CORONAVIRUS – Hartlepool Support Hub goes from strength to strength

Published Friday, 17th April 2020

Hartlepool Support Hub – the support network to help anyone in the borough who is self-isolating or otherwise unable to leave their home during the Coronavirus emergency – has reached new milestones.

The Hub – which launched just four weeks ago – has now taken over 4,000 calls, distributed over 700 food parcels and delivered over 500 prescriptions.

It has also announced that it is working in partnership with Hartlepool restaurant and catering company Chilli Cake, which will act as a central link in the Hub’s supply chain.   

Chilli Cake – which has a 5-star hygiene rating - will liaise with local suppliers of meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and store cupboard essentials like tinned goods and cereals, ordering and collecting supplies and making them up into parcels ready for the Hub team to distribute.

Jill Harrison, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Director of Adult and Community-Based Services, said: “Our latest figures for the number of people we’ve been able to help are simply fantastic and are testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with the Hub.

“We are also delighted that Chilli Cake are joining the team, bringing with them their logistics expertise and their established links with local suppliers.

“Not only is the Hub helping local people, by using Chilli Cake and other local firms it’s helping to support countless local businesses too.”

Julie Evans, Chilli Cake owner, added: “We have a lot of experience of sourcing food and liaising with suppliers so we’re really pleased to be able to add our skills to the Hub. It’s an amazing town-wide effort and we’re very proud to be part of it.”  

The Hartlepool Support Hub offers information and advice, emotional support, delivery of shopping, newspapers and prescriptions and links to other additional services which are offering support.

People can contact the Hub by: