Upcoming Events

April 2024

Thursday 11/04

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc AGM

Monday 15/04

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

May 2024

Thursday 09/05

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 20/05

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

June 2024

Friday 14/06

All Day
CovSoc Visit to Pershore

Saturday 15/06

All Day
Civic Day

Monday 17/06

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

July 2024

Monday 15/07

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

Thursday 18/07

14:00 – 16:00
CovSoc Visit to Maxstoke Castle tbc

August 2024

Thursday 08/08

14:00 – 16:00
CovSoc Visit to Sherbourne Valley Project

Monday 19/08

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

September 2024

Wednesday 18/09

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting

Monday 23/09

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting

October 2024

Wednesday 09/10

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 14/10

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting

Saturday 19/10

All Day
Heritage Conference

November 2024

Wednesday 06/11Friday 08/11

Feister gathering

Wednesday 13/11

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 18/11

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

December 2024

Wednesday 11/12

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 16/12

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

January 2025

Wednesday 08/01

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 20/01

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

February 2025

Wednesday 12/02

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 17/02

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

March 2025

Wednesday 12/03

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 17/03

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

Professor Richard Farnell RIP

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Many people in Coventry will mourn the untimely death of Professor Richard Farnell. Richard was a qualified Town Planner who worked as an Assistant Principal Planning Officer in the City Council’s Department of Architecture and Planning. Afterwards he taught Town Planning at Lanchester Polytechnic, which later became Coventry University. Richard stayed at the university over many changes of department and structure teaching on both undergraduate and post-graduate programmes and researching into neighbourhood regeneration. In 2006 he was appointed as Professor of Neighbourhood Regeneration and following his retirement he continued as Emeritus Professor of Neighbourhood Regeneration. Richard has a long biography of published works, many relating to issues of faith and regeneration.

Richard was also active in the world of housing. He played important roles with Coventry Churches Housing Association, which following a sequence of mergers (via Touchstone, Keynote and Prime Focus) finally became Midland Heart Housing Association. In 2006 Richard became the founding chair of the Association. Midland Heart manages 32,000 properties across the West Midlands.

In 2000 Richard was a member of the Government’s Policy Advisory Group on Community Self-help and an adviser on matters of faith to the Charity Commission. He was a National Adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on ‘Faith and Cohesion’ and was the principal investigator for JRF research into ‘Faith in Urban Regeneration’. Richard was also a trustee of the Church Urban Fund.

Richard also had an important role at Coventry Cathedral, where he was a Canon Theologian and chair of the cathedral council.

Richard’s wife, Alison Farnell said: “He will be remembered by many in Coventry as ‘a gentle giant’ or ‘the tall bloke with the huge smile’ because of his warm, gentle nature and his generous friendship.”

Richard died at home in Rugby on 23rd September at the age of 71. He was suffering from cancer. He leaves a wife, three children and seven grandchildren.

A thanksgiving Service for Richard’s life will take place at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday 21st October 2018 at 4pm.