SOCIAL BITE’S FESTIVAL OF KINDNESS IS HERE! We’re on a mission to provide 300,000 gifts, meals, and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people over Christmas and the winter months – and we need your help!

Join us to create a movement of kindness and share festive goodwill with those who need it most.

This year we are growing the kindness movement to three new cities! We have installed 28ft Christmas trees in Edinburgh, London, Glasgow, Aberdeen & Dundee. We are calling these ‘Trees of Kindness’ where you can come and donate a gift for someone homeless or in poverty. The gift wish list ranges from warm clothes to children’s toys to beauty products. We would love you to bring a gift from the list and drop it off with one of our team at the Trees.

Social Bite will then be distributing these across Scotland and the rest of the UK with help from over 100 charity partners to get them to homeless and vulnerable people in time for Christmas. You can see the full gift wish list and drop off times here: https://lnkd.in/g_AwKiv

We would also really appreciate any financial donations that you could make to support our work this winter. As well as gifts and meals, we are partnering with charities in each of the five cities to provide emergency accommodation with support for rough sleepers. You can read more about the campaign and how to get involved here: https://lnkd.in/eUcPaDn

Please SHARE to spread the word & help share kindness to those who need it most this Christmas.

PS our annual itison.com voucher campaign and other amazing partnerships will be coming soon!

See LinkedIn post here

Advent Calendar – 1st December – Prize 2

Win 4 tickets to see Jersey Boys at the Trafalgar Theatre

Advent Calendar day 1

The Jersey Boys musical dramatises the formation of the band, Frankie Valli and the Four seasons. They were just four ordinary guys from New Jersey until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard … and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story — a story that has made them an international sensation all over again.

T&Cs Apply. Valid until 1st April 2023

Read the full Terms and Conditions here

#ChristmasinLondonHQ

Westminster City Council launches Innovation Challenge to engage citizens

Entries are now open for residents, businesses and visitors to submit their ideas to shape the future of the city

Westminster City Council has announced the launch of its inaugural Innovation Challenge, opening up a call to residents, businesses, visitors and schools to submit their innovative ideas for the future of the city. As the first step of Westminster’s Smart City programme, the initiative offers anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the city the chance to have their say.

As part of a drive to become a smarter city, the challenge will identify the issues that really matter to Westminster’s communities and provide an online portal where solutions can be collected. Whether it is an idea for outdoor office space with Wi-Fi-connected benches or a city hotel for bees, the Challenge is open to any ideas that improve city life. Entries will be judged by an expert panel representing the best of the city’s arts, technology, business innovation and community spirit, including representatives from Google, Microsoft and Vodafone.

The overall winner of the Westminster Innovation Award will be unveiled in the new year, along with four theme winners, covering everything from digital inclusion to clean tech innovation solutions, following a robust selection process. Winning entries will then be helped to be brought to life with support from the Council, in partnership with GovTech accelerator PUBLIC. A Smart School Competition, in collaboration with Microsoft, will also offer primary and secondary schools the chance to compete for a Smart School Award.

The Challenge is open to all but the Council are particularly welcoming entries from excluded communities or those who wouldn’t ordinarily feel empowered to get involved. In addition to entering via the online portal, tailored engagement events including roadshows, library events and hackathons will be held across the Boroughs.

Commenting on the landmark challenge, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Aruj Haider said: “We’re excited to be launching our Innovation Challenge as a unique opportunity to harness the incredible diversity and creativity of our communities across Westminster and put your great ideas into action. Our Smart City for All programme is all about listening to the innovative ideas from the great minds across our city – so whatever your solution, however big or small, we want to hear it.”

Councillor Paul Swaddle, Cabinet Member for Finance and Smart City at Westminster City Council said: “This new Innovation Challenge is a launch pad for our long-term aim to make Westminster a world-leading smart city with people at its heart. We want to encourage all of our residents, businesses, visitors and schools to submit the innovative ideas they have about the future of the city they live in. 

“We want to give all our communities the opportunities to come together, feel empowered to get involved, inspire each other and work in collaboration with us to deliver the innovations that our city needs. I am confident that we will be inspired and surprised by the ideas that come forward from all walks of life, and look forward to turning these great ideas into a reality.”

Entry Submission HERE