The team at the Victory Community Centre are brushing up on their dance moves ahead of a lively fundraiser next month.
The centre is hosting a ceilidh dance party on 6 June, bringing together live music from the Footloose Ceilidh Band, group dancing, raffles and auctions to support the organisation’s community programmes amid tightening funding conditions.
A ceilidh, pronounced KAY-lee, is a traditional social gathering with roots in Scotland and Ireland, centred on live folk music and simple group dances. The dances are designed for everyone to join in, with a caller explaining the steps as the night goes on, meaning no prior experience is needed.
Centre manager Laura Fear says this is the first fundraiser they have held in a long time and reflects the need for charities and community groups to find new ways to stay sustainable.
“With increased costs, more competition for grants, sponsorship becoming more challenging to find, and a decrease in government spending, we need to think differently about our long-term sustainability and look at things we haven't tried in the last few years, like fundraising events.
“We’re really thankful to the Footloose Ceilidh Band who are supporting us for the evening. They do one charity gig each year and they have gifted us their time to help us with our fundraising goal.”
Board member Claudia Bustos Lee agrees that the need for fundraising has become more pressing.
“We need to fundraise to keep the centre sustainable… with all the cuts, it’s getting harder for sure.”
Funds raised will go towards supporting the centre’s community initiatives, including Victory on the Move programmes such as laughter yoga, affordable health services and the māra kai.
Laura says the centre has also received support from plenty of local businesses for the event.
“They have supported us with auction items and raffle prizes. I think we've probably got about $2,000 in donations from local businesses, which is really incredible. Thank you to those who supported us.”
Laura adds that the event is aimed at the wider community, not just regular users of the centre.
“It’s for anyone who wants to come out, have a good night and try something new. It will be a fun evening with lots of atmosphere.”
The event is family-friendly and open to all ages, with tickets priced at $20 for adults and $10 for school-aged children. Doors open at 6.15pm, with dancing from 7pm. Tickets are available at events.humanitix.com/victoryceilidh
