If Stirling had an equivalent to the Royal Variety Show, undoubtedly this would have been it.
January 20 saw a plethora of local and national talent take to the Macrobert stage to entertain the lucky people who had managed to secure a ticket for the fifth annual instalment of the ‘For The Love Of Eilidh’ fundraising concert. All of the performances were fabulous; however, for me, the best part of the whole event was that every penny was going towards building a respite home for children and their families affected by cancer.
The Eilidh Brown memorial fund was created eight years ago when the daughter of a local family lost her battle with cancer at just 15 years old. Since then, there have been many charity events and fundraisers in the name of Eilidh, including the concerts at the Macrobert Arts Centre, to raise the money to create the family’s dream of a respite home. It is the story of a community coming together to support a family during an incredibly difficult time, and helping them to achieve something amazing for the benefit and support of other families who have to endure similar circumstances.
The concert this year was in no short supply of talent. Compering, Alan McHugh was joined by River City star Jordan Young to keep the gags rolling between acts. Their romantic onslaught on ladies in the crowd had the audience in fits of laughter, even if the romantic gestures themselves were questionable!
From comedy, singing, dancing and bands, it seemed every base was covered. An energetic dance routine by local dance troupe Starworxz kicked off the show, followed by a new slimline Tom Urie who tinkled the ivories, taking amusingly outlandish requests from the Spice Girls to Nessun Dorma.
The rest of the show was jam packed with talented acts including local fire fighter and former winner of The Voice Stevie McCrorie, performances by the fresh talent from the Knightswood Dance School, Carly Anderson of Wicked fame and stand up from comedy legend Andy Cameron, to name but a few.
Last but not least the headline act, The Fratellis, took to the stage. The Scottish rock band are great supporters of the charity and have been involved from the beginning. They are also heavily involved with the Teenage Cancer Trust. Their set at the concert had every audience member up on their feet rocking along to the well known hits.
The Brown family have now met their initial target and raised enough money to begin the construction of the respite home. Moving forward, the family hope to raise upwards of £30,000 per year to cover the running costs and maintenance of the home. This means the fundraising must continue and every future donation would be greatly appreciated. To learn more about the memorial fund and how to donate, click here.
A fantastic night for a fantastic cause which had the crowd, laughing, crying and dancing. My biggest regret of the night? Not having been before!
Featured Image Credit: eilidhbrown.co.uk
