Prince William will commemorate his late mother Princess Diana’s birthday on July 1 in a way that reflects her enduring legacy by spotlighting a major step forward in his campaign to end homelessness.
Marking the second anniversary of his Homewards initiative, the Prince of Wales will travel to Sheffield, one of six pilot regions working to make homelessness ‘rare, brief and unrepeated.’ This effort was directly inspired by Princess Diana, who introduced her sons to the issue by bringing them to shelters and championing homeless charities like Centrepoint. William has since continued her mission, taking on patronages she once held and driving systemic change.
The Sheffield visit comes at a critical juncture for Homewards, which recently secured over $50 million in funding from Lloyds Bank to support new housing projects across the U.K. Calling this a ‘groundbreaking moment’. The initiative hopes to encourage other institutions to follow suit.
In a heartfelt open letter to the participating regions, William praised the local teams for their dedication, writing, “Your experiences are what makes Homewards unique and powerful.” He stressed the importance of targeted, preventative strategies to address at-risk populations and noted the transition into ‘delivery mode’ as projects begin implementation.
During the visit, William will meet leaders from each of the six pilot areas and tour a school testing Upstream, a new youth-focused intervention model based on a successful Australian program. The day will also mark a milestone: the first residents moving into Sheffield’s Innovative Housing Project, a tangible sign of progress.
As the world remembers Diana on her birthday, Prince William’s efforts echo her compassion and her belief that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
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