Around 300 lanterns will still light up a Fife park on the gloomiest day of the year, despite coronavirus restrictions.
Schools, community groups and families will no longer be allowed to gather at the Leven “lantern journey” this weekend but will instead be able to view the event online.
Locals made the flax and paper lanterns on show at Silverburn Park using kits designed by artist Hannah Ayre.
Fears over the spread of Covid-19 have put paid to a community event planned for Monday.
The team behind the venture are undeterred however, and have hired Glenrothes-based professional film crew Silver Bullet to film them being lit.
It will be broadcast on the Silverburn Park YouTube channel on Monday.
Organisers will set it to music to add even more cheer.
We are more determined than ever to cheer people up at this dreary time of year.
Duncan Mitchell.
Known as Blue Monday, the third Monday in January is supposedly the dreariest time of the year.
Duncan Mitchell, chief executive of Fife Employment Access Trust (Feat) which runs the park, said: “We are more determined than ever to cheer people up at this dreary time of year and so we hope as many people as possible watch the video, which will be set to music, on our channel on Monday.”
The lantern journeys installation marks a key moment in the park’s calendar as Feat pushes forward with a £2.5 million fundraising effort.
It should be open by Easter 2025 and will help attract tourists while providing training and jobs for locals.
Charity moves to Silverburn
Preparations for the lantern journey come as Feat moves its headquarters to the park after 20 years in Glenrothes.
The charity, which helps people with mental health problems into employment, has been leading the regeneration of Silverburn since 2014.
It formally took over the lease in 2019 and already has a number of services based at the 27-acre park.
Mr Mitchell said: “It made sense to be closer to Silverburn as it has proved more and more useful to be able to get clients into nature, which is so helpful to everyone’s mental health.
“We can now save money and cut our carbon footprint too.”
