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  September's Community Stories

  almost 4 years ago
  

  Local Developer Support Food Hub in need!
  
  Local developers Bowmer and Kirkland and their contractors MFP Linings Ltd have kindly donated bags of dried food and goods to the Tile Hill Food Hub run by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church after an urgent call for donations.
  
  The food hub was in need of donations due to an increase in families needing to access the food hub. To help them out, the Community Resilience Team reached out to their contacts at Bowmer and Kirkland’s to see if they could help as part of their social value commitment to the city.

  
  They... Continue reading

  Local Developer Support Food Hub in need!
  
  Local developers Bowmer and Kirkland and their contractors MFP Linings Ltd have kindly donated bags of dried food and goods to the Tile Hill Food Hub run by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church after an urgent call for donations.
  
  The food hub was in need of donations due to an increase in families needing to access the food hub. To help them out, the Community Resilience Team reached out to their contacts at Bowmer and Kirkland’s to see if they could help as part of their social value commitment to the city.

  
  They were quick to jump at the opportunity to help and the staff on site very kindly donated bags full of dried food and toiletries which has been a huge benefit to the food hub and families accessing it! A massive thank you to them for helping the food hub!

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  Parents Against Youth Violence workshops receive funding support from West Midlands Police Helping Communities Fund

  
  The Community Resilience team contacted Oasis Leadership who run Parents Against Youth Violence workshops when they were notified of The Helping Communities Fund (HCF) relaunching and were successful in helping them secure £5,000. The HCF is made up from money seized from criminals under the Proceeds From Crime Act and is used to allow communities to invest in their neighbourhoods to improve safety.

  The purpose of the HCF is to support local communities who are actively involved in projects which aim to make a positive difference and which make the West Midlands a safer place to live and/or work. All funded projects must contribute to crime prevention & reduction, and community safety in the local area.

  Parents Against Youth Violence workshops are delivered to both parents/carers and young people. Young people and their carers are supported within the workshops by mentors providing information and education on topics including gang culture, knife crime, alcohol, drugs and mental health. The workshops aim to promote cohesion between carers and youths, promoting a supportive home environment, building understanding and helping youths to thrive and make the right decisions.

  The project is based in Hillfields supporting families across Coventry and with the support of police funding will be able to run for a year.
  
  The CRT team are currently supporting Oasis Leadership with funding applications to continue their work with youths that complement the workshops. Oasis Leadership also run youth only workshops at the weekend which consist of a mentor session and sports session.

  
  

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  Crafty Crafters receive Community Recovery and Support Grant

  Crafty Crafters meet weekly at the Hagard Community Centre in Willenhall. They are a small group set up prior to Covid supporting people from the local community who are feeling isolated. Some suffer with mental health, anxiety, depression, and some are lonely and need friendships and support to rebuild their confidence. Since the COVID lockdown came to an end the group has also been supporting those that have lost confidence in going out. The group is self-funded with them doing car boot sales, raffles, tombola's to raise funds as well as receiving donations of crafting items from various sources.

  Covid sadly closed the group down for a period of time, but after restrictions were lifted the group slowly returned and were working with their current and more limited stock and donations that they had left. The group applied for the Community Support and Recovery Grant for purchasing equipment and craft materials which would give them an opportunity to try some new crafts, along with some funding to advertise the group to increase members attending. The group were successful in receiving £1,525.

  The group is increasing in numbers and welcomes all members of the community young and old to build friendships, reducing isolation and loneliness, increasing well-being, and building confidence in all who attend. All the members share their crafting skills. They are delighted with an award from the community recovery grant. It will increase their supply of chosen crafting materials and give them the opportunity to learn new crafting techniques.

  If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the group have a look at their poster!

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  Creative Kindness receive the Community Recovery and Support Grant and extend their support offer!

  Creative Kindness started 3 years ago with the support of the charity Grapevine. The group meets in 5 libraries across the city: Coundon, Foleshill, Earlsdon, Willenhall, and Central Library and Oasis Café in Spon End. They make simple crafts with positive messages on which are then given out to the general public or left in community spaces for people to find to brighten their day.

  During the Covid19 lockdown periods the group continued to meet online via Zoom to keep in touch with their members. During that period the group’s membership increased and they have continued to grow now that they meet in person again.

  The Community Resilience Team reached out to the group to see if their was any support that could be offered, particularly through the Recovery and Support Grant. The group were ambitious to take their project to a wider audience and wanted to do outdoor events during the spring/summer months. For this they would require their own equipment to allow them to set up outdoors such as a Gazebo, chairs and table. The team supported them to write an application for the grant.

  Creative Kindness were successful in their application and received £1,000 towards the cost of purchasing the equipment they required to expand the project and attend outdoor events, as well as setting themselves up in public spaces across the city.

  The pictures featured are of one of the projects the group are involved with called ‘One Billion Stars’. The project’s aim is to end all forms of violence across the globe by 2032. As part of that project Creative Kindness aim to create 10,000 stars involving community groups, schools, universities, the Lord Mayor’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee, the Peace Orchard and police partnerships to create a display to help spread the vision.

  
  

  
  

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  John White Community Centre - Community Café

  John White Community Centre is a well used venue for many local people. After the easing of the COVID lockdown restrictions at the start of the year the centre was delighted to see the return of its members and groups that use the centre.

  Often their café is a source of comfort for catching up with elderly friends and having a chat and a coffee and cake to make a bit of light in their day. The centre had noticed since Covid it had been a struggle for people to return to the centre and they wanted to be able to provide a service to encourage members to return safely.

  Whilst the café space at John White is vital to the centre, they had been struggling to keep it up and running frequently due to lack of funds and staff/volunteers resulting in the café not being able to open on days the centre is used. Having three large groups running from the venue, with most of the members being over 60's, who love to come and visit the café and socialise with some food and drink, the centre felt that it would be important to to look at ways of getting in some funding. They wanted to ensure that these members had a nice café space to come and sit in, as well as being able to access low cost meals and snacks.

  With the support of the Community Resilience Team, the community centre applied for an Awards For All Grant, to help them get the café back up and running regularly with a defined menu to support the needs of the groups. The group were successful with the funding and were delighted to receive £9,995.

  This funding has been a huge helped and has now enabled the centre to get its cafe up and running again and welcome their members back through the doors.
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  August's Community Stories

  almost 4 years ago
  

  The Indian Community Centre receiving funding from the Community Recovery and Support Grant

  The Indian Community Centre based in Foleshill, received £1,590 of funding from the from the Community Resilience Team's Community Recovery and Support Grant.

  The centre was in need of support post lock down for one of the daytime activities that uses the space several days a week. Since lockdown they had struggled getting some service users to come back to their pre-lockdown activities, this had impacted their finances to run the group with fewer members attending and paying a small fee. For the short term the grant... Continue reading

  The Indian Community Centre receiving funding from the Community Recovery and Support Grant

  The Indian Community Centre based in Foleshill, received £1,590 of funding from the from the Community Resilience Team's Community Recovery and Support Grant.

  The centre was in need of support post lock down for one of the daytime activities that uses the space several days a week. Since lockdown they had struggled getting some service users to come back to their pre-lockdown activities, this had impacted their finances to run the group with fewer members attending and paying a small fee. For the short term the grant covered the cost of room hire, as well as some funding for cleaning materials and refreshments. The team is continuing to work with to now secure external long term funding.

  If your group/organisation is interested in applying have a look at our application form to see if you meet the criteria and apply now!

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  BOPA, Mercia Lions and the Canal Basin officially open their new Peace Garden!

  A collaborative effort between BOPA (British Organisation for People of Asian Origin), the Mercia Lions and the Canal Basin Trust, has restored a previously unusable area of the Canal Basin. The area had become overgrown and attracted antisocial behaviour. After successfully obtaining funding from the Severn Trent Water Community Fund and with help from David Newman Landscaping, the area had been transformed into a multi-use Peace Garden.

  The garden was designed by Alison Lambert with support from Alan Dyer – both trustees of the canal basin trust. The ownership of the Peace Garden has now transferred to BOPA and the Mercia Lions who invite people from all communities to connect with nature and enjoy some much needed green space in the centre of Coventry.

  The garden has been a welcome addition for residents around the Canal Basin, with some already actively involving themselves in the upkeep. This project has been a wonderful display of cooperation and inclusion across the city.

  The Peace Garden will be dedicated to the people of Coventry and officially opened on Sunday 25 September 2022.

  
  

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  July's Community Stories

  about 4 years ago
  

  Lenton’s Lane Baptist Church receives funding from the Recovery and Support Grant and Severn Trent!

  Lenton’s Lane Baptist Church is situated in the Northeast of the city and lies within the Longford Ward. The Community Resilience Team (CRT) initially contacted the church during the Covid19 lockdown period but were told it was closed until things returned to normal, but they would appreciate support once normality returned as they had ideas for projects they would like to run.

  
  

  Once the lockdown periods ended the team engaged with the church to discuss their ideas. The church leader Barry Keegan said they wanted... Continue reading

  Lenton’s Lane Baptist Church receives funding from the Recovery and Support Grant and Severn Trent!

  Lenton’s Lane Baptist Church is situated in the Northeast of the city and lies within the Longford Ward. The Community Resilience Team (CRT) initially contacted the church during the Covid19 lockdown period but were told it was closed until things returned to normal, but they would appreciate support once normality returned as they had ideas for projects they would like to run.

  
  

  Once the lockdown periods ended the team engaged with the church to discuss their ideas. The church leader Barry Keegan said they wanted to resume their youth activities due to the impact the lockdown periods had on their mental health, and they needed more equipment to encourage a larger number of young people. He also said he wanted to increase the number of activities in the community hall, particularly around healthy eating and wanted to renovate the kitchen area.

  
  

  The CRT officer advised him to apply firstly to apply to the teams Recovery and Support Grant for equipment for the youth group. Secondly, he advised him to meet with the local funding officer from the Severn Trent Community Fund for the Kitchen refurbishment to discuss the groups eligibility, in which they were given the go ahead to apply.

  
  

  The team assisted the group with both applications, firstly to apply for the teams Recovery and Support Grant which was successful and £650 was awarded to the church for room hire costs, arts and crafts equipment, an air hockey table, and a new volleyball net.

  
  

  The second application to the Severn Trent Community Fund was for a much larger amount of funding on which the team worked closely with the church to complete to make sure that the application had been filled out correctly and that the correct documents had been uploaded to the form. A few weeks after submitting the application the group were contacted by Severn Trent to inform them that they had been awarded £20,000 towards re-furbishing their kitchen area.

  
  

  The church were over the moon to receive all of this funding and are continuing to work with the team to look at other available funding opportunities, to support the groups that use the facility and to set up others once the new kitchen facility is installed.

  
  

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  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.

  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

  
  

  
  
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  June's Community Stories

  about 4 years ago
  

  Local charity Baby Godiva's growing success after successful funding opportunities and support from the team!

  Over the last 18 months the Community Resilience Team have been supporting a local charity called Baby Godiva. The charity provides free of charge, pre-loved and new nursery items and consumables to families living in poverty.

  Since the charity’s formation in 2019 it has helped 1,834 families with over 6,000 items, and the CRT has supported them in applying to a variety of funders. Since receiving support from the CRT they have been successful in bringing in around £40,000 worth of external funding so that... Continue reading

  Local charity Baby Godiva's growing success after successful funding opportunities and support from the team!

  Over the last 18 months the Community Resilience Team have been supporting a local charity called Baby Godiva. The charity provides free of charge, pre-loved and new nursery items and consumables to families living in poverty.

  Since the charity’s formation in 2019 it has helped 1,834 families with over 6,000 items, and the CRT has supported them in applying to a variety of funders. Since receiving support from the CRT they have been successful in bringing in around £40,000 worth of external funding so that the charities amazing work can continue.

  Prior to their support with the team, the charity shared that they limited knowledge and skills in applying for external funding, relying on donations to sustain the project, therefore were looking for some support to upskill themselves.

  Isabelle McCabe, who runs the charity, was offered guidance and tips on how best to write a funding application and provide with links to potential external funders that they could apply to. Working with the CRT she began to grow in confidence in filling out funding applications. Since being supported by the team, she has applied for some funding grants by herself and has been successful in bringing in several thousand pounds worth of funding in addition to that achieved while working alongside the CRT officer.

  One of those funds was the CRT’s own Community Recovery and Support Grant. Through this Baby Godiva were able to purchase fifteen Moses baskets with stands, ten cots with mattresses and ten stairgates. They now have one cot left with four people on the waiting list, five Moses baskets left, and no stairgates left. They have been able to support ten families with the Grant money.

  The team will continue to support the charity where necessary such as making them aware of available funding and assisting with writing large grant applications.

  
  

  Sherbourne Ward Queens Jubilee Litter Pick Bringing Together Members of the Local Community!

  The Community Resilience team have recently helped the Redeemed Christian Church of God in connecting them to the relevant contacts to enable them to conduct a community litter pick. The aim of the pick was to support the community initiative of the church which is to promote inclusion, diversity, and bonding in the community during the Platinum Anniversary celebration of Her Majesty the Queen.

  Close to thirty volunteers of all ages turned out for the pick over the Jubilee Weekend. This included children who were inspired by the Church to give back to their community. With this amount of people, they covered the majority of Sherbourne ward, both ends of the Holyhead road and other parts of the City Centre.

  The Redeemed Christian Church of God wanted to give something back to their community during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations instead of holding a party. The Community Resilience Team were able to put them in touch with the councils Greenspace Team to get the pickers, bags, and gloves. It was a resounding success, with the result being a real bonding of the community during a celebratory weekend.

  The feedback from residents in these areas was really positive. Many commented to the litter picking team that they were happy to see an organisation in the community taking the initiative to improve their local area. This has injected a positive energy into the Church and encouraged them to plan more community volunteering projects.

  
  

  
  
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  April/May Community Stories

  about 4 years ago
  

  Godiva Sisters membership thriving after being awarded the Community Recovery and Support Grant

  The Community Resilience team have recently helped the Godiva Sisters apply to the Community Recovery and Support Grant so they could get some support for their group following the pandemic. The Godiva Sisters were formed twenty years ago and is made up of local women from all faiths and cultures who meet to portray characters both ancient and modern. They also raise the profile of minority groups and engendering community cohesion.

  The sessions the Sisters run are mostly self-funded, and because of the pandemic they could not... Continue reading

  Godiva Sisters membership thriving after being awarded the Community Recovery and Support Grant

  The Community Resilience team have recently helped the Godiva Sisters apply to the Community Recovery and Support Grant so they could get some support for their group following the pandemic. The Godiva Sisters were formed twenty years ago and is made up of local women from all faiths and cultures who meet to portray characters both ancient and modern. They also raise the profile of minority groups and engendering community cohesion.

  The sessions the Sisters run are mostly self-funded, and because of the pandemic they could not do their normal fundraising activities. They have benefited from funding from the CRT before and for this reason they contacted us for help again.

  The group applied for the Recovery Grant with the help of an officer for room rent and arts and crafts materials. The grant panel duly agreed to award the group £600 towards the cost of both things. This has given the group short term stability while they look for other external sources of funding.

  The funding has positively affected the running of the group. Membership has increased a lot since the return to in-person meetings, with rent of the meeting place being paid for with the Grant. They are currently operating partially on Zoom too so less confident Sisters can still attend. The Godiva Sisters also partially funded the costumes they wore for the Coventry City of Culture parade with the Grant money.

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  Hearsall Lunch Club for the elderly awarded the Community Recovery and Support Grant!

  The Community Resilience Team recently reached out to the ‘Hearsall Lunch Club’, to offer them some support and make them aware of the current opportunity of the Community Recovery and Support Grant that the team had on offer to support the sustainability of groups post covid restrictions.

  The group had not previously engaged with the CRT and were not aware that they could apply for external funding. The group shared that they were self-funded with members paying a small amount for each session, but this was an added expense for pensioners who were struggling to pay bills and food costs.

  A member of the team met with the group and discussed the opportunities available to them of CRT Recovery and Support Grant and other external funding such as the National Lottery Awards for All Fund. After going through the criteria with them it became clear that they were eligible to apply to both funds.

  The first step was to apply to the recovery grant available through the CRT. An officer met with the group to look at options and the group submitted an application to fund their short term room hire costs and refreshments. The grant panel duly agreed to award the group £1,150 towards the costs of both.

  Following on from the successful application to the recovery grant, the team supported the ‘Hearsall Lunch Club’ in applying to the National Lottery small grants fund, Awards for All. The group had been interested in receiving some funds for transport costs for their members as well as other items to sustain themselves in the longer term. The group were successful with this application and awarded £9,700 towards transport costs, room hire, meals and entertainment.

  This extra support through the grants has helped to reduce the possibility of people who attend the group becoming socially isolated, with many members of the group living alone and now supporting them to attend the group regularly again.

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  Launch of new Youth Hub at St Peter's Hillfields

  A new Youth Hub has launched at St Peter's Hillfields on Tuesday and Thursday 3:15 - 5:30pm to provide a safe place for young people to go after school. Food will be provided along with activities including air hockey, table tennis and pool.
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  March Community Stories

  over 4 years ago
  

  Confidence Through Photography Group is welcoming new members

  A night time shot of Coventry Cathedral taken by Neil

  The group was set up in 2017 by Neil Catley who felt there was not much for people with mental health and anxiety issues to do at the weekend. Prior to setting up the group Neil who had agoraphobia did not leave the house for 5 years, this all changed when his mum bought him a camera which he would take to his local park and capture pictures.

  Neil set up Confidence through photography a group that meets for coffee and photo... Continue reading

  Confidence Through Photography Group is welcoming new members

  A night time shot of Coventry Cathedral taken by Neil

  The group was set up in 2017 by Neil Catley who felt there was not much for people with mental health and anxiety issues to do at the weekend. Prior to setting up the group Neil who had agoraphobia did not leave the house for 5 years, this all changed when his mum bought him a camera which he would take to his local park and capture pictures.

  Neil set up Confidence through photography a group that meets for coffee and photo walks to help others who need a boost in their mental health wellbeing. The group are resuming regular meet ups and future plans include workshops and an exhibition of photographers’’ work at a local church hall.

  For further information on joining you can contact - neilcatleyphotography@gmail.com or join the facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/confidencethroughphotography/

  
  

  St Francis Employability, support new arrivals from across the world.

  Local charity, St Francis Employability, recently showcased its extensive work in supporting new arrivals from across the world.

  From Sudan to Eritrea, Afghanistan and Syria, St Francis Employability supports vulnerable and displaced people that arrive from some of the world’s most hostile and dangerous countries.

  One of the biggest challenges in resettling displaced people is integration. Full integration is often impeded through a lack of knowledge on how to access vital services that include employment, education, and health.

  St Francis Employability offers tailored support on these three areas so that new arrivals are given the tools to be able to lead independent, prosperous lives and make a positive impact on their new community; all of which help to result in full integration. St Francis Employability across several programmes such as MyCoventry.

  
  

  Canley Prom Bank is back!

  Canley Prom back is officially opening on Monday 4th April. The Community Centre is looking for donations of suits, dresses, ties and accessories. If you would like to donate or use the prom bank find out more here - https://www.facebook.com/CanleyPromBank