Serving Armed Forces members home on leave and local Forces veterans are invited to take part in a breakfast club aimed at combatting isolation and loneliness.
The Ramsgate Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club currently has 122 members with between 20 and 40 of those regularly attending the sessions.
Organiser Kevin Hobbs, who has 28 years of service as an Army musician with the Band of the Irish Guards and previous to that the Band of the Royal Engineers, said: “It’s a breakfast club that gathers normally on the last Saturday of the month and is aimed at those serving locally, or home on leave and all ex-serving personnel from all arms of the service community.
“It’s aim is to get us together to share breakfast and light hearted banter just as if we were in the cookhouse, mess, wardroom or back in camp.
“It benefits all that participate as when we leave the Forces we lose the identity we had as an individual within that community. It is a force for good.
“As well as the social activity, members that have any issues I am able to signpost to all the agencies as I am in the council-led Armed Forces/Civilian Network to help them be it to access to DWP, SSAFA , NHS, Rise Team and our dedicated Veteran’s Hub at the Ramsgate Royal British Legion club.”
For members there is no obligation and no fees, just buy your own breakfast and join in and if you are down on your luck, others will chip in and get it bought for you.
There are more than 3000 veterans in Thanet and all that is needed is a simple verification of your service when joining the facebook group.
There is also a new Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Clubs portal with access to over 450 AFVBC clubs worldwide.
The next Ramsgate breakfast meeting is this Saturday (August 26) at Royal Victoria Pavilion at 9am.
Join the Ramsgate Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club here
Find your nearest AFVBC https://www.afvbc.NET
YouGov research found:
41% of British Armed Forces veterans felt lonely or isolated after leaving the military
34% said they had felt overwhelmed by negative feelings, and over a quarter (27%) admitted to having suicidal thoughts after finishing their military service.
More than three in ten (31%) admitted they have just one or no close friends.
53% would be unlikely to discuss any feelings of loneliness with a family member or close friend, which suggests there is limited support for veterans.
The most common reasons veterans gave for feeling lonely and isolated included:
41% said losing touch with friends in the Armed Forces,
33% said physical or mental health issues
23% admitted to struggling to relate to anyone in civilian life
