Your Impact
Every veteran deserves a safe place to call home, yet 1 in 400 are homeless. Your night out provides their way back in; to rejoin the society they gave everything to protect.
Leaving homelessness forever
RBVE believes it's three things together, a home, a job, and a community, that help someone leave homelessness behind, forever.
This is what your fundraising from your night out for The Great Tommy Sleep Out helps build. Not just a bed for one night, but a future beyond homelessness. An emergency bed gives someone somewhere immediate safety and relief. That's vital. But at RBVE, it's only the beginning of the story, not the end.
Homes
Without a fixed address after service, finding work can feel impossible. Without work, a home of your own slips further out of reach. It's a hard cycle to break, and one many veterans face alone.
Our village in Kent is home to more than 300 veterans and their families, at every stage of their journey, from emergency accommodation for those in crisis, to long-term, independent and supported homes.
An emergency bed gives someone somewhere immediate safety and relief. That's vital. But at RBVE, it's only the beginning of the story, not the end.
Centenary Village
Thanks to the generous support of people taking part in The Great Tommy Sleep Out, The Centenary Village development is close to completion. This 100-home extension of our village brings home, jobs, and community together in one place, for veterans of all ages and backgrounds. It’s our blueprint for how we think veteran care should look for decades to come.
Emergency Accomodation
Our emergency accommodation offers veterans in crisis immediate relief and stability. These homes help veterans move forward as they take their first steps back to independent living.
Jobs
A safe home stops the crisis. A job is what stops it happening again.
Employers can sometimes worry that hiring a veteran means extra adjustment or support, when in reality, veterans bring discipline, leadership, and adaptability that many workplaces are crying out for. Changing that perception is often as important as any training we provide.
Employment Programme
Through Lifeworks, our employment programme, we help veterans regain confidence, recognise their skills, and find lasting work. 80% of our participants secure paid work, training, or volunteering within 12 months.
Social Enterprises
We run three social enterprise factories across the UK, where more than 70% of our workforce are veterans, or have a disability.
Communities
It's the friendships and sense of belonging that stop someone falling through the cracks again.
Time and again, we've seen that lasting change rarely happens alone. Being surrounded by people who believe in you is often what turns a first step into a new beginning.
Our Step-In (welfare) programme is integrated into our village too. From day one, the team builds a tailored support plan with each veteran, covering everything from housing and employment to finances and everyday life skills. It’s a personal, ongoing partnership that builds long-term independence.
Gym
The Summit Gym sits within the Community Centre and is open to all residents. It’s run by a team with military and mental health backgrounds, offering everything from personal training to group classes, so people can build strength and connection at the same time.
Cafe
Our two community cafes are relaxed, welcoming spaces where residents, staff, and visitors can connect.
Learning Suite
The IT Learning Suite is a bright, modern space where veterans can develop digital skills, explore career options, and take part in Lifeworks.
Are being employed through our social enterprises.
For veterans who have found themselves without a home.
Being created through The Centerary Village.
