Seven new big-name brands joined the popular shopping complex in 2024, including the likes of Nike, Primark, Ninja Warrior, and PureGym. Major construction work has been happening across the park throughout the year, not only for new stores in 2024 but for upcoming brands soon to arrive in the new year. Catherine Furlong, centre director at Teesside Park, told The Northern Echo this week: “What a year 2024 has been for us”, “Seven new brands have joined the Teesside Park family as well as the new golf concept in Hollywood Bowl. “We have delivered some amazing community initiatives including our Bright Lights and Young Readers programmes which have supported more than 200 local young people with both employment and education. “There’s been so much positive feedback from our visitors and we’re super excited about lots more to come next year!” So as the year comes to a close, we’ve rounded up all the changes at Teesside Park this year, and what shoppers can expect in 2025. Sportswear giant Nike was the first to open its new store at Teesside Park in 2024, taking over the former New Look in February. Nike at Teesside Park (Image: Teesside Park) Nike Unite is a newer concept rolled out by the chain, which aims to better represent the community its branch is located in. Stocking a variety of sportswear for men, women and children, the 11,855 sq ft location offers “everyday essentials” alongside select seasonal items. Hollywood Bowl relaunched in March this year following a huge £2 million makeover. Hollywood Bowl at Teesside Park The site is now home to a 12-hole minigolf course, 31 bowling lanes, a new bar and a refreshed amusement area, after taking over the former Imperial City restaurant next door. It also added a five-lane VIP section for those who wanted to bowl in luxury. Hundreds of shoppers flocked to Teesside Park in May after Primark opened its doors for the first time inside the former Mothercare unit. Primark at Teesside Park (Image: Sarah Caldecott) 700 customers queued for the opening, which created 180 new jobs for the region and followed months of anticipation for the new site. Set across two floors and measuring 37,100 sq ft, the store stocks clothing, kidswear, beauty, lifestyle and home. Ninja Warrior opened its adventure park at Teesside Park in July, boasting a replica obstacle course of the hit ITV show. Ninja Warrior (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) The adventure park offers something for all ages - with dozens of obstacles and inflatables to traverse, including the warped wall. Kids are also able to take on one Ninja Warrior UK’s largest inflatables, featuring an obstacle course, slides, and battle zone. Beauty brand Rituals launched at the shopping complex in late October, in part of the former H&M, which has been closed since June 2022. Rituals before opening (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) The space was initially set to be taken over by Frasers Group’s Tessuti chain - but this never came to fruition and the unit was divided into three. The store - which sells a range of products for the “body, mind, and soul” - came months after the brand appeared on park plans in May. Just one day after the opening of Rituals, British fashion and lifestyle chain White Stuff opened up nextdoor, also in part of the former H&M. White Stuff (Image: UGC) The launch date saw 20% off almost everything in store, and even some glasses of prosecco - with the first 50 people inside gifted with a Teesside tote bag. PureGym opened its first Teesside site at the complex on November 1, following a major renovation of the former Millennium nightclub. PureGym at Teesside Park (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) The site was gutted by construction crews before being transformed - with the site now featuring hundreds of pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, a functional zone, free weights area, fixed resistance, cardio equipment, and a fitness studio and a cycle studio. Fashion retailer Mango opened its new store in a section of the former H&M in December, months after the Spanish retailer first lodged plans for signs at the site. Inside Mango (Image: TEESSIDE PARK) The store has been decked out with warm tones, neutral colours, and a range of materials including ceramic, tuff, wood, marble, sparto grass, and leather items. Works have been continuing on a huge new unit at Teesside Park for several months that will soon become Sports Direct’s new home at the complex. The new Sports Direct (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) Frasers Group - which owns the sporting chain - announced last year that the sportswear firm would be expanding into a new 40,000sq ft space, featuring a GAME and Evans Cycles. The upcoming store is made up of the former Laura Ashley, Argos, USC, and MenKind stores, which have been merged to create an amalgamated unit. The store is set to open in spring 2025 - with an exact date not known. Meanwhile, designer chain Flannels, which also falls under the Frasers Group umbrella, is set to take over the current Sports Direct store. The current Sports Direct (Image: GOOGLE) The firm - which sells designer brands such as Stone Island, Boss, Gucci, Vivienne Westwood, and Polo Ralph Lauren - will soon be transforming the 20,000-square-foot unit. The Northern Echo understands that Flannels will also open in late spring - but it is not known when the current Sports Direct will close its doors. B&M (Image: Michael Robinson) Discount retailer B&M opened its new 34,686 sqft store in November 2022, taking over the former Toys R Us store. When the new store was announced, the chain confirmed a garden centre would soon open also, with signs on the front saying it would be launching in spring or summer 2024. However, earlier this year, B&M confirmed it was planning to open the new garden centre in March 2025. It is not known why the addition has been delayed.Choosing the Right Fiber Optic Cable for Consumer Needs
Think of a ‘traditional’ philanthropist, and most of the famous, celebrated names which come to mind are likely to be male. But as last week highlighted, women have played a major role in Australian philanthropy and continue to inspire each other, driving momentum to expand charitable giving across all sectors of society. We can see this ripple effect throughout our history. Take Eliza Hall, who after the death of her husband Walter in 1911, decided to use the family’s wealth to establish a medical research facility with the aim of being a birthplace of discovery for all humankind. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute gave Australia its first Nobel Prize winner in Sir Frank MacFarlane Burnett, but also touched a chord with a young Vera Ramaciotti who was inspired decades later to use the proceeds from the sale of Sydney’s Theatre Royal for the greater good. She established a charitable trust, with the first grant going to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. A few years later, Ramaciotti’s foundation would provide a grant to enable Professor Graeme Clark to complete the prototype of the first Cochlear implant. The power of influencing and inspiring others through generosity is instructive as we collectively seek to double philanthropy in Australia by 2030, an ambition supported by the federal government. There is a clear need to grow our giving. Today there are 3.3 million Australians living below the poverty line, including one in six children. Over 122,000 people are facing homelessness on any given night, with service providers facing enormous challenges to provide support to those who need it. While there are deeper structural issues at work here, it is clear that we can do more both as individuals and collectively. Tax data reveals that Australians’ philanthropic efforts lag behind our international counterparts – fewer than half of Australians with a taxable income over $1 million give to charity and receive a tax deduction, compared to 90 per cent in the US. Furthermore, the proportion of Australian taxpayers who report any charitable donation has been tracking downwards since 2010-11. To shift this trajectory, women from around Australia are coming together through the She Gives campaign to discuss ways to mobilise greater giving in Australia and to celebrate and encourage giving by Australian women. Why women? Because evidence shows that the dominant image of philanthropy has been a narrow one, largely focused on men who give generously and publicly. Yet there are innumerable inspiring untold stories of women around the country who are giving their time and their wealth, their knowledge and experience to drive positive impact. She Gives is shining a spotlight on these stories to celebrate women’s giving, and to empower and motivate more women to join a growing philanthropic community that fosters systemic social change. We should be bolder in our purpose as a nation. This is a unique moment in time with an enormous intergenerational wealth transfer taking place, and we have an opportunity to share a vision for how we want our communities to benefit. In my experience, those people who talk about wanting to leave a legacy are rarely talking about purely money. They want to help contribute to a world that is better than the one they came into and better than the one they are leaving behind. Whether your gift is large or small, whether it is through time, talent or treasure – the flow-on effect can last a lifetime. Significantly, the rise of community foundations and Private Ancillary Funds over the past decade shows growing interest in collective giving and giving locally for visible impact in local communities. At a time of such need for many Australians, reaching out with care and generosity reminds us that the essence of philanthropy is a shared commitment to lifting each other up. By inspiring each other to do more, we can drive the ripple effect further for a tide of positive change.
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