Harlow SOUP, which took place on Thursday 27th February at Pemberley Academy, raised £629 for winning project Community Embrace UK enabling the local group to fund both their local meet ups and an ambitious and exciting Around the World Food & Community day in July.
The ninth ever Harlow SOUP at Pemberley Academy saw over 100 people in attendance, all donating a “pay as you feel” entrance fee for a chance to hear about inspiring community projects which benefit Harlow Town, as the organisation celebrated its second birthday.
The event featured four community projects all hoping to win the money raised on the door with only four minutes to pitch their idea; Harlow & Epping Forest Community Transport, Eastgate Gallery’s exhibition for International Women’s Day and Singing for Memories dementia care also pitched on the evening for the attendees’ votes.
Attendees also got a chance to listen to some live music from the Harlow Howellers and sample a selection of delicious homemade soup, breads, salads and cakes (all included in the entrance fee), including Leek & Potato Soup which was voted for in an online poll.
A raffle was held on the night, raising over £170 for Harlow Dialysis Unit at Princes Alexandra Hospital. The event saw volunteers wearing bright pink NHS Organ Donation t-shirts in celebration of volunteer Elliot Wollen’s life-saving kidney transplant two years ago. Elliot gave a passionate speech on the evening detailing how organ donation saved his life, and encouraging all attendees to have the difficult conversation around organ donation with loved ones ahead of Max and Keira’s law coming into effect this May.
The new law means people have to consciously opt-out of organ donation and although this will hopefully result in a greater number of people making the difficult decision to donate their deceased loved one’s organs, the decision will still rest with the family, which makes that difficult conversation all the more necessary.
The next Harlow SOUP event will take place on 28th May, and submissions are now open for new and exciting Harlow-based projects. The only criteria for submission is that the project benefits the town.
For more information or to submit your idea for consideration for the next Harlow SOUP please visit www.harlowsoup.co.uk
Next Event details: Thursday 28th May, Pemberley Academy, Harlow, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
