Rusholme Soup Report

Rusholme Soup was managed by Healthy Me Healthy Communities, supported by a University of Manchester student volunteer team and funded by Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Investment Fund (Rusholme).


The soup concept involved a community dinner where attendees donated and then voted for a project they believe will make the greatest impact in their community. The events included food, live-music and an opportunity to meet with other residents and community partners. 

 

The Rusholme Soup supports the Rusholme Health Plan and Health Forum by providing a platform for generating community projects in and around Rusholme that benefit local people.

Rusholme Soup Objectives, Outputs, Outcomes 

Develop local projects and identify neighbourhood resources to support their growth and impact. The  objectives, reflecting both local assets and challenges, included:  


  1. Engage with businesses in the area, allowing them to become part of the conversation on issues affecting Rusholme.  
  2. Engage with students and younger residents (21-30 years old). 
  3. Engage with residents who wouldn’t usually attend a community event.  
  4. Raise the profile of Rusholme.  
  5. Bring together community partners. 

Our outputs: 

  • 2 Rusholme Soup events raising £544 from donations 
  • Attended by 83 people 
  • 11 pitches 
  • 5 projects supported, 2 directly from the Soup donations and 3 through additional donations from partners, evidencing the power of collaboration 

The outcomes: 

  1. The biggest single success was the video coverage of the event provided by That’s Manchester, with a short film featured regularly on their news hour within excess of 5000 viewers. 
  2. Facebook posts reached over 4000 people. 
  3. Twitter had 37,590 post views. 
  4. 70% of attendees aware of one or more form of Rusholme Soup’s social media platforms at the first, and 93% by the second. 
  5. Featured in The Mancunian (online and print) with a circulation of 20,000; Sustainability Newsletter (circulation 600); UofM Volunteering & Community Engagement Newsletter (454 subscribers).
A group of people are standing next to each other on a piece of paper.
Two women are standing next to each other in a room holding books.

The winning projects 


  • The first Community Soup was won by the Anson Community Shop, a new project redistributing surplus food to people experiencing poverty and social isolation. The funds were used to purchase fixtures and fittings, and the shop now benefits over 50 members.
  • The second community Soup was won by Coffee Cranks, a co-operative based at Platt Fields boathouse and the funds to be used for an additional coffee machine. 

The future of Rusholme Soup  


  • The UofM student team have developed a ‘How to Soup Manual’ for managing and coordinating future Rusholme Soup events. 
  • Healthy Me Healthy Communities plans to deliver future Rusholme Soup events with the next events being Autumn 2016 and early 2017. 
  • Develop a Rusholme Soup Board made up of new student volunteers, residents and community organisations. 

Download a copy of the full report  to learn more about how local businesses and local residents came together and the impact that was made. 

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