Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash praises 'communities with a strong sense of pride and identity'
I was first elected as a local councillor in Hartlepool in 2006 and across our town I know we are fortunate to have communities with a strong sense of pride and identity.
In Victoria ward, that spirit is particularly clear and it is helped enormously by having a councillor who is deeply rooted in the community he represents.
Councillor Gary Allen grew up on the Middleton Road Estate. That local connection matters.
When you grow up in an area, you understand its strengths, its challenges and the pride residents feel in their neighbourhood.
Gary brings that lived experience to his role every day and it’s one of the reasons why residents value having a councillor who listens and is always present in the community.
Speaking to residents, it’s clear that people care deeply about where they live and about the future of their neighbourhood.
With the right care and investment, these areas can continue to be vibrant places where neighbours know each other and look out for one another.
Community spaces also play a vital role in bringing people together. The Nursery Pub is a brilliant example, a great local pub right at the heart of Victoria that acts as a real community hub.
Places like this are often the backbone of neighbourhood life.
Gary also makes a point of attending the Cobden Street Residents’ Association every month.
Those meetings matter. They give residents the opportunity to raise issues directly, share ideas and work with their councillor to get things done.
That kind of regular engagement is exactly what good local representation should look like.
Victoria is also home to organisations doing extraordinary work for the community.
The Salaam Community Centre continues to make a huge difference through the support it provides and the way it brings people together.
What I see in Victoria ward reflects something happening right across Hartlepool.
Our Labour councillors are deeply connected to the communities they serve.
They are visible, they listen and they put in the hard work to make their neighbourhoods better.
Gary is a great example of that approach, rooted in the community, engaged with residents and committed to making progress.
Wherever you elect a Labour councillor, you get hard graft and real progress. Hartlepool on the up.