A CHARITY for former soldiers is on the road again thanks to a Ministry of Defence grant.

Veterans in Communities, based in Bury Road, Haslingden, has used the £21,200 boost to purchase a van for its outreach sessions – courtesy of Colne minibus mogul David Fishwick.

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The group will use the 11-seater van to transport volunteers to help ex-soldiers in East Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

VIC manager Bob Elliott said the vehicle would provide a huge boost to the charity’s work, having previously depended on borrowing a Rossendale Hospice minibus.

He said: “This is the third grant we have been successful in obtaining from the MoD through the Armed Forces Community Covenant – so far we have been able to secure £65,000.

“This shows the covenant document is real and besides the grants from the MoD, in turn, we have more than matched that total through donations, fundraising, other grants and veterans freely donating their own time.

“The van has 11 seats and the back has been modified so we will be able to use it to transport items for projects we are carrying out.

“We will be using it for more social inclusion work and also to assist our community projects. It will be taking veterans fishing and walking, will be used by the art group and for day trips.”

Mr Fishwick, who found fame as TV’s Bank Of Dave, will blog about the bus’ activities to his 37,000 Twitter followers this year.

He said: “Here at David Fishwick, we are passionate not only about minibuses but also in supporting a wide range of charitable initiatives.

“Upon learning about Veterans In Communities in detail, we were delighted to be given the opportunity to provide a vehicle adapted to fulfil their requirements and aid the work VIC do in the community.

“We are also pleased to be utilising the team at VIC to perform some maintenance work at our dealership in Colne, and look forward to working with them in the future wherever possible.”

Mr Elliott added: “Our first social inclusion trip will be made to a quiz night organised by Bacup And Stacksteads Carnival Organisation at the Rose ‘n’ Bowl in Stacksteads on February 4.”