The Duke of Cambridge speech at Centrepoint's Gala 2016
Published
Whether fleeing war overseas, battling mental illness, enduring the dangers of sleeping on the streets, the young people of Centrepoint have come through experiences that could have broken the resolve of any one of us.
Good evening, ladies and gentleman,
Last time I was on this stage I performed a duet with Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift – Craig [David] and Ellie [Goulding] will be spared that horror tonight. And I'm delighted that Jonathan Ross has decided to rap later!
It’s a pleasure to be here tonight, among so many old and new friends at Centrepoint. This evening is a celebration of everything that young people are capable of when they are given the support that they need.
All of those nominated for this year’s Centrepoint Awards, now an annual event, deserve to be commended. They are Centrepoint’s legacy, the proof of the positive impact this extraordinary organisation has made for nearly 50 years now and I know will go on making.
My thanks go out to tonight’s organising committee and its remarkable Chair, Debra Reuben, for staging an event worthy of the many individual achievements made and raising awareness of this hugely important cause – the ending of youth homelessness.
I’m grateful too for the tireless work of Seyi and his team across the country: the support workers, the counsellors, the learning specialists. They are integral to all of the success stories you are about to hear.
Whether fleeing war overseas, battling mental illness, enduring the dangers of sleeping on the streets, the young people of Centrepoint have come through experiences that could have broken the resolve of any one of us.
About this time a few years ago, for one night, I gave up the warmth and comfort of my bed, and tried sleeping on the streets of London. Of course, this was just one night: I was cold but safe, and I knew I had a home waiting for me.
This Christmas as many as 25,000 young people will be at risk of homelessness. And remember this, behind that appalling statistic is a human being not much older than many of our children and grandchildren, who is alone, frightened and confronted with impossible choices.
Each year in the UK 150,000 young people turn to their local council for help. The scale of youth homelessness in this country is now shameful – it must not be ignored. As a society we have a clear duty to redouble our efforts, to do more to help.
I am really pleased, therefore, that Centrepoint will be launching the Centrepoint Helpline early next year, part of its Turnaround programme to end youth homelessness. The Helpline is an ambitious but much needed service to give information to young people who find themselves on the cusp of homelessness.
If we are serious about ending youth homelessness, the most effective solution is to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place. That means, giving young people practical guidance and support, putting them in touch with services, pointing them to organisations who can get them through the trouble they find themselves in. All this sounds obvious, but there is nothing out there right now that exists for young people in this predicament – so the Helpline will make a big difference.
The Helpline will be launched later this month with the support of various partners, and in particular I pay thanks on behalf of Centrepoint to Evgeny Lebedev for backing Centrepoint's vision. And more of this to come later this month.
Many of you here tonight are supporting Centrepoint individually or through your companies. To all of you, thank you – very much.
And I leave you all with one thought. No-one who Centrepoint helps has chosen the label 'homeless'. First and foremost, these young people are ordinary people – like our sons and daughters and friends; nothing different about them. The same hopes, the same anxieties, sense of adventure, and wanting to find their way in life – but life has dealt them a cruel hand: family breakdown, addiction, the wrong crowd, bullying, poor mental health.
So, my real thanks tonight goes to Centrepoint for consistently seeing beyond the label 'homeless' and seeing each young man and woman for who he or she is. That in itself is life-changing, and we need more of that in our society.
Thank you, Centrepoint – and I hope everyone has a good evening.
Related content
A speech by The Countess of Wessex in Kosovo
My commitment to them is that I shall also raise my own voice and continue to seek ways of ending the stigma they live with, push for opportunities for justice and encourage...
The Queen's message to the Governors and people of New South Wales and Queensland
Financial reports 2006-7
The Queen as Head of State continues to cost the taxpayer just 62 pence per person per year – less than the price of two first class stamps - Buckingham Palace announced today...
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Pakistan
The Duke of Sussex's speech at the WellChild Awards 2019
Each of you, through your heartfelt commitments, make it possible for these and other children to live the life that they deserve – at home, with their families
A speech delivered by The Duke of Cambridge at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan
The view from this hill would have been quite different when my grandmother, The Queen, first visited over half a century ago. Looking out, one would have seen the beginnings...
A speech delivered by The Duchess of Sussex at the Creative Industries and Business Reception, Johannesburg
At our visit this earlier this morning I was struck by a small sign that was posted on the wall for the female entrepreneurs – and it said: “visualize your highest self, and...
Remarks made by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex at the Youth Employment Services, Johannesburg
There’s so much ingenuity here, there’s so much promise here, that given the right level of support and resources that you need, the potential is astronomical, and you can see...
A speech delivered by The Duke of Sussex at the Youth Employment Services, Johannesburg
In my role as The Queen’s Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, I am so incredibly fortunate to meet young people who are determined to make a real difference and make their mark on...
The Queen has sent the following message to The President of France
A speech delivered by The Duke of Sussex at The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Dedication in Malawi
As The Queen’s Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, I am particularly proud of how this programme will create a physical legacy of Her Majesty’s leadership of the Commonwealth - not...
A speech by The Duke of Sussex at the visit to The Princess Diana Orthopaedic Centre, Huambo, Angola
I am humbled and honoured that my mother’s work and commitment to demining continues to inspire and that her legacy is being recognised and celebrated today with the naming of...
A speech delivered by The Duke of Sussex at a HALO Trust minefield, Dirico, Angola
Landmines are an unhealed scar of war. By clearing the landmines, we can help this community find peace, and with peace comes opportunity.
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the naming ceremony for the RRS Sir David Attenborough
The RRS Sir David Attenborough is a testament to the cutting-edge science and engineering expertise right here on Merseyside.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester reopen The Princess Alice Garden
Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi engaged to be married
A speech delivered by The Duchess of Sussex at the visit to The Justice Desk, Nyanga Township, South Africa
You have welcomed us into this community, have been open and honest with us, both about the dangers women and children face, and about how you are addressing them.
A speech by The Duke of Sussex at a visit to the Justice Desk, Cape Town, South Africa
We are so incredibly grateful to be able to listen and learn from you about the issues that define your daily lives in these communities. And that’s what this is, a community.
The Prince of Wales attends commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem
21 September 2019The Duchess of Cambridge visits Sunshine House to meet the Family Nurse Partnership team
19 September 2019A speech by The Countess of Wessex at the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya
Gender equality is a fundamental right but it is not yet the reality for many
The Earl of Wessex visits Malaysia and Australia with The Duke of Edinburgh International Award
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the opening of BAFTA Piccadilly
BAFTA is an excellent British institution, and a unique charity with a truly global reach.
A speech delivered by The Duchess of Sussex at the launch of the Smart Works capsule collection in London
As women, it is one hundred percent our responsibility, I think, to support and uplift each other
The Duchess of Sussex launches the Smart Set Capsule Collection for Smart Works
12 September 2019A speech by The Duke of Sussex at the Invictus Games Foundation 5th anniversary event
I think for me this has always been about the competitors and their families. What they represent, the strength and determination, the grit, every part of it.
A speech by The Duchess of Cambridge at the ‘Back to Nature’ festival at RHS Wisley Garden
The Back to Nature Festival is a fitting finale to a project I have been thrilled to be part of.
The Duke of Sussex's speech at the launch of Travalyst in Amsterdam
We have the opportunity to address this tourism paradox and turn one of the world’s biggest problems into one of its greatest solutions