Darlington Council aims to revitalise its town centre, which has faced declining footfall and retail offerings due to online shopping and out-of-town retail parks. They are seeking creative, cost-effective solutions to boost foot traffic, attract investment, and support local businesses, while being mindful of budget constraints. The solutions should be scalable and adaptable to other town centres with similar challenges.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT), partnering with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI-NENC), seek an innovative asset management solution to increase the return rate of walking aids issued to patients. At present, only around 32% of walking aids are returned, resulting in increased environmental costs and resource inefficiencies. The solution could include a way to track walking aids, prompting patients when they are ready to return the devices. Additionally, a patient awareness component is needed to educate on the environmental and cost impacts of returning these aids.

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AV Dawson is a comprehensive logistics provider based in the UK, specialising in services such as rail freight, road transport, warehousing, and port services. AV Dawson tailors its multimodal logistics solutions to meet the specific needs of industries across the UK, offering transportation and storage options that leverage its extensive infrastructure and expertise. Headquartered in Teesside, the company has around 170 employees, split between operational areas and office staff, which enables a balanced approach to hands-on logistics and strategic management.  

AV Dawson prioritises staff safety through effective communication of risk assessments, procedural updates, and safety notifications. However, AV Dawson require a streamlined digital solution for tracking compliance, especially among operatives, to replace paper records and improve traceability.

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Several neighbourhoods in Middlesbrough have experienced rising crime, anti-social behaviour, and social exclusion. A key factor in these issues is the lack of access to opportunities for local people, creating barriers to success. Middlesbrough Council believes progress must be built in partnership with communities and recognises the need for a locally driven approach to address these challenges. Although financial resources are limited, the council acknowledges that significant barriers to scaling local initiatives, such as limited space and access to expertise, could be alleviated. 

This challenge is now closed.

Thirteen Group, a housing association providing homes and services to around 100,000 customers in the North East, Yorkshire, and Humber, employ a diverse team with varying roles, backgrounds and skills - requiring tailored internal communication approaches. 

Internal research shows that while the majority of Thirteen colleagues are happy with the internal communication strategies, their trade operatives can feel disconnected from the corporate side of the business due to limited device access, poor internet in off-site locations, impairments like poor eyesight, literacy or digital skills issues, and negative perceptions of corporate messaging. 

Improving direct communication with trade operatives is essential to prevent misinformation, avoid process delays, and ensure that corporate values are reflected in practice. This is crucial for maintaining service quality. 

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The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is committed to fostering economic growth and promoting equity within the region. Central to this mission is the empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are uniquely positioned to drive targeted social value initiatives due to their deep-rooted connections with local communities. These enterprises have the potential not only to create jobs but also to address pressing social issues, making them key players in the region's development.

This challenge is now closed.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been working to increase the number of plaster technicians who are confident in the application of hip spicas (a kind of cast used for protection whilst broken bones heal).

Paediatric hip spicas are required for immobilising children after undergoing elective hip reconstruction or fractures. The application of hip spicas requires expert knowledge as ineffective application can cause complications or treatment failure.

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Middlesbrough Football Club prides itself on creating excellent match day experiences for fans and encouraging an inclusive, community spirit within football. Part of this effort exists through the family zone, where family fun activities meet football. Football can present a fantastic opportunity for fans to connect with their children and spark an early passion for sport. However, both the build-up to the game and the match time can represent a long time for young fans to focus, especially when being a fan means sticking with it through frustrating moments and poor weather.

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Middlesbrough College is a prominent education provider in the Tees Valley area. With AI tools such as ChatGPT and Snapchat AI being recently made highly accessible to the world, Middlesbrough College have made it a priority to implement effective policies and procedures to mitigate the potential negative outcomes created by the use of these tools, whilst encouraging effective, appropriate usage of such tools.  The question remains though how to manage the potential use of such tools in student assessment processes.

This challenge is now closed.

Lianhetech Seal Sands has over 40 years of manufacturing experience and is a leading European contract manufacturer of high quality fine chemicals for use in the crop protection, pharmaceutical and performance chemicals markets.

Manufacturers in relevant industries are required to implement “Best Available Techniques” to reduce emissions. These Best Available Techniques (or BATs) are reviewed by industry and regulatory bodies, with updates shared via Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (BREF).

This challenge specifically relates to Lianhetech Seal Sand’s approach to reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to air.  These can be in the form of either “channeled” emissions through abatement systems or “diffuse” emissions, e.g. through leaking joints in pipework.

This challenge is now closed.

The Community Transport Association (CTA) is a UK member-based charity that supports transport-related charities, community groups, and social enterprises across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Public transport outside of London has declined significantly over the last 15 years, up to 80% in some parts of the country, resulting in demand for better, more accessible, cost-effective, and carbon-neutral transport options. CTA advocates for its members to deliver innovative and flexible transport solutions, aiming to achieve social change and remove transportation barriers faced by communities.

This challenge is now closed.