IN one way, the homeless people who sleep rough or beg on York’s streets are very visible. They can be seen huddled in blankets and sleeping bags on street corners and in empty shop doorways. In another way, however, they are invisible. When was the last time you stopped to notice the person behind the label ‘homeless’, or to ask them about their life?

The new ‘Invisible York’ project which aims to train up homeless people on the city’s streets as tour guides is very well named, therefore. The project is modelled on a similar scheme which has worked very well in Edinburgh. Homeless people who want to take part will be given six weeks of training that will help them to develop the confidence and presentational skills needed to lead tour parties around the city. They will also each be assigned a mentor.

The idea will then be to develop tours based on what they want to talk about. In Edinburgh, these include trainspotting, powerful women, and crime and punishment. The money collected from the tours will go towards paying for accommodation, food, clothing, and even driving lessons - all skills that will help people get back on their feet, points out Kenny Lieske, director of community interest group Good Organisation whose idea the scheme is.

What a wonderful project. Apart from anything else, it will help to give those who take part their self-confidence and sense of self-worth back. It will make them part of society again. And who knows, it might even stop them being invisible.