Dundee Soup win will help group to fund minibus

A GROUP that organises tea dances for older residents in the city is celebrating after winning the inaugural Dundee Soup event.

Lifegate Tea Dances, which provides a place for older people to gather and socialise, was the first winner of the micro community grant.

Three other groups — Dundee Dressed Herrings, Uppertunity Community Garden, and Flow! Kids — also took part in the opening event.

Dundee Soup was organised by Creative Dundee, Along Came Kirsty and Shona Littlejohn.

For a donation, attendees receive a simple soup supper and hear up to four short presentations from local people running community projects.

At the end of the evening, everyone votes on their preferred initiative, the ballots are counted and the winner goes home with all of the money raised on the night t o develop project.

Lifegate Tea Dances manager Debbie Findlay said the money awarded at the event — £188 — would go towards a minibus.

Lifegate Tea Dances provides entertainment and dancing as part of efforts to reduce social isolation, as well as offering the chance for older adults to exercise and reduce t he risk of dementia.

Debbie said she was overjoyed to have been awarded the grant.

“This has been a fantastic event,” she said.

“The money will make a difference to members of the community who cannot walk to Whitfield Church but can instead be picked up by a minibus.

“Due to social isolation people are tending to stay in the house and not go out to meet.

“Often the people we support have no living relatives.” their