Big Lunches are back!

Start getting excited about your local Big Lunch!

The Big Lunches are back for 2026 – and they’re set to be bigger and better than ever.

A community-run initiative supported Start Thurrock, along with our partners at Thurrock Council, Impulse Leisure, Active Essex and Thurrock CVS, these much-loved events will return across five locations in Thurrock from late July through to mid-August, bringing people together again for a day of creative activity and community.

And, after last year’s unfortunate weather disruption, we’re especially pleased to say we’re kicking off in East Tilbury!

As the Big Lunches have grown in popularity, so has the scale. Attendances rose from a few hundred in 2023 to thousands in 2025, and some events have grown beyond the capacity of the original parks. So, we decided to focus on having slightly fewer events this year in well-equipped locations, to ensure they remain safe and enjoyable for all involved.

The 2026 Big Lunches will take place on:

Thu 23 July East Tilbury – Gobions Park

Tue 28 July South Ockendon – Dilkes Park

Wed 5 Aug Chadwell St. Mary – Pyramid Resource Centre, Heath Field

Tues 11 Aug Corringham – Corringham Town Park

Mon 17 Aug Blackshots – Impulse Leisure

The action runs from 12pm – 4pm, with the chance to get together with the people in your community for an afternoon of family fun. We’ll be adding our special Start Thurrock twist with different creative activities, workshops and performances at each location.

Impulse Leisure and Find Your Active Thurrock will also be working with local organisations to put on physical activities, sports and games for you to try. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy stalls, face painting, bouncy castles and a DJ!

Entry and the majority of activities will be free, and families are encouraged to bring along a picnic. Some optional extras may have a small charge and refreshments such as tea, coffee, ice creams and cakes will be available to buy on the day.

Find out more about the Big Lunches

Start planning your days out in Tilbury, Purfleet and Aveley!

As well as the Big Lunches, we’re also thrilled to be supporting Tilbury’s Picnic in the Park, organised by the Tilbury Riverside Project.

As we write, they are yet to announce the date – so watch out for posts about it on social media. However, we’ll be there with creative activities for all the family to enjoy! Picnic in the Park was a real success last year, and we expect it to be even better this summer. We’re really looking forward to it.

And there’s more… we’re also working with residents in other areas of Thurrock to make sure they have their own smaller, community-led events this summer – and adding our usual Start Thurrock creative flair to celebrations.

This includes a community treasure hunt in Aveley and a community fun day in Purfleet-on-Thames. The dates and details are yet to be finalised, but we’ll be back as soon as they are set in stone.

Exciting times across the borough!

Come and join the Big Lunch team!

Want to get more involved with the Big Lunch event near you? Volunteering is a chance to contribute to the community as well as have a lot of fun – why not give it a go?

We’re looking for people who are willing to:

• Help set up
• Act as marshals during the day and help people find their way around
• Ask attendees for feedback
• Help to tidy up at the end of the day
• Be generally helpful!

If you’re aged 16+ and would like to lend a hand, we’d love to hear from you!

To register your interest, click the link below to go through to the Volunteer Essex website, fill in the form and they’ll take everything from there. Or email volunteercentre@thurrockcvs.org

Volunteer at a Big Lunch event