Wiltshire homeless charity awarded extra £300k to support veterans
It will help Alabaré support veterans in need of temporary or emergency accommodation
Salisbury-based homelessness charity Alabaré has been handed an extra £300k to continue supporting veterans without a home in England and Wales.
The cash comes form the Office for Veterans' Affairs and will be delivered through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), which will boost the available support for people who've served and are in need of temporary or emergency accommodation.
It's part of the charity's Reducing Veteran Homelessness (RVH) programme, which was created in 2022 and has since helped over 240 people.
This boost in funding is part of nearly £3million being handed out to 10 organisations across the UK.
Alabaré's Head of Veterans Wales said it's allowing the charity to have a major impact on the lives of the veterans in need.
He said: "I’ve seen massive changes within the veterans in their wellbeing – their mental health is so much better having support staff around them and living with other veterans who may be on similar journeys to them.
"This funding will allow us to keep developing and improving the service for homeless veterans, so we can focus directly on providing the full support to the veterans in our accommodation, so they can live better lives and get the help they need.”
It's allowing veterans like George to revitalise their life.
George joined the parachute regiment at just 18 years old, but his mental health declined following the violence and intolerance of ethnic cleansing when serving in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
After leaving the military, he struggled to adapt to living at his family home, turning to drink and experimenting with drugs, as well as struggling with thoughts of suicide and attempting to take his own life.
He became homeless, before being arrested and sectioned.
George said Alabaré's support has "totally changed my life": "I am no longer using drugs or drinking constantly. I feel valued again, so I am no longer trying to hurt or end myself.
"I have been supported to complete my own rough sleeper outreach. I have pride again. I have realised that things will only change if I put the work in and Alabaré has given me the space and place to put the work in. I have rediscovered myself and am excited about what the future holds.”