The UK's Prince William has a new mission. He wants to end homelessness in his country. There are more than 300,000 people sleeping in doorways and on the streets across Britain. In London, the number of "rough sleepers" has increased by 20 per cent in the past year. William will follow the example set by his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. She took him to a homeless charity when he was a schoolboy. He said he would never forget the sadness he felt to see people without a home. William told reporters that: "In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home." He added that people should, "be treated with dignity and given the support they need".

Prince William helped to start a charity called Homewards. Its aim is to end rough sleeping, sofa surfing and temporary housing. He hopes to be as successful as Finland, where being without a home is almost a thing of the past. Homewards has a five-year project that will focus on six areas of the UK, including one part of London. After the five years, William hopes to widen the project to the whole of the country. He said: "Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and…give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented when we [help each other]." He added: "It's a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together, it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated."