Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, the chief fire officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, who experienced homelessness as a teenager, is an official advocate for Homewards, the Prince of Wales’ five-year initiative to address homelessness.
She visited Windsor Castle on Thursday to discuss the project with Prince William, noting his empathy for rough sleepers due to his own life experiences.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is the chief fire officer for West Sussex (Image: WSFRS)
As a teenager, Prince William experienced the trauma of losing his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who had taken him and his brother to homeless shelters to broaden their perspectives.
“He understands trauma, he does understand trauma,” said Ms. Cohen-Hatton.
She added: “He can see echoes of it in himself, I think, from that experience of trauma and how it affects you and the way you see things.”
Ms. Cohen-Hatton slept rough intermittently for two years from the age of 15 in her hometown of Newport, South Wales, after family life broke down following the death of a parent. She credits selling the Big Issue magazine with providing the funds and confidence to break the cycle.
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She emphasized the difficulty of accessing support during homelessness: “When you’re experiencing the constant threat and danger from the people around you, when you don’t have enough to eat, let alone enough to think, it’s really hard to reach out and take those services.”
For over 20 years, the senior fire officer did not discuss her period of homelessness due to the associated “stigma.” Now, as an advocate, she aims to “talk about changing the stigma and challenging people’s perceptions of homelessness.”
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton with Prince William at a Homewards event today (Image: Andrew Parsons/Kensington Royal)
Prince William is reportedly in almost daily contact with Homewards’ senior management and has been welcoming advocates like broadcaster Gail Porter and Ms. Cohen-Hatton to Windsor Castle for discussions.
Homelessness, in various forms—from children living in temporary accommodation to rough sleepers in the capital—has reached record highs.
Government statistics published in April showed 145,800 children in temporary accommodation by December 31 last year, up by a fifth from 20 years ago when records for this measure began.
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