Blackburn's Big Planing Bee
14th May 2013
Blackburn's Big Planting Bee is on Friday 24th May 2013 from 11am until 3pm.
Residents of Blackburn are being called upon to show their support and get involved in a town centre event that aims to help the diminishing Honey Bee population. ‘Blackburn’s Big Planting Bee’ will take place on Friday 25th May from 11am to 3pm and volunteers are being asked to spend 30 minutes planting bee friendly flowers throughout the town centre.
The event is being led by Blackburn Town Centre Partnership Board and is supported by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s ‘Your Community, Your Call’ campaign, The Mall, the town centre BID development company and Groundwork Pennine Lancashire. In exchange for their 30 minutes, all volunteers will be rewarded with an exclusive ‘I love Blackburn’ t-shirt, which is based on the iconic ‘I love NY’ t-shirt design.
“The Honey Bee is under serious threat and recently there’s been an alarming drop in their numbers in the UK,” said Nick Riley, Director at Groundwork Pennine Lancashire. “We want to get as many people as we can planting flowers that will provide an invaluable food source for the bees, and will also get everyone working together with a bit of that old community spirit!”
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council are supporting the campaign to save the Honey Bee by installing beehives on the roof of the Town Hall and ensuring any future planting carried out by the Council contains bee friendly varieties. Some of the planting areas will eventually be topped off by a giant sculpture of a ‘Blackburn Bee’ and people will be able to get a sneak preview of one of the bees on the day.
Anyone interested in getting involved should meet on the Town Hall steps between 11am and 3pm, where they will be assigned one of 25 spots in the town centre that will be planted with bee friendly flowers. If you can, bring a trowel, although not necessary, and if its looking like rain, a waterproof coat.
At the same time, you can also visit The Ark, Beth Derbyshire's art installation on Town Hall Square.
Find out more about the event on facebook (www.facebook.com/BlackburnsBigPlantingBee) or Twitter @BigPlantingBee www.visitblackburn.co.uk . Alternatively you can call Blackburn Visitor Centre on 01254 688040
