Calls for tribute in Hartlepool to those lost during the pandemic

Councillors noted it would be a way to ‘re-engage’ with residents following the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, and support those in need.

The comments were made by Cllr Marjorie James at a Hartlepool Borough Council Audit and Governance Committee meeting.

She said many residents will be feeling distressed due to the pandemic, especially those who have known loved ones who would have suffered with the virus.

Cllr James said: “One of the ways the council could re-engage public opinion would be for us to start a conversation about how Hartlepool will remember and acknowledge the losses that a number of our families have suffered because of Covid.

“Where they have not been able to go to funerals, they’ve not been able to visit people in homes, people have died, as far as the families are concerned, on their own.

“I just think there is a huge confusion and distress amongst the public and I think if we were to instigate a conversation where we invited comments from the public as to how they would like us to do some act of remembrance once this is all over, and how they feel that would be appropriate.”

Cllr James added this would give the council a chance to talk to families in the borough about how they are feeling and help support their mental health.

She said: “That would allow us an inroad to talk to some of those families and give them an invitation to come forward and voice the way that they feel.

“I think that is just so important to them for their own mental health and their own children etc, and the rest of their extended family.

“They really need to be able to talk to someone about who they’ve lost, why they feel like they do.”

Chris Little, director of resources and development at the council, added he would take the comments to the corporate management team.

He noted in July the council also launched ‘Let The Story Be Told’, an initiative which aims to create a permanent record of how the people of Hartlepool faced the Coronavirus, which it could be linked in with.

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