How ALABARÉ Has Been Supporting Rough Sleepers in Wiltshire This Winter
We're sharing how we've been directly helping rough sleepers during the winter, thanks to support from Wiltshire Council, grant funders, and the public.
ALABARÉ is sharing how we’ve been directly helping rough sleepers during the winter, thanks to support from Wiltshire Council, grant funders, and the public.
When temperatures drop below freezing or conditions suggest there could be a potential risk to life, the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated by the local authority to ensure people who are on the streets are given potentially life-saving support.
Additional emergency bed spaces are set up at ALABARÉ Place in Salisbury and Unity House in Chippenham, with the Somewhere Safe to Go and Comfort Zone drop-in services in each location also seeing an increase in visitors and rough sleepers.
How do people get access to support in cold weather?
The rough sleeper team at Wiltshire Council takes in reports from the national StreetLink service detailing the locations of people who might need help, offering them a warm, safe and secure place to stay.
Our Cold Weather Impact
During the most recent SWEP activations, ALABARÉ has supported:
- 11 people to get additional help from 19 – 21 November 2025
- 8 people given emergency spaces in Salisbury and Chippenham between 30 December 2025 and 12 January 2026
- Of that total, 21% of them (4 people) have since moved into our supported living accommodation
- 10% (2 people) were given a space in our Homes for Veterans service
- Nearly a third (6 people) stayed with us until they were offered alternative accommodation by Wiltshire Council
- One has moved into private rented accommodation.
ALABARÉ took me in off the streets
Terence (pictured top) came into Unity House in Chippenham through the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol and said ALABARÉ has had a huge impact on him:
“I got released from prison around a year and a half ago and moved from pillar to post from there. I’ve lived in lots of places that didn’t work out, and then I was sleeping in a tent, just as the frost hit and the emergency support was brought in.
“ALABARÉ took me in off the streets. I was just expecting a room to be honest, but they’ve given me a great opportunity with a flat, and it’s really taken me in a new direction. It’s been great, and I’m doing really well now.”
Support from the community
ALABARÉ’s latest Winter Appeal has been in support of rough sleepers and other at-risk individuals, to break the cycle of homelessness.
The community has raised nearly £40,000 throughout the campaign, which goes straight into helping the charity break the cycle of homelessness by providing homes, restoring hearts and empowering minds.
Thank you to our funders
ALABARÉ would like to pass on its thanks to funders, including the Wiltshire Community Foundation, Chippenham Borough Lands Charity, Salisbury Almshouses, the Co-Op Foundation, and the Girdlers’ Company Charitable Trust, for their backing of our drop-in services.
Naomi Webb, Director of Care and Support at ALABARÉ, said:
“Sleeping rough is incredibly difficult for people at the best of times, but during freezing weather, it could genuinely be a life-or-death situation. Through the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, we can offer additional support that keeps more people warm and safe and points them towards longer-term help.
“Our drop-in centres provide hot meals, showers, and advice for those facing homelessness, but working with Wiltshire Council during particularly tough weather is that extra facet of help that can really make a difference. We’re grateful to the authorities locally for their proactive approach to keeping people safe.
“We’d encourage everyone in Wiltshire to keep an eye out for those who might need somewhere secure to sleep and report their concerns to StreetLink so we can ensure the right support is given.”
You can report rough sleeping to StreetLink online or by calling 0300 500 0914, with the information then passed on to local authority teams for referral to charities like ALABARÉ.
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