The Indian Big Lunch
Children’s Literary icon visits The Indian Big Lunch celebrating connected community
Loved by children of all ages, The Gruffalo made a special visit to The Indian Big Lunch, in celebration of the Month of Community.
Chosen from more than 100 groups, schools and nurseries that applied for a visit from The Gruffalo, Sanjay Ghosh of ImageNation NI, said: “ImageNation NI has been participating in The Big Lunch since 2020, firstly virtually to help stay connected as a cultural community through the pandemic and delighted hosting this in person has been so popular. It was an honour to have the Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Christina Black attend and take time to get to know us and enjoy a quick bite of Indian cuisine. Stories were shared, food was enjoyed, games were played between children and adults. Young and old, all had fun together, and the icing on the cake was a visit from The Gruffalo. I would like to thank the Eden Project Communities team in Northern Ireland for all the help and support we receive as part of the network.”
The Big Lunch is part of a whole Month of Community in June. Supported by Oscar nominated Magic Light Pictures, the much-loved Julia Donaldson character, The Gruffalo, is travelling Northern Ireland with The Big Lunch, popping in to say thank you to many of the people hosting The Big Lunch or who held The Big Jubilee Lunch this year. Magic Light Pictures is a long term supporter of The Big Lunch, recognising the difference it makes to live in a community where people know one another.
Speaking about The Gruffalo grand tour, Grainne McCloskey, Northern Ireland Manager, Eden Project Communities, said: "We wanted to do something to celebrate the intergenerational joy of The Big Lunch and how it enables us all to stop the daily toil and just spend some fun time together as a community. With thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund and our sponsors, The Big Lunch continues to bring people together. Having the Gruffalo here is a lovely way for us to say ‘hello’ and thank people for bringing their community together with The Big Lunch and Big Jubilee Lunch.”
She went on to say: “ImageNation NI was started in 2010 to bring the Indian community together. Founder Sanjay Ghosh identified that the growing Indian community needed opportunities to come together to keep their culture and heritage alive. ImageNation NI celebrates our Indian community here in Northern Ireland and are working to provide better mutual understanding across communities.”
For more information on The Big Lunch and how you can get involved in celebrating the Month of Community, please visit www.thebiglunch.com.
The Big Lunch is an idea from the Eden Project made possible by The National Lottery, partnered by Iceland and The Food Warehouse, PG tips, Nextdoor and Pears Foundation.