With the new year upon us, you might be looking for a fun new event to raise some money, bring your community together and keep away those Winter blues – if so then a cèilidh can do all this and more!

The word cèilidh (kay-lee) means simply social visit and is a fun and easy to organise event. It might be a Scottish and Irish tradition but can work anywhere, and with anyone – all you need is some music, a bit of food and plenty of good cheer in the darkest time of the year. Many take place around Burns Night (25th January) but they can be organised for anytime. 

The team here at Localgiving have some experience of hosting (and attending) them, so we are here to help you organise your own cèilidh.

So, let’s get started!

What’s a cèilidh?

It’s an event where there’s traditional Gaelic dancing and music, maybe storytelling, some food, your choice of drinks and lots and lots of fun. The dances are usually for couples, or groups and they have set movements, many of which date back hundreds of years. The dance movements are very simple though - it’s all very relaxed and fun!

But we’ve never organised one before?

No experience is necessary! It’s great fun, it’s informal, and inclusive – children, old people and people with disabitliies can all cèilidh.

Sounds great, what do I need?

You need a space (think a large room or hall), some music (you can hire a band, use a CD or a Spotify playlist (also embedded below), a bit of food if you wish (the choice of what your provide is up to you, but here’s some recipes here ) and whilst some cèilidhean can be raucous affairs going into the wee hours, you can host yours at anytime of the day. And for some of the songs, you might want to have a caller – basically, someone to lead and explain the dances – though this isn’t essential.

What’s so fun about a cèilidh?

They are all about bringing people together and having fun – even if your community has no Celtic links, we all have dancing in our cultures – and this is a fantastic way of getting moving and having fun together. There is something powerful about sharing an experience – in this world this is getting rarer – and we feel sure that once you’ve been to one cèilidh, you’ll want to go to more!

What else do I need to know?

People don’t have to join in with the dancing, they can just come along and simply watch, listen, chat and tap their toes to the music in the great atmosphere. No specific footwear or clothes are required. But probably leave the high-heels at home! And you don’t need to be super-fit to take part, the pace of the dances varies, and if you feel weary, just sit one out.

How can my cèilidh help me fundraise?

It’s up to you. No one knows your community as well as you do. But we see four options.

• The traditional cèilidh - with classic food and drink – you’ll be dancing through a cold Winter night.
• Cèilidh for kids – a few hours of daytime fun for the youngsters, using up their energy and enjoying food they’ll love (not necessarily haggis!)
• Senior cèilidh – the moves might be a little bit more sedate but the fun levels stay the same, with it also offering a warm place and hearty food on a chilly day.
• A mix of the above – it’s up to you!

How you fundraise is up to you. You can charge an entry fee (perhaps set up an appeals page on Localgiving and take the bookings through there), or make it free to attend and have donations on the day. Perhaps find some sponsors or local producers or shops that can provide some food and drink for a good cause. Your Localgiving team can provide a fundraising appeal page to help you get started.

Make sure you use the hashtag #communityceilidh on your social media posts so we can follow and share! 

If you want some further advice, or to tell us about your cèilidh then email Press@Localgiving.org , we'd love to share what you are doing with network. Good luck!