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Support – Michelle Cooper , right , with members of the HartlePower team
Community power boosting Hartlepool after £ 25m Town Deal
PICTURE : TOM BANKS
Blending charity work and business sense , communities in Hartlepool are gearing up to make big changes in a post-pandemic world .
Forty years after the last steel was produced in Hartlepool , vocal town supporter Alby Pattison says the place is still working hard to reinvent itself .
Until recently , it wasn ’ t entrepreneurial spirit in short supply , but the finance needed to revamp the town and help young people into decent work .
But crisis funding delivered because of the pandemic has left a positive legacy - and now £ 25m from central government looks set to uplift the town ’ s fortunes .
With plans for a new Health and Care Academy and a Civil Engineering Institute , the Town Deal funding could address some local challenges , as 36 per cent of disadvantaged young people are not in education , employment or training .
The pot will also help regenerate the town centre , boost retail , and connect the marina , town centre and railway station .
Alby , who chaired the Town Deal board , said : “ It ’ s now critical that we can be vocal about the positive changes that are coming for the town . I think sometimes people can be a little cynical and see it as all talk and no action , so we need more people like Janice Auton [ co-chair of Love Hartlepool ] who actively promotes action over talk .”
Meanwhile , town titans like HartlePower are working hard to meet local need while inspiring others to blend sustainable business models with charitable work and the latest green technology .
The organisation has introduced groundbreaking projects to the town , including affordable room hire , a car club project and community broadband , which gives local people a thriftier way to get online .
Director Paul Hewitson said : “ We ’ re a hybrid organisation and for us to be able to be commercial and charitable is really positive . It sets a good example to others who can see that we do amazing charity work but we also have services we can sell . It ’ s about networking the business and third sector together .
“ Ultimately , we want people to be able to get out there , enjoy life and have good jobs and fantastic places to work .”
During the pandemic , the team rose to the challenge and backed a host of other organisations to put support in place across the town . Funding from County Durham Community Foundation proved key .
Grants totalling £ 38,000 from the foundation helped the HartlePower team coordinate and provide a vast range of support . A force of volunteers came together and trained to help people while boosting their own skills .
Paul said : “ We had a very positive experience with County Durham Community Foundation . The grants were delivered efficiently and made a substantial difference . Without them , many people already disadvantaged and on the margins would have suffered additional distress .”
Now Paul hopes the town can focus on the next generation .
He said : “ I think our next big challenge is helping our young people and making sure they have sport or hobbies that get them off screens and building the skills they need . We ’ ve had a great lad who came to work for us through Kickstart but it does take work . It ’ s worth it to see someone ’ s face when they get their first pay cheque .”
Michelle Cooper , CEO of County Durham Community Foundation , said : “ It ’ s been exciting to fund real change and we are looking to do much more in Hartlepool . Like Paul , Alby and many others , I think the key will be supporting the town ’ s young people to have the same opportunities as their peers elsewhere in the country .”
Between mid-2019 and November last year , the foundation awarded £ 296,000 to groups that provide support to people living in some of the most deprived areas of Hartlepool . It now hopes to work with local businesses to build on this .
An event will be held in the town later this year for those who want to know more about County Durham Community Foundation . Please register your interest by emailing alison @ cdcf . org . uk .
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