A construction firm carrying out work to transform the Teesworks site has given back to the community by painting a local football club’s car parking spaces free of charge.

Hall Construction has been based at Teesworks since September 2020, clearing land on the South Bank area and undertaking site preparation works at the 120acre Dorman Point, employing local former steelworkers to get the land ready for investment.

Now, along with subcontractor Couple Line, the firm has taken on a very different project, painting the lines for the redesigned car park of Redcar Town Football Club in Dormanstown, just south of the UK’s largest industrial zone. The club was established in 1994 and currently has around 350 male and female members playing in 23 teams across all age groups, including recent Teesworks apprentice Michael Stonehouse.

The football club had previously offered up their car park for visitors to use when taking advantage of the public coach tours around Teesworks, before they were postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus restrictions. They stepped in as redevelopment began on the Teesworks gatehouse, which meant a lack of easy access or parking on the site.

The repainting work was finished just days after the Prime Minister announced that outdoor sports facilities can reopen and formally organised outdoor sports can begin from March 29.

James Hall, a Project Engineer with Hall Construction, said: “It’s great to be part of the massive works taking place at Teesworks. We’ve been given a number of opportunities to work on this site and we wanted to give something back to the local community too.

“Redcar Town Football Club is a central hub to hundreds of children and adults in the local community, and even during this difficult time the prospect of getting back on the pitches once lockdown is over, is one that all the members are looking forward to.

“That’s why we’re pleased to play a small part in helping to improve their club facilities and the area surrounding the site.”

Ross Sibley, the Project Development Officer at Redcar Town FC, said: “We’re very grateful for the team at Hall Construction for stepping in to carry out this valuable work for us. The club’s new car park desperately needs designated parking spaces painting on it to finish the process off. While it’s understandably regrettable that our matches and training have been suspended, there’s no better time than now to capitalise on the break to get this work completed.

“We’re a Registered Communality Amateur Sports Club (CASC) that operates on a purely voluntary basis for the benefit of all the local community and the project funding and work provided in support of this venture by Hall Construction is a very generous well intentioned gesture, for which we are most grateful.

“We are looking forward to getting up and running again as soon as circumstances permit, however, in the meantime and in the future, we are more than happy to offer our assistance with Teesworks tours. We have, over the years, had many local steelworkers and their children playing with our Club teams. I am acutely aware of how important the history of the steelworks, as well as the Mo Mowlam Memorial Site on which our Club is located, is to them and their families.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This generous offer just shows what can be done when local people, businesses and voluntary groups pull together for the benefit of the whole community.

“We’ve been committed to getting local firms to carry out the transformation of Teesworks, employing people from Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool in the process. That makes all the difference because not only do these companies care about who they employ, putting money in the pockets of local workers and helping to keep it in the region, but they also care about making our area better for everyone who lives there in many different ways.

“I’m proud to have Hall Construction working on our site and I’d like to also say a big thank you to Redcar Town for their original offer of parking to help out with our postponed Teesworks tours. It’s this sort of community spirit that I love to see – and that we’ll undoubtedly see more of as our development progresses.”