Thanks again to everybody who supports Liverpool SOUP. Your warmth and generosity is what makes SOUP feel as special as it does - and our July 2023 event was no exception. Another four fantastic community projects took to the stage, and lots of local folks came together in support of these great causes. Here’s our recap!
Meet the pitchers...
Wavertree Botanic Park & Gardens
To kick-start the evening, we heard about a group of volunteers who are aiming to restore Wavertree Botanic Park and create a friendly space for the whole community to enjoy.
The volunteers want the park to be a cared-for place where people can get back to nature and focus on their wellbeing. They’re also enthusiastic about the idea of a community garden being developed over time.
The team is in need of battery powered tools, extra volunteers, and container space to store equipment. Support this great project by getting in touch via Instagram:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/friendsofbotanicpark
Women in Music
We also heard a fantastic pitch about the Women in Music festival. After conducting research with more than 100 women working on Liverpool’s music scene, it became clear that poor mental health is a huge problem for many of the amazingly talented women in our region.
The Women in Music festival will be a series of workshops, immersive activities, and professional development opportunities to help address this issue - improving resilience and helping women stay in the music industry for longer.
You can support this project by connecting on social media or making a cash donation. Additionally - if you have experience in workshop facilitation, supporting others’ mental health, or helping people navigate the music industry - please do get in touch.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wiminfestival
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wiminfestival
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wiminfestival
Online: wiminfestival.com or scrapyardstudios.co.uk
Philosophy Social Club
At a time when division is everywhere, especially between people of different generations, our next pitchers shared their ingenious solution!
Philosophy Social Club is a collaboration with Liverpool Cares. It’s a series of events that allow socially isolated older people to meet with younger volunteers and discuss the big questions of our time.
People can get to know each other, share their experiences, and chat about their views on the world. They might agree, or sometimes disagree, but Philosophy Social Club helps to build meaningful connections across those divides.
Find them on Twitter or, if you have experience in fundraising or marketing, help them reach an even bigger audience.
Instagram: www.twitter.com/thethinkerhub
Online: www.thethinkerhub.com
Meet the winning project...
Tomorrow Starts Today
The evening’s winner was Olivia with a brilliant creative project supporting looked-after children. ‘Tomorrow Starts Today’ helps foster children get creative, express themselves, and dream big about the future.
Through arts-based workshops, Olivia supports participants as they explore new creative techniques to help articulate who they really are - and who they want to be! Young people don’t need to be great artists, and the language they speak isn’t a barrier either.
Tomorrow Starts Today has received great feedback from foster home managers and participants - both highlighting the positive impact the workshops have had on young people. With the micro-fund, Olivia can purchase art supplies and expand the project.
A huge congratulations to Olivia. We’re thrilled to be a small part of the fantastic impact Tomorrow Starts Today is making!
More inspiring stuff across Liverpool
As is tradition at Liverpool SOUP, we also heard from lots of guest speakers. This included our winners from April 2023 - Alfie’s Squad.
Alfie's Squad
Alfie’s Squad supports children who have been bereaved by suicide in Merseyside. It was started by Alfie, then just eight-years-old, after experiencing this himself. Together with his mum, he wanted to help other children like him feel less isolated.
Thanks to the micro-fund, they’ve been able to establish a new support group for bereaved children. Participants will then work together on a podcast so that even more young people can feel less isolated during an impossibly difficult time.
Alfie’s mum, Allison said,
“Liverpool SOUP was brilliant because it gave me the confidence to believe that what we’re doing is what people actually want us to do.”
Sixty-second soapbox
Audience members also took part in some mini-pitches to share other great projects and events happening around Liverpool.
Care Leavers’ Christmas Dinner - liverpoolclcd@gmail.com
A fantastic event to combat loneliness and help make connections during the festive season.
Cocktail Apothecarium - IG: @thecoctail_apthecarium
Local, sustainable, and high-quality cocktails (and mocktails) delivered to your door!
Cycling Fix CIC -IG: @the_cycling_fix
Help take care of your bike and the planet. Cycling Fix CIC offers maintenance courses and community bike rides in Liverpool.
Clothes Swap and other creative events - liverpoolevents.co.uk
A great programme of events for makers, creators, and innovators. Includes clothes swaps taking places across the city over the next few months.
An extra serving of SOUP
This month’s event gave us a chance to shout about the other fantastic SOUP micro-funding events happening in the region. We heard from Wirral SOUP as well as the newest member of the SOUP family:
The BlaST Network will soon be bringing a brand new SOUP event, Culture SOUP, to Arts Bar Baltic. People from the global majority who have an innovative idea to impact the Liverpool City Region are welcome to apply. They’ll then pitch their ideas and, of course, there’ll be soup to eat. We’ve already got our tickets. Have you?
Find out more about The BlaST Network: https://kindred-lcr.co.uk/blast/
Don’t forget
A final thanks must go to the hugely talented Kingfast, our musician on the night. Follow Kingfast on Instagram for lots of acoustic loop-pedal goodness!
And remember to keep in touch so that you can attend, pitch, or get involved with Liverpool SOUP at future events:
Mailing list: liverpoolsoup.co.uk/mailing-list
FAQs: liverpoolsoup.co.uk/faqs
