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Big Picnic for Hope to mark VE Day anniversary...

Big Picnic for Hope to mark VE Day anniversary

St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, is joining many cathedrals across the country by encouraging everyone to join the ‘Big Picnic for Hope’ to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, on Friday 8 May.

The Big Picnic for Hope is an opportunity for households to be part of a virtual get together. The project asks people to stay at home, to picnic indoors or in their gardens, and to join friends and families virtually. At the same time as being something fun to take part in with other people around the country, the project offers a unique way to remember heroes who have kept our country safe in the past and those on the new home front. It gives the nation another way of saying thank you for the incredible effort and sacrifice being made by our key workers from carers, delivery personnel, grocery workers and public transport workers to medical researchers and frontline NHS staff. In addition there is an opportunity to recognise that these times are difficult for many people. The aim is to raise £5000 towards The Trussell Trust, a charity supporting a network of foodbanks and helping those in need in the UK, including several of the local Suffolk foodbanks.

‘Although the plans we had for celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE day 2020 have had to be put on hold, it is appropriate to use this date to remember the experience of World War II and to think about the humanity and care we have seen right now,’ comments Sarah Friswell, PR, Visits and Volunteer Manager at the Cathedral. ‘We hope people right across the country will take part and share photos on social media.’

In addition a silhouette of a First World War soldier will be symbolically placed under the Norman Tower in Bury St Edmunds. This will serve as a visual reminder of the anniversary. An appropriate musical reflection will be posted on the Cathedral’s social media channels and its website at 10 am on Friday. The livestreamed services (via the Cathedral’s Facebook page) that day at 12 noon and 5 pm will include prayers specially written for the day. Further information can be found at https://stedscathedral.org

How can people get involved in the Big Picnic for Hope?

People can share their plans and ideas for the Big Picnic for Hope using the hashtag #bigpicnicforhope. On social media people will be able to share and see creative ideas of what to bake, what to make, how to picnic in style. This will help everyone get ready to join together on Friday 8 May to share photos of their picnics and discuss memories and stories of their loved ones, past and present, in a way fitting of the circumstances we are living through.

To join in with the Big Picnic for Hope, find out more, or share your ideas and photos visit www.bigpicnicforhope.com See participating cathedral social media and @bigpicnicforhope on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram The fundraising page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bigpicnicforhope