Lanarkshire locals are set to get a buzz this summer - with a community event slated for June that’s inspired by bees.
The Big Lunch is running across the UK from June 2 to June 5, and Rutherglen garden group Grow 73 have signed up to take part.
The green fingered locals previously held events to mark the Big Lunch in past years, with the events serving as a way to bring local communities together.
COVID-19 restrictions limited last year's event but now the group plan to hold a picnic in Overtoun Park with bands and entertainment performing on June 5, which this year is a bank holiday to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
The day will also see Grow 73 mark their bee line, the biodiversity project which has joined larger green areas of Rutherglen and Cambuslang together by linking in small green pockets or containers along the roads that link them to each other.
Grow 73’s Eugenie Aroutcheff is now making an early appeal for locals to get in touch and get involved with the big day.
She told Lanarkshire Live : “The idea we have had is that the Big Lunch will be linked to the work in the community we have done on the bee line, so there will be a paper sculpture of a pollinator to be paraded through the park and we will be linking up with all the communities that have been linked up, before going to the actual lunch with bands playing.
“The bee line is something that has really expanded - originally it was just planned as being from Rutherglen train station to Fernbrae Meadows but it has expanded through Fernhill, Eastfield, Cambuslang Rugby Club and so many other places.
“It has become bigger than we originally envisioned and seemed a good theme for this year.”
Eugenie is also delighted to be bringing a large scale community event back to the Royal Burgh after two years dominated by coronavirus.
She added: “The Big Lunch has always been a big thing about tackling loneliness and that is more important than ever after the past couple of years.
“People have stuck together in that time and this should celebrate that. We’re looking at a street band and we want to hear from community groups and school groups about the day.”
The charity event aims to improve mental health and reduce isolation and anyone looking to get involved should contact Eugenie via the Grow 73 Facebook page or by email at grow73temp@gmail.com.
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