Serving the Teesside Business Community | 73
TEES KIDS NEED
YOUR SUPPORT
W
ould you or your business support
plans to create summer schools
for some of Teesside’s most
disadvantaged pupils?
Led by Tees firm Lexonik and Teesside
University, plans are progressing for the
summer schools, which would focus on
literacy, numeracy, sport, art, life skills and
wellbeing, helping to raise aspirations in
education and employment.
Up to 200 local secondary schoolchildren
– many from disadvantaged backgrounds
– would benefit from the scheme but
organisers are calling on more businesses
and educators to join forces with them.
A team of 13 have signed up to run the
Berlin Marathon to raise funds for the
summer schools – and organisers are
calling on others to take part in their own
fundraising events.
The summer schools are the brainwave
of Lexonik CEO Claire Preston, the
first Tees Businesswoman of the Year.
Middlesbrough-based Lexonik’s unique
learning programme, which raises reading
ages by an average of 27 months through
hour-long sessions over six weeks, will play
a part in the summer school sessions.
Claire said: “We’re grateful for the
support already offered but the scheme
needs to be fully funded, so now we need
local businesses to chip in.
Join us - Lexonik directors Claire Preston and
Katy Parkinson and Teesside University pro
vice-chancellor Mark Simpson are calling on
local businesses and educators to support
their fully-funded Teesside summer schools.
“Summer schools are so important in
exposing our young people to new activities
and experiences – especially those from
disadvantaged backgrounds who we’ll
particularly target.
“Our aim is to provide as many students
as possible with a fully-funded opportunity
to learn, engage, meet new people and
raise their aspirations in terms of future
learning and employment.
“At the same time we’ll be tackling the
very real Teesside issue of holiday hunger.”
Also partnering in the project is charitable
movement Teesside Philanthropic
Foundation and Game of Actual Life (GOAL),
a local community interest company that
specialises in providing life skills for children
in health, wealth and happiness.
Those in training for the Berlin
Marathon include Claire herself, Lexonik
colleagues Michelle Hicks, Dan Donovan
and Ed Mooney, Teesside University’s
Mark Simpson, Teesside Philanthropic
Foundation’s chairman Andy Preston and his
business partner Gareth Cherry, Endeavour
Partnership’s Nick Dent, Phil Luke of Luke
for Solutions, Lisa Preston and Jordan
Clayton of Hunters Estate Agents, Jessica
Williams of Just Williams and teacher David
Rogers.
Anyone interested in either taking part
in a fundraising event or sponsoring the
runners can contact Claire via
[email protected].
Carla Keegans says The Ethical
Housing Company is continuing
to build its affordable property
portfolio across Teesside.
The Ethical
Housing Company
celebrates first year
T
he Ethical Housing Company (EHC)
is calling on those wishing to sell
property across Redcar and Cleveland,
Middlesbrough and Stockton to get in touch
as the company celebrates its first year in
business.
A unique property company with a social
mission to provide decent and affordable
homes for rent to people in need in the
local community, EHC is continuing to build
its property portfolio across Teesside.
It is backed by social investment from
Bridges, one of the UK’s oldest and
largest dedicated impact investment firms,
through a permanent capital vehicle called
Evergreen.
Scott Greenhalgh, executive chairman of
Bridges Evergreen, said: "We are delighted
with the performance of The Ethical
Housing Company. Its robust financial
model in conjunction with operational
support from The Ethical Lettings Agency
(TELA) is helping to provide much-needed
housing for people on low incomes or
facing homelessness in Teesside.
“We are excited for future growth and
increasing the social impact the company
can have. We hope to build an exemplar for
the rest of the country."
EHC can buy properties from home
owners or landlords, empty or tenanted,
single or in multiples and has a quick,
transparent and free process for purchasing.
Carla Keegans, director of EHC and
TELA, said: "The housing market in Teesside
continues to be challenging, with house
prices and growth indicators ranking poorly
compared to the rest of the UK.
“Landlords face the added pressures
of national reforms affecting them, often
making rental properties financially
inefficient today or into the near future,
making many decide to sell.
“We aim to offer fair prices for properties
that are suitable for us. In doing so, we are
providing a local solution for people selling,
helping to protect property values in our
local sub-housing markets and, of course,
providing a positive housing option for local
people, many of whom struggle to afford
housing elsewhere.”
EHC and TELA are tackling the housing
problems head on by providing much-
needed and affordable rented housing.
If you or your clients have property to sell, contact Carla Keegans
on 01642 484845 or [email protected]