The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales

Poet, Chris Lynam aka Words from the Shed, has shared ‘Flags’, a new piece written for Homewards to mark the festive season.   Chris – who recites the poem here - has his own lived experience of homelessness and now works for The Archer Project, a member of our Sheffield Coalition. In ‘Flags’, Chris’ words resonate so strongly at this time of year and reflect the hope and optimism we feel looking ahead to a new year. Thanks to all of Homewards’ Coalitions and Partners for their collaboration in 2024 – and wishing everyone a wonderful festive break.

This year’s ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service at Westminster Abbey reflected upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other - especially in the more difficult moments of our lives. It shone a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown kindness and empathy towards others in their communities.   Amanda Berry OBE, CEO of The Royal Foundation, shares her thoughts on the service, which will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve at 7.30pm.

"An unprecedented feat for the fight against illegal wildlife trade" – The Prince of Wales   We've recently been working with some of our brilliant global partners to support one of the largest wildlife repatriations ever. Following the seizure of almost 1000 endangered lemurs and tortoises in Thailand, our partners have been working tirelessly to get these animals safely back home 🐢   These situations are incredibly complex and costly but by working together across multiple organisations and geographies, these amazing animals have successfully made it back to Madagascar, where they belong.    Prince William commented, "We must look to this collaborative model for future operations to ensure we are acting swiftly and safely to remove animals from the hands of criminals and return them to their natural habitats.”   This wouldn't have been possible without our partners: UNODC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Wildlife Justice Commission, Qatar Airways Cargo, Airlink   See more on the story below ⬇️

Today, The Princess of Wales hosted her fourth 'Together at Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey. Supported by The Royal Foundation, this year’s service reflected upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the more difficult moments of our lives. It was wonderful to bring together individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy to others in their communities. Join us on Christmas Eve when the service will air as part of a special programme on ITV1 and will feature musical performances from guests including Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.

This December, communities across the UK are coming together to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. The 'Together at Christmas' initiative, led by The Royal Foundation, reminds us all of the importance of the core values of love and empathy at this time of year. Fifteen Community Carol Services across the UK will bring people in their local communities closer together this Christmas - a chance at the end of the year to reflect on community service and celebrate those who generously give their time to support others.    These services are inspired by The Princess of Wales’ service at Westminster Abbey. They acknowledge the extraordinary kindness and compassion demonstrated by individuals and organisations in local communities, honouring the local heroes who make a positive difference daily.    Last night, a service took place at Rochester Cathedral. The service recognised those who have gone above and beyond to help others. As the area has strong links to Charles Dickens, it featured a reading by Ollie Dickens, a direct descendant of Charles Dickens, in celebration of his iconic A Christmas Carol story.

Today we're celebrating this incredible feat against the illegal wildlife trade which wouldn't have been possible without the brilliant work of several United for Wildlife partners. This is what global collaboration is about - starting with the seizure conducted by the Thai authorities and supported by  UNODC, Wildlife Justice Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Repatriation of this scale is unprecedented and extremely difficult to orchestrate, moving almost 1000 endangered and vulnerable animals is challenging, complex and costly. This is why a huge thank you has to go to Qatar Airways and Airlink who have been able to quickly mobilise the repatriation of these amazing animals, completely free of charge, and the Madagascan authorities for receiving the animals. We're proud of the networks and partners that we work with that make feats like this a reality. Read more about the story in the comments⬇️

Have you watched Prince William: We Can End Homelessness yet?   The two-part documentary follows the first year of #Homewards - the five-year programme founded by The Prince and The Royal Foundation which aims to demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness.   We asked the Homewards partners what they thought and why it is an important watch. There is still the opportunity to catch up now on ITVX, STV player & Disney Plus.

Today, Prince William visited Newport to learn more about women’s homelessness in the area. Women's homelessness, and specifically women who face multiple disadvantages such as trauma, poverty and domestic abuse, have been identified as a key priority for Homewards Newport.   Homewards Advocate Dr. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton KFSM – who herself experienced homelessness in Newport – joined The Prince at The Nelson Trust, an incredible organisation who are working as part of the Homewards Newport Coalition to deliver trauma-informed support for women in the city. They also met local women who are part of a 'Women of Newport' photography series aimed at changing perceptions and demonstrating that recovery from homelessness is possible.   As part of today’s engagement, the Homewards Newport Coalition published a milestone report, the Newport Women’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.   The collaborative report – created by a Women’s Working Group brought together by Homewards Newport Coalition members – represents a significant collective effort to address the issues and inequalities women face in terms of health and homelessness. It will be a key tool for supporting action planning in shaping effective local policies and the best forms of intervention to improve the lives of women in Newport.    Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e3sjp676

Today marks the United Nations International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime. It also marks a week since United for Wildlife’s Global Summit, which brought together over 400 individuals from around the world who share the mission to end the illegal wildlife trade. The illegal wildlife trade is a key example of transnational organised crime, one that is driving an ever-devastating decline in our planets natural systems whilst undermining security and governance worldwide. Tackling this issue wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of rangers, indigenous peoples, local communities and nature protectors that dedicate themselves to the often-dangerous task of providing security to the natural world. In case you missed it, last week we announced a landmark package of support for rangers and those on the front line - led by those who protect nature, for those who protect nature, with a focus on setting best practices. Launched together with Tusk and Game Rangers' Association of Africa the first of its kind, five-year financial package will provide rangers across Africa with affordable insurance and medical evacuation cover together with opportunities for leadership training and development. Find out more in the video below ⬇️

We are pleased to announce that The Princess of Wales, supported by The Royal Foundation, will host her fourth 'Together at Christmas' Carol Service this December. This year’s service will reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the more difficult moments of our lives.    Westminster Abbey will be filled with 1,600 people, alongside Members of The Royal Family and other recognisable faces, who in their own ways have shown how love can help others thrive.   The service will air as part of a special programme on ITV and ITVX on Christmas Eve, and will feature musical performances from guests including Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter. In addition to the Westminster Abbey Service, fifteen ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Services will take place across the UK, hosted by Lord-Lieutenants and supported by The Royal Foundation. https://lnkd.in/eHFV6Be9