A North Yorkshire public relations company has launched a fundraising challenge for 2024  in support of friend, former colleague and popular Harrogate businessman David Simister.

One of the district’s most well-respected figures, David, 58, suffered a life-changing stroke in March last year and now requires round-the-clock care. 

Having worked closely alongside the Harrogate-based Big Bamboo Agency, providing invaluable PR expertise, the team unanimously decided that he should be the focus of the company’s fundraising efforts for the year ahead. The funding will enable his family to ensure David’s ongoing day-to-day care needs are met.

David worked his way up from working as a journalist with the Harrogate Advertiser and The Yorkshire Post to being PR Manager for Yorkshire Water, before joining forces with good friend Richard Chew to set up Different PR.

Appointed Chief Executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce in 2021, he was also a trustee of Harrogate Town FC Community Foundation and The Royal Hall Restoration Trust, as well as a member of Harrogate Hospital Radio for 31 years.

David, who also provided PR services for the likes of Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate BID and Ashville College, served for four years for both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council.

Nicola Stamford, Owner and Founding Director of the Big Bamboo Agency has known and been great friends with David for the last 24 years.

She says: “David is a lifelong friend of mine, since he first gave me a placement student position at Yorkshire Water as part of my PR degree at Leeds Metropolitan University. He’s been by my side professionally and as a dear friend since that moment, in fact he taught me a lot of what I know.

“Every year as an agency we support a good cause and for me there is no better one than this to raise money for David and his family, so they can buy the equipment he needs to live as full a life as he can.”

“Andrew Simister, David’s twin brother, added: “We have been overwhelmed by the support and kindness shown over the last 11 months. David has a lot of very close friends, who have been by his side and Nicola is no exception.

“Anything that can be done to raise money for his continued care is fantastic, so we are grateful to Nicola and her wider team. As a family, we look forward to getting involved in this fundraising campaign, however we can, along the way.”

A number of fundraising events are being planned for 2024. Money raised will go straight into a Go Fund Me page. Anyone wanting to join the fundraising activities should contact Big Bamboo, or they can make a donation HERE.