A TEESDALE community centre will take part in a new initiative that will see cash awarded if it can increase its profits.
Rachel Tweddle, the boss of TCR Hub, in Barnard Castle, has won a place on the Community Business Trade Up programme.
It will mean The Hub will be one of the first organisations to receive a “match trading” grant which could be worth up to £10,000.
There is a maximum of £2,000 up for grabs each quarter if the centre can increase its profits. Ms Tweddle is one of 100 leaders across England to have been selected to take part in the Community Business Trade Up programme, which is run by the School for Social Entrepreneurs, andwas set up in 1997 by Michael Young, the man who created Open University.
The six-month scheme supports people improving their communities through trade.
It will help Ms Tweddle as she aims to expand the TCR Hub, in Shaw Bank, which delivers activities and services to about 500 people per week.
Ms Tweddle said: “I am delighted to have been accepted onto the Community Business Trade Up Programme.
“The programme and match trading grant will help me grow the TCR Hub so we can support more people in Teesdale in 2018.”
Match trading was created by the School for Social Entrepreneurs with the support of partners including the Big Lottery Fund.
The aim is to encourage social entrepreneurs to find ways to earn more money which can be used to help more even people.
By rewarding sales growth, match trading helps social entrepreneurs and community business leaders operating in challenging markets to develop their ventures.
Sue Osborne, director of the School for Social Entrepreneurs Yorkshire and Humber, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rachel onto the programme where she’ll learn alongside other community leaders how to create lasting social impact for the region.
“We are confident Rachel has the entrepreneurial qualities and motivation to increase their impact on Teesdale even further which is why we have awarded her a highly-coveted place.”
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
