Capital of Kindness: More than 25,000 gifts and food parcels donated to those most in need through Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness

Residents of the Capital have shown an overwhelming amount of much needed kindness this year through their generosity to Social Bite’s Christmas campaign.

The Festival of Kindness which launched at the end of November with a bid to spread some much-needed festive goodwill and kindness,

Scots were asked to donate meals, gifts and accommodation for those who need it most this Christmas.

Two 10-metre tall Christmas trees were set up in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square and Glasgow’s Vinicombe Street for people across the country to drop a gift under them and contribute to a movement of kindness.

Scots were asked to donate meals, gifts and accommodation for those who need it most this Christmas.

The conference centre in the former headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland at Gogarburn is currently home to the campaign who have been inundated with donations.

The public as well as corporate supporters have supplied more than 25,000 gifts and food parcels to those who have been hit hardest this year and are most in need and last minute donations are expected in the coming days.

The charity, which has an aim to end homelessness through their project also works closely with local community groups and schools which have been able to request food parcels and gifts.

The charity has said that this year in particular, with the knock on effects of Covid-19 restrictions causing many to lose their jobs and not be able to get out, there has been a huge increase in demand for food and gifts.

Babs Haig, part of the Social Impact team at Social Bite is currently overseeing management of the warehouse at Gogarburn at the moment.

When the first deliveries from the Festival of Kindness arrived on December 11, she didn’t think an overwhelming amount of donations would come in, however in the days following donations began to pour in which she said may last the charity until March.

Babs said: “The generosity has been overwhelming, it’s been incredible and a real privilege to be able to help like this. I had not expected the amount of asks from local community groups.

“There are so many people in need this year that we have been able to help through the Festival of Kindness, for example a single mother with five children who had no food or presents for Christmas, we’ve been able to make up food parcels and select some gifts to be delivered.

“This is about dignity, nothing we’ve received is cheap, it’s all about giving people in need new things that they need and the amount of donations has been a real eye-opener. People have been incredibly generous, we’ve had TVs, bikes, electric guitars, all which will go to fantastic causes.”

Social Bite co-founder and CEO, Josh Littlejohn MBE, said: ''We have seen some extraordinary examples of generosity throughout our Festival of Kindness campaign.

“Your gifts and financial donations will make a huge difference to those without a safe place to call home this Christmas and your small act of kindness means the world, from all of us at Social Bite I want to say a huge thank you."

Malcolm Buchanan, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “This is a challenging time for everyone in Scotland and we are delighted to work with Social Bite to help make a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

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