SuppliedGeorge Clooney was presented with a Scotland strip by a mum who won a luxury lunch with the Hollywood superstar as part of a fundraiser for a homeless charity.
Claire Phale, from Edinburgh, said she had an “experience she’ll never forget” as she had lunch with Clooney after winning a prize draw with Itison in support of Scottish homelessness charity Social Bite.
The 35-year-old, who took her mum along as a plus one, said she was shocked to find out she had won the charity prize draw after entering it earlier this year.
Claire met the Oscar winner for lunch at the Gleneagles Hotel where she surprised him with a set of personalised Scotland football strips for his family.
Supplied“This has been an absolute dream — I was so nervous when I found out, but it’s been even better than I could have ever imagined”, she said. “My mum is a huge Clooney fan, and when I told him, he immediately said, “Where is she? Go bring her in!” and got a picture with us both.
“They say never meet your heroes, but he was honestly fantastic.
“I’ve been supporting Social Bite on itison for years – I always donate to the itison Christmas campaign where you can buy a Christmas dinner for someone experiencing homelessness but I truly never thought I would win this. The only thing I’ve ever won in the past is a hamper with some shortbread!
“My mum has had an absolutely amazing time and is over the moon with her pic – it’s been an experience that we will never forget.”
The experience began with Ms Phale and her mother being collected from her home in Edinburgh by chauffeur and driven to a luxurious overnight stay at the Gleneagles estate in Perth and Kinross before meeting Clooney for lunch.
Social Bite has raised £4.75 million through its annual Christmas campaign, where people donate £5 to buy a meal for a homeless person.
Itison chief executive Oli Norman said: “Our George Clooney fundraiser for Social Bite has been incredible, raising over £50,000 with thousands entering.
“Giving our members once-in-a-lifetime experiences like this is what we’re all about and it’s been a day we’ll be talking about for a long time to come.”
Clooney had joined Bob Geldof to tour the homelessness charity’s prototype village in Scotland ahead of a fundraising dinner.
The Edinburgh-based charity is aiming to pioneer new approaches to helping homeless people access housing, food and jobs.
Previously, crowds gathered around Clooney when he visited Social Bite’s cafe in the city in November 2015.
On Wednesday the Gravity star attended a fundraising dinner at the Gleneagles Hotel, where he discussed his Hollywood career as well as his humanitarian work.
On Thursday evening, he will attend the British Business Awards in Edinburgh, which aims to raise a minimum of £1 million for Social Bite.
The charity posted about Clooney’s visit to its prototype village, which provides housing for homeless people in small, sustainable homes.
The first Social Bite Village was launched in 2018, as an alternative to temporary accommodation for the homeless.
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