Ministry of Defence welcomes Ipswich veterans' coffee initiative

The big picture: The community interest company has partnered with ESS, which provides foodservice to military establishments across the UK, to operate the coffee shop within the MoD Whitehall building.

Why it matters: The expansion marks a significant step in raising awareness of mental health support available to veterans within the military defence sector, according to Combat2Coffee founder Nigel Seaman.

What they're saying: "Partnering with ESS has allowed us to extend our reach and amplify our impact," Seaman said. "It's amazing to see how far our organisation, which started in Ipswich, Suffolk, has come — now reaching the capital!"

Former Town legend Terry Butcher, whose son Christopher tragically passed away after a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following his service in Afghanistan, has been a long-time advocate for mental health awareness among veterans and their families. He called it an "honour" to be involved in the project project, saying: “We’re not just serving great coffee—we’re giving people a chance to open up and connect.” 

By the numbers: The coffee shop offers hot drinks served in specially designed cups featuring contact information for three mental health services:

• OpCourage

• Samaritans

• Mind

For context: Combat2Coffee operates as a not-for-profit company focused on improving mental health, wellbeing and outcomes for veterans, ex-uniformed personnel, their families and communities.

The launch: The official opening was attended by:

• Minister for Veterans and People, Alistair Carns OBE

• Combat2Coffee patron Terry Butcher

• Other ministers

• Private sector representatives

The bottom line: The initiative demonstrates what Minister Carns called Defence's "unwavering commitment to supporting our veterans, ex-uniformed personnel, and their families."