Regeneration projects

  Click here for LOOK NORTH - Kay Aldersley's latest newsletterKay Aldersley

FAITH COMMUNITIES REGENERATION PROJECT (North Warwickshire)

GOOD NEIGHBOURS IN COVENTRY (Longford, North Coventry)

ST PAUL’S CHURCH, STOCKINGFORD, NUNEATON

 

2009 has been a year of interest and challenge!  Work has continued in Longford thanks to the West Bromwich Building Society grant. 

In March 2009 WORKCARE was successful in our funding application to Coalfields Regeneration Trust (Bridging the Gap) and an award of £9,500 has enabled our work in North Warwickshire to continue to March 2010. 

Development work has also taken place at St Paul’s Church, Stockingford, Nuneaton as a result of a successful bid by the Church for a £5,000 Church Urban Fund (CUF) grant.

                                                                                             

Briefly, key points of interest are as follows:

 

  • ‘Look North’, the Project’s Look Northquarterly newsletter, continues to provide a useful platform for sharing of information, promoting forthcoming events and celebrating ‘good news’ stories.  The newsletter is a shared resource for all three projects.

  • We have had much to celebrate this year!  As a result of hard work and patience in writing funding applications I am pleased to report that in September St John’s Hall, Ansley Common was officially re-opened after refurbishment and at the end of October St Michael’s Church and newly-built Community Centre opened its doors.  Both celebrations were attended by the Bishop of Coventry, invited guests and the community.  These buildings will provide much-needed community resources in North Warwickshire.

 

  • FACE=Faith+Action+Community+Enterprise (training events):  FACE events continue to provide a useful resource to church and community groups alike.  With funding being at a ‘premium’ these days our March Event guided folk through identifying and applying for funding whilst in November the Ley Group took us through the steps to setting up successful youth provision. 

  • Longford, North Coventry:  During the year WorkCare has run two ‘First Resort’ events at the Salem Baptist Church, Longford.  ‘First Resort’ offers support to those who have been made redundant or have an uncertain future as a result of the loss of employment.  WorkCare also had a stand for two days in September at the Ricoh Shopping Centre to bring ‘First Resort’ into the Longford community.  We work closely with our partners, NextStep, JobCentre Plus, training providers and colleges to ‘signpost’ people and also to offer a ‘listening ear’.  WorkCare see this as an expansion to its workplace chaplaincy.  On a brighter note, in March St Thomas’ hosted an afternoon ‘community concert’.

 

  • St Paul’s Church, Stockingford:  St Paul’s Church was re-ordered in 2009.  With the removal of the pews in the church a new ‘community space’ has been created which enables a wide range of activities to take place.  The CUF grant has enabled development Stocking ford churchwork to (a)  identify new users for the excellent premises, (b)  provide a ‘First Resort’ Drop-In for local people who are unemployed and (c)  consider ways in which those with mental health problems could be supported using the Church Centre.  These objectives are well on their way and the CUF funding will support the work until January 2010.

 

 

Our continued thanks go to the Project Support Group, our many local partners and especially to Warwickshire CAVA (Community And Voluntary Action) in particular to Alison Hedges, Locality Manager (Nuneaton & Bedworth) and Davina Key, Locality Manager (North Warwickshire).

 

This is just a ‘snap shot’ of what’s been happening but I hope it gives a ‘flavour’ for the work that is taking place in Coventry, Nuneaton and North Warwickshire.

 

Kay Aldersley

Regeneration Support Officer

WORKCARE 

1 Hill Top 

Coventry 

CV1 5AB