Out of town on the Ellangowan flats, the Diggers Clubhouse is a place where serving and former veterans can meet like-minded people.

The former RFS building is the clubhouse for the Diggers Military Motorcycle Club where the men-only chapter of eight meet twice a month.

Club president Todd De Bono said it was a place of “no judgment”.

“I came this way when I was lost,” Todd said. “I missed the company of the military.”

Todd works in mental health and sees the clubhouse as a place where men can talk openly about the impact of serving.

It’s OK if they don’t want to talk, he said.

Casino RSM’s Neale Genge, Sharon Davidson and Jim Battese were at the clubhouse on Saturday to hand over a cheque for $5000.

The club plan to use the money to buy five bunkbeds with mattresses for when the men stay over at the clubhouse.

At the moment there is only one bunkbed and the others have to bed on the floor.

“Some of the guys are a bit long in the tooth,” Todd said of the need for proper beds.

Vice president Greg Mansbridge said former and current serving men can feel like they have nowhere to go.

The club at Ellangowan provides a haven and the motorbikes are a bonus.

Greg rides his Harley when the group takes a ride to places out west like Parkes.

With the Diggers emblem on their leather vests, Greg said people will come up to them and thank them for serving.

The clubhouse though is their base.

“This place enables us to get away from the hustle and bustle of life,” Todd said. “Mental health is big after serving in the military.”

The photos on the wall in the clubhouse of two young men who killed themselves are a stark reminder of the long-lasting trauma of being in the military.

The clubhouse, the motorbike rides and camaraderie of the group aim to reduce that risk by offering mateship with those who understand.

This article appeared in the Richmond River Independent, 23 June 2021.