Well done to our Soup Dragon's Den winner - Longton Carnival

There was music, bubbles and scooters during our Soup Dragon’s Den event.

We heard pitches from four community groups to transform a village into a merry winter wonderland; help people forget about the stresses of life through singing; promote fast, fun and green ways of getting children to school; and help people find their creative side through woodwork.

Longton Carnival (Community Group) won the most votes with their pitch to organise Longton Winter Wonderland, a Christmas event and market, with a light switch-on for all to enjoy, bringing the community together.

The group will be awarded £1,000 from our Community Investment Fund to host the event, which will include a Santa’s helper hunt, Santa’s grotto, more than 40 market stalls across 12 venues, a lantern parade, and carols by the tree. Follow their Facebook page for updates: Facebook

Emma Young, Chairman of Longton Carnival, said: “As a community group, the difference this is going to make to the community of Longton and western parishes is unbelievable.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to have pitched and grateful to everyone who voted for us.”

The three other community groups and individuals who pitched during the event will also receive funding of up to £200. They are: 

• Leyland Singers – A community choir which is looking to recruit new members. They rehearse at St Mary's Community Centre, in Leyland, every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm.
• Scoot for School –St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School PTFA is wanting to raise money for scooter pods to encourage more youngsters to ride scooters to school, which has health and environmental benefits.
• Community Workshop Lytham – This group focuses on health, wellbeing and social isolation through creative woodworking sessions

Guests enjoyed soup and crumble, served by our Progress Housing Group colleagues at Penwortham Community Centre, in Kingsfold.

Diane Nash, Customer Voice Manager, said: “Thank you to everyone who pitched during our Dragon’s Den event. It was great to hear about everyone’s fantastic work and see you all supporting each other and networking, which is another benefit from this event.

“We truly value and appreciate the work that you do in our communities and we want to make sure that it is recognised.

“Well done to our winners, Longton Carnival (Community Group). We can’t wait to see this magical wonderland bring your community together.”

• We are now planning our next Soup Dragon’s Den event in early November. Applications will open from mid-September. Keep an eye out on our website for more details.