Tees Business Issue 40 | Page 174

NEWS

BUSINESS BITES

Bank on us – former PM Gordon Brown ( right ) chats with Cllr Peter Gavigan , Middlesbrough Council ’ s executive member for environment and sustainability , and Dawn Alaszewski , director of children ’ s care , at the multibank launch .

Former PM launches region ’ s first multibank

Middlesbrough welcomed a former prime minister as the region ’ s first multibank was launched in the town .

Led by The Junction Foundation , the multibank will see more than 750,000 surplus goods – from clothing , crockery and cleaning products , to toiletries , towels and toys – given to 75,000 families in need over the next 12 months .

Former PM Gordon Brown co-founded the concept along with online retail giant Amazon , which has already seen more than five million goods help over 500,000 families at existing multibanks in Scotland , Greater Manchester , Wales and London .

The Tees Valley multibank , based in a

12,000-sq ft warehouse in Middlesbrough , is supported by Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke and the leaders of Stockton , Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool councils , with each council committing £ 25,000 to support the project .

Mr Brown said : “ The key to the work of the Multibank is that we link companies that have good quality , surplus products to community-based charities like The Junction who know the people that need them .

“ The Multibank model benefits us all because we receive and then donate hundreds of thousands of surplus products that might otherwise go to waste .”

Tees firm receives King ’ s Award for Innovation

An innovative Teesside family business , which has grown from just 11 employees to more than 240 , has been given the royal seal of approval with the presentation of the King ’ s Award for Enterprise .

Made for Trade , which was established in 1983 and was previously known as Aanco , was handed from father Richard Gaunt to son Bradley , at the age of 23 . He was later joined by brother and fellow engineer Ashley , and more recently by sister Lois .

Managing director Bradley was presented with the King ’ s Award for Innovation by Sue Snowdon , His Majesty ’ s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham , alongside his family and members of staff at their headquarters in Wynyard .

He said : “ This award is the highest award you can get in business . I am absolutely delighted , not just for my family , but my team . We are truly honoured with this huge recognition for what we have done .” The company , which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 , has

Honour – Made for Trade received its King ’ s Award from Sue Snowdon , His Majesty ’ s lordlieutenant of County Durham .

its headquarters in Wynyard with manufacturing sites at Portrack Lane , Stockton and Hartlepool .

Mrs Snowdon said : “ Made for Trade is a truly innovative and exciting British company , with generations of experience and an excellent team .”

‘ EYESORE ’ HOTEL SET TO GO Stockton Council has taken control of the Golden Eagle in Thornaby , using funding from the Thornaby Town Deal .

The acquisition allows a key priority of the Town Deal Board to be realised and ends years of uncertainty about the eyesore building ’ s future .

The council has acquired the leasehold interests on the building and will now move forward with plans to demolish it in early 2025 using further Town Deal funding . This will provide a cleared site for future redevelopment .

ESH DEVELOPS NET ZERO HOMES Esh Construction is helping raise the bar for sustainable living in Teesside as it develops 10 net zero carbon homes for Thirteen Group . Part of an £ 18m development known as Kedward Avenue – one of three sites Esh is delivering for Thirteen in Middlesbrough – the new timber-framed homes will feature a raft of state-of-theart technologies as the housing provider explores net zero carbon opportunities in the region .

HARTLEPOOL PLANS PROGRESS A partnership to boost progress at a growing cultural media zone in Hartlepool is taking another step forward .

Led by Hartlepool Council , the aim of creating a Production Village in the Lynn Street and Whitby Street areas of Hartlepool is to build on the town ’ s burgeoning screen industries sector and filmmaking pedigree .

Tees Valley Combined Authority is putting almost £ 2m towards the project – and now the Hartlepool Development Corporation is joining forces with Hartlepool Council to fund the next stage .

STATION CONCOURSE COMPLETED A major milestone has been reached in the £ 140m transformation of Darlington station with the completed construction of the new eastern concourse building .

Construction of the new concourse building has been delivered on time and on budget by the Tees Valley Combined Authority .

The building will now transfer to Network Rail , paving the way for the next phase of development , which will see it fitted out with shop units and amenities .

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