The Pod

Awards

Winner of the UK Skills For Care: Most Innovative New Approach To Service Delivery Award 2013

Christine Eade – Coventry City Council – Winner – Mental Health Leader Award 2013 

Winner of the Coventry Community Cohesion Awards – Public Sector - The Revive Cafe - The POD, Coventry City Council 2014 

Christine Eade – winner - UK National Mental Health Leader prize at the National Positive Practice Awards 2014 

The Pod: Food Union: Winner of Community Cohesion Awards (Public Sector) 2016 

The Pod Café: Winner Community Cohesion Awards (Public Sector) 2014  

Christine Eade  -Coventry City Council:  Women as Leaders Award 2017.  

Sarah Laughton and Christine Eade: Ladies First Professional Development Award for Achievements in the Community 

Winners of Regional Foodie Awards 2023 in both Food Heroes Award and Vegan Taste. 

Food Union were a finalist in the Combined Authority Environment and Sustainability awards in 2023 and 2024

Publications:  

TLAP October 10th 2017: https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/News/Award-winning-Pod-leads-the-way-on-treating-people-with-severe-mental-health-as-citizens-and-not-service-users/    

Reviews and quotes:  

Peer Review: “personalization oozes through every pore.” (LGA) 

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Mad Zine Research: Outside(R) Zine Festival – a trip to Coventry – Mad Zine Research (madzines.org) : Dr Hel Spandler, Professor of Mental Health,Health, Social Work and Sport. University of Central Lancashire. Principal Investigator, Madzines research project: www.madzines.org . Managing Editor, Asylum: the radical mental health magazine: www.asylummagazine.org  

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The Guardian 2018: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/nov/08/best-vegan-restaurants-uk-readers-travel-tips 

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The Telegraph 2022: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/best-vegan-vegetarian-restaurants-london-uk-eat-plant-based-2022/ and here: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4370/the-pod-named-among-the-best-in-uk-in-national-paper-guide 

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TLAP:  ‘[The Pod] challenges national assumptions around what and how social care can deliver’ 

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 Dr Nirmal Puwar, Reader in Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London.  Self-proclaimed Writer As Resident in Coventry: ‘The quiet activism of THE POD is also a deep activism, a unique case of civic care for people, places, land and multi-species, at a time when civic care is aggressively being eroded through calls to austerity, auditing and capital’ 

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 Dr Chris Maughan ‘Food Union – as the name implies – uses the simple power of food to bring communities together, to find healthier ways of producing and eating food, but also of thinking about and enacting community and civic identity’ 

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Georgia Cowie, Head of Arts and Events, Coventry Cathedral:  “Our partnership with The Pod and Food Union is one that we hugely value and appreciate. Their ethos, mission and methodology is something we look up to and we always welcome the opportunity to collaborate. Over the last two years the partnership has blossomed, going from strength to strength, creating new and ambitious projects that have been greatly received by the community and the wider Cathedral. The joy that both teams have found from working together has been next to none, from sharing knowledge to finding new ways to co-create, the interconnection of both our communities and resources have led lead to such rewarding work. Our ‘Live and Dye’ garden project is about to go into its third year of development and with the continued support of the Food Union team we are able to continue running fantastic workshops and skill sharing sessions with the local community. Spring festival, Harvest festival and Zine fest have become central to our yearly Arts and Events programme, there reach, and program of activities have become a talking point and it is fantastic to see them grow and evolve each year, often reaching new experiences seekers that we might not otherwise be able to reach. Together we are promoting the Cathedral as a place for community cohesion, reaching a diverse and responsive audience that are returning to future events. Throughout the work we have been able to break down some of the barriers that the Cathedral has around inclusion and with their continued support we have been able to think of new and creative ways the Cathedral can contribute to a greener Coventry. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this partnership!”  

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Lizz Brady, Founder of BROKEN GREY WIRES: 'With the focus on Mental Health the impact THE POD is having on the scene locally, nationally & internationally is huge. Opening up conversations, breaking down stigma & showing ambition, there is a real buzz about them’   

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NHS England: ‘What THE POD do is innovative, radical and socially engaged’ 

Case Studies

Read about the work, impact and reach of The Pod

"Sarah’s contribution has been invaluable for my mental and physical wellbeing for which I am sincerely appreciative.  She is approachable and empathetic and she has become my confidante and I trust her fully with my feelings.  Words can’t emphasise the effect the POD and Sarah in particular has had on me. I would be lost without them"

Read more about GS.

“Gaming means the world to A as this is a form of escape from reality and the constant voices monsters that are always present”

Read more about A.

"...no one person’s recovery or life is linear; they adapt and work together to look at ways of approaching things and sourcing the right professional support if needed."

Read more about Jane.

"Thanks to the help I’ve had from them and my development worker I have now found my purpose for being here. My mental health has improved, and I have gained many new friends”.

Read more about Anthony.