New coffee morning offers veterans support in Stafford

The coffee mornings are held at the Blueberry Café in Stafford Leisure Centre

A new coffee morning for veterans is offering them support and camaraderie in Stafford.

The events take place on Wednesdays at the Blueberry Café in Stafford Leisure Centre.

While the group has only had two meetings so far, it is already catching people's attention, organisers report.

Gareth Humphrey said he launched the meetings after realising that a network for veterans was "very much needed".

He said: "It's just really good for veterans to come together. It's an opportunity to vent, an opportunity to be around like-minded people, and have a conversation where for an hour and a half a week you're back in the military again.

"Being in the military is a brotherhood. It is a very close brotherhood and when you leave the military you're not with that brotherhood.

"By starting the coffee mornings, everybody gets together and we're all soldiers again."

On Civvy Street, Chris Lingard attends the veterans' coffee morning.

Chris Lingard was a member of The Royal Logistic Corps, but left the army seven days ago.

Hr said of the coffee mornings: "I'm here to carry on the ethos of the army and still meet the same type of people, because civilians are not quite the same."

He added: "There's definitely still a stigma with mental health and admitting that you might have maybe a bit of PTSD, or some issues like that. Even though we've only just met, we all know exactly what everyone else has done, so that support is easier to give and receive."

Mr Humphrey said that everyone was "getting on like a house on fire" and the group was going "from strength to strength".

He said: "It's clearly something that's needed within the county. We're hoping it'll link all the charities and services together and create a veterans' support hub. That's the plan."