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.
West Midlands Rwandese Community Association are celebrating National Lottery Funding Award
We are delighted to announce that our project bringing Coventry’s Rwandan community together has been awarded National Lottery funding.
This exciting initiative will create a vibrant and inclusive programme celebrating Rwandan culture through traditional dance workshops, community social days, sports activities, and music sessions featuring drumming and storytelling. These regular events will provide safe, welcoming spaces where people can connect, share experiences, and celebrate their heritage.
The project will help combat isolation, strengthen community bonds, and promote mental well-being and physical health. By bringing generations together, it will preserve cultural traditions while empowering individuals with a strong sense of identity and belonging.
Rwandan individuals and families across Coventry will benefit directly, while the wider community will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Rwandan culture.
We thank the Community Resilience Team for making this inspiring community journey possible. For more details contact Leonard Mutangana: ljmutangana@yahoo.co.uk
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 and Coventry All Saints St. Margaret's Church in collaboration with local organisations. In that time, we’ve welcomed over 100 people, 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 running out of both Coventry All Saints St Margaret’s Church and 2 Tone. Over the coming months, the hub will grow to include:
- Messy play for young children
- Affordable food and clothing support
- 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.
The Hub held a formal launch event on Monday 23 March 2026 from 9.30am to 11am at St Margaret’s Church Ball Hill, 50 Walsgrave Road, Coventry, CV2 4EB.
We can’t wait to continue building a vibrant, connected neighbourhood together.
To find out more visit https://www.destinationballhill.org/home/about/community-hub-team
Move to Recover aligns with Coventry’s City of Movement Vision
Last week, local organisations, led by Public Health, came together in Coventry to deliver ‘Move to Recover'.
The inspiring community event, Led by Public Health and shaped through genuine co-design, celebrated how movement‑based interventions can support wellbeing and sustained recovery from alcohol and drug use, bringing together service users, volunteers, staff, and community supporters.
Every element of the day reflected the voices and lived experience of people in recovery, along with the specialist knowledge of delivery partners.
This collaborative, trauma‑informed approach ensured the event felt safe, inclusive and meaningful, firmly grounded in the realities of the local community, with football and friendship at the heart of the event.
Working with individuals supported by the Dynamo Project, the event went beyond physical activity as a way to build confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Participants were supported to rebuild positive relationships with movement, strengthen social connections and develop a sense of purpose — all key foundations for long‑term recovery.
Move to Recover strongly aligns with Coventry City Council’s City of Movement strategy, showing how inclusive, community‑led activity can remove barriers, reach people who may feel excluded from traditional sport or exercise, and use movement as a pathway to wider wellbeing and resilience.
By embedding movement within recovery spaces, and recovery within community spaces, the event shows how the City of Movement vision can be brought to life at the neighbourhood level, supporting prevention, reducing isolation and helping people reconnect with their communities in ways that feel welcoming and achievable.
Allison Duggal, Director of Public Health, said: “Seeing people come together through movement, connection and shared purpose is a powerful reminder of what recovery can look like when communities wrap around individuals. Move to Recover created a safe, inclusive space where people could rediscover joy, confidence and belonging. I’m incredibly proud of the partners and residents who shaped this day and showed what compassionate, community‑led public health truly means”.
We were represented by colleagues from many different teams, including Insight, Community Resilience, Facilities, Education, Finance and Employee Relations – a real One Coventry approach.
Our team made it to the final, finishing as Runner-up after a great performance, with Coventry University taking the Winner’s trophy.
One of the city council team, Michael Simmons, BI and Insight Manager (Children’s), said: “The Move to Recover event was a really enjoyable experience to take part in and for such a worthy cause. The event was well organised, and it was great to see all teams taking part in such good spirits. Despite our team only being put together on the day, we performed exceptionally well to reach the final. A big thank you to the organisers and everyone involved in making the day such a success. We can’t wait to take part again next year.”
The day stood as a strong example of what can be achieved through collaboration, shared values and co-production, turning city-wide priorities into meaningful, person-centred experiences.
Removed by moderator.