Today, HRH Prince William has launched a UK-wide five-year programme called Homewards, aimed at ending homelessness, launched alongside The Royal Foundation.
In 2009, William, who is also patron of the homelessness charities Centrepoint and The Passage, slept out in the streets of London to raise awareness of Centrepoint’s work with homeless people and now, his charitable foundation is putting in £3m of start-up funding to help end homelessness in the UK.
Homewards will initially focus on six locations (Lambeth, Newport and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) and it is hoped that the findings can be used to create a framework for other areas in the UK.
The six chosen areas, which include one in London, were selected after a bidding process, and the findings and results of the initiative will be used to create models that can be adopted by other parts of the UK.
Local businesses, local stakeholders, experts, house builders, organisations, and individuals will be encouraged to join forces and develop “bespoke” action plans to tackle homelessness with up to £500,000 in funding
Every night, 300,000 people in the UK experience homelessness, half of whom are children.
“Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate.” – PRINCE WILLIAM
Prince William was just 11 years old when his mother, Princess Diana took him and Prince Harry on a secret visit to the homeless charity The Passage, of which he is now patron.
Now, in the week which would have been Princess Diana’s 62nd Birthday, Prince William reclaims her legacy as the People’s Princess.
We wish William, Prince of Wales every success in his project to end homelessness.
Royal Family GB 