Prince WIliam met with several homeless and former homeless women in Newport today where he was with the Nelson Trust, as one woman told him she wants to use her experiences to help others

Prince William praised the courage of a woman who turned her life around after being made homeless as a teenager saying: “I’m not sure I would have come out the other side like you”.

The Prince of Wales took his crusade to end homelessness on the road today, travelling to Newport to hear about the city’s efforts to tackle homelessness, particularly among vulnerable women. William met several women who had found themselves homeless before coming into contact with the Nelson Trust, a women’s support service working across Wales, Bristol and surrounding areas.

Among them were five women helping to raise awareness of the issues and have taken part in a special photography series called “Women of Newport”. Rebecca, 32, a care assistant who told the Prince she was living on the streets at 16 before attempting suicide following the deaths of both her partner and her father.

The heir met with several women affected by homelessness ( 
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She said she had no support when she was growing up but was proud of who she was today, focused on her two young daughters and “making happiness without money”. She told the Prince she now wanted to use her experiences to help other “lost teenagers”.

William was clearly impressed with her attitude, telling her she should be “so proud” of herself. “You seem like a force of nature Rebecca,” he said.

“We need more Rebeccas in the world. You have been through more things than most people go through in their entire lifetime. I’m not sure I would have come out the other side like you.”

William said she wants to be a “disrupter” to homelessness ( 
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The future king also said he wanted to play the role of “disruptor” in his fight against homelessness as he encouraged those working in the sector to “throw the paperwork up in the air”. William, 42, told a group of business leaders and charity representatives he wanted them to throw off the “shackles” of their experience and take a different approach.

“I say that not to belittle you,” he said. “But it’s, how do we break it down, give you the freedom to think differently and try new things? I can be the slight disruptor here and say to you all to think very differently, outside the box, because this is unique, what you’re doing… let’s be really ambitious and almost throw the paperwork up in the air and see how it lands.”

Rebecca said afterwards that the Prince’s comments had made her feel “it was all worthwhile”. She said: “I wouldn’t change a thing for me to be where I am today.

William during today’s visit to Homewards Newport ( 
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“He’s moved me to the point where I feel like I could do anything now. He’s given me that boost of confidence I needed, because I do struggle with confidence and esteem but I can’t believe how much today has lifted my morale.”

Newport is one of six pilot locations the Prince is aiming to put a path towards ending homelessness by mid-2028 through his ambitious Homewards initiative. Women’s homelessness has been identified as a key priority in the city due to rising numbers, specifically among those who face multiple issues such as trauma, poverty and domestic abuse.

The Prince earlier made a private visit to a women’s support service to speak to victims of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation before joining local women who have experienced homelessness. He was joined by Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, chief fire officer at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and a Homewards advocate who experienced homelessness as a teenager in Newport.

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton during today’s visit ( 
Image:
Getty Images)Ms Cohen-Hatton said afterwards they had had several “powerful” conversations. “I think hearing about people’s experiences helps inform how he can direct Homewards to help,” she said. “One of the questions the Prince was asking throughout was how Homewards is making a difference and how it can help with the pinch points and the gaps.”

Women are often more susceptible to experiencing “hidden homelessness” than men, as they are less likely to rough sleep due to safety fears, resulting in sofa surfing, or sleeping on public transport.

The Prince’s visit coincided with the release of a report compiled by the Homewards Newport Coalition which identified specific local issues and made specific recommendations to help prevent women’s homelessness.