2025 Good news stories
Good News Stories from 2025
Neasham Road New Build Site - Play Park
In December 2025 we opened the new play area at Neasham Road New Build site. This vibrant space has been carefully designed to provide a safe, inclusive, and fun environment for children. From the very beginning, pupils from Rydal Primary School played a big role in shaping the park, sharing their ideas on what equipment would make the space exciting and enjoyable. Their creativity helped us select a variety of play features that encourage physical activity, imaginative play, and social interaction.
The opening event was attended by Chief Executive Rose Rouse, who spoke about the importance of play in childhood development, highlighting how these experiences help build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills. We are proud to have worked with Wicksteed, who led the design and installation, and Stuart Devall and his team, who ensured the surrounding grounds were prepared.
Tenants Panel Members, Stephen, Frank and Angie attended, and they shared it was a great space for the residents of the new estate and surrounding areas to use.
The Rydal Primary School children enjoyed the first use of the equipment along with some local young children, it was great to see the children exploring and enjoying themselves.
This new play area offers something for everyone, including multi-play units for different age groups, sensory panels, and wheelchair-accessible features, ensuring that all children can enjoy the space regardless of ability. It’s more than just a park—it’s a place for families to come together, for children to learn and grow, and for the community to thrive.
Reuniting George with His Family After Many Years
Recently, Scheme Manager Donna, had the privilege of helping one of our tenants, George, reconnect with his family—something he hadn’t been able to do for many years. George shared some details about his siblings and where he used to live, but the information was limited.
Donna loves a challenge, so decided to see what she could do. Luckily, the area George mentioned was quite small, which gave her hope. Taking the initiative, she reached out to Callander Parish Council to see if they could help.
Imagine her joy when, just a few days later, she received an email from George’s youngest sister! Since then, letters and phone calls have been exchanged, and George is now back in touch with his family.
Anne, George’s sister, even shared a heartfelt post on Facebook about their reunion. Donna said, ‘It’s moments like these that remind us why we do what we do: making a real difference in people’s lives.’
Signage at Heatherwood Grove
One of the most important things in Social Housing is transparency and informing residents of any news or changes to do with their property.
At our Heatherwood Grove site tenants had contacted Housing Officer Chrissie about the need for a notice board to help keep them in the know. Previously tenants had advised that they hadn’t always seen vital information which were posted in the communal areas as not all tenants used those entrances.
‘Following discussions with various residents of Heatherwood grove, it came to my attention that not everybody was looking at the notice boards in the communal stair wells, this is where we would share information on engagement events.
A solution for this could be a community notice board that is visible for all.
A local tradesman who had experience in woodwork was suggested, i reached out to Robin Rutherford who was happy to help with my quest to make a Community Notice Board that was fitting of the Heatherwood Grove Grounds. He did not disappoint and now we have a new addition to our lovely estate.’ Housing Officer Chrissie
Park Place Planter
Swan Street resident and Tenants Panel Member Sylvia contacted the Tenant Involvement Team regarding a need for a new Planter next to her property.
The previous wooden planters were both broken and unloved and were in a location where there was a lack of sunlight which affected the plants growth.
The team encouraged Slyvia to apply for community funding, which was approved by senior management in September.
In her application Slyvia stated that the aim of the planter was to encourage residents to come together to plan, choose and sow seeds as well as to encourage community involvement and improve mental wellbeing.
The results are fantastic with a raised bed which is more pleasing on the eye and inviting for local residents.
‘Thank you so much to everyone at Darlington Borough Council, myself and the rest of the community are really happy with the completed project. Roll on spring when the flowers will be in full bloom’. Sylvia - Tenant
Halloween Crafting at Roxby Court - Bringing Generations Together Through Creativity
Housing Officer Nicola and Tenant Involvement Officer Sara teamed up to host a heartwarming Halloween-themed crafting session with pupils from Firthmoor Primary School and tenants from Roxby Court. The goal? To strengthen the bond between young people and older residents, fostering a vibrant and connected community spirit.
The event was held at Roxby Court, with fantastic support from Donna, the scheme manager, who kindly provided juice and snacks for everyone. The morning was filled with laughter, creativity, and collaboration as children shared their imaginative ideas and crafting skills, supported by the tenants.
It was a truly special session that highlighted the power of intergenerational activities in building understanding, respect, and joy across age groups.
Empowering Tenants Through Digital Inclusion
The Tenant Involvement Team are committed to ensuring that every member of our Tenants Panel has the tools and confidence to carry out their important roles effectively.
One of our dedicated panel members, Frank from Darlington, has been making a fantastic contribution over the past few months. However, he was finding it challenging to read documents on his mobile phone.
Recognising Frank’s commitment and the value he brings to the panel, the Tenant Involvement Team gifted him a laptop to help him access documents more easily and develop new digital skills. This small gesture is part of our wider effort to support tenants in becoming more digitally confident and involved.
Thank you, Frank, for your continued support to Housing Services — keep up the great work!
Summer Garden Competition
Housing Services recently held a Summer Garden Competition, with entries judged across three categories: Best Individual Garden, Best Communal Garden, and Best Housing Sheltered Scheme. The judging panel was impressed by the creativity and care shown throughout the submissions. One standout was the wild garden at the rear of a property, which created a colourful haven and clearly reflected the time and effort invested. Another entry amazed the Housing Team with its beautifully maintained front and back gardens, showcasing tireless dedication and crowned by a striking sunflower that swayed the judges’ decision. The winning sheltered scheme demonstrated consistent excellence, providing a vibrant outdoor space for residents to enjoy year after year. The competition highlighted the pride residents take in their gardens and the positive effect these spaces have on the community.
Sing-Along Joy at Rockwell House
A Heart warming Afternoon of Music, Laughter, and Sweet Treats
Tenants at Rockwell House were treated to a delightful afternoon in early October as the lounge came alive with music and laughter during a joyful sing-along session led by the wonderful Howard.
Residents joined in with familiar tunes, sharing smiles and creating a truly uplifting atmosphere. The sound of singing echoed through the building, bringing neighbours together in a celebration of community spirit.
To make the day even sweeter, everyone enjoyed a spread of cakes, biscuits, and warm drinks — the perfect accompaniment to the cheerful melodies and great company.
A heartfelt thank you to Howard for bringing such joy and energy to our tenants. Your passion and positivity made the day truly special!
Partnership Working with Other Housing Providers
Over the summer, Darlington Borough Council Housing Services teamed up with other housing providers to carry out joint inspections and take part in community events across the town.
Staff from the Housing Team worked alongside Railway Housing, North Star, and Places for People in neighbourhoods including Bank Top, Whinfield, and Skerne Park.
The aim of these partnerships is to build stronger connections in areas where we share tenanted properties, share best practice, and learn from each other’s tenant engagement approaches.
- June – Bank Top
Housing Officer Holly and Tenant Involvement Officer Matthew joined Railway Housing residents and staff for a walkabout. This provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas on improving the area. Our partnership with Railway Housing, established last year, continues to strengthen as we work together to enhance services for our tenants. - July – Whinfield
Tenant Involvement Officer Sara and Housing Officer Sophie met Places for People colleague Jane for a joint inspection. In August, they also attended a Places for People community event, which saw families, residents, and staff from Oban Court come together for a successful and enjoyable day. - August – Skerne Park
The highlight of the summer was a large-scale joint event with North Star, supported by partners including the Fire Service, Police, and Civic Enforcement. The day began with an estate inspection, followed by a private tenants’ event at Skerne Park Community Centre. The family fun day featured face painting, balloon modelling, crafts, “Move More” activities, and plenty of opportunities to meet the Housing Team. Staff from across Housing Services — including Housing Officers, Tenant Involvement Officers, Tenant Enforcement, Allocations, Income Team, Lifeline, Team Leaders, and Housing Managers — were all on hand to chat with tenants.
We are committed to continuing this partnership working with other providers to ensure we provide the very best service for our tenants.
Fire Drills across the Schemes
Housing Services conducted a number of fire drills across the schemes, under the direction of Lifeline, staff from within the Housing Services were involved to ensure the drill ran smoothly, including lifeline staff, Team Leaders, Housing Officers.
The fire drill was the start of a project that will be rolled out across all the schemes in Darlington. With the practises becoming the norm so tenants know what to do in the event of a fire.
The Housing Services ensure they are compliant with all fire regulations and are keen to ensure tenants are kept well informed to ensure their safety.
Cheryl Williams the Compliance Manager shared her thoughts following the tests.
‘A number of fire alarm tests have been carried out in our schemes, where a stay-put policy is in place. This was an opportunity for us to ensure tenants and staff know what to do in the event of a fire.
We were pleased to see a large number of tenants kept themselves safe by following the guidance. Feedback from tenants was highly positive, however a couple of concerns were raised. We have already identified some positive solutions and will be feeding back to those tenants soon.
As with all drills they are in place so tenants and staff can gain knowledge and awareness about what would happen if there was to be a real emergency. We will be implementing further training and obtain feedback from our tenants and staff as to what worked well and what needed to be improved on, by listening to the tenants we ensure we gain an insight to the effect it has on the tenants and what we can do support the tenants to ensure they have a good understanding.
We share Fire Safety information through our social media posts and all information regarding Fire safety can be found on our website: Darlington BC - Fire Safety.’
Housing Officer Linda attended the Branksome Hall Drive Fire Drill practise.
‘I attended the fire drill at BHD as I wanted to be part of a critical practise and found that the tenants were fully on board with what to do in the event of hearing the fire alarm. Staff were on hand to reassure tenants but explained it was important that the practises happen, so they would know what do if there was a real emergency.’
Regular fire drills are essential for enhancing overall safety, minimizing panic during real emergencies, and ensuring compliance with legal safety regulations.
Good news story – Branksome – Mr Williams
Sara met with resident Mr Williams of Branksome Hall Drive as had shared his story with his Housing Officer and the Tenant Involvement Team wanted to know more.
Mr Williams joined the Army Infantry in 1967 and became part of the Green Howard Regiment. Mr Williams gave 20 years’ service and toured the world; he visited every continent except the Antarctic.
A special memory was the photo of the Elephant and its baby which he took back in 1972 in South Africa, the government had sent the regiment over to support efforts to eliminate poaching. Mr William had never been that close to wild animals, and it was an amazing feeling.
In 2001 Mr Williams retired from the army and moved to Canada, where he became a skilled workman and turned his hand to welding, painter and mechanics. His parents had moved to Canada whilst he was serving in the army, but they returned to Darlington and Mr Williams shortly followed to take care of them.
Mr William’s has lived in Branksome Hall Drive over 20 years, enjoys the quieter life and tending to his garden.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Community Spirit thanks to Jenny - Havelock Centre
Jenny plays a huge part in the decorating of the scheme for events that take place at the Havelock centre, she also creates the window displays and decorates the gazebo.
Jenny also runs the craft group each Tuesday, where residents can come and have a chat whilst being creative - great job Jenny!
Celebrating Communities Event Saturday 5th April 2025
Darlington Borough Council had the pleasure of hosting our first ‘Communities Together event in collaboration with other Local Authorities across Tees Valley; Redcar & Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Stockton and also the British Red Cross, the Emergency services and other voluntary groups, such as Cultivate Tees Valley, Scouts, NHS, Rotary Club, DWP, NEMP, and many more.
The event was hosted at the Dorman's Club in Middlesbrough and due to the size (and luckily weather) allowed us to have both inside and outside activities and performances such as Line, Bollywood and traditional Ukrainian dancing, singing performances, decorating and potting plants, bouncy castles, face painting, football, mini disco, crafts, story-telling and much more.
The event celebrated the diverse cultures in the area and offered an opportunity for people to get involved in something that may not usually have the opportunity to do and meet and make friends with all of the people we support across the Tees Valley and ultimately to have a wonderful day taking part in all the activities on offer.
Events like this remind us of the power of community and the strength that comes from working together and was testament to the incredible team spirit from all the Local Authorities and community groups involved working as one.
Housing Services Support the Darlington Big Spring Clean
Perfect Pathways at Skerne Park
The Housing Team conducted an Estate Inspection of Skerne Park and wanted to share the amazing work Street Scene have completed on the walk through between Severn Way and Ruskin Road.
The team have cut back the brambles that had over run the area, they have cleared the path to allow it easier for people to walk through. The area looks clean and tidy. This is a perfect example of partnership working between the Housing Team, Street Scene and local tenants who had reported the area being unsightly.
Housing Officer Donna thanked the Street Scene Team for making the area look great.
“It’s great to see this area of Skerne Park back to it’s best and I look forward to the future improvements of the area, the street scene team have been fantastic, it will make a huge difference to safety of tenants walking through the area. “
Dalkeith House – Keith
Dalkeith House resident Keith is the life and soul of the scheme, living there for 5 years
Originally from Sedgefield to Keith remembers a childhood in the countryside picking mushrooms and brambles.
His ancestors were blacksmiths which has resulted in his love for horses throughout his life.
During his working life Keith has worked in the fire service, receiving a medal as well as working in hospitals helping patients recuperate through arts and crafts.
Keith now regularly enjoys the arts and craft sessions which are run at Dalkeith House as part of their weekly coffee morning with scheme manager Gilly varying events such as Easter Bonnet and Christmas Card craft sessions.
He also likes to dance and sing when guest entertainers visit the scheme as well as taking centre stage when the Christmas Panto visits each December.
‘I love it at the scheme, everyone is extremely pleasant, and I have made a lot of friends since I came here’
Away from the coffee mornings he regularly enjoys reading poetry and a spot of oil painting as putting a smile on the face of everyone he meets.
Tenants give back
A very BIG SHOUT OUT to the Tennyson Gardens bingo ladies who have donated food and toiletries to Tees Valley YMCA who are in Middleton Street, Darlington.
The ladies were keen to help people that were struggling to make ends meet, especially when money is tight.
The tenants were adding a couple of products to their weekly shop and as you can see, they have managed to get a big selection of useful products to donate.
When they delivered to Tees Valley YMCA, they met Lynn who is the Housing and Support Manager who stated “It was so nice of you to think of us. Everything that has been donated will be used by people who use our services who sometimes move in with just the clothes they are wearing and with no income.”
Scheme Manager Donna commented, ‘I am very proud of their achievement, and it warms your heart with their generosity and kindness.’
Schemes Darts Tournament
In February the Tenant Involvement Team along with 3 scheme managers helped to organise the first inter scheme Darts Tournament, which took place at King William and involved Tenants from the Bank Top, North Riverside and Haughton areas of town.
Prior to the event the Tenant Involvement team had become aware when speaking to tenants at engagement events how tenants used to visit other in areas/schemes in the town, which built up a great interconnecting spirit. Years ago, tenants from different schemes arranged to attend games days or meet for coffee prior to COVID. It was clear to the team that the tenants wanted to reconnect with each other and felt like a Darts tournament was a perfect way to do this.
In the first event, 3 teams entered the tournament, Havelock, Ted Flecther and King William they played against each other with the Havelock Team coming out on top. – Well done, Havelock! The day was successful, and all tenants had a great time playing darts and supporting each other. King William also provided a buffet at the end which was greatly received.
All 3 teams were keen to continue meeting up and the next event will be held in March at Havelock Community Centre.
Keeping the January Blues Away
Branksome Hall Drive held a Games afternoon for all tenants where they played dominoes, board games and used the afternoon as an opportunity to get together.
Great idea to embrace a community spirit!
