Big Lunch fun for Hackney Homes residents
Residents from across Hackney Homes estates had fun in the sun as they celebrated International Neighbours Day and The Big Lunch.
Local communities came together on 31 May and 1 June to enjoy live music, play games and share food with their neighbours.
There were lots of activities across the estates to keep all ages entertained, including face painting, bouncy castles, dancing competitions, races and seed planting in several of the communal gardens.
Chair of Fields Estate Tenants and Residents Association, Caroline Hattab, said: "A good time was had by all and the food was all gone by the end of the day. We had a lot of children this year and a nice balance of tenants and leaseholders. Everyone loved our wishing wall idea, which allowed residents to tie papers to the fence with ideas of what they wanted to see improved on the estate."
Hobbs Place Estate held a British tea party themed event, with young and old alike competing in sports day style events. Lockner Estate had an inflatable slide and hired a DJ to entertain the youngsters, playing musical bumps and games.
Events such as these allow neighbours to come together, meet local people and interact socially. We sponsor and offer support to many of these events and welcome Tenants Residents Associations organising them, encouraging community spirit.
The Big Lunch originated from the Eden Project with the aim of bringing together communities to simultaneously eat lunch with their neighbours. Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all types of communities across the UK. Neighbours Day originated in Paris in 2000 and is now celebrated worldwide to encourage neighbours to get to know each other better.