The cafe where veterans 'can be listened to and understood'

A lady is sat down and smiling, wearing a Get Together After Serving (GTAS) T-shirt. The background shows soft green walls, wooden furniture and framed photographs. — Image caption,
The cafe's manager, Lucy Traynor is the wife of Wayne, who is also a former veteran and co-director of Getting Together After Service (GTAS)

12 September 2026, 07:30 BST

A woman has said she was inspired to run a café for veterans after witnessing the impact serving in the armed forces had had on her husband.

Lucy Traynor's wife Wayne was temporarily blinded from an injury he suffered while serving.

She became involved with charity Get Together After Serving (GTAS), which has renovated a 19th century manor house in Rochdale and now runs it as a café staffed by former service personnel.

Lucy said Denehurst House offered ex-servicepeople "somewhere to talk, somewhere they feel safe, somewhere people will listen and understand".

Lucy added: "It's been these last 12 months that have been the biggest test for him, because he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He's having really bad nightmares, which are completely affecting everyday life. So it's really hard watching."

A café-style space where people are gathered around tables, chatting and drinking refreshments. There is gallery-style artwork around the room. — Image caption,
Denehurst House had been left empty for decades

Denehurst House was built between 1893 and 1909 for Alderman Robert Turner, the founder of the Turner Brothers Asbestos Company.

The house and its grounds were donated to the town in 1932 and after being used as council offices, was left empty.

The revamp saw the ground floor remodelled into a café, and there are five flats upstairs for veterans.

Lucy said: "The full community understands how important it is, and how grateful we are that we've got this space for veterans to come to."

The photo shows a large black chalkboard in a yellow fram. On the chalkboard, colorful hand-drawn lettering reads “GET TOGETHER — GTAS — AFTER SERVING,” surrounded by simple red and blue hearts and decorative shapes. — Image caption,
The19th Century, Denehurst House in Rochdale has been transformed into a café, run solely by ex-military personnel.

Former veteran and co-director of GTAS, Adam Trennery, said there was not enough help for veterans, so "any place that is available, especially an idyllic building this like, this just absolutely perfect".

He added: "The more funds we can raise, the more we can help more veterans and maybe expand in the future across Greater Manchester.

He said the aim was to "make sure that every veteran gets the help that they deserve".

Councillor Danny Meredith, Rochdale Council cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said: "This has been a really important project for us and it's great to see it coming to fruition.

"We know that good quality cafes and other facilities are always welcome in our communities, but this one is particularly special."

The new café's opening hours will be every day, with operating hours from 9am to 6pm between May and October and from 9am to 4pm between November and April.

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