Prince William’s homelessness initiative is teaming up with Gordon Brown as the royal continues his efforts to help society’s most vulnerable.
Homewards has announced a partnership with The Multibank charity, of which the former Prime Minister is President.
The charity, which rescues furniture and other various wares through British business surplus stocks, will be furnishing accommodation delivered through the Prince of Wales’ Innovative Housing Projects (IHP).
With the help of big brands including IKEA, B&Q, Bosch, and DFS, The Multibank has committed to furnishing an initial 250 homes.
The new partnership will operate across Homewards’ six flagship locations: Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland, and Sheffield.
Its aim is to connect local businesses that are able to help, with the people who need that assistance.
According to Gordon Brown: ‘The Multibank began with a simple conviction that surplus goods should never be wasted while families go without.
‘Companies have the goods people need, and local charities know the people who need them, so The Multibank is an anti-pollution and anti-poverty project at the same time.
Prince William and former PM Gordon Brown are pictured speaking during the two year anniversary event of the Homewards programme, in July, in Sheffield
‘I am delighted that Prince William is doing so much to overturn stigma towards those experiencing homelessness and is working to restore dignity and humanity to people who need compassion the most.’
Mr Brown continued: ‘Poverty entrenching effects can be reversed and hope, dignity and opportunity can be restored.
‘The Multibank is delighted to become a Homewards Activator and we all look forward to working with Prince William and his Homewards team to provide safe and secure places, where we hope people can thrive.’
Homewards, which was launched by Prince William and Royal Foundation in June 2023, has one goal.
According to the organisation, this is ‘to demonstrate that it’s possible to end homelessness – making it rare, brief and unrepeated’.
Through these partnerships, more than one million pounds worth of essential items will be supplied to homes across the UK.
According to research, people are 12.5 per cent more likely to be able to sustain a tenancy when they are provided furniture and essential goods.
By using these items, Homewards aim to transform empty properties into safe and secure homes – and prevent repeat homelessness.
Prince William has spoken out about his desire to end homelessness several times, and is now working to ease the issue with his Homewards initiative
Gunjan Srivastava, CEO of Bosch Home Appliances, said: ‘At Bosch, we believe in the power of community and the responsibility we hold to make a positive impact in people’s lives.
‘Our partnership with Homewards reflects this commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, values that are at the core of our business.
‘By donating these appliances, we are proud to be part of an initiative which provides safe and secure homes for those in need.’
Homewards, which describes itself as a ‘transformative programme’, has six flagship locations around the UK, and will be investing up to £500,000 into each of these.
Its goal is to achieve significant change in these areas by 2028 (five years since the programme launched).
The Multibank is just one of the ‘dozens of partner organisations, from frontline homelessness charities to big businesses’ involved with the project.
Earlier this year, Homewards launched its Innovative Housing Project in Aberdeen, focusing on ‘bringing empty homes back into use for those at risk of homelessness’.
It worked with local partner Langstane Housing Association, with the project combining ‘housing provision with essential household items that were provided by local and national businesses’.
Prince William is pictured during a visit to Faithworks Carpentry Workshop in Bournemouth, as part of his tour to launch the scheme in June 2023
In doing so, it ‘provided clear evidence as to how partnerships with the private sector can support longer-term housing solutions’ says Homewards.
It added that Monday’s announcement about the partnership between Homewards and The Multibank ‘marks the scaling of this successful model to all four nations, showcasing how businesses can play a positive role in preventing homelessness’.
Hazel Detsiny, Executive Director of Homelessness at The Royal Foundation, said: ‘This partnership is a powerful example of major industry players — even competitors — coming together to tackle a pressing societal challenge.
‘Homewards is looking to collaborate with businesses across all sectors to address the deeper causes of homelessness, including housing, financial stability, and employment.
‘Together, we can show what’s truly possible when businesses become part of the solution.’
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