15 million turn out for The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out as Brits cling on to sense of community

The Eden Project is calling on people to keep turning the tide on division in communities as it celebrates the success of its recent Big Lunch and Big Help Out campaign. The national drive to encourage action in communities through social connections and acts of volunteering saw 15.04 million people take part this June – demonstrating a powerful appetite for combatting societal polarisation at a local level.

The participation numbers for The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, published this week, represent a glimmer of hope against a pessimistic backdrop for communities.

Research from Public First, funded by Pears Foundation as part of its work exploring modern British values, revealed that seven in ten people believe things in the UK have worsened over the past five years, while nearly two-thirds (65%) think Britain has become more divided.

Despite this, campaigns like The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out that encourage community engagement continue to be powerful drivers of national optimism, says the research from economists at Public First. Almost two thirds (62%) of the general population that have volunteered recently felt optimistic about the future of their local area, compared to just a quarter (25%) of those who had never volunteered.

Together, the research and this year’s extraordinary turnout for The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out underline the importance of creating simple, accessible opportunities for people to connect with their neighbours and play a part in their communities. Big Lunch and Big Help Out events stretched across all four corners of the UK on 5-8 June, with participants joining in with activities ranging from street parties and litter picks to open days at animal shelters, library food-sharing events and beach cleans.

The initiative was led by the Eden Project, which has been running The Big Lunch since 2009. Backed by Royal Patron Her Majesty the Queen, the national campaign to encourage food-sharing and social connections in communities is made by possible by Pears Foundation and Co-op.

Lindsey Brummitt, Programme Director at Eden Project, said: “We’re truly blown away by the huge number of people who jumped at the chance to come together for The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out this year.

But while this is positive news, we know that communities are struggling at the moment, with the high cost of living, deepening social divisions and a decrease in communal spaces often feeling like insurmountable barriers.

We hope that the sense of neighbourliness seen in June can continue to prevail all year round and that more people are inspired to take action. From checking in on an elderly neighbour to clearing litter on your street, every small act makes a difference!”

Further findings from Public First point to the power activities like sharing a bite to eat with a neighbour or organising a litter pick have to boost participants’ sense of pride in the UK. Survey data found that a third of UK adults (31%) say that the willingness of British people to help out and support others in everyday life is something that makes them proud of Britain today, while 26% take pride in British people’s willingness to volunteer and give back to their communities.

Rooted in a sense of neighbourliness, these traits rank ahead of iconic products like tea and fish and chips, the UK’s sporting achievements, the BBC and the UK’s arts and culture.

Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair, Pears Foundation, said: “We’ve always believed in the importance of strong communities and in people having opportunities to come together, contribute and feel part of something. What’s encouraging about this research is seeing just how strong that instinct to look out for one another remains across the country.

“What civil society can do is make it easier for people to act on that instinct, creating simple, welcoming ways to get involved, whether that’s sharing a meal with neighbours, lending a hand or volunteering locally. That’s something Pears Foundation has supported in communities in different ways over many decades, and it’s why we’re proud both to have funded this research and to support The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out.

“Seeing 15 million people take part this year shows the appetite is there. We want to build on that energy and, alongside others across civil society, create more opportunities for people everywhere to connect, contribute and strengthen the communities they’re part of.”

People were directed to discover and connect with The Big Help Out opportunities through the Royal Voluntary Service’s GoVo volunteering platform.

CEO of Royal Voluntary Service, Catherine Johnstone CBE, said: “There was a fantastic variety of opportunities available this year to encourage people to get stuck in and give volunteering a go; there really was something to suit everyone.

hat’s what The Big Help Out is all about: inspiring more newcomers to experience the many benefits volunteering can bring to them and to their communities. The hope, and the big win for society, is that a percentage of those first-timers choose to carry on volunteering and make a difference in their community.”