BoConcept Scotland are proud to host a unique ‘Sit Down for Change’ charity art auction in aid of Social Bite and the Scottish Government’s mission to eradicate homelessness within the next five years. Continue reading Sit Down for Change: charity art auction supports campaign to end homelessness
Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park initiative has raised over £500,000 in only three weeks. The social business is on an ambitious mission to work with others to end homelessness in Scotland within five years (see below), and more than 2,000 people have already pledged to sleep out at the Sleep in the Park event in Princes Street Gardens on December 9th.
Fifteen families have also signed up to offer a spare room and 28 companies are offering job opportunities to homeless people.
Up to ten thousand people are expected to ‘sleep rough’at the event, which has been billed ‘Live Aid for Scottish Homelessness’. Attractions include:
Social Bite has set a fundraising target of £4m and is looking to generate 1,000 employment offers and 1,000 ‘spare room’ supported lodging pledges.
To register to participate, go to sleepinthepark.co.uk
Social Bite’s waterfront village homes to be ready by Christmas
A new village for homeless people will be up and running before Christmas. The Social Bite Village on Granton’s waterfront will be made up of 10 two-bedroom homes that can be moved and transported. Continue reading New homes for Christmas
Employees from the Skanska’s facilities management business are taking part in a twelve-hour cycling event to raise money for the Edinburgh-based charity the Social Bite Fund today.
The Social Bite Fund helps homeless people, and runs a number of food shops in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The organisation also offers a range of employment and training opportunities for vulnerable or homeless people.
Twenty people from Skanska will take part on Friday (June 16) between 7.00am and 7.00pm. The idea is that while individuals cycle for smaller periods of time, someone will always be cycling during the marathon 12- hour stretch.
The event will take place at The Fountain spin studio in Eurocentral, Glasgow. A number of employees from the Midlothian and Edinburgh areas are also participating in related activities in those areas.
The event has been organised by Skanska’s Susan Weir, who said: “We hope to raise as much as possible for the Social Bite Fund. It’ll be exhausting, but worth it, in order to help the homeless.”
Last night, Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, joined over 250 CEOs from across Scotland who slept out rough in Charlotte Square in aid of the final push from Social Bite to raise money to build the first ever village for homeless people in Edinburgh. Continue reading Hundreds ‘sleep rough’ to support Social Bite village
The winners of the 2016 Observer Food Monthly Awards, supported by AO.com, were announced at a ceremony in London on Thursday – and Edinburgh was among the winners. Social bite received the outstanding achievement award (Social Bite’s Josh Littlejohn pictured above) and Edinburgh food blogger Kerry Teakle was also honoured at the event, winning best reader’s recipe. Continue reading City shares in Observer Food Awards
Addtional £0.5 million to support new not-for-profit companies
Individuals looking to start up new businesses that improve people’s life chances will continue to benefit from dedicated funding and support. The Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund will receive a further £500,000 from April to find and nurture entrepreneurs with a social or environmental mission.
Under the Fund, people with ideas for viable businesses that can help vulnerable people can apply for advice, support and start-up funding. Since its launch in 2009, the Social Entrepreneurs Fund has helped more than 280 people test and develop their enterprising ideas.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Alex Neil was today at one of Edinburgh’s Social Bite cafés, where pre-paid meals feed the homeless and its profits go to charity. Around a third of Social Bite’s employees have suffered from homelessness.
The Social Entrepreneurs Fund will be managed by business support company Firstport.
Mr Neil said: “Social enterprises do tremendous work to help the most vulnerable people by improving their confidence and boosting skills, while tackling inequalities in society and growing the economy.
“The Social Entrepreneurs Fund has already made a huge difference to the lives of many. and our sustained investment will help ensure that social entrepreneurs get the support they need to get their businesses off the ground.
“Social Bite is just one great example of how the Fund is helping new business go from strength to strength. Already a popular café and having smashed its Christmas appeal to give homeless people meals, it’s looking to expand and is great role model for other businesses to follow.”
Social Bite hit the headlines over the holiday period when a social media appeal to give homeless people a Christmas dinner went viral – the social enterprise had hoped to raise enough money to pay for 800 plates of turkey over Christmas by asking for £5 donations but instead received enough for more than 36,000 dinners!
Josh Littlejohn of Social Bite said: “Social Bite has greatly benefited from the funding and advice provided by Firstport and the Social Entrepreneurs Fund. We now employ 45 people, including 14 from homeless backgrounds and importantly our customers have the benefit of knowing that they are supporting a good cause when they purchase food from our shops.
“I believe that social enterprise will become a bigger part of the economy and will be able to take on the big profit maximising chains.”
The Minister also met Bruce Gunn, owner of socially-driven courier company Delivered Next Day Personally and Fiona MacNeil, owner of Gilded Lily which runs programmes to support women from disadvantaged backgrounds into social enterprise during his visit.
Firstport chief executive Karen McGregor said: “Recent economic challenges means that social problems in Scotland are more pressing than ever. This has driven an even stronger interest in the concept of social entrepeneurship and it’s ability to transform lives and communities.
“We are delighted that the Scottish Government recognises this potential by further investment in the Social Entrepeneurs Fund, which combined with Firstport’s free business advice and resources, really strengthens the support available to budding social entrepreneurs throughout Scotland.”
Hundreds of homeless people in Edinburgh will enjoy Christmas dinner today – and meals for months to come – thanks to the generosity of ‘ordinary’ people from all over the world.
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of social enterprise sandwich shop Social Bite, said he has been ‘blown away’ by the public’s response to a social media appeal.
Social Bite teamed up with the Itison.com deal site and asked people to make a £5 donation, and the response was immediate – within hours of the promotion going online 7000 vouchers had been sold!
Josh and partner Alice Thomson had hoped to raise enough to pay for 800 meals but public response to the appeal was incredible – Social Bite received enough pledges for 35,000 plates of turkey!
That fantastic public response means they will be able to feed homeless people all next year at their Edinburgh and Glasgow shops.
Social Bite gives 100% of its profits to charity and recruits people from homeless backgrounds. They have two premises in Edinburgh (Rose Street and Shandwick Place), one in Glasgow and plan to open in Aberdeen and Dundee next year.
Mr Littlejohn said the reaction on Twitter and Facebook had been ‘amazing’ with donations coming from all over the world – people from as far afield as Romania, Nepal and the United States contributed to the appeal.
He told the BBC: “Nicola Sturgeon bought one. Michelle Mone put a thing on her Twitter about how she bought one and then someone said ‘I’ll buy a hundred Christmas dinners if I can take you out for dinner’, and she said ‘If you buy 200 it’s a deal.’
“Two other guys chipped in and said ‘I’ll buy 200 to take you out’, so I think she’s got three dinner dates but she helped us sell 600 dinners! It just shows Christmas spirit is alive and well.”
For further information about Social Bite go to:
www.Social-bite.co.uk
