Archives: Community

The aim of sustainability within our business is to operate safely and more efficiently – using the energy we have wisely, producing less waste, and, most importantly, to engage with the community and the surrounding landscape in a progressive and encouraging way.

·                 We have 31% less energy uses since 2009, cutting carbon by 860 tonnes and saving occupiers on their energy bills.

·                 We operate a zero waste to landfill, with 250 tonnes recycled over the last five years – as much as the weight of 17 double decker buses.

·                 We have 860,000 litres of rainwater sourced through our rainwater tanks over seven years and re-used for watering plants and cleaning, saving mains water and reducing stormwater runoff.

It is important to us that we encourage local charities and businesses to make the most of our facilities. Within the last 12 months, Teesside Park has hosted a range of charitable events and has supported numerous good causes, such as Zoe’s Place, British Heart Foundation, Alzheimer Society, Cancer Research, Barnardo’s Project Night Watch and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation.

In numbers, recent years have been a huge success. We spent £234,000 on community programmes over five years, benefiting local people, charities and community groups through cash contributions, time volunteering, in-kind donations and fundraising.

We host Young Readers Program too, which so far has seen 1,290 schoolchildren choose free books and take part in fun, educational literacy events at Teesside Park over five years, thanks to British Land’s long term partnership with the National Literacy Trust.

Our customers have been invaluable in donating time, money and unwanted items. Your work for the British Heart Foundation has been especially appreciated. Some 1,500 bags of goodies were handed in by generous shoppers and retail staff for the charity over five years, helping fund vital research and support for people living with heart conditions.

Members of Stockton-On-Tees’ Halcyon Centre and LiveWell Dementia Hub have recorded memories they can treasure forever through a partnership with Teesside shopping park.

Ahead of Dementia Action Week (21st – 27th May), people from the Halcyon Centre and LiveWell Dementia Hub and their carers, together with staff from Teesside, spent a morning recording soundbites about their lives.

Each participant had the opportunity to talk about their hobbies, families and experiences living in Teesside. At the end of the session, they received a CD of their memories as a keepsake for their family and friends.

Teesside is one of ten shopping centres to take part in this project in partnership with Bauer Academy – a national training provider which provides innovative, bespoke training programmes delivered by media industry experts.

The partnership forms part of a wider initiative to give the team at Teesside the chance to become Dementia Friends. To date, eleven members of staff at Teesside have attended Dementia Friends information sessions which aim to provide a greater understanding of the impact of living with dementia.

Mike Clarke, centre director at Teesside, said: “Dementia is a condition that affects many people across the community. Here at Teesside, we want all our shoppers to have an enjoyable experience, which is why we are committed to supporting the Dementia Friends programme.

“We’re proud that many of our colleagues wear a forget-me-not flower badge which means that they’re equipped with the skills they need to support our shoppers with dementia and make sure that they –  and their carers, family and friends – have an enjoyable experience at our centre.”

Claire Jenkins, Head of Community Engagement at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s fantastic that the team from Teesside and the Halcyon Centre and LiveWell Dementia Hub have united against dementia by documenting memories of people affected by the condition. It is a fantastic way to engage with the local community and it’s a perfect way to mark Dementia Action Week.

“In the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes and almost everyone knows someone whose life has been affected. Yet too many people face the condition alone, without adequate support. At Alzheimer’s Society we are determined to change this, as it is vital that people living with dementia feel included in their local community and able to live the lives they want.

“This Dementia Action Week, Alzheimer’s Society is calling on everyone to unite and take actions, big or small, to improve the everyday lives of people affected by dementia.”

Here at Teesside Park all of the management team, our operation partners (ABM), and the staff and teams of all of our retail partners are proud to support the work of Zoe’s Place; which we do across the year through a range of fundraising initiatives, and traditionally as our annual Christmas Charity Partner.

Our Community Giving Box

This year we’re also thrilled to be inviting the community to support our fundraising through our Giant Community Giving Box.  You’ll find it located in our customer service suite, next door to Hays and Sports Direct.  We’d love for you to consider making a quick contactless donation of £3, £5 or £10 by tapping the collection device on The Giving Box.  It’s got a special way of thanking you too.

Zoё’s Place Trust is a Registered Charity providing palliative, respite, and end of life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.  Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice was founded in 1995 after Chairman of Trustees, Professor Jack Scarisbrick, identified that families with children suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions were desperately in need of specialist facilities, especially during their early years. In response, Zoë’s Place– the UK’s only baby-specific hospice – was born.

Each of their dedicated hospices in Coventry, Liverpool and our local Middlesbrough hospice provide a caring, safe and home-away-from-home environment for all.

Zoë’s Place has had a difficult time this year, as services have been cut. A position no charity wants to be in. However, together our support will allow them to continue to provide vital care and support to families across the nation.

Read Charlie’s inspiring story, and more at Zoe’s Place dedicated web page 

Charlie is 3 years old. He attends the hospice two nights per week.

Charlie was born with congenital heart disease. He had bilateral cerebral infarctions whilst in hospital and he has developmental delays.  He needs to be fed through his gastrostomy tube. He has postural scoliosis and needs to have daily physiotherapy to help with his muscle tone and to help him move positions.

Charlie enjoys sensory play with music and feeling different textures. He loves ‘tummy time’ laying across a wedge and listening to music. He loves cuddles and being talked to during the day.

We encourage Charlie to spend time sitting in his special chair with toys and different textures placed in front of him.

This is what Charlie’s mum told us when she was asked ‘What does Zoë’s Place give to you’?…..….

“It gives us a chance to have some normality as Charlie has so many special needs most of our time is spent caring for him. It allows us to catch up on well-needed sleep and to enjoy time together with other family members.

We know that Zoë’s Place has helped Charlie with his developmental progress and we feel confident that the team provides Charlie with lots of wonderful care and attention.

Zoë’s Place embraces my whole family and cares for us in lots of ways. We enjoy attending the parent’s group and the support we get from all the team.”