We launched our very first Lintel Soup event on Thursday 21st November 2019 at the Bob Allan Conference Centre, NG Homes. It was Lintel Trust's 40th Anniversary and we wanted our celebration of it to be in keeping with our aims. We were able to bring people together for some food at a social event while raising funds, and engaging participants with voting where they went.
The 'soup' approach is a local crowdfunding endeavour, based on the very successful Detroit Soup model. People living and working locally are invited to join us at lunchtime for a bowl of soup and a ‘vote’ in return for a donation of what they can afford. People are encouraged to mix and share tables, hopefully making new connections locally.
Three local community projects are invited along to give a five minute talk about their work. No presentations, just a five minute talk. Once everyone has enjoyed their soup, they can cast a vote for the project of their choice.
The project with the most votes is awarded half of the funds raised. The other two projects share the remaining funds so no one goes away empty handed. All projects benefit from awareness raising and the chance to make useful local connections.
We believe that these events bring people together, encourage more collaboration between community groups and start discussions about what the local area would benefit from.
Best of all, this approach helps us give a funding boost to a grassroots project operating in a housing community.
To see how our event went, go to YouTube and view the Lintel Soup Video