Sunday lunch with an extended family…that’s what Next Door Family EU encourages. On the average Sunday, families across Malta cook up a regular lunch, but on 18 November, they’re being invited to add in a few extra portions and invite the family ‘next door’, one down the road or perhaps a bit further afield in Malta who they don’t know. The idea is part of an EU-wide initiative called the ‘Next Door Family’ and it aim to see EU and non-EU families residing in Malta get together over Sunday lunch – with either party as guest or host.
The aim of the project is to celebrate the strength and beauty inherent in our diversity, and to teach us how to live together not just next to one another, and to focus on our similarities, not just our differences. But it is also just about having fun, eating good food and making new friends. Each ‘Sunday Lunch with a Twist’ will be between one Maltese family, one non-EU family making Malta their home, and one trained Next Door Family assistant.
The Next Door Family project has been running successfully since 2004 in the Czech Republic coordinated by NGO Slovo21, and lasting friendships have been formed between the families. This year eight European Union member states have joined to create Next Door Family EU and more than 210 family lunches will take place across Europe on 18th November at 1pm.
Spokesperson for the Malta organiser – GetUpStandUp! – Freya Griffiths is confident Maltese families will play their part and get in the spirit of the event: “We feel that this project is a really exciting opportunity for the Maltese to showcase their famous hospitality, rich family culture and great food. Equally, we know that settling into a new country can be challenging and we hope this project helps Non-EU families to feel more at home here. The ‘Sunday Lunch with a Twist’ is a wonderful chance for these families to make those first steps whilst sharing their incredible variety of cultures and cuisines with Maltese families”. GetUpStandUp! is keen to see more non-EU families in Malta join in so if you’re in that bracket, and interested, please get in touch with Freya on the email below.
How to Participate
If all this sounds like something you and your family might enjoy and you would like to be part of it all either as host or guest, then see details on www.nextdoorfamily.eu and APPLY ONLINE as soon as possible before spaces run out!
Please feel free to email us on nextdoorfamilymalta@gmail.com or call on 99613869/79699692 if you have any questions.