This year The Big Lunch is on Father’s Day - Sunday the 18th of June. This year it forms part of The Great Get-Together weekend which is a celebration of community positivity in memory of MP Jo Cox.

The Big Lunch has just released an all-new free party planning pack to help people get started with their street’s Big Lunch. It is available at their Eden Project Communities website: (https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/join-in-get-your-free-big-lunch-starter-pack)

Grainne McCloskey, manager for Eden project Communities’ Big Lunch initiative in Northern Ireland said: “We are encouraging people in every city, town, village and even the rural areas across Northern Ireland to invite neighbours and local people to share food and friendship on Big Lunch day. It’s that simple.

The Big Lottery Fund are funding the Big Lunch initiative to strengthen communities and encourage connections, sharing and positivity.

“People tell us the hardest bit is knocking the first door or inviting the first person to pitch in. But it immediately becomes easier as more and more people contribute, and planning is half the fun.”

The Great Get-Together is a weekend of community celebration aiming to bring people together to enjoy a diverse mix of activities including Big Lunches on Sunday 18 June.

It is a unique collaboration the Jo Cox Foundation, The Big Lunch and a range of great community organisations which in the purest sense unites initiatives that share the ambition to positively impact people’s lives, and the places where they live.

Over 4000 people have already signed up to take part, and many charities, businesses and organisations are also getting behind the idea

The Big Lunch is the annual get-together for neighbours held each year one Sunday in June. In 2016 7.3 million people got together to share food, friendship and fun.

Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all types of communities, with millions of people taking to their streets, gardens and community spaces for lunch. A Big Lunch event can be anything from a simple get-together with neighbours in a backyard to a full-blown party taking over the whole street. 

Grainne McCloskey said “What you do and how you do it is up to you. The key ingredient is people.”

“Often a Big Lunch starts with a small group of friends and neighbours with an idea to get people together on one day in the year. With a bit of door knocking, word of mouth and a few flyers, the ‘founding allies’ can get it to snowball into a proper plan involving the whole neighbourhood. The free pack provides all you need to kick things off locally.”

The Eden project funded by Big Lottery encourage people to participate in this mass act of sharing because it helps ordinary people develop relationships on their doorsteps which in turn creates stronger, friendlier communities in which people start to share things, from conversation and ideas to skills and resources. 

For more information visit https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/

or find us on social media @/EdenCommunities #TheBigLunch #GreatGetTogether weekend