The Off the Rails event held at Larbert High School on Friday 31 May was hailed as a ‘fantastic night of music, fashion, preloved second hand shopping, great food and hospitality’ raising over £6,400 (and counting) for the Hospice.

The event was a preloved fashion festival organised by staff and students at the school in collaboration with many businesses, people and teams across Larbert and Stenhousemuir, with the main aim of raising awareness and funds for Strathcarron Hospice.

Mhairi McAinsh, Teacher of Art and Design and Developing The Young Workforce Coordinator, Larbert High School, said: “What an amazing event, we are absolutely delighted! It takes a village, and boy did the village come out to support. An amazing night with runway shows, preloved pop up boutique, pipers and drummers, models, stylists, sound & lighting, staff, hospice volunteers, amazing DJ, food and hospitality, so many lovely comments.

"Thank you so much to our staff, pupils and wider school community. It was so lovely to see our young people shine and take ownership of many facets of the night, developing their skills at the same time.  We're incredibly grateful to all of the attendees, sponsors and businesses who all helped to raise this much needed and amazing amount for our local Hospice."

Strathcarron Hospice and Larbert High School students have worked in partnership for many years, and from 2021, as part of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee. 

Over the years, the charity has worked with dozens of S1-6 pupils and staff from across Art & Design, ASC Department, Community Arts, The Diner, English and Media, Food and Consumer Technology and Photography, from Fashion Show Extravaganzas were they transform preloved clothing like this event, to upcycling furniture that can be re sold.

Fiona Hannah, Deputy Retail Area Manager, Strathcarron Hospice, said: “The benefits of working with the inspiring young people of Larbert High are mutual, as there is strength in gaining new ideas and insight from a generationally diverse team. Their skills, enthusiasm, and creativity on this, and all the other projects they’ve supported us on, have been inspiring.

"They not only enjoyed upcycling Strathcarron’s second hand clothes from our charity shops across our local communities, their hospitality students made and served up delicious food, performed their own songs and poems and just showed us all how much pride they have for their local community and Hospice.

“Strathcarron has to raise £16,637 every single day to provide the specialist end of life care and services to individuals and their families across our communities. That Larbert High School wanted all of the money raised on the night to go to their local Hospice is just wonderful, we are incredibly grateful.”

In 2022-23 the Hospice provided care for 323 patients in our 24 patient bedded unit, supported 357 Hospice at Home patients including 3286 visits, carried out 6435 Community Nurse Specialists visits to 1109 new patients and made 8142 clinical calls.

We would also like to send a heartfelt thanks to number of other local businesses contributing to the success of this event:

·        Candied (Event Sponsor)

·        Taylor Made Kilts (Event Sponsor)

·        The Little Steel Bakery

·        M & M Sound and Lighting  

·        ARD Finance

·        WKD Burners

·        Quiz and Exit Clothing

·        Pentland Rover Stirling

·        Torwood Garden Centre

·        The Squinty Baker

 

Larbert High School:-

 

·         Jon Reid, Head Teacher

·         Sharon McLay

 

Pupils : -

 

·         Bethan Pennie, performer of Snowdrops song

·         Ekua Osei, Will you water the Garden original poem for Strathcarron

·         Evie Hope

·         Molly Armstrong

·         Pupils from the School of Piping and Drumming

·         School of Hospitality pupils

 

Catering:-

 

Elizabeth Kirk and the Food Catering Technology Department staff and School of Hospitality pupils.

·         Forth Valley College

·         Inchyra Hotel

·         Leapark Hotel

·         Chartwells

·         Asda Stenhousemuir

·         Mitie

·         Malcolm Allan

·         Johnstones

 

Sound and lighting /Technical: -

 

·         Ian Stevenson, ICT technician  

·         Andy Auld, depute

·         Lewis Biggerstaff and Evie McGrandles

 

Hair & Beauty:-

 

·         Sam at Amitie Hair  

·         Connie Graham and stylists from the House of Marshall

·         Claire Grant

·         Bex Robertson

·         Robyn Lang

·         The Deity Stylist, Sinead McNiven

 

Strathcarron Hospice has 11 charity shops over Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and grateful for good quality donations to help us continue to raise vital funds for the Hospice.

If you have been inspired and would like to create your own event for Strathcarron Hospice, or would like information about forthcoming events visit our Fundraising Page