Unseen Tours becomes the Intrepid Foundation’s first UK partner and reinforces Intrepid’s commitment to investing in and supporting local communities in the destinations where it operates.
Unseen Tours aims to create meaningful and fairly-paid work for people who have experienced homelessness, offering skills development and reliable income through guided walking tours. Each tour is created and led by a person affected by homelessness and explores London areas such as Brixton, London Bridge, King’s Cross, Canary Wharf, and Westminster.
Joanna Reeve, Intrepid general manager UK, said: “The latest figures show more than 382 000 people in England experience homelessness. Our partnership with a London-based social enterprise that’s empowering people through tourism and creating genuine and long-lasting impact aligns well with Intrepid’s values as a purpose-led business. We support communities all over the world and it is fantastic that we have now added our local London community to that list. We are excited about the future of this partnership and what we can achieve together."
Jasmine Awad, Unseen Tours CEO, added: “One in 45 Londoners experiences homelessness. Our goal is to create opportunities for people to learn new skills and earn an income. This partnership with Intrepid Travel is transformational as it creates a valuable funding stream and helps us reach more travellers. It also helps us show parts of London that often go unseen.”
Unseen Tours’ existing London tours will be available to book for customers travelling on Intrepid’s UK trips, and new tours are in development thanks to the foundation funding. UK travel agents can book these tours on behalf of their clients and obtain commission, by negotiation with Unseen Tours.
Last year, the Intrepid Foundation disbursed a record £1.8 million (+42% YoY) to more than 58 partner organisations across 45 countries. The foundation is Intrepid’s not-for-profit arm, supporting local partners addressing social and environmental issues in their communities.
Image courtesy of Unseen Tours.