PRINCE William’s Homewards initiative is marking its first anniversary as it works towards ending homelessness.

The initiative launched last July in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as one of six locations nationwide.

In its first year, the Homewards coalition in the conurbation has seen 97 organisations and individuals join, building on existing partnerships and bringing in members including Pret A Manger, Sunseeker and AFC Bournemouth.

The Prince has visited Bournemouth twice in the past year, to launch the project and then to announce its partnership with Pret A Manger. 

The coalition’s areas of focus include expanding employability and driving greater access to housing, with young people as an initial priority group.

It will also work to change local perceptions around homelessness, with a working group established for this.

(Image: The Royal Foundation)

Young people will also be supported through the Innovative Housing Project, including those with care experience.

Within the area, the coalition is working with Crisis and other partners to deliver and employment event for businesses to understand how they can work to end homelessness through employment.

Following the initial meeting of the coalition, a school in Bournemouth has partnered with Shelter to develop and trial material for students and teachers on homelessness.

This will be connected into other homelessness prevention work with young people.

Sunseeker, Bournemouth and Poole College and Faithworks have also collaborated to create training placements for people with lived experience of homelessness.

Also in the conurbation, Homewards is coordinating training for operational and strategic leads to develop approaches to involve those with lived experience in the design, delivery and evaluation of services.

The voices of frontline workers will also be amplified, as Homewards works with Shelter and Homeless Link, to improve the way services respond to homelessness.

Amanda Berry OBE, CEO, The Royal Foundation, said: “Over the last year we have been working in partnership with six locations across the UK, bringing people and organisations together to create the foundations on which to build long-term change.

“Inspired by our belief that is possible to end homelessness, we are already demonstrating what can be achieved if we all work together.

“We are immensely grateful to the committed people, organisations and businesses who are working with us to prove homelessness can be prevented and solutions found.”