Fundraising folk night to boost Kilimanjaro bid (From The Northern Echo)

Fundraising folk night to boost Kilimanjaro bid

6:49pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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OLD time music hall songs and Northumbrian pipe playing features in a fundraising folk night, on Friday.

The charity event, featuring performers from across the North-East, takes place at the Arts Centre, in Fatfield, Washington.

It will include popular songs from the music hall hey-day on Tyneside and County Durham, as well showcasing the skills of the regional variation of traditional pipe playing.

It is being staged by members of the Sunderland Partnership, to assist a charity challenge to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, next month.

The charity night has been organised by Neil Revely, director of Sunderland City Council’s health, housing and adult services department.

He is representing the city council as part of a 20-strong team attempting to scale Africa’s highest mountain.

Mr Revely said: "The event includes traditional Northumbrian music from some top-notch musicians and it’s a real slice of North-East culture.

"As well as being great entertainment, it’s also for a great cause.

"All money raised on the night will go to the Sunderland Mayor’s charities, the cerebral palsy charity SCOPE and Diabetes UK, as well as the Africa Blackwood Conservation Project, a charity promoting re-forestation in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

"It would be fantastic if people could come along and support the event."

The team representing organisations which make up the multi-agency Sunderland Partnership will start their trek on April 16.

They are expected to take seven days to reach the summit.

· Friday’s Northumbrian Folk evening starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £5 each and are available from the arts centre, in Biddick Lane, via 0191-219 3455, from the city council’s member services office, on 0191-561 1332, or, alternatively, can be bought on the door.