VIC Annual Review for 2019
This reviews some of the main highlights of our activities and news from 2019. 

• The Sandbag started the year off with a New Year’s Day Brunch which was well attended by VIC members and other veterans from other groups. The Sandbag has grown in numbers attending throughout the year, and a committee was formed earlier in the year which now runs the Tuesday sessions, organising attendance at many of remembrance services, social trips and celebrating its two year birthday.
• In January we worked with the students from their military preparation programme, they worked with VIC members on the allotment and Veterans In production.
• We ran a number of training sessions throughout the year including; First Aid and Volunteer Training, telephone and internet scams , IT and alcohol and drugs awareness. VIC is now able to deliver a range of accredited First Aid courses which will bring in extra funding into the charity in 2020.
• Following a consultation process with our members, the walks have been changed to bring in more challenging walks. The social inclusion trips have been reduced from previous years.
• The Bob Ross art classes have continued to be delivered each month and have been so successful that some months have seen two classes.
• The Crafty Chatters that meet every Monday has made a number of different crafts that has been sold at craft fairs and in the last six months of 2019 has utilised the VIC Hyndburn Drop-in to sell its crafts which has been very successful.
• Allotment has seen a good crop of vegetables again this year, and with the addition of a p0ly tunnel has seen us cultivating our seeds. In 2020 we are aiming to produce a range of flowers as well.
• Our Project Worker for Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale is now embedded into the Integrated Neighbour Teams and has had information stands at many of the health centres. A number of health centres and practices have become ‘Veterans Friendly’
• The Singing Group has had another good year; they have raised an outstanding amount of money through their performances and community events. They have changed from being a group to a choir, and are now well known throughout the valley.
• The art group held an art exhibition in May at the Chetham Arms in Bolton. This one the only exhibition in 2019 as the Hyndburn Drop-in was ideal to display the art and crafts. This has increased sales of both as it is unique and there is shop front the public can call into.
• We undertook two community projects this year; St James School in Haslingden and Waterfoot Health Centre in Rossendale.
• The Hyndburn Veterans Drop-in opened during Armed Forces Week. Both the shop and drop-in is well used by veterans and the public and is a good place to showcase the different activities VIC does. The shop is staffed by volunteers who live local.
• VIC members attended a number of D-Day commemorative services and events. Two WW2 veterans joined the national events as guests. Lewis Banham travelled to Holland and France, and Sandbag Café veteran Jack Cunnane was present at the National Arboretum.
• We held two Curry and Quiz nights in 2019, June and November and in June we held a BBQ at the VIC Centre in June. All were well attended and everyone enjoyed themselves. These were fundraisers and we will continue with these in 2020.
• In June VIC were presented with the Tom Davies Trophy at Preston Town Hall, the award was given to VIC as making an ‘Outstanding contribution to the Armed Forces Community in Lancashire. The trophy was presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire Lord Shuttleworth KG KCVO. 
• In September we held our AGM, it was well intended and the last for our outgoing CEO Liz Hamilton who worked for VIC for four years. Our new CEO Amanda Walton gave an overview of moving forward into 2020.
• In September we launched two further outreaches; the Ribble outreach and coffee morning in Billington and our new outreach and coffee afternoon at the Lighthouse Project in the Middleton Arndale.
• We employed a sessional worker on the VIP project in October; we received a grant from the Lottery Awards for All grants to develop this project.
• In September three VIC volunteer members were recognised at the English Awards; 

1    Outreach Worker Steve Butterworth was a finalist in the Role Model of the Year category for his work in the community as well as with the charity.

2    Darren Horsnell the Arts and Crafts Coordinator was awarded silver in this category.

3    Liz Davies was a finalist in Volunteer of the Year. Liz was awarded a bronze in the category.

• In October we launched the successful Lest We Forget range using Sublimation, and is becoming a popular addition to the arts & crafts project.
• VIC members attended a number of Remembrance services across East Lancashire and Greater Manchester throughout the year.
• We were able to deliver 30 Xmas hampers to veterans again in 2019, the generous donations of food made this possible.
• The VIC Xmas meal once again saw in excess of 50 members attending the meal.
• VIC signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2019 and we hope to gain the Bronze Award in 2020
• We have been proactive in 2019 engaging with GP’s and Health Centres in promoting the ‘Veteran Friendly’ practices across Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale and East Lancashire. We have partnered up with the Lancashire Veterans Hub and the Royal British Legion to deliver a number of workshops promoting veterans’ health and ‘Veterans Friendly’ practices in Lancashire.
• In 2019 we sadly lost some VIC members; Dave Goss, Sam Stretch, James kay, David Thorpe, Carole Mills, Alex Simpson and George Henshall. We will Remember them