Charity adds third home for veterans in Salisbury
Alabaré's latest home offers spaces to seven ex-service personnel
A charity supporting the homeless across the south west has opened a third Home for Veterans in Salisbury.
Alabaré, which is based in the city, has added a site on Brown Street to boost its bed space offer by a third.
The venue offers rooms for seven ex-military personnel.
Maynard is among the first to have moved in, after becoming homeless due to a breakdown in his marriage.
He said he's delighted to have somewhere more homely to stay after being left spending his Universal Credit on staying in hotels.
"I'm just over the moon, just overwhelmed," he said. "It just means everything. Just having just a little room in the roof somewhere, an address. I didn't have an address. So yeah, it meant the world to me."
He said he's hoping his time with Alabaré allows him to change the direction of his life and set him up for a better future.
Maynard urged other veterans to keep going and to reach out for help: "Just don't give up hope. maybe turn to God. I think that's what I did. And he put me here today, really, I think. So, yeah, got him up there to thank for it."
A response to growing demand
The says it's seen a 2% rise in veterans demand in the last year, prompting the need for further bed spaces to be offered.
Director of Operations, Naomi Webb, said it's a positive step to be able to open the home.
"It's not easy embedding into civilian life and we're keen to make sure that we're there as a helping hand to those veterans that need us the most at a time of crisis," she said.
It allows the charity to offer support that goes beyond a bed and shelter, with veterans able to access help for issues such as substance abuse and mental health.
Naomi said: "Our support is always tailored to the individual and based on what the individual wishes to aspire going forward and working towards more independent long-term accommodation. This is one stepping stone on that journey."
It also allows ex-service personnel to be linked to the VALOUR programme, which is a hub for signposting veterans to the support services that they need.
The charity has plans for further Homes for Veterans in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to provide more opportunity for people to put their lives back on track again.