The team behind a vital community group which has been struggling to stay open have ‘been able to breathe for the first time’ following generous donations.

The Veterans Hub in Wyke Regis has been ‘living month to month’ with an impending ‘fear of closure’ due to a lack of funding.

It comes after the Echo recently reported their closure fears. And veterans who use the service shared their stories on how the service impacts their day-to-day life. 

After the local community heard about the hub's struggles, many have chipped in in any way they can to try and support the service, including the team at the Wyke Smugglers pub.

The pub on Portland Road recently donated £500 to the hub from the proceeds of their weekly meat draw.

Andy Price, founder of the Veterans Hub said: “We are so incredibly grateful, especially as we didn’t realise it was going to be an ongoing thing.

“It’s just so amazing as this is the first time that we have been able to breathe and not had to stress about closing at the end of the month – but we are by no means out of the woods yet, we have got at least a two-month breathing space so that we can figure out our next steps.”

“The support has also shown us just how much our team are thought of by the local community – It’s also the amount of people coming in and thanking our staff for the work they do.”

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.

Keith Treggiden, landlord of the Wyke Smugglers said: “Not only are they our neighbours, but it’s a cause that matters.”

The publican and his team will continue to fundraise for the hub, with the donations alternating weekly between the Veterans Hub and the MV Freedom.

The MV Freedom is a charity that provides accessible boat trips to wheelchair users and people living with disabilities in Weymouth.

Mr Treggiden added: “The MV Freedom do wonderful work with their boat and everything they do with the Dorset Abilities group to – I’m very fond of things like that that impact the community.”

The team at the pub buy the meat hamper for £40 each week and tickets for the draw are just £1, with any money raised over the buying price being donated to the charities.

Everyone can buy a ticket by heading into the Wyke Smugglers any day of the week.

The hub has also organised a jumble sale to help boost funds.