Throughout its first two years, Tees Pride has built up considerable impetus in supporting success and hope for our region's future. We plan the year 2004 to be even more powerful and positive in many different ways. One of the constant strengths of Tees Pride comes from the wide backing it receives from local businesses, councils and other organisations. Together with the Evening Gazette it forms one voice that shouts long and loud about what is good in our region, regularly highlighting positive issues and people in the main paper and providing an inspiring read seven times in the year with the Tees Pride quality supplements. This common sense of purpose is now well known as a brand throughout Teesside and the wide Tees Valley regeneration area. The year 2004 sees that consensus involving 22 partners. They are Darlington Council, Stockton Council, Middlesbrough Council, Hartlepool Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, BASF, Aker Kvaerner, Tees Valley Housing, UK Steel Enterprise, Teesside University, Durham University, Learning and Skills Council, Swallow Hotel, Tees Valley Partnership and Tees Valley Regeneration, Dickinson Dees, George Wimpey North East, Darlington Building Society, One NorthEast, TTE Management and Technical Training, Northumbrian Water, Teesside Airport and PD Ports and Logistics. Not any old firm or backer, but the big names, the main movers and shakers, the people whose organisations are all working to make this region shine - all backing Tees Pride. This strong brand can be seen at its most effective when it directly involves people's lives and aspirations - such as in the Save Our Steel campaign to protect Corus jobs. Through Tees Pride we organised a major public meeting at Redcar Bowl, one that was given national exposure through BBC TV's Politics Show, with the Tees Pride brand also appearing in many local media As a result, we now have a much closer relationship with the new Teesside Cast Products arm of Corus that is attempting to retain steel-making in the region. And we will continue to work at this through 2004 to ensure that whatever the challenges, Tees Pride enables the region to know what is going on. We will, if necessary, hold a second Steel Summit in June to again make sure that Corus and TCP are open to question. Even more recently the Evening Gazette launched Tees Pride's 'Save Our Infirmary' campaign to retain at least the historic façade of the old North Riding Infirmary for posterity. This was not a naïve 'save our hospital' campaign that wanted to stand in the way of health progress, but a powerful response to plans to replace the old building which contains so many memories and pride for local people with an Aldi box. More than 100 people attended a public meeting on a wet Tuesday night in central Middlesbrough, and a petition of more than 6,000 resulted within a fortnight. We will continue with this campaign in 2004, one that currently looks set to save at least the façade of the old building. The sense in using Tees Pride in these campaigns was that they interacted directly with readers on matters close to their hearts. This in itself extended Tees Pride to the people most needed behind it, the people who live in the region themselves. And so in 2004 we will continue to keep these types of subject in the public arena as a part of Tees Pride. On top of the consensus and the direct action, Tees Pride will continue to constantly highlight and support those who are positive in their desire to improve the region. So much is happening in terms of regeneration, the environment, education and health, and their influence in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington. All will be tackled under the Tees Pride banner, within the main paper and in supplements put out with the Gazette. The primary aim of Tees Pride remains to make Teesside a better place to live, work and do business. That means not glossing over subjects but looking at them in detail, raising questions where necessary and involving interaction from readers at all times. The result is real, believable pride in our region, which in turn will attract outsiders to believe in us too. In 2004 we will strive to make Tees Pride an even stronger brand, one that everyone feels associated with, one that works even harder for the success of the whole region. | 
