Group's bid to buy HQ boosted by Brian Eno cash

Coalville CAN is fundraising so it can buy its premises in Memorial Square

A community hub described as a "catalyst of life" in a Leicestershire town is working to buy the freehold of a building it has been using as its headquarters.

Coalville CAN aims to bring together local people by running creative workshops, groups and a gallery.

It needs to raise more than £400,000 to secure the building, located near the town's famous clock tower in Memorial Square.

Chief executive Ian Wilson said their efforts had been boosted by a donation of £30,000 from Roxy Music founding member Brian Eno, which had "helped a lot".

The money has come via a new foundation set up by the music legend to support community projects.

Brian Eno is best known as being a founding member of Roxy Music and has collaborated with artists such as David Bowie

Mr Wilson said Coalville Can was set up to support the regeneration of the town "by putting people in charge".

"The main way we do this is by taking assets into community ownership and by supporting people to run their own projects," he told the BBC.

"We're trying to take over our creative community hub. We've had a fantastic landlord over the last two or three years.

"They've given us the opportunity to buy it so we're giving people the opportunity to invest and become voting members."

Mr Wilson said he believed it was important for every community "to have a place where people can come together, connect with others and follow their passions and interests".

Wendy Culleton said she believed Coalville CAN was "breathing new life" into the community

The group said a letter sent by Eno had described how he hoped his foundation could "support work at the intersection of climate, creativity and citizenship".

Wendy Culleton lives in nearby Bagworth and said she wandered into Coalville CAN about five months ago.

"Since then my summer has been hectic," she said.

"I've met numerous different people. I've got opportunities galore.

"This place really is a catalyst of life in Coalville which I think hitherto has been quite a neglected place."

Sue Hibbert, who has been running youth projects at Coalville CAN since August 2023, said: "We are trying to buy equipment so we can have pool tables, table tennis, that kind of thing. I’d like to be able to take them out on trips as well.

"There's all these things that we'd like the children and young people of Coalville to have access to and somewhere safe for them to come in the evenings as they're drawing in."

Additional reporting by Kelly Hinch