Woody's Lodge in the Bay has begun opening up again following the COVID-19 lockdown.

The charity which looks after the welfare and support of veterans living in the North Wales area have also re-opened their headquarters in Barry, South Wales.

However, both sites have limited access in place meaning that many drop-ins across North Wales will unfortunately remain closed until further notice.

The group say supporting ex-forces personnel and their families remain a very high priority particularly as a result of effects such as anxiety, stress and isolation. They will be offering support and guidance over the telephone, via email and Facebook messenger.

Woody's will be contacting veterans once a week to ensure they are safe and offer an ear to listen if needed.

Support in Colwyn Bay will be available in person Monday – Thursday 10am - 2pm.

Veterans are asked to call 07579766645 to let Woody's know you are coming. There is limited space each day so that social distancing can be maintained, so an appointment will be needed to ensure you and their staff are safe.

There will be space for walk-ins and those in crisis.

The centre opened up a number of years ago in Eirias Park and has prominently featured on TV for its ground breaking work.

In 2012, Royal Marine and member of the Elite Special Boat Service, Paul “Woody” Woodland lost his life in a training exercise, before he was due to return for a second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Woody was born, bred and schooled in Penarth, South Wales, and had always wanted to be a Royal Marine. Once he completed his Armed Forces career, his dream had been to build a log cabin where he would be able to live with his family, peacefully and in safety.

The vision for Woody's Lodge is to create an inviting meeting space for those who have served within the Armed Forces and Emergency Services, where they can receive expert support & advice as well as the chance to connect with new and old friends and family.

Woody’s dream of owning a log cabin after his service became the inspiration for Woody’s Lodge which became a reality after two years of planning, with the support of the Royal Navy in Wales and Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations.

After 3 months of refurbishment, the first Woody’s Lodge opened. It was set within quiet green spaces where it had calming views of the Bristol Channel and offered a safe, peaceful and familiar surrounding for veterans and their families.

Woody’s Lodge is a communications and social hub for veterans. In their first six months, they received well over 1,200 visits from veterans of all ages from the Vale and Cardiff areas.

Woody’s Lodge also acts as a base from which 20 charitable and statutory agencies work including: The Royal British Legion, NHS, Dept. of Works & Pensions, Recovery Cymru, NEXUS, Barnardos and SSAFA.