Staff from a bank will he hosting a big lunch on Sunday to give neighbours the chance to get together for the day.

The East Ham branch of the Halifax, with colleagues from across east London, have organised the Big Lunch which will be held at Flanders Playing Field, in East Ham from midday.

As a proud partner of The Big Lunch, Halifax branches across East London are encouraging as many people as possible who use the Newham Foodbank to come together as a community to have fun and get to know each other. Among the planned activities for children will be a treasure hunt, sports day and fairground stalls. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The event is a one-day get-together for neighbours, an idea from the Eden Project made possible by the Big Lottery Fund. It encourages people across the UK to meet up for a few hours of food, friendship and fun. The initiative aims to create stronger, friendlier communities in which people start to share everything from conversation and ideas to skills and resources.

Stuart Macmillan, Halifax Community Ambassador for East London, said: “We’re really excited that our Halifax branch is hosting a Big Lunch event. The Big Lunch provides a great opportunity for us to talk to people on a more personal level and really helps strengthen relationships in the community.”