Credit: Kensington Palace
His Royal Highness Prince William, has officially launched Invisible Cities in Aberdeen, a ground breaking social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides. With the support of The Royal Foundation and Homewards, the launch in Aberdeen is the start of expansion into six new cities. The initiative aims to challenge stereotypes, provide employment opportunities, and offer visitors a unique way to explore with walking tour guides.
Prince William joined the first ever tour and was taken through Aberdeen’s rich history and hidden stories. This milestone event was supported by Homewards, Prince William’s five-year programme which aims to demonstrate it is possible to end homelessness. The launch was also attended by key supporters, including Kip Parker from Raileasy who have just renewed their sponsorship of Invisible Cities for a further year.
Raileasy are an independent train ticket retailer who help customers find cheaper fares compared with train operators and ticketing company sites. Raileasy started supporting social enterprise Invisible Cities at the start of 2024 to aid the growth and expansion of their walking tours across the UK, making it easier for their teams and guides to travel between cities for training, events and meetings.
Speaking at the event, Founder Zakia Moulaoui said, “We believe that doing tourism differently can create significant social impact, and today’s launch proves just that. By training people with lived experience of homelessness to become guides, we are not only providing employment but also challenging perceptions and sharing the untold stories of our cities. We are honoured to have Prince William, and of course our supporters including Raileasy, join us in celebrating this next step in our mission to expand Invisible Cities even further across the UK.”
To find out more about Raileasy visit their website.
