Thurrock’s road safety team joins thousands at Big Lunch
Thurrock’s road safety team used the 2015 Big Lunch* as an opportunity to meet with, and promote road safety to, various road user groups including children, parents and grandparents, young and older drivers.
An estimated 3,000 people, young and old, descended on Grays Town Park on 29 July for the seventh Thurrock Council-organised Big Lunch.
This year’s theme was The Gruffalo, who visited the park and mingled with visitors while they enjoyed their picnics and a wide range of activities and stalls.
More than 60 of Thurrock’s voluntary organisations, charities and council services, including the road safety team, supported the event.
Councillor Sue Gray, mayor of Thurrock, said: “It was a great event that showed when families come out together they can be united in having fun. The whole day was a huge success.”
Councillor Jane Pothecary, communities portfolio holder, added: “Thurrock is a great place with great people and that is something we should celebrate more often. This month’s Village Beach along with the Big Lunch shows just what can be done when we come together as a community.”
Julie Cooper, Thurrock’s road safety and active travel coordinator, said: “Events like this provide an ideal opportunity for us to talk informally about road safety to all sorts of people.
“We met lots of people – young and old and across the generations – and found the Big Lunch both enjoyable and very useful.”
The Big Lunch is a simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours annually in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all types of communities. In 2014, an estimated 4.83 million people took to their streets, gardens and community spaces for the sixth annual Big Lunch.
31 July 2015