Representatives of Northern Ireland's four main churches joined forces this to launch The Big Lunch project, which will take place later this year.
Fr Michael Sheehan from the Catholic Church was joined by the
President of the Methodist Church Reverend Paul Kingston, Presbyterian
Moderator Norman Hamilton and Archdeacon Philip Patterson from the
Church of Ireland Diocese of Down & Dromore as well as the Lord
Mayor of Belfast Cllr Pat Convery (SDLP) to launch the event.
The idea behind The Big Lunch, which is run by the Eden
Project, is a very simple one; to get as many UK citizens as possible to
have lunch with their neighbours on June 5.
Speaking at the event, Cllr Convery said, “a recent survey showed
that only half of us in Northern Ireland are on first names terms with
between one and five of our neighbours despite the fact that more than
half of us would rather socialise at home than elsewhere.”
He added, “We know that as a result of The Big Lunch, book
clubs babysitting circles and websites have been set up and that people
start to share things from lifts and lawnmowers to tools and toys.”
His calls have been supported by the church leaders.
According to Fr Sheehan, “The Big Lunch offers
a wonderful opportunity to reach out to all those who experience
isolation and provides a platform to explore other local cross-community
projects. It is yet another visible sign of the progressive
normalisation of our society where neighbours can socially interact and
celebrate together without fear of violence and destruction.”
More information can be found at www.thebiglunch.com.