People from around Waltham Forest gathered to break fast with the Muslim community as part of Ramadan.

Waltham Forest Council invited people to join with the Muslim community at an Open Iftar event on Saturday.

Iftar is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. The idea of holding an ‘open Iftar’ was to invite people across the community – religious, non-religious, young and old, families and single people, to share in the breaking fast at a communal event.

Councillor Vicky te Velde, who gave the closing speech at the end of the event, said: “Saturday’s Open Iftar event on the grounds of the town hall was a perfect example of people from all walks of life – young children, teenagers, different ethnicities, people of all faiths and none - joining together to share a communal experience, to eat great food and to meaningfully connect with one another. It represented all that is great about Waltham Forest.”

Organisers had planned for 400 people to come, but in the end 600 meals were handed out and 700 people were recorded as attending. Guests also learnt about Ramadan and heard speeches – including on by Hibo Wardere an anti FGM activist who was recently nominated for a clinical leadership prize at the British Medical Journal awards for her work at Whipps Cross Hospital.

The event was put on by Waltham Forest Council as part of the Connecting Communities Programme, which aims to unlock the collective power of Waltham Forest residents, by creating a borough that feels like home for everyone.