A NEW partnership has been forged aimed at helping to improve the health and wellbeing of older people on Teesside.

Tees Active, a charitable trust delivering a wide range of leisure activities as a strategic partner of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, has teamed up with North-East care company, Care Matters.

Care Matters, which is part of the Newlands Group, recently secured a major new contract to expand the domiciliary care services it already provided for the local authority.

It means that Care Matters will be adding around 70 staff to its 100-strong workforce by expanding services to Yarm, Ingleby Barwick, Thornaby, and the Parkfield and Oxbridge areas of Stockton.

And, as a way of increasing its commitment to the Stockton area, Care Matters has joined forces with Tees Active to support their residents to be more physically active and stimulated as well as promote job vacancies that have been created by the new council contract.

Care Matters’ Managing Director, Lisa Spark, said: “Having been asked to double the care services we provide for Stockton Borough Council, the partnership with Tees Active seems the natural next step.

“We are providing increased care services across the borough, and Tees Active has a growing number of initiatives aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of older people, so it’s the perfect fit.”

One of the highlights of the Tees Active programme for older people is called Care Home Legends, which enables residents of care homes to take part in a range of leisure activities, such as archery, balloon keepy-up competitions, netball, table tennis, indoor curling, and magnetic darts.

Tees Active also arranges for residents of local care homes to take part in wheelchair ice skating sessions at Billingham Forum. As well as being calming and therapeutic, the activity also unlocks precious memories for those with dementia.

Leon Jones, Managing Director of Tees Active, described the relationship with Care Matters as being “a positive partnership with real potential to make a difference”, adding: “The two organisations share the vision and objectives about the importance of older people being physically active and socially engaged, so it’s great to be working together more closely.”