Prince William has spoken of his want to end homelessness in the UK after taking to the streets of London to sell The Big Issue earlier this month.
A week after marking Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, the Duke of Cambridge joined forces with the social enterprise, which offers a revenue stream to homeless people across the UK, to sell copies of the magazine in the capital.
Donning a red tabard and matching Big Issue cap, Prince William joined vendor Dave Martin at his regular pitch outside a supermarket, just 15 minutes away from Buckingham Palace. Naturally, the pair caused quite a stir with passers-by.
And in an article he wrote for the latest issue of the weekly magazine, Prince William explained why he wanted to highlight the problem of homelessness, a cause that has been close to his heart since he was first taken to visit a homeless shelter by his mother, Princess Diana, in 1993.
“I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” he wrote.
“The Big Issue had launched just two years before, offering people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income by selling a magazine to the public and providing a solution to the issues that saw a growing number of people on the streets of the nation’s capital.”
Prince William has often worked with homelessness organisations across the UK, and in 2005 was named patron of the charity Centrepoint.
However, he spoke of his want to continue to highlight the issue, especially given the rising cost of living across the country.
“Looking back helps us to see how far we’ve come, but problems are fixed in the present,” he said. “And despite all the progress, homelessness is still seen by many as some entrenched phenomenon over which we have little power. And there are worrying signs that things might soon get worse as people feel the effects of higher prices and find it harder to make ends meet.
“And although we can’t fix all of that at once, I refuse to believe that homelessness is an irrevocable fact of life. It is an issue that can be solved, but that requires a continued focus and comprehensive support network.”
The most recent figures from the charity Crisis estimate that in 2021, there were more than 227,000 people experiencing homelessness in the UK, either sleeping rough, sleeping in cars, vans or sheds, or moving between bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
It also reported a sharp increase in property evictions since the start of the pandemic, with 37 per cent more households receiving no-notice evictions from landlords, forcing councils across the country to step in and help families find temporary housing.
Since its establishment in 1991, The Big Issue has offered work to 105,000 vendors, who collectively have earned more than £144 million.
Prince William and Dave appear side by side on the cover of the special issue, which went on sale across the UK on Monday, and features the Duke’s own account of the experience, alongside the shocked reactions of the public.
The royal, who celebrates his 40th birthday on Tuesday, praised the organisation for its “undeniable impact”.
“Thankfully there are brilliant, compassionate people working tirelessly to support those that find themselves in that vulnerable position and to provide opportunity when it is most needed.”
Scroll the gallery below to see photos of Prince William and Kate at the Royal Ascot.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Company%20profile
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
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