.

The partnership funding scheme, which was launched in 2016, was designed to provide core annual funding to a number of local organisations.

It has previously run alongside the small grants scheme, for which the council has regularly received repeat applications from other local groups and organisations that require additional funding to allow them to carry out their work.

The partnership funding scheme is designed to be a medium-term pledge of financial support to local organisations.

It is open for applications from any Ripon organisation which has charitable status or which runs as a not-for-profit, community organisation where membership is open (i.e. no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion or sexuality).

Funding applications must clearly be of benefit to the people of Ripon as the scheme is funded by the precept money collected through the council tax levied on Ripon residents.

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Harrogate dementia group reopens doors to new members

A wellbeing group offering support for people with dementia and their families is looking for new members as it reopens post-covid.

The group, based at St Luke’s Church in Harrogate, has been open for nearly five years and offers a space for anyone in the local community to come and meet friends and take part in activities.

Initially set up for families affected by dementia, the weekly group now hosts sessions for anyone wanting to make new friends.

The group had to stop during the pandemic for 17 months but reopened three weeks ago.

Before the pandemic around 35 people came each Thursday between 1-3pm but now it is only 15.

Group leaders Lizzy Turner and Victoria Amella are determined to get more people involved. They say the benefits to someone who may feel isolated can be huge.

Ms Turner said:

“The group look forward to coming each week, especially after the pandemic. A lot of our members are older so had to isolate so the group has been great to come back to.

“We want to grow it so more people can benefit from what we offer. We’re a great little group and have built some great friendships over the years.”

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The sessions are £2 and visitors will get soup and a cup of tea as well as the chance to take part in different activities.

As well as the usual domino games and arts and crafts, Ms Turner said visiting teachers also come to teach members music and chair yoga.

Young men set up Bilton group to encourage community spirit

Two young men from Bilton have set up a Facebook group for local residents to encourage community spirit and conversation.

Tyler Reeton, 19, and Ben Rothery, 21, both live in Bilton. They set up the ‘Bilton Community Group’ Facebook group in December.

It already has 1,300 members posting daily messages about local issues.

The pair felt Bilton lacked a platform focused solely on the area and hope their initiative brings back some of the spirit they say has been lost since the cancellation of the annual Bilton Gala and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Mr Reeton said he also hoped the group would encourage young people to come forward and play a more active part in the community.

The group’s plans include setting up a newsletter and arranging community events. Mr Reeton said:

“We wanted to bring the community together. We wanted to expand on the community spirit and give people somewhere to go during these dark times.”

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On Wednesdays and Fridays the page allows local businesses to advertise for free. The founders hope this will encourage people to support local enterprises.

Mr Reeton and Mr Rothery have also made contact with the borough and county councillors representing the Bilton ward. They hope the group can improve communications between residents and councillors.

County council funding for vulnerable extended until March

North Yorkshire County Council has extended its support to local groups after recognising the ongoing need of those struggling.

A total of 23 organisations in the county have received an additional £453,000 in funding from the county council to continue supporting vulnerable people in their communities until March 2021.

Six of these are in the Harrogate district:

This initiative was set up in April to support those self-isolating and ensure volunteers were in place within communities to offer deliveries of food and essential items.

The county council has chosen to extend this throughout the winter as tougher restrictions come into place.

Helen Flynn, executive director of Nidderdale Plus, said:

“We are an organisation reliant on volunteers but currently we are unable to get many of them together. With this funding we have been able to increase the hours of a member of staff to cover this.

“We are also expanding our current services and starting up new projects to better help the community. The funding also allows us to continue working with our 13 community groups across Nidderdale and Washburn to distribute information to those rural communities.”

A total of £930,000 will have been invested across the county by March 2021. The money has been made available through its North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund.

The government contributed £150,000 to the fund.

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County Council Leader Cllr Carl Les said:

“This Local Assistance Fund makes use of County Council resources and we also welcome Government money sent to us since the pandemic began.

“We have used the funds to support food banks, our local Community Support Organisations and the Citizens Advice network across the county as these are where residents go for advice and help.”

The county council has said it is constantly reviewing the need of its communities and will continue to adjust its interventions if necessary.