Prince William was in Bournemouth today to showcase exactly how his homelessness initiative, Homewards, is already preventing youth homelessness. The Prince of Wales will mark the third anniversary of the programme later this year and was joined by international delegations on Thursday to examine the progress made.
The international delegation includes representatives from Australia, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland, who have travelled to the UK to see Homewards in action and learn about the best practice. Bournemouth is one of Homewards’ six flagship locations as it attempts to demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness, making it “rare, brief, and unrepeated”. The other five locations are: Lambeth in South London, Newport, Belfast, Aberdeen and Sheffield.
The visit today was held to recognise the work the programme has achieved in Bournemouth as a critical model to support young people at risk of homelessness and prevent a crisis before it begins.
Thursday’s visit began at Bournemouth Pier, where Prince William met international delegates before joining a session with the newly formed Youth Homelessness Board, which brings together representatives from different sectors to strengthen support for young people experiencing homelessness.
The Prince also sat down with a member of the Homewards National Co-Production Group to discuss how their personal experience with homelessness is helping prioritise youth perspectives in the program’s strategy.
Later on, the group will visit The Bourne Academy to hear from programmes supported by Homewards that are piloting preventative approaches to youth homelessness and building on existing successes emerging in school settings.
To round off the visit, William will meet a group of sixth‐form students who have taken part in tenancy rights and responsibilities workshops delivered by homelessness charity Shelter. These sessions are designed to equip young people with the practical knowledge they need to manage accommodation confidently as they prepare for independent living, serving as an important tool to prevent future homelessness.
William’s passion for raising the profile of homelessness charities has spanned several years and famously stems from the times when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, would take her two sons on charity visits to meet those who are less fortunate. The Princess would take her sons to charities such as Centrepoint and The Passage, of which William is also Patron.
Each of Homewards’ locations is focusing on helping a specific group. For example, in Aberdeen, the spotlight is on single occupants and young people under the age of 25, while Northern Ireland is aiming its help at women who are experiencing chronic homelessness.
Speaking ahead of the two-year anniversary of Homewards last year, William said: “Homewards is an ambitious programme. Tackling homelessness is not just about building homes. Creating long-term change is complex and unpredictable, but I am confident we can lead and inspire understanding, empathy and optimism that homelessness can be ended.”
He added: “We know that achieving our goal will take a collective effort, but the power of partnership cannot be underestimated, and we will continue to support your hard work and build momentum by bringing in new partners and resources. Success for Homewards means demonstrating that change is possible; that homelessness is not the insurmountable challenge it is too often perceived to be.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
