Over the last the last year we have been busy at HARCVS revamping our Where to Turn Directory www.harcvs.org.uk/wheretoturn which contains information about over 600 different services and activities available in the local area.

Our Where to Turn directory was first published back in 1988. The slim paper volume contained just 100 local services and was hailed as a great resource for GPs and social workers looking to learn more about local services.

We’re thrilled to be starting 2017 by bringing Where to Turn slap bang into the 21st Century as a new online resource freely available for anyone to use.

Here at HARCVS we regularly receive enquiries about a wide range of issues and we advise people where to turn. For example we are commonly asked about different health conditions such as epilepsy, autism or chronic fatigue.

Many people feel alone after being diagnosed and are not sure how to get further advice. We provide contact details for local support groups or national charities which offer resources. While we are still here to offer advice over the phone our new directory will help to make this information more publically available.

The great thing about the new Where to Turn directory is that we’ve also included lots of social activities and clubs for people of different age groups. So it’s a great place to start if you’re new to the Harrogate area.

There are lots of different activities taking place throughout our district including book clubs, art classes and choirs. A few of our unusual favourites are the Knaresborough Accordion and Fiddle Society, who are busily performing ceilidhs and cabaret events round the local area; the Bilton Community Bike Club who offer guided rides for people of all ages; and the Harrogate Round Table, instigators of the annual Beer Festival, whose programme boasts Laser Quest and a Locked Room Challenge! 

Where to Turn can be searched by location, type of service and opening times and full contact details are provided to help you get in touch.    

Karen Weaver, Chief Executive of HARCVS, explains ‘this has been a big project for us and the culmination of a year’s work. The directory is a fantastic resource for the Harrogate community which we have been keen to revamp for several years. We’re really grateful to our funders who have supported us throughout this project.’

The new Where to Turn directory was sponsored by the Harrogate District Public Services Leadership Board and jointly funded by the Harrogate Borough Council, the NHS and the Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.