Homeless veteran need doubles in a year, says Wiltshire charity
Alabaré are encouraging people to sleep out to help out by joining their BIG Sleep at Stonehenge
A homelessness charity in Wiltshire is calling for people to sleep out to help out, as the number of veterans needing its help has doubled in the last year.
Salisbury-based Alabaré has had 350 referrals of ex-military personnel seeking help, a rise of 122% compared to 2024.
The charity is also warning of a homelessness crisis among veterans, with Government data showing one in 400 former service personnel being classed as homeless.
Alabaré's Principal Lead for Fundraising, Rebecca Mullen, said: "These veterans we are finding have been living under bridges and up mountains and because they have been trained well, they know what to do. They are surviving, but they're not thriving."
To help meet the increased demand, the charity is hosting its flagship BIG Sleep event at Stonehenge in November, with every £175 raised, helping provide a week of accommodation and care for a veteran.
Rebecca said: "We will work with them individually to get them to a place of confidence and they get opportunities to engage with a number of programmes that look at mental health and skill sets and employability so they can lead productive, fulfilling lives."
She added that their work helps give veterans a sense of purpose again and rebuilding self-esteem.
A unique experience
The BIG Sleep at Stonehenge, which is taking place on 14th November, will be the first time the event at the historic location has been open to the public.
It's been held twice previously, but on an invitation-only basis. But after conversations with English Heritage, who run the Stonehenge site, they've agreed to allow 200 people to sleep at the site in support of the veteran community.
Rebecca called it a "major coup" for the charity, to be trusted with an "iconic" location of international reputation.
While the sleep itself will take place at the visitor centre, participants will be able to visit the stone circle twice during the event.
In the evening, the group will visit the stones and be joined by specialised team who will speak from Cranbourne Chase who will be speaking about the stars and galaxies above.
Then, in the morning, the group will be taken back to the stones for sunrise, with the top 28 fundraisers able to take in the dawn from the centre of the stones, providing a unique experience normally only on offer during the Solstice events in June and December.
"It could be quite challenging. It will also be really thrilling. It will be sense of community coming together to do something profound for veterans," said Rebecca.
Adults are asked to raise £175 and children £100, with the charity targeting in excess of £35,000.
Around 40 people have signed up to take part so far, and we can add our names here.