Praise after 2,000 food boxes delivered every week in Hartlepool during lockdown

Councillors on Hartlepool Borough Council praised the work of the Hartlepool Support Hub in helping to provide food and tackle social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 1,900 weekly food boxes were purchased by the council at an average cost of £38.40 per box, with 887 individuals and families benefiting from the initiative and 442 boxes distributed to people over 60.

Cllr Shane Moore, council leader, thanked everyone involved at the Hartlepool Support Hub for a ‘fantastic job’ during this period.

Councillors on the finance and policy committee also praised the work done to support those shielding and to help prevent social isolation, and called for such efforts to continue.

Cllr Brenda Harrison said: “What a fantastic job has been done by whoever has been involved throughout the council and wider community over this period.

“Some of the things highlighted are things we can carry on with, particularly from the social isolation point of view, and the good work that’s been done shouldn’t just stop suddenly.”

In total £72,960 was spent by the council on the purchase of weekly food boxes, while £15,000 was provided as financial support to Hartlepool Foodbank to help with emergency parcels at the start of lockdown.

Cllr Jim Lindridge said the financial amount becomes ‘negligible’ when considering the benefits provided to residents and the support they would need if they did not have such provision.

He said: “Working with the foodbank and the hubs, it’s reducing social isolation and I actually think it’s strengthening community ties with the vulnerable.

“To me the financial amount there becomes negligible because that would be two,three, 10 fold more than that if those residents couldn’t access that, the demand on other services in the town and on the council as well would be immense.”

Cllr Mike Young, deputy council leader, said the report from officers cleared up a lot of the points questioned by councillors previously over how and why the food parcels were put together in the way they were.

Councillors had previously raised concerns over the decision to use one local business, Chilli Cake, to provide food parcels and questioned why funds were not used to help schools or the voluntary sector provide the offer.

All costs have been covered from government funding provided to the council specifically to deal with the Covid-19 response.

Jill Harrison, council director of adult and community based services, noted although shielding has stopped, the council will continue to use the links made to help tackle issues such as social isolation.

She said: “It’s absolutely our intention to continue with all of the positive things that have been delivered through the hub, we’re looking at how we can build on that and take that forward.

“Although shielding has officially stopped, the work of the support hub absolutely hasn’t stopped and that continues.”

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