There was plenty of space to eat, chat, renew old friendships and make new ones when Space2Grow held a Big Lunch on Friday, June 5.

Space2Grow, a charity in the heart of Farnham supporting mental wellbeing and social connection through nature-based activities, welcomed dozens of visitors for lunch at long tables in the gardens.

Supporters of the charity rubbed shoulders with regular users of the space. Children from St Andrew's and Potters Gate schools played in the natural play area before sitting down to eat.

Councillors relaxed with visitors from the German town of Andernach, which has been twinned with Farnham since 1992, while Joosje Hamilton, High Sheriff of Surrey, chatted with everyone she could in the queue for lunch.

Everyone who could brought along a dish of food to share, which was served buffet-style and included dairy-free and gluten-free choices.

The idea for the lunch was inspired by the Eden Project, the Cornwall-based nature attraction that launched the initiative in 2009 to bring communities together over a meal.

Space2Grow was founded in 2017 by Lou James, a family psychotherapist who bought an acre of land to create a space where local people could benefit from spending time outdoors in nature.

At the lunch, she thanked everyone for being there and all those who supported the charity, adding: "When we were putting out the flowers on the tables, someone commented that the cow parsley was looking nice in the vases.

But it isn't cow parsley – it's ground elder. If you say 'ground elder' to gardeners, they will usually shudder as it is an invasive weed, but it sums up for me what Space2Grow is about. It has its place, just like everyone does. Everyone is different and everyone has a place in the world."

Space2Grow is located between St Andrew's Church and Bishop's Meadow.