Zakia Moulaoui worked up an appetite for her Big Lunch at Montgomery Street Park yesterday – she’s just returned from an epic 17 day journey visiting towns, cities and places from Edinburgh to Orkney (and back again) as one of the walkers who has led Team Scotland of the Eden Project’s Big Lunch Community Walk.
Zakia is the founder of Invisible Cities– a Scottish social enterprise that trains local people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own cities. She was joined for the walk – and the Montgomery Street Park lunch – by Derek Harper (55) who has had a varied career but says that volunteering in his community transformed his life.
They set off from Edinburgh on the 17th May and visited 34 different community projects in Shotts, Dunfermline, Dundee, Blairgowrie, Findhorn, Forres, Inverness, Brora, Thurso, Orkney, Aberdeen, Fettercairn and Brechin. The walkers then returned to their homes in Brechin and Edinburgh at the weekend in time to host a Big Lunch to bring their own communities together.
Enjoying her Montgomery Street Park Big Lunch, Zakia said: “It’s been an emotional day, celebrating the end of a mammoth two week journey.
“I’m so happy that so many people could come today to share food and join in the fun. It’s lovely that two of the guides that work for Invisible Cities were able to come along and make connections with other groups.”
Speaking about his experiences, Zakia’s fellow walker Derek Harper from Brechin (above) said: “Visiting communities across Scotland has confirmed my hunch that to have sustainable, resilient communities it’s local folk who provide the social glue, local knowledge and passion to tackle the thorny issues.
“My homecoming Big Lunch was all that I could have asked for – such a warm welcome from the local community. My wellbeing tank is well and truly filled!”
Eden Project Communities Scotland Manager, Sandra Brown said: “Derek and Zakia took to the highways and byways of Scotland to learn about – and learn from – the amazing people and organisations at the heart of so much of the really important work that goes on in communities all over Scotland.
“It’s been wonderful to see them share what one community is doing with another community that could benefit from those ideas.”
Martin Cawley, Director for Scotland at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “When people get together amazing things can happen and communities are able to thrive.
“The Big Lunch is about fun, food and friendship, but what we know is that the connections made are the building blocks for friendlier, safer and stronger communities. This is why we are using National Lottery funding to support this initiative.”
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