Are we stronger together?
Our vision is of a thriving planet where people care for nature, each other, and their communities.
Through our flagship campaign The Big Lunch and our work in communities, we aim to help create safer, friendlier neighbourhoods where people share more – from conversations and ideas to skills and resources.
Research shows that people who were once in the minority can create tipping points for societal transformation. The need for this has never been greater in the face of the planetary emergency. Connected communities can tackle challenges better when they face them together.
What can I actually do?
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Hold a Big Lunch
The UK’s national celebration for neighbours and communities, The Big Lunch encourages people to come together over the first weekend in June.
Friendships and lasting community connections spark from the millions of lunches held every year.
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Start a community project
From community food-sharing projects to transforming neglected spaces, supporting your community starts with small steps.
Plant flowers in your street or invite a neighbour in for a cup of tea.
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Attend an event or course
Free Eden Project Communities events take place online and across the UK to help you connect with others.
If you're seeking out the next step, our Community Camp Programme helps to inspire and develop amazing projects.
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Join in with the Month of Community
Every June, charities and good causes come together for the Month of Community. As part of it, your Big Lunches help raise millions of pounds every year.
Community - Doers
Can how I shop make a difference?
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Buy from local, independent shops
Buying from independent shops in your local area means you're promoting and supporting your local economy, moving money into the pockets of those who are likely to continue spending in the local area instead of national or international companies. -
Find a share library near you
Community share libraries keep and care for reusable things like tools, toys, occasional decorations and household items so local people can borrow them instead of buying new. -
Sharing is caring
Sharing tools and resources with neighbours means we don’t all have to buy the same things and gives you an excuse to pop over and have a chat!
Swap skills, too. Can you bake, babysit, fix a loo, or tidy a garden? Everyone has something they can offer.
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Do more ethical giving
Provide vital support for campaigns and charities through your wallet or your will, by buying gifts such as Adopt a Rainforest Creature, making a donation, or by leaving a gift in your Will.
Community - Shoppers
How do I get the word out?
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Talk to your community
Don't be shy. Share your ideas with your friends, family and community. Maybe they'll join in! -
Join our community
Connect with like-minded people close to you and across the UK by joining our community.
From regular events to local Facebook groups, this is where good things start.
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Share food, start conversations
Join in with Eden Project's annual Big Lunches. It’s a simple idea that can lead to great things. It can be anything from a shared cup of tea to tables lining the streets. Big or small, a Big Lunch helps build lasting community spirit and resilience.
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Make a change, create an impact
Making your community greener can inspire action in others. Seed a wildflower patch, plant flowers in your street or arrange a free nature walk – inspiring your community to care for their local patch can have big benefits for people and our planet.
Community - Shouters
Can I find out more?
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Be curious about your community
Find out what’s already happening near you, join a group, make connections in your community, and help out. -
Take a walk in your area
Go for a wander where you live, open your eyes and notice what’s around you. What do you love about your community? What would you like to change? -
Bring people together
Get people together, ideally with a bit of food (it’s a great connector!), share your plans or ideas and find a friend or two to help you get started.
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Spread the word
Everyone starts somewhere. Take action and make things happen, no matter how small because even small steps can make a big difference.
Community - Learners
Our community initiatives
We started with a very simple idea: what if, on one day a year, people came together in their neighbourhoods and communities and shared a meal?
In 2009, led by Eden Communities, The Big Lunch was born, encouraging people to share friendship, food and fun, with an average of 9 million people now taking part each year. Underpinning the idea was an understanding that the 21st Century will present enormous challenges to our society, and we recognised that happy and resilient communities are the foundation on which real change takes place. Research we conducted with leading economics consultancy, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), also showed that neighbourliness delivers substantial economic benefits to UK society, representing an annual saving of £23.8 billion.
Since it began, we have been monitoring the impacts of The Big Lunch, and its importance and relevance is clear. The Big Lunch breaks down barriers, reduces loneliness and isolation, builds a stronger sense of community and belonging and leads to more local volunteering. See some of the research we commissioned here.
“I’ve noticed such a difference since The Big Lunch; everyone looks out for each other now. We run a craft circle and a skill share where neighbours help each other…We have a system for sharing items on our street so if someone needs a lawnmower or a ladder, they simply email and ask to borrow one”.
Helen, Newcastle.
We can only properly care for nature if we understand how important it is to us, enjoy spending time in nature and feel connected to it. Since its origin, one of Eden Project’s key missions has been to help people connect with each other, and with nature. We run a number of activities for different age groups that bring people together in nature to do things to improve their lives, the lives of others around them and nature itself.
Our Early Years activities enable under-5s and their families to explore, play, learn and connect with nature in Eden’s gardens and in the wilder fields of the outer estate. Sessions include nature-based play at Little Eden, baby yoga, Music in the Med, and Explore and Play workshops.
Our activities for young people include creative short courses for small groups of 16–25-year-olds that provide positive, nature-based experiences that enable people to rediscover their relationship with nature.
Our activities for adults support people in developing their connection to nature for better health and well-being. Whether it’s regularly accessing Eden’s green spaces through weekly walks, discovering more about Eden’s plants and our relationship to them in ‘Wonder Workshops’ or taking part in therapeutic horticulture activities to improve mental and physical well-being in a beautiful, peaceful and friendly garden within Eden's outer estate that offers tranquillity and healing.
Jam-packed with workshops, inspirational talks, networking and a healthy dose of fun, our Community Action programme is for anyone interested in making a difference in their community.
We offer two online courses to suit your needs, which take place at various points throughout the year.
