"Tumbling Lassie" events bring in £16,400

The "Tumnbling Lassie" events of the weekend raised a provisional figure of £16,400 to combat human trafficking and modern slavery, the Faculty of Advocates has announced.

The Tumbling Lassie Seminar and Ball were held in aid of International Justice Mission (IJM) and Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) which fight modern day slavery and human trafficking at home and abroad.

An inaugural ball and seminar in 2015 raised £14,000 for the same organisations, and the organisers are confident that that figure will be exceeded this year.

Both events commemorate a nameless girl, known as “the tumbling lassie”, who featured in a 17th century Court of Session case when the court refused the claim of a travelling showman to "ownership" of a performing gymnast who claimed to have "bought" her from her mother.

Held in St Paul’s and St George’s Church, Edinburgh, the ball attracted around 190 people.

“All in all, the day exceeded our high expectations and was as worthwhile as it was enjoyable,” said Eric Robertson, advocate, organiser of the seminar and member of the Tumbling Lassie Committee.