The charitable origins of The Royal Caledonian Ball (www.royalcaledonianball.com) date back to 1849, when the 6th Duke of Atholl decided to raise funds for Scottish charities; the Ball subsequently became an annual event and a charity in its own right. The constitution of the Trust states that its charitable gifts have to be related to Scotland, with a bias towards military causes. Over the last ten years The Royal Caledonian Ball Trust has donated well over £500,000 to worthy Scottish charities and causes; in the last few years 50% of the ticket price was donated.

In 2006 The Royal Caledonian Ball Trust supported as wide selection of worthy causes: Firstly, St Catharine's Convent of Mercy, run by Sister Aelred, for the homeless in Edinburgh. She describes the organisation as 'a place of hospitality and mercy, a place of outreach and refuge for the most broken and needy in our society'.

Borderline, a charity for homeless Scots in London, aims to find them safe and secure sleeping accommodation and provides them with the resources to take up employment or 'meaningful activity'.

The main objective of the Dumfries and Galloway Befriending Project is to recruit, train and match adult volunteers with vunerable young people who are experiencing problems at home, school or in the community. The young people benefit from the energy and enthusiasm of their befrienders and gain confidence from forming a positive relationship with a supportive adult.

Queen Victoria School in Dunblane has been supported for several years; a school where the parents of pupils must be, or have been, members of the regular forces serving in Scottish regiments, or regiments serving in Scotland.

Capability Scotland works with children, adults and families who live with disability, to support them in their everyday lives. Artists at Capability Scotland's Upper Springland service in Perth are working with the National Museums of Scotland on a project that will culminate in a framatic medieval procession through the grounds of Upper Springland.

The charity continues to fund a pony, named 'Cally' by the riding school, for the Riding for the Disabled Association in Glasgow. Every week over 200 mentally ot physically disabled children and adults come to ride or enjoy carriage driving at the riding school.

Childline Scotland is the free, confidential telephone counselling service for children and yound people. Childline Scotland aims to protect children at risk of harm and to help children resolve or alleviate their problems and worries.

Donations to Drumpark School in Glasgow have enabled not only secondary school pupils to travel to Europe, but also provided play equipment for classrooms and playground within the primary department's Behaviour Support Service.

Set out below is a brief summary of the results of The Royal Caledonian Ball in 2006. We are delighted to report that the Royal Caledonian Ball Trust has donated £64,000 to charity over the last three years.

These calculations are based solely on the ticket price as the Committee pass on the cost of the dinner directly to our guests.

The ticket price was £80, of which 37% was distributed as follows:

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