Aim

"Help us train Belfast's first Invisible Cities guides — people who have experienced homelessness — to lead professional walking tours

Project Summary:
Invisible Cities is launching in Belfast — bringing our award-winning model of training people who have experienced homelessness to become professional walking tour guides to a new city. Every guide we train gains a real income, a new career, and a renewed sense of purpose. Your support will fund the training of our first cohort of Belfast guides, putting financial independence directly in the hands of people who need it most.

The Problem:
People who have experienced homelessness in Belfast face significant barriers to employment — stigma, gaps in their CV, lack of confidence, and limited access to training. Without a pathway into work, the cycle of homelessness is hard to break.

Our Solution:
Invisible Cities has a proven model. Since 2016 we have trained guides in Edinburgh, Cardiff, York,and beyond — transforming lives and changing how cities see their most marginalised residents. Now we're bringing that model to Belfast, in partnership with the Marion Centre of Excellence who will bring professional training and support to people so they can become amazing guides!

What your money will do:
Every pound raised will go directly towards training our first cohort of Belfast guides — covering training costs, guide accreditation, materials and mentoring support.

The Impact:
A trained Invisible Cities guide earns a real income from tourism. They gain confidence, skills, and a professional identity. And visitors to Belfast get an unforgettable, authentic experience of the city — told by someone who truly knows its streets.

Invisible Cities directly addresses financial insecurity by providing people who have experienced homelessness with the skills, accreditation and paid employment needed to take control of their financial futures.

Homelessness is both a cause and consequence of financial instability. People who have slept rough or lived in temporary accommodation frequently face insurmountable barriers to employment — gaps in their CV, lack of references, and deeply eroded confidence. Without a meaningful pathway into work, financial independence can feel permanently out of reach.

Our programme tackles this head on. Over six weeks, guides receive structured, accredited training in tour guiding, storytelling, customer service and professional development. Crucially, this is not volunteering — from the moment they qualify, guides earn a real income from every tour they lead, developing the financial confidence that comes from sustainable, professional work.

For many guides, this is the first stable income they have had in years. Earning money restores a sense of agency and self-worth that homelessness strips away. Guides report feeling more in control of their finances and more optimistic about their long-term future. Many go on to further employment or education.

Every tour sold generates direct income for a guide — creating a self-sustaining cycle of financial empowerment that continues long after the initial funding period ends.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th September 2026 at 7:42pm