To thank locals for their support, the shop will host a special birthday event on Monday 15 September, with giveaways and celebrations

Social Bite’s Aberdeen coffee shop will celebrate a milestone birthday this month as it marks 10 years of community impact and an incredible 170,000 meals served to anyone who needs it.

To show their gratitude for a decade of support from Aberdonians, Social Bite’s team are inviting locals to come along (between 8am-4pm) on Monday, 15th September to join the shop’s 10th birthday party, which will be complete with a give-away, and a performance from Brimmond Primary School choir.

The coffee shop, run as a social business by leading homelessness charity, Social Bite, will give away a free freshly prepared sandwich, toastie, baguette or wrap, to anyone who buys a hot or cold coffee from the Union Street shop throughout the day.

Bringing the party atmosphere, pupils from the award-winning Brimmond Primary School choir will also treat guests and passerby to a performance of Happy Birthday and Kool and the Gang’s Celebration. They’ll also bring birthday cards, which free food attendees will be given to open. 

Later in the afternoon, from 4.15-5pm, people using the daily free food service will also receive some goodies from local businesses including a cake from Bandit Bakery and macarons from Almondine before their meal, and a serving of classic birthday cake to round out the special day.

Over the past decade, Social Bite’s Aberdeen shop has served thousands of free meals to people affected by homelessness, poverty or food insecurity.

Across the UK, Social Bite distributes over 140,000 food and hot drink items each year, offering both takeaway and sit-in meals in a welcoming, non-judgmental environment.

In Aberdeen, twice-daily free food services, complemented by weekly Social Suppers, offer guests the chance to enjoy a hot meal in the company of others - in some cases the only such meal or social contact they may have that week. The shop regularly welcomes around 50 attendees to its free food services, building connections that go beyond food.

In attendance will be Cherie, a supported volunteer at the coffee shop.

She said: “I was made homeless when I became schizophrenic. I’ve been coming to Social Bite for five years now and volunteering for almost 18 months. It’s gratifying and humbling to give and receive. 

“I enjoy volunteering because it enables me to interact with the public. I was talking to the queue yesterday and I realised, I’m part of a community. As a volunteer, you get a solid foundation of support and you’re free to be yourself. Social Bite means the world to me.”

Paul Rodger, Social Bite development and support worker, manages the free food service as well as leading on the charity’s employment programme, Jobs First, in Aberdeen.

He reflected on the charity’s role in the city:“Social Bite has been a part of Aberdeen’s fabric now for 10 years, and that's something I’m immensely proud of. Unfortunately, in Aberdeen, we’re facing a housing crisis and poverty continues to grow - by being here, doing what we do, we make it known that anyone who needs support can find it at our coffee shop with the help from our amazing team. It's all about relationships - people know they can come in and access food, no questions asked, then engage in support when they're ready to do so.

“Our free food service is a lifeline to so many people, as we can be the first point of contact for someone in crisis. Homelessness in Aberdeen is complex, it's often hidden, with people couch surfing or staying in inappropriate housing. By building up relationships with the people who come into the shop, we can learn more about their situations and  direct them to the most appropriate support through Social Bite or one of many other local charities that we work in partnership with.”

In addition to free food services, and Social Bite coffee shops in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, the charity’s initiatives include a unique employment programme, Jobs First. The project supports employment for people who are experiencing homelessness with some of the UK’s biggest organisations, working to find a role which suits their skills and ambitions and supporting employers to create sustainable job opportunities.

Industry-leading in its approach to helping people break the cycle of homelessness, innovative Social Bite Villages will soon be opening in Edinburgh and South Lanarkshire.

Using a bespoke supported accommodation model, the Villages offer people who are experiencing homelessness a home of their own, to get the help they need and work towards a fresh start. So far, the existing Edinburgh Village has supported over 100 people reintegrate into the community by helping residents to develop skills and confidence.

Find out more about the Social Bite: Social-Bite.co.uk