With a lived experience of being homeless in London, a group of guides now take tourists on unique walking tours of the city, offering new—and unheard—perspectives on some of the city’s most beloved neighborhoods in the process.

It’s an autumn afternoon on the north bank of the River Thames, and Viv steers us into the public gardens along Temple Place. She cuts a colorful figure, her lime-green lacquered fingertips jabbing the air excitedly as her speech hits the cold in breathy clouds.

We talk a while. Viv is a natural storyteller, sharing anecdotes about sipping free cocktails at the Savoy and meeting her long-time partner in a hand-out queue—before segueing into her introduction: “This is my bench. This is where I used to sleep. Welcome to my tour!”