Local Events: Community Stories

The Forgotten Generations Exhibition

At a recent focus group around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, one of our customers shared powerful memories from his time in the Armed Forces. He spoke passionately about an exhibition that meant a great deal to him — and we’re proud to help share it with others.

📍 Midlands Library
🗓️ 25 September – 12 December 2025 (during library opening hours)

The Forgotten Generations exhibition commemorates the public service of Black British veterans from World War II and later conflicts. Curated by Descar Dacosta, it shines a light on the bravery, sacrifice and resilience of those who served — stories that have too often been overlooked.

This is more than history. It’s a chance to:

• Reflect on the contributions of Black Britons to our shared heritage
• Learn from the past to build a more inclusive future
• Celebrate voices that deserve to be heard

📧 For more info: info@theforgottengenerations.co.uk
📞 Contact: +44 7405 081779

#TheForgottenGenerations #EDI #BlackHistory #VeteransVoices #InclusiveHeritage #CommunityEngagement #CitizenHousing

On Sunday 14th September 2025, Coventry will come together for a vibrant celebration of community at Vanny Fest 2025, held at The Coventrians RFC, Yelverton Road, Coventry CV6 4AF, starting from 11 AM.

🌟 What’s Vanny Fest All About?

Vanny Fest is a family-friendly event filled with music, activities, and opportunities to connect with local organisations. It’s a day designed to bring people together, celebrate community spirit, and offer support and information in a fun, welcoming environment.

🤝 Powered by Local Partnerships

This event is proudly supported by Vanny Radio, Coventry Youth Partnership, and Citizen — and is made possible through the Citizen Local Fund, which helps bring community-led ideas to life.

👋 We’ll Be Joining the Celebrations!

Our Engagement Team will be at Vanny Fest 2025, joining in with the celebrations and connecting with the community. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet face-to-face, enjoy the day together, and be part of an event that brings people and organisations closer.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there and celebrating everything that makes Coventry’s communities so special!

📍 Event Details

• Date: Sunday 14th September 2025
• Time: From 11 AM
• Location: The Coventrians RFC, Yelverton Road, Coventry CV6 4AF
• Contact:📱 07904 100074 / 07507 523242 📧 vannyradio12@gmail.com

🎉 Family Fiesta – A Day of Fun for All Ages!

We’re excited to invite you to the Family Fiesta, a free community event designed to bring neighbours together through fun, sport, and connection.

📍 Location: Robert Cramb Avenue, CV4 9LA
📅 Date: Friday 23rd August
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

What to Expect:

• 🥅 Goalkeeper Competition – in support of the Eamonn Fallon Goalkeeper Charity
• 🏏 Cricket
• 🥏 Disc Golf
• 🎲 Board Games with Max Parsons
• 🧩 Novus
• 🍔 Food & Refreshments
• 🎯 Games for all ages

This event is all about bringing our community closer together, and we’d love to see you there!

👋 Meet the Citizen Engagement Team

Our Citizen Engagement Team will be attending the Family Fiesta! Come and speak to us to find out more about engagement opportunities at Citizen while enjoying this fantastic day out. Whether you want to get involved, share ideas, or learn more about what’s happening in your area—we’re here to chat.

📱 Contact

For more information, contact Marcus Lapsa (Trees Group Events Coordinator) via WhatsApp: 07976 780746 or find us on Facebook: Trees Residents Group

Come along and explore your local Tiny Forest and its wonderful wildlife! These free, family-friendly events are open to all ages no age limit on curiosity! There’ll be fun science activities, nature crafts, bug hunts, and hands-on upkeep like tree health checks, litter picking, and soil science. Complimentary snacks will also be available.

🗓️ Event Dates & Locations:

• Monday, 11 August – Thimbler Road, CV4 8FL
  ⏰ 1:30pm – 6:30pm | 📍 What3Words: person.bumps.hoping
• Tuesday, 12 August – Nickson Road, CV4 9RU
  ⏰ 1:30pm – 6:30pm | 📍 What3Words: mostly.under.nurses
• Wednesday, 20 August – Whitely Common, CV3 5LL
  ⏰ 1:30pm – 6:30pm | 📍 What3Words: ears.dusty.gets
• Thursday, 21 August – Bell Green Road, CV2 2NE
  ⏰ 1:30pm – 6:30pm | 📍 What3Words: probe.nation.necks

👋 The Engagement Team will be attending the events on:

• Tuesday, 12 August at Nickson Road
• Wednesday, 20 August at Whitely Common

We’d love to see you there — come say hello, get involved, and discover the magic of your local Tiny Forest!

🔗 Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4m9DrXk

The Engagement Team recently attended the BDHT Community Day held in Sidemoor, Bromsgrove. Although Citizen has a small number of properties in the area, it was a great opportunity to raise our profile locally and connect with our customers.

This fantastic free event gave us the chance to speak with several customers who shared positive experiences with Citizen and expressed their satisfaction with the service they’ve received.

We also had a lovely moment with a young customer, who was interested in joining our Youth Engagement programme after learning more about it during the day.

The weather held up—although a little cloudy, the atmosphere was bright and cheerful. Everyone who attended seemed to have a great time, and it was brilliant to see the community come together.

A big thank you to BDHT for inviting Citizen to be part of such a well-organised and welcoming event!

On a sunny Wednesday, our Engagement Team joined Platform Housing at the Warndon Community Hub in Worcester for a fun and exciting Youth Day.

We met lots of our customers and their families. Everyone was friendly, and it was a great chance to talk, share ideas, and work together to make the community better. We also spoke with Worcester MP Tom Collins and Councillor Lynn Denham, who came along to support the event.

Throughout the day, we met many customers who were eager to work together to improve their community. Their ideas and enthusiasm showed how important it is to stay connected and support one another. It was clear that events like this help build stronger relationships and encourage people to get involved locally.

Fun for Young People

There was loads for young people to do! They got to meet different groups and learn about things they can do now and in the future. Some of the groups included:

• ⚽ Worcester Football Club
• 🎖️ Local Army Cadets
• 🚒 Fire Brigade
• 🚓 Police Services
• 🥋 Martial Arts Clubs
• 🛡️ Royal Life Guards Association
• 🏛️ Worcester City Council
• 💬 Our Advice Team
• ...and many more!

We’re pleased to share details of a free local event designed to bring the community together for a day of fun, connection, and support.

🗓 Date: Friday, 22nd August
🕚 Time: 11am – 3pm
📍 Location: The Green, Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, Coventry, CV4 9QR
💷 Cost: Free entry and free lunch provided

Organised by the Tile Hill Community Partnership, this Family Fun Day offers something for everyone, including:

• Arts & crafts
• Face painting
• Entertainment and prizes
• Treasure trail
• Free school uniform
• Community art
• Advice stalls and more!

Our Engagement Team will be attending, and we’re really looking forward to seeing the community come together for this fantastic day. It’s a great chance to meet others, access support, and enjoy a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.

For more information, please contact: tilehillreporters@gmail.com

We’re excited to spotlight an upcoming community-led event that’s all about bringing people together and celebrating local culture and wellbeing.

New Hope Global presents “Neighbours in Harmony” – a Community Fun Day filled with activities, performances, and workshops designed to inspire and connect.

📅 Date: Wednesday, 30th July 2025
🕥 Time: 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
📍 Location: Birchfield Library, 3 Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 6AH

What’s happening:

• Talks on health & wellbeing from Alzheimer’s UK and Birmingham Mind
• Zumba, yoga, and creative arts sessions
• A vibrant fashion show, folk music, and poetry
• Henna art, refreshments, and food stalls showcasing cultural flavours

This event is a fantastic example of how local organisations are working to build stronger, more inclusive communities. We’re looking forward to sharing stories from the day and highlighting the impact these events have on residents and neighbourhoods.

📞 For more information, contact:
Tel: 0121 455 8144 / 07591 598 340
📧 Email: info@nhglobal.org.uk
📱 Follow New Hope Global on Facebook and Instagram

Free Activities in Your Area – July to September 2025

New Hope Global is running a range of free sessions for local residents in and around Birchfield, Aston, and Kingstanding.

Come along for:

• Benefit & Energy Advice
• Free English classes (ESOL)
• Women’s wellbeing, yoga, and digital skills
• Men’s wellbeing and outdoor activities
• Creative English and accredited courses

📍 Most sessions are held at Birchfield Library, Aston Park, or Doug Ellis Centre.
📞 To register or find out more, call 0121 455 8144 or 07591 598340
📧 Email: info@nhglobal.org
🌐 Visit: www.nhham.org
📱 Follow: @Newhopeglohal2014 | @NhglobalUK

West Midlands (WM)-Adapt: Climate Change Community Event

We wanted to make you aware of a great opportunity! BVSC Research, the University of Birmingham, and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are working on a project called WM-Adapt, which focuses on tackling climate change challenges like extreme heat and flooding in the West Midlands.

Although these events are not run by Citizen, they are happening within our communities, and that's why we wanted to inform you about them!

As part of this project, there are three upcoming World Café-style events where you can get involved! At these events, you’ll have the chance to share your experiences with extreme weather, discuss ideas for solutions, and help shape the future of climate adaptation in your area. Your input could make a real difference to how the community plans for climate challenges!

You’ll receive lunch and £75 for your time, plus there’s support for childcare or travel if you need it.

Click the Eventbrite link below to find out more and sign up for one (or all) of the events: Just press on the Ornage Link.

Eventbrite – WM-Adapt: Climate Change Community Event links:

We wanted to make sure you're aware of these events and how you can get involved – please take a look at the leaflets attached to this page or press the links above for more details.