Prince William and The Royal Foundation have launched Homewards, a new UK-wide programme supported by major businesses and organisations across a range of sectors and industries, to demonstrate that together it is possible end homelessness - making it rare, brief and unrepeated.
The first businesses announcing their commitment to Homewards are Arup, The Duchy of Cornwall, FrameWorks UK, IKEA UK, Homebase, Ipsos, NatWest Group, Pret A Manger and Salesforce. Each will join the Homewards Partnership as Activators of the programme, contributing skills resources and investment to help develop and deliver the solutions needed to prevent homelessness in six UK locations.
In each location, set to be revealed over the coming days, local coalitions will be formed between committed local people, charitable organisations and businesses, who will work together to create and deliver an action plan to end homelessness in each area.
Also joining the Homewards Partnership are 16 Sector Partners - AKT, Big Issue Group, Centre for Homelessness Impact, Centrepoint, Crisis, Cymorth Cymru, Depaul International, Groundswell, Homeless Connect, Homeless Link, Homeless Network Scotland, Institute of Global Homelessness, Shelter, The Forward Trust, The Passage and World Habitat.
Homewards will also receive the support of advocates from across sports and entertainment, including: Fara Williams MBE, Gail Porter, Tyrone Mings, Geri Halliwell Horner, Sir Bryn Terfel, David Duke MBE, Sara Cox and Sabrina Cohen-Hatton.
Prince William said: “In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need."
“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."
“I am fortunate to have seen first-hand the tireless work of people and organisations across the sector, the tangible impact their efforts can have and what can be done when communities are able to focus on preventing homelessness, rather than managing it."
“It's a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated and I am very much looking forward to working with our six locations to make our ambition a reality.”
Amanda Berry, CEO of The Royal Foundation said: “At The Royal Foundation, we believe that change is always possible. Ending homelessness is a societal challenge that requires a societal response. We are thrilled to launch Homewards and the Homewards Partnership today, to help us achieve this."
“We will bring together the brightest and the best partners to work with us and our six locations to demonstrate that together it is possible to end homelessness.”
Jerome Frost, Arup UKIMEA Chair, said: “Homelessness devastates lives and drastically restricts the potential of people and communities, as it is the nexus of many of the forces and inequalities in our society. We have seen in our work in cities across the world that through partnership at neighbourhood, city and national levels, practical and effective solutions can be found. We are proud to be part of a powerful coalition committed to ending homelessness in the UK for good.”
Kate Stanley, FrameWorks UK, Executive Director: "There's a bigger story to tell about homelessness - how it happens, who it affects, and how we can end it. So we're delighted to join the Homewards programme led by HRH The Prince of Wales to help tell this story nationwide."
Peter Jelkeby, IKEA UK & Ireland, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer:
“At IKEA, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people. This ambition goes beyond just home furnishing: we want to have a positive impact in our local communities. To continue our commitment to tackle homelessness we are pleased to be supporting The Royal Foundation’s new Homewards programme being launched today. Collaboration is crucial in addressing this issue. Together, we will look to find lasting solutions to prevent homelessness and ensure that everyone has a place to call home.”
Sophie Wilson, Ipsos, Head of Government and Society, said: “Ipsos is delighted to be an Activator for the Homewards programme. As a research organisation, we’re committed to building the evidence-base around how to end homelessness and we are looking forward to working with The Royal Foundation and the six flagship locations to capture and embed learning throughout.”
Dame Alison Rose, NatWest Group, Chief Executive said: “We are long-term supporters of The Royal Foundation’s goal to mobilise businesses, charities and local organisations to work together to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges – including homelessness. As businesses, we have a collective responsibility to help the people and the communities where we live and work to thrive. This starts with early intervention through financial education and in our role as Activator partners, we are committed to working with The Prince of Wales and the Homewards programme team to help individuals build financial resilience and access the support they need to safeguard against the most extreme outcomes.”
Pano Christou, Chief Executive at Pret A Manger and Trustee of The Pret Foundation, said:
“What started as Pret donating food at the end of each day has since evolved into The Pret Foundation, set up with the singular purpose to break the cycle of homelessness. Pret has always had a long history of helping those most in need and that’s why we’re pleased to support The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme. There is great power in collaboration and ending homelessness cannot be achieved alone, so we look forward to working with The Royal Foundation and others on this important initiative."
Zahra Bahrololoumi, Salesforce UK and Ireland CEO, said: “As a key supporter of the Royal Foundation, we are thrilled to be part of Homewards. Salesforce is a values-driven company with a long-standing commitment to help underserved and underrepresented people gain access to valuable opportunities in education, training, work, and mentorship. We will be looking at how we can leverage our people, our technology and innovation, and our ecosystem to provide impactful support to this important programme. I’ve seen, first hand, the power of bringing business and community leaders together to solve critical issues in the UK. Today, businesses have a new opportunity to work together and expand their role to be meaningful platforms for change to serve all in their communities.”
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