Meldrum Group are looking to create jobs and apprenticeships on Teesside and are the latest to back the Digital Poverty Appeal that’s been supported by Tees Business.
Meldrum Foundation, the charity arm of Meldrum Construction Services Group, has donated £2,500 to help purchase laptops and internet connectivity for local schools to supply to pupils struggling with their home-learning during the continued lockdown.
Backed by Tees Business and coordinated by Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, the appeal has seen tech donated to local schools to support disadvantaged young learners.
Those who have supported the scheme include Causeway, Visualsoft’s Dean Benson, PD Ports, Devereux Transport & Distribution, Wilton Centre, AV Dawson, Unity Tech Group, Countryside Properties, ITS and Industrial Marine Hydraulics.
Established for 20 years, Meldrum recently opened a Middlesbrough office and hope their donation will show their commitment to the Teesside area.
Group HR and marketing director Cheryl James said: “Meldrum Foundation are delighted to be able to support the Digital Poverty initiative in Teesside. Having recently opened a new office in Middlesbrough, we are keen to make a difference to the local community and economy.
“The ethos of the Foundation is to help transform the lives of those most disadvantaged by providing new experiences or by improving the environment in which they live.
“Now more than ever, technology is providing a lifeline to people and in particular students who are unable to attend school. We believe this lifeline should be available to all; and that students should not be at a disadvantage simply because they do not have the means to purchase their own laptop or tablet.
“Meldrum are passionate about supporting local young people and our own staff. We have developed more than 170 members of our team through a mix of apprenticeships, HND’s and Degrees and the plan for the future is to expand our training programme with the same educational opportunities in the Tees Valley region”.
“Meldrum believe in giving back to the local community, developing and retaining local talent and building a local supply chain.”
Lee Bramley, chair of trustees for the Philanthropic Foundation, said: “Thank you to Meldrum for joining our appeal against digital poverty on Teesside. Thanks to the generosity of local firms and individuals, we’ve already been able to help hundreds of local children keep up with their home studies through donations of laptops and other tech to schools we’ve partnered with.
“The Foundation is proud to coordinate this appeal but it would be impossible without the generosity of businesses such as Meldrum, who’ve made a wonderful statement of intent with this donation. Our thanks to our friends at PD Ports for introducing us to Meldrum.”
Our picture at the Transporter Bridge shows Tracy Cuthbertson, project director based at Meldrum’s Middlesbrough Office, and Dave Meldrum, CEO of Meldrum Group.
