The Veterans on the Edge breakfasts didn’t begin with a plan to build a group or create a new community project. They began with a simple act of remembrance in 2024, when a small group of us joined the Friends of St James to clean and restore the headstones of thirteen World War I veterans in the closed graveyard at St James in Charfield. It was a meaningful weekend, the kind that brings people together quietly through shared purpose and a sense of respect for those who came before us.
As part of that weekend, we decided to visit the veterans’ breakfast at the Black Shed in Slimbridge. It was meant to be a quick stop, but it ended up opening our eyes to something important. I was genuinely surprised by how many veterans lived in the Charfield and Wotton area, and even more surprised by how many of them didn’t know that veterans’ breakfasts were already happening nearby. At that time, there were three well‑established breakfasts within about twenty minutes of us — Thornbury, Slimbridge, and Dursley — yet many local veterans weren’t attending any of them simply because they didn’t know they existed or felt they were too far away.
That realisation stayed with me. It felt like there was room for something closer, something that would make it easier for people to drop in without much planning or travel. So we decided to give it a try. We chose a day that didn’t clash with the other breakfasts and looked for a venue. The original idea was to use the café at Leyhill, but it was closed at the time, so we started the very first Wotton and Charfield Veterans Breakfast at the Hideout Café on Tortworth Industrial Estate. It was small and informal at first, just a few people around a table, but the conversations were good and the atmosphere felt right.
Over the next eight months the breakfast grew steadily. More people heard about it, more veterans turned up, and it became clear that a more central location would help it reach even further. That’s when we moved to The Swan in Wotton‑under‑Edge, where the breakfasts have really settled into their own rhythm. From September 2025 onwards, as the community grew and our activities expanded, we began calling ourselves Veterans on the Edge, reflecting both our location and the sense of identity that had formed.
One of the things that makes the group special is its mix of people. We have veterans from all services and all lengths of service. Some left the military only a couple of years ago, while others have been out for decades. Yet all of them find the same thing when they walk through the door: camaraderie, shared experience, and the easy understanding that comes from being around people who know the world you came from. We start at 0930, but it’s not unusual to still be sitting there chatting away at 1130. Most people come for breakfast — and The Swan offers a great selection — but some just come for a coffee and a chat. There’s no pressure to do anything other than turn up and be part of the conversation. We meet on the first Saturday of every month, and details are always available on the Veterans on the Edge website calendar.
As the community has grown, so have the ways we support veterans locally. We’re happy to visit retirement homes when asked, to support veterans living there who may not be able to get out easily. We took part in Op Candlelight in December 2025, and we continue to look for ways to contribute positively to the wider community. Both the Wotton and Charfield RBL branches have their points of contact within our group, and we’re keen to support the Royal British Legion and other recognised charities wherever we can. We don’t ask for payment from our members and we encourage people to join the RBL, as we continue to receive valuable support from them in this area.
Our growing presence as a local veterans’ community has also helped us build strong relationships with Stroud District Council and South Gloucestershire Council as they work to meet their commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant. They have been proactive in reaching out to veterans’ groups across the region, and we’ve been very impressed with the effort and genuine engagement shown by Stroud District Council in particular. Their willingness to listen, connect organisations, and understand the needs of veterans has made a real difference.
We also work closely with other local veterans’ groups so we can collaborate rather than duplicate effort. We recently took part in the Great Tommy Sleep Out with Thornbury RBL, and we support their annual dinner and summer BBQ. We also engage with the Cam and Dursley Veterans Community, sharing ideas, events, and support. It’s a great community to be part of, and the connections between groups strengthen what each of us can offer.
Through all of this, the heart of what we do remains the same. The breakfast is a space where veterans can be themselves, surrounded by people who understand without needing explanations. It began with honouring the past, but it has grown into supporting the present. A small idea, sparked by thirteen headstones and a chance visit to Slimbridge, has become a steady part of local life. The benefits aren’t measured in numbers or events, but in conversations, friendships, and the quiet reassurance that comes from knowing you’re not on your own.
