Martin's Story

Martin served in the army for over 12 years, having signed-up shortly before his 18^th birthday. His military career saw him take part in multiple tours of action, including to the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland and in the first Gulf War. He enjoyed his time in the army but as a result of cost cutting, he was made to take redundancy. At first leaving the forces was difficult as he struggled with the lack of structure and was not prepared for life on Civilian Street.

Eventually Martin was able to get back in to employment working in security before then getting a job at a local steelworks. Martin spent six years working there but a change of contracts meant that Martin once again faced the prospect of redundancy. With a mortgage to pay, Martin’s 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. In his time living with us, Martin has been access support with a variety of issues and is now working with staff to explore his opportunities in getting back in to the workplace.