It’s not every day you win £10,000 on the radio, but that’s exactly what happened to a local charity, Warrington VIP (Visually Impaired People) when they scooped the grand prize in Absolute Radio’s national competition The Wickes Fix.
The prize – a generous £5,000 in cash and £5,000 in vouchers for Wickes – has given Warrington VIP a much-needed boost to spruce up and transform the VIP Centre, a vital community hub for visually impaired people.
Deputy CEO Vicky James spotted the competition online and immediately saw it as an opportunity to revitalise the centre, which hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in over four years. The VIP Centre, home to a lunch club and regular meetings for visually impaired people, is a vibrant place full of laughter and connection. However, years of daily activity had taken their toll on the décor, leaving the space in need of some TLC.
Two weeks after submitting the entry, Vicky received an exciting call from Absolute Radio: the VIP Centre had been selected as one of four finalists. “I was delighted but utterly terrified,” Vicky admitted, as the next stage required her to record a voiced clip of the centre’s story and take part in a live radio interview.
To help, Vicky turned to Adrian, the charity’s transport manager, who not only has acting experience but also a fantastic voice. Adrian enthusiastically stepped in, recording the ad script with flair and sending it to the Absolute Radio team to add their signature bells and whistles. By Wednesday, Vicky had completed her interview and listened to the final version of the ad. “The Absolute team smashed it,” said Vicky. “It was the perfect mix of fun and getting our message across.”
The suspense reached its peak on Friday when Dave Berry announced the winner live on air. As the finalists—which included a scout group, a community centre, and a community café—waited nervously, Vicky’s heart raced. Then came the moment of truth: “And the winner is… Vicky, Warrington VIP!”
“I was completely aghast and thrilled,” Vicky shared. “This £10,000 will make a massive difference. Our VIPs are such a fantastic group—there’s so much laughter and joy here every week. They deserve the very best, and now we can give them just that!”
The transformation began almost immediately. Rachel from the Wains Home Group generously organised a volunteer day to help with the refurbishment. On Friday, 15th November, Mark, Wains’ maintenance manager, arrived with seven volunteers at 9 a.m., ready to work. By 3 p.m., the tired and scuffed walls of the centre were unrecognisable.
The once yellow walls of the communal lunch area were replaced with a sleek grey and sapphire blue, while the toilets now feature a calming sky blue. The entrance, which had suffered from damp, was expertly sanded and sealed before being painted a fresh white. The results have given the centre a vibrant new look, but Vicky and the team aren’t stopping there.
“There’s still plenty on the to-do list,” Vicky said. “Next up is painting the office and doors, redesigning our limited storage space, and continuing to enhance the centre for both the VIPs and the wider community.”
This £10,000 windfall has not only brightened up the VIP Centre but also renewed the community’s sense of pride and excitement for its future. “A huge thank you to Absolute Radio, Wickes, and everyone who helped make this possible,” Vicky added. “This is just the beginning!”
Are you or someone you know visually impaired and interested in learning more about the VIP Centre? Or could you spare some time to volunteer as a much-needed Wednesday driver, just twice a month? As a self-funding charity, VIP relies on the generosity of the community to sustain its vital work. To get involved, donate, or find out more, contact VIP at [email protected] or call 01925 632 700. For additional details, visit www.warringtonvip.co.uk
2 Comments
Brilliant – as Chair of Warrington VIP I am very proud of Vicky and Adrian pulling this off in such a fun way. Some of our Visually Impaired Members won’t be able to see it in it’s full glory but they will certainly have it described to them. How Wain Homes managed to pull this off in a day is fantastic. It certainly brightened up our Board Meeting this Wednesday. This isn’t the first time that staff and volunteers have deployed their acting skills – during the pandemic they sent out stick with recordings of them, reading from books, pantomimes, songs & Christmas Carols where else would you come to work and enjoy it so much?
Fiona Patterson
Congratulations to Vicky and Adrian for there performance with the advert it was fabulous we played to all our members they were clapping and cheering at the results. We are a small self funded charity and work tirelessly to raise awareness of what we want to achieve in our Town. To be recognised for this and to be awarded £10,000 to spend giving our premises a makeover is amazing. Big thank you to Wain Homes for giving up there time for a day to come and paint for us.