Redcar
Blank Canvas is based in Redcar: a proud, close-knit town situated on the North East Coast of England. Boasting a rich history of steelworks, fishing, and industry. Today, Redcar is a much-loved seaside resort and town, home to over 35,000 people including the brilliant young people Blank Canvas seeks to serve.
KEY CHALLENGES
Young people living in Redcar face a number of challenges. A report produced for elected council members in 2021 highlighted how Redcar and Cleveland fares on quality of life indicators such as child poverty, secondary school performance, new business start ups and youth unemployment.
The North East has the fifth highest rate of child poverty in the UK with 28.9%, with 31.3% of under-16s in Redcar living in poverty.
In Redcar and Cleveland schools have one of the highest rates of persistent absences of 19.5% in 2025.
Redcar has the eighth highest unemployment rate in the England, and young people in the area are particularly vulnerable to unemployment.
As Blank Canvas, we are committed to changing the story for young people in Redcar, to allow young people to achieve their potential. Statistics like the above inform our work but are never the end of the story.
