Veteran charity celebrates 20-year lease renewal

Jeff Worthington served in the British army in the 1980s until he left in 1997

A Warwickshire military charity that opened its doors over 15 years ago to former British Armed Forces personnel, is celebrating a new 20-year lease.

Veterans Contact Point, which formed in 2009 as a volunteer support group and became a charity in 2012, will be able to continue to do its work from its Nuneaton base on Bentley Road.

One of the first community charities of its type, it also has branches in, Atherstone, Dordon and Warwick.

Jeff Worthington, who left the army in 1997 and came to the charity for help after his marriage broke down, has worked for them for over four years, adding: "They were brilliant helping me out with housing [and] helping veterans with all life issues," he said

The military charity is supported by 12 volunteers and employs three former veterans in full-time positions, and supports those who live in the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire area.

The lease extension will enable the charity to focus on investing in its services and support for the 250-plus veterans it helps directly and indirectly each year.

Mr Worthington served in the 1980s until the last 1990s and did tours in Northern Ireland as well as Bosnia.

"We've still got lads coming in from the Falklands in the early 80s all the way up to Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.

"Every single one of us in the office, we are ex-service users and we are all veterans, so we we've got that knowledge when they actually come in, we know what they're going through and facing," he said.

It will continue to work from The Horsa Building in Bentley Road until at least 2042.

"Our kettle is constantly on for veterans to pop in and help themselves.

"They don't have to have an issue but if they want to come in they can just walk into the building, make themselves a tea or a coffee, and just chat with one of us," Mr Worthington said.