Veterans in Crisis

Since 2018, Veterans in Crisis Sunderland (ViCS) has actively supported the veteran community in Sunderland. Our mission is simple but powerful: “Veterans helping veterans.”

We bring immeasurable value to the community. You cannot easily put a price on one person’s recovery from a severe mental health condition such as PTSD—and that recovery represents only a fraction of the work we do as a CIC.

Each week, we create opportunities for engagement that unite not only veterans but also their partners, children, extended families, and carers. We run social groups with free Greggs goods, weekly walking groups, clay workshops, meals in the cookhouse, benefits advice sessions, mental health counselling, sports afternoons, addiction recovery groups, emergency accommodation, foodbanks, and—most recently—free new clothing distributed through other third-sector providers. These activities explain why this small company creates such a big impact and brings smiles across the city.

We have built recognition for our work from the ground up. National charities that lack a local presence now direct veterans in Sunderland to ViCS, confident that we will respond immediately and solve problems quickly and effectively. By stepping in, we also relieve statutory services, freeing them to focus on their wider responsibilities without the added strain of veteran-specific issues.

By leading through action, we have developed a network of Armed Forces Champions (AFCs). These champions now serve in every GP surgery, in the police, fire, and ambulance services, at the football club, in universities and colleges, in Gentoo Housing, within Together for Children, in the 8th Rifles, 251 Medical Squadron, and even at Sunderland City Council. We train AFCs to recognise when a veteran needs support and to refer them straight to ViCS. We update and deliver this training at least once a year and whenever new practices open.

To strengthen our funding, we run our own removals business and licensed waste carrier operation. We store donated furniture in lock-ups and provide it free of charge to homeless veterans moving into new accommodation. This service complements our foodbank, ensuring those who rebuild their lives can make a true home. Today, no veterans live on the streets of Sunderland—a rare achievement in the UK and clear evidence of our commitment to the veteran community.

Receiving an award would honour the work ViCS has accomplished, but we will not stop there. We will continue to engage with and support our community, knowing there