8 Tuesday January 17, 2017
COMMUNITY
By Qi Xijia
S
hanghai’s cosmopolitan commu-
nity offers many diverse projects
and creative partnerships as it
transforms itself into China’s premier
innovation hub. Joining the pack, a
new crowd-funding project, Shanghai
Soup, was launched last week to help
smaller projects obtain funding.
Established by Matthew Hollas and
David Wellstead, two Englishmen liv-
ing and working in Shanghai, the proj-
ect is based on the hugely successful
Detroit Soup model, a micro-granting
dinner event first launched in Detroit
in 2010 that funds creative projects.
Shanghai Soup is quite a unique
idea in China’s fundraising scene,
combining micro-financing, network-
ing and sustainable food, something
that according to the founders has not
yet been done in Shanghai. It also en-
deavors to bring together like-minded
talent to consider participating in or
donating to small projects which other-
wise might have been overlooked.
 Unique
crowd-sourcing
campaign
combines
micro-financing
and food
(From top) Diners at the first Shanghai Soup fundraiser; David Wellstead,
Matthew Hollas and Alan Coyne at fundraiser; Wellstead preparing soup.
Photos: Qi Xijia/GT
ence,” Hollas told the Global Times
after the event.
China and beyond
With a Master’s degree in project
management, Hollas’ day job is teach-
ing on business accounting and law
programs at Shanghai University of
International Business and Econom-
ics. He teamed up with Wellstead, who
holds a Master’s in biogeochemistry, to
put together a website, locate a venue
and find food suppliers.
“It showed how supportive the
Attendees pay 50 yuan ($7.25) at community is in such a short period of
the door to enjoy a bowl of soup while time that we can put together some-
listening to four 4-minute presenta- thing like this,” said Wellstead, who
tions from speakers. Whichever idea added that compared with the Detroit
gets the most votes from diners takes model, which is much more localized,
all the money collected at the door to Hollas and Wellstead are trying to
help fund their project. use their platform to appeal to other
The soup itself is sourced from lo- regions across China and even other
cal suppliers and restaurants utilizing countries.
food that would otherwise be thrown “Shanghai is one of the most inter-
away (due to overstocking or cosmetic national cities in China and we’d like
damage). Spiced pumpkin, potato, leek to engage people who have all sorts of
and turnip mixed
with vegetables,
beef stock and
pasta are pre-
pared by a small
team of dedicated
volunteer foodies.
After six weeks
of preparation,
the first Shanghai
Soup raised over
3,450 yuan. “This
is not a lot, but
it’s enough to
make a differ-
Shanghai
Soup
small start-up businesses and projects,
whatever their scope and reach beyond
Shanghai,” said Wellstead.
Working on a first-come first-served
basis, innovators can submit their
ideas online at http://shanghaisoup.
org/soup-idea.php for consideration.
On this evening, contenders included
a Laughter Yoga program, a collec-
tive action against sexual assault, an
orphan school in Kenya and a local
author’s literacy program. At the end
of voting, Alan Coyne and his orphan
school project took the pot.
From 2008 Coyne spent five years
in Kenya volunteering and working
with local NGOs and with US and UK
foreign aid programs. There he estab-
lished and managed an orphan (OVC)
school project for 244 children.
“I think this is one of the most in-
novative NGO micro-funding projects
I’ve seen,” said Coyne. “Not only do
the charities benefit but the partici-
pants get an almost free delicious meal
and educative presentations with a
great social networking opportunity.”
“In the last nine months we fund-
raised for and built a new senior
primary school in Kenya. We believe
our children deserve a secondary
education so we now aim to build a
secondary school. This funding will be
used towards that,” he added.
In March, Shanghai Soup will be
holding their second event with the
theme of women’s rights and equality.
Page Editor:
heluyi@
globaltimes.com.cn