HUNDREDS of people saw themselves caked in colour as they turned out in force to support a Salisbury-based charity’s fundraising events last weekend.

Alabaré, which works to break the cycle of homelessness, invited people to the iconic Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on September 13 and 14 for the charity’s first-ever colour dash on Britain’s fastest race track.

Toddlers, teenagers, adults, and some older participants completed a 3.8K lap of the track by walking, running, and even dancing their way around the route, accompanied by music from local legend Disco Dion.

Along the way, they were showered with powdered paint at five dedicated stations and went through the foam finish line to collect their medals for taking part.

Before the colour dash, more seasoned runners took on the 10K Speedway, or three laps of the circuit.

Star of TV reality show, Destination X, and the only man to have completed a marathon in every country in the world, Nick Butter, kicked off his longer-term partnership with Alabaré by leading energetic warm-ups for the 10k Speedway and Dashers, as well as taking photos with Alabaré supporters.

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Picture: Alabaré

Money raised at the colour dash and 10K Speedway will be invested into providing homes for the 3,200 people Alabaré supports every year.

Rebecca Mullen, Alabaré’s principal lead for events, said: “Thank you so much to all those who came along to our first-ever colour dash and 10K Speedway.

“It was such a fantastic day and a real moment of solidarity and fun to support those who need our help more than ever.

Picture: Alabaré

“Despite the weather doing its best to try and dampen spirits, it was lovely to see everyone really enjoying the event and embracing the paint stations and foam finish with the biggest smiles!

“We’re so grateful to them for their dedication to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Our thanks also go to Aspire Defence, All The Kit, Thruxton Race Circuit, and to Nick Butter for his support of Alabaré, and we look forward to his support at future events such as our BIG Sleep at Stonehenge on November 14.”

The weekend also saw Wiltshire’s motorbike community join us for a 75-mile ride out in the county’s beautiful countryside in support of Alabaré’s services for homeless veterans.

Picture: Alabaré

The Mayor of Salisbury, councillor John Wells, met the riders on the city’s Guildhall Square on Sunday (September 14) morning and sent them on their way.

Each rider paid an entry fee to participate, with the fundraising split between the charity’s veteran self-build scheme and its supported living accommodation for former military personnel who are at risk of homelessness.

Picture: Alabaré

Alabaré chief executive, Andrew Lord, said: “The weekend’s been an incredible show of support for Alabaré’s services, and we’ve been pleased to welcome hundreds of people into our events to find out more about what we do.”

Approximately 13,646 people are homeless in South West England.

The South West still has the third highest number of people sleeping rough in England, following London and the South East. The region has seen an 8% increase since 2023.

The number of rough sleepers in Wiltshire alone rose 70% in the three months from December 2024 to February 2025.

Picture: Alabaré