A spring splash of colour

We Speak to Prakash Gupta, Greenwich Millennium Village resident and organiser of the Holi event that took place in late March

Where was it held?

Prakash says: 'It took place in beautiful Southern Park at Greenwich Millennium Village. We were very lucky with the weather on the day!'

What did it entail?

'On arrival, we served everyone with food including samosas and mango Lassis for the adults, plus sandwiches, crisps and drinks for children under 5.

After the food, everyone was given about five packets of colour – or gulal - roughly 500g and this was thrown around, which was great fun. We also had 3,000 water balloons and a DJ for the event, which really added to the excellent atmosphere. The kids and everyone that attended had a lot of fun. That was followed by some tea at the end of the afternoon.'

Are you pleased with the success of the event?

'Yes, the feedback has been quite positive. It was fantastic to have a DJ there, the money for that was provided by Greenwich Millennium Village, which was very much appreciated.'

How do you think these sorts of events contribute to the feeling of community at Greenwich Millennium Village?

'It gives people a chance to come together with their neighbours, and to put faces to names that they might have encountered in WhatsApp groups, for example. I think it gave people the chance to discover that there actually a lovely Indian community here, especially as we run three different Hindu festivals here.

It also allows people to keep in touch – people have been in touch on whatsapp since if they need help with something, they now feel they can ask their neighbours as they’ve met them.

It's such a lovely thing, having that community feeling and this is the only time when you actually get to meet so many people in one go. You might see a person when you're walking on the street and say hi, but this brings so many people together.