Celebrating our Teesside Hero!

We had some very special visitors to Tees Valley Women’s Centre on Wednesday, who came along to give one of our volunteers a big surprise!

Jenny Williams from The Teesside Charity & Lee Elgie from their patron Gallagher, came along to present Barbara with her Teesside Hero Award for all the time and support she gives to Tees Valley Women’s Centre through her volunteering.

Barbara volunteers 2 days a week here at Tees Valley Women’s Centre where she helps build confidence in women entering the services and supports them while cooking and teaching them new skills. Her work here is life-changing for women facing challenges such as unemployment, low income, mental health issues and domestic violence.

Barbara plays a vital role in ensuring women feel welcome, safe and understood in the centre, offering compassion, emotional support and her time and resources. Her selfless dedication uplifts other women, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Donna Middleton, Centre Manager, said of her nomination, “The centre truly couldn’t function without Barbara. Whether she’s helping with cooking meals for the women, teaching them to bake, restocking our Eco shop or providing support to the women who come into the centre, her contributions are invaluable and she’s an incredible support to the staff here as well.”

Alongside the award that was given to Barbara, there was also a £1,000 donation by The Teesside Charity, which Barbara of course chose to donate to Tees Valley Women’s Centre to help us continue with our mission.

Thank you The Teesside Charity for such a special award to celebrate our wonderful volunteer Barbara and for the generous donation.