Pulling back the curtain on Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness

Charity Social Bite invites visitors to St Andrew Square to “give the gift of a home” this Christmas.

All donations made during the festive season will support their new villages which will become home to people recovering from addiction or those who are moving on from being homeless.

The charity has installed a Nest House in St Andrew Square as part of the fourth annual Festival of Kindness for everyone to see what it looks like. The villages put dignity and support at the centre of their assistance.

Founder Josh Littlejohn MBE was on hand to show off the house which will be the main feature in two planned villages in South Lanarkshire and in Dundee. The Social Bite Village in Edinburgh has a different style of accommodation for their residents.

Five trees of Kindness have been installed in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee and London where donors can bring a physical gift which will be distributed to homeless and vulnerable people before Christmas. The donation station in Edinburgh is also in St Andrew Square.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “This year we have seen an increase in homelessness in Scotland to record levels. From Covid, to the cost of living crisis, and now unfortunately, misleading commentary from some high-profiled politicians, those experiencing homelessness have been subject to the toughest few years we’ve seen; so once again we are asking the people of Scotland to join us in helping raise critical funds for those that need it most at Christmas. As well as donating towards Christmas dinners and gifts, this year we are also asking the public to give the gift of home by donating towards two new villages.

“The proposed new Villages will be amongst our most important projects to date and that’s why we wanted to give donors the option of helping us create these crucial facilities. We are thrilled to welcome the public to see our prototype house being displayed in St Andrews Square. We believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances should be treated with respect and dignity, which these homes reflect in their design.”

For those who can’t make it along to the Festival of Kindness donation points, contributions can also be made online to the ‘Festival of Kindness’.

The charity has published a wish list of items and gifts that vulnerable people and those experiencing homelessness need most at this time of year. These include a warm pair of gloves, a hot water bottle and a torch, good quality socks and toys for children living in temporary accommodation to open on Christmas morning.

Donors can also buy a Christmas dinner, a gift, a pack of essential items and overnight emergency accommodation for £28.