A drop-in centre for ex-servicemen and women could open on the Island in early January.

The centre, also catering for serving Armed Forces personnel, is the brainchild of Minster man Mick Withington.

Mr Withington is negotiating with Age Concern to use its former Castlewell day centre in Queenborough for the project.

Working with him are a retired GP, Fr Barry Birch from All Saints’ Church, Eastchurch, a former Army nurse, and now a Sittingbourne-based counsellor.

At an inaugural meeting held earlier this month, the group decided to go ahead with the project. They aim to open the centre – named the Brian Lyons’ Veteran Centre – on January 3.

Mr Lyons, who died earlier this year, was the Sheppey Poppy Appeal organiser and the Island’s welfare officer for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

Mr Withington, chairman of the Sheppey branch of the Royal Naval Association, said people had nothing to worry about.

“These are ex-servicemen who need our help,” he said. “It is aimed at people coming back from hostilities who are shot to pieces, mentally in a lot of cases, and physically harmed.

“In the old days, say like the Korean War, it was army against army. Now you don’t know where the bullet is coming from. These men are living on their nerves all the time.”

It was on a visit accompanying a veteran to a similar, but now defunct, set-up at Chatham Dockyard that prompted Mr Withington to consider a centre on the Island.

“I saw there how they turned some of these blokes round,” he said. “These men have nobody to fall back on – their families have often shunned them – and they need our help. Here in the south east we have the largest proportion of ex-servicemen unemployed, with a large proportion of them living rough.

“It’s a shame and it’s heartbreaking, but instead of sitting there holding our heads and saying what a shame it is, let’s try to do something positive.”

The non-profit-making centre, which would operate with zero alcohol and drugs tolerance, would provide meals and drinks to buy and act as a meeting point. “Servicemen are a breed on their own,” said Mr Withington.

“Together they are chatty and lively and they don’t recede into their shell.”

Mr Withington admitted the project could meet opposition.

“I think some people may have misgivings until they are convinced otherwise,” he said.

“But there is nothing to be alarmed about at all.

“It will take a while to catch on and we’re not going to try and do it all in a day. It will take time.”

Initial funding for the centre has been promised by a naval charity.

Mr Withington and his colleagues will also attempt to attract sponsors, as well as relying on donations and fundraising events to pay for the day-to-day running costs.