In seven years SOUP! has provided more than 70 local charities and good causes with money and profile raising.

What is less obvious is how community groups connect and support others through this grant-giving lunch organised by Wells Independents.

An example arose at Saturday afternoon's SOUP! in the Connect Centre when Irene Prince from previous winners the Wells Social Group for the Visually Impaired told the audience told how they had spent some of the money on a party supported by a live performance organised by one of the runners-up, Wellspring Music.

"At the group's request we supplied and subsidised the musical performance, using what we received from SOUP!," said Paul Cannon of Wellspring.

"The party made our people feel more part of the community," said Irene.

The first of the four charities to speak on Saturday was Children's Hospice South West whose Kylie Gallagher told how they look after children with life-threatening diseases who are not expected to live long. Currently they have nurses and other staff supporting nine families in the Wells area.

Next was Joanna Davey of PromiseWorks, whose rigorously trained mentors bring their life experience to support vulnerable children and young people weekly. Wells has more mentors than any other place in Somerset, but 34 people locally are waiting for a mentor.

Then came Helen Dance of Citizens Advice who said: "We do exactly what it says on the tin," giving free, fair, impartial, non-judgemental advice as an independent charity with nothing to do with the Government. Their purpose has never changed but the issues they deal with have grown more complicated.

Finally, the 70-strong audience heard from Sue Marland and Paul Wiltshire of Wells Foodbank who said they had found a more suitable base at the old Pump House in Rowdens Road, but demand was growing for their services and the cost of their food shopping had increased dramatically.

Each of the presenters took questions from the floor, and while the audience voted Andre Wintersgill told how this SOUP!'s match-funder, IdTox, prepares frozen food and smoothies to help local residents lose weight and detox their system.

Then MC Paddy O'Hagan announced that PromiseWorks had received the most votes and would get £350. The other three charities got £118.

"It was another well attended SOUP! despite Wimbledon and other events happening today and the inclement weather," said Ross Young of Wells Independents. "Thank you all who came and to the four charities who did themselves proud."

Also thanked were the Blue School for cooking the choices of soups, Burns the Bread for donating the rolls, the Bishop's Eye and Morrisons for the wine and Karen Young for the table flowers.

· The next Wells SOUP! will be on Saturday 14th October at the Connect Centre. Arrive 12.40pm for a 1pm start.