HM The Queen encourages nation to join in with The Big Lunch on 1 and 2 June

With The Big Lunch weekend almost here, Her Majesty The Queen has shared a special message as people up and down the country are in the last stages of planning green themed events that are expected to bring neighbours and communities together over The Big Lunch weekend on 1 - 2 June.

Ahead of celebrations HM The Queen has extended her encouragement to people across the UK:

“As the proud Patron of The Big Lunch, I send my warmest good wishes to the millions of people across the country who will be joining their neighbours at picnics and street parties this weekend, sharing food, friendship and fun. I very much hope that you will all have a wonderful time!”

Just over one year on from the Coronation Big Lunch, thousands of celebrations are set to take place across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. After street parties swept the nation for the Jubilee and Coronation, organisers are this year encouraging communities to keep the party going but add an eco-friendly twist to make a positive difference to people and the planet.

Lindsey Brummitt MVO, Programme Director at Eden Project who are behind The Big Lunch, said: “We’re so excited about this year’s Big Lunch, when we’re hoping people across the country will turn out in full force, come rain or shine, to share a bite to eat together and get to know each other better! With the support of our patron HM The Queen, it’s been wonderful to see so many people recognising the power of community – and it can all start with a Big Lunch! Our research shows that 81% of people who joined in last year felt less lonely as a result, and that 75% were more likely to give time to help their neighbours. So, whether you want to pop along to your local street party, go green at a Big Lunch in nature, or you just want to enjoy a cuppa with a neighbour, it’s never too late to join in – find everything you need to get started at www.thebiglunch.com”

Communities joining in with this year’s green theme include a special Big Lunch at the Eco Therapy Garden in Merseyside, where guests can enjoy planting and growing activities, a Sow and Grow Big Lunch in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and a primary school in Belfast holding a tea party to officially open their Pollinator Garden. In Cleethorpes, a community is marking their 10th Big Lunch as part of their local park group, while an allotment in Tamworth has been preparing for their Big Lunch for months by growing their own veggies to serve on the big day!

Celebrations aren’t limited to streets and parks, with The Big Lunch taking over more unusual locations including Bude Sea Pool, where volunteers have planned a waterfront party for the whole community complete with sea shanties and scones. In Barrow in Furness, a local library is getting the party started with a Big Lunch featuring afternoon tea, an Age UK choir, skate demo – and of course books! Meanwhile, a Big Lunch in Llandrindod Wells in Wales is putting on a Big Battle, with challenges including boat races and obstacle courses, interspersed with a special Big Lunch!

Community hubs are joining in too, with Big Lunch sponsors Greene King hosting events at 300 pubs across the UK. One of the pub chain’s many events includes a special get-together for a health and wellbeing group at The Tamar in Plymouth, which will see the pub reach out to people feeling isolated in the community. Up in Glasgow, The Maltman is getting involved too with an invitation to enjoy a Big Lunch for humans and furry friends alike, with ‘puppucinos’ offered to any dogs attending!

With £87m raised for good causes at Big Lunch events since 2015, communities are continuing to support the causes that matter to them as part of their celebrations. A British Legion care home in Warwickshire is joining forces with food bank volunteers at a D-Day themed Big Lunch, while in the small village of Burn, people are preparing for their annual Big Lunch, which will this year see local lorry driver Stuart Davison thank the village for all its support for his humanitarian aid trips over the last two years and ask for help once again for his 13th visit to Ukraine to deliver supplies.

Sonia Hearld organises Burn’s annual Big Lunch and said: “The Big Lunch has been a staple for our community since it launched in 2009, and it’s made a huge difference to our rural village, which has struggled with isolation in the past. Each year, our local pub car park is decked in bunting and filled with music, games and food. Everyone It’s a chance to celebrate, meet new people but most importantly, to raise funds for charity. We’re so proud of the money we’ve raised over the years - when communities come together, amazing things really can happen.”

Since it started in 2009, an average of 7 million people take part in The Big Lunch each year, making it the biggest annual act of community friendship in the UK. It’s an idea from the Eden Project made possible by The National Lottery. Since 2010, we’ve been bringing people together to create happier and healthier communities thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million each week for good causes right across the UK.

In 2022 and 2023 The Big Lunch became an official part of national celebrations with over 30 million people coming out to share food in a nationwide act of community friendship as part of The Big Jubilee Lunch and the Coronation Big Lunch, with over £35m raised for charity. The Big Lunch is supported by patron HM The Queen, and ambassadors including Ainsley Harriott MBE and Dame Prue Leith. It kicks off the #MonthOfCommunity when good causes come together to encourage community action and fundraise for the things communities care about throughout the month of June.