Ripon has been chosen to be one of five areas in North Yorkshire to pilot new community networks.

The networks will aim to bring together public, private and voluntary sector organisations to “unleash energy and ambition” and drive change.

North Yorkshire Council‘s decision to create the networks has generated controversy because members won’t be elected, leading to fears they are undemocratic and could duplicate the work of existing councils.

One Conservative councillor even branded them “crackers”.

But Ripon’s two councillors on North Yorkshire Council welcomed the move to make Ripon one the first areas in the county to trial the networks. Easingwold, Leyburn and Middleham, Sherburn-in-Elmet and Thornton-le-Dale have also been selected.

Cllr Andrew Williams, an Independent who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside and is also leader of Ripon City Council, said he and Cllr Barbara Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa, both recognised the networks’ potential for improving the city.

He said:

“They will bring together groups across the city and create an opportunity to explore ideas and issues.”

Cllr Williams added the networks would “not replace any level of local government” but would allow people to talk more broadly about improving their local area in ways in which the constraints of formal council meetings did not allow.

Asked to give examples, he said the networks might develop a 10-year masterplan for Ripon or consider ways to get neighbouring parishes more involved in the city.

North Yorkshire Council isn’t providing any funding for the networks but Cllr Williams said this wasn’t an issue:

“It’s about considering what Ripon would look like in an ideal world if there was a magic wand and then going off and seeking funding for various schemes.”

He said he expected organisations such as Ripon City Council, Ripon Business Improvement District, Ripon Together and Ripon Museums to be involved.

Read more:

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North Yorkshire Council’s ruling executive will meet on Tuesday next week to ratify the pilot areas, with a view to later rolling out 30 networks across the county.

Carl Les

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“The networks will mobilise communities, unleashing energy and ambition and giving people a stronger voice to tackle those issues that mean the most to them.”

Cllr David Chance, the council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr David Chance, said the pilot areas would “help us shape the model for the community networks as they are set to be introduced across the county”.

Several Harrogate district attractions will be offering free entry in the days ahead as part of National Lottery Open Week.

The lottery has raised more than £47 billion for good causes since it started in 1994. To thank players, it runs an annual week in which organisations it has funded are invited to provide free entry and special offers.

This year’s open week begins tomorrow (Saturday) and ends on March 26.

The following offers in the Harrogate district apply to anyone who presents a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard, digital or physical.

For the terms and conditions click here, and check the venue listings for dates, times and other terms and conditions. You can search for events here.

• Fountains Abbey near Ripon — free entry from March 18 to 26
• Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge — free entry tomorrow (Saturday)
• Beningbrough Hall — free entry tomorrow and Sunday and from March 22 to 26
• Ripon Museum Trust — free entry for a family or group of up to six people at its workhouse, prison and police and courthouse museums in Ripon on March 25
• Harewood House — £5 entry tomorrow and Sunday

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• Ripon residents get free entry to city museums on Saturday

Ripon residents can sample some of the best of what the city has to offer for free on Saturday.

The annual Sights and Sounds of Ripon event provides the opportunity for local residents to visit the workhouse, courthouse and prison and police museums without charge.

To gain free entry, all that is required is a proof of residence within the HG4 postcode.

In addition to the city’s three heritage attractions, family-friendly activities are also being staged from 11am at Ripon Cathedral and the library.

The event is being organised by Harrogate Borough Council as part of the Ripon My Neighbourhood partnership which involves a wide range of public and voluntary organisations.

Further details are available here.

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Fifty-two year 6 pupils from Holy Trinity Junior School in Ripon have used their lockdown experiences to empathise with how Victorian children might have felt as inmates at Ripon Workhouse.

The children have been working towards their Bronze Arts Awards with staff at Ripon Museums, poet and Ripon Poetry Festival founder Andy Croft and animator Dawn Feather.

They encouraged the pupils to imagine themselves in the shoes of poor and desperate Victorian children entering the workhouse.

They wrote poems under the titles Dread, Fear, Grief and Nothing. They recorded the poems as spoken word with sound effects and made their own chalk drawing animations that were presented as powerful audio-visual pieces.

Carrie Philip, Ripon Museum’s learning and outreach manager, said:

“It became clear that the fear and uncertainty the children had experienced during the past two years of covid helped them to identify with child inmates in the Victorian workhouse.

“They produced beautiful and compelling pieces of creative writing as an emotional response to experiencing the workhouse. They should be immensely proud of their achievements.”

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Pupils were awarded their Bronze Arts Award with feedback praising their excellent animated spoken poetry. The experience went beyond the immediate task at hand and will hopefully inspire the group to explore other creative endeavours.

Holy Trinity headteacher Paul Bowlas said:

“We were thrilled to work in conjunction with Ripon Museums to provide a broad and creative experience for the children of our school.

“Working together on the arts award provided a much-needed experience which not only helped children educationally but was also very good for their health and wellbeing.”

The animated poems can be accessed through Ripon Museums website www.riponmuseums.co.uk

A summer programme of exhibitions and activities has been launched by Ripon’s museums.

The Workhouse Museum on Allhallowgate is one of three heritage attractions operated by Ripon Museum Trust.

On Saturday August 14, from 11am to 2pm, it will be the venue for Hazel Waite’s counted threads workshop.

Using motifs from features of the workhouse building, participants will be able to create a stitched sample, which could be used as a small picture, bookmark or greetings card.

For more details see the Ripon Museums website.

The Lives Unravelled exhibition is on display at the Workhouse Museum until Sunday 5 September.

Featuring five textile installations, located throughout the museum, the exhibition was inspired by the lives of women who lived and worked in Ripon’s former union workhouse.

Based on their research into the workhouse, textiles group 6-Ply has created crafted and unique textile pieces, which reflect the real experiences and imagined emotions of impoverished women.

Children will be able to explore the newly-created den in the Workhouse Museum garden

Over the school summer holidays, family-focused activities will be staged from Tuesday to Friday each week.

On Friday and from August 10 to 13, the theme is Make Your Mark.

Visitors can join in with the creation of a giant wall hanging depicting feelings and life during lockdown, as well as following a museum trail.

This includes the opportunity to bake in the Workhouse Museum’s Victorian kitchen and have a go at Rag Rugging.

During the second half of the school holidays, the theme for activities will be garden camp.

From August 17 to 20, 24 to 27 & 30 and September 1 to 3 , visitors can explore the Workhouse Museum garden and make and decorate a recycled plant pot holder to take home.

The trust will also be offering a museum trail, plus bird and bird call identification activities and a bird search game.

Children will also be able to play in a new garden den, with family activities included in the cost of museum entry.

Read more:

• Ripon’s weekend of free family entertainment
• What free activities are available for Ripon’s children this summer?

During the summer, the Prison and Police Museum is offering a creative walk through the criminal justice system with the My Path exhibition.

It showcases artworks from across Yorkshire, which were submitted to the 2020 Koestler Awards for arts in the criminal justice system.

Every work shown was made by someone in a prison, secure hospital, young offender institution or on probation. The exhibition runs until September 26.

Entrance to the exhibition is included in the cost of museum entry.