A teenager whose dream of becoming a footballer was cut short by illness has received funding to enable him to achieve a new goal.
Liam Pinchen, 18, from the Starbeck area of Harrogate, was a promising goalkeeper with ambitions of playing professionally.
A member of Harrogate Town’s academy, he had been hopeful of earning a scholarship.
However, aged 13, he became seriously ill and was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition, HSP. As a result, he suffered with chronic fatigue and despite his best efforts was forced to give up the game he loved.
Now, he has found a new passion in photography and is among a dozen recipients of more than £9,000 grant aid from our Starbeck Community Fund.
Following the redevelopment of the Morrisons supermarket site on Hookstone Chase, a £300,000 community fund legacy was created for Starbeck’s residents in 1992 and interest accumulated has enabled grants to be handed out each year.
Liam has been awarded £200 to help towards designing a website he can use to display his photos taken of nature in his local area.
Reflecting on how his illness has affected him, Liam said: “At the time I think we were quite worried as none of us had heard of HSP. As we found out more it seemed as though it could be quite a severe illness.
“It meant I had to stop everything I was doing which was very difficult for me. I went from playing football almost every day to hardly being able to do a five-minute walk.”
Over time, Liam began to improve his fitness by going out for walks with his parents.
“I started taking photos on my phone and sending them to my grandpa. He's into photography but isn't able to get out into nature as much anymore,” Liam said. “But often the things I was photographing, like deer, were too far away so I was really grateful when my grandparents gifted me a camera.”
Liam is now studying for a diploma in multimedia.
“My hopes are to keep improving my picture taking skills and then eventually pursue a career in photography. I want to focus on wildlife and nature, but I do like challenging myself to take a good photo of anything,” he said.
“I'll be using the funds to build a website to showcase my photos and let people know a little bit about myself.”
The 23rd Harrogate Scout Group also benefited from grant assistance, receiving £750 to buy Dutch ovens, cast iron cooking pots which sit directly on an open fire.
The group’s Scout leader, Sharon Gladish, said: “The 23rd Harrogate is a thriving group, and currently has up to 80 young people across the sections, drawn from the local area.
“But as a voluntary organisation, our income is raised through member subscriptions and contributions towards specific events and activities such as camps. We aim to cover our running costs, so there is limited money available for investing in equipment.
“As costs rise, we try to minimise the impact on our families, so grants from the Starbeck Community Fund really help us to maintain our camping and outdoor activity equipment, and ensure we have enough equipment for the growing number of young people we have in our group.”
Elsewhere, the Harrogate Neighbours organisation was awarded £931 for two desktop computers to enable free internet access for customers at their Community Hub.
The High Street Hub is described as “a safe space for all residents to come to find answers, advice, and a great slice of cake”.
Business development manager Jamie Nicholson-Ruther said: “The world is moving online and with everything becoming digital those without access are struggling. This is an issue for elderly residents, leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety and isolation.
“We opened our new Community Hub in Starbeck knowing the ability to aid people to access the internet would be one of our most useful roles here. It is crucial to have regular, easy access to the internet and these computers can provide that for hundreds of residents, free of charge.”
Other recipients of grants included Starbeck Methodist Church, which received £1,000 for three hand driers, St Andrew’s Church, which has been given £1,000 to improve lighting and install security cameras, and the Friends of Starbeck School, who were awarded £1,000 to replace a shaded seating area in the playground.
The elected member for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Cllr Chris Aldred, sits on the awards panel.
He said: “It is great to see so many worthy causes benefiting from this grant assistance. Starbeck is a fantastic area in which to live and work and there are a great many organisations and individuals, for whom this scheme will make a significant difference.
“I would like to give special mention to Liam, who is a great example of how perseverance can overcome adversity and I would like to wish him all the best for the future.”