Fair Trade ceilidh is back after break

Fair Trade Stirling’s annual ceilidh is getting underway again next month after a gap of three years.

The ceilidh takes place in Bridge of Allan at 7.30pm on Saturday, March 11, at the Parish Church Hall opposite the Co-op.

The Riverside Ceilidh Band will be providing foot-stomping music for the night.

Jon Cape, Fair Trade Stirling’s co-ordinator, said:“it’s so great to get this popular event back again after the pandemic stopped it happening. It’s a great family event and suitable for all ages, and it’s for a great cause.”

The ceilidh will be raising funds which will help local people in Stirling struggling with the cost of living crisis as well as fair trade rice producers in Malawi.

Part of the money raised will be used to buy fair trade rice from Fair Trade Stirling’s partners in the Karonga region of Malawi.

The rice will then be donated to local food banks in Stirling.

Jon added: ”Doing this helps Stirling people that we know are struggling and helps fair trade producers who lost sales to restaurants, etc, during the pandemic and are still recovering.”

Funds raised on the evening will also help the rice growers move to more sustainable production methods – for example, by making their own organic fertiliser, and support to the

Stirling Skills Development Centre in Karonga, set up with support from Fair Trade Stirling.

The Skills Centre now serves the whole Karonga district and helps women and men with skills for employment.

The ceilidh has received support from Stirling Council’s Civic Fund and is also being supported by the Stirlingshire Co-op Member Pioneers.

There will be a cash bar at the fundraising event.

Tickets for the ceilidh are available online by visiting www.ticketsource.co.uk/ fairtradestirling.

More information on Fair Trade Stirling can be found at www.fairtradestirling.org or Facebook.