Misplaced Pages

#518481

63-712: The Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate , England, is the sole initial military training unit for British Army recruits who enlist aged between 16 and 17.5 years. AFC delivers two 'Phase 1' initial training courses: the 'long course' of 49 weeks, mainly for recruits in combat roles, and the 23-week 'short course' for recruits in most other roles. In addition to their military training, recruits are enrolled onto basic Functional Skills courses in English, maths, and ICT . Approximately 1,200 boys and 100 girls begin training at AFC annually, of whom approximately 500 are enrolled for

126-596: A Black British woman and soldier with the rank of Corporal , won a settlement from the Ministry of Defence for racist and sexist abuse she suffered while in the British Army, much of which took place at the Army Foundation College. Knight served in the British Army for 12 years and was once considered the "face of British army recruitment" because she appeared prominently in military recruitment advertisements across

189-566: A Royal Air Force supply depot and logistics centre on St George's Road in the south-west of the town, but this closed down in 1994. During the Second World War , RAF Harrogate was used as a training establishment for medical staff and recruit training for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force . There are many fine examples of architecture about the town. The only Grade I listed building in Harrogate

252-666: A higher risk of suicide , stress-related mental disorders , alcohol abuse , and violent behavior. In view of developing children's rights standards and evidence showing a detrimental impact of military training and employment on younger recruits, several bodies, including the Children's Commissioners for each of the four nations of the UK and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child , have also called on

315-432: A number of smaller settlements and a large rural area, was 157,869. The town motto is Arx celebris fontibus , which means "a citadel famous for its springs". The name Harrogate is first attested in the 1330s as Harwegate , Harougat and Harrowgate . The origin of the name is uncertain. It may derive from Old Norse hǫrgr 'a heap of stones, cairn' + gata 'street', in which case the name presumably meant 'road to

378-406: A number of springs were discovered. The Valley Gardens (locals use the definite article) has an ice-cream parlour, children's play area with outdoor paddling pool, a skate park, frisbee golf, crazy golf and mini golf. The Sun Pavilion at the northern edge of the park can be privately hired for weddings. Tennis courts and a bowling green are in the west of the park. The Friends Of Valley Gardens group

441-458: A public common, The Stray , which has remained public open space. The Enclosure Award facilitated development around the Stray. During the 19th century, the area between High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, which until then had remained separate communities a mile apart, was developed, and what is now the central area of Harrogate was built on high ground overlooking Low Harrogate. An area to the north of

504-424: A range of combat arms and services. It was rebuilt by Jarvis under a private finance initiative contract worth £526.6 million between 2000 and 2002. Tom Moore was appointed as the first honorary colonel of the college on his 100th birthday, in recognition of his fundraising success during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic . When acting in that capacity, he was addressed as 'Colonel Tom'. In July 2024, Bear Grylls

567-461: Is St Wilfrid, Duchy Road , which was designed by the architect Temple Lushington Moore and is often considered to be his masterpiece. In Station Parade stands the Jubilee Memorial , commemorating Queen Victoria 's 1887 golden jubilee. An imposing cenotaph is an important landmark in the centre of the town. Bettys are tea rooms established in 1919 owned by Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate –

630-622: Is a spa town in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire , the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters and RHS Harlow Carr gardens . 13 miles (21 km) away from the town centre is the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale AONB . Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, in

693-515: Is a concentration of chain restaurants on John Street and Albert Street. The conference and exhibition industry is the focus of the town's business, with Harrogate International Centre the third largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe. Harrogate draws numerous visitors because of its conference facilities. In 2016 such events alone attracted 300,000 visitors to Harrogate. The convention centre

SECTION 10

#1732852695519

756-713: Is a small open area in central Harrogate surrounded by some of the town's main tourist attractions including the Royal Pump Room, Royal Baths, Royal Hall and the Harrogate Council Offices ; Hall M of the Harrogate International Centre fronts onto Crescent Gardens. The Royal Hall theatre, a Grade II listed building designed by Frank Matcham . As the only surviving Kursaal in Britain, the Royal Hall

819-551: Is also connected to Wetherby and the A1(M) by the A661 , while the A658 from Bradford forms a bypass around the south of the town. Harrogate had a population of 73,576 at the 2011 UK census ; the built-up area comprising Harrogate and nearby Knaresborough had a population of 89,060, while the figure for the much wider Borough of Harrogate , comprising Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, as well as

882-449: Is also home to Bombed Out records, an independent record label, who has signed groups such as Fig 4.0 . On 5 July 2014, Harrogate served as the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France . The event attracted record crowds to the town centre and was televised to a global audience. British cyclist Mark Cavendish was forced to drop out of the race, when he crashed a few metres from

945-537: Is an important national heritage building. Restoration work was completed in 2007, and the hall was reopened on 22 January 2008, by the Prince of Wales . The Royal Pump Room , just off the gardens, houses Europe's strongest sulphur well, it is now a museum showcasing the town's spa history. The Valley Gardens , in Low Harrogate, is the town's main park and covers much of the area originally known as 'Bogs Field', where

1008-413: Is classified as warm and temperate. There is significant rainfall throughout the year in Harrogate. Even the driest month still has a lot of rainfall. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Cfb. The average annual temperature in Harrogate is 8.9 °C (48 °F). In a year, the average rainfall is 29 inches (742 mm). Harrogate has a strong and varied economy. The town's main shopping district

1071-545: Is focused on Cambridge Street, Oxford Street, Beulah Street and James Street where most of the high street shops can be found. There is a wide range of boutique and designer shopping on Parliament Street and in the Montpellier Quarter, as well as independent shopping around Commercial Street. Eating out is popular in Harrogate, and the town is well served by restaurants. Parliament Street and Cheltenham Parade are lined with many independent and chain restaurants, while there

1134-429: Is indicative of people finding that it is something that is really positive to do.' In 2018 and 2021, the education inspectorate Ofsted awarded the college an 'outstanding' grade for its duty of care. The 2021 report noted: 'Recruits speak consistently of fair and respectful treatment from all staff...' In 2021, nine investigations were opened into sexual offences against 22 girls at AFC; in one investigation, three of

1197-668: Is prosperous and has some of the highest property prices in England, with many properties in the town and surrounding villages valued at £ 1 million or more, it is generally considered the most expensive place to live in the North of England. Fulwith Mill Lane in Harrogate is the most expensive street in Yorkshire. Harrogate is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, with the Vale of York to

1260-610: Is recognised as the North of England's leading arts festival; it incorporates a number of festivals within the portfolio including the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival & Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award , Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, Harrogate Music Festival and a number of year-round events. The town hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1982 in

1323-599: Is to be the home of Yorkshire Women cricket team . Until 1995, the town hosted one Yorkshire county game per year at St George's Road cricket ground. Since 2022, the ground has been sponsored by Kirbys Solicitors. In 2008, a fire destroyed the historic old pavilion at the ground, but it has since been re-built with a modern pavilion, bar, function room and changing rooms. Harrogate Cricket Club has 4 Saturday teams: Bilton Cricket Club, off Bilton Lane, provides opportunities for players of all ages to play in local league cricket; they beat Harrogate Cricket Club at St George's Road in

SECTION 20

#1732852695519

1386-555: The Guardian reported that the allegations included assault, holding trainees' heads under water, and forcing animal dung into their mouths. The case was reported as the British Army's largest ever investigation of abuse. At a preliminary hearing in September 2017, the accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial in February 2018 collapsed after the judge ruled that the investigation by

1449-593: The Black Sheep Trophy of 2006. Infantry Training Centre (British Army) ITC Catterick assumed overall responsibility for all infantry phase 2 training from the three Infantry Training Battalion sites at Catterick, Strensall and Ouston on 1 May 1995. As of May 2002, the ITC assumed full control of all infantry phase 1 and 2 training for the Regular Army in a single Combat Infantryman's Course (CIC). The course

1512-651: The Crown Hotel was open by the mid-18th century, and possibly earlier. In accordance with the Forest of Knaresborough Inclosure Act 1770 ( 10 Geo. 3 . c. 94 ), promoted by the Duchy of Lancaster, the Royal Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed. The enclosure award of 1778 clarified ownership of land in the Harrogate area. Under the award, 200 acres (81 ha) of land, which included the springs known at that time, were reserved as

1575-575: The English Football League , which came via victory in the 2019–20 National League Play-offs. They have a historical rivalry with Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. , of the Northern Counties East Football League , located at Station View. Harrogate RUFC is a North Premier team and formerly based at The County Ground, on Claro Road, but relocated to Rudding Lane on the south side of the town. Harrogate Cricket Club

1638-615: The First World War . During the Second World War , Harrogate's large hotels accommodated government offices evacuated from London, paving the way for the town to become a commercial, conference, and exhibition centre. Former employers in the town were the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), the Milk Marketing Board and ICI who occupied offices and laboratories at Hornbeam Park where Crimplene

1701-589: The Harrogate International Centre . Harrogate won the 2003 and 2016 Britain in Bloom in the category of 'Large Town' and the European Entente Florale in 2004, reprising its win in the first Entente Florale in 1977. Harrogate was a gold medal winner of Europe in Bloom in 2004. In 2005, a Channel 4 TV show listed Harrogate as the UK's third best place to live; in 2006, it came fourth in

1764-470: The Municipal Borough of Harrogate was created, taking High Harrogate from the civil parish of Bilton with Harrogate and Low Harrogate from the civil parish of Pannal. The borough absorbed neighbouring areas in subsequent years, including the whole of the civil parishes of Bilton and Starbeck, and a large part of the civil parish of Pannal, including the village of Pannal, in 1938. The municipal borough

1827-605: The Royal Corps of Signals , Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE) in 1947. It was renamed the Army Apprentices College in 1961 when the RA and RE were relocated, providing Royal Signals training until it closed in 1998. In September 1998, the site reopened as the Army Foundation College to provide initial military training to the army's youngest other ranks trainees, aged between 16 years and 17 years, 5 months, for

1890-569: The Royal Military Police had been 'seriously flawed', and that a fair trial for the defendants would no longer be possible. An internal review confirmed multiple failings by the Royal Military Police. It noted that, in addition to recruits who had lodged formal complaints, 'a considerable number of JS [junior soldier recruits] who had been the subject of ill treatment / assaults' had not wished to do so. In 2024 Kerry-Ann Knight ,

1953-474: The 17th century. For three consecutive years (2013–2015), polls voted the town as "the happiest place to live" in Britain. Harrogate spa water contains iron , sulphur and common salt . The town became known as 'The English Spa' in the Georgian era , after its waters were discovered in the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries its ' chalybeate ' waters (containing iron) were a popular health treatment, and

Army Foundation College - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-572: The Army's parachute display teams. As of 2023, it cost £85.5 million per annum to operate AFC; the cost of training an infantry soldier through AFC for Phase 1 and then at the Infantry Training Centre for Phase 2 was £170,000. Research in the United Kingdom has found that the enlistment and training of adolescent children, even when they are not sent to war, is often accompanied by

2079-737: The English Spa Fountain was published in 1626. In the 17th and 18th centuries further chalybeate springs were discovered in High Harrogate, and both chalybeate and sulphur springs were found in Low Harrogate. The two communities attracted many visitors. A number of inns were opened for visitors in High Harrogate in the 17th century (the Queen's Head , the Granby , the Dragon and the World's End ). In Low Harrogate,

2142-601: The Great Yorkshire Showground and Pavilions of Harrogate, which are major conference destinations. The Great Yorkshire Showground is the hub of the regional agricultural industry, hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. The Great Yorkshire Show , Countryside Live and the twice yearly Harrogate Flower Shows take place there annually. The many business visitors to Harrogate sustain a number of large hotels, some originally built for visitors to

2205-592: The Spa. Harrogate is the home of Yorkshire Tea , exported by Taylors of Harrogate , as well as internationally exported Harrogate Spring Water . The town also exports Farrah's Toffee , Harrogate Blue cheese. The following companies are either headquartered or have significant bases in Harrogate. Two military installations are located to the west of Harrogate, the Army Foundation College and RAF Menwith Hill , an electronic monitoring station. There used to be

2268-683: The UK. In 2021 when she was the only Black British woman working in the college, fellow staff would shout "watermelon" when she approached, stack her desk with filthy crockery and boxes, loudly played Django Unchained , and post photographs of Adolf Hitler in the instructor's professional Whatsapp channel. Knight began to secretly record evidence of the abuse and captured audio of fellow staff members threatening to lynch her. 53°59′38″N 1°35′51″W  /  53.9939°N 1.5974°W  / 53.9939; -1.5974 Harrogate Harrogate ( / ˈ h ær ə ɡ ə t , - ɡ eɪ t , - ɡ ɪ t / HARR -ə-gət, -⁠gayt, -⁠ghit )

2331-467: The Valley Gardens and Royal Pump Room museum. In 1870, engineering inventor Samson Fox perfected the process of creating water gas , in the basement laboratory of Grove House . After constructing a trial plant at his home on Skipton Road, making it the first house in Yorkshire to have gas lighting and heating; he built a plant of suitable size to supply the whole town. When Parliament Street became

2394-580: The Victorian period, there was a racecourse for horses there. RHS Harlow Carr gardens , on the western edge of Harrogate, are award-winning themed gardens and are the Royal Horticultural Society 's main presence and representative in the North of England. The town has several smaller parks and gardens, including The Softpot Garden at Grove House, the Jubilee Gardens and Victoria Gardens on

2457-558: The armed forces to raise the minimum age of enlistment to 18. In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has defended the current policy, stating in 2016: 'The army needs to attract school and college leavers at the earliest opportunity.' In the same year, the Chief of the General Staff , General Sir Nick Carter , added: '[T]he fact that our junior entry is always 100% manned

2520-434: The cairn'. Another possibility is that the name means "the way to Harlow". The form Harlowgate is known from 1518, and apparently in the court rolls of Edward II . In medieval times Harrogate was a place on the boundary of the township of Bilton with Harrogate in the ancient parish of Knaresborough , and the parish of Pannal , also known as Beckwith with Rossett. The part within the township of Bilton developed into

2583-452: The college. 13 of the allegations were proven following investigation, of which seven occurred since 2017. In 2021, an instructor was convicted for abusing recruits. In 2017, the MOD confirmed reports that 17 instructors at AFC would be standing trial at court martial for 40 counts of alleged physical abuse of recruits during battle camp at Kirkudbright , Scotland, in 2014. ForcesTV , and

Army Foundation College - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-553: The community of High Harrogate, and the part within Pannal developed into the community of Low Harrogate. Both communities were within the Royal Forest of Knaresborough . In 1372 King Edward III granted the Royal Forest to his son John, Duke of Lancaster (also known as John of Gaunt), and the Duchy of Lancaster became the principal landowner in Harrogate. Harrogate's development is owed to

2709-521: The developing town was reserved to the Duchy of Lancaster, and was developed for residential building. To provide entertainment for the increasing numbers of visitors the Georgian Theatre was built in 1788. Bath Hospital (later the Royal Bath Hospital) was built in 1826. The Royal Pump Room was built in 1842. The site of Tewit Well is marked by a dome on the Stray. Other wells can be found in

2772-548: The discovery of its chalybeate - and sulphur -rich spring water from the 16th century. The first mineral spring was discovered in 1571 by William Slingsby, who found that water from the Tewit Well in High Harrogate possessed similar properties to that from springs in the Belgian town of Spa , which gave its name to spa towns . The medicinal properties of the waters were publicised by Edmund Deane ; his book, Spadacrene Anglica, or

2835-690: The east and the upland Yorkshire Dales to the west and north-west. It has a dry and mild climate, typical of places in the rain shadow of the Pennines . It is on the A59 from Skipton to York. At an altitude of between 100 and 200 metres (330 and 660 ft), Harrogate is higher than many English settlements. It has an average minimum temperature in January of slightly below 1 °C (34 °F) and an average maximum in July and August of 21 °C (70 °F). Harrogate's climate

2898-663: The eastern side of central Harrogate. On 11 January 1900, Harrogate Grand Opera House, now Harrogate Theatre, opened with a charity gala in aid of British soldiers fighting the Boer War in South Africa; this was followed, on 13 January 1900, by J Tully's pantomime Dick Whittington . In 1966, the Harrogate Festival of Arts & Science was established, now known as the Harrogate International Festivals , and

2961-449: The finish line and suffered a dislocated shoulder. The town has since been the focal point for finishing stages of the Tour de Yorkshire in 2017. Each event of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships finished in the town, although the entire historic county of Yorkshire was the official host. Harrogate Town AFC play at Wetherby Road Stadium . The club competes in League Two , the fourth tier of English football, following promotion to

3024-602: The infantry receive their Phase 1 basic training separately at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate before joining ITC for their Phase 2 training.) The basic CIC lasts 26 weeks, in which the basics of infantry soldiering are taught: Both the Foot Guards and Parachute Regiment have extended versions of the CIC that last an additional two weeks. New recruits to the Foot Guards undertake an extended drill programme for regular public duties . The Parachute Regiment course incorporates additional fitness work with Pegasus Company , including eight demanding assessments such as

3087-457: The infantry. On average, 70% of recruits complete their course, then moving to other army units for their 'Phase 2' role-specific training. AFC is graded 'outstanding' for welfare by Ofsted but has also attracted criticism for the physical and sexual abuse of recruits, and high running costs, and racist abuse against black staff. The Royal Signals Apprentices School was established in Harrogate to provide military and vocational training for

3150-438: The influx of wealthy but sickly visitors contributed significantly to the wealth of the town. Harrogate railway station and Harrogate bus station in the town centre provide transport connections. Leeds Bradford Airport is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Harrogate. The main roads through the town are the A61 , connecting Harrogate to Leeds and Ripon , and the A59 , connecting the town to York and Skipton . Harrogate

3213-425: The option to study two units of a BTEC Certificate in Public Services at Level 3, however not the full qualification. AFC's biannual passing out parades , attended by friends, family and VIPs, are second only in size to Trooping the Colour . Each event is usually celebrated with a flypast from the Royal Air Force , a musical performance from a Royal Corps of Army Music band, and a parachute display from one of

SECTION 50

#1732852695519

3276-519: The period from 2017–18 to 2020–21 show that, on average, 70% of recruits on the 49-week course complete their year at the college. The British Army 's policy of enlisting from age 16 has been criticised for leading to lower trainee retention than is found among adult recruits. In addition to initial military training, Junior Soldiers can study Functional Skills courses in maths, English and IT at Levels 1 and 2, provided by Pearson TQ. Those who already have qualifications in mathematics and English have

3339-422: The previous general election. The town is governed by North Yorkshire Council . Its predecessor, Harrogate Borough Council , was replaced on 1 April 2023. It has had a Conservative majority since the 2010 election . The Borough of Harrogate is twinned with: The town has good commuter services for people who work in the City of Leeds , City of Bradford , York and North Yorkshire in general. Harrogate

3402-427: The same company that markets Yorkshire Tea . Bettys has a second tea room at the RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. The Mercer Art Gallery is home to Harrogate district's art collection which consists of some 2,000 works of art, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes works by William Powell Frith , Atkinson Grimshaw , Sir Edward Burne-Jones , Dame Laura Knight and Alan Davie . Crescent Gardens

3465-450: The same league, where the programme claimed that it placed lower due to "a slight dip in exam results", although presenter Phil Spencer noted that it was his personal favourite. Harrogate has two orchestras: Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra. The town is also home to an underground music scene that has produced heavy metal and punk rock groups including Workshed , Acid Reign and Blood Youth . It

3528-623: The suspected perpetrators were members of staff. The revelations were the subject of a Vice News report in July 2022. In 2023, another instructor was convicted of eight counts of disgraceful conduct of a cruel or indecent kind and one count of sexual assault, which took place over nine months between 2020 and 2021. Also in 2023, North Yorkshire Police revealed that 13 complaints of sexual assault AFC, including nine of rape , had been referred to them between July 2022 and August 2023. Between 2014 and 2022, recruits made 72 formal complaints of allegations of assault or other ill-treatment by staff at

3591-485: The world's first route to be lit by water-gas, newspapers commented: "Samson Fox has captured the sunlight for Harrogate." After donating the town's first fire engine, and building the town's theatre, he was elected mayor for three successive years (1890–92), a record never equalled since. In 1893 Harrogate doctor George Oliver was the first to observe the effect of adrenaline on the circulation. Like many spa town all over Europe, Harrogate's popularity declined after

3654-400: Was abolished in 1974, when Harrogate was transferred from the West Riding to North Yorkshire and became part of the wider Borough of Harrogate. Harrogate then became an unparished area , with no local government of its own. The MP for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency is Tom Gordon , a Liberal Democrat . He was elected in 2024, ousting the Conservative who had won the seat at

3717-563: Was appointed Honorary Colonel of the college. AFC delivers two Phase 1 ( initial military training ) courses: Despite the differing course lengths, all recruits are trained to the same standard of the Common Military Syllabus (see Selection and Training in the British Army ). There are two entry points annually, in September and March; and two graduations, in August and February. Each year, approximately 1,200 boys and 100 girls begin their army training at AFC, of whom approximately 500 are training for infantry roles. Official figures for

3780-402: Was developed in 2020 to be used as a Nightingale Hospital . However, whilst it has been used in an NHS capacity, it has not treated any Coronavirus patients (as of late January 2021) because the conventional hospitals had not run out of capacity. It brings in over £150 million to the local economy every year and attracts in excess of 350,000 business visitors annually. The town is home to

3843-453: Was formed in 2009 to support the park. It works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council to guide the park's development. The Stray is an area of open parkland in the centre of the town. It was created in 1778 to link most of Harrogate's springs in one protected area by an act of Parliament which fixed its area as 200 acres (81  ha ), and even now when part is removed, e.g. due to road widening, it must be replaced elsewhere. During

SECTION 60

#1732852695519

3906-413: Was invented in the 1950s and named after the nearby Crimple Valley and beck. In 2007, two metal detectorists found the Harrogate hoard , a 10th-century Viking treasure hoard , near Harrogate. The hoard contains almost 700 coins and other items from as far away as Afghanistan . The hoard was described by the British Museum as the most important find of its type in Britain for 150 years. In 1884

3969-413: Was subsequently renamed the Combat Infantry Course (CIC) to reflect the inclusion of female recruits. Whereas initial training for other army roles is delivered in two stages - Phase 1 ( basic training ) and Phase 2 (trade-specific training) - the Combat Infantry Course combines both into a single course for Standard Entrants aged 17.5 years and above. (Junior Entrants enlisted from age 16 and destined for

#518481