Rail operator launches new mailbox scheme at Crawley station to support homeless veterans

Following Armed Forces Day (27 June), Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) is helping to support homeless veterans and blue light workers get back on their feet by launching a new mailbox scheme at Crawley station.

For the first time, GTR, which operates Southern, has partnered with Squaddie Box, a not-for-profit organisation which provides secure, permanent postal addresses via locked mailboxes to help people who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

The organisation sets up mailboxes in trusted community locations, such as transport hubs and GP surgeries, giving veterans a recognised address and providing them with a gateway to healthcare, employment and support services.

Before the mailbox was officially opened to veterans on 24 June, there was already demand for the Crawley pod, with homeless veteran, Chris Powis, signed up to the scheme. The founder of Squaddie Box, Dean Wormleighton, said Crawley was identified as the best location for GTR’s inaugural Squaddie Box because the town faces housing pressures and homelessness challenges, following Crawley Borough Council declaring a housing emergency in 2024.

The Squaddie Box installation has been sponsored by GTR’s Armed Forces Network, which has donated £1,000 towards the scheme.

Co-founder of GTR’s Armed Forces Network, Andrew Mahoney, said: “We’re proud to have launched GTR’s first-ever Squaddie Box at Crawley station, which will help veterans and blue light workers reconnect with society, access support, and move towards stable employment and independence. At GTR, we’re committed to helping organisations across our network that support people impacted by homelessness, and having a Squaddie Box at this station means support is easily available and integrated into the community.”

CEO and founder of Squaddie Box, Dean Wormleighton, said: “We’re excited to partner with GTR to launch our Squaddie Box installation at Crawley station, which represents a significant milestone for the project because it will be the fourth pod installed since the initiative began in July 2025. This highlights an important point about Squaddie Box that while the secure address is a critical part of the solution, the real value comes from the wider support network which sits behind it.

“Our first Squaddie Box beneficiary was able to register with a GP almost immediately after receiving access to a Squaddie Box and reconnect with wider support pathways that had been previously difficult to access. It demonstrates that Squaddie Box is about far more than receiving post – it is about restoring dignity, opportunity, and hope.”

Alongside Squaddie Box, Dean has now launched Civvie Box, which applies the same principles to support the wider homeless and vulnerable population.

Anyone who wants to apply for a Squaddie Box should go to Dean’s website through this link.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Homeless veteran, Chris Powis, who has been allocated the first Squaddie Box mailbox at Crawley station, is available to be interviewed about his experience. Chris, 40, used to work in the military for 13 years in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, which provides engineering support to maintain and repair British Army equipment. He is now interested in transferring his skills to the railway
• The Crawley station Squaddie Box is located on Station Way by the car park. It can be accessed 24/7
• The three other Squaddie Box sites are in Hastings, Clacton-on-Sea, and Rustington