30 Years, 30 Voices

Supporter Care Officer Rachel Houston says:

“Since local husband and wife team John and Alicia Proctor first took in one homeless man in their own home over 30 years ago, we have grown to help 100s of people in need each year.

"Today, our services include not only supported accommodation for the homeless but drop-in centres, accommodation and support for young people, training and development centres together with supported living homes for adults with learning difficulties plus dedicated homes across the south into Wales for Veterans who struggle to adapt back into civilian life.”

John Proctor says:

“When we founded Alabaré all those years ago, we never dreamt that it would have expanded at such a rapid and indeed successful rate. The heart of our mission was to enable the most vulnerable in our society to live an independent and fulfilled life – even if that was just one person.

“Now, I’m proud to say that with the dedicated support of an incredible staff and an army of selfless volunteers, we are helping many 100s of people every year.”

Alabaré has bold plans for the future. Chief Executive Andrew Lord says:

“Every day we achieve so much as a charity, but we all want and indeed need to do more, to reach those in need and help them rebuild their lives. 30 years is an incredible milestone for us as a charity, but even more so every day I am humbled by the personal milestones that our clients and residents achieve, striving to reach their goals and develop their lives. It is vital we are there when they need us.

“We can only do so with the help of our fantastic supporters and our partners and funders, and we are so grateful to each and every one of them.

“While the pandemic has taken a further toll on the mental health of many, we are pleased to be opening a new home in Chippenham this summer which will offer dedicated support to those needing short-term help as they recover from a period of mental ill-health. This service will provide a missing link for many whose lives can be improved with respite accommodation and support to enable them to get their mental health back on track.

“We are also planning more Veteran self-build projects this year, with our next scheme in Plymouth due to break ground in the next couple of months. This gives Armed Forces Veterans who have become homeless a chance to build a home for themselves and their loved ones to live in. This not only provides a roof over their head but allows them to develop new skills which may lead to building trade employment and most importantly rebuilds their self-belief once more.”

To mark the anniversary, Alabaré is drawing together 30 stories from those the charity has helped or worked with over the 30 years. The series of stories – ‘30 Years, 30 Voices’ – will be shared through Alabaré’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.