At the Royal British Legion Pudsey and Farsley Branch, remembrance is not just something we do on parade or at formal services. It also happens quietly, in everyday moments, often over a cuppa. And sometimes, those quiet moments matter just as much as the big public ones.
Recently, two branch members were invited by a member of the public to visit an ex-military veteran living in a care home in the Pudsey area. The idea was simple – a wellbeing visit. Nothing formal, nothing complicated. Just a couple of volunteers giving up a few hours to sit down, have a chat, and talk about service life.
The gentleman now lives with dementia. For someone living with dementia, moments of clarity and connection can be rare and precious, and being reminded of familiar experiences can bring genuine joy.
Our first visit was just before Christmas. We spent around two hours with him and his wife, sat together talking about his time in the Armed Forces. Postings, training, friendships, the daft moments, the serious ones – the kinds of stories only those who have served truly recognise.
Some of what he shared even surprised his wife. There were laughs, there were quiet pauses, and even the odd tear. But most of all, there was connection. When the conversation turned to his service, you could see the lift. The shared understanding between people who have worn uniform together brought clarity and confidence in those moments. For a while, those memories felt close again.
We returned again in January for another couple of hours. With another brew in hand, the conversation picked up where it had left off, and then moved beyond. Being from Pudsey ourselves, we talked about familiar places, local sport, bits of community life. Those shared local ties, alongside shared service experiences, made it feel relaxed and natural.
We are not paid for what we do – we are local volunteers. We do this because we believe in looking after our veterans and because we genuinely love helping where we can and doing our bit in the community. Support does not always need to be grand or complicated. Sometimes it is simply about showing up, sitting down, listening properly and reminding someone that their service matters and is never forgotten.
While our branch can offer informal local support like this, it is important to say that the wider Royal British Legion provides comprehensive support services nationally. Through specialist teams, the Royal British Legion offers help and advice on areas such as physical and mental health, financial difficulties, housing, recovery and more. That support is separate from the branch and delivered at national level. You can find out more about how the Royal British Legion helps serving personnel, veterans and their families here:
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/how-we-help
If you would like to speak to us in person, why not come along to our Veterans Cafe at Hutton Manor Care Home which launches on Saturday the 7th March. The cafe is simply a relaxed and welcoming space for veterans and their families to meet branch members, have a chat over a brew, and find out more about the support available locally and nationally. It is also an opportunity to speak with us about arranging individual wellbeing visits where appropriate.
You can read more about the Veterans Cafe and find full details here:
https://www.pudseyfarsleyrbl.co.uk/2026/02/veterans-cafe-launching-at-hutton-manor-care-home/
https://www.pudseyfarsleyrbl.co.uk/veterans-cafe/
For regular updates, please do follow our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PudseyFarsleyBritishLegion
Finally, if you, or someone you know in the Pudsey and Farsley area, is a veteran and you feel they might benefit from a friendly wellbeing visit, we would genuinely love to hear from you. Whether it is a chat over a cuppa, a chance to share stories from service, or simply some friendly company, please do get in touch with the branch and we will do our very best to help. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation to make a difference.
