Canley is one of our closest neighbourhood communities and home to many of our students and staff.

In 2019-20, we worked with the people of Canley to facilitate the Planning for Real process and help them devise an action plan for change in their community.

We trained and supported Canley residents to deliver this process every step of the way.

What is 'Planning for Real'?

Planning for Real is a nationally-recognised community planning process where residents develop ideas on a locally-made 3D map of the area. It allows a wide range of people to register their views on a variety of issues, work together to identify priorities, and go on to develop an action plan for change with the support of local agencies.

There are lots of suggestion cards that residents can add to the 3D map, such as 'more activities for young people here' or 'install CCTV here' and some that are blank so new ideas can be included. You can also add cards that highlight where there are problems, which might inspire someone else to suggest a solution. The 3D map is taken to lots of events so as many members of the community as possible get a chance to add their thoughts to it.

When the suggestion phase is over, all of the ideas are collated, presented and discussed at follow-up events with interested local people. With access to expert representatives from various stakeholders (such as Coventry City Council and the bus companies) the residents draw up a realistic action plan for change.

How did we deliver it?

We delivered training for community leaders with the Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL), created the 3D map of Canley with Westwood Academy, posted leaflets about the upcoming events through every door, and spoke to over 650 residents. We collected more than one thousand suggestions.

The suggestions were sifted and sorted by interested members of the community; and they proposed clear actions for how to take the supported suggestions forward. These action planning meetings were community-led with relevant expertise on hand from key agencies and stakeholders, including the University of Warwick.

The outcome was an action plan with a strong evidence base and clear next steps. This set a vision for the community to work towards.

Who were our partners?

We worked with lots of groups and organisations as part of Planning for Real. The participation of these partners helped ensure the Canley community had ownership of the process and outcomes.

The partners included: Canley Community Centre, Canley Community Church, Mosaic Family Hub, St Stephen's Church, Canley Library, Canley Stakeholders Group, Westwood Academy Community Heroes, Accord Housing Planning for Real Unit, West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council.