The Duchess of Cornwall hosts a reception to mark the launch of The Great Get Together

The Duchess of Cornwall, Patron, The Big Lunch, hosted a reception at Clarence House today to mark the launch of The Great Get Together, an initiative that encourages people to get together with their neighbours one weekend in June to celebrate Britain's diverse communities.

Joining supporters including Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Her Royal Highness helped ice some cupcakes that had been made in the Clarence House kitchen for the event. 

The Great Get Together, which will involve tens of thousands of community get-togethers on the weekend of June 17th and 18th, and has been put together by The Jo Cox Foundation and The Big Lunch. People are being invited to come together with friends, neighbours and strangers for fun and community engaging street parties, picnics, barbecues and bake-off competitions.

The scheme is also being supported and backed by a wide variety of groups, including the Scouts, ParkRun, the RSPB and NSPCC.

During the reception, The Duchess told guests she hopes the initiative will go “from strength to strength”. Her Royal Highness has been Patron of The Big Lunch since 2013, and has attended a number of events supporting the initiative. 

Peter Stewart, Chief Executive of The Big Lunch, said numbers have swelled since it was started in 2009, with more than 8.5 million taking part in The Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Mr Stewart said: "I think we live in a time where there is so much division. What we do know is that when people do come together, communities get stronger and people feel happier.”