“In here, a lot of them have been through the same thing so they do relax.”
A veterans’ hub in Cwmbran has gone from “strength to strength” with its members supporting each other both in and outside their weekly meeting.
Torfaen Veterans Support Hub was set up by Torfaen Council but is now led by the members who have formed a constituted group.
Zoe Gibbs, from Torfaen Council, said: “We help to coordinate Torfaen Veterans Hub. It started in Ty Coch [Army Reserve Centre] in January last year (It was set up from a centre in Croesyceiliog in September 2023 before moving to the new site).
“We offer peer support which is the main ethos really of the hub, they can support each other.
“During peer support, we’ve done mental health training, trauma training, first aid, and defibrillator training.
“We have services coming in, so the Department for Work and Pensions, we have Citizens Advice, all different agencies, Community Connectors that can help our veterans that wouldn’t usually go looking for them in the community.
“Torfaen Council first got this off the ground now it’s a constituted group in its own right.
“[They are] applying for their own grants, they’re organising trips away. They’ve got three or four trips booked this year so it’s just empowering them and now they’re taking over the whole hub themselves.
“It’s open to veterans and their families, so anyone that needs support can come in, that’s absolutely fine.
“Stephen Smith, [Captain Stephen Smith from the Royal Monmouth Royal Engineers (Militia)] who runs the hub, is amazing, brilliant.”
‘Music therapy’
Members can also learn instruments including the guitar, harmonica, ukulele, and spoons.
Zoe said: “We’ve got loads of music therapy going on, it’s really good fun.”
She shared a lovely story about one member in his 90s who said he was struggling with his garden.
She said: “He happened to mention this to other veterans. The next week, they went up and sorted it. It’s that sort of peer support. I’ve never seen anything like it. Nothing is too much trouble. They are a fabulous group. It’s really taken off the ground, absolutely chock-a-block.
“And I know Steve [Capt Smith] says ‘whether you’ve done a day in the services or 20, 30 years in the services we are here for you’ which is so lovely.”
Keith Thorne, hub treasurer and vice-chair of Cwmbran and District Ex-Services Association (CADESA), said: “It started off with maybe half a dozen, now we can get up to 30 coming in. It’s basically there for support for veterans.
“We’ve had suicide prevention come in. We’re putting a course together now for CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and first aid. We also do music tuition. I’m attempting very badly to learn the guitar and harmonica. It’s very good, you know.
“It brings people together and it gets a lot of people coming out. We help others out where they need it and it’s proving very successful going from strength to strength.”
‘Banter’
He said how important banter and joking is to the members: “Because it’s multi-service as well as multi- regiment you’ll be surprised at how many stories come out and how people will take the mickey, you know RAF, Army, Navy, but it’s all good-natured.”
He joked: “That’s mainly because we’re too old to fight now.”
The peer-to-peer support is invaluable for some members who struggle to talk to their families.
Keith said: “There are quite a few people here with mental health issues and they come down here and they can talk naturally. It’s a bit difficult sometimes with their families but here, a lot of them have been through the same thing. So they do relax.”
When does Torfaen Veterans Support Hub meet?
The Torfaen Veterans Support Hub meets at the Army Reserve Centre, Ty Coch Way, Cwmbran, between 10am-11am, every Wednesday.