A project in Caerphilly which supports local veterans has received a boost thanks to Tesco’s Community Grants scheme.

The Caerphilly Veterans Support Hub was co-founded and is run by Lisa Rawlings and Kelly Farr, both of whom served in the Royal Air Force.

The hub was launched in June 2021 to help combat social isolation and loneliness and improve mental health and wellbeing and has just celebrated its first birthday.

The grant of £1,500 will be used to continue to make accessing the hub free for veterans, covering the cost of tea and coffee and food so that as many people can access the service as possible, regardless of their personal circumstances.

From just four veterans at its first meeting, the group has grown massively, with more than 40 people and their families meeting each week on a Saturday morning at the Centre of Supporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach.

Designed to recreate the sense of belonging that veterans felt while they were serving in the forces, the hub also invites other local organisations to pop along to share advice, support and assistance with issues such as benefits, housing, debt management and mental health.

These have included regular visits from Cornerstone Support, Citizen’s Advice, Woody’s Lodge, Royal British Legion, Change Step, Department for Work and Pensions and YourNorth. Guitars for Veterans – Wales is also there each week, providing free guitar lessons for veterans and their families.

Lisa said: “Kelly and I are both veterans ourselves – I served for 25 years, and Kelly for 17 years – so the hub is a real personal passion project for both of us. Since we started last June, it’s gone from strength to strength, and we now regularly see 40-60 veterans each week.

“Veterans can often face a number of challenges during their transition into civilian life, and – while there is quite a lot of help available – some people don’t access services due to pride or feeling like they should be able to cope alone. The hub gives veterans an opportunity to mix with people in the same boat as them, and also helps them access other services all in one place.

“We’re really grateful for this grant, as it means we can make sure anyone who needs us can come along and join in, regardless of their personal circumstances.”

Tesco Community Grants, the in-store scheme where customers vote with blue tokens for community projects and groups, has been helping community groups and charities across Wales and the wider UK since 2016.

Claire de Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: “We want to reward fantastic groups who make such a difference to young people and families in their local communities, and are pleased to be able to support the tireless work of projects like Caerphilly Veterans Support Hub.”

To find out more about Tesco Community Grants go to www.tescocommunitygrants.org.uk.