Dear Mr Tom Mitchell...

[perseus]

As you are probably aware by now, an inquiry into grant funding, social care funding, Councillor's connections to them, and whether conflicts of interest were declared appropriately is a complicated business in Hartlepool. You're a busy man, 4 weeks isnt a long time.

£20,000, although a fortune to some round here, isn't a great deal to a top barrister. Anyway, allow me to help out with your workload free of charge.

https://www.duedil.com/company/07188871/who-cares-ne-community-interest-company

Above is a link to the general details of an organisation registered with company house called 'Who Cares NE'. Amongst the directors are Councillor Angie Wilcox, Ray Harriman and Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher.
The company has a registered trading address of Community Resource Centre, 44 Kilmarnock Road, Hartlepool Cleveland, TS25 3NU and a registered address of Manor Residents Association Community Resource Centre Hartlepool Cleveland TS25 3NU.

Councillor Angie Wilcox is also listed as occupying the position of 'manager'.

http://www.manorresidents.org.uk/contact.html

Above is a link to Manor Residents Association. They have various trustees listed with the charity including Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher and Councillor Paul Beck. The charities address is listed on their own website as Kilmarnock Road, Hartlepool Cleveland, TS25 3NU. Also listed as being employed at the charity is Kevin Harriman. The contact number for this organisation is 01429 297201

Councillor Wilcox occupies the position of 'manager'.

http://connectedcare.cc/

This website above is for an organisation called Hartlepool Connected Care. Its contact details listed on the organisations own website is Kilmarnock Road, Hartlepool, TS25 3NU. The person listed as the contact is Kevin Harriman. The telephone contact number listed on this site is 01429 297201

http://connectedcare.cc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=11

This link above shows a picture of specifically where to go at the time of this site being put together to use the services of connected care.

https://www.duedil.com/company/07188871/who-cares-ne-community-interest-company/people

This link above shows all of the people listed with company house who are directors of The Who Cares North East Company. Currently they include Ray Harriman, Councillor Kevin Cranney, Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher and Councillor Angie Wilcox.

Councillor Wilcox occupies the position of 'manager' and of company secretary.

http://www.manorresidents.org.uk/index.html

This link above shows where to go if you want to use the services of Manor Residents Association.

I do not have access to all the figures of the money awarded to these 1/2/3 (delete as appropriate) organisations over the years by Hartlepool Borough Council, although i assume you do. I imagine between the 1/2/3 (delete as appropraie) organisations it totals million(s) just a few pence or so.

Anyway, all this has already happened so presumably it's all legal and I have total faith in my councilllors so I assume your inquiry will conclude that this is perfectly legal and all the correct procedures were followed in accordance with the rules of law?

All declarations of interest will have been declared. I have every confidence in that, and all procurement rules and tendering processes will have been followed to the letter.

That fact that there are 5 current serving Labour councillors holding directorships with this/these (delete as appropriate) organisations, as well as close relatives of one, again is presumably all perferctly ok.

Then there's poor old Councillor Cranney who's name may innocently be being dragged through the mud in this inquiry. Here he in the link below listed along with the 20 companies he has been involved in over the years. Most of which are in the sector you are tasked with looking at, and most of which have folded.

https://www.duedil.com/director/916209850/kevin-henry-cranney

Again, i'm sure this is all above board.

Honestly, the people who use this site need to lighten up. This is bound to be all above board.

Mr Mitchell will show our council to be the subject of vicious rumours, and nothing more than that.

[whatabouthisthen]

Dear Mr Mitchell, regardless of what the Councillors have told you, I strongly suggest that you totally ignore them and talk to the people of Hartlepool. Just be sure that you do not talk to their 'paid' supporters. They are easily recognisable by being obese - some also spout funny, spiky haircuts.
p.s. reading the Hartlepool Post will not be a waste of your time and, indeed, may assist you in your investigations.

[Wilton]

Is it safe to assume you've check all the voluntary groups and companies that HBC does any kind of business with and that you've spoken to them to understand how the relationship, or lack thereof with councillors influences the way they do business with the council. That you've met them to understand what the councillors do or don't bring to the table in their positions and how things are decided within organsiations?

You've also been to HBC and fully understand how they undertake due dilligence on the people they do business with?

You have checked how each organsiation spends the money it recieves?

You understand how and why that funding was allocated?

You also understand whether councillors were involved in groups prior to becoming councillors or since election, the exact details of their relationship with the organisation and what if any renumeration to their own or their relatives pockets?

Fighting the good fight is a noble aim. But from a keyboard, with limited information and a lot of innuendo and mischevious (you can thank Cclr Hall for that) questions, and without allies who have working knowledge of these groups you are so suspicious of.

I'd suggest from my knowledge of these things you'd find allies in the groups HBC pays to do things and you'll find that while some things don't look right on paper the really damming stuff will be revealed by those that know.