We often report on Hacking & Paterson Management Services’ dedication to our corporate and social responsibility and we have been pleased to have been able to share so many good news stories over the years around the support we have given to local and national charities through our corporate partnerships and our Charitable Giving Initiative.
This year we decided to focus on Scotland’s homelessness crisis and are delighted to share that we have donated £3,750 to each of Social Bite, Shelter Scotland and Rock Trust who all work tirelessly in pursuit of their mission to end homelessness.
We look forward to keeping in touch with the representatives of each of these charities to continue to learn more about the incredible work they are doing as well as finding out more about how we can help them achieve their aims.
Over the next few weeks, we would like to showcase each of these charities and are pleased to begin with Social Bite.
Social Bite, formed in Edinburgh in 2012, is a charity and social business providing homes, jobs, food and support to empower people to transform their own lives. They have become a major employer of people experiencing homelessness and barriers to employment, as well as one of the largest providers of free freshly made food in the UK to those in need, providing over 180,000 items of food and hot drinks each year.
The charity runs a number of varied projects including building “Social Bite Villages”; securing mainstream flats across the country to provide permanent homes for rough sleepers; launching a UK-wide employment programme to provide real job opportunities to those who have experienced homelessness; and their famous “Festival of Kindness” which involves the collection of gifts and donations throughout the festive period, as well as hosting Christmas dinners for people who have nowhere else to go. Their current major focus is on building a residential recovery facility in Dundee as a response to the high number of drug-related deaths in this country and they are actively looking for support to make this a reality.
When we first approached Social Bite, Natasha Clarke, Corporate Partnerships Manager, told us:
“Your kindness is needed now more than ever. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting us all, but for homeless and vulnerable people, the impact is devastating. Once again, millions of people will be forced to choose between ‘heating’ and ‘eating’, enduring a desperate winter. Economic challenges, rising interest rates and inflation mean that more people are facing homelessness than ever before, including families with children. Social Bite needs your help to create a movement of kindness in Scotland and all over the UK. “
Upon receipt of our donation, Natasha expressed thanks for our contribution which is being used to help fund initiatives aimed at helping people break the cycle of homelessness:
“Thank you, once again, for the part you are playing in Social Bite’s mission to build a collaborative movement to end homelessness. The work that we do is only possible thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters, we are so grateful to have your support.”
Further information about the charity, the work it carries out and ways in which we can all help can be found on their website here
