COVENTRY’S historic Priory Visitor Centre has hosted its first major event since its closure in council cuts in February and our campaign for its re-opening.
The home to the remains and artefacts of the city’s first St Mary’s cathedal and priory is now set to be run as a multi-purpose tourist and social enterprise hub, after Inspiring Communities won a Coventry City Council tender to step in and manage it, initially for three years.
This week, the venue in Priory Place next to the cathedral quarter is helping to host a Global Entrepreneurship Festival in partnership with Coventry University Social Enterprise (CUSE) Hub.
It includes conferences focused on supporting young entrepreneurs in Coventry and the wider region.
Carole Donnelly, of Inspiring Communities, said: “We loved hosting the event and look forward to hosting many more events which will see the venue become a sustainable Social Enterprise and become a great visitor attraction in Coventry.
“We look forward to being fully open from the February 27th 2017.
“Our business model is based around a Social Enterprise where we ensure the business makes a profit that can then be recycled back into the Priory, ensuring we can maintain free access to the visitor centre to view the treasures from St Marys Cathedral.”
The university’s first Global Entrepreneurship Festival follows and a successful funding application to the European Regional Development Fund.
The week-long programme of events, activities and expert speakers is involving hundreds of students, young people, social enterprises and local businesses, along with Coventry City Council, WM Housing and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
The Priory Visitor Centre is hosting two events during the week.
Keith Jeffrey, MD of CUSE, said: “This week will be the first of its kind for Coventry and our aim is to inspire and support enterprise across a wide range of business sectors.
“We believe that by local stakeholder organisations coming together we can help catalyse positive change and creating opportunities for employment for our students, residents and local business owners.’
