Breakfast club sets up for veterans
A breakfast club for war veterans has been set up in Wolverhampton.
The club enjoyed its first dinner at the White Rabbit pub in Bilston on Saturday.
It was launched by veteran Paul Lewis, a former commando.
He said: "The whole idea of the breakfast clubs is having veterans who are 60, 70 or 80 -year-old to the newest veterans of mid-20s, to get together and have a banter to speak about past stories. If they are struggling, getting advice, it is veterans trust veterans, it is the whole family feel.
"Breakfast clubs were set up many years ago and has grown now to have 68,000 members."
The initiative, called Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs, has now spread around the world after the first one was founded in Hull in 2007.
Organisers behind the initiative say it provides therapy for former servicemen and women, who may be battling with problems such as post traumatic stress, loneliness and depression.
It also helps connect them and forms a support network, where veterans can talk about problems which they might be able to with family or friends.
There is now 286 around the world, which are mostly in England. A small number are located in America, Australia, New Zealand and Cyprus, with numbers growing.
The original club was founded by Derreck Hardman and he was present at the meal to welcome the club's new members.
He was joined by Nikki Bayne, from Age UK Wolverhampton, who partnered up her charity with the breakfast club to get new members.
