A charity has launched its Christmas Appeal in a bid to support homeless veterans.

Alabaré, which provides homes and a support service in Weymouth, wants to ensure that no veteran should be forced to sleep rough as it looks to raise additional funds to support those facing the crisis of homelessness.

Through its services, Alabaré helps ex-service personnel who find themselves in the desperate situation of having to call the streets home. They not only provide them with a roof over their heads, but the support, guidance and advice they need to make the successful transition to civilian life.

Andrew Lord, Chief Executive of Alabaré, said: “Whilst many will be enjoying the Christmas period, the stark reality for the Veterans that we support, is that it can be an incredibly difficult time of year. We want to be able to ensure that nobody who has served our country is faced with the prospect of sleeping rough and that we are able to continue to be there for those needing our support.”

Through their Homes for Veterans service, Alabaré can provide accommodation for up to 115 veterans at any one time. The 23 homes are located throughout the South West of England and Wales including services for a total of nine veterans in Weymouth.

Amongst the total of 328 veterans supported by Alabaré last year was Martin.

After joining the Army shortly before his 18th birthday, he served for over 12 years and was involved in tours of duty to the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland and in the first Gulf War. Due to cost cutting, he was made to take redundancy. Martin was able to get back in to employment but a change of contracts meant he once again faced the prospect of redundancy. With a mortgage to pay, his loss of job meant that he was struggling to keep up with his repayments. As much as he tried to make ends meet, it was to no avail as he eventually lost his home and was faced with the prospect of being made homeless.

Fortunately for Martin support was at hand when local authorities made him aware of Alabaré’s services and he would be able to access dedicated accommodation for ex-service personnel. Thanks to Alabaré he has been able to access support with a variety of issues and is now working with staff to explore his opportunities in getting back in to the workplace

To support more veterans like Martin this Christmas, give to Alabaré’s Christmas Appeal at www.alabare.co.uk