The inspiring stories of everyday champions took centre stage as the fourth annual Hartlepool Heroes awards celebrated the incredible individuals and groups who make our town a better place to live, work and thrive. Organised by The PFC Trust in proud partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council and Hartlepool Carers, the 2026 ceremony highlighted the extraordinary dedication of local people. From dedicated young carers to tireless charity fundraisers, ten prestigious awards

Joe Wilson (10k), Jacob Brown (swimming), George Craggs (400m), Adam Brooks (cycling), Max Creasey (13.1 miles), Zander Gribbon (5k), Keith Hutchinson (800m, bottom left) and Paul Hewitson (team manager, bottom right). Pictures: Chris Booth/Rephrase If you have ever tried to outrun a car in a 20mph zone, biked down a steep hill just to feel a bit of speed or gasped for air after swimming a single length of a pool, prepare to have your pride thoroughly dented. A group of seven

The revitalisation of a community cricket club has been given a massive boost after its training facilities received a major upgrade thanks to a significant charity donation. Seaton Carew Cricket Club, based at Hornby Park on Elizabeth Way, has been donated £12,000 by The PFC Trust to install a new surface in its nets after the old ones fell into disrepair over several years. Determined to improve their grounds, club members and supporters had been actively raising money them

The founder of a Hartlepool-based charity has expressed her immense pride after the team’s flagship fundraising event pushed its historic total past the half-a-million-pound mark. The PFC Trust’s fifth annual Green & Blue Ball took place last weekend, raising an astonishing £122,000 on the night alone. The record-breaking figure means the charity, which aims to change people’s lives for the better across the region, has now raised well over £500,000 across the five nights hel

Winners of Hartlepool Heroes 2025 The search is officially on to find and celebrate the most inspiring individuals in our community as the highly anticipated Hartlepool Heroes awards return for 2026. Following a spectacular official launch at The PFC Trust’s annual Green & Blue Ball, the town is once again being invited to shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond. Nominations officially opened on Monday, April 20, kicking off a community-wide effort to honour the pe

The PFC Trust's new chair Jennifer Beveridge with the charity's founder Frances Connolly and outgoing chair Shaun Hope. Picture: Tom Banks The PFC Trust has announced the appointment of Jennifer Beveridge as its new Chair, signalling a fresh chapter for the Hartlepool-based charity as it continues to expand its reach across the Tees Valley and beyond. Jennifer, 46, succeeds founding chair Shaun Hope, who steps aside after years of dedicated leadership to remain on the board

Strictly Come Dancing star Lewis Cope is quickstepping back to Teesside for The PFC Trust’s fifth annual Green & Blue Charity Ball next month. Lewis has shone under high-stakes pressure in the ballroom, but has promised to trade his sequins for a suit and a serious mission to help the Hartlepool-based charity smash through a historic fundraising ceiling. This year, the ball’s glitz and glamour are heading to a grand new stage at Teesside University’s Digital Life building on

PFC Hartlepool & District Barbarians squad and he PFC Hartlepool & District Barbarians squad with the winning side in the Bangkok International 10s Bowl final, Vientiane Lions RUGBY’S PFC Trust Hartlepool & District Barbarians squad left Thailand empty-handed but their entry into the Bangkok International 10s tournament was hailed as a success. The PFC Trust-sponsored team were unable to win a game in sweltering temperatures in the Thai capital, but did make history by bein

John Bickerstaff with rugby players including Rachel Holliday (wearing black, centre) and Katie Jo-Russell (right). Pictures: Barbarians. Women rugby players from the region are preparing to make history. The PFC Hartlepool & District Barbarians will be the first female squad from the town to participate in a major overseas tournament when they play in the Bangkok International Rugby 10s on February 14-15. Hartlepool’s name reflects the fact that its primary sponsor is The PF

Jack and Salaam Centre Manager Nancy cheesin’ for the camera with meals on their way to food banks and programmes to assist people in need. More people in Hartlepool will be receiving vital food support this Christmas and into the new year, thanks to the launch of an ambitious new initiative designed to eliminate food waste and build community skills. Match Hartlepool CIC, which runs in close partnership with the popular Church Street bar Blue Valentines, has successfully sec

Picture by Samuel Black A major new community arts project, providing a voice to the often unseen and unspoken experiences of mothers and primary caregivers, is set to begin in Hartlepool and Stockton. The upcoming project, created by Rachel Stockdale in association with Stockton Arts Centre ARC, has been backed by The PFC Trust, which has placed its support at the heart of the initiative by donating £6,000 to the campaign beginning in March 2026.Mother? is a multi-layered co

A group of 36 fitness enthusiasts from Hartlepool has smashed its fundraising target after enduring a gruelling, sleepless 24-hour fitness challenge to raise just under £21,000 for a local charity. Team photo from the the 24-hour fitness challenge at Evolve, Hartlepool, to raise money for The PFC Trust. Pictures: 22 Production Co. The event, the brainchild of Matty Richardson, co-owner of Evolve gym and Brewbox on Burn Road, saw 18 pairings tackle a non-stop, around-the-cloc

The PFC Trust has reaffirmed its commitment to improving Hartlepool’s food environment by releasing the second part of its £50,000 two-year funding package to support the Hartlepool Food Partnership. The funding, first agreed in 2024, has been instrumental in enabling the Food Partnership to deliver a wide range of community-focused projects aimed at creating “Healthy, Nutritious, Affordable and Sustainable Food for All in Hartlepool. ”In 2022, it was estimated that 39 per ce

The triumphant AGD Disabled Golf Development team at the Uchangelives Golf Day at Seaton Carew GC with former Liverpool striker and Sky...

Wintertide directors Rachel Laycock, Emma Wheetman and Vicky Jackson with Alisdair Beveridge from the Heroes award sponsor The Build...

The PFC Trust is set to make a massive splash at the end of August by launching its annual UChangeLives campaign with a giant Ice Bucket...

Hartlepool’s rising stage star Chizaram Ochuba-Okafor has extended her heartfelt thanks to the thousands of people who voted for her to...

Hartlepool Rovers has announced a significant step forward in its plans to modernise its changing room facilities, marked by a special...

The historic Borough Hall on the Headland was buzzing with emotion and pride as around 300 people gathered for the return of the...

Hartlepool Sport, the highly successful sports arm of local charity The PFC Trust, has become an independent Community Interest Company...