Partnered by
- Big Lottery Fund - Lottery funded
- MasterCard
- Kingsmill
- Asda
- Halifax
- Communities and Local Government
This year we think that together we can all try something extra special and a bit different. Each summer we produce a short promotional film with footage from Lunches right across the UK.
This year we would love you and your community to help make the film. It’s a chance to share your Big Lunch through your eyes and give your community some recognition!
All you have to do is film a short clip of your Big Lunch on the day – using your smart phone is the easiest way – and Tweet it to us using the hash tag #mybiglunchfilm - you could also share it on Facebook.
Won’t it be great to share our Big Lunch moments together! We plan to share all of the clips and will use as many as we can in our short film. If you have any questions just email fay.richards@thebiglunch.com
This year The Big Lunch takes place on Sunday 2 June and with less than a month to go, things are getting busy! It’s never too late to organise your own Big Lunch and remember that you can always hold it on a different date if it works better for your community. The key ingredient for a Big Lunch is the people that come along, as long as you have somewhere to meet, a Big Lunch will fall into place! There’s still time to get your FREE Big Lunch pack and you can sign up for a downloadable pack if you’re really short of time.
You can organise a Big Lunch in five simple steps:
Most importantly have fun, enjoy the food and take lots of photos!
If you need some last minute tips or have any questions please email info@thebiglunch.com or call 0845 850 81 81 to speak to one of the team.
We always love to hear what’s happening at Big Lunches taking place across the UK so please tell us about your event at yourstories@thebiglunch.com
Asda stores across the UK are lending their support to The Big Lunch 2013. Sharing information with customers, local schools, charities and community groups Here’s just a little taste of the support their Community Life Champions offer.
A team of willing
When ASDA Portadown’s CLC Elaine Livingstone was asked by her customer – Geraldine Foley to support a litterpicking early Big Lunch; Elaine and colleagues were quick to agree. Elaine said “we are encouraging as many Big Lunches locally as possible and are keen to show ASDA as champions in community life.”
volunteers set off from the new Portadown store to join the 18 mile litterpick along one of Ireland’s most scenic inland canals. Fun, food and friendship was had by all involved, and no stone was left unturned by the ASDA volunteers, a passionate group prepared to grab the garbage by all means possible.
Geraldine Foley a volunteer with Inland Waterways Ireland said: “Our Big Lunch celebrated the volunteers achievement and encouraged new friendships in the spirit of neighbourhood and community encouraged by the Eden Project’s Big Lunch campaign. Lunch can be fertile ground for good ideas and this Big Spring Clean and Big Lunch was no exception. To recognise their efforts we have made the Asda volunteers honourary friends of the canal. We were also delighted that a couple of the local Asda staff have offered to get involved more regularly.”
Elaine has also volunteered at early local Big Lunches and promoted the Big Lunch in her neighbourhood, encouraging local groups to consider joining in, she and other Community Life champions such as Sheila in Coleraine and Barbara in Antrim have organised awareness raising days instore and have more ideas up their sleeves.
Big Lunches can lead to all sorts of good things happening, from increased membership of your local group, to friendlier localities. So why not organise a Big Lunch get together in your own neck of the woods and let your local Asda know what you are doing, they might be able to offer a little help.
Mae Emma Knight, o Gastell Nedd yn hen law ar y Cinio Mawr, ac mae wedi cynnal un ers y cychwyn yn 2009!
“Llwyddodd ei stryd hi i ennill gwobrau Cymunedol y Cinio Mawr; a daeth Emma i’r seremoni wobrwyo yn Clarence House i dderbyn ei gwobr gan Ei Mawrhydi Duges Cernyw. Yma, mae hi’n dweud wrthym ni sut y trawsffurfiwyd ei chymuned dros y blynyddoedd ac mae’n rhannu cynghorion sut y gellir cadw’r cynnwrf cymunedol i fynd yn eich ardal chi.
Er gwaetha amheuon pobl ar y cychwyn a’r ofnau na fyddai unrhyw un am ddod, roedd ei Chinio Mawr cyntaf yn llwyddiant enfawr, a daeth mwyafrif y stryd i ymuno yn yr hwyl. Rhoddwyd pobl mewn timau gyda phobl eraill roedden nhw’n eu nabod, a rhai oedd yn ddieithr, a threfnwyd gweithgareddau oedd yn eu hannog i ryngweithio.
Drwy’r digwyddiad, fe ddiflannodd y teimlad o ddiffyg ymddiriedaeth oedd yn ein hardal yn gyflym iawn, ac ymhen dim o dro, roedd y stryd yn teimlo fel lle diogel. Dechreuodd y genhedlaeth hŷn a’r to iau drin ei gilydd gyda mwy o barch a newidiodd agweddau hefyd.
Mae’r grŵp cynllunio a ffurfiwyd gennym i drefnu’r Cinio Mawr, bellach wedi troi yn ‘Gynghrair Cymunedol Ffrindiau a Chymdogion’ (F.A.N) ac rydym yn trefnu nifer o ddigwyddiadau eraill yn ein hardal. Mae’r bobl ifanc yn y stryd wedi sefydlu ‘Mini F.A.Ns’ hefyd er mwyn hyrwyddo mwy o weithgareddau a digwyddiadau i bobl ifanc, a rhoi mwy o fewnbwn iddynt yn y gymuned. Maen nhw wedi ffurfio eu grŵp syrcas eu hunain sy’n cynnig sioeau a gweithdai ar draws Castell Nedd, gan roi incwm i’r grŵp, sy’n wych.
Bellach, mae bron pawb ar y stryd yn cyfrannu at gronfa gymunedol drwy beli bonws wythnosol a rafflau – gan greu cronfa i drefnu digwyddiadau a gweithgareddau i’r stryd drwy’r flwyddyn.
Mae Stryd Ethel bellach yn lle bywiog a llawn bywyd; mae pobl y tu allan yn sgwrsio o hyd ac mae rhywbeth i’w wneud yma bob amser. Mae ein gweithgareddau blynyddol yn amrywio o’r Cinio Mawr, teithiau haf (i tua 106 o bobl!), digwyddiad Calan Gaeaf, a chinio Nadolig, taith i weld pantomeim, a bore coffi Masnach Deg. Rydym wedi dechrau trawsnewid hen lon gefn yn rhandir trefol. Mae gennym systemau mewn lle i bobl rannu ac ailgartrefu eitemau. Rydym yn codi ymwybyddiaeth ac yn mynd i’r afael â thipio anghyfreithlon, baw ci a sbwriel. Mae’r rhestr yn ddiddiwedd! Mae’r ymdeimlad o gymuned a pherthyn yn amlwg.
Roeddwn i’n arfer cadw fi fy hun i fi fy hun, ond bellach mae pawb yn gartrefol yn nhai ei gilydd ac yn gwybod beth sy’n digwydd – fel stryd o gymdogion busneslyd,-ond mewn ffordd dda!”
Cynghorion Emma i’ch Cinio Mawr:
2014 will be a big year for Scotland. It will be big for sport, for celebration, and also for communities. To bring all of this together, the Scottish Lottery Distributor’s Forum (SLDF) today launched a £4 million fund to help communities in Scotland celebrate both XX Commonwealth Games happening in Glasgow 2014, and Scottish links to the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories.
Ochil Steel Drum Band
South Indian Cultural Centre Dancers
The Big Lunch Scotland team went along to the launch which took place in the Winter Gardens on Glasgow Green. It showcased several of the kinds of projects that the fund could help make happen, from an African dance and music troupe, the Ochil Steel Drum band, Fife ladies Choir and also featuring the beautiful dancers from our Big Lunch friends and Big Lunch Community Award winners, The South Indian Cultural Centre in Rutherglen.
You can apply for between £500 – £10,000 for activities that help either (or both!):
Henna tatoos from Nari Kallyan Shango project
Glasgow 2014 mascot ‘Clyde’ takes in the show
Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair Maureen McGinn said: “Through Celebrate we can offer Lottery funding of up to £10,000 to arts, heritage, sports and community groups across the country to hold one off events… as long as it’s linked to the Commonwealth Games and people can get involved, then Celebrate is for you.”
At The Big Lunch we’re encouraging our Scottish Big Lunchers to join in the 2014 build up and get creative on a Commonwealth theme. You can learn more about the fund here: www.celebrateit.org.uk
The only thing limiting your event is imagination!
In June 2012, Par Community Association organised a Big Jubilee Lunch with the aim of bringing people together to improve their sense of community. This Big Lunch was supported by The Department of Communities and Local Government and Sonia Clyne share’s their story.
“Local groups embraced the event, bunting was made by a workshop for adults with learning difficulties, the Scouts brought a marquee and tea-making equipment and school children grew salad from seeds provided by the Eden Project. People from all around the area came to help, Tables and chairs were also supplied by Scouts along with the local school and a local church provided hundreds of cupcakes. It was certainly a whole community effort and was opened by our Carnival Queen and the local MP.
A fun sponsored skate/scoot set the event off on a positive note and we had an unending stream of people arrive with food to share and a barbecue prepared by a local pub. Entertainment by our local Morris dancers, a ukulele band, a children’s entertainer and even a telescope to look safely at the sun and solar flares helped to make it a day to remember. All took place on a private road owned by a local business, community members helped set up and clear up at the end and a good time was had by all.
We received lots of positive comments about a wonderful day and people wanted to know when the next one would be!”
The prestigious Big Lunch Community Awards ceremony took place at Clarence House yesterday, hosted by our patron Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. Our five winners were selected from the 35 nominees that were shortlisted earlier this month.
The judging panel, including a representative from our funder The Big Lottery Fund and celebrity ambassador Barbara Windsor, had a difficult time choosing the five winners, but eventually selected the following communities – representing all four corners of the UK.
Congratulations to the winners of The Big Lunch Community Award – in alphabetical order:
The judging panel was inspired by all of the stories submitted and selected those whom they felt most clearly demonstrated the positive and lasting impact that The Big Lunch has had on the community as the winners.
They were impressed by the high standard of the nominations and all of amazing things that are happening in communities across the UK following Big Lunch events.
Tim Smit, Co-Founder of the Eden Project and The Big Lunch, presented the awards and each winner was given with a trophy by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The five winning communities will also receive a commemorative bench in the coming weeks and they were all photographed around Westfield Road’s bench in the garden at Clarence House yesterday.
Barbara Windsor also attended the Awards to personally congratulate each of the winners. It was a momentous day, followed by a great morning, with Barbara and Westfield Road Big Lunch organiser, Jess Phillips being interviewed on ITV’s This Morning today.
We hope that our Award winners’ stories will inspire lots more people to take part in The Big Lunch on Sunday 2 June this year.
Sign up for your FREE pack and start planning an event today!
Scotland’s girl next door, Michelle McManus, is supporting The Big Lunch 2013! The singer and presenter says she really identifies with what The Big Lunch is all about and wants to encourage the same sense of community spirit she felt when growing up.
“I grew up in Glasgow in a very big family and was constantly surrounded by family, friends and neighbours. We were notorious for throwing parties to celebrate anything from birthdays to new jobs. The Big Lunch is the perfect excuse to get-together like we used to do and start being a bit friendlier.”
Michelle continues to play a big part in the area of Glasgow where she lives now. “The feeling of community is invaluable to me, it means you’re never lonely and you always feel safe. I can go into my local deli or book shop and meet people I’ve known a long time and I have the best neighbour anyone could wish for. He’s one of the reasons that I haven’t moved! He’s a fantastic friend and we help each other out.”
Everyone gets together on their street every year and this year they will be joining in on Sunday 2 June with their first ever Big Lunch. Planning to bring lots of chat and homemade cakes, Michelle says she might even get a bit of a sing song started!
To add to her talents she also speaks Gaelic and wanted to send this message in the Scots dialect to encourage everyone to get involved this year:
“Na bithibh diid! Togaibh ur cinn le gire agus gnogaibh air doras ur nbaidh airson gu faic sibh a bheil iad ag iarraidh a dhol airson biadh, airson dithis, air an darna latha dhan t-g-mhios.”
-There’s still time to sign up for this year’s Big Lunch, stop being shy, lift your head, wear your best smile and knock on your neighbours door to see if they fancy getting together for lunch on 2 June.
Big thanks to Michelle!
We spoke to Lorna from Living Streets on the upcoming National Walking Month and how to get involved…
What’s Living Streets about?
Living Streets works to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets across the UK. This May it’s the charity’s third annual National Walking Month and we are encouraging everyone to get talking about walking and discover where it can take them. We’re focusing on six main benefits of walking;
Why should we walk more?
Walking is life changing; walking for just 30 minutes each morning can transform your fitness levels and reduce stress. It is also a fabulous opportunity to meet new people, chat to your neighbours about your Big Lunch plans and gives a chance to see your streets through fresh eyes.
How can we fit walking into the school run and around our working day?
The month also incorporates Walk to Work Week and Walk to School Week, encouraging people to leave their cars and travel cards at home and use that often forgotten mode of transport, their feet!
Walk to Work Week (13-17 May 2013) is an opportunity for people across the UK to fit more walking into their working day. Walking to the workplace or at least part of the way, popping out for a lunchtime walk or a walking meeting offers a fresh perspective on your day, giving you a clearer head and time to think. Last year, UK workplaces collectively logged 70,000 of the 128,271 miles recorded during National Walking Month and burnt off the equivalent of 12,504 muffins – a brilliant excuse to have a much bigger Big Lunch a few weeks later!
Walk to School Week (20-24 May 2013) – Parents have told us that not only does walking make their journey less stressful and helps them meet other neighbours who are also parents, but it reduces their petrol bill and their children feel healthier and fitter.
How do we get started?
Why not plan a walk and then have a Big Lunch, arrange a walking challenge with your neighbours, or explore part of your local community that you’ve never really looked at before? Take part and sign up www.livingstreets.org.uk
Last night we released a summary report of the social impact research that has been conducted for The Big lunch over the past 4 years entitled ‘Feeding Community Spirit’.
A lively and thought provoking debate was chaired by Broadcaster and Presenter Fi Glover, with contributors: Tim Smit, CEO of The Eden Project, Jonathan Carr West, author of the report and Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), and Linda Quinn, Director of Communications and Marketing at The Big Lottery Fund.
It’s the first time we’ve hosted an event which focuses on promoting the social impact that The Big Lunch has had within communities to opinion formers and social commentators. Our aim is to continue to position The Big Lunch as a flagship example of people led social change that empowers individuals and communities to make a small scale local difference, which as part of the bigger picture has a genuine social impact.
What do you think? Where does the responsibility for community lie? Share your answers here, or keep the debate going on Facebook and Twitter using #RSAcommunity #thebiglunch @thebiglunch
Big Jubilee Lunch 2012, an Eden Project
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