Watch: A Sunny day as Derry's Hazelbank community celebrate their annual Big Lunch event celebrating the theme of 'District of Hope'

Farland Way neighbours in Hazelbank sit down and enjoy lunch together annually since 2011 as part of The Big Lunch, an idea from Eden Project made possible by The National Lottery, the initiative is designed to bring local people closer together, reduce loneliness and improve community spirit. At Farland Way they are having this year’s Big Lunch early and on April 23 Families Friends and Neighbours enjoy an afternoon of togetherness, joy, and giving back. This year the event has an additional unique focus celebrating Derry and Strabane district council becoming the First District of Hope in the UK and Ireland. Helping everyone understand what that means for local people and drawing on the importance of having hope and positive connections in our community. Through the dedication and energy of Margaret Cunningham Community Assistant at Woven Housing partnered with Resilio, North West Community network and Eden Project Communities the event will focus on Activating Hope and encouraging neighbourhood bonds.

Margaret said ‘As we share a meal, laughter, and stories, we are also demonstrating that when we reach out to others in our neighbourhoods incredible things happen. Our Big Lunch provides a unique opportunity as neighbours to enjoy quality time together regardless of age, sex and cultural background and also helps model positive community to our young people who after all are neighbours too! At The Big Lunch we are all reinforcing values of empathy and kindness, while activating hope within our families and wider community. In a world often fraught with challenges, the spark of hope illuminates our path forward, guiding us towards a brighter future. “Grainne McCloskey, who leads The Big Lunch Campaign in Scotland and Northern Ireland said “We are proud to celebrate the strong community spirit that exists in Farland Way. Woven Housing, formerly Habinteg have been long term supporters of The Big Lunch as part of their ethos to encourage integrated and inclusive communities where neighbours know and respect each other. We hope more neighbours will take part this June celebrating a whole Month of Community. Reducing loneliness and encouraging hope in our communities and we have support available at thebiglunch.com.” Marie Dunne Director of Resilio said ‘I am proud to be part of the community of Farland Way and many others that have organised events to ‘Activate Hope,’ an innovative initiative that aims to activate hope across Derry City and Strabane District Council area. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund it aims at igniting positive change and fostering a culture of hope within our vibrant community ‘Activating Hope’ is more than just a campaign a call to action for every member of our community to embrace hope as a driving force for transformation. Together, lets harness the power of hope to strengthen families, uplift spirits, and create a brighter future for all. Join us in this transformative journey of empowerment as we activate hope, foster resilience, and build stronger, more connected families and communities”.

To find out how you can bring The Big Lunch to your neighbourhood or learn more about the district of hope Contact communities @thebiglunch.com