The Prince of Wales injected humor into his visit to a homeless charity in Belfast this morning, joking with royal fans about joining them for a late breakfast. The 41-year-old royal is currently embarking on a two-day UK tour to launch his new campaign called Homewards, which aims to tackle homelessness. After visiting Mosaic Clubhouse in Lambeth yesterday, Prince William traveled to Northern Ireland to learn more about the work of the East Belfast Mission. During his visit, the Prince met with charity workers who are partnering with Homewards and engaged in a round-table discussion. Following the tour, Prince William took the time to greet enthusiastic royal fans who had cheered him upon his arrival.
During a walkabout, Prince William was filmed shaking hands with a dedicated royal fan while discussing the charity’s on-site Refresh Cafe. The fan asked if the Prince had had a fry-up, to which Prince William humorously replied that there was indeed a fry-up waiting for people and that he needed to get out there to enjoy it. This light-hearted interaction caused the crowd to cheer even louder. Additionally, Prince William showed his warm and unbothered nature when confronted with a crying baby, beaming at the baby’s mother, who had eagerly positioned herself at the front of the crowd.
Prince William has made it his mission to drastically reduce rough sleeping, sofa surfing, and other forms of temporary accommodation to become rare, brief, and infrequent issues. Inspired by the success of Finland’s efforts to eliminate homelessness, Prince William has launched the Homewards initiative. Over the course of five years, the initiative will focus on six locations, with local businesses, organizations, and individuals encouraged to collaborate and develop personalized action plans to address homelessness, with up to £500,000 in funding available.
Northern Ireland is the fourth location to be prioritized by the Homewards initiative, with Prince William taking on a hands-on approach during his visit. He met charity workers from the East Belfast Mission, discussing their collaboration with Homewards. The East Belfast Mission plays a vital role in supporting communities across Belfast, particularly in addressing the growing issue of homelessness in the city.
During his visit, Prince William also learned about the East Belfast Mission’s “240” housing project, which has repurposed an empty building into a community relations space with six apartments. This visit follows Prince William’s trip to the Hill Street Development in Newport, Wales, another partner of Homewards.
Prince William’s passion for addressing homelessness in the UK has grown, influenced by his late mother Princess Diana, who introduced him to the charity The Passage. In announcing his new project, Prince William emphasized his belief that everyone deserves a safe and secure home, dignity, and support. Through Homewards, Prince William aims to work collaboratively to prevent homelessness and make it a rare and temporary circumstance.
Prior to the campaign launch, Prince William met individuals who have experienced homelessness, including footballers David Duke and Tyrone Mings, firefighter Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, and TV star Gail Porter. Prince William firmly believes that by working together, homelessness can be significantly reduced and eventually eradicated. The six selected areas, including one in London, were chosen through a bidding process. The findings and outcomes of the Homewards initiative will serve as models for other parts of the UK. According to Crisis, a charity partnering with Homewards, approximately 300,000 people in the UK are currently experiencing homelessness. Factors contributing to this issue include a severe shortage of affordable homes, rising rents, high living costs, low wages, and insecure employment.
A survey conducted on behalf of the Royal Foundation, consisting of 3,473 adults, revealed that one in five respondents had personal experience with homelessness, either directly, through family, or friends.
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