ALABARÉ marks World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day 2025
The charity is highlighting the links between mental health struggles and homelessness as awareness days coincide.
ALABARÉ is marking World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day 2025 (Friday, 10 October) by reflecting on the deep and intrinsic links between the two issues.
The charity often sees mental health struggles and homelessness going hand in hand, both trapping individuals in cycles of crisis and vulnerability.
ALABARÉ has drop-in services for rough sleepers across Wiltshire, as well as supported living accommodation in several locations in the South West and Wales.
Mental health support from the charity include the Riverside Sanctuary Place of Calm in Salisbury, Access Community Mental Health sessions for Wiltshire, and self-led courses through the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire (BSW) Recovery College, as well as crisis houses in Chippenham and Swindon.
These services aim to help individuals with practical, holistic, and pastoral care before a situation deepens and to break the cycle of homelessness.
Jacob Beale is ALABARÉ’s Head of Mental Health and said:
“World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day being on the same day is a real opportunity for ALABARÉ to show how they’re both difficulties that people face that are so interlinked. The link between homelessness and mental health can compound each other.
“We see this spiral where mental health can worsen and lead to homelessness, and then if you’re homeless, that impacts your mental health negatively.”
ALABARÉ’s mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by providing homes, restoring hearts, and empowering minds for our clients, ensuring they are given ongoing support to live fulfilling and independent lives.
Statistics from Homeless Link show 82% of homeless people have a mental health diagnosis, and ALABARÉ has also seen a 12.3% increase in demand for its services throughout 2024/25.
It also comes as the UK is also facing a homelessness crisis, with record numbers of households living in temporary accommodation, and a total of 1,611 people having died while homeless throughout 2024 – a 9% rise compared to the previous year.
The Alabaré Place drop-in service in Salisbury has held an open day for World Homeless Day, showcasing their work and the support offered to those in need.
Winter ‘kitbags’ have been given to rough sleepers, along with a sleeping bag exchange, a chance to pick up donated clothes ready for the colder months, and signposting to advice and further help.
Naomi Webb, Head of Homelessness for the charity, said:
“A home is more than four walls; it’s stability, security, and a foundation. Living on the streets is incredibly traumatic and can damage mental health every single day. It can cause mental health illnesses while trying to live and survive in unknown conditions. Homelessness turns treatable conditions into a crisis.
“At ALABARÉ, providing homes is about having safe, secure accommodation that meets the needs of all those coming through our services, making they feel supported and seen for who they individually are.”
Vanessa Bedford, ALABARÉ’s Director of Care and Support, said:
“If you’re going through a mental health crisis, or your mental health is poor, you’re not going to attend to the day-to-day functions. That might mean not paying your bills, not paying your rent.
“At ALABARÉ, we treat everybody as an individual and our support is person-centred, so it’s individual to the person, because how I present when I have poor mental health and how someone else presents would be entirely different. It’s about being compassionate and giving care to those who need it.”
How you can help this winter
As the nights draw in and the temperatures start to drop, the charity is looking to raise awareness and funds to help those in crisis this winter.
The story of Sue will be the focus of this year’s Winter Appeal from ALABARÉ, as she explains how the charity walked alongside her in her time of need, helping her to belief in herself again.
We know that homelessness doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s often the result of deeper issues like trauma, poor mental health, poverty, and a lack of opportunity.
That’s why our support goes beyond just providing a bed for the night. We offer long-term, wraparound care that helps people rebuild their lives from the ground up.
Last year, we provided hundreds of people in our communities who had faced unimaginable trauma, whether from life on the streets or being alone with nowhere to turn, with the safety, care, and support they needed to rebuild their lives.
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