Breakfast Clubs for Women Who Have Served in the Armed Forces

Anxious Minds is delighted to launch a new breakfast club for women who have served in the Armed Forces. Taking place at different locations across County Durham, the monthly breakfast clubs will give women an opportunity to meet, enjoy good food and form new friendships in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Whether you left the Armed Forces recently or served many years ago, you are invited to register your interest.

The Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club is open to women from every branch of the UK Armed Forces, regardless of their role, rank, length of service or personal circumstances.

There is no requirement to discuss your service or share personal experiences. You can simply come along, enjoy breakfast and spend time with other women who understand something about military life.

The breakfast clubs will be held on selected Saturday mornings at venues across County Durham. There is no membership fee; attendees simply pay for their own breakfast and drinks.

Before we confirm the first venues, we want to hear from women who may be interested. Your responses will help us identify the most accessible locations and create a breakfast club shaped by the women attending.

A Dedicated Armed Forces Breakfast Club for Women

There are many excellent Armed Forces breakfast clubs across the UK, providing former members of the military with friendship, community and opportunities to reconnect.

However, some women find that established veterans’ groups are attended predominantly by men. Although these groups may be welcoming, women can sometimes feel underrepresented or uncertain about whether the environment is right for them.

Anxious Minds is therefore developing a breakfast club specifically for women who have served.

If you are searching online for “breakfast club women Armed Forces”, this new County Durham initiative has been created with you in mind.

It will provide an informal social space where women can meet others with an understanding of military life. There will be no pressure, judgement or complicated registration process.

The breakfast club is not intended to separate women from the wider Armed Forces community. It provides an additional choice for those who would enjoy connecting specifically with other women who have served.

Who Can Join the Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club?

The breakfast club is open to women who have previously served in any part of the UK Armed Forces, including the:

• British Army
• Royal Navy
• Royal Marines
• Royal Air Force
• Reserve Forces

You can attend whether you served for a short time or completed a full military career. You are equally welcome whether you left recently or many decades ago.

You do not need to have served overseas or taken part in an operational deployment. Your previous rank and role do not matter, and you will not need to demonstrate that you have a particular support need.

You also do not have to receive another Anxious Minds service.

This is a social breakfast club rather than counselling, treatment or a formal support programme. You may be managing a mental health difficulty, feeling isolated or experiencing a challenging period, but you do not need to be struggling to join.

You may simply want to meet new people and enjoy breakfast in friendly company.

You May Have Served Without Identifying as a Veteran

Some women who have served do not describe themselves as veterans.

The word “veteran” may bring to mind someone who completed a long military career, served in combat or belongs to an older generation. As a result, women who served for shorter periods can sometimes feel that Armed Forces groups and services are not intended for them.

That is why we have named this initiative the Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club.

The name reflects who the club is for without expecting anyone to adopt a label that may not feel natural to them.

If you wore the uniform and served in the UK Armed Forces, you are welcome to express an interest. Your contribution matters, regardless of how long you served or what role you performed.

Why Friendship After the Armed Forces Matters

Leaving the Armed Forces is a major life transition. It can involve changes to employment, housing, relationships, daily routine and personal identity.

Service life can create close friendships built on teamwork, responsibility and shared experiences. After leaving, those friends may be spread across the UK or living overseas, making regular contact difficult.

Some women move directly into civilian employment, education or family responsibilities and do not immediately notice the loss of their military support network. Feelings of disconnection may emerge several years later, particularly following retirement, bereavement, divorce, illness or another significant life change.

Others may move to a new area and find it difficult to develop local friendships.

An Armed Forces breakfast club can help rebuild a sense of connection. It gives women a regular opportunity to get out of the house, meet others and become part of a welcoming community.

A conversation over breakfast may appear simple, but it can be the beginning of an important friendship.

What Will Happen at the Breakfast Clubs?

Each breakfast club will be friendly, informal and easy to attend.

We understand that walking into a new group can feel daunting, especially if you do not know anyone. Anxious Minds will work to ensure that new attendees are welcomed and introduced in a way that feels comfortable.

There will be no formal assessments or expectation to speak in front of everyone. You will not be asked to explain why you have attended.

You can order your breakfast and drinks, find a seat and join the conversation at your own pace.

Some women may choose to talk about their military experiences. Others may prefer to discuss family life, employment, hobbies, local activities or what they have been watching on television.

All types of conversation are welcome. The purpose is not to focus on the difficulties people have experienced. It is to create a positive social occasion where women can relax, laugh, make friends and look forward to meeting again.

A Safe Space With No Pressure to Share

The Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club is not a therapy group.

Nobody attending will be expected to discuss trauma, mental health, deployment experiences or personal difficulties. Every woman will decide how much or how little she wants to share.

Privacy, kindness and respect will be central to the group.

Some women may find it helpful to speak with others who understand military life, but personal conversations must develop naturally and with the agreement of everyone involved.

Women who want information about mental health or practical support can speak privately with Anxious Minds. However, accessing support is optional and will never be a condition of attending the breakfast club.

You are welcome simply because you served and would like to meet other women.

Breakfast Club Locations Across County Durham

The breakfast clubs will take place on Saturday mornings at different locations across County Durham each month.

By moving the meetings around the county, we hope to make them accessible to women living in different towns and communities.

Potential areas may include:

• Durham City
• Seaham
• Peterlee
• Spennymoor
• Bishop Auckland
• Newton Aycliffe
• Chester-le-Street
• Stanley
• Consett
• Barnard Castle
• Surrounding County Durham communities

The exact venues have not yet been confirmed because we want the level of interest to guide our decisions.

When you contact us, please tell us which part of County Durham you live in and where you would be willing to travel. This will help us select suitable venues that are welcoming, accessible and convenient for as many women as possible.

Registering your interest does not commit you to attending every meeting. It allows us to keep you informed when the dates and venues are announced.

Helping to Reduce Loneliness and Isolation

Loneliness can affect people at any stage of life.

For women who have served, isolation may be connected to leaving the military community, losing contact with former colleagues or struggling to find people who understand their experiences.

Women may also face caring responsibilities, relationship breakdown, unemployment, bereavement, disability or health problems. These circumstances can make it more difficult to maintain friendships and take part in social activities.

A welcoming breakfast club cannot solve every problem, but it can provide a valuable point of connection.

Regular social contact can help people feel included, valued and part of something positive. It can provide structure, encourage people to leave the house and create opportunities for new friendships.

The club will also give women a chance to support one another informally. This may involve sharing information about local activities, recommending services or simply listening when someone is having a difficult week.

Sometimes knowing that a friendly group will be waiting on Saturday morning can make a meaningful difference.

A Breakfast Club Shaped by Its Members

We want the Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club to develop around the interests and ideas of the women who join it.

The initial focus will be on bringing people together for breakfast. As friendships develop, participants may decide that they would also enjoy other activities.

Future opportunities could include:

• Social walks
• Outdoor activities
• Well-being sessions
• Creative groups
• Local visits
• Information events
• Day trips
• Volunteering opportunities
• Seasonal celebrations

These are only possibilities. Nothing will be introduced without listening to the women attending.

Some groups may prefer to keep the club focused entirely on an informal monthly breakfast, which is equally valuable. The women involved will help decide how the initiative develops.

About Anxious Minds

Anxious Minds is a North East mental health charity providing accessible mental health and well-being support to people across the region.

The charity has significant experience supporting members of the Armed Forces community and their families through its Veteran Recovery Colleges and associated services.

Our approach recognises that mental health support is not limited to counselling or clinical interventions. Friendship, purpose, community and a sense of belonging can also play an important role in well-being.

The Women Who Have Served Breakfast Club will provide an informal way for women to connect without entering a formal programme.

If someone attending would like further support, Anxious Minds can provide information about suitable services and local options. If she does not want support, she can simply continue enjoying the social side of the club.

There will be no pressure either way.

Help Us Reach More Women From the Armed Forces

One of the biggest challenges will be reaching women who served but are no longer connected to the Armed Forces community.

Some may not follow military charities or belong to veterans’ organisations. Others may not realise that a female Armed Forces breakfast club is available locally.

You can help by sharing this announcement with:

• Women who have served
• Armed Forces networks
• Employers of veterans and reservists
• Community groups
• Local authorities
• Health and social care organisations
• Military charities
• Friends and family members

If you know a woman who previously served in the Armed Forces, please send her this article.

She may be looking for friendship and connection without knowing where to begin. Your message could introduce her to a welcoming new community.

Register for the Women’s Armed Forces Breakfast Club

If you have been looking for a breakfast club for women from the Armed Forces, Anxious Minds would love to hear from you.

The new breakfast clubs will offer an opportunity to:

• Meet other women who have served
• Enjoy breakfast in a relaxed environment
• Build new and lasting friendships
• Reduce loneliness and isolation
• Become part of a supportive local community
• Share experiences only if you choose
• Find information about additional support when needed

Meetings will take place on selected Saturday mornings at different locations across County Durham. There will be no membership charge; everyone will simply pay for their own breakfast and drinks.

To register your interest, suggest a location or request more information, contact:

Email: Tracey@anxiousminds.co.uk
Email: Tracey.L@anxiousminds.co.uk
Telephone: 07394 734116

Please like, comment and share this article so we can reach more women who have served in the Armed Forces.

Together, we can create a welcoming breakfast club for women from the Armed Forces community where friendships can grow and nobody needs to feel alone.