Our first ‘themed’ Mossley SOUP event

2024 will see Mossley SOUP host its first ‘themed’ event aimed at supporting local businesses and start-ups. We’re currently appealing for project proposals from Mossley-based enterprises and those looking to start a business.

We’ve taken the decision to give this a go based on feedback from community members and to try and help our business community survive, thrive and grow in what has been a really challenging few years.

Chat to any of our small independent businesses and they’ll likely to share with you the multiple challenges they’ve faced through the COVID pandemic and as a result of the cost of living crisis. For those brave enough to develop and launch a new business in the past few years, these extra challenges have added to what can already be a very demanding process.

There are many elements that contribute to making a town or community strong. Having a decent mix of local businesses, serving and responding to the needs of residents whilst providing job opportunities, is undoubtedly part of the fabric of any thriving community.

Be it shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, service providers, trades people or manufacturers – local small and medium sized businesses are very much part of lifeblood of our town.

SOUP for businesses

Some people have held the perception that Mossley SOUP is only for community organisations and voluntary groups. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Mossley SOUP has always welcomed project proposals from businesses and people looking to launch a business. From our very first event and over the past few years we’ve had a few businesses present and it is always interesting to hear from members of the local businesses community and people with new ideas.

Some of the feedback we’ve received from local businesses thinking about sharing a project at Mossley SOUP is that they were reluctant to do so as they didn’t want to present alongside local community or voluntary groups. By hosting this ‘themed’ event, we hope local businesses and those with start-up ideas feel more encouraged and inspired to submit a project proposal.

Mossley SOUP would be nowhere near as successful as it has been without the support of local businesses. From event sponsorship and raffle prizes to soup ingredients and cake donations, many parts of the Mossley SOUP recipe come from the support of local businesses.

By hosting a ‘themed’ event aimed at supporting local businesses and start-ups, we hope to shine a spotlight on the importance of supporting local businesses and the valuable contribution they make to our community.

Feeling inspired?

We are now seeking project proposals from existing Mossley businesses looking to expand, offer a new service or product line. We also welcome project proposals from both Mossley residents with a start-up idea and those from outside our area who are keen to launch a business in Mossley. Please spread the word to the local businesses you use and encourage anyone with a start-up idea to submit their short proposal here. The deadline for project proposals is 18 January 2024.