With the goal of reaching and connecting with new neighbors in the UK and encouraging them to support each other and build community, Nextdoor partnered with the Eden Project’s initiative The Big Lunch in 2022. Since 2009 The Big Lunch has been bringing millions of people together across the UK on the first weekend in June, to share fun, food and friendship. A Big Lunch can be anything from a small gathering or a cup of tea with a neighbor to a full-blown street party. This year, The Big Jubilee Lunch became part of the official celebrations for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – and we used that moment in June as our major tentpole campaign for 2022.
For many, The Big Lunch ignites a passion for doing more good things where they live and so the campaign had aims to work with Nextdoor to reach more people, create fun and inclusive activations and provide a lower entry point for participation through the platform. This was especially important as communities across the UK were still feeling the impact of Covid and the cost of living crisis and the Jubilee provided a much needed opportunity to come together. In fact, neighbors cited the following reasons for joining The Big Lunch events: wanting to do something to say thank you to neighbors and community members who were there for them during the pandemic; supporting an event which helps bring communities together; and lifting the spirits of neighbors after lockdown.