We are nominating Andy because he has worked tirelessly to get Shaw and Crompton Royal British Legion on the map. Our local Legion branch was disbanded and the building going was to waste, so Andy and a few of his friends decided to get it up and running again.
We now have local people using the facilities every day: the Oldham Youth Club, The North Stars Dance and theatrical group, flower arranging classes, art classes, and much more. Andy being an ex-military veteran also had it in his mindset that he wanted to build a sand bed near Shaw Cenotaph and got on to the council.
He got local businesses to sponsor to help raise the money and now Shaw has a fantastic sand bed to put their poppies in at Remembrance. We have held Christmas parties, a 1940s D-Day celebration, and even had the privilege of the Lord Lieutenant visiting us.
Andy then wanted to do something for the local ex-veterans and contacted a local working men’s club to ask if he could use their spare junk room, to build a place for the veterans to meet up every week, offering free food on a Sunday. He changed the room into a museum by collecting and asking the people of Shaw and Crompton to donate memorabilia of their families, who had served and once again his vision was made real.
The ‘Veterans’ bar is situated upstairs at the Central Working Men’s Club and is open Sundays 1-6pm and everyone is welcome.
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