Grimsby is one of the wealthiest towns in England.
That’s not a fact, nor is it a poor joke. True, the historic port’s food bank queues are among the longest in England. True too that Grimsby on the Humber estuary is one of those coastal communities that often features on the dreaded lists of Britain’s most deprived, alongside the likes of Blackpool, Jaywick by Clacton-on- Sea and Great Yarmouth. In October 2023 the Office for National Statistics revealed that the area of Grimsby East Marsh & Port had the lowest average annual income in England and Wales of little more than £22,000, at least £10,000 below the national average.
Sadly, to many people across the UK and beyond, Grimsby is a town synonymous with decline and the grind of poverty so named, it might seem, after a Dickensian debt collector. As tangible evidence of what has happened to Grimsby, the town’s hosting of the world’s largest fishing fleet of some 400 trawlers as recently as 1970, is sometimes quoted in sharp contrast with the modern reality that fewer than half a dozen trawlers have Grimsby as their home port today.
And yet, Grimsby is a wealthy town. That’s because it is home to an extraordinary mix of philanthropists. Not people who help out now and then, not generous givers (though they too are needed and to be applauded), but individuals who care deeply about Grimsby, who identify a problem, and who do not wait for others to solve it.
Philanthropists will construct a solution, constantly refine it, improve it, and put heart and soul into sustaining it. The idea that philanthropists are exclusively wealthy, the deep pockets that put something back, is a popular misconception. Understandably, attention is almost always focused on them and, of course, it’s important to acknowledge the scale and leverage of their philanthropy. Deep pockets are needed.
Less lauded are those who embark on philanthropy with shallow pockets. What makes a town like Grimsby so wealthy is how growing numbers of deep and shallow pocket Grimbarians are acting on a common purpose to improve the quality of life for a town of 90,000 people.
Pam is one of them. Over fifteen years ago Pam was a mum in search of help for her son with special needs. But Grimsby simply didn’t have enough people or capacity or places to go for children and young people who required special care and attention, whose parents and families needed respite and opportunities to earn. Pam later learned that Grimsby alone had at least 2,500 young people with special needs and probably many more. Of these, less than a third were being supported.
Rather than wait for politicians or for her own pockets to fill up, Pam Hodge built The Rock Foundation. Why shouldn’t special needs children have the same opportunities open to them and have a fulfilled life, she argued. They didn’t need to be stuck at home with very little to do. The Rock Foundation, she said, would not only be giving special young people greater confidence, new skills and a social life, it would make a better quality of family life and boost the whole community.
And why shouldn’t The Rock Foundation evolve, doing more and being more for Grimsby and surrounding communities, if more was needed? That was Pam’s thinking. In Grimsby today, children and young people with special needs have ‘The Rock’ to thank for practical workshops, work placements, supported living, training and volunteering opportunities. At least 400 people struggling in the extended cost-of-living crisis, also have The Rock to thank for life-saving food banks. Added to that is the recent bonus of regular cookery classes that offer money-saving advice on what to buy and how to cook cost effectively. Inspired by Pam’s vision and energy, volunteers, local businesses and a broad coalition of funders have rallied behind The Rock Foundation.
There is more. Everyone in Grimsby knows Garibaldi Street. It’s where a vivid new hand-painted mural known as The Great Wall of Grimsby celebrates the story of the town. Less celebrated is the disused public toilet block on the same street. Perfect, thought Pam and The Rock Foundation team, for a conversion to a new food bank, café and centre for giving money and housing advice. The transformation is underway.
No wonder the philanthropy of Pam Hodge, in the eyes of so many Grimbarians, of so many in North East Lincolnshire, stands taller than the Grimsby Dock Tower. Philanthropists like Pam don’t wait for change. They become the change in the fortunes of people they care about and love; change that is cherished, not forgotten and sows the seeds of greater prosperity. With such love, innovation and dedication from Pam and other philanthropists like her, it’s not too difficult, then, to think of Grimsby as one of the wealthiest towns in England.