Prince William's project to eradicate homelessness to be focus of new documentary

The Prince of Wales’ mission to prove homelessness can be eradicated will be the focus of a new two-part documentary.

Last year Prince William launched Homewards, a five-year project that brings together a range of individuals and organisations to develop bespoke homelessness solutions in six locations across the UK.

Following the first year of the programme, the future monarch will feature in a new ITV documentary which will give a glimpse into the work that has gone on behind the scenes across two hour-long episodes.

A number of well-known advocates and other leading individual projects going on across the UK will also feature in the documentary, which is set to air this autumn.

In a statement on the Homewards website, William described preventing homelessness as a “big task” but is looking forward to working with individuals across the UK to “make our ambition a reality”.

The programme’s key locations are Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the London borough of Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield.

The charity estimates there are currently 300,000 people in the UK without a home.

Leo Burley, director of the documentary – which has the working title Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, said: “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.

“Everyone we’ve filmed with has welcomed the spotlight that Prince William and Homewards are placing on the UK’s homelessness crisis.”

Amanda Berry, chief executive of The Royal Foundation, added that by “sharing the realities of people’s experiences and those who are coming together to support them, we can inspire action”.

In collaboration with the Saatchi Gallery in southwest London, Homewards will launch a new art exhibition which will display work from artists across the UK inspired by their own or others’ experiences of homelessness.

Pieces created by children and young people at a series of creative workshops held across the six flagship Homewards locations will be included.

As a long-term advocate for ending homelessness, William is also the royal patron of charity The Passage, after first visiting one of their shelters with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was 11.

In 2009 he spent a night sleeping rough to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas and has joined a Big Issue seller at his pitch for the last two years in a row.

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