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This project successfully funded on 15th January 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Help Invisible Cities Reach 10 Cities in 10 Years
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Aim
Help Invisible Cities reach 10 cities in 10 years, empowering people with lived experience of homelessness through guided tours.
Our Story
Invisible Cities was founded to shine a light on people who too often feel Invisible. We train people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides, giving them the skills, confidence, and income to live their lives to the fullest. Our tours transform how visitors experience a city — going beyond the postcard and showing its history, culture, and stories through the eyes of those who live it.
Since starting in 2016 in Edinburgh, Scotland, we now also operate in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester, York and Cardiff. Next year, we will celebrate our 10th anniversary and have ambitious plans for it!
To date we have trained over 180 people in storytelling, public speaking, and practical guiding and currently have 21 guides running tour through the UK. By expanding further we want to bring the opportunity of employment and financial empowerment to more people who have experienced homelessness.
Our Team
Our guides are at the heart of what we do, supported with training, mentoring, and wellbeing resources to help them thrive personally and professionally. In all our cities, our training is opened to anyone, whether they already know they want to become a guide, or if they are simply figuring out the next steps in their lives.
Our unique training that also covers customer service, exploring the city and skills like first aid, is all about transferrable skills, whether people become employed as a guide or decide to pursue another employment or education opportunity. We keep our training cohorts small (maximum 8 people) and on average end up employing 25% of the people participating directly. Another 25% move on to other opportunities straight away. The rest may stay involved through volunteering or through our social programme, and about 20% may disengage.
By being present in 10 cities in 10 years we are wanting to increase the pace of our training, and increase the number of people we reach, not only in 4 new locations, but also in our existing cities.
Our Idea and Vision
We’ve already created lasting change in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester, York, and Cardiff. Now, we want to expand to four more cities, on our path to reaching 10 cities in 10 years. Our vision is a UK where people with lived experience of homelessness have the tools, confidence, and financial independence to shape their own futures — and where every city celebrates their stories.
We are all about changing the narrative when it comes to homelessness and showcase that if given an opportunity, everyone can shine. That is why in 2025 we have proudly started working with Homewards, first to launch in Aberdeen (and even welcoming Prince William himself onto a tour) and now to replicate what we do to other cities.
How We’ll Use the Money
Funds raised will:
- Launch in 4 new cities in the UK!
- Train and mentor new guides, giving them employability and wellbeing support. That is in our existing 6 locations but also in these new cities
- Create sustainable partnerships and income streams that allow guides to thrive
- Help us scale responsibly while keeping the focus on empowerment, storytelling, and community impact
Aviva Community Fund has provided £830 of match funding
Aviva Employee Giving has provided £120 of match funding
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made