Charles HRH to ask businesses to help the homeless
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Ready to Work programme, and Prince Charles is expected to deliver a speech calling on businesses to work with homeless people to get them back into employment. So far the scheme has helped 2,000 people back into work by providing work placements, mentoring and ongoing support for the homeless.
The Prince, who is president of Business in the Community, will visit a refurbished former hostel in Camden and meet those whom the scheme has helped so far. In a speech at the event, he is expected to say:
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“In the last six months the number of homeless people has begun to rise and I fear this trend will continue. It is estimated that there are some 20,000 people in this country who are either homeless, or who have experienced homelessness, who could be back at work but are not.”
He will also meet several other key figures including John Varley, former chief executive of Barclays and now chairman of Business Action on Homelessness. Mr Varley stated that he believes employment is one of the most effective routes out of homelessness, adding: “Businesses should be part of the solution – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it offers great business benefits.”
