For most people, life in Edinburgh at this time of year is full of festive cheer, with plenty of splashing the cash, and celebrating in a nice warm home with family and friends.
But an increasing number of people living life on the street don’t get the chance to be part of the fun, and it’s far too easy to forget that. No turkey, no mince pies, no Queen’s Speech – just the hope that you’ll make it through another winter.
An eye-opening experience I had last week brought home the harsh reality of just how different the life of a homeless person is at this time of year.
On Thursday evening, I took part in Social Bite’s CEO Sleepout in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square – a charity sleepover which challenged business leaders to experience just a tiny part of the life of a homeless person in Edinburgh by spending 12 hours outdoors in a sleeping bag.
And I was in good company. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was there, as was six times Olympic gold medal winner Chris Hoy, and I chatted with a lot of familiar faces in the business world.
There was a great spirit and camaraderie between us all – and in the early hours, there was a real sense of relief, tempered by the knowledge that there are thousands of people out there that have to do that every day.
We weren’t kidding ourselves: we knew it wasn’t an authentic experience. It wasn’t representative of the life a homeless person lives at any point in the year. We had food, our sleeping bags were given to us, and we had umbrellas. But it worked in the sense of raising awareness and generating funds.
In the long term, the Sleepout money will help the charity create a village for 20 people who will then receive huge support in seeking job opportunities and, fundamentally, just how to exist – basic things that most of us take for granted every day of the year.
My supporters have helped me raise an incredible £15,000 for Social Bite so far. I am completely overwhelmed and humbled, and it has made me realise what can be achieved.
I’ve had a close relationship with the charity for some time now and I am continually amazed by the work it does on the ground to support Scotland’s most vulnerable people.
Set up by social enterprise entrepreneurs John Littlejohn and Alice Thomson more than four years ago, it began as a small sandwich shop that aimed to raise money for good causes but went on to employ staff from the homeless community.
Last year’s support from Hollywood megastar George Clooney really brought it into focus and the team is now a massive part of the fundraising effort for homeless people in Scotland.
For the 2016 festive season, the charity has received 27,000 Christmas dinner donations that will help provide homeless people with a hot meal on Christmas Day across its cafes in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
I really like what the team behind Social Bite have set out to do and I think they do it really well. John and Alice are leading by example by showing how a small enterprise can grow and develop into a business that’s at the heart of three big Scottish cities.
Alleviating homelessness is a cause that’s been at the heart of the Scottish people for many years, but Social Bite uses great ideas to get people engaged and does things a bit differently.
Let’s hope that more businesses look past the money for the masses this festive season and take time to give those less fortunate a helping hand.
There’s no doubt that the festive season brings in big bucks for businesses.
But it does something else too – it brings out the best in loads of big-hearted companies, as the CEO Sleepout amply illustrates.
There are so many who choose this time of year to give to charity or get involved in their local communities.
They might be raking in the cash, but they want to share the joy with others less fortunate too, which is great.
The timing couldn’t be better – it’s a brilliant time to launch a charitable giving campaign if you want lots of buy-in.
People see this as a time for giving and are more willing to part with their cash or their time to help others.
I’ve seen tons of businesses getting involved with shoebox appeals and gift appeals with stores serving as drop-off points for the likes of Cash for Kids.
Indeed, it’s a brilliant example, helping to ensure thousands of kids won’t go without a present.
A similar approach has been taken for food bank appeals, with lots of people getting on board to help those on the breadline.
I read recently that one council area in Scotland – Renfrewshire – had seen a huge hike in the number of kids relying on foodbanks which shows just how important this type of appeal is.
Santa hats off to all the companies out there who are running charity campaigns this festive season and doing their bit for those who don’t have the things that so many of us take for granted.
It Made Me Laugh
I have to commend the genius of one Scots property owner who decided to rent a flat for a super-cheap rate – so long as the tenant cleaned it!
The Dennistoun flat popped up on Airbnb for a mere seven quid a night, and it certainly caught the eye of many, provided they were willing to muck in with the tidying up during their brief stay.
It’s a brilliant plan. How many renting out short-stay properties get a cleaner in and then pay through the nose for it, significantly eroding their income?
Not to mention the fact that this flat in Glasgow’s East End has been in the media so will be on the radar for folk looking to rent property in future.
Bravo for some great business savvy!
It Made Me Weep
Am I the only one who rolls my eyes when I hear the excuses that are sometimes made for late-running trains?
The latest figures say ScotRail’s punctuality hasn’t improved in the last four weeks.
I’ll accept the train operator’s excuse that there were two major disruptions in Edinburgh and Glasgow – that’s bound to have affected timings.
But I also noticed Phil Verster, MD at Scotrail Alliance, being quoted as saying they had “some very low temperatures to contend with”.
Come on, this is Scotland – you know it’s going to be pretty cold. A few Decembers ago we were knee-deep in snow, and that wasn’t a huge surprise.
It makes you wonder how countries colder than here manage in the winter without grinding to a halt.
