THE organisers of Helensburgh’s Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships (BPC) are stepping up their fund-raising for the 2019 event with a ceilidh in the town next month.

The 2019 championships, taking place at the East King Street Park on Sunday, June 23, will feature the Glasgow and West of Scotland Pipe Band Championships, and will see Grade 1 pipe bands competing in town for the first time in the history of the Helensburgh event.

The fund-raising ceilidh takes place at the Commodore Hotel on Saturday, March 9 and will feature the Helensburgh Clan Colquhoun Pipe Band, pupils from the Margaret Rose School of Dance; ceilidh band Hell for Leather, and 15-year-old singer Skye Campbell Birnie, with MC Eric Wallace.

Tickets for the event, costing £6, are available from BPC committee members, at the Commodore, or by contacting Colina Helen Campbell on 07710 427535.

A BPC spokeswoman said: “There will also be a Highland dancing competition and a drum major competition at the event, so we hope to attract many more competitors, visitors and locals.

“The BPC committee wish to thank the following for their generosity in helping to raise funds for the 2019 event – the National Lottery for a £6,000 grant; Tesco ‘Bags of Help’ grant of £3,200; those who donated £1,500 from bag packing at the Co-op in Helensburgh and Balloch; and Helensburgh Clan Colquhoun Pipe Band for playing at numerous fund raising events throughout the year to help raise the profile of the event.”