Prince William “truly believes” homelessness can be ended as he prepares to mark the first anniversary of his Homewards project today.

Prince William will visit Lambeth in south London today, where last June he launched his five-year plan to tackle homelessness in the UK – putting a stop to the social issue before it happens.

The project, which received £3m of funding from his Royal Foundation, focuses on six flagship locations: Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield.

The Homewards team spent the first 12 months building collaborations between the public, private and third sectors before introducing an action plan in each location in its second year.

MaWilliam’s dedication to tackling homelessness reflects his understanding of the “trauma” experienced by rough sleepers, an official advocate for the project has suggested.

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, chief fire officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, who experienced homelessness as a teenager said: “He understands trauma… He can see echoes of it in himself I think, from that experience of trauma and how it affects you and how it affects the way you see things.”

Ms Cohen-Hatton slept rough intermittently for two years from the age of 15 in her home town of Newport, South Wales after family life broke down following the death of a parent, and she credits selling the Big Issue magazine as providing the funds and confidence to break the cycle.

She said that it is difficult to access support while homeless and hails Homewards for trying to prevent it before it happens.