NEWS
BUSINESS BITES
MAJOR MILESTONE The project to deliver a worldleading carbon capture energy facility has hit a major milestone after the UK government granted approval .
Net Zero Teesside ( NZT ) Power – under development by partners bp and Equinor at Teesworks – received backing by the secretary of state after a detailed planning process lasting more than two years .
Travelling tribute – The Devereux truck in Headlight Project branding .
Moving gesture in Devereux drive for hope
The family of a popular Teesside businessman who tragically took his own life have created a touching tribute to him to encourage other grieving families to seek support .
After “ loving and caring ” dad-of-three Russ Devereux took his own life in 2018 , his wife Catherine launched the Headlight Project in his memory .
Now Russ ’ s dad , Ken Devereux , has wrapped one of his firm ’ s trucks in the charity ’ s branding to help raise awareness of the Headlight Project ’ s important work . The Stockton-based charity provides support , including counselling and therapy , for those bereaved by suicide and Ken hopes the vehicle will encourage those battling grief to seek help .
“ The pain of losing Russ is indescribable
PD Ports , the Tees and Hartlepool port authority , has signed over a 30-year lease for the old lifeboat station at South Gare , Redcar , to Teesmouth Seal Conservation Trust ( TSCT ), a brand-new charity set up to help with the rescue and rehabilitation of seals around the Tees Estuary .
The lease agreed with PD Ports – set at a token £ 100 a year – will see the unused lifeboat building repurposed to create the Teesmouth Seal Rescue and Coastal Conservation Centre – the first dedicated welfare and rehabilitation facility for seals and coastal conservation in the Tees region .
The return of harbour seals to the Tees in the 1980s was hailed as a great environmental success story after they became extinct there through the worst years of river pollution .
Today , the population , monitored by the Industry and Nature Conservation and one I hope no parent ever has to suffer ,” admitted Ken , who is the director of Devereux Transport and Distribution .
“ Sadly , suicide is becoming more common , especially in the North-East . That ’ s why I wanted to do what I could to make people aware that there ’ s help available if they are enduring the same pain that our family has experienced through losing our beloved Russ .”
The truck will carry the Headlight Project ’ s logo along with the moving message ‘ A guiding light when the road ahead is dark ’.
“ The truck will be operational across the North-East so we thought this was a great way of making thousands of people a week aware of the charity ’ s wonderful work ,” added Ken , who is also a Headlight Project trustee .
NEW COLLABORATION TO HELP MARINE MAMMALS
Seal of approval – Charity chair David Newell ( left ) with PD Ports CEO Frans Calje .
Association ( INCA ), is almost 200 strong with 36 pups being born in 2022 .
Despite their return to the Tees , the seals are vulnerable to disease , pups being separated from their mothers , attacks by dogs on beaches , entanglement in fishing gear , starvation and other hazards .
INSPIRING STUDENTS Students were taught the crucial ‘ three Cs of networking ’ at a dynamic workshop designed to empower and inspire an all-female audience .
The Power of Women ( PoW ) campaign – a regional initiative aimed at raising the aspirations of young people and promoting inclusivity and equality for all – delivered the two-hour interactive session for a group of 40 students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington .
PoW ’ s head of operations Claire Preston led the event , which included discussions with a panel of almost 20 female business leaders and professionals , a networking carousel and an insightful Q & A session .
OPERATOR ANNOUNCED An operator has been confirmed for Redcar ’ s Coastal Activity Hub . Imaginative Productions – the operator behind Scream Factory and the café at Kirkleatham Museum – won the tender process .
This means the Coastal Activity Hub near Majuba Car Park , which will have two provisionally licenced food and beverage units , is on schedule to open in spring 2024 .
British Triathlon , British Rowing and British Cycling – the national governing bodies for their respective sports – have all endorsed the project with a vision of bringing community activities and local , regional , and national competitions to the hub , including the Go Tri series .
SHOPPING IMPROVEMENTS
Essential improvements and upgrades to Middleton Grange Shopping Centre are to start Immediately , following Hartlepool Development Corporation ’ s takeover of the site .
Hartlepool Development Corporation finalised an agreement to buy the long lease for the popular centre – which is home to major retailers including Primark and River Island .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 155