The top charity, the exodus of trustees... and the ‘inf lated ego’
HE is a groundbreaking charity entrepreneur lauded by royals and celebrities alike.
But now Josh Littlejohn and his Social Bite empire face an investigation amid a rash of resignations.
Prince Harry and Oscarwinning actors Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney are among those who have praised his initiative to tackle homelessness.
But critics claim that the Edinburgh fundraiser’s personality is fuelling an ‘autocratic’ style of leadership which risks undermining his charities’ achievements.
The Times newspaper reports an insider as saying: ‘The excellent work that Social Bite does is in danger of being tarnished by the actions and inflated ego of one individual.’
Mr Littlejohn’s Scottish cafés offer jobs and food to the homeless. His mission has spawned a restaurant and other initiatives that have raised millions of pounds.
Last month, Line Of Duty actor Martin Compston helped open a new Social Bite in London.
Mr Littlejohn’s World’s Big Sleep Out in 2019 was a global event which saw 60,000 people in 52 cities spending a night on the streets to raise £5.9million for the homeless. However, £4million went on staging the event.
Accounts filed with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) for The Social Bite Fund and The World’s Big Sleep Out Trust show a string of trustees have resigned since 2020.
They include co-founder Alice Thompson and chief executive Jane Bruce, who has lodged formal complaints about the charities, claiming trustees felt unable to hold Mr Littlejohn to account.
The accounts reveal that founder Mr Littlejohn is now one of four directors.
Self-styled as ‘one of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs’, he was awarded an MBE in 2016 and has five honorary doctorates. The son of a millionaire restaurateur, he sold his events business to open a sandwich shop in Edinburgh with Miss Thompson, which heralded their charitable mission.
Personal visits from Clooney and Prince Harry and thenfiancée Meghan Markle helped to raise the profile of the brand.
Last night, the entrepreneur hit back at his critics.
He said: ‘Over 1,000 people have been helped off the streets into their own home with support as a direct result of Social Bite’s work.
‘For the last few years, I’ve been working with our board to put in place a new structure which allows me to focus on my passion for developing new and innovative projects to help homeless people.’
An OSCR spokesman confirmed: ‘We have received concerns about these charities, which are currently being examined in the usual way according to our published policies.’
‘Concerns are being examined’