EXCITEMENT was generated as The Gruffalo recently brought The Big Lunch to Fermanagh.

All over Northern Ireland, communities are getting ready for The Big Lunch on June 18. 

And in some neighbourhoods, The Gruffalo has paid a visit to build up The Big Lunch excitement. He visited Caroline Rice and neighbours in the Lisnaskea area after she won a Facebook competition run by The Big Lunch Northern Ireland.

Caroline said: “One of our neighbourhood kids is a young fan of the Julia Donaldson books and when he came to meet the Gruffalo, he produced The Gruffalo’s Child book! So, soon the children were reading the story to the Gruffalo himself.”

Grainne McCloskey, Northern Ireland manager Eden Project Communities, said: “It was a real pleasure to bring the Gruffalo to Lisnaskea, courtesy of Magic Light Pictures.

The kids were all very excited and it is great to see the excitement building ahead of The Big Lunch 2017 for which the main date is on Father’s Day this year - the 18th of June.

We very much hope more people will join the fun with The Big Lunch 2017 and this year we have teamed up with Belfast Harbour to offer £3,000 of prizes to community groups and young people for ongoing community spirited activity.”

Find out more on the facebook page: The Big Lunch Northern Ireland. Sign up for a free Big Lunch planning pack at www.thebiglunch.com.