The Hearth Network, a Southport based community interest company for community-led sustainability, will host its second annual Great Big Green Lunch on Sunday 7 June – and this year the event grows from last year’s event in Wayfarer’s Arcade into a street party on the newly pedestrianised stretch of Market Street – weather permitting.
Communal tables will run down the new pedestrianised street, with over 150 residents expected to bring a plate of food to share and sit down with neighbours from across the town. In the event of poor weather, the lunch moves indoors to Southport Market’s Extravaganza space, just a few steps away.
The Hearth’s Great Big Green Lunch is timed to coincide with three well-known national community campaigns – Great Big Green Week, the UK’s annual climate awareness week organised by The Climate Coalition, The Big Lunch, the Eden Project’s annual neighbourhood get-together, and new for 2026, the Jo Cox Foundation’s Great Get Together. The Southport event is The Hearth’s own initiative, drawing on the community spirit of all three.
The Southport event is led by Nadia Speers-Robinson, who has been appointed a Big Lunch Ambassador – one of a national network of community organisers championing the campaign in their towns and cities. Nadia is a Co-Director of The Hearth Network CIC, that works to make the town a greener place to live, work and visit.
Running from 12:00 to 4:00pm, the event is free, family-friendly and open to everyone in the town.
Guests are invited to bring a plate of food to share – anything from a homemade quiche to a tray of vegan curry – and to sit down with neighbours they may never have met. The Hearth will provide the tables, the tea, and the welcome. Any leftover food will be donated to Crisis Café Southport, a town mental-health crisis service that runs evening drop-in sessions for adults as an alternative to A&E, where the food will support its weekend refreshments offer.
The choice of venue is deliberate. Sefton Council’s recent pedestrianisation of this stretch of Market Street has reopened the heart of the town for community use, and the Great Big Green Lunch is one of the first major community events to take place there since the change.
On the bill: a headline performance from Southport’s own YOOKS Ukulele Group, G-Force Gospel Choir and local artist Via Grace, a community baking competition with judging at 1.30pm, sustainable crafts using only repurposed materials, a hands-on seed planting table, and more.
Everybody is welcome to join us on the day! To minimise the environmental impact of the event, we ask attendees to bring their own, plates, cups and cutlery to use on the day, there will be dishwashing facilities, and a few spares for anyone who happens to just be passing through!
Nadia Speers-Robinson, Big Lunch Ambassador, project lead for Southport’s Great Big Green Lunch and Co-Director of The Hearth Network, said:
“It’s a real honour to have been made a Big Lunch Ambassador, and to be bringing this campaign back to Southport. The Great Big Green Lunch is about the simplest, most powerful thing — sitting down to eat with friends, neighbours and other community members. With Market Street now pedestrianised, we get to do that quite literally — long tables down the middle of the road, weather permitting, with great music, brilliant food, and activities for young and old. You don’t need to know anyone, you don’t need to bring much — just a dish to share, a plate to eat from, and a cup with cutlery and yourself.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Co-Director of The Hearth Network, said:
“This is a quiet act of climate hope. The green Southport we want to live in is built one shared meal, one repaired thing, one neighbour-conversation at a time. Nadia’s leadership of this — and her appointment as a Big Lunch Ambassador — is exactly the kind of community-led work the town needs more of. We’d love anyone who cares about Southport’s future to come and bring something to the table.”
A spokesperson for Southport Market said:
“We are delighted to be playing host to the Great Big Green Lunch in the heart of Southport.
“Southport Market’s space is all about sharing good food and good company and we are the perfect place for the second annual Green Lunch.
“We cannot wait to champion the very best of our tight knit community, love for our neighbours and care for the planet, all through the act of spending time together around a shared table.”
Ollie Cowan
Senior Communications Officer – Reputation Management
A spokesperson from The Eden Project said:
“We’re delighted that the Hearth Network is taking part in the Big Lunch and The Big Help Out weekend this year. It’s a wonderful opportunity for neighbours to share food, conversation and lend a helping hand, while celebrating the power of community to create positive change. We’d encourage everyone to get involved and be part of it.”
Annabel Willis.
Community Engagement Lead
Great Big Green Lunch Event Details
What: Great Big Green Lunch 2026 – free community street party, bring-a-dish
When: Sunday 7 June 2026, 12:00–4:00pm (doors 12:00, food 12:00–14:00, music & activities 12.00 –15:30)
Where: Outdoor street party on the newly pedestrianised stretch of Market Street, Southport (PR8 1HJ). Wet-weather indoor fallback at Southport Market on the same street. Fully accessible. Final venue confirmation will be posted on The Hearth’s social channels by Sat 6th June.
Who: Hosted by The Hearth Network CIC, led by Big Lunch Ambassador Nadia Speers-Robinson. Timed to coincide with Great Big Green Week (The Climate Coalition), The Big Lunch weekend (Eden Project) and The Great Get Together (Jo Cox Foundation)
Cost: Free – no ticket needed
RSVP (optional, helps with catering): [email protected]
About The Hearth CIC
The Hearth Network CIC (Company No. 16096200) is a Southport-based community interest company igniting community-led sustainability across the town. It convenes a network of green businesses, community groups and residents working together on the practical, everyday side of the climate transition.
This is the second annual Hearth Great Big Green Lunch in Southport. The 2025 event was held at Wayfarers Arcade; in 2026 it grows into a street party on the newly pedestrianised stretch of Market Street, with an indoor wet-weather fallback at Southport Market on the same street.
It is also one of the first major community-led events to take place on the new pedestrianised section of Market Street, offering a clear local angle on community use of reclaimed public space.
Big Lunch Ambassadors are a national network of community organisers championing the Eden Project’s Big Lunch campaign in their own towns and cities. Nadia Speers-Robinson was appointed Southport’s Big Lunch Ambassador in 2026 and is the project lead for Hearth’s Great Big Green Lunch.
Hearth’s Great Big Green Lunch is the organisation’s own annual event. It is timed to coincide with two separate national community traditions: Great Big Green Week (the UK’s annual climate awareness week, organised by The Climate Coalition – theclimatecoalition.org) and The Big Lunch weekend (the Eden Project’s annual neighbourhood get-together – edenprojectcommunities.com/the-big-lunch). And Jo Cox Foundation ( The Great Get Together) Hearth’s event is not a formal franchise of either national campaign.
Crisis Café Southport is a Southport-based mental-health crisis support service. It runs drop-in sessions from 5–11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for adults aged 18+, providing a place of safety as an alternative to A&E, with one-to-one support, a social space and refreshments, plus support by phone, Zoom or email. Edible leftovers from the Great Big Green Lunch will be donated to support its weekend refreshments offer.
Confirmed partners and supporters for the Southport event include Southport Market (venue), Crisis Café Southport (food donation recipient), G-Force Gospel Choir, EFT Group, Southport Yooks Ukulele Group, Gang Of Elk Forest School ( Children’s Activities)
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