1

‘Filling You With EnV’ th 5 Edition Newsletter In This Issue: • Supporting Our City • Culture Corner • EnV Ambassador Task Groups • Event Reports • Gosp-Ability Choir • Training & Development

• Engage with EnV

Edited by: David Boughey & Astrid Clarke

Supporting our City recognition for our Social visit such as the Photographic Enterprise and the impact our exhibition, Shop Front Theatre David Boughey fantastic volunteers continue to with different shows on every After supporting recent make…did someone say legacy!? hour, also in Broadgate and partnership bids for the city towards hosting UK Transplant Central Library shows and events Games and City of Culture 2021 all through the day. EnV were proud to be hosting delegates from the European City Rugby of Sport Bid panel recently. Celebration / City of Fingers crossed – again! Culture Handover Sheila Grainger – Lead Ambassador Coordinator. Culture Corner! 28 Ambassadors helped at least Shop Front Festival one (so far!) Coventry team Diane Jones – Lead Ambassador celebrate promotion this season! Coordinator. On a cold, wet April day Ambassadors saw Coventry play Hull Ionians, receive the

champions trophy and watch the

symbolic handover of City of Partnership Projects Culture status. Sponsors, former I continue to work with a range of players, VIPs and supporters partners on a number of exciting were met with warm Ambassador projects including Coventry Young Ambassadors led by a smiles at Butts Park Arena range of Coventry Primary Schools. We will be working on another newsletter edition soon with some exciting news and key updates including this project and The two-day Shop Front Festival other big news – watch this began our journey named as City space! of Culture 2021 and supporting a new event to Coventry. We had “Would you please pass on Coventry Rugby Club's Continued Recognition lots of different experiences to appreciation to all your see and participate in and the After being named Winners of an Ambassadors for the ( always) SME Business Award we were Ambassadors were at different positive and welcoming input they really pleased to have been an venues which made it very -each and everyone of them- made Area Finalist at the FSB Business interesting, especially for our first to todays "special event" at the Awards recently, continued event recruits. There was a lot to Butts Park Arena 2

Press & PR sessions for potential the Coventry Music Museum Ambassadors. was chosen to be this year’s Astrid Clarke We had 13 new inductees in charity. A real hidden gem in our January, of those 8 volunteered city, we are very excited to be for the Shop Front Festival, and I'm sure enjoyed being involved able to assist! The money raised with the Ambassadors. In April 15 so far has enabled the Coventry attended their initial training Music Museum to purchase 2 session. Group leaders Diane & pieces of audio/video equipment Sheila are planning a Personal for the museum's new exhibition, Development session for all which although relatively small in Ambassadors – watch this space! cost, have been a real boost to The next induction date is 26th June, so do you know anyone the Museum. ‘Places to go, people to see’ has been the mantra this year so far. who would make a brilliant Local radio stations such as BBC Coventry Ambassador? We CWR, Touch FM and Radio Plus continue to aim to include have featured Coventry Coventry’s rich diversity bearing Ambassadors on a regular basis in mind that the City of Culture’s and more ‘appearances’ are to judges said this was one positive follow. The Coventry Telegraph aspect leading to their decision. and Observer have both featured articles about us. Our pink and purple contingent networked at #CWRocks Business Expo as if to the manner born! A week later we were involved in a very exciting new project, Young Ambassadors, when primary schoolchildren attended a conference about Tokyo2020. More news of this to come. Later in March, Task Group members Coventry is extremely fortunate welcomed attendees to the C&W to have such a wonderful place Champions breakfast meeting. like the Music Museum, which showcases our brilliant local talent, crammed full of really interesting memorabilia. “The overall experience was excellent.” Therefore, it is intended that any

money raised throughout the “A very informative evening which made me feel more duration of the year will be split comfortable about the role of a between the Coventry Music volunteer” Museum and the Ambassador programme. Aside from the aim “Professional and people of the group to raise money for Another fantastic effort from Task focused throughout. new uniforms, we also hope to be Group members who, often at Congratulations to the able to bring the group together short notice, have attended presenting team” events, been interviewed, posted through various social events on social media etc to promote Fundraising & Social – including the annual celebration EnV and Coventry Ambassadors Music Museum event in December! – Thank You! The group are always keen to Lisa Barrett The Coventry Ambassadors have seek input and ideas for Induction & Training recently set up a fundraising task fundraising and social events Astrid Clarke from others and we would The task group remains very group, the aim being not only to busy, aiming to keep current raise funds for the Ambassadors, welcome your help to become a Ambassadors updated and as but to also support a local charity. very successful group which professional as possible. 2018 After winning a vote at the really makes a difference to all. has so far seen two training celebration event in December 3

Half Marathon / Children’s Mile Singer/Songwriter Sandra Over the 6 years of our existence, Dennis Brittain – Lead Ambassador Godley. Coventry Ambassadors have Coordinator. dealt with many challenging as 24th March saw 12 of us at the well as straightforward situations. cathedral and Priory Visitor Centre supporting over 100 As the events we support have auditionees, mostly people who grown in diversity so have the have overcome adversity. We situations we meet. We have to experienced a very emotional think on our feet and sometimes occasion as well of course for we have to make a very quick those singing their hearts out. decision. Coventry Ambassadors Two of those selected were fellow have an excellent reputation and Ambassadors Diane Hill and The plans were all in place from Sund Ali. we are working hard to do all we Coventry University Student can to maintain it… we are ever Union to deliver a new and We are now looking forward to mindful that we want to ‘get it exciting format for this popular waving off the Gosp-Ability choir right’. As we head towards 2021, local event. Coventry before they perform at Windsor City of Culture ‘taster’ events Ambassadors were to have roles and we are following Diane and have already involved us and we Sunds experience with great in managing and supporting key look forward to more. Therefore interest! areas, providing their experience our Induction & Training Task and strong people skills to “Your volunteers were Group will be running a Personal contribute to another successful particularly supportive and Development session for ALL event. It was great to see so sensitive with the auditionees Ambassadors in the Autumn. many new recruits at the event and it was a joy to have them The Personal Development briefing and they quickly found with us.” their places with fellow session will be fun as well as Ambassadors in their ‘race day’ helpful, giving Ambassadors an teams. As always, the mood was opportunity to swap stories too! positive, with a healthy blend of Final details will be included in humour and comradery. the next newsletter as well as on However, with weather warnings social media. becoming even more serious, the By the way, the opening scenario organisers took the difficult is true – it happened to me! What decision, early on Friday did I do? afternoon, to cancel the event. Their decision was proved to be absolutely correct when on Engage with us! Sunday morning we woke to find EnV is a Community Interest dangerously frozen surfaces, Company that manages and delivers snow flurries and strong winds a range of events, training & that had a chill factor of minus volunteer programmes in Coventry 10!! Pictured: Sonny & Diane who are and the surrounding area. Winners part of the #GospAbility Choir who The good news for the 1200 of the SME Coventry & will be singing at Windsor Guildhall children who were due to run in Award for Community Business of th the Children’s Mile, is that the on 17 May as a gift to the Royal the Year 2017. event was re-scheduled with couple EnV manage and sustain the award Coventry Sport Foundation. winning Coventry Ambassador Coventry Ambassadors attended Personal Development volunteer programme. in force to help the children and What would you do if………? Visit us http://env.uk.com their supporters have a great The Lord Mayor is about to arrive Contact us [email protected] time. at St. Mary’s Guildhall, security Or be social with us by clicking the staff not yet in situ, two men who Gosp-Ability Choir icon: have over-imbibed by mid- Astrid Clarke Trish Adudu from BBC CWR morning begin an argument with recently requested our help with a a similar other at the entrance… Royal Wedding present – a song sung by a very special choir put together by award winning