Those behind a ‘lifeline’ service in Weymouth are worried that they may have to close their doors due to a lack of funding.
The team at the Veterans Hub on Portland Road in Wyke Regis say the service is currently ‘living month to month,’ and say it could close ‘any week.’
The cost-of-living crisis has hit the hub hard as ’everything has gone up,’ with it costing approximately £120,000 a year to keep the hub open.
Its founder Andy Price revealed that the demand for its services has ‘gone through the roof.’
The Veterans Hub was set up around eight years ago as a community project, with the intent of providing a safe and secure location for veterans and their families to come together in an environment that would enable them to socialise in a non-clinical setting in order to provide peer to peer support for each other.
However, the hub is not only for veterans, anyone can drop in if they are struggling or even just to socialise.
Mr Price said: “We have been going eight years now and like a lot of community projects we have relied on grants.
"There is a misconception locally that we can get statutory funding, but we live month to month. For our service users, we are a lifeline.”
Sam Watson, who works at the hub on behalf of Reach Drug and Alcohol Service, said: “It’s something local that no one else can offer.
"I don’t think that I am exaggerating when I say that if we did have to close our doors that some people would feel that it’s a door closing on them.
“It’s a lifeline for people, lots of them have nowhere to go.”
At this moment in time there are around 26 team members, five of which are paid for their services.
Mr Price, an ex-forces member, explained that one of the services they run is a ‘full-time counselling service with over 40 clients.’
He said ‘over half have suicidal thoughts or have attempted to take their own lives.’
There are both a shop and a café on the premises, which are open to the public and help to raise funds for the hub. To date it has raised around £10,500.
Housing Officer for Dorset Council, Sue Neate, also works at the hub once a week.
She said: “This is little compared to the outgoings but with donations, it keeps us going.
“In terms of the closure, we are not talking about months down the line, we are talking about next week.”
The café also runs a pay it forward scheme where someone can pay money forward so that someone else who may be struggling can have a hot meal.
Danielle, who works in the Veteran’s Hub shop, joined as a student and has seen first-hand the impact the vital service has on people.
She said: “If this place wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here now. I have got a purpose and a family here.
“I have seen the effect that it has had on people’s lives over the years. The change in what they were like to now – they were in real bad places.”
Although the team is applying for grants locally, they are struggling to be successful in their applications.
Rachel Gray, Manager and Company Secretary at the hub said: “We need to be open, people will open up to us here.”
Mr Watson added: “Engagement with service users here is great because it’s a comfortable environment.
“If the Veterans Hub isn’t able to secure more funding this place won’t be here any longer.”
Some of the additional services offered at the Veterans Hub include many charities that visit, services like counselling and personal training, a death planner, as well as a bereavement group.
If you would like to donate to the Veteran’s Hub, visit: https://donorbox.org/donate-now-help-us-to-keep-on-helping.
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