‘Souper’ social stays at home
AHOMELESS charity’s fourth ‘souper’ fundraiser will be held again this year, but participants will be asked to raise funds at home or via online meetings.
The Big Soup Social is a major fundraiser for the M3 Project, based in Rawtenstall, which works throughout East Lancashire helping single 16 to 21-year-olds and teenage families to find supported accommodation and a secure home.
Last year’s event was the held just before the country went into lockdown in March 2020 and raised more than £2,200 with events all over Rossendale and even at a church in Cheltenham.
Charity development worker Lynn Haworth said: “We will be holding our annual soup fundraiser this year, during the week of
March 15 to 21, but due to current restrictions our usual big get-togethers can’t take place.
“This year, it has been renamed Big Soup Social Stays at Home, to reflect that we can only get together online with those outside our household.
“Those who have switched their meetings to virtual online platforms, like Zoom or Teams, are being encouraged to meet online to swap recipes and share soup.”
Staff have worked throughout the pandemic and provided safe homes for 11 young people and 17 families, as well as supporting six young people and seven teenage families to move on into their own accommodation.
The Listening Project - a prevention service run by M3 Project - has also seen an increased demand on its services as families have spent more time in their own homes because of schools and colleges remote learning and many people working from home.
Lynn said a fundraising target of £20,000 had been set for this year, but it had been tough as many of the planned fundraisers were cancelled - including an escape room event and a charity theatre night.
Lynn will be stocking the charity’s social media sites with recipe ideas and will be producing a fun soup and food quiz. For more information and to register your Soup Social contact info@ rossendalem3. org and to donate through the website visit www.rossendalem3.org