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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September's Community Stories
Walking Football Group
Walking football is a great way to stay active and socialise with others. One such group is the Bedworth and District Walking Football Group, run by Russ Watkin, from the Alan Higgs Centre in Coventry.
The club meets three times a week and has around 86 members and numbers continue to increase. The players are aged 50+, and all share a passion for the sport. Many members of the group have recovered from injuries that would normally have ended their playing days, but walking football is played at walking pace, with players not allowed to run. One... Continue reading
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August's Community Stories
Rainbow Saheli Group
The Community Resilience Team had great pleasure in being invited to the Rainbow Saheli group’s India Independence Day celebration event. The event took place in Sacred Heart Church community space and was attended by Local Councillors and the Lord Mayor.
There was singing and speeches and the room was decorated in green, orange and gold. Everyone looked fabulous and the women involved are continuing to enjoy and grow their support group. Congratulations to everyone involved.
The main aim of the Rainbow Saheli group is to develop and empower women and improve their mental and emotional wellbeing by... Continue reading
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July's Community Stories
Urban Goodies CIC
Urban Goodies is a Community Interest Company set up to alleviate food poverty, provide nutritional meals and tackle disadvantage in the community. They provide a welcoming safe space at local community centres, by providing lunches, ready meals, community fridge and cookery classes. Urban Goodies believe nutritious food and education should be accessible to all and aim to have zero wastage from donated food. Since 2021 the organisation has been providing cookery classes, community café, pop up food stalls, suspended meals and affordable ready meals to the community, cooking fresh food, and ensuring nutritious meals are available to... Continue reading
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June's Community Stories
Vanny Radio Youth Programme
The Community Resilience Team has helped secure £10,000 of National Lottery Award for All funding for Vanny Radio. The funding will support Vanny Radio to work with young people in the Foleshill area, learning broadcasting and photography skills, as well as life skills such as cooking healthy meals.
Vanny Radio contacted the Community Resilience Team to ask for advice as their previous attempt to apply for funding had been unsuccessful. A team member met with Vanny Radio and looked at previous applications and offered help and advice on updating their funding application.
The successful application expanded... Continue reading
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May's Community Stories
Tile Hill Community Partnership - Coronation Party on the Green
The Coronation Party on the Green took place on Monday 8th May. The event was a huge success in bringing the community together.
There was a whole range of activities for everyone to enjoy including a picnic lunch, free raffle, children's entertainment, a disco, face-painting and craft workshops to name a few!
Over four hundred adults and their children attended. The organisers gathered hundreds of completed questionnaires which are currently being analysed. The results will be used to plan future ways in which the lives of the Tile Hill Community... Continue reading
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April's Community Stories
Deeley Construction donates £1,000 to support local communities
Deeley Construction, which is headquartered in Coventry, has donated £500 each to Hope Community Project in Lower Stoke and St Laurence’s Church in Foleshill.
The donations are part of the company’s commitment to supporting the communities where they work.
Deeley Construction partnered with the Community Resilience Team to link the business with two organisations which needed support in those areas.
Hope Community Project provides mental health support alongside a social supermarket. It provides food parcels for up to 70 families a week living in Lower Stoke.
Its services have been vital with... Continue reading
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February's Community Stories
Solo Group Valentines DanceCoventry 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... Continue reading
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January's Community Stories
Oasis Community Hub & Café
Oasis Community hub & café have worked with the Community Resilience Team to secure a £1000 donation from Coventry's General Charities. This has gone towards refurbishing their new community café location.
The Oasis Community Hub & Café has been a focal point of the Spon End and wider community for the last 5 years. They have provided a safe, warm and inclusive space by offering good and inexpensive food & drinks, friendly conversation, and activities to help increase confidence & make friends.
The café has moved to the front of Bethel Church in Spon... Continue reading
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December's Community Stories
This month was International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The UN has marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December since 1992, to spread the word on disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.
The Grangers club is a social club for young people with learning disabilities to meet up with their peers and have fun.
The group provides a safe space for members to make friends and have fun in an all-inclusive environment. The group enables its members to make individual choices and develop independent confidence in their... Continue reading
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November's Community Stories
This month we celebrated International Men's Day
The Willenhall Men's Support Group have been providing a safe space for men who are isolated or struggle with their mental or physical health for the last 12 months.
The group meets once a week, to chat and support each other alongside tea and biscuits, with a pizza evening once a month. Each month members take turns creating a quiz, allowing them to focus on their passions and interests. The group works on a principle of simplicity; there are no professionals there, just men sharing their lived experiences to help one another.With... Continue reading