The Freetown Society was formed in 1981 after the cities of Hull, UK and Freetown, capital city of Sierra Leone formed a civic partnership in 1979. The Freetown Society is a UK registered charity and it has a sister society, The Hull Society, in Freetown itself. Through these societies members develop a range of projects, partnerships and activities which keep our partnership active and vibrant.

Why Hull, why Freetown?

The two cities share a strong common bond in their links with William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833). The Hull-born member of parliament for Hull was a leading light in the slavery abolition movement. Freetown was established in 1787 as ’The Province of freedom’ a British colony for the re-settlement of freed slaves. After a troubled start the settlement grew, as the slavery reform movement gained strength, with further freed slaves building the colony. A large suburb of Freetown, on one of the city’s highest peaks, is named after Wilberforce.

The work of Wilberforce in promoting freedom is the foundation of Freetown Society’s aims , and the Society is proud to play a role in developing civic, cultural and economic partnerships between our two great cities.