ANNUAL REPORT 2023
2023 has been another year of hard work and growth for Invisible Cities. Fully coming out of the COVID 19 Pandemic has not been easy but we are glad to see the full return of guests on our tours as well as the organisation of many events and conferences. After years of preparations, we have also finally launched in Cardiff with our partner: The Wallich. We are proud to say we continue working on our launch in Liverpool and even a brand new area for us: The Scottish Borders. This new challenge will pave the way for what our activities can look like in a more rural area. This report details all the amazing work taking place in our cities through the UK, which has only been made possible thanks to the support and trust from our partners*, clients and guests and of course the hard work from our team and guides, who are at the heart of everything we do.
*The partners and supporters mentioned here are a small part of all the wonderful organisations we work with all year round.
118
2023 IN NUMBERS
People Trained to date*
*16
4
4212 4212
18
Guests on tours
Brand new guides
this year alone!
Presentations delivered
How we create change FOR OUR GUESTS
We raise awareness of homelessness and break down the stigma that exists around it. We educate on our cities and go beyond the postcard- via our tours or our content
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
We organise events and campaigns in our communities to support people who are not ready for training yet. We organise free tours so people who cannot afford them can still discover our cities in a unique way.
FOR OUR GUIDES
We train guides on transferrable skills and employ them to deliver tours. We organise visits to world class venues and organisations so they can learn about their cities. We work one-on-one so they can set goals and move on to positive opportunities in employment, or education.
FOR OUR INDUSTRY
We speak at events and meet with stakeholders so we can build a more inclusive tourism and hospitality industry. We want employers to see the potential in our trainees and guides and start thinking about sustainable tourism with people in mind.
Our Tours Our tours are designed by our guides themselves and based on stories and themes they are passionate about. We may run general tours or have guides learn each others’ themes so we can run them more smoothly.
Some of the organisations who came on our tours
changing perceptions After each tour, we ask guests for feedback. This is what they have said in 2023: 100% would recommend us to a friend 98% changed their perception of homelessness 70% mentioned they learnt unknown facts about our cities!
I can't believe more people aren't on these tours, they are great, and have such a clear, positive message. Ellen, after Invisible (York) Tour
John was an inspiration. His knowledge is impressive and enthusiasm contagious. Steve after Invisible (Cardiff) Tour
Our tours have consistently received 5 star reviews across all platforms, making us a TripAdvisor’s Choice for 2023
Our Training In each of our cities, we run training for people who have experienced homelessness to become more confident, increase their public speaking and customer service skills as well as design their own tours. Part of the process also involves going for an interview for those wanting to move on and become guides (though this is not mandatory). We only recruit guides from the groups of people we have trained but not all those who have trained become guides. All year round we also organise on-going life skill training for our present and past guides/trainees.
Some of the Lifeskills Sessions we have delivered IT Skills
Gambling Support
They supported our Training in 2023
Budgeting Budgeting
Yoga/ Wellness
what being part of our team means We work with all our guides, trainees and supported volunteers to create a sense of belonging and encourage positive relationships all around. We asked our Scotland based team what being part of the Invisible Cities team meant to them.
Our impact on trainees and guides We asked people we support how they felt their involvement with Invisible Cities impacted their lives. This is what they said:
Have improved their confidence but still need to work on it!
Have somewhat improved their employability skills
10%
30%
Have definitely improved their confidence
Have definitely improved their employability skills
Feel they have achieved the goals they had set for themselves 70%
90%
What they said they have gained from being part of Invisible Cities:
respect team spirit guidance opportunities
100%
City Highlight: Invisible (Cardiff) After announcing our partnership with The Wallich, Wales’ Leading Homelessness Charity to launch Invisible (Cardiff) we were finally able to start training our first cohort (8 people) and officially welcome one guide (John) and one marshall (Mags) to the team!
Invisible (Cardiff) is a collaboration between Invisible Cities and The Wallich with support from the Museum of Wales and with funding from the Heritage Fund. In Cardiff, tours run every Friday and Saturday afternoons. John takes you to the sites where protests have animated the city and paved the way for change.
I learned loads about Cardiff from John's unique perspective, and it made me love this city even more.
moving forward Invisible Cities aims to be a stepping stone towards other opportunities for our trainees, guides and supported volunteers. We organise one to one meetings with everyone so they can clearly define what their goals are and help them achieve them.
In 2023 these have included Volunteering
Qualifying to be a lifeguard
Creating Social Media campaigns for us!
Gaining Full time employment
This year, we have launch a grant programme, in partnership with homelessness charity Crisis. Opened to every past and present trainee, guide and supported volunteer, in any of our cities, the programme provides funding for courses, starting up businesses or other opportunities to gain employment.
testimony- angus “I did my initial training with Invisible Cities at the end of 2017. At that time I was selling The Big Issue, which I had been doing since 2009 when I was living in a hostel in Edinburgh. The training was fast paced with plenty to learn. We also had some fun and formed new friendships. One of the most important thing I learnt was group management. Invisible Cities is much more than a tour guiding organisation, we meet regularly and enjoy social and educational events. We sailed on a canal boat, visited a textile exhibition, had day trips to various places and I even learned to use a sewing machine. At 67 creaky years old I have now stepped down to write a book, also about Scotland's languages which Invisible Cities continues to support me with.”
Community tours through the uk Our Community Tours are offered to guests who otherwise would not be able to afford them. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to discover our cities in a unique way, no matter where they come from or what their current situation is.
569
guests have come on our free tours in 2023
Some of the organisations guests have come from
These tours are kindly funded by
Please do keep running these tours - it's wonderful to see the city differently and meet other people!
83.3% of tour guests reported the walks have helped with their mental health
Walking around and engaging in conversation with people has been lifechanging for me!
media We raise awareness of our mission and our work through the media. In 2023 we were feature on:
The Invisible Cities Team on Steph’s Packed Lunch- Channel 4
meet the team 2 marshalls 14 Guides
Zakia - Founder & CEO
8 volunteers
Michaela & Craig-Scotland Catherine-Manchester
Julia-Cardiff
Kenny-York
international activities In 2023, we have expanded our horizons by taking part in international events, speaking to a global audience about the work we do and scoping out potential partners for our future expansion. Our York guide Miles spoke about his experience at Arival Berlin in March
Our CEO took part in Tartan Week in NYC in April
We pitched at Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido in September
both events were kindly supported by
Our participation was supported by
what the future holds Everyone at Invisible Cities is looking forward to 2024: to continue training and providing positive opportunities to people who have experienced homelessness in our cities. We will also welcome thousands of guests onto our tours- especially in the two cities and areas we are yet to launch: Liverpool and the Scottish Borders! We are also working on launching in more locations in the UK....and even internationally.
Changing the Tourism Industry for the better
As we expand our work through the UK and internationally we also deepen our connections within the Tourism Industry. In 2024 we have ambitions to work even more closely with partners and employers so we can really highlight that everyone has talent, no matter where they come from. To do so, we will continue to speak at events or provide award-winning tours to delegates so they can discover our cities differently!
thank you to supporters and funders
Invisible Cities info@invisible-cities.org www.invisible-cities.org
Illustrations by Nicola Boon Photos: Invisible Cities Team & Emma Ledwith