Salisbury-based charity ALABARÉ is thrilled to have been named as double winners at the national Mental Health Awards 2026, in the Client Wellbeing and Innovative Proactive Wellbeing Activity categories.
The organisation won both prizes they were nominated for, with colleagues attending a ceremony in Reading last week (Thursday 8 October), hosted by former Coronation Street and Holby City star, Charlie Condou.
The Mental Health Awards were set up in 2019, to recognise organisations and individual working tirelessly to make a difference in their communities, highlighting successful interventions and inspirational stories of lived experience.
ALABARÉ’s double win is the first time an organisation has taken home two prizes from the same ceremony.
Supporting Client Wellbeing
One category in which ALABARÉ has won recognition is related to Client Wellbeing, with the entry focused on the Boots on the Ground programme for veterans and young people’s wellbeing.
The sessions provide opportunities for those staying in ALABARÉ’s supported living accommodation to take part in activities, often outdoors, to build teamwork and social interaction, create routines, encourage autonomy and help clients to feel seen and valued.
Activities are rooted in the NHS Five Ways to Wellbeing criteria – connecting with other people, being physically active, learning new skills, giving to others and paying attention to the present moment.
Sessions have included indoor climbing, tall ships sailing challenges, skiing simulators, bushcraft, ironmongery, gardening and sea fishing, as well as building skills for independent living, such as cooking, cleaning and financial budgeting.
Many of the activities have also opened doors for participants, through volunteering opportunities, creating connections with people outside of ALABARÉ’s structure, enabling them to feel part of their wider local community.
The Mental Health Awards judges say they were ‘impressed by the exceptional range of evidence’ in providing ‘vital support for struggling young people (and) sustainable programmes for veterans facing complex needs’.
ALABARÉ’s wellbeing programme have been shown to improve the mental health and positivity of clients, based on the Office for National Statistics scale (ONS4).
Participants during the last financial year recorded an average score in their overall wellbeing of 6.5, up from an average of 6 in the previous year.
Looking ahead, activities that have been part of ALABARÉ’s Boots on the Ground and young people’s wellbeing programmes are coming together as an expanded offering entitled Common Ground, to create uniformity and allow the charity’s wider client bases to take part collectively.
Celebrating Heritage That Heals
ALABARÉ has also been successful at the Mental Health Awards in the Innovative Proactive Wellbeing Activity category, specifically for their Heritage That Heals programme.
For the past two years, that project has seen veterans within ALABARÉ services travelling to Malta to take part in restoration activities at significant military history sites.
The programme has been proven to build international relations between the charity, partner organisations, and participants, providing a terrific cultural exchange with a mutual benefit.
Veterans have to show their continued commitment to their own wellbeing and engagement with services to earn a space on the project, with participants gaining employability skills, a sense of purpose and a boost in self-confidence as a result, helping them towards an independent future.
Over two-thirds of veterans (69%) have reported a boost in their wellbeing since being part of Heritage That Heals, with the team providing 900 hours of manpower on restoration work during the trip, which is the equivalent to more than £12,000 at the UK minimum wage.
In their citation, judges at the Mental Health Awards said ALABARÉ’s initiative ‘powerfully stands out, setting a benchmark for innovative activity that restores both military heritage and veterans’ lives’.
Clients Benefit on an Emotional and Physical Level
Gill Turner-Callis, ALABARÉ’s Senior Chaplain and Head of Wellbeing and Inclusion, attended the ceremony to collect the awards on behalf of the charity. She said:
“We are delighted to have won two Mental Health Awards, as it’s fantastic recognition of the dedicated teams behind all the activities offered to clients, but it also demonstrates the incredible client engagement who grasp each opportunity with both hands, get stuck in, and ultimately really benefit from being involved on an emotional and physical level.
“At ALABARÉ, we truly believe that to break the cycle of homelessness, the support offered needs to be about more than just shelter. By combining that practical space with holistic and wellbeing support, we are giving people the confidence, additional skills and life experiences to help them thrive and successfully move onto independence, broadening their horizons, and showing them the art of the possible.
“Our thanks go to the judges for choosing ALABARÉ as award winners. We’re proud of all of our colleagues involved in delivering services that are ultimately making a huge difference to clients’ outlooks and overall mental health.”
ALABARÉ’s wellbeing services are supported by organisations including the Army Benevolent Fund, the Veterans’ Foundation, Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation, the Nick Jenkins Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund, Simplyhealth, and the Souter Charitable Trust.
