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Our Community
Our Community #TeessideParkCommunity
While it’s been an unusual year and for much of it we’ve been quieter than usual, we have been working alongside our local community, hand in hand with our parent company British Land plc. We thought you might like to know what we’re up to. Throughout lockdown, the dedicated British Land Communities team has been working with our network of local partners to identify how together we can best support them. We thought you might like to know what we’re up to.
North East Busines Awards 2020 #nebizawards2020
Wow! In September this year, we were honoured and humbled to win the Teesside Heart of The Community – North East Business Award.
Locally, we are especially proud of our commitment to both our centre community and our wider Teesside community and take our role as a responsible employer, neighbour, and corporate citizen seriously. In doing that we’re committed to giving fully of ourselves too; – in partnership, in working together but also as friends. That’s why this recognition means a lot.
Last year we locally delivered our national initiatives in partnership with our owner British Land plc, which includes our ‘Bright Lights’ employment and training programme, our partnership with the National Literacy Trust, Autism Awareness initiatives, and Purple Tuesday; which advocates for more accessible shopping
But we recognise how important it is to support the community and causes close to your hearts. And so, began a very full and very fun year of fundraisers for:
- Essential community equipment and services
- Collection and distribution of food and clothing donations to community groups in need
- Cupcake sales, gift-giving collections and a whole range of fundraisers
- Summer blooms, Spooky buses & Christmas elf events
- And, we also worked hard to reduce and reuse throughout our redevelopment work, recycling our park paving slabs for use at Lockwood View.
We couldn’t have done it without the inspiration & dedication of our wonderful community partners, where all the real work is done, and who include;
Little Sprouts, Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Café, Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice, Lockwood View, the Halcyon Centre, Middlesbrough Rotary Club, Yarn Lions, MFC Foundation, Remembering Rebecca, National Literacy Trust, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and The British Heart Foundation. Thank you.
Read more about the awards on the Teesside Live website.
Our Community Initiatives 2020
Community Investment Fund
British Land, our parent company, has been able to re-deploy £250,000 from within British Land’s Corporate Investment Fund, to directly help communities across the country respond to the impact of Covid-19.
Shelter
British Land has also doubled its annual donation to Shelter to £50,000 to support its helpline, which has seen a sharp rise in calls from people worried about their jobs and homes as a result of the virus.
British Land Pride Alliance
Here at Teesside Park, we are also proud to work with our parent company British Land in advocating equality, opportunity, and support for LGBT+ inclusion, through their Pride Alliance. This year we’re supporting School Diversity Week 2020 from June 22nd, with our charity partner Just Like Us. It’s a week designed commencing 22nd June 2020, to support young people, by celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and equality in education. While many students are still at home (or even in the school holidays) there are still lots of ways to get involved. Parents, carers, and educators can find out more here: https://www.justlikeus.org/sdw
National Literacy Trust
Thrilled to be donating hundreds of children’s books to local families
In July we were thrilled to gift bundles of popular children’s books and engaging activity booklets to local charity Little Sprouts Health and Wellbeing to support families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Three hundred children’s books have been shared with local families, including Gargantis by Thomas Taylor and Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, along with free activity booklets filled with fun and educational worksheets based on familiar fictional characters such as Alex Rider, Judy Moody and Maisy Mouse.
Debbie Fixter from Little Sprouts Health and Wellbeing said: “It’s been great to watch so many of our local families get excited about the activity booklets and choosing brand new books to take home. This has really meant a lot to us and we know just how much of a difference they will make to children in our local area.”
Recent research from the National Literacy Trust reveals that children who own their own books are happier[1]. Yet, 1 in 11 children and young people in the UK don’t have a book of their own at home[2]. With many children not attending school due to Covid-19, this project aims to help tackle the problem and give local families brand-new books and educational materials.
Catherine Furlong, centre director at Teesside Park, added: “Encouraging children to love to read and giving them access to their own books is so important, especially at this particularly difficult time. We’re really pleased to be able to continue to work with the National Literacy Trust to support amazing local organisations such Little Sprouts Health and Wellbeing.”
Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Books have the power to enrich children’s lives – they fuel imaginations, help children learn new things and support mental wellbeing. Yet hundreds of thousands of children across the UK are missing out on these benefits at a time when they need them most, simply because they don’t have a book of their own. By bringing the magical world of stories into children’s homes through brand new books, activity booklets and incredible storytelling videos, this initiative will provide much needed inspiration and comfort during a time of uncertainty.”
Young Readers Story Club
We’re excited to invite you to the Young Readers Story Club which we’ve created in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. It’s a collection of exciting videos for children to enjoy, starting with inspirational tales of self-esteem. See this and the rest of the free video collection on the National Literacy Trust website.
Last updated Tuesday 22 August, 2023
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Helping Children to Read for Fun
