Pru Porretta MBE

Coventry's official Lady Godiva devoting time to charitable causes

Godiva the naked truth, how a 21st century woman liberates, celebrates and motivates women from different cultures and faiths creating social cohesion, community cohesion and raises the profile of minority groups.

Pru Porretta MBE was chosen 40 years ago to be Coventry's official Lady Godiva, a tradition going back to the 17th century. Pru Porretta MBE has devoted her time and considerable energy to charitable causes in Coventry and reaches out internationally to Coventry's 26 twin cities.

Pru reimagined the role of Godiva from a spectated figurehead on a horse to a strong female leader seeking social justice and working with other female heroines from different cultures to empower their communities and to celebrate diversity across those communities collaboratively.  

These are the Godiva Sisters. Pru leads the Sisters as catalysts for social cohesion in many festivals, events, workshops and talks such as the annual Godiva Day in September, a tradition Pru revived. She is the founder and CEO of the Godiva Trust, which engages positively with schools, communities and grassroots organisations, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and diversity of Coventry city.

Pru connects people and ideas with positive thought and creativity in many ways. She is an ambassador to some of Coventry’s twin cities providing school workshops in Russia, Germany and Serbia to name a few.

She is a knowledgeable Heart of England tourist guide and offers her support and commitment to tourism in Coventry. She provides educational workshops, storytelling of the heritage of Godiva and is involved in several multicultural women’s programmes.

The Trust has grown with her leadership to offer reconciliation programmes and events to promote the importance of peace. She is always seeking opportunities to enact positive social development through artistic and cultural means, often creating new avenues of collaboration and empowered change.

Pru fundraises extensively for local charities, was made an MBE and also received the Queens Award for Voluntary service for the work with the Godiva Trust, also the Queens Award for Voluntary service for Imagination Reading Cafes working as a storyteller for deprived children.

Pru received an honorary MA degree from Coventry University. She is patron of Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind and Coventry Comfort Carers.

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