Alabaré is delighted to announce that an additional £300,000 has been awarded to enable them to continue work to support veterans with housing and ongoing support in Wales – as part of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness (RVH) programme, also known as Op FORTITUDE.
The funding, from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, and delivered through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), will help to increase the support available for those who’ve served in the military in need of temporary or emergency accommodation.
RVH was established in December 2022, bringing charities and organisations together across the UK, to create a stronger pathway of support to ex-service personnel.
Since its launch, the programme’s helped over 240 people through Alabaré Homes for Veterans across England and Wales – with homes for veterans in Salisbury, Gosport, Bristol, Cardiff, Pontypridd, Swansea, Conwy and Llandudno, we are one of the largest providers for supported housing for veterans in the UK.
Of those supported, nearly three quarters (77%) engage in support with employability programmes, while almost half (47%) also take part in volunteering.
This latest funding is part of almost £3 million being awarded to a total of 10 organisations across the UK, and is the only grant being given for veterans’ support specifically in Wales.
James Cadmore is Alabaré’s Head of Veterans Wales and said:
“Op FORTITUDE’s funding has allowed us to have a massive impact on the veterans we support within our charity. It means we can provide staff and also provide stable accommodation that they’re able to call home.
“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, 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.”
Alabaré’s worked in collaboration with the Riverside charity on the RVH/Op FORTITUDE programme, and we’re grateful for the efforts to build and strengthen the referral and support services for our veterans.
Thanks also go to the AFCFT for their recognition of our efforts as part of the programme, and the ongoing commitment to helping the ex-military community.
How RVH is supporting veterans
Veterans like George, who joined the parachute regiment aged just 18, and suffered a decline in his mental health after witnessing the violence and intolerance of ethnic cleansing when serving in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
On leaving the military, George struggled to fit back into his family home. He started to drink more and experiment with drugs, struggling with thoughts of suicide and making several attempts on his own life. George eventually became homeless and was then arrested and sectioned.
George says:
“Alabaré 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.”
Alabaré hopes the continued funding will create many more stories of transformation and positivity.
