A bank has introduced a new way for customers to support a charity that is opening a village in Rutherglen that will provide temporary accommodation and support for people who are homeless.
Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) can now easily donate to support Social Bite in the fight against homelessness during the festive season through its mobile app based MyRewards programme.
Rewards over £5 can be donated to buy someone experiencing homelessness a Christmas dinner with Social Bite. RBS has also pledged to match all donations to any of its 16 MyRewards charities, including Social Bite, up to the value of £50 until December 31, up to a total of £150,000.
The initiative comes as part of Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness – an annual mission that aims to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to people who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmas.
RBS has previously worked with the Scottish charity to open a coffee outlet for colleagues and visitors in its Royal Bank HQ in the capital Edinburgh, as well as a public coffee shop at a NatWest site in London.
Since the launch of Festival of Kindness in 2020, Social Bite has successfully distributed 1.1 million meals, gifts, and essentials to people who are homeless during the festive period.
South Lanarkshire Council recently gave the go ahead for Social Bite to build a £3 million village in Rutherglen.
The joint venture between the local authority’s Housing Services department and the charity will see 16 prefabricated pods and a community hub erected in the town’s Harriet Street.
Judith Cruickshank, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Social Bite makes a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The festive season often brings into focus the hardship so many face every day.
“We know that people want to help but don’t know how. We’re excited to support Social Bite’s inspiring ‘Festival of Kindness’ initiative, giving our customers a way to gift a homeless person a warm meal.
“We encourage everyone to join in and help make the festive season a little brighter for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founder of Social Bite, added: “Social Bite is proud to have had the support of Royal Bank of Scotland for a number of years, and together, we’ve made great strides to help people break the cycle of homelessness.
“For many of us, Christmas is a period where we look forward to spending time with friends, family and loved ones. However, the reality is very different for people without a place to call home over the festive season. With homelessness rising across the UK, it’s more important than ever that we do what we can to help people affected by homelessness and food poverty.
“A big thank you to all the wonderful Royal Bank of Scotland customers who chose to donate their rewards to Social Bite. Your contribution will make a real difference to someone in need, including a hot meal with all the trimmings in loving company on Christmas Day.”
Information on Social Bite’s Festival can be found: https://www.social-bite.co.uk
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