Taking place on 22nd April from 10am-10.45am, the free 45-minute online lesson will bring together two of the UK’s biggest community initiatives, The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, which are joining forces for the first time over 5 to 8 June to create the UK’s biggest weekend of community. Over 10-million people across the UK will eat, meet and lend a hand locally – from local Big Lunches with neighbours to litter picks or having a friendly chat in a care home. The weekend is supported by a wide range of organisations working with children and young people, including The Scouts, Girlguiding, Barnardo's, NSPCC, Sea Cadets, YHA and Family Volunteering Club.

Designed for Key Stages 1 and 2 (ages 5-11) the session which takes place on Earth Day, will be streamed live from the Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome, offering children the chance to explore the connections between friendship, food, fun and helping others.

The live lesson will be delivered by the Eden Project, which is an educational charity, through its education and communities teams, following the success of The Big Lunch live stream last year which reached around 11 thousand students.

The communities team is also working closely with partner Co-op to encourage their Academies to take part, as well as organisations including FirstGive and Empathy Lab to reach pupils of all ages across the UK.

Based on a new story, One Big Rainforest Do, the lesson takes pupils on an interactive journey through the rainforest, discovering how plants can inspire us to share, celebrate and lend a hand in our own communities. With riddles to solve and experts to ask, the session encourages children to explore how rainforests support people and wildlife, the links to the food we eat, and simple ways they can help others. By the end of the lesson, children will be inspired to take part in The Big Lunch, the UK’s annual celebration of community, and The Big Help Out, which encourages people to volunteer and make a difference where they live. Families can also take inspiration from the lesson at home by sharing food or lending a hand in their own communities as part of the UK’s biggest weekend of community.

Sam Kendall, Head of Education at the Eden Project, said: “We’re inviting children to step into Eden’s incredible rainforest and discover how everything is connected, from the food we eat to the communities we are part of.

"This session is all about sparking curiosity and showing that even small actions, like sharing a bite to eat with a neighbour or picking up litter in your local park, can have a real impact. It’s set to be fun, interactive and full of ideas that children can take back to their schools, families and neighbourhoods.”

Lindsey Brummitt, Eden’s Programme Director, said: “This year is a landmark moment for us at the Eden Project, as The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out come together for one incredible weekend and the UK’s biggest celebration of community.

"We know that when children feel inspired and empowered, they can be a powerful force for change. As a charity, we’re passionate about helping people build local connections and take positive action where they live, and this live lesson is a brilliant way to connect learning with real life action, helping young people understand how they can play an active role in the communities where they live to make a difference.”

The session supports learning across Citizenship, Personal Development, Wellbeing, Sustainability and Ecology, and comes with links to free classroom resources to help schools continue the learning beyond the lesson.

It forms part of the Eden Project’s wider mission to connect people with each other and the natural world, while encouraging positive action in communities across the UK.

The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out will take place from 5th to 8th June, bringing neighbours, schools and communities together to share food, friendship and practical support.

Book onto the Live Lesson here.

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