A record-breaking £20,000 has been raised following this year's Your Harrogate Stray Bonfire and Fireworks.
The annual community event, organised by Harrogate Roundtable, attracted thousands to The Stray on 8th November for an evening of live entertainment, food stalls and a large-scale fireworks display.
The event was hosted by Your Harrogate presenters Pete Egerton and Ricky Durkin.
Of the total raised, £10,000 will be donated directly to Martin House Children’s Hospice, supporting the charity’s specialist care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
Organisers say the record total reflects not only the generosity of local people, but also the wider benefits the event brings to the community.
The £20,000 figure includes money raised by the Scouts through the stalls they run on the night, as well as funds that help cover the costs of staging the bonfire each year.
Any surplus then enables Harrogate Roundtable to make a substantial annual donation to Martin House.
Adam Daniel, Managing Director of Your Harrogate, said:
“We are incredibly proud to be the headline sponsor of such a special community event and to support the brilliant work that goes into it.
“Harrogate Roundtable put in an extraordinary amount of time and effort to organise the bonfire every year, and they deserve huge credit for bringing the whole town together.
“To see that hard work result in a record-breaking fundraising total is fantastic, and we’re delighted that £10,000 will be going directly to Martin House, a charity that means so much to so many local families.
“It’s also great to see the Scouts benefit from the night and to know that this community support helps secure the event for years to come.”
The total is the most raised at Harrogate's annual bonfire event since it began in the early 1970's.
Fraser Dunlop of Harrogate Roundtable said:
"On behalf of Harrogate Roundtable, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the people of Harrogate and to all of our incredible sponsors for making this year’s Stray Bonfire the most successful and truly record-breaking event in our 50+ years of organising it.
"We’ve been absolutely blown away by the community’s generosity and support, which has enabled us to raise an outstanding £10,000 for Martin House, along with vital funds for The Scouts.
"This exceptional total not only helps us support two fantastic causes, but also allows us to reinvest back into the Stray Bonfire itself ensuring we can continue hosting this cherished community event safely, sustainably, and successfully for many years to come.
"The generosity and spirit shown by our town has been remarkable, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together."
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