Harvest HOPE 2014


Harvest HOPE 2014

Harvest is making a come-back as a great community event and opportunity to bless local people. Last year Westminster Abbey held its first harvest festival in almost 50 years. This year Birmingham Cathedral will host the National Harvest Festival on Monday 20 October. Find out how you can be involved in the National Harvest Festival here.
 
HOPE encourages churches to use the church calendar in a rhythm of mission and harvest is a great opportunity to build on the friendships made through summer events, inviting local people to celebrate with a meal together.
 
Here are three ideas you can use.
 
  • Hold a harvest meal with neighbours. It will help to cement friendships and community spirit – especially if you held a Big Lunch at the start of June. Invite everyone to bring something to share – ideally something home-grown or home-made, but don’t let that become a barrier to people getting involved.
 
  • Take part in British Food Fortnight – 20 September to 5 October. There’s a local food events calendar here. Find your nearest event and take a stand, give away home-made cakes and invite local people to your harvest festival, Alpha supper or other food-based events.
 
  • Team up with your local Foodbank and invite their last year’s clients to a banquet. If you are not sure about cooking for large numbers, the Alpha Cookbook has lots of ideas. Or how about using the Foodbank staple food box as the basis for a meal to raise people’s awareness. Here’s a link to recipes using a typical Foodbank food box and Truro Foodbank has Foodbank recipes suggested by celebrity chefs.
 
Once you’ve decided what to do, you can enter the Telegraph’s Harvest Heroes competition here. Entries must be received by 31 July. They are looking for ideas that:
  • Strengthen the local community: bringing people of all ages together.
  • Educate people about British food and eating local.
  • Support the economy: the event must encourage people to visit and buy from British producers and retailers.
  • Establish the tradition of celebrating the harvest in their local community.
 
The winning events will be featured in The Telegraph on Sunday, 26 October 2014.

National Harvest Service
Harvest African-style
Harvest Resources