Community Health Initiative

We’re excited to announce that Community Healthy Hearts has officially arrived at the Hope Foundation! We’re here to make sure that everyone in Middlesborough has easy access to regular blood pressure checks, and we can’t stress enough how important they are for keeping your heart in tip-top shape.

Why Blood Pressure Checks Matter

Did you know high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer”? Sounds scary, right? But that’s because most people don’t even realise they have it until something goes wrong, like a heart attack or stroke. That’s where regular checks come in. By keeping an eye on your blood pressure, you can catch any problems early, which means you can make changes before things get serious.

What’s the Big Deal About Heart Health in Middlesborough?

Heart disease is a growing issue here in Middlesborough, with many people not realising just how much of a difference simple steps can make. Things like eating better, staying active, and managing stress can all improve heart health, but it starts with knowing where you stand—and that’s where we come in!

By offering free blood pressure checks, we’re making it super easy for you to stay on top of your heart health. Plus, it’s quick, painless, and gives you a clear idea of how your heart is doing.

Why Should You Get Checked?

  • It’s a Lifesaver: Early detection means you can take action right away.
  • It’s Preventative: Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range reduces the risk of heart disease, strokes, and more.
  • It’s All About Awareness: Knowing your numbers is the first step to taking control of your health.

Come Along and Get Checked!

We’re inviting everyone in the community to pop by and take advantage of our free blood pressure checks. It only takes a few minutes, but it could make a massive difference for your health. Whether you’ve never had your blood pressure checked before, or it’s been a while, now’s the perfect time to get on track.

Let’s work together to keep Middlesborough’s hearts healthy and happy!

🏆 #TeesTechAwards2023 chosen charity and Tech for Good finalist

We had a fabulous night at the Tees Tech Awards last night, celebrating digital innovation on Teesside. Over 300 people attended, representing organisations and companies across Teesside.

Hope was the chosen charity for the evening, so our CEO, Sue, was invited to give one of the opening speeches. She talked about digital poverty and the massive impact furbdit has had on Teesside since covid. By repurposing and gifting devices and technology, we’re providing a lifeline to local people to health services, friends, financial management, education, work and many other things.

We were really inspired on the night by the great work in digital innovation happening across the region and proud of furbdit’s nomination in the Tech for Good category. David and Sue collected our award.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and raised £920 towards our work on the night itself. We’re really encouraged by your support. It was really exciting to meetpeople at the forefront of technology on Teesside who are keen to find out more about Hope and furbdit and support the work we do. We can’t wait to get that ball rolling, exciting times ahead!

You can read all about the event, finalists and winners at teesbusiness.co.uk.

Welcome Luke!

We want to thank Luke, our Teesside University volunteer, for all the countless hours he has given to help refurbish the many laptops and desktops we have had donated since we’ve been based at our Launchpad refurbishment centre.
He has also helped out with the IT students from Middlesbrough College when they have been volunteering, showing them how to turn some of the computers with parts missing or broken back into usable devices that can go out into the community.
To reward him for all his efforts and the expert knowledge he brings to the team, we are delighted to announce he will join us as a full-time employee!
centre closed

Centre closed – Friday 28th October

The centre will be closed on Friday 28th October for our annual away day.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Centre closed

The Hope Foundation will be closed on Monday 19th September for the Queen’s funeral.

photo Sam + bike

Coast to Coast fundraiser

Huge thanks to Sam who will be spending 3 days raising money for The Hope Foundation next week.

‘Hi my name is Sam Morgan and  will be cycling the coast to coast from Whitehaven to Sunderland and then down to Middlesbrough over 3 days, with an approximate distance of 171 miles. I hope to raise a minimum of a pound per mile for the Hope Foundation in Middlesbrough to help support the great work they do in the local community.

Sam, sets off on 9th August. Good luck!!

You can sponsor him through justgiving.

Photography competition

We had many brilliant entries this year that really captured the heart of Teesside, it was an almost impossible job for our judges, Jo (ABM) and Neil Bankhurst (Neil Bankhurst Photography) to pick the winners!

The presentation was held in the Courtroom at Middlesbrough Town Hall and David, from Hope’s Digital Team, joined the 2 judges to present the prizes. We had some great entries from some budding photographers from The Linx Project Hemlington Photography Group. They did so well we invited them to the presentation to recognise the amazing work they have been doing over the summer and to congratulate Lily, winner of the ‘Most Talented Newcomer’ category.

The True Teesside category winner, John, very kindly donated his 5hrs Photography Training to the Linx Project Photography group which was a wonderful gesture.

The winners are:

True Teesside: John Dilworth’;s Trip to the Seaside – winning 5hrs training with Neil Bankhurst Photography

My Middlesbrough – Janette Ruddock’s ‘Iconic Structures’; – winning a printed canvas of her photo

Most Talented Newcomer – Lily from The Linx Project’s Coatham Beach Redcar – winning 2hrs training with Neil Bankhurst Photography and a printed canvas of her photo

Our Matrix assessor said…

After an assessment on 2 nd March 2021, The Hope Foundation has maintained the matrix standard for our Information, Advice and Guidance services.

Many thanks to the learners, staff and partners who spoke to our assessor, Janette. We’re very humbled by some of the lovely things you said about your experiences at Hope and working with Hope.

Here are some highlights from the report “Staff talked about the initial time spent getting to know each client, as having a direct influence on their current success rates. Staff described several different success measures
where the IAG had contributed, and these were the client’s softer outcomes, that included clients demonstrating more self-belief and confidence overcoming initial struggles with anxiety. As part of the assessment, all clients who were interviewed confirmed that their confidence levels had improved considerably.”

Strengths identified by the report include:

Leadership and management.

Staff are well qualified and trained for their roles. All the staff said they enjoyed their jobs at Hope and they also said:

  •  “It is always important to listen to staff”.
  •  “I love working here, I hope I never have to leave, I feel cared about”.
  •  “I have been fully supported to manage my health condition”.
  •  “I feel so lucky to work here”.
  •  “It is very rewarding working here; the team is growing; it is exciting times”.

Equality and diversity

The Hope Foundation can successfully recruit and work with the 40% of clients who have indicated that they have a learning difficulty, disability, or health problem. In addition, they are dementia-friendly and operate a befriending service to ensure client inclusion. Effective partnerships and networking

These partnerships enable The Hope Foundation to provide the most appropriate IAG to students to encourage them to achieve their full potential. (1.8, 4.4)

The Hope Foundation are a relatively small charity, so it was considered to be a strength that they have formed a partnership with an organisation, St John of God, which support individuals caught up in Modern Slavery activities.
Some partner comments include:

“We always get great customer feedback for The Hope Foundation”.
“The Hope Foundation are a pleasure to work with, they can respond to requests and situations very quickly and their quality is fantastic.”

Some client comments include:

“The staff are all brilliant, my confidence in working with computers has improved greatly, previously I had to rely on my colleagues”.

“Finding The Hope Foundation was a godsend, I found myself unemployed and they supported me to update my CV and my IT skills and to find another job”.

“After attending the six week IT course, I am never off my smartphone I even feel confident to use it for my job search”.

“The Hope Foundation has loaned me a tablet, so I can take part in online activities and speak to my family on zoom, due to an illness I am almost housebound, now I feel so much more confident and much less isolated”.
“I was always told I would not be able to pass my exams, through my time with The Hope Foundation I have already achieved my first two qualifications, I now feel confident enough to help others”.

“I am a very anxious person, attending The Hope Foundation has helped me improve my confidence, I am now able to speak up and ask questions”.

“English is not my first language and before I attended The hope Foundation, I didn’t feel confident to hold a conversation, I can do this now.

“The Hope Foundation has been a lifeline during the lockdown, I have made so many new friends”.

“I have completed all of the courses that The Hope Foundation offer, I feel so much more confident and I have made a lot of new friends, once the COVID lockdown is lifted I am looking forward to volunteering.”