Llandrindod SOUP teamed up with the Radnor Fringe Festival to host the first ever SOUP Fest, a day and evening of midsummer music, entertainment and the chance to support the community.
SOUP is a simple community-based fundraising concept, based on an idea that started in Detroit and has since spread all over the world. People attending the event were invited to make a donation in exchange for a voting token, and then listened to pitches from local people with ideas about how to make Llandrindod and the surrounding villages a better place to live. Everybody who made a pitch had up to five minutes to win over the voters - who then asked them questions about their idea before casting their vote.
Six local groups pitched at SOUP Fest: Credu Young Carers, Hwgga Studios for a town branded umbrella scheme, Radnor Wildlife Trust for plants and shrubs, Llandrindod Carnival and the Herb Garden Community Café.
Credu Young Carers won the most votes and walked away with £1,000 to spend on an activity day on Saturday, August 10.
Llandrindod Carnival won the second prize of £600 to spend on sourcing a new main act for next year’s carnival.
Due to donations raised on the day, the SOUP team were able to offer a third prize of £300 which was won by the Herb Garden Community Café to spend on improving the walkway which runs past the café.
The audience enjoyed music from local performers - Angharad Gough, Felicity Bulbulia and The Briars, and also enjoyed some delicious soup, which included soups donated by the Metropole Hotel and Hotel Commodore.
The Radnor Fringe Festival then took over the bandstand for an evening of live music from Toby Hay, a guitarist and composer from Rhayader, Shropshire-based singer Jonathan Day and Shango & Chef, who drew the audience to their feet to dance as dusk drew in.
Money raised from the evening will go towards the cost of hosting the full Radnor Fringe Festival in 2020.
SOUP Fest was supported by Llandrindod Wells Town Council and Arvon Ale House, along with everyone who came along on the day and made the day such a huge success.
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