SOUP Event Serves Up Success For People In The Community
A social care provider has raised £400 for a local charity after a successful third SOUP Event in Wokingham.
The £200 which was raised during the evening was match funded by Optalis and was awarded to the winner of the night, Grief and a Cuppa, who support bereaved people to talk about their loss.
The event hosted by Optalis provided an opportunity for members of the community to come together and listen to a range of community project ideas. In addition to Grief and a Cuppa, guests heard from a wellness community interest company, Omada CIC and the LINK Visiting Scheme, who work to tackle loneliness experienced by older people.
Guests enjoyed homemade soup, bread and refreshments at The Westmead Centre on Rances Lane, whilst listening to the three community groups pitch for funding.
SOUP events have been introduced to over 60 communities across the UK. It is a crowdfunding event for local people and local causes. The main goal of this event was to support local projects in the Wokingham area.
In addition to raising vital funds, the event was also a chance to create community connections and networking opportunities. Lucy Herd who set up Grief and a Cuppa was approached with offers of support on the night. One attendee offered to create marketing material for the charity and another guest volunteered his charity development experience.
Lucy hopes to use the donation to enable Grief and a Cuppa to have even greater reach, by taking it ‘on the road’. Lucy says, “I plan to buy a gazebo and coffee making facilities so that I can create pop-up events for the wider community.”
Jodie Reichelt, Head of Engagement and Customer Experience at Optalis, added: “We are delighted that it was such a successful evening, which enabled three fantastic local groups to raise awareness of the work they are doing and share community-building ideas.
“Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the event, it’s great to see people coming together to create positive change.”
Lucy added: “We are really thankful for everything that Optalis has done to help Grief and a Cuppa grow.”
The next SOUP event will take place in Spring, for more information please visit optalis.org/wokinghamsoup
