The RAF Association supports Alabaré’s work with veterans in Bristol
Alabaré’s new veterans’ project in Bristol has received support from another major Forces welfare charity – the RAF Association.
The RAF Association has awarded £45,000 over three years towards the opening of Alabaré’s new supported housing project in Bristol that will cater exclusively for vulnerable ex-Service men and women.
Alabaré’s Bristol Home for Veterans, which is due to open later this year, has already received support from ABF The Soldiers Charity and is delighted to be working in partnership with the RAF Association as well.
The new veterans’ project in Bristol will be based on the model of Alabaré’s Plymouth Home for Veterans, which provides a unique combination of accommodation and support tailored exclusively for ex-Service men and women.
Alabaré’s Plymouth Home for Veterans addresses the needs of veterans who have struggled to adjust to the everyday challenges and responsibilities of civilian life, often whilst coping with a feeling of lost identity. Many veterans can find themselves dealing with issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, drug and alcohol addiction or offending, and homelessness is a devastating and all too common outcome. Residents are supported to access the specialist help they need to address their health issues. They are also encouraged to build skills for successful independent living, such as budgeting and maintaining a home, skills they may never have needed in the Forces.
The Plymouth house opened in partnership with The Royal British Legion in February 2009 and within its first week was full. Demand for places has remained extremely high.
The new veterans’ project in Bristol is due to open later this year.
The RAF Association’s Secretary General, Jane Easton, said: “It is a great pleasure to be able to support the opening of Alabaré’s new supported housing project in Bristol.
“The RAF Association is dedicated to supporting the whole RAF family – from the youngest recruit right through to the oldest veteran, and the Association will always seek to work collaboratively with other charities to maximise its effectiveness. I am delighted that this partnership with Alabaré will support vital work with our veterans.”
She added that the RAF Association would always try to support those projects that support very positively the aims and ethos of the charity and she could see that the money was being well spent on the facility.
In addition to the new project in Bristol, a new veterans’ project is also being opened in Weymouth, thanks to a substantial grant from The Royal British Legion. Beyond these two new projects, Alabaré’s programme for veterans is expanding rapidly to meet the growing need that is becoming ever more urgent. Alabaré wants to open further homes across the South and South West, with Wiltshire and Hampshire earmarked as potential locations.
Visit: http://www.rafa.org.uk/
and http://www.alabare.co.uk/
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