LEADING social entrepreneur and homelessness campaigner Josh Littlejohn yesterday received an honorary degree from Edinburgh Napier University.
The Social Bite sandwich shop chain which he co-founded shot to fame when Oscar-winner George Clooney visited a branch in Edinburgh’s Rose Street in 2015. Another Hollywood A-list actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, visited his Home restaurant in Queensferry Street last year.
Littlejohn, 30, is also the founder of The Scottish Business Awards and has also enlisted the help of former US president Bill Clinton and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson to support his social endeavours.
Inspired by the philosophies of Bangladeshi banker Professor Muhammad Yunus, who developed the concept of micro-lending to small community businesses, The social entrepreneur recruited homeless people to work at Social Bite, which donates profits to good causes. He then set up a “pay forward” scheme which enabled customers to buy food from the menu for a homeless person.
In 2016, he co-founded a social enterprise beer company called Brewgooder, where 100 per cent of the profits go towards providing clean drinking water.
Littlejohn, who dedicated the MBE he was awarded earlier this year to the homeless and marginalised, is currently involved in finalising designs for a village for the homeless in north Edinburgh, a venture which First Minister Nicola Sturgeon supported by serving breakfast to business leaders who took part in a fundraising Sleepout in Charlotte Square last December.
Yesterday he joined hundreds of Edinburgh Napier students at a ceremony in the Usher Hall to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Enterprise.
“It is a privilege to receive this Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University,” said Littlejohn.
“I wasn’t much older than the young people graduating here today when I first started Social Bite, where I am lucky to work alongside a fantastic team.
“I would urge today’s graduates to get behind a cause that they too are passionate about, and wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here