Prince William meets homeless teens at Centrepoint hostel » Housing » 24dash.com

Prince William met homeless youngsters today on a private visit to a Centrepoint hostel.

The 24-year-old chatted to teenagers as he dropped in on a shelter to help with breakfast early this morning.

During the low-key visit in Soho, central London, William met some of those who would have been spending Christmas on the streets had it not been for the charity's support.

The Prince spoke to 18-year-old Ali Iyiguven, who is being helped through Centrepoint's Safe Stop campaign, which offers nine days of emergency accommodation to youngsters in danger of sleeping rough.

Diana, Princess of Wales, used to take William and his brother, Prince Harry, on secret visits to the charity's shelters when they were children.

She felt it was important for them to see the problems encountered by the homeless.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "William's aware that Christmas is an important time for the charity and wanted to highlight the work Centrepoint does.

"He wanted to thank staff and offer whatever support he could."

William was briefed on Centrepoint's Countdown To Christmas appeal which is trying to raise more than ?250,000 to help youngsters over the crucial festive period and beyond.

The Prince, who graduated from Sandhurst last week in front of girlfriend Kate Middleton, is patron of Centrepoint - a role which Diana held up until her death in 1997.

William joined the youngsters for a cup of tea and heard about their experiences and how they coped with the prospect of homelessness.

Mr Iyiguven said afterwards: "I was very surprised to see Prince William when I came down to breakfast.

"He was really nice and his voice doesn't sound like it does on TV. I was really nervous.

"We talked about how I had become homeless and why I was at Safe Stop.

"We also talked about the staff and how they are really nice and helpful and give you plenty of advice and seem to care about you."

Dressed in a grey wool sweater, light blue shirt and jeans, the Prince helped out in the kitchen, fetching bread - appropriately, for the second in line to the throne, Kingsmill - to make toast.

Former Centrepoint resident Stuart Cox, 24, who has met William before during one of his previous visits, chatted to the Prince.

"He really seemed to enjoy meeting everyone. He listens and connects with young people and their situations and makes people feel at ease,"
Mr Cox said.

"I met William when he announced his patronage during his original volunteering last year when I had the opportunity to talk about my own personal situation.

"He came across genuinely interested in my circumstances and that of the other young people he met. At Christmas it is a real boost."

Anthony Lawton, Centrepoint chief executive, said he updated William on the charity's current projects.

"I also briefed him on recent successes, including our new partnership with the property industry charity, Land Aid and our ideas for a new Centrepoint Gospel Choir which we hope may turn out go to be good enough for the Concert For Diana," he said.

In January 1996, when William was 13 and Harry was only 11, their private trip to meet residents at another Centrepoint night shelter in Soho with Diana was leaked to the media.

The young Princes met the 25 teenagers staying there, talking to them in the canteen and listening to their problems.

Centrepoint is one of the organisations which will benefit from the Concert For Diana which William and Harry are organising next summer in memory of their mother.

It was one of Diana's favourite causes and one of the six organisations of which she remained patron when she scaled down her charitable interests.

Last year, William spent two days volunteering with the charity in London.

He served breakfast and lunch and acted as a care worker helping people to find temporary housing and fill in accommodation and benefit forms.

Two years ago, he visited a homelessness charity in Newport, South Wales, with the Prince of Wales as part of a series of engagements to mark his 21st birthday.

Centrepoint was started in the winter of 1969, when a young curate, Ken Leech, opened the basement of his church, St Anne's in Soho, to help people sleeping rough in London's West End.

As well as projects outside the capital, there are now 16 services across London for 16 to 25-year-olds including young ex-offenders'
accommodation, a centre for pregnant women and single mothers, and Safe Stop.

Copyright Press Association 2006.