On Saturday 2nd March, the Lathallan Parents Association (LPA) held its annual Spring Gathering, held at Brotherton Castle.
The event brought together 60 parents, friends and guardians from across the Nursery, and Junior and Senior Schools, as well as Lathallan staff, for a meal and ceilidh, to raise funds for the LPA and charities.
On arrival, guests enjoyed a Welcome Reception donated by Chris and Rachaelle Beattie from Roo’s Leap, while The Sinclair’s Kitchen was on hand to provide their first-class catering.
After welcome games and a speech from LPA Chair, Maria Coll, the LPA ran a Silent Auction throughout the evening, with a range of incredible prizes up for grabs, including A Week Stay in Paphos, Football Tickets, Golf Packages, Fishing on River Dee and much more.
The ceilidh began with music provided by Reel of Fortune who combined classic ceilidh tunes like The Gay Gordons with pop hits like Frankie Vallie’s ‘Oh, What A Night’. Despite them being fully booked for weddings until 2025 the band returned for a second year. The dance floor was full all night, until carriages at midnight and, with the band’s fiddle player Joe Hibbs growing up in Johnshaven, they were delighted to have been asked to play at the school again.
LPA Chair, Maria Coll, said: “We were happy once again to see many returning guests but also new parents. Events like this are a great hub for socialising and keeping the school community well-connected! The event could not have happened without the amount of LPA and staff volunteers, and the support of businesses who contributed either with their time or through donating directly to the auction or the event itself.
The final amount raised totalled an incredible £2445 (thanks to LPA Treasurer, Sharon Bruce, for dealing with all the incomings and outgoings), with just under £500 of this donated across four Lathallan’s YPI charities – Time to Heal, Tayside Cancer Support, Calico Aberdeen and AIMS – Aberdeen Independent Multiple Sclerosis. The remaining money will be used to support various initiatives intended to enhance children’s experiences at Lathallan.
Our LPA committee would like to express their gratitude to the many local businesses, including parents’ own companies, and staff who supported this event and/or donated prizes to the silent auction and to Jennifer Hall for helping to coordinate the items and the auction site – Roo’s Leap, Newburgh on Ythan Championship Links, TwinPeakes Fly Fishing, Mandalamoon, Pro Platinum Teeth Whitening, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, Fraser Property Group, Pipers’ Coffee Shop at Lathallan, Scott James & Associates, Balmoral Castle, Bio Wellness, Lathallan School Pipe Band, Abz Aesthetics, Danni’s Balloons, Ashbrook Nursery, Garden Centre & Cafe, Peterhead Golf Club, Pet Grooming Royal Arch Riverside, Fountainhall Wines, Johnshaven Carpet Cleaning Services, Seahorse Coaching and Consulting, Otravista Photography, Crowne Plaza Aberdeen Airport, Royal Arch Riverside Park, Luxury Lodges, IACS Consulting, Maryfield Flowers, Lathallan PE department and Headmaster Mr Toley.