The Big Lunch in Orkney

By theorkneynews on March 1, 2019 • ( 3 Comments )

The Managers of the charity The Big Lunch (Scotland) were in Orkney on Wednesday, 27th of February, to encourage communities to take part in this year’s event over the weekend of June 1st & 2nd.

What is The Big Lunch ?

Stemming from the Eden Project The Big Lunch is all about creating happiness and wellbeing through the human connection.

Local groups, community organisations or a few neighbours can get together and hold a ‘lunch’ with all those who can contributing foodstuffs.

The idea is to reduce loneliness and isolation by connecting people up. It can be on a big scale or as small as a few people. It is about finding what would work for you and your community.

What is the positive impact of holding a Big Lunch ?

It is estimated that disconnected communities cost £32billion to the UK economy – that’s the cost of the wider effects on the health and well being of people as a result of the negative impacts of social isolation.

When people are brought together within their own communities it has a positive impact – people feel better, get fitter and their overall health improves.

Here’s some stats:

85% of people who take part in The Big Lunch feel better about where they live
74% of people feel an increased sense of community
78% of people feel they live in a safer place
74% make new friends
38% feel a surge in their own self esteem

When does The Big Lunch take place?

Although The Big Lunch takes place over the weekend of 1st and 2nd of June 2019 this year you do not need to feel confined to hold it on that weekend. You can hold it anytime you like.

The Orkney workshop was a great way of getting folk thinking about whether or not they would like to hold a Big Lunch.

OIC Advice about Organising Events

Advice on street closures from Orkney Islands Council

Requests for street closures should be put in writing to Roads Services. There is a fee, which depends on the purpose of the closure and which organisation is involved – the fee is less for charitable fund raising events for example. It’s a percentage of the cost incurred by the Council to set up the order and includes for admin time, legal time, advert cost and operational costs to set up closure.

Download this document from Orkney Islands Council if you are thinking of holding an event: Organising Safe Events