cCov enttry vNew s...featuress...plus more ab out your ocity...your neighbourhon od...your services INSIDE l Gigabit City sets pace on broadband l Cabinet rises to challenge l Families centre stage l First World War in focus at FREE Godiva Festival issue 47 | july | 2014 Including: news, comments and updates from organisations across the city working together to improve life in Coventry From the top contents welcome to the july 2014 issue of citivision l A personal message from A personal message from Charley Gibbons, chair of the Coventry Partnership... * Charley Gibbons is Cllr Ann Lucas OBE, chief executive of the This issue of Citivision includes start of the First World War Citizens’ Advice Leader, Coventry articles, features and adverts from anniversary will resonate with young Bureau in Coventry City Council. many local organisations - all with and old in our communities, and has agreed to be the common goal of improving life especially because of the city’s the chair of the for Coventry residents. experiences particularly during Coventry Partnership for the coming year. Sorrow and joy in Contributions include the new WW11. Coventry and Warwickshire website, Elsewhere there is news of new poignant year ahead and the news of a new city wide developments at Henley College, Coventry is fast getting a great project to accelerate broadband updates on health projects in the city reputation as the place to be if services to businesses. and lots about events going on you want to enjoy big events Similarly our reflections on the around the city – enjoy reading. that are special and different. You may have seen the amazing cascade of giant news dominoes through our city 4 Voluntary and community centre featured on BBC1 groups are encouraged to recently or, like me, enjoyed the apply for grants of up to city centre full of great cars and £5,000 to make a difference their proud owners as we in local areas of the city. celebrated our motoring heritage with the city’s first 5 Coventry is set to be Motofest. transformed into the largest And there’s plenty more to ‘Gigabit City’ in the UK as part come this summer as you’ll find of a major new agreement out in this bumper issue of giving businesses access to Citivision . some of the fastest Of course, the Godiva Festival communications in the world. p9 is now a highlight of summer in the city, and this year’s festival World War 1 focus technol line-up is already being talked creative focus ogy focus 9 A gro about as one of the best yet. 22 Events are being held across up of motorsport 7 Exciting plans have been engineer There’s a full guide to everything the city to mark the 100th ing undergraduates unveiled for a huge country at Cove going on over a packed anniversary of the start of the ntry University has park which could transform beco weekend on pages 24-25. First World War and me one of only six Coventry. Form For me, though, the most remember those who worked, ula Student teams across the important events of the year served and lost their lives UK to be awarded a prest will take place as we mark the from 1914-18. igious cash prize by the Inst centenary of the beginning of honours focus itute of Mechanical Engineer the First World War. Across the 8 The Leader of the Council health focus s (IMechE). city a number of organisations has called on everyone in the are working on commemorating city to step up to the challenge 20 Coventry on the move this important date with dignity of helping make Coventry delivered a Rush Hour what’s on and respect. Coventry, above all great again. Challenge, to discover cities, knows and understands the quickest transport from 26 A round-up of some of the the impact of war on people the city centre to the War attractions on offer in and and the importance of peace libraries focus Memorial Park. around Coventry this and reconciliation. I do hope winter. 12 Looking for a fun, free and you will be able to join me as educational way to keep the we take part in a year of Godiva Festival kids entertained over the remembering the sacrifice made councillors summer holidays? Then your 24 The UK’s biggest free family by so many over the past local library has just the thing, festival returns to the War 30 Need to contact your hundred years. with the Mythical Maze Memorial Park over the councillor? Check out our * You can write to Ann at The Council Summer Reading Challenge. weekend of July 4-6. comprehensive directory. House, Earl Street, Coventry CV1 5RR, or e-mail her at [email protected] contact us If you need this information in another Call the Citivision newsdesk on print and distribute to every If you would like to advertise in the format or language please contact us: 024 7683 1075 or write to Newsdesk, home in Coventry. You can also next issue of Citivision , contact Tel: 024 7683 1081 Room 27, The Council House, pick up a copy at libraries and Darren O’Shaughnessy on Fax: 024 7683 1132 Earl Street, Coventry, CV1 5RR, council buildings. Citivision is 024 7683 1075. Coventry City e-mail: communications@ or e-mail [email protected] produced on paper from Council is grateful for the support coventry.gov.uk sustainable woodland and is from advertisers in this issue of Written and produced by the chlorine free. The milling process Citivision , but accepts no Cover story: There’s fun for all the family on Communications Team, Coventry also has Environmental responsibility for the accuracy of the cards at this year’s Coventry Godiva Festival. City Council. Each edition of Management Systems in place. adverts. The next issue of Citivision will Full story – Pages 24-25 Citivision costs 7p per copy to write, Once read, please recycle. be delivered in September 2014. 14-0419-EGT july 2014 | citivision | 03 news Your chance to bid for grant money Voluntary and community groups are The Community Grant Fund is intended to encouraged to apply for grants of up to The fund is intended to help help voluntary and community groups £5,000 to make a difference in local areas voluntary and community groups throughout Coventry make their of the city. throughout Coventry make their neighbourhoods better places. Coventry City Council has announced the neighbourhoods better places... If you require further information about the launch of the 2014/15 Community Grant Fund Community Grant Fund, please contact the with around £100,000 available. Council. Funding will be allocated during two Community Development Team on The funding is for projects that help improve rounds of applications. The deadline for the first 02476 83 1195. neighbourhood environments or help improve round is Monday, June 30. A second round of funding will be announced the health and wellbeing of local people. Details of how to apply and an application later this year with a deadline for applications of The fund was first introduced last year by the form is available on the Council’s website 4pm on Wednesday, December 31. New way of working Heralding dawn for coroner services of online voting Coventry’s Coroner’s Services has moved Changes to the legal from Little Park Street Police Station to requirements for registering to Council offices in Civic Centre One, Little vote come into effect from June Park Street. 10. All over the UK people will, The move will help the service work for the first time, be able to more closely with the Council’s register to vote online. Bereavement Services and Registration Coventry people will be able Services. Last year there were 1,868 to register to vote by going to deaths that were referred to the Coroner www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and in Coventry and for one in 10 of these an filling in their details. The system inquest was held. is easy to use, and works on In the coming months the service will tablets and mobiles as well. It have a website set up to help people to takes just two minutes to find out about the processes and register. procedures that the Coroner’s Service People registering will be follow. Staff in the Coventry Coroner’s asked to provide their date of Services will include the Coroner, and a birth and national insurance small team of support staff. number to verify their identity, People are usually informed at the time helping to ensure the register is of death that the death is being referred accurate and reduce the risk of to the Coroner. fraud. In addition to registering The Coroner has a duty to investigate to vote online, residents will still and record the details of any death where be able to register in the the cause is not known, violent, unnatural traditional way, by returning a or whilst the deceased was legally registration form – however detained. each resident will now have to The office will be open daily from 9am do this individually, rather than to 4pm, or e-mail coroner’soffice@ one form per household. coventry.gov.uk Residents currently on the electoral register will be Keep the bailiffs at bay Branching out to help contacted, with the majority of The large majority of council tax payers people receiving a letter make their payments on time but there protect environment confirming that they are still on are occasions where people fall behind the electoral register, and that with their payments.