Listed here are our Community Stories, examples of help and assistance Tees Valley Community Foundation have given to local organisations. Please feel free to read and explore these stories and some may inspire you to contact us about ways we can help your own organisation.

TEESSIDE INDUSTIRAL MEMORIES PROJECT

Teesside Industrial Memories are a keen group of volunteers who have spent most of their working life involved in the major industries that have made Teesside world famous. Their first project resulted in the exceptional book, Life at the ICI, which has been a complete sell out. It set out first hand experiences of working at ICI in Teesside during it’s boom time. Their latest project is a lavishly illustrated history of shipbuilding on the Tees and features Smith’s Dock in Grangetown. The book is due to be published soon and will feature a range of images, some previously unseen, of the working history of the yard. The group has received significant help from Beamish who have allowed the members access to their photographic archive. Teesside Industrial Memories received a Grassroots Grant of £7000 to help them make the book a reality. They have been supported by the current owners of the Smiths Dock site, PD Teesport, who themselves are part of the Grassroots programme as donors. Without the commitment and generous support of such community minded companies, such projects may never be able to carry out their valuable work in our area.

GUISBOROUGH FOREST AND WALKWAY

Guisborough Forest and Walkway is an educational and recreational facility providing a wide rage of fun and healthy activities for local residents of all ages from across the Tees Valley. As a result of the hard work of the volunteers who are developing the project, the usage of the walkway and the surrounding open spaces has increased dramatically as people choose to take the opportunity to get outdoors and improve their general fitness levels. The volunteer staff, in an effort to provide the best possible service, constantly gather feedback from users. This information clearly demonstrated the need for seating and picnic tables to enable walkers to take a well earned breather or just enjoy the spectacular views. It was also suggested that, by making these facilities available, walkers would stay longer, walk further and get fitter. Redcar & Cleveland Primary Care Trust agreed with this idea and were delighted to make an award from their Easy Access Fund to enable the group to buy three benches and five picnic tables, which have been placed at strategic points along the walkway.

THORNABY FOOTBALL CLUB

Established in 1985, Thornaby FC has been responsible for nurturing football talent across generations of local people; seeking out the stars of tomorrow, but more importantly teaching young people, through the medium of football, the qualities and skills they will need to succeed in adulthood. The core work of the club is carried out by 18 passionate and committed volunteers, who look after the day-to-day running of the club and acting as coaches to develop the skills and fitness of the playing members. An established club like Thornaby cannot rest on their laurels and they need to keep a constant eye on the future. As a response to this need, they approached the Foundation to secure some funding to train new coaches and further develop the skills and qualifications of the existing team. Through the support of the Sport Relief Fund the Foundation was able to make an award to ensure the ongoing work of the club for now and years to come.

GRANGETOWN NETBALL CLUB

Over 130 members and 15 volunteers go up to make Grangetown Netball Club. Working in a community that faces ongoing challenges, the club has provided an invaluable service to the local community for over 20 years. They approached the Foundation with a desire to set up a new academy aimed at children of primary school age so that the benefits of team work, healthy living and fun could be introduced at an early age. Such early intervention demonstrates how the local community can be involved in the national Every Child Matters strategy which aims to give our young people the best possible start in life. The club has set up two leagues, a “High 5” and an under 14’s, to cover this important age group to enable them to play together every week and enable them to enjoy the fun of both team games and competition. The result of their hard work has been the provision of a great opportunity for local children which was not previously available. This was made possible by the support of the Sport Relief grant programme delivered across our area by the Foundation.