Winners – Bradford Community SOUP

All of our winners and pitchers

SOUP #33

15th August 2024

Upcycle: working in Bradford and in prisons across the UK to teach bicycle maintenance and refurbishment and basic cycle skills, rescuing and refurbishing unwanted bikes and donating them to people who need them, or selling them to raise funds. Pitching for funds to support their work.
Yorkshire Rotary Accessible Games: accessible games event in October 2024, featuring swimming, archery, boccia, new age kurling, table tennis, darts and wheelchair races. Pitching for funds to purchase dart boards.
Every Day Every Gay: support group who run monthly cooking classes to build confidence, teach budgeting and enhance basic food management skills. Pitching for funds for ingredients and equipment.

SOUP #32

16th May 2024

Bradford Nightstop: challenging youth homelessness. Pitching for funds to support those using their services in partaking in art-related activities.
Bradford and Keighley MS group: supporting those with MS and their families to live well. Pitching for funds for a card reader, to allow them to take card donations.
Bingley Community Hub: providing support sessions for those with dementia, and for carers needing extra support. Pitching for funds to provide entertainment at the centre, from singers to equipment.

SOUP #31

15th February 2024

The Memory Tree: creating space for those caring for people with dementia, both to be with the person in their care but also to have time on their own to meet up, have a coffee and talk with other carers. Pitching for funds to buy materials for use in creating activities for members of the group with dementia.
West Riding Woodturners Group (Eldwick Wood Turners): teaching people about working with wood (turning, painting, staining, segmenting and more) through free sessions seven days a week. Pitching for funds for tools.
Happy Healthy You Bradford & Beyond: running online and face-to-face health activities to support individuals and families across Bradford. Pitching for funds for a new project to celebrate the people of Bradford with joy and laughter, through a series of ‘little Ant and Dec’ videos where two children seek out local heroes to talk to, and the ensuing interactions are filmed for TikTok – bloopers and all.

SOUP #30

16th November 2023

Bloomin’ Buds: as well as updating us on progress since they last pitched, shared news of their latest production, Where is Love, which was very well reviewed at the Edinburgh Fringe. Pitching for funds to take the show on tour.
Parish Nursing, Baildon: shared news of their work caring for body, mind and spirit, including through active listening, signposting, advice and spiritual care. Pitching for funds towards a defibrillator in Baildon.
Rotary Club of Shipley: host Christmas lunch for around 80 people at Shipley Baptist Church, and deliver meals to those who cannot get to the venue. Pitching for funds towards the meal.

SOUP #29

17th August 2023

D Walsh & Son Funeral Directors: working with members of their community on various projects including litter picking, collecting clothes for a local clothing project, a memorial garden in Bingley and supporting foodbanks. Pitching for funds for a defibrillator as the next nearest one is over a mile away.
Bronte Birth Place Community Ownership Project: seeking purchase the Bronte birthplace in Thornton from its current private landlord into community ownership, to enable them to restore the neglected birthplace of the Bronte sisters into a space where literary groups and schoolchildren can visit, with an event centre, café and hotel to ensure it can be self-sustaining. Pitching for funds towards their fundraising total.
Bingley and Rural Men’s Shed: as well as feeding back on progress since their previous pitch, updated that their current Cliffe Castle accommodation is no longer going to be available so they are moving to fabulous new grounds at Whinswood / Crossroads Bowling Pavilion near Haworth, which will allow them to expand their activities. Pitching for funds towards the move.

SOUP #28

18th May 2023

Bradford Sands (part of Sands): exists to reduce the number of babies dying and to support anyone affected by the death of a baby, before, during or shortly after birth, whenever this happened and for as long as they need support. Pitching for funds for plants for their new garden providing space to grieve and remember.
Sconce Activity Centre (Aire Valley Scouts): 31-bed residential centre plus three camping areas and an activities woodland with conservation area and crags, offering pioneering, crate stacking, grass sledging and a Tyrolean traverse. Pitching for funds for smaller safety equipment to extend the use of their new climbing tower to a younger age group.
Nebula Girls’ Group: voluntary community group based in Keighley supporting girls and young women on the autism spectrum with a safe environment where they can come together, focus on their talents and have fun. Pitching for funds for running their activities.

SOUP #27

16th February 2023

Rotary Disability Games: the first annual Bradford District disability games is for anyone over 11 years of age with a disability, and will include events such as swimming, new age kurling, table tennis, boccia, archery, darts and wheelchair racing. Pitching for funds to give all the competitors with t-shirts, medals and trophies.
New Focus Group at the Impressions Gallery: young people’s collective using photography to explore fashion trends from ten different cultures through workshops and exhibitions. Pitching for funds to help with travel expenses and printing costs.
The Hive, Silsden: community centre in Silsden, with activities catering for all age groups from pre-natal care, stay and play groups, Saturday club, creative workshops, a community café, Forest School sessions and sensory garden. Pitching for funds for signage, a laminator and seeds / gardening tools so they can continue planting trees and making raised vegetable beds.

SOUP #26

17th November 2022

Emmaus Bradford: a homeless charity who give clients a home until they can get back on their feet, teaching them new skills and providing work in Emmaus shops. Pitching for funds to help refurbish new rooms to increase their capacity from 8 to 25.
Bingley and Rural Men’s Shed: a start up ‘shed’ (ladies also welcome), providing a place to go where you can do what you feel, from making things or sharing expertise to having a cup of tea. Pitching for funds for their activities, as well as seeking tool donations and raising awareness.
Home-Start Bradford District: an independent charity committed to promoting the welfare of families with young children by providing volunteer-led support (weekly visits) in families’ own homes. Pitching for funds for a thank you meal for their volunteers.

SOUP #25

18th August 2022

Baildon Imagination Library: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Scheme provides free monthly books to children aged 0-5 to inspire a love of reading, regardless of family circumstance. Pitching for funds to be able to support more children with free books.
Neesie: supports single mothers, and mothers in families where the father is absent. Pitching for funds for their new accredited leadership programme giving youngsters a boost in self-confidence and self-esteem.
Children’s Literature Festivals: passionate about giving children free access to literature and authors through literature festivals specifically aimed at children and their families. Pitching for funds for free books to distribute at their next Keighley festival in 2023.

SOUP #24

19th May 2022

Keighley Photo Hub: providing access to photography facilities, workshops and training not only for current photographers and budding enthusiasts, but for everyone in the community. Pitching for funds to be the first to develop an ‘eco-darkroom’, using plant-based methods instead of the usual chemicals.
Shy B Photography: currently working with refugees and making a study of their lives through photos of them round the kitchen table – the centre of the home, where life happens, decisions are made, stories are told and celebrations happen. Currently working with six families who have arrived in this country from around the world, spending a year taking photographs to tell their story. Pitching for funds to present each family with a canvas of their favourite photograph at the end of the project.
Bradford Nightstop: putting up homeless young people with volunteer hosts. Particular challenges during lockdown, although fortunately their numbers were low, but as restrictions have eased, numbers have increased – at a time when they have suffered an 80% funding cut. Pitching for funds to support homeless young people.

SOUP #23 (virtual)

17th February 2022

Charlotte / A Young Girl’s Madness: a play about attitudes, self-esteem and relationships, started by Charlotte when she was 16 and experiencing personal problems. Pitching for funds to take the play to the Edinburgh Fringe, and then to work with young people struggling with self-esteem when she returns.
The Venturists (Participate Projects): a unique project designed for primary schools, in particular 9-11 year olds, empowering young people to start viable social action programmes, with the children deciding what they would like to do to change their community, and then being supported to plan how they will do it, develop it and action it. Pitching for funds for a plan which involves growing food and setting up a food market.
ROC Radio: community radio station which wants to work with young people on projects through the medium of radio as a way of equipping young people to have a voice and tell other generations what is on their minds. Pitching for funds for some recording equipment.

SOUP #22 (virtual)

18th November 2021

Bradford Inclusive Disability Service (BIDS): offers incredible help and support to disabled children and their parent and carers, including a toy library filled with specialist wooden toys, which are loaned out on a fortnightly basis – with over 400 people borrowing toys on a regular basis. Pitching for funds to help replace toys from their toy library which are getting old and battered.
Yorkshire Academy of Creative Arts and Dance (YACAD): provide a safe creative space for children and adults, and promote positive factors for a healthy lifestyle. Pitching for funds for a movie wall, tripods, backdrops and ring lights to expand their offering with a moviemaking class.
Jake / Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company: Jake is touring a production of his one-man play, Mighty Fall from Grace, with assistance from Bloomin’ Buds. Mighty Fall from Grace has a mental health message based around Bradford Bulls, highlighting the decline of the protagonist’s own mental health in parallel with the decline of Bradford Bulls and highlighting the challenges of schizophrenia. Pitching for funds to tour the play locally before taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe.

SOUP #21 (virtual)

19th August 2021

GTMinistries: Gareth “Angel” Thompson runs a wrestling school helping to support and develop the chances of youngsters in the city. Pitching for funds for a wrestling ring they can take to other venues, increasing the opportunities for people to take part in competitions and to showcase what they can do.
Shine West Bowling: community project aiming to build a vibrant and healthy community in West Bowling. They are currently looking to support people who find themselves isolated and in difficult circumstances, by turning an empty space into a garden room, a place where people can feel safe and take time to talk about how they feel. Pitching for funds to decorate and furnish the space.
Liberty Arts Yorkshire: Shipley-based theatre who have developed theatre resources which can be posted to families with no internet access. Their Puppet Theatre in a Box contains puppets, stories and a DVD, whilst their STEM Theatre in a Box encourages primary school children to think about science, technology, engineering and maths as a career. Pitching for funds to purchase resources for the boxes.

SOUP #20 (virtual)

20th May 2021

Impressions Gallery: working with young refugee women on a project called Putting Ourselves in the Picture. Pitching for funds for digital cameras and computers to help the women develop their passion for photography.
Urban Saints: run the Girls’ Hangout at St James Church, Thornton, a free place of belonging for young girls where they can be supported to discover who they are so that they can live, laugh and learn in a safe environment. Pitching for funds for tools, wood, planters, knitting needles, wool and anything else creative.
Inn Churches: developing FoodSavers, a network of social supermarkets and pop-up pantries giving members access to affordable fresh food and the opportunity to save through the Credit Union, empowering members to make their own choices about good food and affording them dignity and self-respect. Pitching for funds to make up some toiletry packs.

SOUP #19 (virtual)

18th February 2021

It’s Worth Talking About: male and female peer support groups aimed at anyone that feels like they might need to talk about their life struggles to increase wellbeing, operating in Keighley, Bingley, Haworth, Cross Roads and Saltaire. Pitching for funds for publicity banners to raise awareness of the support that is available to those struggling with mental health or at risk of suicide.
Bradford Rotaract Group: part of the Rotary International for young people 18+, with no maximum age limit, to come together and get involved in fundraising and positive action in their communities. Pitching for funds to purchase cards, paper and stationery to enable them to write and send cards and letters to those in care homes around Bradford.
Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure: providing high quality sport, leisure and physical activity opportunities for disabled people across the Bradford District, including specially adapted cycles. Pitching for funds for spare parts to repair and maintain their stock of bicycles, so they don’t have to replace them as often.

SOUP #18 (virtual)

19th November 2020

Incredible Edible: growing food for people to pick on small parcels of spare land in Bingley. Pitching for funds for seeds.
Shipley Christians Together: group bringing together Christian churches across Shipley. Pitching for funds to start a CAP debt centre to offer debt advice and help people out of debt.
Yorkshire Academy of Creative Arts & Dance: Bee Creative after-school provision, offering families a safe, fun and inexpensive option of childcare for children and young people when parents need it most. Pitching for funds to develop an accessible kids’ cook and eat course.

SOUP #17 (virtual)

20th August 2020

Bradford City Deaf Football Club: football club for players who are deaf or have hearing impairments. Pitching for funds for equipment for their football matches.
Friends of Myrtle Park, Bingley: volunteer group maintaining and nurturing Myrtle Park in the centre of Bingley. Pitching for funds for welcome boards at the park entrances.
The Principle Trust: children’s charity providing respite breaks to local underprivileged and disadvantaged children from North and West Yorkshire, particularly children with life limiting conditions, disabilities, or those facing financial hardship, trauma or stress. Pitching for funds to equip a caravan for children’s respite holidays.

SOUP #16

20th February 2020

Embrace: Child Victims of Crime: supporting children, young people and their families who are victims of crime (over 3,000 last year), with no-wait counselling and tailored support for each child’s needs, from clothing vouchers and cinema visits to caravan holidays and Disneyland trips with other children affected by crime. Pitching for funds to support children in the Bradford and Keighley area.
Stop Hate UK: working to tackle hate crime (whether race, faith, sexuality or disability-motivated) through a 24-hour helpline to help those who experience or witness hate crime or want to support somebody who has, as well as advocacy and education. Pitching for funds for staff time to offer a lesson plan to Bradford schools and use that to grow an ambassador programme in schools.
The Lion’s Den (Shed), Cliffe Castle: shoulder-to-shoulder support to promote social inclusion and decrease isolation, through woodwork, horticulture, fish-keeping and more, for both men and women – part of the ‘mens’ shed’ movement, and helping to seed and grow other sheds around the Bradford District. Pitching for funds for a disabled ramp and internet access.

SOUP #15

21st November 2019

Spectrum LGBT youth group: safe space for LGBT young people to meet others, talk about issues they are facing, provide peer support and make friends. Pitching for funds for a youth event for LGBT young people across the Bradford District.
Marie Curie Hospice / Charity Chef: The Charity Chef runs 3-course supper clubs to raise funds for the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford, as well as a pop-up bakery at the hospice and other markets. Pitching for funds for ingredients so that more money can go to the hospice.
Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company: following their successful tour to New York, back pitching for funds for research and development for their new show exploring issues around working class people and mental health.

SOUP #14

15th August 2019

Riverside Riding for the Disabled: therapeutic riding for people with disabilities. Pitching for funds to replace one of their ponies who has been retired.
HERBY and The Hedgehoggery: hedgehog rescue centres in Bingley and Shipley. Both are full to capacity, and pitching for funds to fit out a new outhouse for the hedgehogs.
Friends of Littlemoor Park, Queensbury: park area left in trust for the people of Queensbury. Until recently benefited from Council support, but now volunteers have come forward to make the park a wonderful place to go and spend time and enjoy the space. Pitching for funds to enhance the entrance to the park and design an interactive natural trail.

SOUP #13

16th May 2019

Bradford Fringe Festival: do-it-yourself grassroots festival of performances and fun stuff running from June to September. Over 25 venues with performance, comedy, poetry and workshops. Aims to showcase the city, with at least half of the performers from Bradford. Pitching for funds for a website, programmes, window stickers.
Friends of Cardigan House (Community Action Bradford & District): providing opportunities and support for older people, with Monday, Wednesday and Thursday activities. Regularly survey older people to see what they would benefit from, currently providing activity-based mornings (seated exercise, indoor bowls, curling), a community lunch and afternoon reminiscences from the 1940s to 60s – with objects, slide shows, nostalgia and entertainers. Also run a wellbeing cafe for those with memory problems, and support for carers. Pitching for funds for ‘period’ entertainers for the café and reminiscences.
Baildon Men’s Shed (HALE, meeting at Bracken Hall): aims to get men together to talk, work and make friends. Meet on a Thursday morning at Bracken Hall for a cup of tea and a joke, then get on with a project – workbenches, a storytelling chair, benches and planters, some for community groups, some for the men themselves. Also run outreach workshops to help other groups make things. Pitching for funds for some more tools.

SOUP #12

21st February 2019

Eccymensgroup: helping men who have been through life-changing events such as retirement, bereavement, mental health problems or through the transition into being a carer. Aim to combat loneliness and provide support through meeting together for pool, games, fishing, discussion, videos, quizzes, keep fit, talks and outings, as well as providing home support through befriending. Pitching for funds to subsidise outings and transport to meetings.
Blue Plaques of Intangible Experience: bringing people together around a table to share positive experiences of Bradford, and recording them in embroidery. Have already gathered groups in Great Horton and The Storehouse to share and stitch positive stories about their lives, communities, neighbours and city. Reflect and learn from each workshop and aiming to put together a downloadable resource to enable anybody to run with the idea in their own context. Pitching for funds to run open community events and workshops.

SOUP #11

15th November 2018

The Anchor Project: working with elderly people, refugees and asylum seekers in BD3, as well as running environmental projects, English classes and promoting integration. Following a successful trial, want to build links between their elderly people group and their refugees and asylum seekers group, with coffee, cake, games and baking – enabling story sharing, skill sharing and friendship. They have funding for a joint session, but pitching for funds for craft materials and resources to support these sessions.
Hazelbeck Special School: special school in Bradford. Their students are well serviced educationally, but they aren’t always able to support their emotional or mental health needs as well in the school context. Many students suffer from a lack of confidence in themselves, having been highly ‘looked after’ all of their lives, or can be either very angry or very passive. Pitching for funds to take a group of students away on a cycling residential to help them feel that they can take control of their lives more. The students are doing some fundraising themselves.
Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company: our second returning pitch, Bloomin’ Buds aim to bring the arts to working class people and communities, running weekly community workshops and creating powerful professional theatre from interviews, news and their own experiences. Their previous funding enabled them to put on a highly successful Edinburgh Fringe show, which they have been invited to tour to New York. Pitching for funds for their new project, exploring mental health in working class communities, particularly related to social prescription, through a theatre piece and supporting creative website and online wall of positivity.

SOUP #10

16th August 2018

#foundfiction: hide short stories in envelopes saying ‘read me’, for people to discover and enjoy. Started with 30 stories from one author hidden around York and Leeds, now hiding fiction internationally and multilingually, as well as running kids’ workshops to inspire them and get them writing short stories and encouraging guerilla community short story writing with a ‘street desk’. Pitching for funds to grow the project in Bradford, from envelope costs to workshop costs.
BD5 women’s forum: embryonic group aiming to help support women in the BD5 area (Little Horton, Canterbury, West Bowling) with their own wellbeing, and to enable them to help support their communities. There is already much going on, but the form would help women to network, to organize themselves, to coordinate activities and work and to start new projects addressing the needs of the community. Pitching for funds for startup costs for initial meetings – publicity and a meeting room.

SOUP #9

17th May 2018

Bradford Refugee New Beginnings: supporting refugee and asylum seeker women who are pregnant or have new babies (under around 2 years old), helping and supporting them to navigate being a parent in the UK, to learn English and to make new friends. Pitching for funds to pay the travel costs of taking the group on a trip to Ilkey.
Splash Water Activity Training: outdoor water-based activities for children and adults, team building, practical skills, personal and leadership development. Aiming to develop their training for adults with mental health issues, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and community groups. Pitching for funds to be able to subsidise the cost of places on courses for those who can’t afford it.

SOUP #8

15th February 2018

Trans Mission: our first returning pitcher, providing information and support for trans and gender variant people, including drop-in sessions, one-to-one support, mental health support groups, peer support mentors, food parcels and cooking lessons. Pitching for funds to support their peer mentors with a mental health support library to lend to service users and schools, and to print a support booklet with sources of help, contact details and resources in.
Abigail Housing: houses refugees in Leeds in the gap between being granted leave to remain and being eligible for housing benefit, and houses destitute asylum seekers in Bradford who haven’t been given leave to remain whilst they apply (or re-apply), supporting them to get back into the home office processes to make fresh claims to stay. Pitching for funds to replace essential household equipment (such as vacuum cleaners) in their five Bradford houses.
Sconce Campsite: Aire Valley District Scouts campsite in Baildon, with ‘wild’ camping, easy camping, bunk house, nature area, outdoor chapel, pond, camp fire area, activities areas. Used by uniformed organisations, increasingly used by schools and disabled groups (and investing heavily in better disabled access). Pitching for funds to purchase two wildlife cameras, so they can better share the abundance of wildlife which visits the site with inner city schoolkids who often have never seen animals in the wild.

SOUP #7

16th November 2017

Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company: helping young people from working class environments to access drama and bringing arts to deprived areas and communities, through kids’ drama groups, singing for health sessions and professional theatre. Pitching for a basic set to take their new play, exploring teenage pregnancy and the class divide, to the Edinburgh fringe, on tour and into schools.
St Ives Riding for the Disabled: provide therapeutic riding sessions for people of all ages with disabilities, through qualified coaches and volunteer assistants. Pitching for funding for a new saddle for their most important horse.
Bradford Nightstop: providing overnight accommodation and meals in host homes for young people (16-25) in Bradford, as well as working to educate young people about homelessness. Pitching for funding towards bed nights.

SOUP #6

17th August 2017

SORM (School of Rock and Media): supporting Rock School, which works with youngsters in the community, and the Bystander project, which promotes positive relationships and looking out for each other.
Centrepoint: helping end youth homelessness by providing places to sleep and support to get lives on the right track.
Carers Resource: supporting those who have given up their own lives to look after their loved ones.

SOUP #5

18th May 2017

Homeless Beanies: relaunching in the summer to offer routes into employment for homeless people and those just off the streets, through a social franchise model – initially offering training and employment as coffee baristas on mobile coffee carts. Pitching for funding for barista training.
Neesie: a platform for single mothers and their children to enable them to grow independently and better their lives, facilitating prosperity for single mums and families with absent parents. Pitching for funding to help with residential holidays and regular activities.
BIASAN (Bradford Immigration and Asylum Seekers Support and Advice Network): building community amongst refugees and asylum seekers through craft and art, and enabling people to turn those skills into livelihoods. Pitching for funds to diversify the crafts offered, and for materials.

SOUP #4

16th February 2017

Brium: looking to start a Clubhouse in Bradford, a mental health rehabilitation centre where people join as members, run the clubhouse and get into employment. Pitching for funding to take the start-up group to London to meet with a thriving Clubhouse there to aid in planning.
Bradford Volunteer Doulas: supporting vulnerable and isolated women through pregnancy and childbirth. Pitching for funding for ‘pregnancy balls’ to aid mothers-to-be in comfort and exercise.
Cancer Support Yorkshire: supporting those diagnosed with cancer and their families. Pitching for funding for tablet computers to enable support workers to complete financial and government forms with clients as they increasingly move online.

SOUP #3

17th November 2016

The Power Girls: Pitching for funding for sign language teaching to support inclusion work with hearing-impaired young people.
Bradford Craft Collective: Crafters from across the world living in Bradford (including refugees and asylum seekers), meeting together to learn, create and make connections. Pitching for funding for materials, equipment and skills.
Bierley Life Centre / e:merge / One in a Million youth projects: Youth drop-ins, detached work and activities in Bierley and surrounding areas. Pitching for funding to support this work.

SOUP #2

18th August 2016

Trans Mission: Providing information and support for trans and gender variant people, including drop-in sessions, one-to-one support and cooking lessons. Pitching for money to develop promotional materials such as fliers and banners to raise awareness.
Cecil Green Arts: A Bradford-based collective of artists, puppeteers, musicians and circus performers who put on community arts projects, workshops and events – including their well-known giant lantern parades. Cecil Green Arts lost most of their materials and past work in the Drummond Mill fire.
Freedom 4 Girls: Project to provide simple hand-made sanitary health packs for women and girls in developing countries – and to enable them to make their own.

Media coverage: Telegraph and Argus story.

SOUP #1

19th May 2016

Hedgehog Emergency Rescue, Bingley Yorkshire (HERBY): Emergency rescue centre and ‘hogspital’ for sick or injured wild hedgehogs.
Hope Housing: Charity providing emergency accommodation for homeless people, looking for support to develop their ‘Beat the Boredom’ campaign, providing weekend activities when many other services are closed.