Salisbury Football Club chairman learns more about ALABARÉ’s work
The owner of Salisbury FC, Ali Alhamad, visited ALABARÉ’s Somewhere Safe to Go drop-in service to hear how proceeds from the club’s bar have been assisting our drug and alcohol addiction programme.
The owner and chairman of Salisbury Football Club, Ali Alhamad, has visited ALABARÉ’s Somewhere Safe to Go drop-in service to hear how proceeds from the club’s bar have been assisting our drug and alcohol addiction programme.
The service at Alabaré Place in the city’s Barnard Street provides people with a warm meal, a hot shower, a chance to use laundry facilities, and access to support services.
Up to 30 people attend the drop-in on any given day, with the winter months often being the busiest time of the year.
Drawing on Ali’s personal religious beliefs, the partnership sees revenue from the bar sales at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium being directed into ALABARÉ’s services, particularly focused on those who are recovering from alcohol and drug addictions.
How ALABARÉ’s helping
- In the last 12 months, we’ve supported over 3,200 individuals at risk of homelessness.
- Around 10% indicated that they needed support with alcohol and drug misuse.
- 56% of those engaging with addiction support reported improvements in well-being and reductions in their substance use.
Halfway through the football season, we’re pleased to have received more than £10,000 from the club to support our mission to break the cycle of homelessness by providing homes, restoring hearts and empowering minds.
During his visit to Alabaré Place, Salisbury Football Club chairman Ali Alhamad said:
“The collaboration between the football club and ALABARÉ is of extreme value to me, and seeing it here, being a small part of the work the charity does, is the icing on the cake. We know the charity, and they’re very famous for all the good work they do locally, so we’re happy to be a part of that and value it immensely.
“One of the goals that I set out from the beginning of coming into Salisbury Football Club was to be closer to the community, to try and do as much good as I can in the city. I certainly hope to learn more about ALABARÉ. It leaves a warm feeling in my heart to see all the good that the charity’s doing, so being invited along is greatly appreciated.”
James Tomlinson, Director of Strategic Communications at ALABARÉ, said:
“I was delighted to be able to show Ali around Alabaré Place and show him how the football club’s support is making a tangible difference to people at a crisis point.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Whites board and fans for their support, and are excited for the rest of the campaign, both on and off the pitch.
“Football is a community sport, and it’s been great to see ALABARÉ clients and colleagues in the stands supporting, as well as helping with parking, stewarding and other roles on matchdays.”
Supporting Salisbury Football Club and ALABARÉ
Two of the Whites’ games in the remainder of the National League South season are being dedicated to the partnership with ALABARÉ.
The home matches against Chippenham Town on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, and against Weston-super-Mare on Easter Monday, 6 April, will include special bucket collections around the Ray Mac, with the charity’s mascot, Roofus the dog, in attendance.
Those fixtures have been chosen as the teams involved share the common link of having ALABARÉ services in their locations.
As well as services in Salisbury itself, we provide supported living accommodation for homeless people at Unity House in Chippenham, alongside the Comfort Zone drop-in centre, while in Weston-super-Mare, we operate a ‘dry house’ for men on their journey through alcohol or drug addictions.
Ali Alhamad said the partnership is working both ways:
“We are really enjoying having the volunteers coming up from ALABARÉ, they’re doing a wonderful job and adding real value. The more the merrier, we could always do with more volunteers!”
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