Community-led change is happening in Stockingford, Nuneaton and this Thursday (15 Jan) sees the first residents' meeting of 2026 from 6pm at the Ford Community Centre. We're building community leadership for now and the future, asking what change people would like to see and how they could help ✊

LEADERSHIP GOALS 🙌 "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" (Eleanor Roosevelt). Young disabled campaigners from our Coventry Youth Activists (CYA) have shared their proudest leadership moments and the kind of leaders they want to become 👉 bit.ly/4swyc7U

January is tough. The weather is cold, energy bills are high and finances are stretched after the festive period. Millions of people across the UK will be desperately trying to make ends meet this January. Wondering how they’re going to keep their home warm and the lights on this month.

A warm welcome to 2026 from us, and a quick reintroduction to our work for followers new and old. We're a social action charity working alongside people and communities facing disadvantage in Coventry and Warwickshire—helping every life and community have the power to grow 💜 1/

And finally our ✨DECEMBER✨ photo of people with learning disabilities hosting senior public health leaders at Grapevine, leading the meeting and sharing what they believe must change bit.ly/49hbkS6 That's our Year in Photos done! Wishing everyone a peaceful break 🎄

✨NOVEMBER✨ Supported by our community organisers, Need The Loo campaigners marked #WorldToiletDay by bringing ideas for change together with local people, services and national charities to inform their next steps. Learn about the campaign here 🚽 bit.ly/3JM4WIQ

✨OCTOBER✨ In Advocacy Awareness Week we shared Lilly's story, illustrating the theme of #AdvocacyWorks in a web of other Grapevine support. Lilly and her daughter were living in unsuitable temporary accommodation following a relationship breakdown. More bit.ly/4sihd9s

✨SEPTEMBER✨ The ‘Community Centre of the Future’ project, funded by @warwickuni.bsky.social, sees our community organising team reframing the conversation about Canley's shared spaces to reimagine the future use of its communal assets. Look out for news in 2026! bit.ly/GVpower

We're completing our Year in Photos this Christmas Eve! Here's ✨AUGUST✨ and young people with SEND celebrating their 12 months on our Teenvine Plus intensive development programme with a summer camp out. More on how we are strengthening people 💪 bit.ly/GVstrength

OUR YEAR IN PHOTOS ✨ JULY ✨ Continuing our Christmas countdown! Our Coventry Youth Activists launched the CYA Playbook in July—a powerful, practical guide for anyone serious about creating bold, joyful change with young disabled people. Get your copy here ✊ covactivists.co.uk/playbook

Our ✨JUNE✨ photo shows public health system leaders and workers hearing how the Healthy Communities Together partnership of NHS, local government, voluntary and community sector and residents has developed new ways of improving health together over the last four years. 1/

Our Year in Photos ✨MAY✨ Here's our team at @belgradetheatre.bsky.social with the brilliant staff from @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social at the start of a day helping Coventry people affected by the government's proposed changes to disability benefits to respond to the consultation online or on paper.

In September, health advocate Rishard walked 16 miles from Rugby to Coventry to raise awareness of barriers people with learning disabilities like him face when trying to access healthcare. This month, our H Team met with senior public health leaders to make change together. 1/

OUR YEAR IN PHOTOS ✨ APRIL ✨ Today we bring you Coventry Youth Activists' (CYA) accessible voting campaign. Launched in April—ahead of local elections in Warwickshire and around the country—the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the barriers commonly faced by disabled people trying to vote. 1/

THANK YOU 🙏 to Coventry Building Society for inviting us to bring people we've been working alongside during 2025 to the annual 'One Day At Christmas' party at the city's CBS Arena—giving the full Christmas Day experience to anyone who may be alone, isolated or vulnerable this festive period 🎄🎅🥳

Our Year in Photos ✨MARCH✨ In March, our Experts By Experience (EbE) Co-Production Service helped develop new easy read advice explaining the causes and symptoms of pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia, effective treatment and ways to avoid them. What other impact did we make? 1/

Our Year in Photos ✨FEBRUARY✨ Coventry resident Alex launched their sensory library! Alex's idea for a catalogue of items free to borrow with a library card, came from their own experience of autistic sensory processing and was supported by our Connecting for Good team. 1/

Nnena Kalu becomes first artist with a learning disability to win Turner prize

Since marking #WorldToiletDay in Coventry three weeks ago, Need The Loo campaign core team member Ruth and our community organiser Melissa have completed a "loo crawl" of Earlsdon's neighbourhood pubs, shops and cafes—helping venues raise the bar around accessible toilets. 1/

Our Year in Photos ✨JANUARY✨ Here we stand united outside Coventry Council House with people with learning disabilities, friends, families, colleagues, allies successfully defending voluntary sector support from a 45 per cent proposed cut in funding: bit.ly/4aCO6qM

Thank you #CovConnects for donating 20 MiFi units, 10 mobiles, 9 laptops and a tablet to our Help and Connect project. No need for a partridge in a pear tree! These devices will help autistic people and people with learning disabilities access healthcare, training, employment, friendship and more.

Our last #WeAreGrapevine team meeting of 2025 yesterday 💜 Highlights included Grapevine’s Big Ginormous Quiz of the Year and choosing which medal we'd give ourselves and each other! As we close the door on 2025 we're sharing our #job opportunity once more bit.ly/4nY5l9b

Happy International Day of People with Disabilities! Here's a photo of our H Team who educate peers and professionals on how autistic people and people with learning disabilities can live long, healthy lives. Here they are on a 16-mile awareness walk 👣 bit.ly/4iAGnvq

Your council may have additional support through discretionary funds so it's worth checking their website. Residents of Worcestershire, @warwickshirecc.bsky.social, @solihullcouncil.bsky.social & @stratforddc.bsky.social can apply for some council-funded support through us - call 0800 988 2881

#JOB Our Teenvine Next Steps project helped get C back to school for an EHCP assessment. She got her plan, going on to attend alternative provision. She got back to playing piano too—first appearing in a 1m views YouTube video then on a grand piano at Birmingham Symphony Hall! 1/

Coventry Poverty Alliance—convened by Grapevine and @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social since 2022—met yesterday for the final time this year. The meeting came the day before the Autumn Budget, due to be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves this lunchtime. 1/

Survivor Sanctuary—part of our Connecting For Good Cov ecosystem for a connected, inclusive city—host their #WhiteRibbonDay event at Coventry Central Hall later from 6-8pm. An evening of poetry, stories, zine and badge-making, crafts, refreshments, connection and solidarity 💝

Want to join our team and work with brilliant young people like these two? Join us this January as our new youth project worker! You'll be fun, creative and confident. Co-designing activities with young people, focusing on what matters to them and meeting them where they are. 1/

Great team effort yesterday promoting the 'Need The Loo' campaign—led by Coventry people and supported by our community organising team. We will keep pushing for change so everyone is included in city centre life. Read more here 🚽🧻💜 bit.ly/3JM4WIQ #WorldToiletDay

Happy #WorldToiletDay! It's great we're talking about dignity, equality, inclusion... but why is it relevant to Coventry? A small but mighty team of residents supported by our Connecting for Good community organisers is working on improving access to public toilets in our city 1/

#JOB Did you know 63 per cent of young people with learning disabilities in Coventry leave school with no qualifications? We are funded to help 35 of the most disadvantaged disabled children with special educational needs. And we are looking for a full-time youth project worker to work with them! 1/

Two weeks to go until our #FuelPovertyAwarenessDay. Download our Stakeholder Support Pack and help support the millions of people unable to keep their homes warm and healthy this winter: www.nea.org.uk/fpad

On #WorldToiletDay (19 Nov) campaigners Need The Loo supported by our #ConnectingForGoodCov community organisers host their first big event with residents, @coventrycc.bsky.social, businesses, Age UK and @colostomyuk.bsky.social to share why public toilet access in Coventry is so vital for all 🚽

Cutting disability support doesn’t help disabled people into work. Disabled people need accessible jobs and compassionate support 💚

#TrusteesWeek 🥳 Celebrating trustees whose time, effort and dedication helps charities like us thrive. Our trustees play a vital role—bringing their lived experiences, professional expertise, passion and ideas to help shape, sustain and grow our work: bit.ly/3XbabEP

Our final #GrapevineAt30 blog on why equal collaboration between communities and institutions is vital if we are to make a sea change for people everywhere—but particularly the 'doubly disadvantaged' places identified for Pride in Place programme funding: bit.ly/3WDmGsJ

JOB VACANCY CLOSING THURSDAY! Work for us as a community organiser on Nature Towns and Cities, and nurture your career at the same time. Full-time role in Coventry—follow link for details and to apply: bit.ly/43i2pMO Here are five reasons why you should join our team 1/

💼 Community Organiser for Nature in Towns and Cities at @grapevinecovwarks.bsky.social Work alongside local communities to build greener, healthier Coventry neighbourhoods. actbuildchange.com/opportunitie...

Now in the final weeks celebrating #GrapevineAt30, we’re revisiting three themes from our story of 30 years of deep social change. Today: Strengthening Democracy—a very relevant topic and never far from our thoughts, given how we started 2025 with a fight: bit.ly/47eV5mt

#AdvocacyAwarenessWeek #AAW25 💫 Shining a light on the powerful impact advocacy has on people's lives. To illustrate this year's theme of #AdvocacyWorks and how it works within our innovative ecosystem of other Grapevine support, we share Lilly’s story 💜 bit.ly/4qtrCyb @ndtihello.bsky.social

We're hiring for a full-time community organiser working on 'Nature in Towns and Cities' in Coventry, primarily in Hillfields. Do you want to work alongside communities, helping them come together to create greener, healthier urban areas? Join our team! bit.ly/43i2pMO

Two job centre work coaches employed to help disabled people find employment have told the BBC they are "struggling" to find employers willing and able to make reasonable adjustments to get more people into work. Our project worker Kitty Wright agrees.. 1/ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG #GrapevineAt30 | At the crux of a local issue was a community feeling powerless to change things. In our process of creating conversations, relationships and strategy, something deeper took root—an emerging sense of power, confidence, possibility: bit.ly/435nKcl

This Is Our Town, Don’t Let Us Down – Community Power Against Cuts In our latest blog post we sat down with @grapevinecovwarks.bsky.social to discuss how they successfully organised against council budget cuts. Read the full discussion here: actbuildchange.com/ideas/this-i...

NEW BLOG #GrapevineAt30 | Divides that keep people apart, a lack of genuine two-way connections and relationships that allow cruelty and harassment to flourish—the power of connection and relationships to overcome these divides flows through our work 👉 bit.ly/3KByV6n

NEW BLOG | "THIS IS OUR TOWN, DON'T LET US DOWN—#Coventry community power against cuts: How Grapevine successfully fought back against local budget cuts and what we learned in the process." Here's a bit of context on what we shared with @actbuildchange.com for this new blog... 1/

Building trust, hope and agency in times of conflict and fearmongering—ambitions to bring communities together to form solutions on common ground can’t be realised without actively showing people they can shape the future. What we're doing in #Coventry: bit.ly/41YIIcw

#JOB #WorkWithUs | Just six days left to apply to join us as a community organiser turning ideas into action and helping #Coventry communities move from building their power to wielding it for a fairer, more equitable city. Closing 9am Monday 22 September! bit.ly/41tiuyE

Arriving here many years ago as a refugee, and through the immigration process, Dorothy has relied on community for support. Founding free 'Waka Waka' fitness classes for herself and other women living in Willenhall #Coventry. Here's a quick update on their latest challenge. 1/

#JOB NEWS | We want a city that is fairer, more compassionate and equal. Where lived experience matters, care leads to action and injustice is challenged together. We are looking for a full-time community organiser to join our Connecting for Good team helping... 1/4