Prince William fight against youth homelessness draws international attention

Prince William is passionate about curbing youth homelessness. For this, he founded Homewards project, aiming to tackle the issue.

Now, the charity's work has drawn international attention, with global delegates from Australia, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Finland travelling to Bournemouth to learn from it.

The international experts – who came from a variety of fields, from charities and education to local government – arrived at BCP operation, the charity's main centre.

Melanie Redman, president of A Way Home Canada, said: "We are here to learn about the success of other models and systems that are happening here in Bournemouth."

She continued, "It's fantastic to see the prince throw his support behind something so important because young people deserve better outcomes; they deserve to thrive."

"And to see the Royal Foundation so involved in this and at such a personal level is truly exciting and will hopefully ignite more efforts in Canada."

Moreover, BCP Council's housing councillor Kieron Wilson said, "The work showcased today, to an international delegation of experts we have hosted, reflects the impact of true collaboration and the difference it makes when everyone pulls in the same direction."

First launched in 2023, the Homewards project was born out of William's long-term focus on curbing homelessness after visiting shelters as a kid left a deep impression on him.