ADVICE
The comeback is
always greater
than the setback
T
he past few months
have undoubtedly been
challenging because of the
coronavirus pandemic and
the impact it has had on
everyone.
My thoughts are with
those who have lost loved ones,
and my thanks go to our amazing
NHS workers and everyone else
who have done so much to help
others.
But as a region we are proving
we can get through these difficult
times and see the light at the end
of the tunnel.
We are winning the battle
against this virus.
Nowhere is this more evident
than at Teesside Airport. Our daily
flights to Aberdeen and Belfast are
back up and running, as are our
new London City and Newquay
routes.
Our KLM service to Amsterdam
Schiphol will resume in August. We
have also secured a new five-year
deal between KLM and our airport,
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen issued
this rallying cry to Tees Business readers…
securing Teesside’s Amsterdam
route and worldwide travel to
more than 100 destinations for the
long term.
This is not only great news for
holidaymakers but it is key to
attracting high-level investment,
which is central for jobs – a plan to
create good quality, local jobs for
local people.
As part of this, we need to
make sure our young people
are equipped for the future. By
offering £1m and funding the
salaries of 100 apprenticeships,
I can make sure they will not be
disadvantaged because of the
coronavirus.
At the South Tees Development
Corporation, Hartlepool-based
Seymour Civil Engineering
has started site clearance and
preparation work on land known
locally as the Grangetown Prairie.
We need to do everything we
can right now to support local
businesses, and there’s no better
way of doing that than giving them
work on one of Europe’s biggest
regeneration projects.
All but a small number of
leisure, tourism and hospitality
businesses have now reopened
across Teesside, Darlington and
Hartlepool after further lockdown
restrictions were lifted. My £1m
package of support including
£250,000 worth of grants will help
businesses make the changes they
need.
We’ve had setbacks as a region
before but nothing like this. But
when we get knocked down, we
always get back up.
The people of Teesside,
Darlington and Hartlepool are
the most resilient, resourceful,
innovative, fun-loving people in the
world - and when we are down, we
ALWAYS come back stronger.
Our communities will thrive
again. Our airport will fly again. We
will fill our stadiums again. We will
bring jobs to the region.
The comeback is always greater
than the setback.
14 | Tees Business