International Men’s Day – Interview with Matthew Bell, Chief Executive of Entrain Space

In celebration of International Men’s Day this week, we are thrilled to highlight some of the remarkable organisations we support through our social value initiatives. These organisations are either led by inspirational male leaders or are dedicated to enhancing men’s well-being.

Below we meet Matthew Bell, Chief Executive of Entrain Space, a social enterprise specialising in supporting veterans transition to a civilian life by providing homes, community and enterprise-based support. Based in Wilton, near Salisbury, Entrain Space has 44 flats, a support hub and café.

Our Social Value team supports Entrain Space as part of our Pinnacle Service Families contract, with our mentors helping them navigate a wide range of challenges and issues as well as helping some of their veterans enter civilian employment or set up businesses.

1. Hi Matthew, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your organisation?

To provide military service leavers with a home and employment support when they leave the armed forces and to help those veterans who have been out a while but perhaps didn’t get the transitional support they needed at the time. This is a second chance for them.

2. What motivated you to create Entrain Space?

I had a challenging experience with a street homeless veteran in London many years ago and I was horrified to hear of his story, how he had served the country in both Afghanistan and Iraq, endured terrible things that most civilians would never cope with and when he got back he was housed in a bail hostel in central London, sharing space with serious criminals and living life on the streets. The more I researched the veterans sector the more convinced I was that the business model was broken and that something more radical was needed to provide proper accommodation that’s not Housing of Multiple Occupancy, (HMO)but independent flats, with on-site support, facilities that promote integration and a proper high quality environment. We have achieved that at Entrain Space and are now working with landowners to delivery many more units across the UK.

3. Can you share a specific story or example of how your organisation has made a positive impact on men’s lives?

Men don’t always ask for help until things get really bad and veterans are even more like this. They are proud and feel shame at asking for help. We get many many applications for our service and it is quite common for veteran applicants to put in the current address box “Car”. We make a positive impact by taking a veteran from a homeless situation and immediately placing them in one of our supported flats with a welcoming peer group and professional support. We have countless case studies where we go on to secure well paid employment for our residents and transform their situation in a relatively short space of time.

4. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work, and how do you overcome them?

Funding for veterans support in the way that we do it is virtually non-existent in the UK and it’s a challenge to keep funding the service we currently provide because of the benefits system. My mission is to prove the model and exemplify what good looks like and get policy changed.

5. What qualities do you believe are essential for effective leadership?

You have to be prepared to be withstand a lot of bureaucracy and be prepared to argue your corner on a regular basis. You also need to have a strong vision and be good at communicating that.

I think in the work we do you have to make it clear that you can have vulnerabilities but still be strong, and that when you need help, there is nothing wrong in asking for it.

6. What advice would you give to other men who are looking to make a positive impact in their communities or at work?

Be bold and make things happen. A positive trait of masculinity is action and if that can be channelled in the right way, great results can be achieved. Action is far more important than being perfect and writing endless reports. If you have a good idea and think you can execute it well then you need to just make a start.

Find a mentor or a series of mentors from different backgrounds. Find people who have achieved what you want to and listen to them.

7. Looking ahead, what are your future goals for your organisation and its impact on the community?

We want to replicate our model across the UK. We want to work with landowners and investors who want to achieve social impact. Scaling up is what we are currently focused on.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your insights and experiences are invaluable, and we are honoured to highlight your contributions as part of our International Men’s Day celebration.