Standing Tall

It has been a truly extraordinary year for CSC Teesside.

I could go on at length, running through all of the major achievements of 2018, but this year I want to keep the message very simple.

There have been several occasions over the course of the year when we have asked a lot extra from our children. It has always been a big part of my mission and desire to show the world just what the wonderful people of Teesside are more than capable of achieving and to offer a balance to the eyes of the media, who usually offer a very negative portrayal of our beautiful part of the world.

Three high-profile occasions stood out from the rest: 

1) The appearance on The One Show.

2) Our visit to the World Chess Championship.

3) Attending the London Chess Classic. 

On each of these occasions we asked a great deal of our children. On each occasion they delivered magnificently, representing Teesside in such wonderful fashion they repeatedly brought tears to my eyes.

This time last year, I said we would stand or fall by our own efforts and promised to try and build upon our successes of 2017.

We have been able to do so due to many reasons but the main one must be the strength of our remarkable children, who have repeatedly proved their class and quality.

I am so proud of the children of Teesside. Not only those who accompanied me to the special events, but to each and every one as they continue to 'jump above their heads' in terms of their commitment, dedication and achievements.

The children of Teesside are my heroes and always will be.

I can hardly wait to see what we can achieve together during 2019.