As part of the Hillfields URBAN Community Initiative, local people in Hillfields are hosting an introductory visit from officials from five European cities which are also in receipt of URBAN funding. It is intended that the visit will lead to a programme of experience exchange between local communities across Europe.

The visit is taking place on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 March. The Lord Mayor of Coventry, Cllr Maggie Rosher, will be welcoming guests on Thursday morning at the each Centre in Hillfields.

The two day programme includes a tour of Hillfields and presentation on the work being done here. There will also be workshop sessions to exchange information and good practice. On Friday we are joining up with the URBAN Initiative in Sparkbrook, Birmingham and visiting Government Offices in Birmingham.

Our visitors are coming from Malmo in Sweden, Kiel in Germany, Oreiras in Portugal, Cork in Eire and St. Etienne in France. All these cities have areas which, like Hillfields, are in receipt of URBAN funding for regeneration.

Cllr Harry Richards, St. Michael's Ward Councillor and Member of the URBAN Partnership Group, says:

"We are very proud to be hosting this visit in Hillfields and demonstrating the partnership work which we are doing here. We look forward to learning how other European cities are handling things."

NOTES

URBAN is a European Community Initiative that is supporting community led regeneration in targeted urban areas. Hillfields is one of 16 URBAN areas in the United Kingdom and there are many more across the European Community. In Hillfields the URBAN programme is managed by an URBAN Partnership Group made up of representatives of the local community and the main partner organisations active in the area. It is chaired by Dr Russell Moseley of Warwick University. Hillfields is receiving approximately £3 million under this programme.