Prince William has featured in an impactful new TV documentary aimed at changing public perceptions around homelessness.
Titled Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the two-part program offers an in-depth look at The Royal Foundation’s Homewards initiative – an ambitious five-year plan that aims to eliminate homelessness in the U.K.
The TV documentary aired on ITV on the 30th and 31st of October and is now available on the global streaming service Disney Plus.
In the documentary, the royal referenced the work of his mother Princess Diana on the issue and spoke of how she inspired him and Prince Harry to take up the cause.
Admitting that his mother would’ve thought he was “mad” to attempt what was attempting with the Homewards initiative, Prince William said that ever since Diana took him and his brother to a homeless shelter as young boys, it became an issue that “had a deep resonation” to him.
“What I want to see, and I think she would want to see, is action and movement and change.”
“I know [this] sounds weird, but when you feel a human connection with somebody who’s been in deep trouble, I challenge anyone not to feel a desire to help.”
He added that he was feeling both “optimistic” and “enthusiastic” about the Homewards initiative, but also “nervous about the challenge and scale” of what he and his team were attempting.
“I’m not sitting here saying I’m going to sort of, you know, solve the entire world’s homelessness problems. But I am going to show people how to prevent homelessness,” he added.
“Providing high-quality temporary accommodation that will lead on a pathway to more permanent accommodation, allowing people to thrive, prosper, rebuild their lives, and go on to be a part of a community and feel like they belong somewhere. And that is crucial.”
The Prince of Wales launched his Homewards project in June 2023, and the new series features the behind-the-scenes of the first year of the program.
It also features well-known advocates of the project, as well as those leading individual projects across the UK.
The Royal Foundation, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ charity has described Homewards as “a five-year program that aims to demonstrate that it’s possible to end homelessness by working with six locations across the UK to put collaboration at the heart of the response.”
What is the Prince of Wales’ Homewards Project?
Homewards is a five-year project launched by Prince William in 2023, intended to bring together a range of people and organisations to develop bespoke homelessness solutions.
The project is focused on six flagship locations Sheffield, Northern Ireland, Aberdeen, Lambeth, Newport and Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
“Homewards aims to give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented by showing them the progress we can make when we collaborate,” Prince William writes on the Homewards website.
“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.”
Where can I watch Prince William: We Can End Homelessness?
The two-part ITV1 and ITVX documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness is available to stream in Australia on Disney Plus.
Stream now on Disney Plus with a mth-to-mth no lock-in contract. Subscribe here.
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