Veterans' charity is dealt blow on Newport venue

The Veterans' Respite Centre has worked for 18 months to take over a block of accommodation at Audley Court, in Audley Avenue.

They hoped to utilise the unused facilities to offer a break to veterans and their families, as well as to create a support network of those with PTSD.

But earlier this month they were told that they would not be able to go ahead with their plans because the centre was not suitable for respite space.

Sue Freeth, chief executive at Combat Stress, said the possibilities had been explored, but that accommodation at Audley Court was too large for what the Respite Centre was aiming to do.

Pete Neale, CEO of the centre, said: "I am absolutely devastated, not just for me but for everybody that has supported us.

"They have made us jump through hoops for 18 months for a decision that could have been made in a week.

"We did everything that Combat Stress asked us to do. We became a registered charity, even though people told us that would never happen. We got nearly £10,000 in the bank, which is what Combat Stress wanted."

But a brief phone call with Ms Freeth earlier this month brought the plans to a sudden end.

"We feel disappointed that we got complacent," Mr Neale said. "We feel like we've wasted 18 months. We could be open now, but we have been led down the garden path.

Wrong

"If we had been open for 12 months, we could have had 320 veterans through the system. We feel like we're starting again back in 2017, but we have got that fire back in our belly. We want to show Combat Stress they are wrong."

Mr Neale said they wanted to turn the negative into a positive, and has called on people in Newport and further afield to help.

The group's plan B involves building their own respite centre using demountable buildings.

"All we need is land measuring about 300ft by 300ft that we can use, rent or buy," he said.

"There's nothing around here in Shropshire or even Wales to offer respite to veterans with PTSD. Veterans' Respite Centre has always about bringing something back to Shropshire."

The charity was formed off the back of a protest against cuts at Combat Stress in Audley Court, but has since grown into a campaign of hundreds of people.

Dozens of former soldiers held two marches through Newport to fight the cuts, but over time said they had come to understand the changes and wanted to help by forming the charity.

All the people involved in running the charity were given residential care at Combat Stress before the service was discontinued.

Ms Freeth said: “Over the last 18 months we have explored the practicalities of providing respite care on a peer to peer basis on the site.

"It has become clear to us that our premises are unsuitable for what the Veterans’ Respite Centre has planned. The Audley Court residential accommodation is large and unsuitable for providing a more personal respite space.

“We appreciate that this decision may be disappointing to the Veterans’ Respite Centre trustees. We have offered to run a peer support training course on what is involved in delivering and being responsible for a residential peer-run respite service. We wish them all the very best.”