How our Big Lunch celebrated our diverse community

Andrew organised his first Big Lunch in 2024 to mark the achievements of Sutton Community Project and to recognise the work of his volunteers.

Over 200 people came together at a hall to share food, listen to live music and have fun – celebrating the diversity of culture in their community with dishes from around the world.

A spectacular cake made by a local pastry chef was the centerpiece on the day. Featuring an edible Big Lunch table with replicas of Andrew and the volunteers that keep this vital project going!

“We wanted to celebrate diversity from all over the world and served everything from Brazilian brigadeiros and Indian samosas to dumplings from Hong Kong, Sri Lankan curries and British apple and rhubarb tart!”
Andrew, Sutton Community Project

Andrew from Sutton Community Project is standing next to a green standing banner that reads 'Sutton Community Project open today'. He is joined by a smiling woman.

About Sutton Community Project

Andrew is the founder of Sutton Community Project in London. Having grown from a small food sharing initiative run from his own porch, it’s now a charity offering nutritious food and social opportunities to local people in need of support.

The project first began in 2020, when Andrew and his wife looked for a meaningful way to help people in their community who were struggling during the pandemic.

He discovered the food sharing app Olio and started collecting unsold food from local supermarkets and distributing it to his neighbours.

In a bid to incorporate more fresh and nutritious food, Andrew and his family successfully secured regular donations from his local greengrocers.

Later distributing 70 boxes of fresh vegetables from a local market to celebrate restrictions being lifted!

“We left everything in our porch and before we knew it, we had 140 families coming to collect food regularly! People started chatting and sometimes leaving us homecooked dishes – everyone wanted to give back and everyone had stories to share. Some people no longer had jobs, or experienced huge anxieties during isolation, or had even lost family members.”
Andrew, Sutton Community Project

Wanting to grow the project, Andrew secured a room with adjoining kitchen in a nearby community centre. Located in one of the borough’s most deprived areas, it was the perfect space to continue bringing people together.

After registering as a charity, securing food licensing and officially joining forces with a local Japanese church, Sutton Community Project was born!

From that point, they were able to work with organisations like Neighbourly and the Felix Project to claim more food. They now have 150 people a week receiving food with more than 50 volunteers on board making it all happen.

A handmade cake of volunteers from Sutton Community Project having a Big Lunch. The cake has edible models of 9 people sitting around a round table with a food buffet.

Feeding social connection

Social connections have blossomed as a result of people engaging with the project.

Volunteers are often service users too, and represent the diverse community of Sutton. Home to a large number of refugees from Hong Kong and Ukraine.

Through their time at the food project, volunteers develop language skills, new friendships and access to local support services. Helping them integrate into their new community and feel a sense of belonging where they live!

“From refugees to people struggling with mental and physical health issues, domestic violence and addiction, some neighbours come here and they’ve given up – they feel they have no hope and that they’re all alone. We see their confidence grow and soon people are chatting away, making cakes for each other and feeling included in society again.”
Andrew, Sutton Community Food Project