The event formed part of The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out campaign to boost optimism and bring people together at a time when fragmentation feels increasingly prevalent. Recent research from Public First reveals that seven in 10 people say things in the UK have gotten worse in the last five years and that nearly two-thirds of the population (65%) think Britain is more divided than it used to be. Findings suggest that a key tool to increasing levels of optimism is active engagement in our communities.
Embodying what it means to be neighbourly were the guests on board Ainsley’s bus, with passengers all bringing individual experience of the power of volunteering to bring people together – from friendly neighbours who organise a Big Lunch to youth project leaders and charity volunteers.
Additional research points to the direct impact that volunteering has on our feelings about where we live, with over four in ten (43%) people who had helped a neighbour in the last six months feeling optimistic or very optimistic about the future of their local area, compared to less than a quarter (24%) of those who had never helped a neighbour.
To encourage community action, The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out are inviting the whole nation to meet, eat and lend a hand where they live on 5-8 June.
With less than a month to go until the UK’s biggest community celebration, Ainsley got the party started by ringing the conductor’s bell, inviting inspiring community minded people to climb aboard his vintage Routemaster bus to share friendship and fun, celebrating the different ways anyone can make a positive difference where they live.
After getting to know one another over a Big Lunch on the bus, the group reached their final stop and disembarked to lend a hand to local projects and nature with a Big Help Out. Rolling up their sleeves the friendly crew of volunteers got stuck into bug hotel building, sunflower planting and ‘kindness card’ writing with the Friends of Wimbledon Park.
Ainsley Harriott, ambassador for The Big Lunch, said: “It’s been an absolute delight to pick up some of the city’s most dedicated volunteers on my very own Big Lunch and Big Help Out bus! These people are a shining example of community spirit in action and all do their bit to make the world a better place. Now it’s your turn to jump on board with The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out on 5-8 June! Whether you grab a bite with your neighbours, clean up your local green space or gather a group to help a local charity, it all makes a difference!”
Additional research from the 2026 Belonging Barometer reveals that one in five (22%) adults say they feel they don’t really belong or belong at all in their communities, with 86% of people saying economic pressures have made it harder for people to build connections since the pandemic.
Showcasing the benefits of creating these vital social connections through volunteering were attendees including charity volunteers from RSPCA, The Conservation Volunteers, National Literacy Trust, TimeGivers, UK Muslim Network and Royal Voluntary Service, and member activators from Co-op, corporate partner for The Big Lunch and Big Help Out this year.
Guests enjoyed the opportunity to share plans for their Big Lunch and Big Help Out activities over a bite to eat, and worked together to support the Friends of Wimbledon Park in their mission to protect and enhance this well-loved landscape for future generations. Recent projects for the Friends group have included planting over 2,000 trees in the park’s ancient woodland and creating dedicated meadows where pollinator-friendly flowers are able to thrive.
Lindsey Brummitt, Programme Director at the Eden Project, who organise The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, said: “It’s been wonderful to spend the day with national treasure Ainsley Harriott and this group of kind-hearted Londoners. It’s proof that when you bring people together and lend a hand, really positive things happen – both for the community and for those taking part. While neighbourhoods are showing signs of fragmentation, this initiative offers an opportunity to bring people together. It's easy, it’s fun and it’s for everyone, so why not join in this June? You won’t regret it! Find everything you need at thebigdo.com”
The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out are teaming up for one big do on 5-8 June. Bringing The Big Help Out and The Big Lunch together is made possible by funding from the Pears Foundation, Co-op and UK Government. Campaign organisers the Eden Project and a host of fellow charities including RSPB, Guide Dogs, Girlguiding, Barnardos, RNLI and Scouts are calling on people in towns, cities and villages across the UK to join in and take action where they live, making a difference to people, place and planet as a result.
