The Muster Point Story
Veteran Support in Hertfordshire, That Is Veteran-Led
The Muster Point provides veteran support in Hertfordshire, created to address a simple but persistent problem facing the Armed Forces community: too many veterans leave service and are left to navigate civilian life alone. Despite the existence of multiple veteran support services across the UK, many former service personnel experience isolation, loss of identity, poor mental health, housing insecurity, or difficulty accessing the help they are entitled to.
Founded by veterans with lived experience of military transition, The Muster Point is a veteran-led community support hub based in Stevenage, supporting veterans and the wider Armed Forces community across Hertfordshire and beyond. It exists to bridge the gap between statutory services, charities, and real human connection, ensuring no veteran is reduced to a referral number or left to repeat their story.
At its core, The Muster Point provides a safe, informal space where veterans can reconnect through shared experience, rebuild camaraderie, and access practical support at their own pace. By placing community, trust, and peer support first, The Muster Point helps veterans move forward with purpose, dignity, and a renewed sense of belonging.
Where it started
The Muster Point began with a simple introduction. Stu and Steve met through their respective roles supporting veterans, and a shared frustration quickly became clear: in Stevenage, veterans were not connected. There was no regular space where former service personnel could meet, reconnect, and feel part of something familiar again.
Both had seen first-hand how difficult the veteran support landscape can be, particularly when someone is already struggling. Support existed, but it was fragmented, hard to navigate, and often required veterans to repeat their story to multiple services.
When your head is not in the right place, that process can be enough to stop you engaging at all. The idea behind The Muster Point was straightforward: create a place where veterans could reconnect socially, lower their guard, and be directed to the right support the first time, without pressure or bureaucracy.
Before anything launched, Stu and Steve met with Claire Parris, Stevenage Borough Council’s Armed Forces Champion, and Gemma Maret, a council officer. That meeting exceeded expectations. Support was offered immediately, along with funding and a location to trial a weekly veterans’ meet-up.
The first Tuesday Muster took place on Tuesday 14 January 2025. Fourteen veterans attended. There was no agenda, no forms, and no counselling. Just brews, butties, banter, and honest conversation. The atmosphere was positive, relaxed, and familiar, exactly as intended.
From the outset, clear boundaries were set. The Muster Point would not be a counselling session, would not be bureaucratic, and would not place any pressure on those who attended. It was meant to be informal, enjoyable, and something veterans wanted to return to.
They did. Regular faces appeared week after week. Numbers grew steadily. Bonds formed, guards dropped, and what started as a small gathering quickly became a band of brothers and sisters. Veterans began bringing other veterans, and word spread.
They did. Regular faces appeared week after week. Numbers grew steadily. Bonds formed, guards dropped, and what started as a small gathering quickly became a band of brothers and sisters. Veterans began bringing other veterans, and word spread.
The wider potential became clear in May 2025, when The Muster Point hosted a VE Day celebration to mark the 80th anniversary. The event brought veterans and the local community together in a way that went far beyond a weekly meet-up. It showed that what was being built mattered, not just to those in the room, but to Stevenage as a whole.
“What began as a step into the unknown became something that changed lives, and something that would genuinely be missed if it disappeared.“
