Acorn, the Harrogate and Ilkley-based charity has been named as one of just forty recipients of a prestigious community initiative award.
The Duke of York’s Community Initiative is presented annually to a small number of Yorkshire-based organisations that having been subjected to rigorous and robust scrutiny are deemed: “of real value to the community, well-run and an inspiration to others.”
Acorn was founded in 1999 to raise money for people with dementia and their carers in the Harrogate, Ripon and Wetherby area and for research into scleroderma disease at Leeds NHS Hospitals Trust. Since 1999, Acorn has raised nearly £950,000 for those two causes.
The Initiative, which was founded by His Royal Highness The Duke of York in 1998, exists both to encourage and reward innovative and inspirational community projects in Yorkshire and the Humber, and representatives of Acorn travelled to Bridlington Spa’s Royal Hall to attend a luncheon at which His Royal Highness personally presented recipients of the 2013 awards with their citations.
Acorn Chairman Louise Hanen attended the event with fellow Acorn Committee members Janet Waterhouse, Maria Dawson and Julia Rastrick. Louise Hanen says:
It was such an honour to meet the Duke of York and we were delighted to have some time to chat to him at the reception to explain the work that Acorn does.
The next Acorn event is the Christmas Party which is being held at Ripley on Saturday 7th December. There are a very few tickets remaining for this event and the Committee would be delighted to hear from anyone who wishes to offer auction or Grand Draw prizes. For further information about this and other Acorn events please go to www.acorncharity.org.uk or contact Louise Hanen on 01423 734876.
