A Year of Purpose

As we come to the end of the year, we want to pause and say thank you.

Thank you to the community groups, volunteers and local organisations who work tirelessly, often quietly and always with care, to alleviate hardship, reduce isolation and create opportunities for people across Teesside. Your commitment, compassion and resilience are what make real change possible.

This year also marked our first full year under the Tees Foundation name, an important milestone in our long history of supporting local communities. While the name may be new, our purpose remains the same: to improve quality of life across Teesside by backing the people and ideas that make our region a better place to live, work and play.

Standing alongside communities

Through Tees Million, our core grant programme, we have had the privilege of standing alongside community groups responding to real and pressing challenges, from the cost of living and loneliness to barriers facing children, families and older people.

Behind every project supported through Tees Million is a group of people giving their time, energy and expertise to support others. Whether running warm, welcoming spaces, creating opportunities for young people, supporting families through difficult times or protecting local environments, these organisations are the backbone of our communities.

We are constantly inspired by the dedication and creativity we see across Teesside, and it is an honour to support this work.

Investing in strong foundations

Alongside our grant-giving through Tees Million, we have continued to strengthen how we work as a Foundation.

This included the launch and ongoing improvement of our bespoke digital grants platform, helping to make applying for support clearer, more accessible and more efficient for community groups.

We also brought our work together under the Tees Foundation name, helping more people across the region recognise who we are, what we stand for and how we can support local communities.

This year, we were also pleased to launch the Tees Foundation Alumni, bringing together past and present Trustees to share experience, insight and a long-standing commitment to the Foundation’s mission.

Looking ahead with optimism

As we look to the year ahead, we are pleased to have officially launched the Tees Challenge. We have been really encouraged by the level of interest from community groups across Teesside and are now at the shortlisting stage. We are looking forward to working closely with the shortlisted groups to help shape and develop their ideas as they move into the next phase in the New Year.

Alongside this, we remain committed to listening, learning and working alongside our communities, responding to emerging needs and supporting local people to create lasting change.

With thanks

None of this work would be possible without the generosity and trust of our donors, whose support enables community organisations to focus on what they do best, supporting people and places across Teesside.

We are also deeply grateful to our Trustees, who give their time, expertise and leadership to guide the Foundation, and to our staff, whose dedication ensures support reaches communities with care, fairness and integrity.

Together, you make Tees Foundation what it is.

Thank you for everything you do to alleviate hardship, supporting positive change and help make Teesside a kinder, stronger and more connected place. We are proud to stand with you.