Seeds of change in Coventry
When a storm felled a tree in Coventry city centre, many people walked on by while others saw only an eyesore. Ade saw possibility. What could that bare patch of ground become if local people had the opportunity to care for it? Ade sensed others might feel the same.
In order to flourish to its full potential, that unloved piece of land needed more than seeds—it needed support, structure and collective power. That’s where Grapevine’s Connecting for Good movement came in, helping Ade and others wanting to shape our city turn individual vision into collective action with the support of a framework where communities can claim space, power and voice in Coventry.
What started as Ade’s determination to create beauty has blossomed into Coventry Urban Eden’s (CUE) community raised bed project. CUE is now a collective of Coventry locals that includes a teaching assistant, landscape architect, retirees and dreamers with the shared belief that our neighbourhoods deserve vibrancy, respect and new life.
The city council handed over derelict wasteland for CUE to transform. “It marked a real shift in power towards the community,” reflects Ade.
As well as being project coordinator as CUE secure funding to further their work—and outside of his professional work as Business Development Manager at Coventry Central Hall—Ade brings his strong belief in community power to Connecting for Good’s core team. Here he works with other members to keep the movement’s roots connected across the city.
Ade says: “I hope that Connecting for Good helps us display a united front in confronting and addressing all forms of social injustice. Most importantly, I hope it will inspire people to recognise their own power.”
From storm damage to social justice. From one fallen tree to a forest of possibility.
Want to dig in? Learn more about Coventry Urban Eden on their website www.coventryurbaneden.co.uk
Click this link for more on Connecting for Good’s impact in Coventry.