CAFOD supporters from Ringwood and Fordingbridge are holding an Irish Night on the eve of St Patrick’s Day to raise money for the charity’s Lenten Appeal.

The Irish Night will take place at Trinity Church Hall in Ringwood and will involve a live band – Ripchord Barn Dance Band – and Irish dancing, called by Bernadette Lucas.

The team is organising thenight after the success of an event at Greyfriars Community Centre last year, also on behalf of the Catholic aid agency. Due to popular demand, this year’s event is to be held in a bigger venue.

Helen Eales, a member of the Ringwood and Fordingbridge CAFOD group, said: “We are supporting CAFOD because we feel passionately about the one in eight who go to bed hungry.

“CAFOD helps people prioritise their own needs by, for example, providing seed banks to help crops last longer or agricultural training to improve yields.”

Lynda Mussell, CAFOD manager for the Ringwood and Fordingbridge area, said: “We are so grateful to everyone in Ringwood and Fordingbridge for supporting this event and organising the Irish Night.

“Hunger is the world’s biggest health risk, killing more people annually than the combined effect of diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Currently, 870 million people, millions of them children, do not have enough to eat, even though there is enough food in the world to feed everyone.”

CAFOD’s Hungry for Change Campaign is also campaigning for a fairer food system by calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the UK’s presidency of the G8 to tip the balance of power for small-scale farmers who grow half the world’s food and to push for checks on the power of global food companies.

Tickets cost £5 and include a traditional Irish Stew with stout, with a vegetarian option available.

Call 01425 475088 to book.