As the countdown begins to the opening of the Social Bite Village in Granton, Edinburgh the final two nest houses have been delivered to the site. It marks a key milestone for the project team by Gill Henry, have worked tirelessly to deliver the vision of Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn in his mission to eradicate homelessness in Scotland.
The Social Bite Village is delivering an innovative housing model, within a supported community environment. It aims to break the cycle of homelessness and provides residents with pathways into employment and permanent housing. The design of the nest houses was very carefully considered to provide compact comfortable homes which will be shared by two residents. Individual bedrooms provide privacy whilst the shared living area offers a practical space to relax and enjoy the company of their buddy. At the centre of the village is the community hub, where residents, staff and volunteers will be encouraged to prepare meals communally, eat together, socialise, develop social and practical skills and benefit from a warm, bright, welcoming environment.
Project Director Gill Henry from Cruden Group explained how this challenging project has been pulled together ‘The Cruden Group is delighted to have led the development of the Village on behalf of Social Bite Communities. It is really exciting today to see the final two nesthouses being dropped into position. With only the landscaping to finish, the project has been delivered in an incredibly short space of time from our initial meeting in February 2017 -and it will be with a great sense of achievement that we hand the village over shortly. We look forward to seeing how the community develops and encourages many who have experienced homelessness to find confidence and security while they live in this great place. It could not have been achieved without the pro-bono contributions, sheer dedication and financial support of so many.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, co-founder of Social Bite said ‘I can’t thank Gill and Cruden Group enough for their support and involvement in this project. The Social Bite Village has been a hugely ambitious undertaking, and Gill has ensured that the project has run without a hitch in such a tight time frame’.
Alister Steele, chairman of Social Bite Communities said ‘ Today sees the last piece of the village jigsaw slotting into place. The project is a remarkable testimony to the generosity of so many people and business who have given time, money and materials to bring Josh’s vision to a reality. The cornerstone of this achievement has undoubtedly been Gill who has co-ordinated and cajoled the project team to get us to this point’.
Image: Left to right - Alister Steele (Chairman Social Bite Communities), Gill Henry (Cruden Group), Josh Littlejohn (Social Bite Founder)
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