Connect with us

CELEBRITY

Prince William defends his ambitious plan to tackle homelessness in UK…..see more

Published

on

Prince William has said he comes with “no other agenda” than wanting to “help people who are in need,” in a documentary series that follows the future King as he launches a five-year program he hopes will help end homelessness in six locations across the United Kingdom.

 

The “Homewards” program, launched in collaboration with the prince’s Royal Foundation, will provide up to £500,000 ($648,000) worth of seed funding in each of the six sites to support pioneering homeless initiatives, which – if successful – could be replicated in other locations, both nationally and internationally.

 

“The ultimate ambition is to prove that we can prevent homelessness in these regions so that others will come along and say, ‘well if they can do it, why can’t we?,’” the Prince of Wales said in the two-part ITV series, which aired in the UK on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

“I don’t believe we should be living with homelessness in the 21st century.”

 

Filmed over a 12-month period, the documentary follows the prince and other experts on a hunt for potential solutions to the UK’s homelessness crisis.

 

When the Homewards program was launched last year, William faced some pushback for his involvement, seen by critics as ironic, or even counterintuitive, given his sprawling personal property portfolio. On the UK radio station LBC, he was dubbed the “prince of homelessness” by host James O’Brien.

 

 

But William opted to confront his detractors head-on in the film. “Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can?” he said.

 

“I like a big challenge, I do like that, but I can’t do it on my own.”

 

William’s ability to put people at their ease is a quality recognized by many featured in the documentary, including Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who was formerly homeless but is now an advocate for the initiative, working closely with the prince.

 

Raised in Newport, south Wales, the 41-year-old started living on the streets when she was 15 years old.

 

“My dad had a terminal brain tumor, he died when I was 9 years old,” she said in the documentary.

 

“The impact on the family was enormous.”

 

Cohen-Hatton ended up sleeping rough on the streets of Newport to “escape” her family breakdown at home, she said.

 

 

Like many UK cities, Newport has seen street homelessness almost double over the past three years, according to the documentary.

 

Now the chief fire officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in south England, Cohen-Hatton is supporting the prince by scouting out successful homelessness programs across the UK that could be scaled up.

 

Speaking to CNN, Cohen-Hatton said she was “pragmatically optimistic” about the impact that Homewards could make.

 

“I have a real optimism that people are focused on the problem,” she said.

 

“That’s one of the great things about the prince, he has real convening power.

 

He’s able to get people around the table thinking about a perennial problem in a completely different way, and what their contribution to that could be.”

 

She added: “From my perspective, he has been absolutely critical in driving this forward.”

 

For Mick Clarke, CEO of London homelessness charity The Passage, the documentary offers viewers a glimpse of the real William.

 

“We see him as the real person. When he comes (to The Passage) he’s very relaxed, very chilled.

 

I kind of get a feeling there’s a bit of a family relationship there, given the history back to when he was 11,” he explained in a Q&A after a press screening of the documentary.

 

“He’s also very authentic and people who have lived with homelessness are very good at sussing almost instantly whether someone is straightforward, whether they are authentic or not, and he just feels very comfortable.”

He continued, “I think it shone a light on a side that we see all the time – that these guys will see in the meetings they have with him – but sometimes the public don’t.”
The second episode explored the issue of youth homelessness in the UK and saw the prince offer up Duchy of Cornwall land to build 24 new homes, which are set to be completed in 2025.

The two-part documentary will be available to stream globally on Disney+ from Friday, and viewers in the UK can catch up on ITVX.

CELEBRITY6 mins ago

Prince Harry’s ‘extremely foolish’ decision could see Trump boot him and Meghan out of US…see more

CELEBRITY42 mins ago

Jennifer Lopez dodges Ben Affleck’s compliment that she’s ‘spectacular’ in Unstoppable, says this instead….see more

CELEBRITY12 hours ago

Donald Trump burst into Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s lives disrupting their happiness.. see more

Gist12 hours ago

Prince William Had a Heartwarming Update on How Kate Middleton’s Doing After Chemo…see more

Gist12 hours ago

No mercy for Kamala Harris: Joe Biden ‘sabotaged’ his vice president’s campaign after defeat to Trump…see more

CELEBRITY13 hours ago

Worry for Joe Biden as expert claims he has similar dementia symptoms to Bruce Willis…see more

CELEBRITY13 hours ago

David Beckham’s son reveals details about Prince William and fuels rumors of tension with Harry and Meghan Markle…see more

CELEBRITY22 hours ago

Jennifer Lopez says women ‘hide’ struggles from their children – after ex Ben Affleck praises her…see more

CELEBRITY23 hours ago

Trump declares victory as presidential race with Harris has yet to be called…. see more

CELEBRITY1 day ago

King Charles Admits Role in Diana’s Death: The Dark Truth Behind the Royal Cover-Up”….see more

Gist1 day ago

What to expect on election night: Polls closing, exit polls and results….see more

CELEBRITY1 day ago

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued major lifeline as incredible opportunity on horizon…see more

Copyright © 2024 UKenquire