Kate and William arrive in Belfast to meet young people as part of prince’s drive to tackle homelessness in UK
The Prince and Princess of Wales began a one-day visit to Northern Ireland with a tour of The Commons, a community centre being created from a former church in south Belfast. The visit forms part of Prince William’s Homewards effort to prevent homelessness, with a focus on how joined-up local support can help young people build more stable lives.
At The Commons, they met the project’s directors, local craft groups and representatives of Neon, an employment initiative launched by the Royal Foundation under Homewards. Belfast care leaver Steven discussed support to help people leaving care find work. A pilot scheme in Belfast has helped young people enter jobs, build confidence and stay in their roles; its approach has since been extended to four other Homewards locations and attracted commitments from major UK companies.
- William and Kate visited a new community centre in south Belfast.
- The trip highlighted work to prevent homelessness among young people.
- Belfast’s employment pilot has expanded to four other Homewards locations.
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Prince William has launched Homewards, an initiative designed to tackle homelessness across the UK. The scheme brings together different local organisations to provide coordinated support for vulnerable young people rather than relying on single solutions.
The Commons in south Belfast is a community centre being created from a former church as part of Homewards. Neon, an employment programme launched by the Royal Foundation, helps young people secure jobs and build confidence in work.
Young people leaving the care system are especially vulnerable to homelessness because they lack family support networks. A pilot scheme in Belfast has shown how employment support can help care leavers secure and maintain jobs; this approach is now being expanded to other Homewards locations with backing from major UK companies.