‘Feel Good’ Fundraising’ Cara’s Ceilidh Celebrations

In our ‘Feel Good Fundraising’ series, Bamboo’s digital marketing apprentice, Georgie, follows up on the stories of inspirational volunteer fundraisers to ask them the questions no one’s thought to ask.

Georgie, it’s over to you.

Today I’m talking to Cara, Bamboo’s Content Manager. Cara recently organised a charity Ceilidh night: a traditional Scottish event with folk music, singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.

I caught up with her to find out how it went.

Why did you choose this challenge and cause?  

We chose a Ceilidh night as it’s fun, interactive, and gets everyone involved. Also, the event fell on Burns Night, so it was fitting!

We organised the event to raise money for the Trussell Trust (a UK food bank charity), as we wanted to do something to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

What was the vibe? 

Informal and fun.

All the attendees were lovely and very supportive of what we were doing. And they were totally ‘up for it’. We had a few men in kilts (which was surprising as it was a really cold night) and one man came in a tux. We didn’t ask people to dress up, but we should have done!

I wish I’d worn my ginger tartan wig.

We also had a fantastic band, The Conquering Heroes. The caller (who led the dancing) was amazing. He was really funny and engaging.

Everyone was on the dance floor all night. And they loved the impromptu sing-along the band initiated at the end of the evening. I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) and Auld Lang Syne were among the requests.

We had considered doing a traditional haggis, neaps, and tatties dinner, but catering for 100+ people would have been a logistical nightmare (especially with my cooking skills), so we decided against it. In the end, a local Persian restaurant donated the most amazing bread, kebabs, and dips. However, people didn’t eat much as they were too busy dancing.

To raise more money, we organised a raffle. I sourced prizes from local businesses. We had go-karting tickets, massages, spa experiences, meals, and a PT session, to name a few. We also had a paid bar which boosted the income.

Was it a successful night?

Yes. It exceeded our expectations. There were about 100 people (any more would have been too many due to the nature of the dancing and the size of the hall) It brought the local community together and raised funds for a worthy cause, which is exactly what we wanted. It hasn’t been finalised yet, but I think the final total will be in the region of £2,000. 

I know you do a lot of fundraising, what’s next on the agenda?  

I ‘officially’ hung up my event organising boots in 2018, but this event reminded me how much I enjoy it. I’m not sure what I’ll do next, but we got such a buzz from the Ceilidh night, we’re going to do another one in the autumn.

If you’re looking for a community fundraiser to inspire volunteers like Cara, get in touch at info@amboofundraising.co.uk.