Tees Valley Sport

09/06/2026

Today we're shining a spotlight on Tees Community Forest 🌳

Working across the Tees Valley, Tees Community Forest helps communities, schools and organisations create greener places for people, nature and climate.

One fantastic example is their work with St Aidan's Church of England Academy in Darlington.

What started as a plan to plant one tree for every student soon grew into something much bigger. With support from Tees Community Forest, more than 1,000 trees were planted across the school grounds, transforming an underused space into an area that can support learning, wellbeing, biodiversity and future generations of students. 📚🌱

The project will create lasting benefits for both the school and the local environment, while giving students the chance to take pride in making a positive difference to their community.

Tees Community Forest provides free support to help schools, community groups and organisations plan, fund and deliver woodland creation projects. Funding can cover up to 100% of eligible costs, including planting, maintenance, community engagement and much more.

We're excited to be working with Tees Community Forest to explore opportunities for schools to take part in tree planting projects as part of the School Games offer, helping young people connect physical activity, environmental action and community pride.

A huge thank you to the Tees Community Forest team for helping create greener, healthier and more resilient communities across the Tees Valley.

05/06/2026

Last week, our Insight & Impact Officer, Nic, attended the second United by Sport event in Sunderland, which focused on investment in women's sport across the North East.

Held in the Lord Mayor's Parlour at Sunderland City Hall, the event brought together organisations and partners from across the region to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women's sport.

The evening featured inspiring speakers and honest conversations about the importance of facilities, environments and accessible pathways for women and girls to participate and progress in sport. We also heard powerful personal stories about the realities of navigating talent pathways in the North East.

A particular highlight was hearing from Claire Nelson (Managing Director of the Netball Super League), Josie Pointon (England Roses Pathway Head Coach) and Cody Sullivan (England U19 international). Cody's story about the travel, transport and time commitments involved in pursuing her sporting ambitions was both moving and thought-provoking.

Discussions throughout the evening explored the barriers that continue to exist across the North East, alongside opportunities to strengthen provision and increase access to sport and physical activity for women and girls.

The event was a valuable reminder that creating lasting change requires collaboration across organisations, sectors and communities. By working together, we can help create more opportunities for women and girls to be active, develop their talents and achieve their potential.

Thank you to United by Sport and everyone involved for a great evening of learning, discussion and connection.

04/06/2026

📢 Job Opportunity | Outreach Worker – Physical Activity

Our partners at Age UK Teesside are looking for an Outreach Worker – Physical Activity to help older people across Middlesbrough and Hartlepool become more active, improve their wellbeing and build social connections.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting older people and making a positive difference in local communities.

📍 Middlesbrough & Hartlepool
⏰ 37 hours per week
💷 £12.71 per hour
📅 26-month contract

The successful candidate will deliver inclusive physical activity sessions, engage with local communities and help tackle loneliness through movement and social connection.

For full details and how to apply, visit:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/teesside/get-involved/work-for-us/outreach-worker-physical-activity/

⏳ Closing date: Tuesday 30 June, 4pm

Please share with anyone who may be interested.

Outreach Worker- Physical Activity

04/06/2026

Today we're shining a spotlight on Marske & Loftus Badminton Club 🏸

For over 40 years, the club has been creating opportunities for people across the Tees Valley to get active, compete, make friends and be part of a welcoming community.

Today, the club supports around 50 players, offering opportunities for both social and competitive badminton through:

🏸 3 mixed teams

🏸 3 men's teams

🏸 1 ladies' team

🏸 Weekly club and social sessions

🏸 Competition across the top divisions of the Tees Valley leagues

What we particularly admire is their commitment to continually improving the experience for members. Recently, the club has introduced new club kit and created a fantastic welcome pack to help new members feel part of the club from day one.

These small but important changes help create an environment where people feel welcomed, supported and connected.

Community clubs like Marske & Loftus play a vital role across the Tees Valley. They provide opportunities for people to be active, improve their wellbeing, develop skills and build lasting friendships.

A huge thank you to the volunteers, committee members and players who help make the club what it is.

02/06/2026

📢 Event Highlight

Middlesbrough Environment City and Friends of the Earth are inviting local residents to a special screening of the People's Emergency Briefing at Middlesbrough Town Hall.

📅 Thursday 4 June
🕖 7:00pm – 10:00pm
📍 Middlesbrough Town Hall
🎟️ Free to attend

The film brings together leading UK scientists and experts to explore how the climate and nature emergency is already affecting:

🌧️ Extreme weather
🍞 Food security
🏥 Health
💷 Cost of living

Featuring voices including Chris Packham and Deborah Meaden, the screening will be followed by a community discussion about what these challenges mean for Middlesbrough and the actions that can be taken locally.

Places are free but limited, so booking is recommended.

If this sounds of interest to you, a friend, neighbour or colleague, why not come along and join the conversation?

Book your place here:
https://www.tickettailor.com

The world's most loved event ticketing platform. Whether it’s your first event ever, or your biggest event yet, we make it simple to sell tickets online.

02/06/2026

Creating opportunities starts with listening.

When insight showed that young people in alternative provision settings were not engaging with the mainstream School Games offer, Evolve Sports Academy worked closely with schools, staff and young people to understand what was missing and help shape a programme that better met their needs.

Through a collaborative approach, a dedicated Alternative Provision events calendar was developed, offering a mix of competitive and participation-based experiences throughout the year.

So far this academic year:

✅ 18 alternative provision settings engaged

✅ 654 young people reached

✅ 11 events delivered, with more still to come

✅ New pathways created into county-level competitions

The impact goes far beyond participation. Settings have reported improvements in confidence, resilience and social skills, with young people benefiting from opportunities to meet peers from other settings, try new activities and step outside of their usual environment.

This is a great example of what can happen when organisations work together, listen to communities and create opportunities around the needs of young people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W98Ot-k4W8g

A huge well done to Evolve Sports Academy and all the alternative provision settings involved for helping to create more inclusive opportunities across the Tees Valley.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

27/05/2026

A Day in the Life | Insight and Impact at Tees Valley Sport

Another busy day listening to young people, gathering insight and helping understand the impact of local projects across the Tees Valley for our Insight and Impact Officer, Nic.

The day started in the office with the weekly team huddle, catching up with colleagues and planning priorities for the week ahead.

Later in the day came a visit to Macmillan Academy to support the local School Games Organiser with a PE project focused on girls who are currently disengaged from PE and physical activity within school.

The visit involved speaking with the PE teacher, School Games Organiser and the young people involved to better understand their experiences, motivations and barriers to participation. Early conversations highlighted how important co-design was to the girls, helping them feel involved in shaping the activities and direction of the project.

The visit also focused on capturing baseline insight before the project begins, helping create a clearer understanding of attitudes and experiences at the starting point of the work.

There are plans to return at the end of the project to understand what has changed and why, with the learning gathered helping shape a future impact report and case study that can be shared more widely across the Tees Valley.

Days like this are all about listening to lived experience, understanding barriers and helping projects learn and grow.

26/05/2026

A Day in the Life | Evaluation and Learning at Tees Valley Sport

Another busy day listening to communities, analysing insight and supporting place-based work across the Tees Valley for our Evaluation and Learning Specialist, Niomi Rodrigues.

A lot of place-based work is often seen through meetings, events and community activity, but a huge amount of the work happens behind the scenes. This day focused on reviewing community insight gathered through the Hartlepool Place Partnership programme to better understand people’s experiences, barriers and motivations around physical activity.

The day involved preparing handwritten notes, transcribing recordings, sorting data and analysing conversations gathered from local communities. Individual pieces of feedback were then brought together to help identify wider themes and patterns across Hartlepool.

The insight gathered helps shape conversations with partners, influence future planning and support more informed and inclusive decision-making based on lived experience rather than assumptions.

The day also reflected the reality of balancing detailed evaluation work alongside working from home, childcare, dog walks and everyday life, something many people will relate to.

Days like this are all about listening to communities, understanding lived experience and helping create long-term change across local communities.

22/05/2026

We’re proud to be supporting the national campaign, celebrating the Sport Welfare Officer Network and the support it provides to clubs and NGBs both nationally and here in the Tees Valley.

Since 2024, the network has supported more than 5,000 clubs across England, helping to create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for everyone involved in sport and physical activity.

Here in the Tees Valley, our Sports Welfare Officer, Patrick Burney, has been working directly with clubs to provide tailored support, share guidance and connect organisations with free training opportunities, including the upcoming Working With Parents in Sport workshop and UK Coaching courses.

Patrick has also helped showcase the Tees Valley as a strong example of good practice through projects such as the Warm Welcome Initiative, supporting clubs to think more intentionally about welfare, inclusion and creating positive environments for participants, volunteers and families.

If you would like to find out more about the Sport Welfare Officer Network and how Patrick can support your club or organisation, scan the QR code below or contact him directly at [email protected]

21/05/2026

A Day in the Life | Place at Tees Valley Sport

Another busy day supporting partnerships and strengthening place-based working across the Tees Valley for our Place Specialist, Lisa Aaron.

The day started with a meeting alongside England Rugby to explore opportunities to work together around place-based activity across the region. Discussions focused on shared priorities and how organisations can collaborate to create more opportunities for local communities to be active.

Next came a Stockton Evaluation and Learning meeting as work continues to progress following confirmation of the full Place Expansion award. Conversations focused on learning, understanding impact and ensuring insight continues to shape the direction of the work moving forward.

The day finished with a meeting at Kilmarnock Road alongside Sport England’s Asset Development team. The introduction meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the local area and explore how community spaces and assets can support long-term development within place.

Days like this are all about building partnerships, connecting organisations and helping create healthier and more active communities across the Tees Valley.