VIC Review for 2015

We thought 2013 and 2014 was a busy period but 2015 has been another outstanding year for VIC, our third year growth has exceeded our expectations.

• At the start of the year we were successful with funding for a third year from East Lancashire CCG, and from the Social Investment Funding from Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.
• Our members undertook a number of courses in 2015; Mental Health First Aid, Level 2 in Understanding Own Health Improvement, First Aid, Royal British Legion Caseworker training, Dementia and deaf awareness, Photography, Bronze Award in Navigation and WRAP (how to recognise radicalisation)
• The VIC Singing Group has grown in numbers and this year they have performed to the public on over 20 occasions, including the Rossendale Festival of Remembrance Service. At the start of the year it had 16 members; this has grown to over 26 and has many supporters in the local community.
• The Creative Community Hub has increased the art group to two days a week, and it has an additional session in a residential home in Haslingden. The group has had its work exhibited and to finish the year their work is exhibited at Touchstones Art Gallery in Rochdale. They can now offer a framing and mounting service.
• In June as an extension to the Creative Community Hub, VIC developed its first Social Enterprise venture in Rawtenstall. The Positive Art Shop is a retail outlet for arts and crafts materials; it has also run two Boss Ross Style painting taster sessions.
• VIC became members of COBSEO in February, a great achievement to be recognised alongside the larger more established ex-service organisations.

• We worked alongside the Princes Trust teams on a number of community projects in Barrowford, Haslingden and our WW1 project in Bacup
• We were invited by Kartforce (a team of Serving and ex-Serving injured troops that race in karting events around the country) to join them at Sandown Park to race against celebrities.
• We have organised a number of Social Inclusion activities which included; fishing, Martin Mere and Brockholes nature reserves, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, National Arboretum, Leeds Armoury, Bolton Abbey, Skipton Castle, Liverpool Museum, and a Canal Trip.
• One of our trustees Ronnie Barker received an MBE for the outstanding work he has done in the community
• We hosted a Virtual Dementia Experience over a three day in September, each session was to raise awareness and gain a practical experience for those suffering with Dementia.
• We organised two personal dedication services in Bacup Cemetery for three families who lost a family member during WW1.
• To mark the completion of the WW1 project in Bacup, we held a Commemoration Service which was attended by local dignitaries, families, some representatives of the other ex-service organisations and members of the local community.
• The Creative Community Hub launched a new initiative, a range of adult colouring books and some taster sessions to organisations as to the benefits of colouring.

• We have completed a number of community projects working in two residential home managed by Anchor Homes; Westbourne in Haslingden and Bridgewood in Heywood. Westbourne involved the construction of raised beds for their residents and Brigdewood to clear a border. Our members have helped Alternate Forces to renovate and decorate an outdoor centre in Rochdale, and Haslingden Swimming baths where members build a partition wall. In Colne we build a wall and painted railings.
• We have been involved in a number of Remembrance services across Rossendale, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and one of our members even returned to the Falkland Islands.
• With the support of two retired members of the Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team we have developed our outdoor activities. We have increased walks outside of Rossendale, they have become more physically demanding and uses a varied levels terrain, joined an assessment day showing the equipment and techniques to search for missing persons, using mapping skills and first aid.
• The VIC website is now updated regularly; the other social media has also seen a large increase in followers. At the start of the year we had 28000 and we have increased this to 55,000.
• VIC took delivery of our Crew bus that was funded by the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant. Is has been fitted with a roof rack, awning and tow bar that not only allows us to develop the community projects but can be used as our outdoor stand.
• VIC recruited three full-time members of staff; a Chief Executive Officer, a Project Worker to manage a new NHS project in Greater Manchester and an Administrator to help VIC with our growth for 2016
• Early in the year VIC were part of a film produced with Armed Forces Community Covenant funding, to show how projects that were funded by the MOD could have a positive outcome for veterans and their families. The film was made by Peter Carruthers who has been involved in other filming that highlights the difficulties veterans face through Mental Health.
• The VIC Dig garden project was completed and we had our first crop of vegetables during the summer. We are planning to build on this by getting an allotment and Greenhouse to grow more produce that can be sold locally.
• At the end of the year we received our fourth Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant to help us open the centre during the evenings and weekends. The ‘Open All Hours’ project was started over the Xmas Period where we organised a range of different activities for those who would normally have been on their own.
• VIC and Positive Art Shop were nominated for the Rossendale Business Awards; VIC became one of the finalists in the Community Business category.
• We saw an increase in the support for those with welfare needs this year. We have helped house a number of veterans, supported with benefit claims and appeals, given in excess of 20 food parcels, helped with general house maintenance, and we now hold a small supply of household/ kitchen goods for those in crisis.
• We were approached by the Rossendale Hospice to provide marshals for their fancy dress walk during the summer.
• We were approached by a local councillor to provide support with a cemetery in Stonefold in Rossendale, the graves became overgrown and it was difficult for those with families buried there to find the graves, there were also a number of WW1 graves that had been lost. We worked with Accrington College’s ‘Military Preparation Programme’ to clear and locate the lost graves.  
• At the end of the year we were approached by the Military Veterans Services in Bury to be part of a five month NHS England pilot ‘Overcoming barriers’, other partners included Walking with the Wounded and Inspiration NW. The project has given us the opportunity to work across Greater Manchester areas.

This growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support we have received from our members, our partners and a range of organisations in areas where we operate.

We are looking forward to the challenges that 2016 will bring.