A CHARITY that supports veterans who have been imprisoned held the first of what will be regular meetings in Hampshire.

Care After Combat was set up by the comedian Jim Davidson and met in the Army Reserves’ Centre in Millbrook.

The charity helps former service men and women who have been in prison not to reoffend and also aid them in any rehabilitation needs they might have.

Comedian Mr Davidson, who lives near Stockbridge, said: “I have always been involved with the military and in this charity we deal with veterans in the criminal justice system and we make sure they don’t go back into prison. Some of them come from broken homes and then they join the military and it probably prevented them from going to prison sooner, but then they leave the military which can be the first real home they had.

“This meeting is the first meeting for any veteran, we thought why don’t we have these meeting in a base because they like coming here.

“Everyone is enjoying the evening and it is a chance for our mentors to come together as well.”

The charity works by using veterans and serving members of the armed forces as mentors who will go into prisons and help former service personnel get back on their feet and solve any issues they may have such as addiction or homelessness.

Since the charity began they have helped 41 veterans who had been in the prison system and none of them have reoffended.

Dr Brian Seggie is one of the mentors having spent 26 years in the army and is currently serving in the army reserves.

He said: “As people from the military we speak the same language as them where as they are reluctant to speak to a police officer, or a prison officer or a psychiatrist “It is all non-judgmental, they have already been convicted of a crime.

“The people we help are trained very highly in organised planning and organised in the Army and they have skills that are fantastic to transfer into civilian life, but some are not at all appropriate.

“If they end up in prison it is another institution and they feel more comfortable in it, but when they get out into civilian life sometimes they find themselves with no roof over their head or income and can find it easier in prison than on the outside.”

The next meeting of the Care After Combat will be held in the Army Reserves Centre in Milbrook later this year.