Lidl Middlesbrough North Ormesby

We are a community centre working 7 days and 5 nights a week with vulnerable people and families. We run groups and support for people including food bags for families in the area. In this current situation we are running a food bank and feeding 90 pensioners ensuring they have fresh food and prescriptions are collected for them. We live in a deprived area and have a lot of people struggling at this time. We are a self supported centre and as you can imaging at this time we are getting no income from groups which is making funding hard.

TVT is a community-focused charity dedicated to improving life outcomes and future-proofing the community by responding to the needs of residents across Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley area. We provide practical resources, tailored support services, and compassionate guidance to individuals and families in Hemlington and beyond. As a trusted and welcoming safe space, TVT acts as a gateway to support, helping people access the assistance, opportunities, and local services they need to thrive. Where gaps in provision exist, we work proactively to develop solutions that meet the evolving needs of our community. Our services and initiatives include an ECO Shop and a Pre-Loved Shop, helping families access affordable essentials while promoting sustainability and reducing waste within the community. We also host our Warm Welcome Wednesday coffee mornings, creating opportunities for residents to connect, reduce isolation, and build supportive relationships in a friendly and inclusive environment. In addition, TVT actively participates in a wide range of community events and works collaboratively with partner organisations, local groups, and agencies to strengthen community support networks and maximise opportunities for local residents. Through partnership working and community engagement, we continue to build stronger, more resilient communities across the Tees Valley.

The Food Rescue Group in Middlesbrough takes a practical, community-led approach to tackling food waste and promoting sustainable living across the city. In the context of climate change, resource depletion, and growing environmental pressures, the importance of this work has never been clearer. A central focus of the group is addressing food waste, a major contributor to the unnecessary loss of resources and methane emissions from landfill. Tackling this issue is both environmentally essential and socially important, as surplus food can provide meaningful support to local families and individuals. The group works closely with local producers and retailers to ensure surplus food is put to good use rather than discarded. These partnerships help businesses reduce disposal costs while delivering clear environmental benefits. Pickup and distribution in Middlesbrough are coordinated by Sarah Russell and Adriana Dunose, who organise volunteer schedules, oversee collections, and ensure rescued food is delivered promptly, safely, and to where it is most needed. The initiative is driven by dedicated volunteers, including students from local universities and members of the wider community. Together, they collect and redistribute surplus food shortly after it becomes available, helping to preserve freshness and remove the need for long-term storage. All food collected is carefully inspected to ensure it meets strict safety standards. Any items that cannot be shared are disposed of responsibly to minimise environmental impact. Volunteer coordination takes place through a dedicated WhatsApp group, providing real-time updates on collection times, locations, and quantities. By diverting significant volumes of food from landfill, the Food Rescue Group in Middlesbrough is reducing methane emissions, conserving valuable resources, and strengthening community connections. Through consistent, local action, the group is helping build a more sustainable and inclusive future — one meal, one volunteer, and one community at a time.