IT has been another busy year in Coventry and we are proud to have brought you all the biggest stories alongside helping with fund-raising appeals and shedding a spotlight on community campaigns along the way.
In May, tributes poured in following the death of popular Finham Park 2 headteacher Russell Plester.
Russell was much-loved by colleagues, students and the entire Coventry community, and this was reflected by news of his passing being our best-read story of the year.
The most popular and controversial talking point in the city this year has undoubtedly been the demise of Coventry City of Culture Trust.
There have been countless calls for further investigation since the Trust went into administration in February, and it was a pleasure to be able to give you a platform to voice your views and concerns.
We have also reported on Coventry City Council’s financial woes and their pleas for aid from Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove.
The authority faces an uncertain financial future and we will keep you updated on this developing story in the New Year.
There have been some sad stories throughout the year, but ones that have shown Coventry at its kind-hearted best.
Heartbreakingly, despite over £800,000 being raised for potentially life-saving treatment in just a matter of months, brave two-year-old city girl Hallie Reeve lost her battle with Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) last month.
We helped with the campaign to fund a memorial headstone for incredible Coventry 13-year-old Hamza Alrimi, who died suddenly after being taken ill last December.
One of our most uplifting stories from this year came from Second World War veteran Bob Tweed who, to mark his 100th birthday, decided to raise vital funds for Help for Heroes.
As always, there was a lot of interest in the crime stories we have kept you up to date with.
The saga around Coventry Bees’ Brandon Stadium has rumbled on throughout 2023, with a final decision on plans to build 124 homes on the site expected next year.
We covered the pomp and circumstance of Coventry’s celebrations as King Charles III marked his coronation in May.
Coventry City sparked excitement with their run to last season’s Championship Play-Off final and we covered Mark Robins’s men every step of the way.
Perhaps the year’s quirkiest story came courtesy of Sky Blues super-fan Jim Lennon who, having got tickets to Coventry’s play-off semi-final, was shocked to find his dog had chewed through them.
Thankfully Jim was able to get spares and enjoy the game.
Coventry’s historic Charterhouse opened to the public in April following a decade-long campaign to restore it, and in June MotoFest returned to the city after a four-year absence.
Arguably the city’s biggest 2023 sporting success is teenage water polo star Amelie Perkins, who the Observer helped fund-raise for in May to enable her to continue her incredible journey in the sport.
Over £2,400 was raised and Amelie, who has recently turned 16, has gone on to finish as Great Britain’s top scorer at several major tournaments, and she is currently preparing for next month’s senior European championships- we wish her all the best.
We want to wish our readers a Happy New Year and we look forward to bringing you more news, sports and features in print and online in 2024.
