An economic development champion from Llandrindod Wells has been chosen to join The Big Walk, an idea from the Eden Project, made possible by the National Lottery.
Each walker has been hand-selected to take part, based on their passion for better connected communities. Jude Boutle, who was selected for the task due to her overwhelming community spirit, will set off from Morecambe on May 16 live on BBC’s One Show, as the teams of walkers set out across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The Big Walk is designed to shine a light on the people at the heart of the UK’s communities, who work together to make great things happen every day. This annual event sees four teams of walkers embarking on an epic journey to the four corners of the UK, visiting different projects and community groups along the way that are making a real difference to local lives.
The first part of this epic voyage will see the 56-year-old journey from Morcambe to Flintshire before making her way south through Welsh towns and villages on the border with England. She will then make her way west along the South Wales coast, visiting Cardiff and Swansea before travelling north and heading towards her home town of Llandrindod Wells. Jude will be helping to spread the word about the strength and passion of communities and raising awareness about the walk’s finale – The Big Lunch – the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours on Sunday June 3. As well as helping people to understand the great things that are going on in their communities, Jude will also be encouraging them to join in The Big Lunch celebrations.
Jude Boutle, said:
“What I’m incredibly excited about is visiting all these different communities and the wonderful projects that are going on in each place. And moreover, getting to meet the people who give up their time to make them work. There are unsung heroes across Wales who volunteer and work very hard each day to make their communities better by bringing people together. I feel privileged that I’ve been chosen for this role because it means that I’m going to have the opportunity to meet so many of them.”
Joe Ferns, Director of Funding at the Big Lottery Fund, says:
“Jude Boutle is playing an important role in helping us to celebrate and showcase the great things people are doing within their communities each and every day.
“The Big Walk and The Big Lunch bring people together and shine a light on fantastic community projects – many of which are National Lottery-funded – that are making a real difference to people’s lives across the UK. We’re proud to support them and hope to inspire many more to build the friendships and connections that help make communities thrive.”
The Big Lunch is an idea from the Eden Project in Cornwall and was launched back in 2009 with the simple premise that ‘great things happen when you bring people together’.
Peter Stewart of The Big Lunch says:
“The Big Walk celebrates the great things people make happen where they live. The Big Lunch is a chance for people everywhere to build those friendships and connections locally, which help to create stronger, happier communities. Last year 9.3 million people had fun together at over 96,000 events across the UK – so give our walkers a smile and a wave, and sign up to bring your own community together for a Big Lunch on June 3.”
Anyone can take part! Order a free pack and join millions of others across the UK for The Big Lunch on 3 June www.thebiglunch.com and don’t forget to follow #TheBigWalk to see lots of inspiring communities in action.
