Community Stories
Celebration of your stories
Welcome to community stories, a place to share news and celebrate what is happening in your community. If you have any stories you would like to feature on our page or in next months newsletter please get in touch at communityresilience@coventry.gov.uk or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
Action Family Network C.I.C awarded lottery funding to deliver, Bridges Beyond Words: Helping Young People Feel at Home
For many young people from migrant, refugee, and minority backgrounds, arriving in a new place can feel overwhelming and lonely. Bridges Beyond Words is changing that.
Over the next 24 months, we’re creating welcoming, youth-led spaces where 11–18-year-olds can connect, grow, and be themselves. Our weekly Welcome Circles and fun Language Clubs (two 2-hour sessions each) help young people build friendships and confidence in a relaxed, supportive environment.
Each young person will also be matched with a trained peer mentor—someone who understands their journey and offers guidance with schoolwork, joining activities, or simply navigating life in a new community.
Once a month, we’ll bring families, neighbours, and young people together for community celebrations filled with food, music, and shared stories.
This project was shaped directly by the voices of local young people and their families, who told us they need safe spaces, connection, and help overcoming language barriers. Thanks to funding support from the Community Resilience Team National leading to the Lottery awarding £19,712, we’re ready to build those bridges—and help every young person feel seen, valued, and truly at home’.
Highland Road Allotment Hub Officially Opens!
After months of planning and hard work, the Highland Road allotment group’s vision for a community hub has become a reality. Back in early 2025, the group approached the Community Resilience Team for support in securing funding to create a dedicated space for local residents. Thanks to a successful bid to the National Lottery Awards for All small grants fund, £9,000 was awarded to bring this project to life.
Throughout the summer, volunteers from the allotment group worked tirelessly to assemble the hub, transforming the site into a welcoming space for community activities and events. On October 19th, 2025, the hub was officially opened by Stefan Overson from the Community Resilience Team, marking a proud moment for everyone involved.
The new hub will serve as a focal point for local engagement, offering opportunities for social connection, skill-sharing, and resilience-building within the community.
Previous Stories
Welcome to community stories, a place to share news and celebrate what is happening in your community. If you have any stories you would like to feature on our page or in next months newsletter please get in touch at communityresilience@coventry.gov.uk or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
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February Newsletter 2025
... Continue readingCoventry Spires U3A Secures National Lottery Funding
The Coventry Spires University of the 3rd Age (U3A), a group dedicated to supporting individuals past retirement age, has successfully secured £8,500 in funding from the National Lottery Awards for All small grants fund. This significant achievement will help the group continue offering a wide range of activities, including rambling, table tennis, book clubs, quizzes, bowling, and friendship groups across various venues in the city.
The group, formed in 2002, was seeking external funding to cover venue costs and purchase essential equipment such as microphones, projector screens, and a new table tennis table. -
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January Newsletter 2025
Congratulations to Sing for Change community group who have been awarded £1,000 from the General Charities (Coventry). The group contacted the Community Resilience Team for support to keep the group sustainable and help remove financial barriers to participation for those members who need it.
Sing for Change is an exciting, intergenerational community choir, building strong relationships between diverse people across Coventry. Established six years ago, the group members share the belief that we need to create a kinder, more compassionate, inclusive world - a fundamental principle of Sing for Change. The group is open to all, singing songs with messages... Continue reading
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Decembers Community Stories
Coventry Food Network Christmas Campaign 2024
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this year's Coventry Food Network Christmas campaign. Local businesses and staff have collected much needed food donations which have been given to Coventry Food Network organisations.
Here's a shout out to some local organisations who have worked with the Community Resilience Team to support this year's campaign.
Capita support Feeding Coventry at Foleshill Community Centre
Elena Frangu and Capita staff was one of the first organisations to offer their help with the Coventry Food Network Christmas campaign.
They collected approximately £400 worth of food for... Continue reading
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November's Community Stories
Please support your local Food Hub or Food Bank this Christmas
Christmas is a time of giving, and what better way to help your community than by supporting a local food hub near you during the festive season?
Coventry Food Hubs –
A network of 15 social supermarkets across Coventry. The Food Hubs (Social Supermarkets) offer discounted food parcels, which typically equate to £25 worth of food for a cost of a £5 membership per week. Food hubs differ from food banks, in that the food is not entirely free, but provides a wide range of food for a very... Continue reading
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October's Community Stories
Local businesses support the Tile Hill summer community event
As part of Coventry City Council’s ongoing commitment to social value, the Business Development and Community Resilience Teams have been working closely with local businesses to support charitable initiatives and community-focused events.
The Tile Hill Community Partnership (THCP), reached out for support in hosting a community event for local residents. The event featured a treasure hunt designed for young people, encouraging them to explore community spaces and council buildings, including the library and family hub. At each stop, participants collected clues and stamps, and upon completing the hunt, they received back-to-school... Continue reading
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New Connections, Meanings, and Practices: EcoGPX® External Evaluation Highlights Transformative Impact in Coventry
Intercultural Roots is thrilled to unveil the External Evaluation Report of its Innovate UK-funded EcoGPX® Launchpad Coventry and Warwickshire project. Authored by Dr. Jo Scott, the report celebrates the project’s groundbreaking achievements in fostering creative connections, re-imagining urban spaces, and pioneering innovative practices in place-based art and technology.
Access the visual version of the report here: EcoGPX® Evaluation Report
A Project of New Connections
EcoGPX® has brought together artists, practitioners, and communities in Coventry, creating a dynamic and inclusive creative network. Through four artistic residencies, the project has:
Connected artists and practitioners: Diverse artists from various disciplines... Continue reading
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September's Community Stories
Malaysian Ladies Community Group
Champion Inclusivity CIC, with support from the Community Resilience team, successfully secured grant funding from St Mary’s Guildhall, provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This funding facilitated community workshops for the Malaysian Ladies Community Group, aiming to engage diverse audiences with Coventry’s cultural heritage and build connections with underrepresented groups.
The workshops, led by a local artist Daya Bhatti, offered participants the chance to learn new skills through creative textile sessions inspired by the stories of St Mary’s Guildhall. These hands-on experiences also helped foster a lasting relationship between the participants and the historic site.
... Continue reading
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Share EcoGPX®'s Second Coventry Residency: Connecting Art, Nature, Community and Technology! on Facebook Share EcoGPX®'s Second Coventry Residency: Connecting Art, Nature, Community and Technology! on Twitter Share EcoGPX®'s Second Coventry Residency: Connecting Art, Nature, Community and Technology! on Linkedin Email EcoGPX®'s Second Coventry Residency: Connecting Art, Nature, Community and Technology! link
EcoGPX®'s Second Coventry Residency: Connecting Art, Nature, Community and Technology!
Coventry, UK - September 2024 – The EcoGPX® project's second residency was more than a gathering of artists and nature enthusiasts; it was a transformative event aimed at enhancing community well-being, creating unity, and promoting mental health through creative expression and environmental engagement. Hosted at Coventry Food Union and Fargo Village, this two-day residency brought together diverse individuals to explore the profound connections between art, nature, community and an innovative use of technology!
Day 1: Human-Nature Connection at Coventry Food Union:
The first day centred on the River Sherbourne and the Food Union community’s inspiring efforts in sustainable food growing... Continue reading
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July's Community Stories
Let’s Get Crafty Group - Willenhall
Let's Get Crafty is a community project in Willenhall. The group has successfully secured funding for a two-year project with a £12,000 grant from the National Lottery following support from the Community Resilience Team. The grant will help to secure regular venue hire, will provide quality craft supplies, and enables the group to hire skilled demonstrators to lead creative workshops.
The Let's Get Crafty group brings together women through shared interests in crafts and design. Through crafting activities, the group facilitates social inclusion for participants, encourages new friendships and builds peer support networks, helps... Continue reading
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EcoGPX® Coventry Residency Report: A Creative-led Response to Community Achievements and Issues
The EcoGPX® residency, launched by Intercultural Roots in May 2024 with support from a £100,000 Innovate UK grant, commenced its first eco-arts residency in Coventry on July 17th. Integrating artistic creativity, ecological advocacy, and digital technology, EcoGPX® aims to highlight and address local social and environmental issues as well as celebrate the valued heritage, culture and achievements of Coventry and Warwickshire.
Context and Background
Before arriving in Coventry, Intercultural Roots had already made significant strides via an Innovate UK Creative Catalyst 2023 Award for EcoGPX®, completing a successful pilot phase in Ilkley, Bradford in January 2024... Continue reading
