Prince William back to work on homelessness project
On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales is scheduled to visit housing initiatives in Sheffield as part of his efforts to promote his homelessness scheme.
This move follows a week marked by conspiracy theories surrounding Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, stemming from a controversy over an altered Mother’s Day picture.
Now, the Prince aims to redirect attention to one of his key initiatives, the Homewards Homelessness project. During his visit to Sheffield, the DIY chain Homebase will announce a pledge of £1 million in support.
The royal couple has faced challenges earlier this year, with Catherine undergoing surgery and subsequent recovery. Additionally, there was confusion surrounding the release of the first authorized photograph of the Duchess since Christmas, prompting withdrawal by photo agencies due to concerns about digital alterations.
On Monday night, newspapers including The Sun published a photo sourced from a video clip supplied by a member of the public, depicting the royal couple appearing relaxed and happy during a visit to a farm shop in Windsor, their first public sighting in weeks.
This week, Prince William aims to shift focus to one of his significant projects—a comprehensive five-year plan to address homelessness across six locations in the UK, launched last year.
Sheffield is among the targeted areas, where the Prince will engage with individuals who have experienced housing insecurity and learn about initiatives combating this escalating issue.
A royal source emphasizes that this project is the Prince’s “flagship project,” highlighting his deep personal involvement in monitoring the progress of its local partnerships.
To coincide with the visit, the Homebase group is donating 1,500 “starter packs” of furniture, paint, and other items to help families move into new accommodation.
Helping to organize the packs will be housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, who said: “Safe, permanent and secure housing is paramount to ensure homelessness does not become part of a family’s story.”
Making families feel comfortable and “supporting their wellbeing” was also proven to reduce future homelessness.
The prince’s visit will also see support from some of Sheffield’s landlords, with 33 three and four-bedroom properties being made available for “families on the brink of or experiencing homelessness”.
The approach of the Homewards project is to bring together grassroots organizations, charities, and commercial partners to form local coalitions.
The scale of the problem in Sheffield was highlighted by annual figures showing 4,000 people or families had applied to be registered as homeless, the council’s highest figure so far and up 500 on the previous year.
Last month, the government announced £3m in funding for Sheffield City Council to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness.
