Prince of Wales speaking at London Tech Week
The Prince of Wales will attend London Tech Week for the first time to highlight how data and technology can play a critical role in preventing homelessness.
The Prince will convene senior leaders from major businesses, including Salesforce, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and NatWest Group, for a panel discussion (11-11:30am, Wednesday 10th June) examining how data and technology can help identify those at risk of homelessness at earlier stages, and drive intervention to stop it happening in the first place. This panel will be hosted by Jake Humphrey, Entrepreneur and Podcaster.
The discussion will focus on how risk can be identified earlier, how frontline services can be better supported through the more efficient use of technology, and why data and tech leaders have a crucial role to play in preventing homelessness.
Homewards, The Prince’s initiative, is an official partner of London Tech Week, marking the first time homelessness prevention has featured on the event’s agenda. This signals a critical shift in recognising how the tools and capabilities shaping modern business can also play a role in preventing homelessness earlier, when warning signs first emerge.
Homewards was launched by The Prince of Wales in 2023 with the aim of demonstrating that it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated. The partnership with London Tech Week builds on Homewards’ evidence-led approach, grounded in the understanding that homelessness can be predictable, and therefore, with the right partnerships in place, preventable.
Through its work across its six flagship locations, Homewards has engaged a wide range of partners, including those at the forefront of tech innovation, to show that prevention must operate across all levels of society. Conversations and projects presented during London Tech Week will demonstrate that businesses have an important role to play alongside local leaders, services and communities in helping systems to act earlier and work better.
Alongside His Royal Highness’s panel, two dedicated Homewards sessions will feature across the programme, including a pitch session where five entrepreneurs will showcase tech projects from across the Homewards locations aimed at preventing homelessness. Throughout the week, a house-shaped stand will also offer a physical presence on site, giving attendees the opportunity to learn more about Homewards and explore how they can play a role in prevention.
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Image: Meeting of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Declaration signatories in London, 1 November 2017. (Author: Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (Source: Wikimedia)
