A group of Billingham travel agents have sponsored a new bench outside their shop to provide a welcoming place for local people to sit and chat.

The bench is located outside Hays Travel on Queensway in Billingham and is engraved with the words, “This bench is a tiny destination. Stay a moment, share a story”.

Branch manager, Charlotte Sigsworth, said: “We are all about our community. As a branch, we wanted to be able to support our local people and provide a welcoming space for people to sit and chat. 

“Some people go all day without talking to anyone, some people need to off-load, and some people may just need a friendly face to share a story or to take a break from everyday stresses and strains.”

Hays Travel Billingham previously donated a friendship bench to Priors Mill C of E Primary School in 2018.

The team has also been supporting local charity, the Headlight Project, for the past four years. Their most recent fundraising event was a Christmas quiz that raised over £1,000.

Anne Cullum, CEO of the Headlight Project said: “We are incredibly grateful to Hays Travel Billingham for their continued support of the Headlight Project. Since 2023, their team has raised over £6,000.

"The funds raised help us to continue our vital work, supporting families and friends bereaved by suicide and delivering preventative education across the Tees Valley.”

Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agent, with branches across the UK - all committed to supporting their customers and the local communities they serve.

Each Hays Travel branch is provided with a £500 budget to use for fundraising and charity work in their local area; £200 of this is to be used to fundraise for charities which support young people’s mental health, and the other £300 can be used for charities chosen by the branch.

In the last year, Hays Travel’s Local Community Partnership initiative across its retail network has donated almost £170,000 to local charities.