Social Bite raises over £500,000 from CEO Sleepout

It will now go towards building a homeless village in Granton.

Published 10th Jan 2017

Charity Social Bite has raised over £500,000 from it's CEO sleepout last month.

The event saw over 300 of Scotland's most influential people sleep rough for the night in Edinburgh's Charlotte Square in order to raise money to build a homeless village in the city.

The social enterprise set a target of £500,000, which would help them build 10 two-bedroom homes in the Granton area of the capital. The total gathered was £564,545.64.

The money will now allow Social Bite to develop the homes alongside EDI Group and Edinburgh Council in time to move the first 20 residents in this summer.

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for Social Bite said: "Thank you to everyone involved for making the first steps on that journey with us by funding our village project."

Our reporter Hope Webb was one of those who stayed the night in Charlotte Square.