Who we are
‘The Tees’ is a community interest company (CIC) and a ‘community-run’ project that aims to connect and empower communities throughout the Tees area. We are a collective of people who realise that this area has many incredible assets, but that it’s not without its problems. We feel that the best way to achieve the full potential of the Tees is for us to stand together, united, to empower our citizens, celebrate and have pride in our achievements whilst taking action on those issues which harm our communities.
Vision Statement
We aim to connect the diverse communities of the Tees whilst addressing issues of participation, inclusion and voice. We seek to celebrate and champion the area’s assets, whilst providing the means to take action on issues affecting people, thus forging a united area that is free of inequality and division.
We aim to connect the diverse communities of the Tees whilst addressing issues of participation, inclusion and voice. We seek to instill pride and purpose in the people of the Tees whilst also empowering people to take action on the issues that affect them forging a united area that is ultimately free of inequality and division.
Our Aims
‘The Tees’ is a community-run project that aims to connect and empower communities throughout the Tees area via media projects and community activities. We are a collective of people who realise that this area has many incredible assets, but that its issues hold us back. We feel that the best way to achieve the full potential of the Tees is for us to stand together, united, to lift each other up and to take pride in ourselves and each other.
- We aim to provide all people throughout the Tees with a sense of identity, value and purpose.
- We aim to celebrate the good, whilst taking action on the bad.
- We aim to empower local people to take action around local issues and concerns.
- We aim to provide communities with education and skills around the media, citizenship and journalism.
- We aim to create media platforms for diverse and often hidden voices to be heard
Our Community Values
All activity must align with our key values.
- We actively pursue social and economic justice.
- Whilst we celebrate success, we recognise that people and the planet should come before profit.
- We celebrate and champion diversity, equality and inclusion.
- We strive for plurality in opinion where it doesn’t conflict with our other values.
- We work to make the Tees area better for everyone.
We DO NOT
- Give a platform to any person or organisation that incites hatred or division.
- Give a platform to any person or organisation that contradicts our values.
- Campaign for or on behalf of any political party or candidate.
What area does ‘The Tees’ cover?
‘The Tees’ covers the former Borough of Teesside along with neighbouring towns and villages that all have their own unique and evolving identities. We see ‘The Tees’ as including, but not limited to, the Local Authority Areas of Middlesbrough, Stockton on Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington and Hartlepool.
We know that people living in some of these areas feel that ‘Teesside’ and ‘Tees Valley’ are terms that don’t represent them. Our hope is that ‘The Tees’ might be adopted by more people in our area as a way of uniting our region under one common name.
What kind of organisation are we?
We are a community interest company comprising of members and directors who love where we live and want to see our area thrive.
What is ‘The Tees Online’?
‘The Tees’ is the flagship project of ‘The Tees Media CIC’. In its essence, ‘The Tees’ is a community-owned and community-run media platform, which comprises a variety of social media accounts and a website that houses articles and other content curated by our local contributors.
Through our collective platform, we aim to champion the best of our area whilst taking action on the aspects that need improvement. It aims to both signpost and highlight issues and projects and organisations addressing that need; alongside promoting and championing our area’s assets.
Our content can be split into three main categories, which we call ‘Community’ ‘Culture’ & ‘Connection’.
- Community: Celebrating and championing our local food and drink, businesses, charities, community projects, community leaders and heroes
- Culture: Celebrating the best examples of our thriving cultural, arts and creative sector
- Connection: Giving a platform to help connect people, sharing ideas and mobilising people to make our area the best it can be.
‘The Tees’ is not a breaking news service. Our content aims to inspire and motivate in the long term. Whilst we aim to create high quality, engaging and shareable content, we do not create ‘clickbait’. All of our output is created with purpose. If we cover a positive news story, it is to inspire and energise others. If we cover an issue or cause, it is to motivate and stir people to action.
