Based at Surrey Gardens, The Veterans Association are a charity set up to give back to the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect our families and way of life.
Having opened their Birchington hub back in November, I had the pleasure of popping into the Veterans Association on a Tuesday morning where I witnessed first-hand the incredibly warm and friendly atmosphere on display.
It was lovely to see so many veterans smiling and chatting away over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake and, despite how busy it was, the Founder of this wonderful charity John Langley was able to spend some time with me to discuss, in detail, the incredible work that The Veterans Association do…
What inspired you to set up The Veterans Association Charity?
“My grandad Donald was in the Secret Service and he used to tell me a lot of fascinating stories when I was younger. He passed away 14 years ago so I then started doing a lot of fundraising work for military charities. About 7 years ago, I started working for a Military charity called Blesma which really opened my eyes to how much support veterans need when they come out of the army. It hit home with me, you’ve got veterans sleeping on the street who were fighting for their country three years ago. Like many people, it doesn’t sit right with me.
“I came away from Blesma and started fundraising for The Veterans Association at the end of 2022. Then, when I saw this place up for rent, which used to be my old doctor’s surgery when I was a kid, I thought this would be a perfect location for a hub and this gave me more of a focus and helped bring the charity to life.”
How vital is it to have this hub in the community of Birchington?
“I have lived in Birchington since I was 2 but the amount of people I have met since the hub opened in November is unbelievable and some of the stories you hear are incredible. You meet people from all walks of life and all ages. They’re an amazing community to be a part of because they all support one another.
“My biggest ethos is that all charities should all work together to try and help as many people as possible, that’s what a charity is all about. We never want to see a veteran sleeping on the street and it’s getting a lot better now, the Armed Forces Network is run by the NHS and they do some fantastic work for veterans. We are here to support as many people as we can.
“When I come in here and see so many people talking and sharing stories it’s really heart-warming. Our work can also include assisting and supporting veterans with their struggles and we have a counselling service and room located in the hub which has helped save lives. At the moment, we have 120 regular members that come here.”
What are some of the upcoming plans you have for The Veterans Association?
“Two of the things we are planning to set up over the next year is to build a sensory garden around the back of the hub. This will be an accessible garden that is wheelchair friendly. We are currently fundraising for that (www.gofundme.com/f/es8dw-community-sensory-garden). We are also looking to get an accessible minibus so we can pick up and drive veterans to the coffee mornings, making it a lot easier for them to get here.
“In the long-term, the idea is to start opening more hubs in other counties and, eventually, having one in every county is the dream goal.”
Are you looking for volunteers at the hub?
“We are always looking for volunteers and could really do with help from any building companies that would be willing to support us with any ongoing work. If any members of the public want to support us, we’ve got merchandise you can buy or you can make donations on our website.
“Anybody can pop in for a coffee, not just veterans, and all of the proceeds help go towards keeping the charity going. Staff are barista trained and the coffee is really good if I do say so myself.”
With a combined 35 years in the ex-forces, Angie and Helen work at The Veterans Association and I managed to grab a quick word with Angie Sutton to talk about her role and the positive impact this charity is having on people.
“I fully retired last April when I finished at the NHS, somebody then sent me information about this role and I had a chat with John and I am part-time here. Helen has recently gone full-time.
“I served 33 years in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller and Helen served 2 years in the Army. I’m originally from Cardiff and left home at 18 to join the Air Force. I moved down here and bought a house in 2010 and love it.
“We are an open space for absolutely anybody and also very dog friendly. There can be a misunderstanding, though, that a veteran is only someone who has served in WWII but it’s not. We were at war in Iraq and Afghanistan for years which is where I served so we are trying to entice younger veterans.
“We recently hosted the first Thanet female veterans group meet here for International Women’s Day with Karen Brinkman running it which was fantastic.
“We are all trained Armed Forces Champions which means we know where and how to access help for those who may be struggling. Anybody who asks for help, we positively help them not just signpost them.”
The Veterans Association is open 9:00am-3:00pm Tuesday to Friday and 10:00am-2:00pm Saturday with veterans getting free teas and coffees between 10:00am-12:00pm every Tuesday.
