Essex military veterans retraining as baristas
28 August 2019, 06:30
Veterans in Colchester and Tendring are being given the chance to retrain as baristas through a new project.
Combat2Coffee is offering support and training to armed forces veterans both in the community and in custody through a mobile coffee platform.
Nigel Seaman came up with the idea after suffering with mental health issues when he left the army.
"I have rubbish days, but I have got the mechanisms to get over it," he told Heart.
"If I can help one person a year to not experience what I did, and not what my kids did, and at the time my wife - then why wouldn't I?
"Meeting that veteran and just having a chat - you're in the same ilk, you're brothers and sisters.
"It doesn't matter what service you've been in.
"And just to say 'you'll be alright' can be enough.
"That's the message for this."
Combat2Coffee is being supported by Colchester Borough Council and the mobile coffee unit will be visiting places across Tendring and Colchester over the next month.
