THE Royal British Legion Welfare Team is encouraging serving and veteran soldiers to attend drop-in sessions in Warminster where they can be given financial, social and emotional support.

The sessions, which are held fortnightly on Mondays at Warminster Community Centre, on Firbank Crescent, between 10am and 1pm, have been running since the end of January.

Soldiers and their families are offered support on issues including debt, war pensions and compensation, and given general advice.

The Royal British Legion Welfare Team for Wiltshire and Somerset is keen to alert people to the sessions and encourage more to use them.

Alistair Maxwell, area manager for Wiltshire and Somerset, said: “We set up the drop-in centre as Warminster has a very large military population and lots of ex-service people who we want to reach out to and who need our services.

“It’s early days and it’s been positive, but it’s about getting established so people are aware. It’s very important people are given an opportunity to connect with us.”

As well as outreach sessions based in communities, the RBL has a contact centre which people can phone, and a new Pop-In Centre in Swindon.

Gemma Carter, RBL’s advice and information officer in Wiltshire, said: “We’ve been running the sessions in Warminster since January, but it has been quite quiet.

“We are trying to get the word out and raise our profile in the local area.

“I would tell people who are interested just to come and find out what we do.”

Roger Kingshott, chairman of the RBL in Warminster, said: “Soldiers like to deal with army personnel.

“It’s a good idea.”