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Soup-er volunteer

84. Helene Irving

Helene has helped set up a London branch of an innovative pop-up soup restaurant initiative to crowd fund community projects.

10 Downing Street

Helene Irving, describes the London Soup events as a community experiment. Londoners are invited to come together to eat as a community and to hear from four different projects seeking to create social good. Guests are served delicious, home-made soup, salad and bread. The group discusses the projects and then votes for the project they like the best and donate the door takings to give the project a boost to help it get started. Helene has also secured support from local producers who donate the soup ingredients.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Helene is a Point of Light who has supported a truly innovative concept. London Soup is a fantastic idea bringing together neighbours to eat, socialise and support great local causes.”

Helene said:

“I am really pleased to win this award in recognition of the work that I and my fellow volunteers do. Volunteering has given me the chance to really feel a part of my city and London SOUP, in particular, is about bringing Londoners together to make the city better through community action and interaction. It doesn’t take much to make a difference and I hope that, aside from giving a boost to local community projects, it also inspires others to feel more connected to their local areas.”

London Soup has already helped to support two small local projects – Just Bread, which helps refugee women in the UK find work and arts company, Pan Intercultural. You can apply to attend, pitch or help organise the event at http://londonsoup.org.uk/

The daily Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

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