South West-based homelessness charity ALABARÉ is delighted to share that its Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver accreditation has been renewed for a further five years.
The Government-run scheme aims to encourage employers to support the armed forces community, including families and veterans, while inspiring others to follow suit.
Organisations are asked to align their values with the national Armed Forces Covenant and show a clear commitment to the military as part of their workplace policies and structures.
That includes having frameworks to allow colleagues to join and mobilise with the Reserve forces, supporting the cadet movement, recruiting former military personnel, and ensuring the armed forces community is not unfairly disadvantaged during selection processes.
ALABARÉ first achieved ERS accreditation at the Silver level in 2020, and the charity is proud of its close collaboration with the military, both in terms of the support provided to veterans at risk of homelessness and with the colleagues who help deliver it.
The charity has 90 bed spaces across the South West and Wales, offering accommodation, employment pathways, physical activities and pastoral support to help break the cycle of homelessness.
Having several former soldiers, sailors and airmen within ALABARÉ’s team means they have an empathy, shared experience and commonality with veteran clients that leads to better engagement with the support offered.
In the last financial year, more than 80 veterans, or 53% of clients in the charity’s accommodation, have moved into independent living, after progressing through the charity’s support services.
Chief Executive of ALABARÉ, Andrew Lord, said:
“We’re very pleased to have our Silver ERS status renewed through until 2030. At ALABARÉ, we pride ourselves on the links we have with the armed forces community, and as there is a strong military background across the South West, it’s important to us that we reflect the demographic of the area we’re working in.
“Veterans, military spouses and reservists are working across our services, and our efforts to build an inclusive workplace have also been recognised through the Veteran Group of the Year at the English Veterans Awards and Employer of the Year at the Welsh equivalent during 2025.”
Building a Community for Veterans
ALABARÉ has a close relationship with several partner organisations that are also working alongside veterans to improve their care and wellbeing.
Fellow charities, including the Veterans’ Foundation, the Army Benevolent Fund, and the Scott (Eredine) Charitable Trust, have supported ALABARÉ’s Homes for Veterans, helping to break the cycle of veterans’ homelessness.
The charity is privileged to work in collaboration with the Salisbury and Amesbury branch of the Armed Forces & Veterans’ Breakfast Club (AVFBC), which provides a supportive and welcoming environment for former military personnel to come together for social and charitable activities.
ALABARÉ provides a base at the Riverside Sanctuary on Watt Road, Churchfields, for the weekly Brew and Banter sessions, with members and residents from the charity’s Homes for Veterans regularly attending each Friday morning.
Graham, George and Ray are among those who go along and said:
“I knew absolutely nobody in the area when I moved to Salisbury until I came to the breakfast club, and it’s been brilliant. It’s tri-service, and we’ve all got the same sense of humour, and there’s always someone to turn to. Without the breakfast club, it would have been so much harder to settle in here.
“It’s a social thing, and with a lot of retired people, it’s about filling your days and being part of something important.
“I like being with people with similar interests. You can talk to them on the same level, it doesn’t matter what service or rank you were, you’re all the same. Whether you were an Air Commodore, or a Captain, or a General, it makes no difference; you’re just people getting together for a cup of coffee.”
Attendees donate towards the cost of the refreshments provided at Brew and Banter, with a portion then passed on to support ALABARÉ’s Boots on the Ground wellbeing programme.
That provides physical activities for veterans within the charity’s supported living accommodation, to get them outdoors, building confidence and camaraderie, while learning new skills, increasing their fitness, and reducing social isolation.
More than 200 sessions have been held over the last year, with 67% of participants reporting improved emotional wellbeing and higher optimism after taking part.
In addition to hosting the AVFBC every week, ALABARÉ also supports them in return, volunteering at their Field Kitchen and charity bookstall, as part of Salisbury’s Charter Market.
Andy Heath, the lead admin from the Salisbury & Amesbury AVFBC, said:
“Veterans in the community and their families are able to come down and get together with other veterans, and it’s about inclusion, stopping social isolation, and helping with the general feeling of wellbeing.
“I think any organisation in this day and age has to work with others in collaboration, and our work with ALABARÉ fits perfectly with what we wanted to do. When we started back in 2016, it was suggested that we support homeless veterans, but they have very complex needs, and so we started working alongside ALABARÉ. They’re best suited, on the ground, to help us with achieving those aims. It’s a great partnership.”
