Social Bite founder explains how he convinced A-list American celebrities to come to Scotland on popular Glasgow podcast Blethered - including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more

Founder of homeless food provision charity Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn, and head of events company Itison, Oli Norman, appeared on popular Glasgow podcast Blethered with Sean McDonald to explain their long-running Christmas fundraiser supporting homeless people in Scotland - and how they convinced George Clooney to support the campaign.

On the hour long podcast, the entrepreneurs promoted their Christmas fundraiser in which they aim to feed 100,000 homeless people in Scotland, and how they convinced George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio to support the fight to end the cycle of homelessness in Scotland. Together Itison and Social Bite have raised millions to feed the homeless at Winter over the last eight years.

The fundraiser asks Scots to donate £5 to the campaign - the equivalent of one hot meal for people facing homelessness in Scotland this Christmas. The donations also provides service users with a gift over the festive season - as well as helping Social Bite keep more people fed throughout the year.

Running since 2014, the annual Christmas appeal has raised an incredible £3 million and 700,000 donations to those who need it most, and last year, despite the hardship felt by many following the pandemic, over 100,000 donations were made, with an impressive 63% coming from new contributors across the country, showing just how selfless Scots can be.

In addition to the 100,000 meals and gifts supplied through Social Bite, along with itison they will also be donating the first £20,000 raised to Spirit of Christmas which gives Christmas presents to children living in poverty in around Glasgow, where the business is based.

Oli Norman, CEO at itison said: “This year has been exceptionally tough and the most vulnerable in our society have been hit the hardest.

“More people than ever before are struggling, and Christmas for homeless people and families is an especially challenging time. Every year we are blown away by the generosity of our members, and this year, at a time when support is needed more than ever, our hope is to raise enough through our Social Bite campaign to feed homeless people for the entire year”.

In Scotland, Social Bite’s Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen cafes will open their doors to the homeless on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at 1100 - 1600 to serve Christmas dinners with all the trimmings, offering food and company at what is one of the loneliest times of the year for many.

As well as providing food to those in need and providing gifts, itison members’ donations have previously helped fund the Social Bite Village in Edinburgh, providing housing, support, and a huge range of services to break the cycle of homelessness. Two more villages are currently in the works in two Scottish cities, with their ongoing aim being to support homeless people into employment and break the cycle of homelessness in Scotland.

As recounted by Josh Littlejohn on Blethered with Sean McDonald, it was the story behind Social Bite that inspired George Clooney to lend his image to the campaign. The Social Bite founder sent a letter to George Clooney through the celebrities charity, Not on our Watch, to speak at a high-profile event called the Scottish Business Awards - and then when he received confirmation, asking if Clooney would mind visiting the Social Bite cafe while he was in Scotland, to which he agreed.

This helped launch the charity to be able to support as many homeless Scots as it does today - and Clooney hasn’t been the only celebrity to support Social Bite - as names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Prince Harry & Megan Markle, and Malala Yousaf have all endorsed the Scottish charity.

Josh Littlejohn, Co-founder of Social Bite said: “Back in 2014 we started working with itison on our annual fundraiser, with a target of 800 Christmas dinners. We ended up receiving over 32,000 donations meaning we could feed homeless people coming to our cafes for the whole year.

“Our annual itison fundraiser continues to exceed our expectations every year and has dramatically shaped the work we can do at Social Bite.

“We couldn’t do it without you and would love you to join us in sharing kindness this Christmas, please share it with all your friends and help the people who need it the very most this year.”

To donate £5 to buy a Christmas dinner for a homeless person or give a Christmas gift for children, families, and vulnerable individuals visit the Itison website. To hear more about the charity campaign and get more insight into the fundraiser listen to the Blethered podcast with Sean McDonald.