The Coalville Community and Neighbours Group (CAN) says it hopes its newly launched headquarters in Memorial Square will be a base for North West Leicestershire artists and producers to exhibit and sell their their work.

Last month, the building opened and offers space for small businesses and offers work and office space as well.

It is described as a space for community, creativity and enterprise where local people and others can invest in their own community and get local assets into their local hands, forever.

But CAN's Deana Wildgoose also says there is a cultural and creative as aspect to the new headquarters.

And she is encouraging artists to put their work forward to be shown at the CAN building.

There is already an impressive gallery on show which the public can come and see.

But Deana says the potential of the site is huge with local producers also being urged to sell their items via the CAN gallery.

She told Coalville Nub News: "Once a quarter, we'll have a craft fair with all the makers who are already in a creative group of about 50 people.

"The people involved are passionate about sharing their skills with the community.

North West Leicestershire District Council chairman Cllr Russell Boam visits one of the small businesses operating from the new building, Wobbly Pins

"This is the only place this kind of thing can happen.

"Look on the map, in terms of the National Forest, Coalville is just a blob, it doesn't mention anything about anyone being creative.

"But there is a gallery in Coalville, there is a creative group.

"It's not just about those things - it's about connecting."

An example of some of the art you can see at Coalville CAN

Deana says she brought artists and creatives together and this is the result.

She added: "I knew a few people and I brought them together on a Whatsapp group.

"Now there's 50 of them.

"People come here and look at the prices of the items and say 'People won't pay that'.

"But they will.

"And what we tell them is that they're selling unique items - that you cannot buy anywhere else."

The new base for Coalville CAN is the first building it has been able to acquire.

Deana added: "It's all thanks to World Habitat and Peter Elderfield.

"He was a veteran after the war, he had no money or house, he was homeless.

"So he started the process which ended with him setting up East Midlands Homes.

"He then set up a social housing foundation which changed its name to World Habitat.

"The downstairs area of the building is known as Peter's Place because of his legacy.

"The building is owned by World Habitat, they moved out during lockdown and gave us the upstairs to use.

"Because of that, we've been able to employ 68 new people in the last two years.

"They are all young people who were nowhere near the job market. And we tried to match them up with jobs in the area and we're changing lives."

The new chairman of North West District Council, Cllr Russell Boam, attended the opening and said: "I'm very impressed with what I've seen here.

"Regeneration is a major topic in Coalville at the moment, and what Coalville CAN is doing reflects that."