The Prince of Wales will feature in a new ITV documentary about his homelessness programme Homewards.
The future king hopes to bring rough sleeping, sofa surfing and other forms of temporary accommodation to an end.
The two-part series, with the working title Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, will go behind the scenes of the first year of the programme.
Viewers can expect to see William as he launches Homewards across the country and the journeys of those currently facing homelessness or who have lived experience of the issue.
Today we are launching #Homewards, a five-year programme committed to demonstrating that it's possible to end homelessness in the UK.
— Homewards (@HomewardsUK) June 26, 2023
Having a home is more than just bricks and mortar. What does home mean to you? pic.twitter.com/pxV5rsQK7w
Well-known advocates of the programme and those leading individual projects across the UK will also feature.
What is Homewards?
Homewards is a five-year project launched by William in 2023 to bring together a range of individuals and organisations to develop bespoke homelessness solutions in Newport in South Wales, three neighbouring Dorset towns (Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch), the south London Borough of Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen and Sheffield.
Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual at ITV, said: “With access to the inner workings of this ambitious project and the work of Prince William and his team, we hope to share with viewers a privileged insight into how they are setting out to tackle an issue which concerns us all and affects so many of our fellow citizens across the UK.”
Director Leo Burley added: “Over the past year we have spent time following Prince William and The Royal Foundation through the first year of the Homewards programme.
“We’ve heard some incredibly moving stories from people across the country facing homelessness.
“From street homelessness in Newport, to families living in temporary accommodation in Sheffield, and youth homelessness in Aberdeen, the documentary paints a picture of homelessness across the UK today, working with many people who never expected to experience life without a place to call home.
“Everyone we’ve filmed with has welcomed the spotlight that Prince William and Homewards are placing on the UK’s homelessness crisis.”
Thank you to everyone involved in Trooping the Colour. Always in awe of the work that goes into putting together such an incredible afternoon 🇬🇧💂@RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/9UaYRXyi81
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 15, 2024
Royal Foundation chief executive Amanda Berry said: “We know that television has the power to change hearts and minds.
“Homelessness can seem like it is hard to prevent but by sharing the realities of people’s experiences and those who are coming together to support them, we can inspire action.
“This two-part documentary will help raise vital awareness and demonstrate that, by working together, it is possible to end homelessness.”
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William has long been passionate about the issue of homelessness and he is royal patron of charity The Passage after visiting one of their shelters with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was 11.
In 2009, he slept rough for a night to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas.
He has also joined a Big Issue seller at his pitch for the last two years in a row.
The series will be shown on ITV1 and ITVX this autumn.
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