Former PM and future king launch joint campaign to change lives—and minds—on UK homelessness

A former Labour prime minister and a future king might seem unlikely allies, but this week in Sheffield, Gordon Brown and Prince William stood side by side, united by a shared mission: ending homelessness.

Marking the second anniversary of the Prince’s ambitious Homewards initiative, the duo announced a new partnership between Brown’s Multibank charity and William’s six-region homelessness campaign. The event, held in a gritty corner of Sheffield, became an emotional moment of unity and urgency in Britain’s long fight against poverty.

Brown, 73, known for his work in tackling child poverty during his time in office, now channels his efforts into Multibank—a project collecting and distributing essential goods to struggling families. He praised William’s relentless commitment: “His passion, his dedication, his commitment shone through.”

The admiration went both ways. William credited Brown’s decades of anti-poverty advocacy, calling the power of partnerships “what gives me hope.” He added, “When you work alone, the load feels heavier. But together—we move.”

Brown drew comparisons between William’s current work and his late mother Princess Diana’s groundbreaking HIV/AIDS advocacy in the 1980s. “She encouraged him to ask why people end up on the streets and what could be done,” Brown said. “He’s changing how people view homelessness.”

The partnership’s core focus? Prevention. In Sheffield, one of the six Homewards pilot areas, a new early-intervention scheme is targeting youth homelessness through school outreach—modelled on a successful Australian initiative that cut teenage homelessness by 40% in Geelong.

But the campaign’s setting reflected Britain’s deepening crisis. On one side of the street, a boarded-up building had “VOMIT” sprayed across its window; on the other, a green bin scrawled with “FAITH.” That symbolism wasn’t lost on attendees.

William spoke movingly about the dignity of placing someone in a real home. “You imagine it, then you see it happen—and suddenly there’s a mum and her kids in that house, safe. That’s the calm after chaos.”

Brown’s Multibank helps furnish those homes with donated items—from sofas to school shoes—ensuring more than just shelter. “This is about giving families stability,” Brown said. “It’s an investment in all our futures.”

The former PM’s remarks carried a sharp edge too, noting that today’s young homeless are “austerity’s children”—victims of a decade of underinvestment. He applauded William for helping “people who, through no fault of their own, just need help to get back on their feet.”

Beyond the practical, Brown said the Prince was reshaping public perceptions. “He’s getting people to see the homeless not as ‘down and outs,’ but as individuals with potential. And if you invest in that potential—you build stronger communities.”

Their quiet appearance in Sheffield caught even seasoned observers off-guard. Few expected a former PM and the Prince of Wales to stroll out of a modest venue, flanked not by flashbulbs but by hope.

“We’re seeing something big here,” Brown declared. And it did feel that way: a legacy politician and a modern royal, refusing to let homelessness remain a silent crisis.