More than 30 older people and 20 volunteers from Contact the Elderly’s five Forth Valley groups came together for the Eden Project’s Big Lunch event.

An afternoon of good food, entertainment and companionship was enjoyed by all attending the annual event which was this year held at Birds and Bees Restaurant in Stirling.

A special toast was raised to Contact the Elderly’s Clackmannanshire group which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and its Stirling group which has recently reached its first birthday. They were joined by two groups from Kippen and another which covers West Stirlingshire.

Entertainment was provided by Kristy, Kelsi and Evie also known as ‘Highly Strung’, a group of three young fiddle players from Kippen.

Morna O’May, East of Scotland development officer for Contact the Elderly, said: “The Big Lunch was once again a fantastic afternoon and everyone had a great time.

“Outings like these mean a great deal to the older people we support. Without our charity and our fantastic volunteers many would not be able to enjoy the joy and knock-on benefits an afternoon out of the house with great food and even better company bring.

“We are very grateful to have partnerships with organisations like the Eden Project that help spread the word about who we are and what we do. We will definitely be back for next year’s Big Lunch.”

The aim of the Eden Project, which has been running Big Lunch since 2009, is to get as many people as possible across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours annually in June in a simple act of community, friendship and fun.

This aim couples well with Contact the Elderly which brings together volunteers and older people in communities once a month to enjoy an afternoon tea in a bid to alleviate loneliness among older populations.

The monthly Sunday afternoon parties are held in a volunteer host’s home once a month for a group of between six and eight people. A host will welcome the group once or twice a year.

Volunteer drivers collect one or two older people each month and accompany them at the party. The guests are aged 75 and over who live on their own and may struggle to get out and enjoy social contact.

Contact the Elderly now has more than 100 groups across Scotland, supporting more than 1,000 older people through its network of more than 1,100 volunteers.

The charity is always looking for volunteer drivers and hosts for local groups. To find out more about volunteering or becoming a guest, contact Morna O’May on morna.o’may@contact-the-elderly.org.uk or 01786 871264.