Celebrations were in order for Prince William on Tuesday morning as he marked the 20th anniversary of his time as Patron of Centrepoint. The homelessness charity, which was famously supported by Diana, Princess of Wales, welcomed William to tour their new offices in London to honour the milestone.
During his visit, the Prince grinned as he received a giant purple cake from baker Juliet Sear, before joining staff and young people who have supported the charity over the years. He then joined the team to create a new ‘Wall of Hope’ mural, which has been co-designed by artist Lanré Olagoke MBE.
Raising the profile of homelessness in the UK is something which has been dear to William’s heart for many years and, in 2023, he launched his own initiative, Homewards, which aims to prove that it is possible to end homelessness, making it “rare, brief, and unrepeated”.
When the mural has been completed, the piece will celebrate the charity’s ambition to end youth homelessness around the UK. Lanré, a self-taught painter has lived experience of homelessness and was named in the King’s New Year’s Honours in 2024 for his work helping young people access the arts.
Back in November, Centrepoint predicted 23,500 young people could face homelessness this winter. The month before, the Centrepoint Helpline confirmed that it had supported its 50,000th caller, less than eight years after William had officially opened it.
William’s passion for raising the profile of homelessness charities has spanned several years and famously stems from the times when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, would take her two sons on charity visits to meet those who are less fortunate. The Princess would take her sons to charities such as Centrepoint and The Passage, of which William is also Patron.
It has recently been reported that William hopes to follow in his mother’s footsteps and do the same with his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
A royal source said: “He talks to George, Charlotte and Louis about homelessness a lot. It’s something he’s incredibly passionate about.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the source added: “‘He’s keen to take George to a homeless shelter soon to meet some of the brilliant people who inspired him to create Homewards, and the people who will ultimately be supported by it.”
Homewards is focusing on six areas around the UK using scalable solutions to make a difference – Lambeth in South London, Bournemouth, Newport, Belfast, Aberdeen and Sheffield. Each location is focusing on helping a specific group. For example, in Aberdeen, the spotlight is on single occupants and young people under the age of 25, while Northern Ireland is aiming its help at women who are experiencing chronic homelessness.
Speaking ahead of the two-year anniversary of Homewards earlier this year, William said: “Homewards is an ambitious programme. Tackling homelessness is not just about building homes. Creating long-term change is complex and unpredictable, but I am confident we can lead and inspire understanding, empathy and optimism that homelessness can be ended.”
He added: “We know that achieving our goal will take a collective effort, but the power of partnership cannot be underestimated, and we will continue to support your hard work and build momentum by bringing in new partners and resources. Success for Homewards means demonstrating that change is possible; that homelessness is not the insurmountable challenge it is too often perceived to be.”