PROVIDING HOPE AND BETTER LIVES
Empowering communities through Support and Recovery Services
Welcome to Ara, an organisation that has been dedicated to providing much needed and respected services to vulnerable individuals and communities since 1987. With a passionate staff team and Board of Trustees, we strive to help people make positive changes in their lives and create a better future for themselves and their loved ones. Our sole purpose is to provide hope and better lives.
About Ara: Supporting vulnerable communities since 1987
We are a registered charity formed in 1987, providing structured treatment, counselling, housing support, education, training and employment guidance, as well as many other interventions to provide hope and better lives through recovery.
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People received CBT and strength-based counselling
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Young people in Southwest England & Wales took part in our programmes to raise awareness of gambling harms
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Of clients would recommend our service to others
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Clients housed in our recovery community accommodation
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Referrals for men and women leaving prison homeless
OUR VALUES
Our purpose is to provide hope and better lives
At Ara, we are driven by a shared passion to make a positive impact on the lives of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. With over 30 years of experience, our dedicated staff team and Board of Trustees work tirelessly to provide much-needed and respected services that help people improve their functioning, wellbeing, and quality of life. All of our actions are driven by the following core values:
Aspiring
We are ambitious for clients, act with purpose, are motivated and eager for change. We are committed to enterprising solutions and the best possible outcomes.
Brave
Competent
Determined
Transforming lives through supported housing, gambling harms treatment, and prison resettlement
At Ara, we are dedicated to providing essential services to vulnerable individuals and communities. Our wide range of services, including Supported Housing, and Gambling Support, aim to empower individuals and help them improve their quality of life.
Specialised programmes to assist individuals struggling with gambling addiction and related issues.
Safe and supportive housing solutions for individuals facing homelessness or housing instability.
We create long lasting partnerships with like-minded organisations
MEET THE TEAM
The unwavering strength and unity of the Ara leadership team.
Senior Leadership Team
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Robbie Thornhill
Before becoming CEO, Robbie worked as Ara Operations Director, a management consultant, and a transformation specialist. He holds an MBA, a masters in social research, and a degree in sociology.
Head of Finance
Bev Rigby
Senior Management Team
Housing Services Manager
Richard Chilvers
Richard brings extensive experience across homelessness, humanitarian aid and the charity sector, having previously worked with St Mungo’s, Oxfam and Save the Children.
Gambling Service Delivery Manager
Guy Hawker
Guy is Ara’s Gambling Service Delivery Manager with 26 years’ experience in the drug and alcohol sector. Drawing on counselling, management and lived experience, he is passionate about supporting recovery and improving people’s lives.
Criminal Justice and Specialist Housing Services Manager
Mark Francis
Intensive Services Manager
Hannah Tomlinson
Hannah has over a decade of experience at Ara, leading the city’s Housing First and Higher Needs Homelessness services. With a Criminology degree focused on restorative approaches, she combines academic insight with frontline expertise.
Head of Infrastructure
Stuart Williams
Stuart is the Head of Infrastructure and Company Secretary, he joined Ara in 2024 with a background in audit, risk and compliance he is responsible for Health and Safety, Data Protection and Compliance together with overseeing the Ara property estate.