Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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August – September 2026 : Here and now READ ONLINE

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Tour guide

August 01 2026
An Unseen Tour. © Jennie Blythe An Unseen Tour. © Jennie Blythe

An introduction to Unseen Tours, the group employing people with experience of homelessness to tell their stories of London. 
By Tyffany Choi

Unseen Tours is a social enterprise that trains and employs people with lived experience of homelessness to become tour guides in London. We are a small team with a big mission: to challenge perceptions of homelessness by telling stories that are not often heard. 


The global issue

The prevalence of homelessness is something that all countries have in common. Whether you are sleeping rough on the streets, or living in a shelter while employed, most causes of homelessness remain a lack of affordable housing, cuts to social services and declining public housing. While each country has its own failings, homelessness remains misunderstood around the world. Public perception continues to largely be shaped by stereotypes rather than genuine personal connection, the supply of affordable housing continues to shrink and the global issue continues to intensify.

At Unseen Tours, we believe in the power of grassroots movements. Individuals who have experienced homelessness face major challenges in both employment and social inclusion. Through our work, we aim to address these issues the best way we know how.


What we do

Unseen Tours currently hosts tours of Canary Wharf, Brixton, King’s Cross and London Bridge. Each tour is unique to its guide. While we work with the guide in training, development and research, it is the guide that chooses the route and writes the script.

For example, Rah created our Brixton tour, having grown up there knowing all about its ‘unseen’ nooks and crannies. He focuses specifically on community migration and transport history. He uncovers how migration and London’s ever-evolving transport networks have shaped the area, discussing cultural icons like David Bowie to lesser-known figures like Elsie Burrell. He reflects on his own experiences of homelessness, and how Brixton and Stockwell have changed since his childhood, alongside the neighbourhood’s social realities today.

On a different side of London, Stefan leads our tour of Canary Wharf. He starts at West India Quay and ends at the Docklands Museum, diving into the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the lives of dockworkers. As customers admire the view of Canary Wharf’s modern commercial architecture, Stefan’s tour focuses more on the legacy of the British slave trade and comparisons between historical and modern exploitation. As with Rah’s tour, Stefan presents his story in engaging and interactive ways. Each tour is unique, curated and adaptable to the audience – and always underlined by local history and contemporary challenges.


‘Walk With Us’ youth programme

Despite our name, we offer more than just walking tours. Recently, we were supported by a Greater London Authority grant to create Walk With Us, a youth programme engaging 14 to 24-year-olds to learn more about less visible sides of the city, while taking part in meaningful physical activity.

In late spring, we partnered with London youth charity XLP to host a group of young people on the Walk With Us, where they helped us ideate and co-create a new tour of Shoreditch and Brick Lane, as well as engage in gamified versions of our tours in Canary Wharf in the form of a scavenger hunt.

Ultimately, Walk With Us was a hugely energising endeavour for Unseen Tours. Finding creative ways to engage the young people of disparate backgrounds with local culture deeply connected with one of our core missions to educate the public on the different causes and historical precedences of homelessness. As we now have a working model for youth engagement, in the future we hope to further gamify our tours to reach younger generations.


Next steps

Unseen Tours is always looking to expand and currently we are hiring new guides. Our guides are sociable, dedicated and resilient. They are unique individuals that value storytelling and meeting new people from across the world. They are able to research and host tours for extended periods of time. Above all are committed and passionate about their work. If you think this role might be a good fit for you, or you know someone suitable, email us at enquiries@unseentours.org.uk

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August – September 2026 : Here and now

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