Serving the Teesside Business Community | 83
/ STOCKTON NEWS
Let's Go Tees Valley's
Commuter Challenge takes
place May 13-19.
I
t is widely acknowledged that a happier,
healthier workforce – both mentally and
physically – leads to a healthier bottom
line.
A report from the Office for National
Statistics shows that UK commerce loses
up to £8.4bn annually in mental health-
related absences alone.
It’s not just the pressure of the job that
can contribute toward people’s rising blood
pressure; the journey in to work can elevate
stress levels before they’ve even arrived.
And that’s where Let’s Go Tees Valley,
the greener transport programme, literally
steps in.
Let’s Go Tees Valley’s Commuter
Challenge is a free, week-long competition
running from Monday 13 to Sunday May
19, and gives people the chance to try new
ways to commute – by bike, on foot, by bus,
train or carsharing with a colleague.
In return, staff will have chances to snap
up great prizes throughout the week, such
as cinema tickets and restaurant vouchers,
and will get be entered into a draw to win
a main prize at the end of the challenge.
The more greener journeys each person
completes, the more entries they get.
The challenge is open to any businesses
in the boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool,
Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and
Stockton.
At the end of the week, participants
simply log how they have travelled each day,
and their names are entered into the prize
draw accordingly.
In turn, workplaces benefit from reduced
pressure on parking spaces, happier,
healthier staff and a boost to their green
credentials. Everyone is a winner!
Find out more at www.letsgoteesvalley.
co.uk/teesbiz or call 01325 405040.
Cubic Transporting Systems, whose global
operations centre is in Teesdale in Thornaby,
created the contactless, pay-as-you-go
Oyster Card system used by thousands
of people and also make sure the London
Underground runs smoothly. The firm has
also won a £389m contract to deliver New
York’s public transport payment system and
an even bigger contract in Boston, USA.
Tees Valley
businesses set to
get the greener
travel bug
MAKING A SPLASH
£6.7M STOCKTON
HOTEL IS OPENED
Stockton’s new Hampton by Hilton
hotel was officially opened by the
town’s mayor and the ‘Teesside
Tornado’.
Councillor Eileen Johnson was
on hand to unveil a plaque and was
joined in the unveiling by councillor
Paul Kirton, the hotel’s manager John
Lambourne-Richardson and world
champion sprinter, Richard Kilty.
The 128-bed, five-storey hotel
forms part of the 56-acre, £300m
mixed-use Northshore regeneration
scheme, incorporating new offices,
homes and leisure facilities near
Stockton town centre, which is
a partnership between Muse
Developments, Homes England and
Stockton Council.
Ex-Dragon Theo picks out former Tees teacher
Theo Paphitis picked out a Tees cheesecake-
maker in his popular Small Business Sunday
event.
The former Dragons’ Den star selected
Wynyard-based Rachael Whitehouse, who
runs The Busy Whisk, in one of his weekly
shout-outs on Twitter.
She got to meet the multi-millionaire
tycoon at the International Convention
Centre in Birmingham – and said it was a
“terrific day”.
Rachael bravely gave up her teaching
career four years ago – then in 2017
#TalkingUpTeesside
she attended her first farmers market at
Wynyard Hall, along with her husband
Bruce, and The Busy Whisk was born.
Work to bring a new £13m leisure centre
to Ingleby Barwick is progressing at
pace.
Excavation and landscaping for the
centre’s main swimming pool has now
been completed.
The 25-metre five-lane pool will have
a maximum depth of two metres and
will be complemented by a second pool
featuring a moveable floor.
The smaller pool will be used for
learning activities for those who need to
build up their confidence before using
the main pool.
px lands major new
fuel operations deal
px group, the Teesside-based
infrastructure solutions business, has
been appointed to operate, manage and
maintain a Northampton fuel storage and
distribution terminal.
InfraNorth, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Essar Oil UK, which acquired the
facility from BP, has selected px due to
its proven capability and competence in
the industry.
The full transition of the lower tier
COMAH site has been completed,
with eight workers transferring to px
employment.