IMPACT REPORT 2024-2025
Providing hope and better lives
We serve marginalised groups, reaching over 85,000 individuals in the past five years, including 28,335 last year. Our operations cover nearly 8 million people in the South West and Wales, underscoring our commitment to inclusivity. As a forward-thinking and fast-moving organisation, we are steadfastly values-driven. Our actions consistently align with our mission to drive positive change and innovate solutions for our communities.
Graham England
Graham England Chief Executive Officer
Message from CEO
2024–25 has been a landmark year for Ara Recovery for All. For the first time in our 37-year history, we have been able to purchase and own housing. In partnership with Bristol City Council, the Department for Housing, Local Government and Communities, and Social and Sustainability Capital (a social investment fund), we’ve brought 15 flats into supported housing in Bristol. Our flagship service, Pathway 4 (part of Bristol’s Homelessness Pathways), received a new contract award, and we’re proud to continue our strong relationship with Bristol Public Health.
Partnership and problem solving have driven us to Provide Hope and Better Lives to even more people across the South west and Wales. In the past year, we supported over 28,000 individuals, a 9% increase.
Collaboration will become even more vital in the years ahead. In 2025–26, funding for gambling harm services will change following a government review of the 2005 Gambling Act. Research, education and treatment funding will be distributed through new structures. Ara will remain at the forefront of tackling gambling-related harms. We look forward to expanding our work with the Welsh Government and NHS Wales as devolved funding becomes available.
Our gambling harms services continue to grow. This year we launched our Young People’s Prevention Service, ‘Ahead of the Game’, which reached 83% of last year’s total young participants in just four months.
As the leader of our forward-thinking charity, I want to thank our Board of Trustees, a focused, committed group dedicated to Providing Hope and Better Lives to some of the most marginalised people in society.
We’ve achieved excellent outcomes this year. I hope you find this year’s Impact Report as exciting to read as it was to produce.
Beneficiary contact & access points
We have a whole system approach to our service provision from Community Early interventions, Structured Interventions through to Continuous Interventions. We do this by providing:
Early Interventions
- Community Awareness
- Advice, Information, and Guidance
- Structured Intervention Access
- Brief Interventions
- Assessment
Structured interventions
- Care Planned
- 1:1 Talking Therapies
- Group Work
Continuous Interventions
- Recovery Management
- Social Engagement
- Peer Support
Gambling Treatment
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People received CBT and strength-based counselling
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Average pre-treatment wellbeing score
0 %
Of clients were satisfied with the service they received
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Average post treatment wellbeing score
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Young people in south west England & Wales took part in our programmes to raise awareness of gambling harms
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
Homelessness:
Pathway 4
Ara are the lead provider for Bristol Homelessness Pathway 4. Our Housing Support Practitioners help clients to build recovery from drugs and alcohol, attain independence, and maintain stable housing. Clients are supported to engage with a range of initiatives including drug and alcohol treatment, training courses, access to employment, physical health activities, trauma counselling, cultural activities, developing lifeskills, rebuilding family connections and more.
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Structured treatment groups delivered by Ara
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One-to-one psychosocial sessions with at risk clients
0
Clients benefitted from community engagement activities
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Trauma counselling sessions with trained counsellors and clients
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Clients housed in our recovery community accommodation
SUCCESS STORIES
Hear from individuals who have benefited from our housing service
Prison Resettlement services
Ara operates a prison release service funded through the RSI (Rough Sleepers Initiative) in a range of UK prisons.
Our specialist workers work both within and outside of prisons to secure accommodation for ex-offenders with a local connection to Bristol, helping to prevent rough sleeping and recidivism and promote positive resettlement.
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Referrals for men and women leaving prison homeless. An increase of 69% compared to referrals in 2024
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Clients were met at the prison gate on their release
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Clients were directly accommodated upon release from prison
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Prisons across the UK work with Ara
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Years into a successful prison peer project with HMP Bristol
