Prince William embraces an astonished fan as he’s surrounded by excited students
Prince William had students shouting his name from the windows during his visit to Bournemouth and Poole College today as part of a trip for his Homewards campaign.
Prince William got an excitable welcome as he visited a college in Dorset today, with students screaming his name out of the window.
There were cries of ’we love Prince William ’, ’we love George, we Catherine, we love her’ and even several ’we hate Meghan’, which the royal didn’t appear to hear. The heir to the throne was at Bournemouth and Poole College to see how his homeless initiative Homewards has helped to bring local organisations together to create successful employment programmes.
The college boasts several courses including the Sunseeker Boat Building programme, barista training and carpentry. A large and vocal group of students greeted the prince as his car drove in before he went inside to meet adult students, some of whom had previously been homeless.
Bournemouth and Poole College, Sunseeker, and Faithworks have worked collaboratively to create a range of new employment pathways which are open to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness locally by Homewards BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) since September 2023.
Inside William was reunited with Daniel Matthews, whom he first met in 2023. He was previously homeless but was referred by Faithworks to the 12-week paid Sunseeker Boat Building Programme and is now a permanent employee at the firm.
The prince spoke of his admiration for what Daniel had achieved and how his experiences would "support and encourage others". He asked him: "What has happened since I last saw you a year and a bit ago?"Daniel said doing the course had guaranteed him an interview with Sunseeker which had transitioned into his new job. "Do you see the long term being a bit clearer for you now?" the prince asked.
"Yes I am in full time employment now, the thing I’ve been looking for," Daniel replied. He also spoke with college staff about the courses they offered and how the academics were only a small part of their ’job ready’ programmes, which also work on building up confidence and interpersonal skills. "The skills are just a part of it. There are all the human things they need to know too," William agreed.
Daniel then showed him several stands where students were displaying some of the boat-building skills they were learning and offered to try his hand at fitting some pipes for a freshwater engine.
Joking that It seemed a bit ’like Lego’, William gamely had a go, however at one point he remarked: "I hope they someone checks this before they put it in a boat. I don’t want to be responsible for it sinking." At the end he asked: "Have I passed, Daniel? Phew, thank goodness!"
Outside, the group of waiting students had grown even bigger, with some screaming how much they loved both himself and his family, but seemed less enamoured of his estranged sister-in-law. The prince had been due to go straight to his car but made a beeline for the excited students who started screaming "oh my God, oh my God, William!" He spent several minutes chatting and shaking hands. "Are you on lunch break?" he asked. "Hello, nice to see you."
He chatted to Natasha Gorry, 24, a student from Wimborne studying cookery, maths and English at the college. When she asked him for a hug he reached out and gave her a squeeze and a double high five.
"Go on, give me a hug. So nice to see you but you’ve got some lessons to go to now. I’m going to get you in trouble for keeping you out of your lessons now. You’ve got a free period now? When’s lunch break? You’ve brought the sun out today, it’s lovely," he said.
She said afterwards: "I am so happy. He gave me a hug. I love it. I’m excited. It’s my first time. I told him what course I was doing. He’s an amazing guy."
After the visit Sunseeker Boat Building Programme student Errol Mustafa, 45, explained that while he hadn’t been homeless, the course had given him a "new lease of life". He had given up work as a delivery driver and was retraining to drive HGV’s when he was asked whether he wanted to apply.
"I initially said I didn’t have any qualifications or skills but they said it didn’t matter. We are doing an apprentice scheme. I also told them ’you do know I am 45’ as I thought apprenticeships were usually for teenagers. But again they said I should apply," he said. He added: "It was surreal meeting Prince William and I told him how Sunseeker had also got me a level one in English and Maths. It’s really motivated me. I wouldn’t never have looked into further educational things without this.
"They have given me a second chance, just like he is trying to give to the homeless. I think what Prince William is trying to do is brilliant."
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