The new Harrogate Christmas Fayre is set to showcase local charities when the festive market comes to town next month.
Organisers Market Place Europe have set aside a stall for 10 charities, which they can use to raise awareness and fundraise.
Across the 10 days, Samaritans of Harrogate and District, Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Dementia Forward, Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, Harrogate Easier Living Project, Citizens Advice Craven and Harrogate Districts, Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity and Horticap will also use the stall.
A press release today by Harrogate Borough Council, which is organising the event in partnership with Market Place Europe, said the charities ‘were identified through the council’s Local Lotto initiative’, which conducts weekly prize draws that generate money for local charities.
Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said:
“Almost 50 coach companies are set to arrive across the 10 days, along with the thousands of Harrogate district residents and regional visitors, so it is anticipated that traders, local businesses and charities are going to benefit from the additional footfall the fayre will bring.”
The organisers hope the stall will help fill the void left by the original Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill, which over the last five events contributed more than £90,000 to local charities.
Read more:
- Your guide to Harrogate’s three Christmas markets
- Ferris wheel, carousel and road train part of huge Harrogate Christmas offering
- New Christmas express train from London to Harrogate
Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council’s head of destination management, said:
“There is a lot of excitement building for the market, and we are anticipating thousands of people visiting Harrogate this festive period, so I’d like to thank Market Place Europe for donating a stall that will no doubt raise the profile of local charities and The Local Lotto.”
Location and dates for new Harrogate Christmas Fayre
The Harrogate Christmas Fayre will feature around 50 stallholders on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.. They will be spaced out wider than usual to encourage social distancing.
- When – December 3 to December 12, Monday to Wednesday – 10am to 7pm, Thursday to Saturday – 10am to 9pm, and Sundays — 10am to 5pm
- Where – Across the town centre with stalls on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent
- What – 50 traders with a mixture of local and European stallholders
- Who – Market Place Europe is working with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID
A total of 973 coronavirus cases were recorded throughout December in the Harrogate district as the country headed for a national lockdown.
The number represents fewer cases than in October and the second lockdown, but the month saw some of the highest daily infections as the new year approached.
The district’s spiking numbers were among those contributing to this week’s decision to introduce a new national lockdown, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday evening.
Fewer cases, but higher daily numbers in December
December saw 973 cases in the Harrogate District, fewer than the 1,119 during the November lockdown and 1,353 in October.
But, while there were fewer positive tests, the daily cases hit record highs towards the end of the month.
The number of cases of coronavirus and reported hospital patient deaths for December in the Harrogate district. Data: Public Health England/NHS. Graph: the Stray Ferret.
On December 29, 103 cases were reported – which was an all time high in the district until Monday’s figure of 141.
The lowest daily number was 10 new cases on December 10.
While daily cases in the district started out low at the start of December, the numbers began to rise as the month wore on.
Read more:
- Business owners share concerns as new lockdown begins
- Growing concern in Harrogate district over lack of vaccine communication
- Oxford vaccine ‘arriving this week’ – but Harrogate centre closed again today
Case rate increase
The seven-day case rate in the district also steadily increased throughout the month.
The rate was the lowest in North Yorkshire for much of December. However, Harrogate’s average rate increased, along with the other six districts, throughout December.
On December 10, the rate hit a low of 79 per 100,000 people. By the end of the month, it was 269.
Meanwhile, nine deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus were recorded at Harrogate District Hospital in December.
New variant of coronavirus
Much of the rise in cases in the south of England has been put down to the new variant of coronavirus, which experts say spreads more easily.
At a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies, public health bosses said the new variant of coronavirus was almost certainly in the county.
Officials warned that the coronavirus case rates will likely worsen over the next two weeks.
Dr Victoria Turner, a public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“We have talked for the last couple of weeks about the new variant that has been spreading from the south east of England.
“I mean we will certainly have cases of this in North Yorkshire.
“Now we have to act as if this is the predominant form of the virus across the country. We should treat every cases as the new variant.”