Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge join Prince William in backing homeless helpline campaign

Ed Cumming11 January 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Harry today to give our Christmas appeal a royal seal of approval.

They visited The Mix, Centrepoint’s partner charity for the Evening Standard’s Young and Homeless Helpline appeal, to thank volunteers.

The royals also attended the Heads Together Christmas party, hosted by the Mix.

The new helpline will, for the first time, give young homeless people, and those at risk of ending up on the streets, a national freephone number for advisers who can link them to the services they need.

The Royals visit The Mix

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On arrival at the Harrow Club, a centre for young people in west London, the royal party - the Duchess dressed in a festive red and green dress and the Duke and Prince Harry in dark blue suits - were met by both volunteers and those who use The Mix’s services.

The Mix: Kate, William and Harry visited the charity and learnt about how it helps young people (PA)
Kensington Palace/PA

They were then shown how the charity connects young people with experts and their peers for advice on everything from jobs to relationship problems and drugs and why it will be such a key partner for delivering the new homelessness helpline.

Christmas party: The Duchess wore a festive red and green dress (PA)
Yui Mok/PA

The Duke attended a session with Centrepoint counsellors, where he asked about what more could be done to raise awareness of the services available to young people and was told how the new helpline could make a real difference.

Prince Harry went to a role-playing session on how best to help young people who might feel suicidal.

The Duchess of Cambridge attended a training session for volunteers on hosting online live chats.

The three then joined The Mix’s Christmas party, making decorations, drinking tea and listening to music played by a DJ.

Royal visit: The Mix is a partner charity to youth homelessness charity Centrepoint (PA)
Yui Mok/PA

“We are delighted that their royal highnesses joined us,” said Chris Martin, The Mix’s chief executive.

“One of the problems young people face is the difficult and chaotic journey trying to get information. At the moment about 20 per cent of the calls we receive are about homelessness.

“We’re working side by side with Centrepoint, and their counsellors are helping to train our volunteers to be even more efficient at dealing with homelessness. A single helpline with a lot of expertise, which can tell young people where to go and what to do — and also provide listening support— will be hugely powerful.”

The Mix, which helps people aged under 25 facing issues such as drug dependency, mental health problems or family breakdown, will work with Centrepoint to deliver the helpline.

The two charities will share a call centre and work together to answer phones.

Callers will be passed between the services depending on the type of support they need.

The Evening Standard’s Christmas appeal was launched in response to a call for action by Prince William, Centrepoint’s patron, in November, for more to be done to combat the “shameful” levels of youth homelessness.

“If we are serious about ending homelessness,” Prince William said, “the most effective solution is to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place.”

Currently more than 150,000 young people seek help with homelessness from their local authorities each year.

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