Making a difference
We were honoured to be asked to work on a momentous event in collaboration with The Prince of Wales and East Belfast Mission’s Hosford Homes to launch their partnership as part of his ‘Homewards’ project. A UK-wide five-year locally led programme which will demonstrate that together it is possible to end homelessness.
01.
On Message
The announcement that HRH Prince William and his team had selected Hosford Homes to collaborate with was to be made during a visit to the Skainos Centre where East Belfast Mission operates from on the city’s Newtownards Road. East Belfast Mission (EBM) has been helping homeless people and families for over 25-years through its Hosford Homelessness Services. It provides a 26-bedroom hostel and a wide range of wrap-around care and support.
The charity is now beginning to develop affordable accommodation to provide a new route out of homelessness for those who can’t access private rentals. The HRH Prince William was all set to visit EBM’s new 240 Project on the Newtownards Road which is transforming an empty building into six private apartments.
02.
Sussing Strategy
Part of the schedule included The Prince meeting key stakeholders and service users, having a roundtable discussion with representatives from NI’s housing sector, meeting volunteers from EBM and being briefed on the nearby 240 Project which is currently being renovated.
The next phase was to be a walk through in the Skainos Atrium where Hosford would require display material to showcase their work.
03.
Design & Build
We designed a selection of six 1 metre x 1,400mm Foamex boards, each 6mm thick, for strategic placement on easels throughout the atrium. These boards were intended to be a central element of the walkthrough experience, allowing HRH Prince William to engage with and be presented with the work completed to date. This included detailed visuals and plans for a new phase of private homes integral to the project’s overarching goal of eradicating homelessness. The arrangement aimed to provide a comprehensive and visually appealing representation of the project’s progress and future ambitions, making it easy for HRH to grasp the scope and impact of the initiative.
Following the walkthrough, HRH Prince William would be seated on a sofa nearby, providing a comfortable setting for further discussions with representatives. During this conversation, the boards would serve as essential reference points, facilitating a deeper understanding and discussion of the project’s milestones and future directions. This setup was meticulously planned to ensure that HRH could have an immersive and informative experience, seamlessly transitioning from a visual overview to an in-depth dialogue with key project stakeholders. The aim was to create an engaging and interactive environment that highlighted the project’s dedication to addressing homelessness through innovative housing solutions.
04.
Measuring success
Due to the nature of the security process, this was a sensitive project and one that had to be carried out in strictest confidence and within a tight timeframe which our design and production team managed perfectly. The feedback on the day and afterwards was fantastic and The Royal Foundation pinned a Tweet showing HRH Prince William in front of the boards following the event which was a proud moment for Platform. We were deslighted to be involved in such a meaningful and impactful project and our graphic designer awaits news of the next new years honours list for his services.