Coventry News...features...plus more about your city...your neighbourhood...your services issue 63 I winter I 2018 Coventry marks 100 years since Festive lights the end of WWI ready to sparkle INSIDE: 900 years of park life at Coombe Abbey Portraits capture life in two city streets City business galloping to success COVENTRY CITIVISION Partnership proud to support UK City of Culture 2021 FOR COVENTRY news From the top contents welcome to the winter 2018 issue of citivision • A personal message from Cllr George Duggins, Leader, Coventry City Council. So much on our doorstep I’m proud to think that the Council has owned Coombe Abbey Country Park since the 1960s. It’s one of the many attractions that the city has to offer, and when the Council decided to invest in Coombe Abbey Park Ltd – which operates the hotel at the park - it made financial sense as any income can be reinvested in frontline Council services. There are lots of plans for the park and hotel, and I hope that it can go from strength to strength. Elsewhere, I’ve been able to see the waterpark take shape, news health news and at the same time we’ve made 4 Coventry is set to benefit 15 Coventry City Council progress on the 50m pool at the from CityFibre and has been working in 11 A major photography Alan Higgs Centre. Vodafone’s partnership partnership with local commission capturing New restaurants, opening up to bring ultrafast full fibre organisations to deliver the bustling day-to-day at Cathedral Lanes, are helping broadband to up to a the Red Bag Project. activity on two Coventry to add to the footfall in the city million UK homes. streets is currently centre, which is always welcome, underway. particularly as we approach the 5 The £36.7m water news See photo above. festive season. park currently under This year’s Christmas Lights construction in the city 17 Coventry Half Marathon switch-on is Wednesday 21 centre will be called is opening entries and is now part of an expanded November, which will mark the The Wave. Festival of Running. what’s on start of late night shopping and Schoolchildren and 9 A round-up of some of other events in the city centre. The vintage festive sleigh 20 volunteers have planted 19 the attractions on offer I hope that people of all ages can ride is back at Coventry trees to create a in and around Coventry be a part of this. Transport Museum. community garden at the for the next few months. Any opportunities for Charterhouse. investment and growth in the city can only benefit from having a 11 The Coventry City of spotlight councillors stable and effective infrastructure. Culture Trust is keen Spotlight on Coombe 22 Need to contact your That’s why, as a Council, we to support existing and 12 Abbey – taking a look at councillors? Check out potential partners as always aim to ensure our frontline Coombe’s amazing story – our comprehensive they seek to play a full services operate efficiently and and what’s still to come. directory. effectively – and we manage our and active role in the run finances accordingly. up to 2021. Finally - reflecting on 100 years since the end of the First World War, we will always remember contact us the fallen, and for their sake we Call the Citivision newsdesk per copy to write, print and If you would like to advertise in must continue to create a more on 024 7683 1075 or write distribute to homes in Coventry. the next issue of Citivision, contact compassionate world. to Newsdesk, Room 73, You can also pick up a copy at Darren O’Shaughnessy on 024 Council House, Earl Street, libraries and Council buildings. 7683 1075. Coventry City Council If you need this information Coventry, CV1 5RR, or Citivision is produced on paper is grateful for the support from in another format or language e-mail communications@ from sustainable woodland and advertisers in this issue of Citivision, please contact us: coventry.gov.uk is chlorine free. The milling but accepts no responsibility for Tel: 024 7683 1081 Written and produced by process also has Environmental the accuracy of adverts. the Communications Team, Management Systems in place. All details correct at the time of e-mail: communications@ Coventry City Council. Each Once read, please recycle. going to print (23 October 2018) coventry.gov.uk edition of Citivision costs 9p Cover story: Wearing our Poppies with pride - Margaret Batten with her 2 I citivision I winter 2018 team Doreen, Janice, Liz and Robert. winter 2018 I citivision I 3 18-0868-HG news news Treble honour for city family The latest Freemen of the City of Coventry admitted New waterpark named The Wave to the Guild was extra special for one family. Daniel Stones, completes a Councillor John Blundell, The £36.7m waterpark currently under family treble alongside his father The Lord Mayor of the City of construction on the former Spire House Steve Stones, who was made Coventry, said: site in the city centre will be called a Freeman in 2007, after being “It recognises the hard work an apprentice grinder at Alfred and dedication that people The Wave. Herbert from 1976-1980 and have shown to a particular The name has been selected has this kind of facility in grandfather Terry Stones, also profession. because it’s short, memorable, the heart of a city centre. was made a Freeman in 1953 “I am delighted that this year descriptive and it has been taken All of this in time to we have honoured the third after serving an apprenticeship from the design of the building. celebrate City of Sport as an electrical tester for GEC. generation of one city family. The logo features a spiral letter Their story is a snapshot of in 2019.” Daniel completed his ‘W’ that brings a flavour of a our city’s industrial heritage – apprenticeship as a Vehicle twisting flume ending in a splash The waterpark includes a splash ■ Pictured (left to right): Terry Stones, Steve Stones, Brian Jackson - Master of the Freemens with service in firms like GEC, pad area with jets, tipping Technician at West Way Nissan. Alfred Herbert and, of course, of water, making it an innovative Guild, Daniel Stones, Lord Mayor John Blundell buckets and smaller accessible Eligibility to become a Freeman the motor industry.” and modern design. means having completed an Alongside The Wave with slides for toddlers, easy access Support for claimants are missing out on. apprenticeship within 4.5miles of To learn more about the Guild, its thrill rides and slides, the areas for people with mobility Council Tax Support is not part St Mary’s Guildhall, and worked or to apply to become a building will also include a day issues and a wave pool and lazy Universal Credit of Universal Credit. UC claimants for at least five years in the same Freeman, visit the Council spa, 25 metre 4 lane swimming river. claimants must apply for CTS separately trade through an apprenticeship website www.coventry.gov.uk/ pool, 120 station fitness suite, Leader of Coventry City to their UC claim. Free School scheme. freemen squash courts and dance studio. Council, Cllr George The multi-agency ‘welfare Meals can be claimed if income Cllr Kamran Caan, Cabinet Duggins, said: reform working together group’ is falls below a certain amount. For Member for Public Health and “We have invested over urging Universal Credit claimants details visit www.coventry.gov. Sport, said: £30m into The Wave – our not to miss out on important uk/freeschoolmeals biggest single investment entitlements: to Free School Healthy Start Vouchers – which “The Wave is the perfect Meals, Healthy Start Vouchers and were once called ‘milk tokens’ name and in keeping with in sport and activity- support with their Council Tax. but now cover a wide range of the design of the building, and I think this shows Universal Credit Full Service milk, fruit and vegetables – are which is eye catching and our commitment to get (UCFS) began a phased roll out in also available to some people ■ Pictured: Cllr Kamran Caan with Cllr George Duggins outside The Wave memorable. No other city Coventry active.” Coventry in July and over 1,000 on Universal Credit with a low new claims have been made. income (mainly pregnant women Many issues have arisen for and those with young children). claimants to overcome but the For details visit group believes there are three www.healthystart.nhs.uk key entitlements which some UC City ahead on full fibre roll out Youth offer in city As one of the first cities in the UK set to benefit from A new mobile app It will only be accessed CityFibre and Vodafone’s partnership to bring ultrafast full which hosts a one-stop directly from the Coventry Youth Partnership website. fibre broadband to up to a million UK homes and businesses platform for young by 2021, Coventry is already ahead of the game when it The project is also being comes to digital transformation. people in Coventry supported by Coventry City of Speaking recently of a £60m investment, Cllr Jim O’Boyle has been released. Culture Trust, as the city builds Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, said: The Coventry Youth toward being UK City of Culture in 2021. “By working with CityFibre we are building the next- Partnership has launched the The release of the new generation communications infrastructure into our entire app as part of its new website ■ app and website forms part city framework.