Bishop of Salisbury gives Alabaré Place his blessing

Salisbury’s new £4.5 million hostel for the homeless, Alabaré Place, was commissioned today by the Bishop of Salisbury the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam at a packed ceremony.

Residents, workers and supporters joined in the service held under the soaring glass atrium, the heart of the hostel which is home to 33 men and women. He declared: “What an amazing place, it makes you grow! Why does a home matter so much? It gives us somewhere to flop, it gives us privacy and security. It gives us a sense of identity, of who we are. Without a home you can lose your sense of identity, the sense of who you are. To have a home in our society is right.”

The Bishop previously worked with the homeless whilst at St Martin’s in the Fields in London. He said: “I realised that those people were not different to you and I. There was a great sense of there but for the grace of God. People can cope with perhaps losing a job or a marriage breakdown but they cannot cope with lots of things going wrong. Homelessness is a very complex issue and must be dealt with in the community.” He added: We must convince politicians that this sort of housing is cheaper than prison and so much better!”

Alabaré Place took a total of four years of planning and fundraising, 17 months of building and welcomed new residents through its doors last month. The project has been made possible thanks to Alabaré’s partnership with housing group GreenSquare, and investment from Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Places of Change and Wiltshire Council.

Former Reverend at St Martin in the Fields of Trafalgar Square, Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam has a strong interest in helping those who are vulnerable, homeless or facing homelessness. A current Patron of Alabaré, Salisbury’s new Bishop reminded observers at the service of the purpose of the hostel, and prayers were said to remind and encourage people to remember why they are working at Alabaré Place.

Stewart Mustard, Alabaré Senior Operations Manager & Project Manager of the Alabaré Place Development, said:
“This service is about recognising why Alabaré Place exists, and to celebrate the passion and commitment invested by staff and volunteers. There is a real need for support which helps those who are facing homelessness – not only to provide a roof over their heads, but also to gain the necessary skills to learn how to live independently and find ways into work, especially during these times of financial hardship. We thank the Bishop for providing an opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of such a hostel in Salisbury today.”