Littlehampton AFVBC celebrates 5th anniversary and reflects on how it has become a gold standard Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club

Founder Ian Neville, who served in the Royal Engineers, saw it as a way to bring military personnel together, to offer veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces a place to gather and chat with like-minded people. As the group celebrates its fifth anniversary, Ian, who is club chairman, has reflected on how far it has come and the wide range of services and support it now offers.

He said: "When we started, it was just a breakfast club and we have kept that part of it as it is. We have evolved slowly and allowed circumstances to dictate the way we have gone, allowing the membership to dictate. We are now seen as the gold standard by the Armed Forces Network. Where we differ from a lot of groups is we meet twice a week, so we see people a lot more. You can sense changes, or if you don't see them for a while you can think to check up on them. We have gone from a small social group to a full community."

The club launched on February 10, 2018, with a core of five and now has nearly 300 members on Facebook, as well as others, of various ages. There is a mix of veterans and service personnel, who pop in when they are on leave.

Founder member Anne Palmer said she saw an article in the Littlehampton Gazette about the club launching and was encouraged to go along by her daughter. She served as a Wren in the Royal Navy for six years from 1958, her dream job that she loved. Anne said: "We are all ex-military, mainly army, but we all talk the same, banter. We talk about all and everything, not necessarily military. We might put the world to rights."

Although Anne was the only woman at the start, it was not long before there was a group of seven Wrens, sharing stories about their time in the Navy. Anne said the club had been a great help to her, including organising lifts for hospital appointments. In fact, signposting members to a range of support has become an important part of the group.

Ian explained: "On the last Wednesday of the month, we encourage all sorts of charities, as well as DWP advisers, to come in for the social, which gives people the opportunity for a quiet talk. The welfare side is ongoing, we are the interim from crisis to a long-term solution."

During Covid-19, the club set up the Littlehampton Isolated Veterans Support Project, which included providing prepared main meals for isolated vulnerable veterans, and the club has maintained a regular contact with the people it helped.

The club is also now a member of the Association of Ex Forces Drop-in Centres, meaning it is recognised as a place where any member of the Armed Forces community, including the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet, and their families, may go for help and advice. The club meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays at The Old Corn Store, in Clifton Road, Littlehampton, from 10am to 12pm. Visit www.littlehamptonafvbc.org.uk for more information.

Linking up with the Veterans Raffle has provided a regular source of fundraising. The club is currently raising money to fund and maintain a van or minibus, which will mean donated furniture can be collected and redistributed to veterans in need. Visit veteransraffle.uk/page/littlehampton-afvbc for more information.