One of the biggest key issues with all ex-servicemen and women of whatever background is, as they will all tell you, that they miss the banter, the craic and the camaraderie.

It’s also been shown that a member of the ex-services community with depression or a feeling of loneliness, no friends, or simply missing forces type humour and banter, can benefit enormously from camaraderie and companionship and in some cases PTSD sufferers can do so as well.

One of the things we as a team in AFSG are very proud of is our success in this simple but very important service, the office is open every Wednesday morning in the week and the first Saturday of each month for a chat, tea, biscuits, assistance if needed, lamp swinging as required and the generation of laughter whenever possible. Our membership is now heading for around 50 and growing each month.

The office was no longer big enough and on many occasions it was standing room only with no privacy if someone came to us with a problem - we have now overcome that problem by fundraising to extend the office to give us the extra space for meetings and somewhere private, if needed. The people attending our meetings have all identified with points made regarding this issue and that we were very successful in what we do. They are all pleased to be helping the Group to grow.’

It took some doing but instead of having to sit in a car to hear someone’s problems in private, we can now sit in a nice warm extension and do the business.

We also promote two local forces breakfast clubs that also do some, if not all, of the above.