February's Community Stories

Solo Group Valentines Dance

Coventry Solo Group have put some of their £8000 Awards for All grant to good use on their Valentine's Day dance. The Community Resilience Team guided the group through the process and supported them with writing and submitting the application.

Coventry Solo Group have provided a place of friendship and support to isolated people for over 50 years. Their members are alone following bereavement, divorce, social anxiety, or otherwise. They meet weekly for conversation, entertainment and refreshments. They also run additional dedicated theme nights throughout the year.

If you want to get involved, then head down to Christ the King Community Centre on Thursday evenings.

Jill from the group said: "We at Coventry Solo Club were thrilled to receive our lottery funding and to celebrate, we gave everyone a free buffet at our Valentines dance on 9th February. We are all young at heart elderly people who love to dance so come and join us one Thursday evening. We are there every week, always give a warm welcome, and are all very friendly. Don’t be put off if you can’t dance because you can sit and listen to the music and make new friends!"

Clothing Coventry School Uniform Project

The Community Resilience Team have recently been working with Clothing Coventry to get this much needed project off the ground. Working with the Councils Education Improvement Standards & The Coventry Law Centre the group have managed to secure a total of £38,000 to get this project to provide preloved uniform to families that need support operational.

Clothing Coventry will be targeting Hillfields and Foleshill initially and branching into other areas across the city as this service develops. This will enable families to access & donate uniforms locally in community venues across the city.

As well as the uniform project, clothing coventry also meets the increasing demand for adults clothing, men’s clothing in particular.

They are open Monday 10-1, Tuesday 10-12 and Wednesday 4-7pm. 19 Napier st, CV1 5PR stay up to date with opening hours and donations needed by visiting their facebook page.(External link)

Clothing Coventry will be working closely with schools, food hubs, while also having pop-ups at HAF Projects and community events. Any organisation interested in being a pop -up venue or regular venue for families to access this service please contact Katie from Clothing Coventry; katie@clothingcoventry.org

Business Support Working with Community Resilience Team to help voluntary organisations

Business Development within the Economic Development Service at Coventry City Council has been working directly with the Community Resilience Team, to get local developers and business to support local charities in Coventry. This is important as very useful connections are made as developers sign up to engaging in some charitable work in communities as part of their social value targets.

These contacts have resulted in developers, giving out paint and sometimes providing manpower to organisations to revamp community spaces. For examples Bowmer + Kirkland who are currently building around Friargate, provided paint and some manpower to decorate Bethels Churches new community café area. While Stoke Heath Community centre had their ladies’ toilets repainted.

Developers may also give small amount of funding to local charities that are near their new building development areas. Over Christmas CRT managed to get 5 of the developer contacts to either collect food or donate money to the Coventry Food Network Christmas campaign.

The Community resilience Team do keep a list of small items or jobs that they need completing at community spaces, so developers can choose what community project they would like to support. So, if your project or group needs paint, volunteers or other items. Please contact a member of the team and add to our list we share with them.