Army veteran sets up mental health coffee clubs

A veteran who felt "isolated" and lost a sense of his identity after he left the Army has started a series of coffee clubs for people struggling with their mental health.

Connor Postles, from Stoke-on-Trent, had dealt with stress and anxiety since he left the forces in 2022, eight years after joining up at the age of 18.

Postles, now aged 30, said he wanted to use his experience to help others and has organised three monthly sessions, the first of which will launch on Saturday.

"There's a real feeling of isolation when you leave the army," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The first six months are great because you feel like you're on a bit of an extended leave.

"But after that, you realise you're away from an environment you've been used to for a long time. You lose that purpose and that identity."

Following his military career, Postles worked as a water engineer but said he spent a lot of his time on his own, which took its toll on his mental health.

He then had a job at a women's prison, which he "loved" but had to leave after having surgery on his knee. He has since started working for the NHS and has signed up as an army reservist.

He also volunteers at the Base Body Fitness gym in Stoke-on-Trent, where he holds military-style fitness circuit sessions.

The idea for the support groups came to him during a conversation with the gym's owners, he said.

The first group, the veterans brew club, will have its first meeting on Saturday and then every third Sunday of the month.

A men's mental health group will be held on the fourth Sunday of the month from 26 April and a women's support group will take place on the second Sunday of the month from 10 May.

As well as allowing people the chance to meet up and talk, they will also be able to access information about support groups available in the area.

Postles said there were some "great groups" locally and nationally, but awareness was a "bit of an issue".

"Someone who's maybe struggling or in a bit of a crisis might not know where exactly to get that help," he added.

The sessions are being supported by charities including Women's Aid, the Royal British Legion, Men Unite and Help for Heroes, Postles said.

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