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.
Destination Ball Hill Awarded £19,768 to Grow Community Hub
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news for our neighbourhood — Destination Ball Hill has been awarded £19,768 from The National Lottery Community Fund to support the continued growth of our much‑loved community hub. This achievement has been made possible thanks to the ongoing support of the Community Resilience Team, whose partnership has helped strengthen local services and opportunities for residents.
Destination Ball Hill exists for everyone who lives, works, or spends time in our area. This new funding is a major step forward in building a cleaner, safer and more connected neighbourhood that we can all be proud of.
A Growing Hub at the Heart of Ball Hill
Since June 2024, we have been running a small-scale community hub from the 2‑Tone Café in collaboration with local organisations. In that time, we’ve welcomed up to 100 people each week, offering an inclusive space for support, activities, and social connection.
Our current programme includes:
- Job Club
- Arts and crafts groups
- Mental health support
- Gardening and environmental projects
- Children and family activities
- Holiday events
- Pop‑up library and toy library
- Community litter picks
These sessions have helped bring people together, develop new skills, and create a stronger sense of belonging across the community.
What the New Funding Will Support
Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, we can now expand our weekly activities and introduce new services shaped by local need. Over the coming months, the hub will grow to include:
- Messy play for young children
- A community kitchen and café
- Social groups for all ages
- An enhanced information and support hub
This investment will help us support more residents, offer more consistent weekly activities, and strengthen the role of Destination Ball Hill as a welcoming, accessible place for everyone.
A Win for the Whole Community
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank‑you to everyone who has supported Destination Ball Hill so far — from volunteers and partners to residents who take part in our activities. This funding is not just a milestone for our organisation, but a win for the entire Ball Hill community.
We can’t wait to continue building a vibrant, connected neighbourhood together.
Sangam Group Secures Funding
The Sangam Group, a long‑standing organisation supporting South Asian elders in Coventry, is celebrating a successful funding award made possible through guidance from the Community Resilience Team (CRT) at Coventry City Council.
As the group has continued to grow, they recognised the need for additional financial support to sustain their valued activities. Reaching out to the CRT for advice, they were guided by an officer who met with the group and recommended applying to the National Lottery for two years of funding—a recently available option designed to help community organisations plan with greater confidence.
We are delighted to share that the Sangam Group’s application was successful. They have been awarded £7,620, covering essential costs including room hire, transport, and refreshments, ensuring their members can continue to come together in a safe, accessible, and welcoming environment.
This funding will help the Sangam Group maintain the activities and social connections that are so vital to the wellbeing of local elders. It also highlights the ongoing partnership between community groups and the Community Resilience Team in strengthening neighbourhood support across the city.
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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Share April Newsletter 2025 on Facebook Share April Newsletter 2025 on Twitter Share April Newsletter 2025 on Linkedin Email April Newsletter 2025 link
April Newsletter 2025
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Survivor Sanctuary Launches Therapeutic Yoga Program for Healing and Empowerment
In a significant step towards supporting victim-survivors of sexual violence, Survivor Sanctuary has announced the launch of a new therapeutic yoga program. This initiative, made possible by grant of nearly £8,000 from Sport England, aims to provide a safe and supportive environment where women can focus on their healing journey and connect with others. The Community Resilience Team played a crucial role in supporting Survivor Sanctuary's application for this grant, ensuring this much needed program could go ahead.
About the Program
The yoga sessions at Survivor Sanctuary are specifically designed
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Share March Newsletter 2025 on Facebook Share March Newsletter 2025 on Twitter Share March Newsletter 2025 on Linkedin Email March Newsletter 2025 link
March Newsletter 2025
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Community Resilience Team: A Year of Impact and DedicationThe Community Resilience Team has had an incredibly busy year supporting the voluntary sector in Coventry during 2024-25. As we approach the end of the financial year, we are excited to share some data highlighting our achievements and ongoing commitment to the community.
Even though we are a small team, our dedication to supporting the voluntary organisations in Coventry has remained unwavering. Our work includes assisting with funding, forming partnerships, engaging with stakeholder groups, and connecting you with other council departments. We recognise the immense value and incredible work you do, -
Share Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment (Coventry, UK & Coburg, Germany) on Facebook Share Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment (Coventry, UK & Coburg, Germany) on Twitter Share Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment (Coventry, UK & Coburg, Germany) on Linkedin Email Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment (Coventry, UK & Coburg, Germany) link
Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment (Coventry, UK & Coburg, Germany)
Intercultural Roots (IR) and MakingCulture® e.V. announce their participation in the Cultural Bridge 2025-2026 programme, a UK-German initiative driving cross-border collaboration through arts, technology, and community engagement. Titled "Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling and Creative Connections for Community Empowerment", the partnership will connect Coventry (UK) and Coburg (Germany) in a year-long exchange of hybrid workshops, participatory arts, and digital storytelling, running from April 2025 to March 2026.
Core Activities & Innovation
The project merges IR's PLACES by EcoGPX® app - a geo-tagged storytelling platform - with MakingCulture's experimental arts expertise to reimagine public spaces. Key activities include:
- Hybrid Workshops... Continue reading
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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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Share New Connections, Meanings, and Practices: EcoGPX® External Evaluation Highlights Transformative Impact in Coventry on Facebook Share New Connections, Meanings, and Practices: EcoGPX® External Evaluation Highlights Transformative Impact in Coventry on Twitter Share New Connections, Meanings, and Practices: EcoGPX® External Evaluation Highlights Transformative Impact in Coventry on Linkedin Email New Connections, Meanings, and Practices: EcoGPX® External Evaluation Highlights Transformative Impact in Coventry link
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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