Community foundation celebrates recipients of Commonwealth Games legacy fund

Hundreds of people attended an event in Coventry to celebrate the recipients of a Commonwealth Games legacy fund which saw more than £11.8m awarded to 388 community organisations across the West Midlands and Warwickshire in just seven months.

An Inclusive Communities Fund event was held at Coventry Building Society Arena in a day of celebration in recognition of the organisations which have been awarded funding for projects which are making a difference to communities right across the region.

Inspired by the momentum generated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Inclusive Communities Fund was set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with funding from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), and administered by the Heart of England Community Foundation.

It was established to help community organisations bring to life solutions that addressed challenges in their neighbourhoods and local areas.

The event, hosted by the Foundation, was compered by radio personality Brody Swain, and guests included the award beneficiaries, stakeholders and other regional funders.

Centred around the award recipients, it was filled with performances including dances, music, theatre, spoken word and a DJ set as well as a range of speakers giving guests an insight into how they used their grants and the difference the funding has made.

All of the community groups were also given an opportunity to have a stand giving guests an insight into the work they do.

Tina Costello, chief executive of Heart of England Community Foundation, and Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair also addressed the guests.

You Can Flourish, based in Leamington, was one of the organisations which spoke at the event.

You Can Flourish provides mentoring and wellbeing services to girls aged 10 to 18 in Warwickshire, with an aim of boosting self-esteem, building confidence and improving resilience, and received £70,055 from the Inclusive Communities Fund to expand its services.

Tina Costello OBE said: “What we wanted from this fund was to create a real long-lasting legacy for the voluntary and community sector across the region, and I certainly feel like we’ve achieved that.”

Richard Parker said: "This funding has opened up new opportunities for thousands of local people to get involved in sports, arts, and community activities - often for the first time.

“For many, it has been truly life-changing, giving them the chance to learn new skills and connect with their communities.”