TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board Members

Below are representatives from across various organisations including education, police and crime, charities, community groups and elected members, who represent the TS6 community.
To sit on the Neighbourhood Board, all TS6 Together Board Members must read and sign a Code of Conduct, Terms of Reference and Declaration of Interest forms, to meet strict transparency criteria, as set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). To view the latest versions of these documents, please click here (for Declaration of Interest) and here (for Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference).

Name and Photo	Biography
Rita Richardson Chair, TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board	Born and bred in Grangetown, Rita grew up as one of eleven brothers and sisters. “This definitely shaped who I am today as I learnt early how to look out for others, work together and speak up when something matters,” she explains. She has always been very involved in and committed to her local community. She is currently a Governor at Grangetown Primary School, a role she truly loves. “Supporting our kids, families and school staff means a lot to me, especially as someone who understands the area inside out.” Her volunteering doesn’t stop there, as she is also Chair of Friends of Eston Hills and, alongside these roles, works as a Schools Education Coordinator for Cleveland Fire Brigade, covering the Redcar and Cleveland area, well known amongst the local children as ‘Rita the Fire Lady’. Rita is also on a secondment as the National Education Liaison Co‑ordinator, working at a national level with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). “Everything I do is rooted in giving back to TS6,” explains Rita. “If you cut me in half, it says ‘made in TS6’. I want to make sure our community feels heard, valued and proud of where we live. “
Sarah Hall Assistant Director of Housing, Beyond Housing Vice Chair, TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board	Sarah has over 25 years experience in housing, including in local government, government agencies and in the private sector. At Beyond Housing she has responsibility for housing management and supported living across the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire, supporting people to succeed and thrive in their homes. She works closely with the Council and a range of external organisations through community partnership and engagement, putting people at the heart of decisions. Growing up in Redcar and working across the North in previous roles, Sarah is committed to delivering meaningful, lasting change for people in TS6.
Sue Jeffrey Director, South Bank Community Land Trust Elected Ward Member, Southbank	Sue has lived in the South Bank Ward of TS6 for the last 44 years. She had a long career in housing, regeneration, and regional policy at a senior level, taking early retirement in 2008. Since that time, she has represented her area as an elected Councillor, including serving for four years as Leader of the Council 2015 – 2019. She is a Volunteer Director of the South Bank Community Land Trust which owns and rents five homes in South Bank and twice a week she can be found at the South Bank Ecoshop, a community grocery that has been operating since 2020 providing affordable food for local people. Sue believes strongly that the future of TS6 should be decided by those who live here and will be doing everything she can to ensure that the cash allocated to the TS6 Together Board is used well to deliver local priorities as agreed by local people.
Dr Mark Fishpool Programme Director, You've Got This (a Sport England Pilot)	Mark has been part of YGT since its inception in 2017 and has been Programme Director since April 2021. Funded by Sport England and hosted by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, YGT is one of twelve national place partnerships that aim to increase physical activity at a population level. YGT focusses on creating collaborative partnerships with local organisations and communities around a shared purpose of encouraging “Active Lives as a Way of Life”. This involves influencing at a policy, environmental and organisational level, to address the barriers to physical activity in our place. YGT works across Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough, and has had a particular focus on Grangetown and South Bank, with the small core programme team being based in Eston Leisure Centre. Mark has worked on environmental sustainability and healthy living programmes for over 30 years, and is a keen commuter cyclist, walker and gardener. He is passionate about the opportunities for physical activity and high quality local green spaces in improving wellbeing and quality of life for local people.
Liz Edwards Co-Founder & CEO, Rubies Charity	Liz has lived in the TS6 area for over a decade having moved here from Shropshire in 2013. She co-founded Rubies in 2017 in order to provide grassroots support across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland after research found that girls living here are the most disadvantaged in the country. Rubies now supports over 300 girls every year, empowering them to build self-esteem and resilience and helping them to stay safe in person and online. Liz has over 25 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, mainly working with young people and women and girls in youth settings, refuges, supported housing and charities. She is also a qualified counsellor and has been a church leader for the past 20 years. Liz is passionate about social justice and about challenging the perceptions and stereotypes that persist about the area she has come to call home.
Councillor Lynn Pallister Cabinet Member for Growth & Enterprise	Lynn has been a Councillor for Grangetown since 1999 and over the past 18yrs has held Cabinet positions ranging from Neighbourhood Renewal, Health and more recently Economic Growth. Lynn also brings 30 years’ experience in Community Development, Social Enterprise, and Neighbourhood Regeneration both within the Voluntary/Community and Public Sector. She has been an active member on a number of Strategic Partnerships and was Chair of the Greater Eston Regeneration Board that oversaw the creation of new homes, retail , phase 1 development of the skipper’s lane industrial estate and Eston Health Village. She was also the Councils representative on the Association of Northeast Councils (ANEC) and helped produce a paper for all NE Councils to consider when tackling Youth Unemployment. Lynn is looking forward to working with other Board members to improve people’s lives across the TS6 area. She will also work closely with the wider community to ensure YOUR voices are heard and the money we spend delivers real change across our communities.
Councillor Alec Brown Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council	Alec has proudly served the residents of Redcar and Cleveland for over eight years, representing both Dormanstown and Kirkleatham Wards. Alec served as Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods between 2016 to 2019 and had oversight over the borough's highest ever recycling rates. Alec has a passion for social value and the betterment of the area, and was truly honoured to have been elected Leader for the Council by his peers, after the most recent local elections. Alec has a successful career behind of him, particularly in digital marketing, and will utilise these skills to help promote the work of the Council.
Emily Harrison District Commander, Cleveland Police	Emily has been the District Commander for Redcar and Cleveland since 2023 and has worked in the area as both previously as a Neighbourhood Inspector and Chief Inspector. Having worked in the area for a number of years Emily hopes this project can bring long term reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour affecting our communities who live and work in the TS6 area. Emily is keen to work with partners to bring real solutions to the challenges faced and improve the quality of life, realising the potential of the local people and the area.
Anna Turley MP Elected Member of Parliament for Redcar	Anna was recently elected as the new MP for Redcar in July 2024, having previously served as the region's MP between 2015 to 2019. As Redcar's elected MP, Anna will use her position to help further the long-term objectives and aspirations for the TS6 Together initiative, including a strong emphasis on socio-economic regeneration.
Mark Robinson Principal, Outwood Academy Normanby	Mark is privileged to be Principal of Outwood Academy Normanby, a secondary school at the heart of the TS6 community. Everyone at Outwood Academy Normanby believes in putting students first in order to raise standards and transform lives. Mark believes that education has the potential to be transformative, through the experiences, choices and opportunities that it offers young people. Educating, guiding and supporting young people and families within are central to Mark's aims, in partnership with others, so that every young person within TS6 can thrive and make a positive contribution to the community.
Shahda Khan Director, Borderlands	Shahda Khan is currently Director of Borderlands, which is part of Art Council England’s national Creative People and Places programme. Borderlands is working across South Tees including TS6, significantly increasing the number of local people taking part in cultural and creative activity, as well as embedding culture as a part of our approach to resilience and place shaping. Shahda has a substantive portfolio of leading multi-disciplinary programmes, which has involved working with communities, especially those from underrepresented groups as well as strategic partners. She has an extensive track record of commitment and innovation around equity, inclusion, and representation. Shahda was strategic lead for communities at Middlesbrough Council for over 15 years and previously a Researcher at Sunderland University. She is a former Governor both of Middlesbrough College and Teesside University and has also undertaken several advisory roles including those for national government and Scotland Yard.
Mark Davis Chief Executive, Enhance Redcar/Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency	Mark was appointed as Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency in 2016, having worked at the organisation since 2006, and is now leading for Enhance Redcar to provide strategic support and visioning towards voluntary and community action in TS6.
Helen Deehan Tees Valley Community Climate Fund Senior Lead, Business in the Community	Helen possesses a strong moral compass and is passionate about giving her time, attention, and dedication to seeing projects in communities succeed. Helen likes to find projects and opportunities that have a direct impact on bettering the day to day lives of people who live in the communities that she works and lives in. Helen has a keen interest in mapping and strategic planning, in which communities must be grassroots driven working as a collective adopting a no silos, no egos approach. Helen seeks to create space for others’ perspectives, absorb the full context before speaking, and ensure discussions stay thoughtful rather than reactive. Helen has experience as a school governor and through her career over the last 25 years has learned to positively challenge, and connect decisions to the vision to bring objectivity at every step. Helen can draw on a strong national network of place makers through Business in the Community, bringing ideas, concepts and story’s from outside of Teesside from communities who share similar challenges. Helen is a strong believer in learning from others and the need to look outside our area for possible solutions.

Name and Photo	Biography
Rita Richardson Chair, TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board	Born and bred in Grangetown, Rita grew up as one of eleven brothers and sisters. “This definitely shaped who I am today as I learnt early how to look out for others, work together and speak up when something matters,” she explains. She has always been very involved in and committed to her local community. She is currently a Governor at Grangetown Primary School, a role she truly loves. “Supporting our kids, families and school staff means a lot to me, especially as someone who understands the area inside out.” Her volunteering doesn’t stop there, as she is also Chair of Friends of Eston Hills and, alongside these roles, works as a Schools Education Coordinator for Cleveland Fire Brigade, covering the Redcar and Cleveland area, well known amongst the local children as ‘Rita the Fire Lady’. Rita is also on a secondment as the National Education Liaison Co‑ordinator, working at a national level with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). “Everything I do is rooted in giving back to TS6,” explains Rita. “If you cut me in half, it says ‘made in TS6’. I want to make sure our community feels heard, valued and proud of where we live. “
Sarah Hall Assistant Director of Housing, Beyond Housing Vice Chair, TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board	Sarah has over 25 years experience in housing, including in local government, government agencies and in the private sector. At Beyond Housing she has responsibility for housing management and supported living across the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire, supporting people to succeed and thrive in their homes. She works closely with the Council and a range of external organisations through community partnership and engagement, putting people at the heart of decisions. Growing up in Redcar and working across the North in previous roles, Sarah is committed to delivering meaningful, lasting change for people in TS6.
Sue Jeffrey Director, South Bank Community Land Trust Elected Ward Member, Southbank	Sue has lived in the South Bank Ward of TS6 for the last 44 years. She had a long career in housing, regeneration, and regional policy at a senior level, taking early retirement in 2008. Since that time, she has represented her area as an elected Councillor, including serving for four years as Leader of the Council 2015 – 2019. She is a Volunteer Director of the South Bank Community Land Trust which owns and rents five homes in South Bank and twice a week she can be found at the South Bank Ecoshop, a community grocery that has been operating since 2020 providing affordable food for local people. Sue believes strongly that the future of TS6 should be decided by those who live here and will be doing everything she can to ensure that the cash allocated to the TS6 Together Board is used well to deliver local priorities as agreed by local people.
Dr Mark Fishpool Programme Director, You've Got This (a Sport England Pilot)	Mark has been part of YGT since its inception in 2017 and has been Programme Director since April 2021. Funded by Sport England and hosted by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, YGT is one of twelve national place partnerships that aim to increase physical activity at a population level. YGT focusses on creating collaborative partnerships with local organisations and communities around a shared purpose of encouraging “Active Lives as a Way of Life”. This involves influencing at a policy, environmental and organisational level, to address the barriers to physical activity in our place. YGT works across Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough, and has had a particular focus on Grangetown and South Bank, with the small core programme team being based in Eston Leisure Centre. Mark has worked on environmental sustainability and healthy living programmes for over 30 years, and is a keen commuter cyclist, walker and gardener. He is passionate about the opportunities for physical activity and high quality local green spaces in improving wellbeing and quality of life for local people.
Liz Edwards Co-Founder & CEO, Rubies Charity	Liz has lived in the TS6 area for over a decade having moved here from Shropshire in 2013. She co-founded Rubies in 2017 in order to provide grassroots support across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland after research found that girls living here are the most disadvantaged in the country. Rubies now supports over 300 girls every year, empowering them to build self-esteem and resilience and helping them to stay safe in person and online. Liz has over 25 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, mainly working with young people and women and girls in youth settings, refuges, supported housing and charities. She is also a qualified counsellor and has been a church leader for the past 20 years. Liz is passionate about social justice and about challenging the perceptions and stereotypes that persist about the area she has come to call home.
Councillor Lynn Pallister Cabinet Member for Growth & Enterprise	Lynn has been a Councillor for Grangetown since 1999 and over the past 18yrs has held Cabinet positions ranging from Neighbourhood Renewal, Health and more recently Economic Growth. Lynn also brings 30 years’ experience in Community Development, Social Enterprise, and Neighbourhood Regeneration both within the Voluntary/Community and Public Sector. She has been an active member on a number of Strategic Partnerships and was Chair of the Greater Eston Regeneration Board that oversaw the creation of new homes, retail , phase 1 development of the skipper’s lane industrial estate and Eston Health Village. She was also the Councils representative on the Association of Northeast Councils (ANEC) and helped produce a paper for all NE Councils to consider when tackling Youth Unemployment. Lynn is looking forward to working with other Board members to improve people’s lives across the TS6 area. She will also work closely with the wider community to ensure YOUR voices are heard and the money we spend delivers real change across our communities.
Councillor Alec Brown Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council	Alec has proudly served the residents of Redcar and Cleveland for over eight years, representing both Dormanstown and Kirkleatham Wards. Alec served as Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods between 2016 to 2019 and had oversight over the borough's highest ever recycling rates. Alec has a passion for social value and the betterment of the area, and was truly honoured to have been elected Leader for the Council by his peers, after the most recent local elections. Alec has a successful career behind of him, particularly in digital marketing, and will utilise these skills to help promote the work of the Council.
Emily Harrison District Commander, Cleveland Police	Emily has been the District Commander for Redcar and Cleveland since 2023 and has worked in the area as both previously as a Neighbourhood Inspector and Chief Inspector. Having worked in the area for a number of years Emily hopes this project can bring long term reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour affecting our communities who live and work in the TS6 area. Emily is keen to work with partners to bring real solutions to the challenges faced and improve the quality of life, realising the potential of the local people and the area.
Anna Turley MP Elected Member of Parliament for Redcar	Anna was recently elected as the new MP for Redcar in July 2024, having previously served as the region's MP between 2015 to 2019. As Redcar's elected MP, Anna will use her position to help further the long-term objectives and aspirations for the TS6 Together initiative, including a strong emphasis on socio-economic regeneration.
Mark Robinson Principal, Outwood Academy Normanby	Mark is privileged to be Principal of Outwood Academy Normanby, a secondary school at the heart of the TS6 community. Everyone at Outwood Academy Normanby believes in putting students first in order to raise standards and transform lives. Mark believes that education has the potential to be transformative, through the experiences, choices and opportunities that it offers young people. Educating, guiding and supporting young people and families within are central to Mark's aims, in partnership with others, so that every young person within TS6 can thrive and make a positive contribution to the community.
Shahda Khan Director, Borderlands	Shahda Khan is currently Director of Borderlands, which is part of Art Council England’s national Creative People and Places programme. Borderlands is working across South Tees including TS6, significantly increasing the number of local people taking part in cultural and creative activity, as well as embedding culture as a part of our approach to resilience and place shaping. Shahda has a substantive portfolio of leading multi-disciplinary programmes, which has involved working with communities, especially those from underrepresented groups as well as strategic partners. She has an extensive track record of commitment and innovation around equity, inclusion, and representation. Shahda was strategic lead for communities at Middlesbrough Council for over 15 years and previously a Researcher at Sunderland University. She is a former Governor both of Middlesbrough College and Teesside University and has also undertaken several advisory roles including those for national government and Scotland Yard.
Mark Davis Chief Executive, Enhance Redcar/Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency	Mark was appointed as Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency in 2016, having worked at the organisation since 2006, and is now leading for Enhance Redcar to provide strategic support and visioning towards voluntary and community action in TS6.
Helen Deehan Tees Valley Community Climate Fund Senior Lead, Business in the Community	Helen possesses a strong moral compass and is passionate about giving her time, attention, and dedication to seeing projects in communities succeed. Helen likes to find projects and opportunities that have a direct impact on bettering the day to day lives of people who live in the communities that she works and lives in. Helen has a keen interest in mapping and strategic planning, in which communities must be grassroots driven working as a collective adopting a no silos, no egos approach. Helen seeks to create space for others’ perspectives, absorb the full context before speaking, and ensure discussions stay thoughtful rather than reactive. Helen has experience as a school governor and through her career over the last 25 years has learned to positively challenge, and connect decisions to the vision to bring objectivity at every step. Helen can draw on a strong national network of place makers through Business in the Community, bringing ideas, concepts and story’s from outside of Teesside from communities who share similar challenges. Helen is a strong believer in learning from others and the need to look outside our area for possible solutions.

Local Voices Lead the Way: £20m Regeneration Plan Kicks Off with Community Conference

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Residents from across TS6 came together on Monday for a community conference that kicked off public discussions on a 10-year regeneration plan, supported by £20 million in investment set to be spent in the TS6 wards of Eston, South Bank, Normanby, Teesville and Grangetown from 2026 onwards.

Organised by the TS6 Board, the event marked the start of a community-wide conversation about what matters most to residents and how the funding should be spent to bring lasting improvements to the area.

The day brought together local residents, community leaders and local partners with a shared aim: to help shape the future of TS6 and make sure local voices are heard loud and clear.

The event focused on four key goals: giving people a clear picture of the Community Investment Plan; finding out what matters most to local residents and identifying the strengths already within the community; encouraging greater involvement and local leadership; and equipping community members with the tools and ideas needed to keep the momentum going and spread the word.

Speaking after the event, Jason Faulkner, Chair of the TS6 Board said:
“This is about putting local people in the driving seat. The ideas, energy and passion shared at the conference prove that residents want to be part of shaping a better future for TS6. This plan must be built on what the community needs and wants, and Monday was a brilliant first step.”

Throughout the day, people shared their thoughts in workshops and group discussions – from ideas for improving green spaces and tackling anti-social behaviour, to better facilities for young people, jobs, and skills support. Everything shared on the day will feed into the final version of the 10-year plan and help guide how the £20 million is used across local communities.

The TS6 Board will continue to speak to residents in the months ahead through local events, pop-ups, and on-the-ground conversations.

Jason Faulkner added:
“This is just the beginning and we’re listening. We want to hear from as many people as possible so this investment makes a real difference to the people who live here now and for future generations."

Residents from across TS6 came together on Monday for a community conference that kicked off public discussions on a 10-year regeneration plan, supported by £20 million in investment set to be spent in the TS6 wards of Eston, South Bank, Normanby, Teesville and Grangetown from 2026 onwards.

Organised by the TS6 Board, the event marked the start of a community-wide conversation about what matters most to residents and how the funding should be spent to bring lasting improvements to the area.

The day brought together local residents, community leaders and local partners with a shared aim: to help shape the future of TS6 and make sure local voices are heard loud and clear.

The event focused on four key goals: giving people a clear picture of the Community Investment Plan; finding out what matters most to local residents and identifying the strengths already within the community; encouraging greater involvement and local leadership; and equipping community members with the tools and ideas needed to keep the momentum going and spread the word.

Speaking after the event, Jason Faulkner, Chair of the TS6 Board said:
“This is about putting local people in the driving seat. The ideas, energy and passion shared at the conference prove that residents want to be part of shaping a better future for TS6. This plan must be built on what the community needs and wants, and Monday was a brilliant first step.”

Throughout the day, people shared their thoughts in workshops and group discussions – from ideas for improving green spaces and tackling anti-social behaviour, to better facilities for young people, jobs, and skills support. Everything shared on the day will feed into the final version of the 10-year plan and help guide how the £20 million is used across local communities.

The TS6 Board will continue to speak to residents in the months ahead through local events, pop-ups, and on-the-ground conversations.

Jason Faulkner added:
“This is just the beginning and we’re listening. We want to hear from as many people as possible so this investment makes a real difference to the people who live here now and for future generations."

Page last updated: 18 May 2026, 09:28 AM

TS6 Together Neighbourhood Board Members

Local Voices Lead the Way: £20m Regeneration Plan Kicks Off with Community Conference

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We Are TS6 Together - Poem

Key Dates

TS6 Together Board Documents

TS6 Time Machine (September 2025)

Videos