Community assets
Why is this important?
Understanding the local network of assets, resources and community organisations help facilitate sharing and understanding to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.
The Community Information Directory is also a useful tool for knowing what groups, events and activities are happening in the area.
The Community Resilience Team has worked with a variety of groups to gain funding and support in Binley and Willenhall, below is a table of groups and assets known to the team in the area at the time of writing.
Groups
- Age UK Friendship Group
- Barbershop Choir
- Betty Ennis Foundation
- Binley Evergreens
- CIAS (Coventry Independent Advice Service)
- Community Choir
- Corpus Christi Worship
- Coventry Disabled Angling Club
- Coventry Ki Society
- Craft Group
- Crafty Crafters
- Creative Kindness
- Let's Get Crafty
- Local Vocals
- Nigerians in Coventry (NICOV)
- OAP's Club Over 60's
- St Anne's Worship
- St Bartholomew's Church Hall - Floristry
- The Belles of Three Spires
- Whitley Pensioners Club
- Willenhall Food Bank
- Willenhall History Group
- Willenhall Men's Support
- Willenhall Unity Cultural and Educational Centre
- WILLOW
Assets
- Hagard Centre
- Alan Higgs Centre
- Binley Recreation Park
- John White Community Centre
- St John the Divine
- Weetc
- Willenhall Brook Park
- Willenhall Brookstray Park and Kids Play Area
- Willenhall Library
- Willenhall Social Club
- Willenhall Wood Playground
- Wood Side Family Hub
Effective communication is essential for empowering the community. Residents in Binley and Willenhall emphasised a need for better communication and a desire to have a range of community voices heard through active listening. They also highlighted a need for more accessible safe spaces for all age groups with one resident commenting “Again better communication and places for people to meet both young and old as there are not many places that you could say are safe and in the present climate cheap to go to and in walking distance."
"Listen to the community and don’t assume you know how to help."
“Keeping residents fully advised as to what is planned. The poorer areas need the information as well as the richer areas”
In the age of digital connectivity, leveraging social media becomes a powerful tool for community outreach and disseminating information, however this information needs to be done in a timely manner and accessible for all. Residents in Binley and Willenhall suggested an increased online presence and opportunity to become more involved in decision-making processes, ensuring a sense of ownership and commitment. The council’s consultation and engagement platform Let’s Talk Coventry offers this by actively engaging with the community and public forums, creating new ideas and perspectives, enriching its initiatives and policies.
Services in the city can share knowledge and actively seek feedback from communities. One of the barriers identified by residents was the ability to readily distribute information, ensuring that it is accessible for everyone in the community. Often residents did not know about events or provisions available to them, reporting that they did not know where to find the information.
Ensuring information is shared in a timely manner was also important to residents with residents commenting a desire for “A well-informed public, with community leaders who know how to signpost and refer needy individuals to get help” as well as bridging information gaps between affluent and economically challenged areas in creating an equitable city “Keeping residents fully advised as to what is planned. The poorer areas need the information as well as the richer areas."
“Do more social media advertising”,
“More community and local focus groups. Use these online forums to get your message across so you get a broader spectrum of ideas from communities. link into the social groups already set up”
Residents envision a city that thrives on vibrant community events, suggesting an expansion of existing festivals to bring people together. Strengthening collaboration with external providers is seen as essential for achieving holistic community development as well as expanding on current events. By organising diverse and inclusive events, the area can celebrate its cultural richness while fostering unity among its residents.
Residents emphasise the need for the city to actively combat inequalities by ensuring that resources and opportunities are accessible to all. Integration and community engagement play a vital role in addressing social issues such as loneliness and isolation. By promoting inclusivity and guiding residents towards community groups can foster a sense of belonging for everyone "Continue to encourage integration. Signpost all ages to community groups to help combat loneliness and isolation."
"Tackling inequalities should be making things available to all citizens and not selected few".
The Wood Side Family Hub collaborates and coordinates a range of services in the area. It could also be used to make connection with individuals and maximise the success of partnerships.
More could be done to shift the perception that activities and opportunities in a community are exclusive to its residents. This perception can limit participation, engagement, and a sense of inclusion, not only for newcomers but also for those who might feel disconnected from local initiatives. Some residents voiced a feeling that some local events, resources, or programs are only meant for a specific group of people creating a barrier to wider community involvement. Ensuring that events are widely advertised, ensuring that community spaces are welcoming, and fostering partnerships with local organisations could help promote opportunities to get involved.
“Because it hasn't been prioritised people don't feel empowered to make the changes themselves “