VE Day Picnic for Hope

Cathedral communities are picnicking for hope on VE Day (Friday 8 May) in order to raise funds for those in need and to pay tribute to the many millions at home and abroad who sacrificed so much to bring peace to Europe 75 years ago.

Birmingham Cathedral is among more than 20 Church of England cathedrals inviting individual households to hold a sponsored picnic as a shared moment of celebration to mark this important anniversary. A special website has been set up for households to ‘share’ their picnic online and participants are being encouraged to tweet their plans, ideas and recipes to create a sense of togetherness, as well as giving what they can to those who are struggling to feed themselves during the current pandemic.

Cathedrals want to see the ‘Big Picnic for Hope’ raise £5,000 for The Trussell Trust, a charity that supports a network of foodbanks in the UK, as well as encouraging donations to other local Foodbanks who are not part of the Trussell Trust. The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield Cathedral and Chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, said:’While big public plans for celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE day 2020 have been put on hold, it seems appropriate to use this date to remember the experience of World War II and to think about the humanity and care we are seeing right now.

This pandemic has inspired a different national mood; the selflessness and dedication shown by our NHS and all frontline workers; the great neighbourliness, the practical support and care for one another. The aim of the Big Picnic for Hope is to have a shared occasion, but the project also provides an opportunity for us to recognise that these are difficult times for many people and that we can all play our part in this by giving what we can.’People can share their picnicking ideas and photos from the day using the hashtag #bigpicnicforhope and #feed5000.

For more information, visit the Big Picnic for Hope website HERE. The fundraising page can be found HERE.