Hope Restored: How Hartlepool Cleaned Up and Came Together

On 31 July 2024, Hartlepool faced a night no one could have predicted. Protests near the Hartlepool Cenotaph turned into violent riots, leaving local communities shaken. But in true Hartlepool spirit, neighbours and friends came together to restore not just their town, but also hope for a united community.

The evening started with concerns about safety at key community landmarks, including the Salaam Community Centre, a Cleanup Hub on Murray Street, and the Nasir Mosque nearby. Thankfully, swift action from Cleveland Police ensured the mosque remained safe from harm.

The Salaam Centre, however, saw some of the worst scenes of the night, with debris and damage turning the area into what one local described as “like a war zone.” Nancy Pout, the Centre’s manager, shared her heartache: “I will never be able to forget what I witnessed and heard that night, I was frightened for my life and everything we had built up to foster community relations was under threat by mindless violence"

As the night unfolded, Nancy activated the Resilience Hub Protocols, and the call for help spread like wildfire. By 9 am, an incredible wave of community spirit had swept through Hartlepool, with hundreds of residents—many of whom had never picked up a litter pick before—arriving to help. Together with Hartlepool Big Town Tidy Up, Hartlepool Borough Council, and Cleanup Hubs like Wharton Annexe, they collected 120 bags of debris, helping to bring calm back to the streets.

Sue Bacon, The CleanupUK, Cleanup Champion for Hartlepool said “It was truly inspiring, the sense of community was overwhelming. People brought not just their time and effort but food, water, and kindness. It was a reminder of how much good there is in the world.”

The Wharton Annexe Cleanup Hub willingly gave their time, and lent litter picking equipment to the effort. The connections between Cleanup Hubs, faith groups, and local organisations proved invaluable in healing the community. Fundraising efforts sprang into action, led by locals like Andrew Cooper, whose campaign to support the mosque raised over £13,000. True to the mosque’s values, the funds were redirected to the Mayor of Hartlepool’s Charity Fund and neighbouring hubs to further community recovery efforts.

This incredible response turned a night of hate and violence into a morning of hope. From families lending a hand and faith leaders standing in solidarity, Hartlepool’s story reminds us all: when we come together, there’s nothing we can’t clean up.

If you want to see the amazing work the Salaam Community Centre and The Wharton Annexe are doing, take a look at their Cleanup Hub profiles here