Harrogate man Paul Ivison is once again opening his garden to the public with the aim of raising money for charity and getting a visa for his fiancé.
Paul has lived on the corner of Mayfield Grove and Mayfield Terrace for more than 15 years. He has changed his garden’s design many times and become something of a local celebrity.
Previous displays have raised money for North Yorkshire Horizons, the Disasters Emergency Committee and many more charitable causes.
This year’s garden will feature a number of themes: mental health, LGBT Pride and the danger of plastic to our oceans.
He said:
“This year’s display… is the biggest I have done in three years”
At the garden’s opening there will be information available on where to get help for those suffering with poor mental health.
As well as this there will be a colourful LGBT section. Gnomes have been painted in the six colours of the pride flag and there will be a number of other rainbow painted items on display.
On the topic of plastic in our oceans, Paul has installed a fully working bathroom suite which will be filled with plastic waste. Red water will be flowing out of it to symbolise the danger of discarded plastic.
This is all with the aim of raising money for the Samaritans.
He also wants to raise money for his partner, who lives in the Philippines, to get a UK visa and move to Harrogate.
The garden is opening Sunday 25 June at 3pm and Paul has invited neighbours and friends round to enjoy it.
Entrance is free but there will be a box by the gate for any charitable donations. Paul also has a GoFundMe page for his partner’s visa, which you can find here.
Read more:
- Harrogate man gives garden a Ukraine-themed makeover
- Harrogate man donates money raised from garden display to the Philippines
Former Made in Chelsea star on £1m charity quest in Ripon
Former Made in Chelsea reality TV star Josh Patterson ran into Ripon yesterday evening to complete the 21st leg of his marathon effort to raise £1million for the Samaritans.
The 33-year-old aims to run 76 marathons in 76 days, covering every city across the four nations of the UK.
After completing the Ripon stage at the city’s cathedral, he told the Stray Ferret:
“My goal is to raise £1million so that as many people as possible going through mental struggles can get the crucial support they need from the the charity.
“As well as raising money, I’m aiming to raise the profile of the incredible life-saving work that Samaritans do by answering phone calls from people in vulnerable situations and listening, giving guidance and letting those who need help know that they are never alone.”
Josh Patterson is pictured with (from left) Millie Gray, Lottie Venables, Leanne Anderson and Lisa Medd, who ran with him yesterday.
Mr Patterson posted some spectacular images of the Ripon leg of his challenge on his Instagram page here.
On the Justgiving page he has set up, he said he has personally been affected by mental illness over the years and pointed out:
“It is simply unimaginable to have to face mental health problems alone. Just £5 equals one lifesaving phone call (and) raising £1million will fund 200,000 phone calls.”
For yesterday’s Ripon marathon stage, Mr Patterson was joined by a number of local athletes, including Lottie Venables, who said:
“What Josh is doing is absolutely remarkable and I admire him for the way he is raising money for such an important cause.”
Today Mr Patterson is on the road again, with the 22nd leg of his marathon quest in York.
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Two senior promotions at Harrogate law firm Raworths
Harrogate law firm Raworths has announced two senior promotions in its commercial team.
Jon Healey, who leads the corporate and commercial team, has been promoted to partner of the firm.
Matthew Hill has been made head of commercial client services, after Simon Morris became managing partner in April. Mr Hill will also continue in his role as head of dispute resolution.
He said:
“Raworths’ commercial team has considerable breadth and our clients benefit from a genuinely collaborative approach.
“I am looking forward to continuing Simon’s great work in overseeing the delivery of outstanding client service”
He also congratulated Mr Healey on his promotion, adding:
“Since joining Raworths in 2019 his expertise and leadership have been invaluable to our clients and the wider team.”
Raworths has been based in Harrogate for over 125 years.
Samaritans of Harrogate calls for donations from local businesses
Samaritans of Harrogate has called for local businesses to donate prizes for its upcoming charity golf day.
The event, on June 24, will be the charity’s first golf day since 2019 due to covid.
It has asked local businesses to donate prizes in sets of four, such as hampers and food vouchers. They will be awarded to the winning golf teams or used to make up the raffle.
Fundraising co-ordinator Carol Chapman said:
“The involvement of local businesses would help us to raise vital and much needed funds to keep this service running, which is run solely by local volunteers.
“We are extremely grateful for any donations from local businesses that help us achieve this.”
Members of the public can enter as teams of four for the golf competition, with five places left to fill.
The event will begin at 1:30pm at Harrogate Golf Club and will continue into the evening, with raffle prizes being announced at the clubhouse.
In 2019, the golf day raised almost £6,000 for the charity, which contributed to the £35,000 a year needed to keep the charity running.
Samaritans offers a confidential phone service for people feeling distressed or who are struggling with their mental health.
The Harrogate branch has around 120 volunteers who listen and offer advice to callers, as well as helping with fundraising events.
Read more:
- Harrogate law firm appoints new managing partner
- £41,000 given to 14 community groups in Harrogate district
As part of this year’s World Mental Health Day, the Harrogate Samaritans is asking the public to look out for one another. This comes after a long six months of social distancing, leaving many people isolated.
This year’s theme is ‘mental health for all’.
The charity will be sharing advice today to help spot the signs of someone that is struggling on social media, and asks that you join in the conversation using #WMHD.
Other resources can be found on the Samaritans website. These supply information on how to help someone having suicidal thoughts, and provide advice on looking after your emotional wellbeing.
Branch director at Harrogate Samaritans, Liz Wilson said:
“As the pandemic continues and we face potential new restrictions, we must remember to prioritise our mental health and stay connected with others. The age of social distancing has meant people are having less face to face contact so it can be much harder to spot signs that someone might be struggling.”
Read more:
- Harrogate Scrubbers steps in to help disability charity
- Friends conquer the hills for Ripley charity
Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water will be marking World Mental Health Day by placing signs at Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs that encourage mindfulness.
The signs include a quote that explains how “mindfulness is about being in the present” and offers an example of a mindfulness exercise for visitors to try.
Women to swim English Channel for charity
Two women from the Harrogate district are to swim the English Channel this weekend for charity.
Andrea Stark, from Harrogate, and Jacqui Hargrave, from Knaresborough, have been open water swimming together for seven years. But this will be the duo’s biggest challenge yet.
They are part of a four-person relay team in which each person will raise money for a different cause. Andrea is raising money for the mental health charity Samaritans. Jacqui is swimming for Harrogate-based Saint Michael’s Hospice, which supported her best friend in her final days.
The swim normally takes 15 hours and the rules state each person can only swim one hour before another member of the team takes over. The team has to tackle currents and find their way around shipping lanes – so the swim could be up to 30 miles long.
The team of four are set to embark on the English Channel Challenge on Friday.
Andrea, a nurse at Harrogate Hospital, said:
“We’re beginning to let ourselves get excited but it’s still all very dependent on the weather. We are definitely ready, we’ve done lots of training and swam at Whitby to get used to the current and the temperature.
“It’s taken us 7 years to build up to this. We love it so much and we prefer the open water and the feeling it gives – you’d be amazed at the positive impact it has on your mental health. Our families have been amazing too. There will be times when our bodies hurt but that’s when we’ll think of those charities and it’ll keep us going.”
To support Andrea, click here.
Jacqui, who writes an open water swimming blog, said:
“I am feeling more confident now, I really want to get it done – we all do! It’ll be invigorating and a challenge for us but we’ve done all the preparation and we’ve planned it all out.
“Under a quarter of people succeed but we are all very determined to accomplish this. Our driver is very experienced and understands the water so we’re in safe hands. It’s just about pushing ourselves against the harsh currents and of course the cold. The charities need their work promoting especially with all the uncertainty.”
To support Jacqui, click here.
Read more:
- An ice cream shop in Knaresborough has raised money for the local charity, Frank’s Fund.
- Former Ashville pupil will attempt to swim the channel this month.
The women are due to enter the water on Friday morning but the weather could postpone it by a few days. Their swim has already been postponed once following lockdown.
Richard Powell, a deputy health centre manager from Chesterfield, and Leanne Davis, a paramedic from Rotherham, make up the rest of the relay team.
