Gainsborough people get together for a 'big lunch'

There may still be a year to go before The Big Jubilee Lunch, but practising is well underway as neighbours across the UK joined in the opening weekend of The Big Lunch 2021.

Next year will provide an opportunity for communities and people across the UK to come together to celebrate both the historic milestone of HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the important local connections that have helped us through the toughest times during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2022 The Big Lunch will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community. People will be invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours, big or small - street party or picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque.

Gainsborough residents were among those to host a Big Lunch event.

Jackie Applebee, Gainsborough Big Lunch organiser, said: “Our Big Lunch Neighbourhood get together was on Sunday, June 6, on the Riverside Way.

"It was good to see neighbours and meet new residents. We had two barbeques and a buffet table for all residents.

“Food included hot dogs, beef burgers, pulled pork, jacket potatoes, coleslaw, chilli filling for jackets, vegetable chilli for jackets and any desserts as wild and wonderful as you like.

"We hope this will be the start of great competition between neighbours at our events.”

Peter Stewart, executive Director of the Eden Project, founder of The Big Lunch said: “We had the huge privilege of bringing people in our UK communities together in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

"It’s a truly incredible honour that we’ve been invited to do that again to mark her historic Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

"We hope that this year many thousands of small socially safe events will take place so that people can give thanks for the incredible community spirit that’s helped us through an intensely difficult year, warming up for what will be a big-bang of a stupendous celebration next year.”