Green Living: Do good with a Big Lunch

By Jon Massey on July 8, 2009 2:04 PM |

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By Andrew Williams

Many of our traditions have a timeless quality to them. I'm thinking of late-night kebab shops, burnt pink shoulders, not talking to each other on the Tube, that kind of thing.

Yet some truly fantastic British traditions have fallen by the wayside. The great British street party, for instance.

Time was when it would take nothing more than a royal wedding, World Cup victory or five minutes of sunshine for local communities to drop everything, grab a trestle table and start scoffing cakes.

Those days now seem a distant memory.

But that could be about to change with The Big Lunch, a new initiative from the founder of the Eden Project.

The idea is to get people together to create their own entertainment, cook their own food, make their own music and enjoy one another's company.

The aim is also to raise money for charities local to the communities hosting each event. Sponsors such as Mastercard and Royal Mail are helping to get the scheme going.

At thebiglunch.com you can search for lunches in your area, start one of your own, or just say that you might be interested.

You can also advertise your lunch and get advice on how to incorporate sustainable elements such as Fairtrade food into your day.

The whole country should be celebrating its Big Lunch on Sunday, July 19.

A quick look at the map shows that not too many people in the Wharf area have signed up yet.

Have a look at the website and see what you think, even by registering your interest you might prompt someone else to get the ball rolling and host a lunch.

It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship - and help bring our communities closer together.