Indian Evening raises £500 for charity

More than 100 people enjoying vibrant performances, informative presentations and regional food.

Guests learned more about the different cultures and religions of the subcontinent from Pestalozzi’s four Indian students – Aravind, Madhumita, Binayak and Syeed. They discovered some of the biggest differences between India and the UK, such as the way people behave in traffic, and were treated to Bollywood style dancing and a moving song.

The delicious dinner of curry, naan and poppadum was a hit. Between performances, guests sampled special samosas with aam chutney (mango pickle) and burfi (typical Indian sweet made from milk, sugar and spices) with imli (tamarind) condiment, all prepared by the students themselves.

The festive atmosphere was helped by visitors including students from Battle Abbey School, a number of church groups, local families and Pestalozzi supporters from across Sussex and Kent.

The event raised more than £500 to support Pestalozzi’s scholarships for exceptional young people from disadvantaged communities around the world.

“It was a fantastic start our cultural evening series, and we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make it such an exciting event,” says Pestalozzi Marketing Officer Jonathan Williams.

“The food was excellent, the dancing and singing were wonderful, the presentations were enlightening and of course the audience was terrific. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again at our future events.”

Pestalozzi’s next big cultural evening will be on Thursday 20 February and will be organised by their Ugandan students. The charity will also host a family Christmas afternoon on Saturday 7 December, 12-3pm. More information at pestalozzi.org.uk/events or on 01424 870444.