THE Diamond Jubilee may have seen neighbours eat together street by street, but party planners are now hoping to go one better by organising a lunch for the whole of New Addington.
The first ever Big Lunch for the estate is planned to take place in Central Parade on June 2. Organiser Beverley Newbury said she hoped the event will bring neighbours together like never before, over barbecues and bouncy castles. The 34-year-old added: "With all the bad press New Addington gets, we want we want to show people that the community does work together.
"Will have fun activities for the kids and lots to eat and it will be a chance for people to meet their neighbours.
"I have been working in New Addington for eight years and just at the weekend I met someone just two doors up."
Working with Kelly Carey and Joanne Quarrinton, Beverley hopes to attract some 200 people to the big event. They are hoping local companies will sponsor the party, for example by providing equipment or activities. Ms Newbury, of Grenville Road, said she had got involved in the hefty organising task after finding herself out of her usual work as a sales assistant.
She said: "I have never done anything like this in my whole life.
"If it works this year I would like to make it a permanent thing in June and hopefully every year make it bigger and better. We hope to get lots of activities going and fingers crossed we are hoping to have about 200 people. To have even more would be fantastic but I suppose because it is a new thing people are going to be wary about it. It is a challenge to myself to bring as many people together in New Addington, really."
The Big Lunch project was launched by the Eden Project in 2009, aiming at getting neighbours together across the country.
The Eden Project offers support and advice to Big Lunch hosts.
