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TEES Community Hub extends its Welcome
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By Rosemary Nicholls
Funding awards of £85,100 since April 2022 have put the TEES (Together, Engage, Encourage, Support) charity on a firmer footing in their new premises, Wykeham Court Community Centre, Skelton.
Founder and CEO Tonia Nixon, who has been writing the bids with support from the Trustees is thrilled that TEES can continue to run the twelve services that they currently offer free to the people of Redcar and Cleveland. These are: TEES Community Hub, Charity Shop & Cafe; TEES Community Clothing Bank, TEES Period/Incontinence Poverty Campaign; TEES Menstrual Education Sessions; TEES Emergency Response; TEES Christmas Cheer; TEES Foodbank and Referral Project and TEES Free space for Community Groups.
Tonia is very grateful to the Beyond Housing organisation which has offered TEES the community centre at an affordable rent. The charity can therefore continue to run two vehicles and pay the bills for insurance and electricity, while it focuses on the people who are seeking help.
“Referrals come from over seventy local organisations and agencies and theywent up by sixty per cent in two months in the autumn,” says Tonia. “Families who have two parents working are finding their incomes don’t cover their bills any more and tradesmen who used up their savings during the pandemic, now can’t afford their materials even if they can get them on time. They’re in situations they never envisaged.”
The move from Saltburn to Wykeham Court Community Centre in Skelton has enabled Tonia to develop a warm and welcoming social space. “Our community cafe offers all day breakfasts, affordable lunches and snacks from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays inclusive. We havea lending library and lots of events taking place, from Christmas Crafters on Mondays, Bingo Tuesdays, Saltburn Charity Crafters on Thursdays to monthly table top sales.”
Tonia says that she’s found fear of Covid has led to some elderly local people becoming isolated in their own homes, so she’s working hard to encourage them to come to the cafe to share Christmas dinner. Where it’s a step too far, the volunteers will be taking Christmas food to them. “Many of our volunteers have experience of what people are going through, which makes them very empathetic,” she says. Donations of hundreds of pounds to buy the food have been given by the McCarthy and Stone Foundation.
Tonia has always insisted that people in need should have their dignity respected; she’s found that people’s pride can get in the way of their asking for and receiving help, but word of mouth is making a positive difference. More people are coming in from the cold. “I’m finding that the funders are more in touch with each other as well,” she says. “They share the feedback we’re giving them from the grass roots and this develops their confidence in us.”
She encourages interested people to view four short recently filmed YouTube videos, entitled ‘A Touch of Tees’. These tell the stories of some of the volunteers and people helped, as well as giving a tour of the premises.
In the first, a volunteer who joined the charity after being widowed says: “I’m so grateful to TEES. They’ve saved me. I’ve got that support pillar behind me. They’ve given me confidence and now I have a reason to get up in the morning. Without them, I would not be here now. This is my comfort zone, my family, my new home.”
In the second, a younger man speaks: “I’m going to get back on my feet and I’m only getting back on my feet because of the help I’m getting from TEES community. If it wasn’t for these people, Tonia and their crew and their team (who are actually amazing) I don’t know what I’d do….. they’ve saved my life really drastically – there’s no words to describe what they’ve done for me.”
Tonia agrees that the volunteers make a superb contribution: “To all our volunteers past and present, we would not be here without you all. The Trustees and I thank you all for that support over the past three years.”
Tonia hopes readers will visit the Community Centre to see all that’s on offer. “It’s easy to get to Wykeham Court,” she says. “If you’re on the X3 bus, just get offnear Sainsbury’s on Byland Road, turn down Jervaulx Road and right to the Community Centre. Go through the gate on the left hand side and we will welcome you!”
Finally, Tonia confirms: “TEES would like to thank all the Funders, Supporters, Agencies, Businesses, Charities & individuals for their continued support and help to keep TEES running and supporting the people of Redcar & Cleveland. Donations from £60,000 to a few hours of your time have made us the success we are today. We thank you all…”
(A detailed list of funders can be found on the Benefactors page of the website www. teescommunity.co.uk)
