The lives of people in Coseley have long been enriched by the activities of numerous local groups and clubs run by committed and knowledgeable local volunteers. From Girls Brigade to crown green bowls, art clubs to Scouts, a Cricket Club to Friends of the Park, football teams to line dancing. Plus church groups, community centre committees and an allotment association.
Volunteers from these groups have formed the backbone of East Coseley Big Local activity. Thanks to Big Local lots of people involved in running local groups and clubs have been bought together and have started working together in all sorts of ways. Examples include Darkhouse Baptist Church summer play scheme children spending a day at Bayer Street Allotments, members of groups identifying isolated and vulnerable people and helping to serve them
Christmas meals provided by the Apple Tree Pub, and putting on the Big Event each summer. As well as inviting groups and clubs to regular Big Local Forum sessions, East Coseley Big Local runs a Skittles League for local groups and clubs. It is a runaway success, with over 100 people involved at each quarterly skittles night.
Through Big Local we invite and support local groups and clubs to share resources, and when they need funding we encourage them to apply to other sources. Dudley CVS provides free support to groups to do this. Coseley Cricket Cub have were helped to find and secure funds for a mower and Bayer Street Allotments successfully applied to the Big Lottery for their composting toilet. We recognise that it is getting harder to secure funding, and for groups and clubs who have applied elsewhere we will consider funding activities and equipment which benefit residents of East Coseley.