It was double lucky 13 for Heads Up at Saturday’s Wells SOUP.
The date was the 13th and it was the 13th time this fundraising lunch had been held.
The South Horrington-based mental health charity came away with £400 and the other three good causes went away with £150 each.
“At previous SOUPs the cheques were for £350 and £118 but the amount was increased on Saturday because more money is now being taken on the door as the event’s popularity grows,” explained the Wells Independents volunteers who organise the lunches.
The WIN team, including three of their candidates for May 3’s City Council election – Adrian I’Anson, Andrew Fawcett and Philip Welch – praised the presenters of the four good causes for their passion and clarity, adding that Wells SOUP has now benefitted 51 local charities and community groups since it was launched three years ago..
First to speak was Judy Glossop from Marie Curie who said their nurses were “The light in the night” who cared for terminally ill patients in their homes, allowing the family to get a good night’s sleep knowing their loved one is being well cared for.
This service is provided free and their 31 Somerset nurses looked after 358 patients last year.
Next was Claire Hak from Heads Up who said: “One in four people in this room will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime with one in 14 over the age of 65 diagnosed with dementia.”
They help improve lives through empowerment, hope and support.
Molly Briton and Paul Crummay from Wells Art Practice explained how they provide several drawing classes in Wells that reduce social inclusion and improve mental health issues.
Free spaces are provided for those who need them.
Emma Parker told how Children’s Hospice South West try to make terminally ill boys and girls’ last days wonderful.
She said: “Many people, especially those who have never used a children’s hospice, may find it difficult to imagine how a place where children die could be filled with anything other than sadness.”
The audience pays £5 on the door for a choice of soups, a bread roll and a memorable lunchtime before hearing four charities tell their stories and voting on which deserves the biggest cheque. That money is then match-funded by a Wells business or in this case by a donor who wished to remain anonymous.
The two choices of soup were made by 21 Café and Kitchen, the rolls were donated by Burns the Bread, the wine by Santé, beer and other drinks by Morrisons, while Micky from Wells market gave the flowers.
The lunch began with Lesley Ricketts from Macmillan Cancer Support of Wells telling how they had spent the £350 received at the previous SOUP.
The next Wells SOUPs are on July 13 and October 26, both at the Connect Centre which is given the surplus food to feed the homeless.