The Enchanted Forest’s governance team boosted with appointment of new Chair

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, the charity behind Scotland’s pioneering sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has strengthened its governance team with the appointment of a new Chair.

Karen Bothwell, a former lawyer, takes up the reigns this month as the Trust’s Chairperson. A senior executive with lengthy experience leading teams, large and small, Karen spent over thirty years in Financial Services. Over the years she has held a number of board positions across a range of sectors including growth capital investment, hospitality, housing building and property, providing insight, guidance, and challenge, particularly for governance, risk, and strategic change.

Recently retired, Karen is treasurer of her local church and chairs a new charity set up by the Churches in and around Aberfeldy to coordinate anti-poverty initiatives in the local area.

Karen’s appointment will further strengthen The Enchanted Forest Community Trust’s strategic board to develop The Enchanted Forest and its charitable community initiatives, bringing additional expertise to the organisation and the event, which draws over 80,000 visitors to Highland Perthshire annually.

Karen said: “I believe my time in financial services and working with a number of businesses in the hospitality sector gives me strong understanding and insight to the opportunities and requirements not only of the Trust but also for the event itself. I look forward to my time with the Enchanted Forest Community Trust, helping to evolve this much-loved event for the benefit of the local community and to a further twenty years of enchanting entertainment.”

Nela Popovic, Executive Director of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Karen as the new Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust. Her wealth of experience means she is well placed to offer her insight, business acumen and governance skills to us as a charity. She will be a great addition to our Board and will make an invaluable contribution to the future success of the charity, its community initiatives and, of course, Scotland’s favourite sound and light show which is the economic powerhouse behind all the work of the charity.”