The Big Lunch is an annual event promoted by the Eden Project and the National Lottery which aims to improve the happiness and wellbeing of people across the UK by helping to build more resilient and better connected communities.

Eden supports and encourages people all over the UK to take positive actions that strengthen local connections and build stronger communities.

The desire was to bring people together to build their confidence and grow and share their talents. We support individuals and communities as they create positive change to tackle local issues that matter to them most.

The idea was very simple: one day a year when, for a few glorious hours, communities in the UK come together in the street to meet, greet, share, swap, sing, play and laugh for no reason other than that we all need to.

And so The Big Lunch was born. Since it began in 2009, The Big Lunch — the UK’s annual get together for neighbours — has grown ten-fold and each year gets bigger and better.

This year, I was asked to photograph the Nottingham Big Lunch in Sneinton, on a beautiful summers day. There was a fantastic atmosphere and a real sense of community spirit as people ate, talked and laughed together. There was plenty of entertainment for both children and adults and it was a real privilege to photograph the event. These are a few of the images from the day.