About Us
Empty Bowls was brought to the New Forest, Hampshire, England in 2018 by Jules Carpenter, a Lymington based potter. After listening to a podcast about how potters got together to raise money for their community in the USA Jules approached her friends Trina Hart and Trevor Hart with the 'win win' idea to set up a fundraising event to raise money for our local New Forest Food Bank. Trina and Trevor between them have extensive experience in media and marketing. Trina volunteers and is a Trustee at the food bank and has real knowledge of how desperately in need some people are.
In 2019 the first Empty Bowls New Forest event was held in four Lymington restaurants who generously offered to be host venues and donate soup. Over 100 handmade ceramic bowls were a sellout and everybody involved enjoyed Soup Week. An amazing £1555.77 was raised in cash with every penny going directly to the food bank.
You can follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram
@emptybowls_newforest
It was only natural that we would want to continue the project to make it an annual fundraising event. Everybody who donated or volunteered welcomed the idea to do it over and over again! It has brought our community of potters together and so many people got the chance to buy soup and keep a beautiful handmade bowl knowing proceeds go to help those less fortunate.
We are happy to help other potters set up their own events across the UK. With a bit of help with sponsorship money from local firms we were able to develop this website with the aim to help promote Empty Bowl events across the UK and educate people about the issue of hunger in their area.
Sadly food banks continue to be a necessity and provide food and house hold basics for those in desperate need. If you are inspired to set up your own fundraising event please consider registering with us. Jules has put together an ideas pack to get you started, including our logo, and will gladly talk you through holding a fundraiser. We would love to help promote your event and share details on our website and social media.
Jules x
In 2019 the first Empty Bowls New Forest event was held in four Lymington restaurants who generously offered to be host venues and donate soup. Over 100 handmade ceramic bowls were a sellout and everybody involved enjoyed Soup Week. An amazing £1555.77 was raised in cash with every penny going directly to the food bank.
You can follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram
@emptybowls_newforest
It was only natural that we would want to continue the project to make it an annual fundraising event. Everybody who donated or volunteered welcomed the idea to do it over and over again! It has brought our community of potters together and so many people got the chance to buy soup and keep a beautiful handmade bowl knowing proceeds go to help those less fortunate.
We are happy to help other potters set up their own events across the UK. With a bit of help with sponsorship money from local firms we were able to develop this website with the aim to help promote Empty Bowl events across the UK and educate people about the issue of hunger in their area.
Sadly food banks continue to be a necessity and provide food and house hold basics for those in desperate need. If you are inspired to set up your own fundraising event please consider registering with us. Jules has put together an ideas pack to get you started, including our logo, and will gladly talk you through holding a fundraiser. We would love to help promote your event and share details on our website and social media.
Jules x