Coventry City’s owners have revealed details of the "community partnership" they offered to set up with The Alan Edward Higgs Charity as part of their bid for a stake in the Ricoh Arena.
A letter sent to charity clerk Peter Knatchbull-Hugessen by Coventry City chairman Tim Fisher accompanied a bid by Sky Blues owners Sisu to purchase the charity’s half share in Ricoh Arena operating company ACL.
The club’s bid of almost £2.8million ultimately failed as the charity accepted a similar bid of £2.77million from Premiership rugby club Wasps, who now have full control of the stadium.
The letter, dated November 5, reads: "The liquidators of CCFC have today submitted a conditional offer for the charity's share in the Ricoh Arena.
"Should our offer be accepted, we think it will be an important moment not only for the charity and the club but also for the community in Coventry.
"In order to seize this opportunity and make the most of it for the benefit of everyone involved we propose an extraordinary and revolutionary partnership between the club and the charity.
"The objective of the partnership will be to use the power of football to raise aspirations and improve the life chances of those in the local community in Coventry, helping to achieve the Higgs Charity’s charitable objectives and the club’s ambition for the community.
"We have set out seven broad and far reaching community initiatives that are at the heart of our proposed partnership.
Most Read
"We hope that these proposals can work as a springboard for our detailed discussions about how we can work together for the benefit of Coventry."
Seven 'Pillars of Partnership' are then listed and include:
1. To use the Ricoh Arena as the community hub to deliver various community programmes - a communiversity style approach.
2. To establish a communiversity at The Ricoh based on football, sports, leisure and tourism. The Ricoh could be home to a library, adult learning classes, a Communi-café, ICT suite, a recording studio and, of course, remain available as a conference facility.
3. To develop a multi-partnership with third parties to deliver wide-ranging community work. This will include developing innovative programmes with all front line services including the police, fire services, health services and employment agencies. The aim will be for all those involved to play an active role in improving the lives of all those participating in the programmes.
4. To assist in building links with schools, FE colleges and universities. Special emphasis will be given to under-privileged children and those with disabilities. Football, sports, music and the arts programmes will engage with those groups and individuals most at risk of social exclusion.
5. To tackle health and more specifically obesity issues working with the NHS/PCT/Local Council. This will be achieved with a ‘cradle to grave’ ethos and culture in which people of all ages will be given an opportunity to learn how to lead healthier lives.
Don’t miss
6. To tackle crime in the local community working with the police and community safety groups by targeting specific areas of anti-social behaviour and juvenile crime. Football and sports projects will be delivered in the most challenging estates and postcodes to the most vulnerable people; to move them away from a life of crime towards more positive and productive activities.
7. To create pathways to employment by developing links with the LEP and local employers. This will be achieved through a “Skills for Life” programme that will be designed to attract the under achieving, under qualified and those not in education employment or training (NEET). Initial engagement would work through sport (particularly football), music and the arts first level courses and programmes.
It is understood the bid ultimately accepted from Wasps by the charity involved a similar commitment to undertake work in the community.
The Wasps deal also included the renaming of the Ricoh Arena’s North Stand to “The Higgs Stand” and a promise to donate 50p from every ticket sold in the stand to The Higgs Charity.