Waterpark set to re-open for main summer season

One of North Yorkshire’s leading leisure companies will take over as operator of Scarborough’s Alpamare Waterpark later this month.

Flamingo Land, which is based near Malton, will re-open the North Bay attraction on 24 July in time for this year’s main summer tourism season.

The company will operate the attraction until November when operating costs and plans for the winter season will be reviewed.

We took possession of the site in December last year when the previous tenant, Benchmark Leisure Ltd, went into administration. Now that a short-term operator has been found, work to find a permanent solution on the future operation of the site will begin.

The water park, which is located off Burniston Road, features a wave pool, a splash and play pool, four state-of-the-art slides, two outdoor pools, an alpine themed spa and treatment area, and a café and terrace bar. It was purpose-built in 2016 overlooking the North Bay in the seaside town.

Flamingo Land is based at Kirby Misperton near Malton with its theme park, zoo and holiday homes attracting thousands of visitors every year. The company has previously run the Pleasure Island attraction in North-East Lincolnshire and is the preferred bidder for a new adventure holiday development at Loch Lomond.

 

Free holiday activity scheme to reach more children this summer

Families across North Yorkshire who are eligible for a wide range of free activities are being urged to ensure that they book events which will run during the school summer holidays.

The FEAST programme, which this summer takes place from Monday, 22 July, to Friday, 30 August, is coordinated by North Yorkshire Together. We receive funding for the programme from the Department for Education.

Last month (June), eligible families across North Yorkshire received information about FEAST and a voucher to book their free place via their school. Open to all children and young people in North Yorkshire, those who are eligible can attend for free and also receive a free meal. As places are booking quickly, eligible families are being encouraged to redeem their vouchers and book a place as soon as they can.

To help meet growing demand from families across the county, the number of providers offering FEAST activities has doubled since the programme started in 2021. There are now more than 100 clubs, play schemes and activity providers offering varied sessions for children and young people of all ages from Reception to Year 11.

For parents looking to keep their children active in the fresh air over the summer holidays, two of those FEAST providers are at our Outdoor Learning centres.

With a mix of land and water programmes suitable for children aged eight to 13, activities could include climbing, caving, high ropes, river scrambling and water sports such as canoeing and sailing at East Barnby Outdoor Education Centre in Whitby and Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre in Pateley Bridge.

Last year, more than 7,000 children and young people took part in FEAST activities for free over the summer, Christmas and Easter school holidays, with many families reporting that the clubs are a lifeline.

More details are available on the North Yorkshire Together website.

 

Community seed hub puts down roots at Scarborough Library

Green-fingered community champions in Scarborough are celebrating the launch of an innovative seed hub taking residence in the town’s library.

Voluntary group GROW Scarborough is leading the venture, whereby residents are offered free seeds to grow their own food, herbs, and flowers.

The aim is to cultivate resilience through sustainable local food growing and sharing, with the help of resources in the library and an online app.

GROW Scarborough spearheads a community garden which offers a tranquil space for volunteers to tend to plants, grow food and help wildlife to thrive.

During the library’s opening hours, people can visit the hub to book seeds out to grow at home or donate seeds for others to use.

There will be resources in the hub for growing and seed saving, as well as an extensive collection of books and resources in the main library itself and online.

Cllr Liz Colling, who represents the Falsgrave and Stepney division, provided £300 of her locality budget to GROW Scarborough. A total of £200 has been spent on the seed hub, with the rest for its community garden at The Street venue.

 

Children’s reading challenge to get creative juices flowing

With the summer school holidays fast approaching, North Yorkshire’s libraries are braced for an influx of pupils taking part in this year’s creative-themed reading initiative.

The annual Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged four to 11 to read six library books over the summer holidays.

This year’s theme is Marvellous Makers, aiming to fire up a child’s imagination through the power of reading and creative expression.

Last year, almost 9,300 children took part in North Yorkshire, which represents a 16 per cent increase from the previous year.

A total of 935 children joined a library for the first time to take part in the challenge, and about 169,000 junior items were borrowed, as well as 5,300 junior eBooks and eAudiobooks.

There are more than 200 activities taking place in libraries over the holidays. See full details about the Summer Reading Challenge or visit individual library Facebook pages.

The challenge ends on 7 September.

 

Deadline near for Starbeck Community Fund grant applications

Individuals or community groups seeking to enhance where they live are being reminded that applications are open for grant funding in the Starbeck area of Harrogate.

Applications for the Starbeck Community Fund will close on July 26 at 4.30pm.

Two funding categories are available, with grants of up to £200 for individuals and up to £1,000 for community groups.

Requests from individuals will be considered towards projects, schemes, or courses in either an educational, sporting, or cultural setting. These applicants must be under the age of 25 on or before July 26.

Applications from groups are being invited for community-based projects or activities within the designated funding area.

Last year, 11 grants were made totalling £7,480.

Find out more and apply for the Starbeck Community Fund.

 

Free music festival attracts hundreds of visitors

A free music festival saw more than 1,500 people taking part in this year’s event.

The This is Me Festival caters for children and young people with disabilities and their families and the latest event took place on Sunday, 30 June, at Ripon Rugby Club.

It was organised by Nidderdale and Morton Children’s Resource Centres.

Young people and adults with complex health needs, disability and autism enjoyed live music, mud kitchens, virtual experiences, a silent disco, owl adventures, a circus space and sensory storytelling.

Other events and attractions included an animal petting area with goats, alpacas, miniature therapy horses and dogs, birds of prey, arts and crafts and a marketplace with local craftspeople and associated charities.

There was also a wellbeing camp area where activities included massages, free haircuts by an autism-friendly barber and support from local groups and charities.

The This is Me event was introduced following requests from our young people who wished to attend a music festival. It catered to their needs by being fully inclusive and accessible with a changing space.

 

Historic coastal venue offers a wide range of entertainment

Visitors are being encouraged to sample the historical delights of a venue that dates from the Victorian era.

Whitby Pavilion is built around an original Victorian theatre — but there’s much more to the venue than mere drama.

The Northern Lights suite overlooks the North Sea and features the largest sprung ballroom floor in the North-East of England.

The Pavilion’s exhibition hall hosts community events, intimate gigs and exhibitions from talented artists.

And a dog-friendly café at the venue is open daily for drinks or snacks, while boasting panoramic views of the piers. The bar is open for events as well.

The original Victorian theatre has state-of-the-art cinema projection equipment which adds another dimension to the entertainment on offer.

Productions include the best of local talent as well as big-name shows and gigs, as well as a locally-acclaimed annual panto.

The venue also includes a host of festivals, with themes including Gothic, Steampunk, Soul, the 1960s  and world music.

See more information on the Whitby Pavilion website or to book part or all of the venue, call 01947 824770.

 

Award-winning author shares the love with library book donation

Lovers of romantic fiction are in for a treat at Harrogate library after a well-known author gifted some of her books to its collection.

Emily Kerr, an acclaimed romance novelist, has donated five copies of her latest works, enhancing the community’s access to leading fiction.

Living near Harrogate, Emily is a frequent visitor to the library and hopes her donation will help encourage people to take advantage of the wide-ranging services on offer.

She said: “I've always loved spending time in the library and so I'm delighted to donate copies of my books to North Yorkshire libraries.

“It's so important to celebrate our local libraries. They are at the centre of the community, a place where everyone is welcome and where they do so much more than providing access to books, although of course, they do that brilliantly!"

Published by Harper Collins, Emily has six novels to her name, including the award-winning ‘Take a Chance on Greece’ which won Best Romantic Comedy at the Romantic Novelists Association Awards in 2023.

Her latest novel, ‘The Typo,’ was released in May.

Review to ensure communities are fairly represented on council

A review is set to take place to ensure communities across North Yorkshire are represented fairly and local democracy is conducted as effectively as possible.

The biggest shake-up in local government in nearly half-a-century took place when North Yorkshire Council was formed in April last year.

With predictions that the electorate will increase by seven per cent by 2030, the review is due to be launched to make sure the number of councillors equally represents the communities that they are elected to serve.

Our executive has agreed to bring the proposals before a full council meeting to decide if the recommendations should be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

North Yorkshire Council launched last year when the previous eight county, district and borough authorities merged into one organisation.

Ahead of the council being established, the number of councillors and the boundaries for each electoral division were agreed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for the first four years of the local authority’s existence.

A full boundary review is now needed to determine the arrangements for the next administrative term which will run from May 2027.

A boundary review member working group has recommended that there should be 89 councillors on North Yorkshire Council – a reduction of one from the current 90-strong membership.

If the proposal for 89 members is approved, then there would be an average of 5,813 voters for each division.

The proposals have been drawn up on predictions for an estimated rise from the current 483,576 voters to 517,344 voters in 2030, taking into account factors such as future housing developments.

An initial consultation is due to be delivered by the Local Government Boundary Commission from August to November this year and is set to focus on electoral divisions.

A second consultation would then be held between March and May next year on the draft recommendations.

Parliamentary approval would be sought before the new arrangements are due to be put in place from the next local elections in North Yorkshire in May 2027. 

Courses to help lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle

Courses are being made available to adults to help them to lose weight and pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Our free adult weight management programme runs for up to 24 weeks and aims to improve participants’ physical and mental health by helping them to eat well and become more active.

Participants receive a personalised weight loss plan and friendly, highly skilled weight management advisors help them at every step through online, telephone and face-to-face support.

Our adult weight management service is for people aged over 18 who live, work or are registered with a GP in North Yorkshire. It is available to people with a BMI of 30 or above, or anyone with a BMI of 25 or above who is also in a black or minority ethnic group, or has conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or hypertension.

Among the courses is the Move it Lose it programme at Selby Leisure Centre which offers participants access to 12 weeks of weekly support alongside 12 weeks of leisure centre membership where they are free to make use of the gym, swim and classes.

They are given a five per cent target weight loss, if achieved by the end of the 12-week programme they have the chance to take up a further 12 weeks of leisure centre membership only.

Meanwhile, the Healthy Lifestyles programme at Craven Leisure in Skipton is a free weight management programme that combines exercise with nutritional advice to help you to lose weight, change your lifestyle and improve your health and wellbeing. New applicants are always welcome.

See more details about the adult weight management programme in leisure centres across North Yorkshire.