Veteran Barry John MBE leads his community towards a Dig For Victory!
The serenity of St Ishmael’s is a far cry from Barry John’s time in the military. Peaceful and serene. A bench upon the cliff overlooks the ocean and at low tide you can see the golden sands of Lindsway Bay. Unlike what people say, the weather isn’t always raining in Wales and on this particular day, despite a slight chill to the air, the sun shines bright and warms my face. Breathing in the fresh breeze that has a faint yet distinct tang of sea salt taste, he gestures for me to sit, a kind smile upon his face and eyes twinkling with years of patience. Around us people garden and light chatter with a hint of laughter carries across to us in the wind. Children sit painting, using the surrounding landscape for inspiration. Inside the building to our left, a few people bustle about making a meal from what was grown from the allotment next to us. Even from the top of this cliff, it’s quiet enough to allow you to hear the soft pull of the tide as the waves bash amongst the rocks below.
Breaking the silence, Barry tells me of how he began his community project. “I founded the entire charity ten years ago now.”
Unlike the CEO of most other organisations, Barry feels that it is important to get ‘stuck in’ as the charity is something very important to him due to the fact he built it from the ground up.
The VC Gallery was created with the aim to form a safe space for veterans and the local community of West Wales. Barry said, “We passionately believe that art and culture can improve well-being and quality of life. So, we hope to fight against loneliness and social isolation by providing creative activities and community hubs for people to join.”
"The main reason I get so involved is because I like to make sure everyone that joins feels respected and welcome."
Barry with one of the many awards that the VC Gallery has been presented.
Barry with one of the many awards that the VC Gallery has been presented.
Alongside being a Welsh soldier for more than twenty years, in 2010 Barry was awarded with an MBE in the New Year Honours List for his services to the military and work in army recruitment. On top of this, he is also a graffiti artist, and this is why his focus is towards creative tendencies because he believes, “Expressing yourself in artistic ways is therapeutic, it allows you to release pent up emotions.”
Barry’s military background encouraged the charity to fixate on also providing services like counselling for those with PTSD, mental health issues, and addictions, along with SMART recovery. The social media pages of the VC Gallery always advertise free breakfasts and lunch events to support everyone, especially during the cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s a hard time for people to support themselves and their families. This is why everyone is welcome. We try to get as many people as possible to attend all of our events because there’s honestly nothing better or more rewarding for me, as the founder, to see people enjoying what we put on and having fun.”
The West Wales based charity has two main bases.
The Haverfordwest base, which gets over 1400 visitors per month.
And, the Pembroke Dock base which gets 1600 visitors.
But, there are more activities that go on outside of these bases - like the Dig For Victory project here in St. Ishmael's.
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Yet, the project is only just getting started, as the charity currently works with local GPs and health boards, and has a partnership with Pembrokeshire foodbank, PATCH.
Barry talked of how he sees each project moving forward in the future, “We hope to continue adding more activities for people to participate in and try out, but we also hope that the food we produce helps to feed more than the 80 families we fed last year. With plans for more crops in the Spring we hope to sell to local businesses and this way we can create more funds to feed back into our charity.”
Despite the Dig For Victory project being kickstarted just a few years ago, the site has drastically changed in appearance.
Going from looking like this...
To looking like this...
The Dig For Victory site before the VC Gallery took over.
The Dig For Victory site before the VC Gallery took over.
The current progress of the Dig For Victory site.
The current progress of the Dig For Victory site.
Hoping to expand the project, so far, the Dig For Victory mission has managed to close two sure deals with local businesses.
They will be supplying fresh salad ingredients, fruit and vegetables to be used for the menu at local St Ishmael’s pub, The Brook Inn. The pub has been very thankful for this partnership as the chef was very eager to serve locally sourced food, and the new menu has seen a spike in paying visitors.
On top of this, Bluestone Wales has confirmed an order of 100 pumpkins to be delivered in time for a Halloween event, with a promise of another two orders on top of this.
To find out more about The Brook Inn's relationship with the Dig For Victory project, read this article from The Western Telegraph or follow their Facebook page.
Sitting next to me, as the sun begins to lower and cast the reflection of an orange hue upon the sea, gardeners put their tools away and Barry reflects on how far the charity he founded has progressed in the last 10 years. A fond look in his eyes, he says, "I look forward to whatever the future holds for the VC Gallery."
To keep up with the VC Gallery projects follow them on Facebook or find out more information via their website.
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