On what would have been Princess Diana’s 64th birthday, Prince William paid a poignant tribute to his late mother’s legacy by highlighting the remarkable progress of his ambitious Homewards project, a heartfelt initiative dedicated to ending homelessness in the UK.
The Prince of Wales travelled to Sheffield on July 1 to mark the second anniversary of Homewards, a programme that aims to make homelessness "rare, brief and unrepeated." The date was no coincidence. It was a powerful nod to the woman who first instilled in him a lifelong compassion for society’s most vulnerable.
As children, both William and Prince Harry accompanied Diana on visits to shelters and saw first-hand the importance of humanising those who find themselves without a home.
© PoolThat early exposure has clearly stayed with William. As an adult, he has continued Diana’s work, becoming patron of charities such as Centrepoint and The Passage, both of which were once championed by his mother.
Through Homewards, he is taking that mission to the next level by working closely with six pilot locations across the UK: Sheffield, Newport in South Wales, Aberdeen, Northern Ireland, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and Lambeth in London.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetIn an open letter shared ahead of his latest engagement, William praised the "motivation, creativity, and expertise" of each location and commended the "tangible difference" being made to some of the country’s most vulnerable people.
"Your experiences are what make Homewards unique and powerful," he wrote. "We have the ability to harness our collective capabilities, expertise, and resources towards this common cause. I am immensely proud to say that your collective effort has already allowed us to achieve lasting impact."
The Prince also acknowledged that the pilot areas are now well into their "delivery mode" phase, as they begin to implement on-the-ground solutions informed by the first year of planning and strategy. "Focus is also important," he continued, "and you have identified the groups particularly at risk of homelessness in your locations to drive solutions that show it is possible to prevent their homelessness."
One of the most promising developments of the past year has been the announcement of over £50 million in financing from Lloyds Bank to support the creation of affordable housing in the pilot regions. Described as a "groundbreaking moment" by Homewards, the funding is a significant step forward in addressing one of the root causes of homelessness: a lack of accessible, safe housing.
In Sheffield, where William spent the anniversary of his mother's birth, excitement was palpable as local partners and volunteers gathered to share updates and celebrate the progress made so far.
© GettyFor many, the visit felt deeply personal. Princess Diana's enduring commitment to social causes is still warmly remembered by those who worked alongside her, and seeing her son continue that work with such sincerity brought a fresh wave of optimism.
Speaking about the impact of Homewards, Lydia Stazen, former Executive Director of the Institute of Global Homelessness and a current member of the Homewards National Expert Panel, shared her perspective. "The programme is exactly where I would expect it to be at this point. The networks have been built, the foundations have been laid, and we are seeing really concrete outcomes," she said.
Lydia also emphasised the timeliness of the project, especially following the challenges of the pandemic. "After COVID, burnout levels among frontline workers and leadership teams were extremely high. Homewards brought much-needed fresh energy, new partnerships, and vital resources at just the right time."
Polly Neate, former CEO of Shelter and Women’s Aid, also praised the Prince’s leadership. "Having somebody like Prince William publicly declare that it is possible to prevent homelessness, that it is possible to end it, is hugely impactful. We're already seeing the effects," she noted.
"In the past, we've had important initiatives aimed at tackling homelessness, but they often focused heavily on crisis intervention," Polly continued. "While crisis support is vital, it’s not enough. Homelessness stems from systemic issues like the shortage of affordable housing, mental health challenges, and economic instability. Homewards is addressing these root causes in a thoughtful, proactive way."
William’s message to the six pilot areas concluded with a rallying cry: "Keep going!" It was both an encouragement and a reminder that ending homelessness requires long-term commitment and collaboration.
The event will include keynote speeches from experts within the homelessness sector and breakout sessions focused on key work Homewards is delivering across employment, data, homes, early intervention and changing the narrative.
The sessions will explore next steps to maximise impact and innovation and how they can further build on partnerships at a local and national level to demonstrate that together, it is possible to end homelessness. As part of the event, The Prince will take part in a panel discussion alongside Homewards Advocate, Steven Bartlett, and Former Prime Minister and The Multibank Founder and President, The Rt Honourable Gordon Brown. Multibank, a Homewards partner, is a network of donation hubs where businesses donate surplus items like toiletries, cleaning products, baby goods, and bedding.
These items are then distributed to families and individuals in need through charities and social workers.The discussion will be focused on the power of cross-sector partnerships between the public, private, and third sectors and will emphasise the significant impact working together can have in the effort towards ending homelessness.
Following the discussion, His Royal Highness will meet members of the Homewards National Lived Experience Group – people with lived experience of homelessness who are helping Homewards to shape and develop the programme – and partners of the Homewards Sheffield Innovative Housing Projects who have been vital in securing and furnishing homes for families in Sheffield.
