Charities and community groups from across Harrogate District have been awarded a series of grants as the first tranche of financial aid from the Brigantes Rotary Legacy Fund was distributed at a special presentation evening.
Representatives of the 14 successful applicants attended an event at Oakdale Golf Club on Tuesday evening as the awards – which ranged from £400 up to the maximum of £10,000 – were handed out.
Selected from a list of 65 Legacy Fund applications, the chosen groups included the Happy Wanderers Ambulance and Resurrected Bites who were both given £10,000, while Follifoot Disabled Riders (£3,250), New Beginnings (£2,700) and Saint Michael’s Hospice (£2,600) also benefitted.
The first of two Legacy Fund tranches, groups from across Harrogate were handed the opportunity to seek a share of this initial £50,000, which is part of a generous donation left to Brigantes Rotary in the will of a local resident and former friend of the club.
Keen to see funds being put to good use within the District, Harrogate Brigantes Rotary – which raises thousands of pounds for local charities and community groups every year decided to split the donation into two lots of £50,000, with the second fund expected to be launched in 2025.
A Legacy Fund Committee of local business leaders was invited to assist in the judging process. Matthew Stamford, Director of Estate Agent Verity Frearson, Sharon Canavar, CEO of Harrogate International Festivals and Frances Elliot, CEO of Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA) comprised the panel alongside Brigantes President Bill O’Rourke and David Read, Director of ConsultRFID, who is also a member of Harrogate Brigantes Rotary.
Brigantes President Bill O’Rourke, said:
This was an extremely difficult process, because so many of the groups and charities asking for our support had put forward very strong applications.
I thank our Legacy panel for their diligence and consideration over every application. The total amount requested was several times greater than the £50,000 we had earmarked for this tranche and it was a real shame that we could not help them all.
However, we are absolutely delighted to have been able to support these worthy 14 organisations with financial grants ranging from £400 up to £10,000. We are confident that the funds will not only be put to good use, but will make a huge difference to the local community.
Chair of the Legacy Selection Panel, Matthew Stamford, said:
This was a wonderful opportunity for Harrogate Brigantes Rotary to make a real difference to charities and groups in the Harrogate community.
Reading the various stories and understanding just how this money will be spent by the applicants shone a light on all the people who do an amazing job helping those in need.
Brigantes Rotary has made a real difference and I look forward to launching the second tranche of £50,000 when I’m expecting even more groups to step forward with their requests.
Harrogate Brigantes is a group of like-minded friends working together to help local and international communities, while also having fun along the way. They are part of one of the largest humanitarian organisations in the world, with around 1.4 million members spread across 200 countries and geographical regions.
How the first tranche of £50,000 has been shared out:
- Coppice Valley Primary School (£5,000) – Nature and the outdoors play a big part in life at Coppice Valley Primary School. The fund will go towards building an outdoor natural classroom to support their outdoor learning.
- Follifoot Disabled Riders (£3,250) – The Riders Group gives the opportunity for disabled adults and children to enjoy the benefits of horse riding and carriage driving. The legacy fund will be used to purchase a special ramp, allowing wheelchair users safe access to the horse drawn carriage.
- Happy Wanderers Ambulance (£10,000) – The Happy Wanderers have been providing free transport for disabled and older people since 1958, and is run totally by volunteers. The legacy fund donation will go towards the cost of a new, fully wheelchair accessible minibus to enable them to continue providing this vital service.
- Harrogate Hospital Radio (£1,500) – The award-winning Harrogate Hospital Radio was founded in 1977 and is Harrogate’s longest running radio station. The legacy fund donation will allow them to purchase a new and improved replacement transmitter.
- Harrogate Skills for Living (£2,300) – The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café is a social enterprise for young adults with learning disabilities and autism run by Harrogate Skills for Living. The legacy fund will enable them to develop an outside seating area at their café on East Parade.
- Independent Domestic Abuse Service (£5,000) – IDAS started life as York Women’s Aid almost 50 years ago and is now the leading specialist domestic abuse service in the North. The legacy fund donation will go towards the purchase of a summer house and the development of the outdoor space at their refuge in Harrogate.
- New Beginnings Peer Support (£2,700) – New Beginnings is a peer-led, after-crisis domestic abuse service supporting women and their children who have previously been subjected to domestic abuse. This legacy fund donation will allow New Beginnings to purchase refurbished mobile phones and deliver their befriending and text check-in service. It will also allow them to purchase more office desks to increase their working capacity.
- Resurrected Bites (£10,000) – Resurrected Bites rescue surplus food from local businesses and transform it into delicious meals. Their motto is ‘We believe in filling bellies, not bins’. The legacy fund donation will allow Resurrected Bites to replace their 17-year-old van, enabling them to keep providing their vital service to those facing food poverty.
- Sensory Day (£1,000) – Sensory Days provide a safe and fun sensory experience for babies and children. The legacy fund will allow them to purchase new equipment for their new permanent space in Harrogate Community House.
- Saint Michael’s Hospice (£2,600) – For over 30 years, Saint Michael’s Hospice has existed to provide tailored care and support to those living with terminal illness or struggling with bereavement across the Harrogate district. This legacy fund donation will go towards replacing two of their hospice beds.
- Taking Baby Steps (£750) – Taking Baby Steps provides one-to-one support sessions for women and their partners who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, neo-natal death, peri-natal anxiety and birth trauma. This legacy fund donation will allow them to purchase a new a laptop so that they can communicate more effectively with their clients and help them continue to provide a quality service.
- The Forest School (£2,000) – The Forest School, situated in Knaresborough, is for pupils with special educational needs aged between 3-16 years. This legacy fund donation will enable them to develop their outdoor provision and purchase a store for their woodland adventure area.
- Time Together (£3,500) – Time Together is a Starbeck-based charity supporting disabled and autistic people in the Harrogate area. The Legacy fund donation will support their community project of recycling and repurposing pre-loved clothing. Enabling the purchase of clothes rails, a washing machine, four sewing machines and a clothes steamer.
Woodfield & Dene Park Community Centre (£400) – This community centre for everyone in the Bilton area has a special focus on providing support for people with disabilities and people over the age of 60. The donation will be put towards the renovation of the community centre toilets, entrance and hallway, providing better facilities for all members.
Picture caption 1: Brigantes Rotary President Bill O’Rourke and Chair of the Legacy Selection Panel, Matthew Stamford, at the event at Oakdale Golf Club
