National recognition for students involved in community-led alleyway project

Students who led a project to regenerate an area of Middlesbrough have earned special recognition in the APM Project Management Challenge Award.

The APM Project Management Challenge is an annual competition for early-career professionals to plan and deliver real projects, focusing on sustainability and best practices. Teams compete regionally, before finalists present at the national awards.

Running for the past decade, the challenge involves teams from each of the APM Regional Networks being asked to conceptualise, plan and deliver a project, from start to finish.

The Teesside University NextGen Navigators team, representing the North East Region, received the Judges Special Mention award for their community-led urban regeneration scheme, the Linthorpe Tennyson Alleyway Management Project.

The project ran over two consecutive academic years and focused on community-led alleyway improvements in the Linthorpe and Tennyson area. The team worked closely with residents, stakeholders and community partners, including Boro Doughnuts, to tackle fly-tipping, enhance environmental sustainability, and promote long-term community ownership through the Adopt-an-Alley initiative.

The Teesside team previously achieved third place in 2023/24 Association of Project Management (APM) North East Regional Network Finals, showcasing their innovative approach to urban community management.

In the 2025 APM North East Regional Project Challenge, the NextGen Navigators comprised MSc IT Project Management (with Advanced Practice) students Oluwadamilola Justine Aladesuyi Oyelude, Elizabeth Taylor, Losechukwu Oduwegwu and Oluwaremilekun Tola-Okunfolami, along with Ndlovu Yvonne, MSc Project Management (with Advanced Practice) and Oluwafemi Ajayi, MSc Sustainable Engineering Systems (with Advanced Practice).

Oluwadamilola Justina Aladesuyi-Oyelude said: “Being recognised as highly commended at the national finals was both an honour for the team. This also reinforced the impact of our work and showed how locally rooted projects can deliver nationally recognised outcomes.”

Myriam Mallet, Principal Lecturer (Learning & teaching) of the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, said: “This recognition highlights the innovation, leadership, and practical impact of Teesside University students, reinforcing the University’s commitment to community engagement, sustainable development, and real-world skills development for its postgraduate cohorts.”

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