Sleeping on the UK streets, addiction, inequality – and hope on a walking tour by the once homeless

After struggling with alcohol addiction for over ten years – during which his 20-year banking career and 30-year marriage both collapsed – a presentation in a rehab center in 2019 became the catalyst for Miles to turn his life around.

The presentation was by Invisible Cities, a UK organisation that, since its inception in 2016, has trained 118 formerly homeless people to become tour guides across several cities. This creative approach gives them not only a new income stream but also a new sense of purpose and skillset.

“This helped fill a void after I finished rehab,” says Miles. “This was the opportunity that first helped me back onto a path of a ‘normal’ life again and having a purpose.”

“I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunity Invisible Cities gave me. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Invisible Cities’ guides specialise in unique topics that reflect their own personal stories – such as a city’s LGBTQI history, notable women, protest culture, ties to witchcraft, or how crime and punishment have evolved – in the UK cities of Edinburgh, York, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Manchester.

Invisible Cities provides training for guides to create these “alternative walking tours,” as well as in public speaking and customer service skills. The organisation...

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