• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

Grants helping local groups ensure tour goes with a swing

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 10.24.26THE Tour’s on its way – and local groups across Middlesbrough are helping to ensure it’s a runaway success.

The town plays host to the start of Stage 3 of the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire on Sunday, May 1 and there’s a really community feel to the build-up to the big day.

Grass-roots organisations have been hard at work, with several benefiting from grants to make the most of a unique opportunity.

Tees Valley Community Foundation, in partnership with Middlesbrough Council, put up £10,000 to help groups to deliver projects on and around the Middlesbrough stage.

Grants of up to £1,000 have been given to the following projects:

BloomInArt

Community art workshops in Albert Park inspired by the Tour De Yorkshire. Open to the public from 10am onwards, participants will contribute to elements of the art creations in various art forms including print/image transfer, wire & wet felting and recycled weaving.  

Dietwise CIC

Dietwise works to improve the health and wellbeing of local people and communities through the provision of accurate, affordable and innovative nutrition services.   

The grant will be used to engage children in healthy eating activity through cycling on a static tailor-made bike with attachments – a blender to the front and a USB portal for charging mobile phones and small electronic devices such as iPads.   

Nunthorpe Community Council

Various events including a cycle ride, displays, poster competition, school engagement, knitting display, and road safety promotion.

Juggling and Unicycling Stockton on Tees (JUST)

Performance pieces around the Town Centre combining and celebrating the Tour de Yorkshire with both the heritage and future of the area. JUST members will take place in the Carnival-style parade combining the skills and talents of the group – unicyclists, jugglers, poi twirlers, dancers. The public can join in open workshop sessions over the weekend.

Trinity Youth & Children’s Project

Programme of activities including the creation of a piece of art designed by people from North Ormesby as a product of researching local history, and exploring cycling both on a professional level and as a pastime in order to improve health and have fun.

The artwork will be unveiled at a community celebration day on the weekend of the Tour, alongside small-scale cycle races on the market place. Children and young people will be offered ‘bikeability’ training, with family rides in the build-up to, with a celebratory ride down to see the peloton at one of the points where it is passing.

Youth Dance Academy

Local dance group have been working hard to create a bespoke dance performance celebrating the sport of Cycling, The Tour De Yorkshire and Middlesbrough. The group will can be seen at pop up performances around the route throughout the day.

Friends of Stewart Park

Land art near the site of Captain Cook’s birthplace and the award-winning museum celebrating his life and achievements. The design is in the form of a large ships wheel which will be cut into the grass. Visitors are encouraged to look out for a Transporter Bridge made from Hay bales.

Percy (Teesside Play & Educational Resource Centre)

Providing the Spinart Bike which enables people to create a unique piece of artwork, with volunteers running the activity along with all paints, paper, card and folders to take artists to take their masterpieces home.

Tees Valley Community Foundation Grants Officer Sarah Hodgson said: “The Tour de Yorkshire coming to Middlesbrough is giving us a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything that’s great about the area to a huge audience.

“I’m pleased that so many diverse local groups applied for grants and their ideas will really add a splash of colourful community spirit both in the build-up and on the day itself.”

Councillor Lewis Young, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “We’re privileged to being hosting one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, and one in which everyone can play a part.

“Community groups have been at the heart of our preparations from the outset, and it’s inspiring to the diverse and creative ways they’ve been able to put these grants to use.”

By admin