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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Connie Evans, PA & Joel Leaver

Kate Garraway and Martin Compston help launch coffee shop that's fighting homelessness

Martin Compston and Kate Garraway were among a host of celebrities who helped launch a new coffee shop in London this afternoon - which aims to end homelessness.

Social Bite is working towards this goal by employing members of the homeless community - and those with a background of homeless - at their first site in England.

It operates a pay-it-forward scheme, through which people can buy an additional meal or hot drink in advance for someone who is homeless to redeem at a later date.

The charity - which already has five coffee shops in Scotland - opened its new site in London earlier today, with it welcomed a host of celebrities to the launch event.

TV presenter Kate Garraway (left), charity founder Josh Littlejohn MBE (centre) and actor Martin Compston (right) at the launch of the new coffee shop (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Social Bite)

This included Line of Duty star Compston, 37, and Good Morning Britain co-host Garraway, 54. Other guests in attendance included radio presenter Chris Evans, 55.

Speaking at the launch, he said: "Having already seen the work Social Bite does up in Edinburgh, I was so glad to hear about the opening of their London coffee shop."

He said the rate of homelessness in the capital is "alarmingly high," adding that it's "a very scary time," particularly as a result of the Covid pandemic and rising living costs.

Radio presenter Chris Evans was also in attendance at the launch (Social Bite / Getty)

Evans added that charities such as Social Bite - which was founded a decade ago - give people to "the opportunity to offer help and make a difference to those in need."

The radio host was joined at the opening of the new shop by a host of fellow celebrities which included musicians Martin Kemp, 60, Matt Willis, 38, and Ashley Roberts, 40.

Josh Littlejohn MBE - who founded Social Bite as a small sandwich shop with Alice Thompson in 2012 - was also in attendance at the launch of its first establishment in England.

Martin Kemp visited the coffee shop for its launch event (Social Bite / Getty)

The flagship shop, located in Edinburgh, is said to have developed into a charitable initiative to end homelessness after a young homeless man came in asking for a job.

The cafe has received visits from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, 47, and George Clooney, 60, since it opened. Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan Markle, 40, have also visited.

The charity aims for one in four of their staff to come from a background of homelessness, with its new shop in London described as an "incredible milestone."

Matt Willis and Ashley Roberts joined a host of other celebrities at the launch (Social Bite / Getty)

Speaking at the event, Littlejohn said: "We are delighted to be able to launch a new coffee shop in central London. It's such an incredible milestone for us all here at Social Bite."

He said that "there are many great charities already working in London," though expressed the charity's belief that the new shop can still have a positive impact on the capital.

Commenting on the ambition, he explained at the launch: "We truly believe that our social impact programme is life-changing and provides something unique."

The new coffee shop opened its door earlier today (Social Bite / Getty)

Littlejohn - who created global campaign The World's Big Sleepout - said the charity has helped thousands of lives and is "excited to bring this change to the streets of London."

The new Social Bite coffee shop is located on the Stand near Covent Garden in London.

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