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George Clooney visits Edinburgh cafe that helps homeless people George Clooney cheered at Edinburgh cafe that helps homeless people
(about 1 hour later)
Edinburgh is welcoming Hollywood star George Clooney as he visits the city to meet workers at a sandwich shop that helps homeless people. The humble Scottish piece – or sandwich – has many fans, who will also gladly express their appreciation for a traditional filling of Lorne sausage or tattie scones. But when an international sophisticate like George Clooney adds his imprimatur, the stakes are somewhat raised.
The actor is visiting a branch of the Social Bite cafe, where he will meet some members of staff who were once homeless but now work for the chain of shops, which donates all profits to charity. An excited crowd had gathered to greet the Hollywood star in Edinburgh on Thursday morning as he visited Social Bite, a sandwich shop that helps homeless people. Fans had braved the wintry chill, waiting since 7am to snatch a glimpse and perhaps a selfie with the actor.
He will also have lunch at a secret location later in the day with 32-year-old wedding planner Heather McGowan, who won a competition to meet the A-lister. Clooney had accepted an invitation to visit the social enterprise from its founder Josh Littlejohn, who also established the Scottish Business Awards, where the A-lister will address a 2,000-strong audience in the evening.
Clooney will then speak at the Scottish Business Awards in front of a 2,000-strong audience. He was last known to be in Scotland in 2005 when he presented Live 8 Edinburgh. Littlejohn has form for securing high-profile guests, having persuaded the former US president Bill Clinton to attend the awards previously.
Speaking before her private lunch, McGowan, who runs a wedding events company in Glasgow, said she was “absolutely delighted” and “still a bit in shock” to have won the competition. Social Bite, which has five shops based in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and plans to expand across Scotland, donates all its profits to charity, operating a “suspended” coffee and food programme where customers can pay for a hot drink or food for a homeless person. A quarter of its workforce was once homeless.
“I’m looking forward to hearing about his involvement in Social Bite and the work of his charity, Not On Our Watch. And being in the wedding business, I’m also really interested to find out how involved he was in planning his wedding to Amal,” she said. Entering the premises, Clooney refused to be drawn on whether he would choose some old-school haggis, neeps and tatties or a healthier chicken piri piri salad, telling the assembled media: “I’ll see what they’ve got.”
Social Bite allows customers to pay for a hot drink or food for a homeless person. And one-quarter of staff in the five Social Bite shops across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen were once homeless. He may be saving his appetite for his lunch date, at a secret location, with 32-year-old wedding planner Heather McGowan, who won a fundraising competition to meet him.
Josh Littlejohn, founder of Social Bite and the Scottish Business Awards, said: “The staff are unbelievably excited about George’s visit. He’s one of the most famous people on the planet and we are looking forward to introducing him to the Social Bite concept.” Speaking of Social Bite, Clooney said: “I like what they’re doing, I think it’s a very important cause. I think the idea that we can all participate in everyone’s difficulties is really important.”
All proceeds from the business awards event, hosted by comedian Rob Brydon, will go towards a range of charities including the Social Bite Fund and Not on Our Watch, co-founded by Clooney with fellow actors Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and others. Littlejohn, who was at the shop to welcome his guest, said after he left: “We knew that George is a really committed humanitarian, he has his own charity in Sudan, so we reached out to that charity and invited him over to Scotland. We said we would help fundraise for his charity and invited him to our Social Bite cafe, and to our delight he accepted.”
All proceeds from business awards event, which will be hosted by comedian Rob Brydon, will go towards a range of charities including the Social Bite Fund and the charity Not On Our Watch, co-founded by Clooney with fellow actors Matt Damon and Brad Pitt.