Our Mission:

The mission of the Centre for the New Midlands is to be the place where people come to ‘debate, shape and create’ a better West Midlands region.  Through our partnerships across society, industry and academia, we will discover new solutions to some of the region’s biggest social and economic challenges and help to shape a New Midlands.

Our Ambitions for the Future:

Our vision is to be the most influential think tank outside of London and to be the ‘go-to’ for organisations when seeking to develop new ideas and generate new ways of doing things to address the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the West Midlands’ region.

We will ensure that we:

  • Are wholly transparent in who funds our organisation and projects
  • Always have editorial control on our published content (rather than those who fund)
  • Engage with academics from across the Midlands and work with the region’s outstanding universities to create new research opportunities for early career researchers
  • Always provide tangible recommendations to support and promote positive change
  • Give a true voice to ‘the people’ of the region

Our Unique Identity:

  • We will focus our research and public engagement solely on the big issues facing the Midlands region (with an initial focus on the West Midlands)
  • We will create new ideas to address the big challenges facing the region and help to shape the conversation – rather than just having to respond to it
  • We are physically based in the region
  • We are non-partisan. We have ‘no horse in the race’
  • Our research will tend to focus on improving the social fabric of the region and not just the economic performance of the Midlands

Our Structure:

On 13th January 2020, the Centre for the New Midlands was formally registered with Companies House as a Community Interest Company (CIC – company number 12399848).  From 1st April 2023, the Centre is also registered for VAT (Registration Number: 437 2112 23).

We are headquartered at Friars House, Manor House Drive in Coventry city centre, 2 minutes walk from Coventry train station.  Our longer term strategy is to convert the CIC into a fully registered UK charity through registration with the Charity Commission.