ENCHANTED FOREST ACCESSIBILITY ENHANCED BY BLAIR ATHOL DISTILLERY PARTNERSHIP

Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has partnered with Blair Athol Distillery to make the award-winning event as accessible as possible for visitors.

An accessibility bus service will be available for this year’s 20th anniversary show, Together, which marks the event’s return to Faskally Woods after a two-year hiatus, caused by the global pandemic.

Accessibility bus customers will be able to park at Blair Athol Distillery on the outskirts of Pitlochry where the transfer service will run regularly into the Forest throughout the event’s five week-run. This service caters for customers who have specific access needs, but do not require disabled parking on site which is limited.

The bus will not require people to climb stairs to board the coach and can accommodate a small number of wheelchair and specialist buggy users, subject to availability. Older patrons and families traveling with autistic children who find large crowds difficult will also find the new service a welcomed addition.

This year’s Enchanted Forest will run from 29 September – 30 October 2022 at Faskally Woods near Pitlochry. With 80,000 visitors expected to attend this year’s event, organisers are keen to make the event as accessible as possible.

Monique McArdle, event producer of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said: “We’re really pleased to be working in partnership with local business, Blair Athol Distillery, to provide an Accessibility Bus service for visitors. Our desire is that as many people as possible are able to access our award-winning sound and light show up close. This new service allows that to happen for customers who may have thought an adventure into Faskally Woods was too much of a challenge, and otherwise would have given it a miss.

“We have launched autism friendly performances for the first time this year, which will take place at the start of designated show nights. Anyone attending these sessions will also be able to book spaces on the accessibility bus, as these hold less people than the large coaches leaving from Fisher’s Hotel.”

Laura Murray, Brand Home Manager at Blair Athol Distillery, said: “We’re delighted to be in a position to support this year’s Enchanted Forest event, by providing a place where those with accessibility issues can park and catch the accessibility bus, enabling them to enjoy the magic of the show. The Enchanted Forest is a major draw for tourists in the autumn and a supporter of local initiatives, and we are proud to be lending our support.”

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased via the website. For more information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk

 

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THE ENCHANTED FOREST LAUNCHES AUTISM FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES

Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, will be running autism friendly performances for the first time ever at its 2022 event, entitled Together, which marks its return to Faskally Wood.

Big, noisy queues, lots of people on site and crowds can be overwhelming for people with autism and can spoil the magical Enchanted Forest experience. With more than one in one hundred autistic people in Scotland, The Enchanted Forest Community Trust has introduced autism friendly performances. These will take place at the start of designated show nights, so visitors with autism will be first on site, with almost exclusive access to the event while they are there.

The autism friendly performances also allow visitors to be right at the start of the bus queues before any crowds have started to build up. These sessions will have a smaller capacity than other show times so that less people are going out to the site, meaning they can avoid the hustle and bustle of a normal busy night at the Enchanted Forest.

The Enchanted Forest has long been a supporter of autism charities, with Scottish Autism being one of the official event charities in 2015, receiving a donation of £2,500.

The Autism friendly departure times are:

  • Wednesday 5 October at 6pm and 6.15pm
  • Wednesday 12 October at 5.45pm and 6pm
  • Wednesday 19 October at 5.30pm and 5.45pm

The move comes just a couple of years after the organisers introduced a special accessibility bus service for the event, designed to be used by visitors who have mobility difficulties, particular access needs, as well as disabled visitors. The Accessibility Bus has demonstrably improved access to the event for visitors of all abilities and ages.

Monique McArdle, event producer of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust and a mother of a child with autism, said:

“We are absolutely over the moon to be returning to Faskally Wood this autumn and our team are working very hard to create a truly original experience where people, young and old, can set their imaginations alight. After such as tough couple of years, we wanted to be as inclusive as possible and enable as many people as possible to enjoy the event to the fullest. As a supporter of Scottish Autism in the past and with many customers who bring children who have autism, we felt that it was time to create a space for those who find the hustle and bustle of a normal Enchanted Forest night a challenge. As a mother of an autistic child, I truly understand what it is like, and I am delighted we’re incorporating autism friendly performances in this year’s event, which truly reflects the Together theme.”

Charlene Tait, Deputy CEO at Scottish Autism, added:

“It is really welcome to see the team behind Scotland’s Enchanted Forest – a much-loved family event – taking these steps to make a number of their performances throughout October more inclusive of autistic people and their families.

“We work closely with a number of venues to ensure autistic people aren’t excluded from attending and enjoying performances and we call on more production companies to follow the lead of the Enchanted Forest so that more autistic people can lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.”

This year’s Enchanted Forest will run from 29 September – 30 October 2022 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry. Over 80,000 visitors are expected to attend this year’s event and, with over 50,000 tickets already sold, it’s looking like it will be a sold-out event once again. Tickets for the autism friendly performances are now on sale. For more information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk

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Tickets for The Enchanted Forest 2022 go on sale Friday

Long awaited tickets for Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, will go on sale to the general public this Friday, 22 July. The 2022 event, entitled Together, is the first to return to Faskally Wood after a two-year hiatus caused by the global pandemic.

This year’s show theme has been inspired by the hopeful public mood of togetherness that so many are now enjoying after such a long time apart, as well as a desire to mark the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, which was founded in 2002.

Organisers are expected to deliver a show that transports visitors to a unique and inspirational place in time, where people of all ages can really come together, to interact, and experience the forest as their awe-inspiring playground.

Set against the stunning natural backdrop of Faskally Wood, the 20th anniversary event will be a creative collaboration of some of the UK’s leading event production companies and creative talents.

Over 80,000 visitors are expected to attend this year’s event and, with over 46,000 tickets already pre-sold, demand is expected to be higher than it has ever been. Fans of the event have waited patiently for the hotly anticipated tickets to go on sale and organisers are urging people to book quickly before the event sells-out.

Bringing an estimated £7.6 million to the local economy annually, the return of the event will be welcomed by the hundreds of tourism and hospitality businesses in Highland Perthshire too. With hotel rooms and restaurants in high demand during the event, the event drives the Autumnal extension of Pitlochry’s highly successful Summer tourist season and has been greatly missed by local businesses over the last two years.

Nela Popovic, executive director of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said:

“We have been dreaming of this return to Faskally Wood for almost three years now and we’re so delighted to be getting ready to switch the lights back on again. The pandemic has really tested everyone and we are so grateful for the support we’ve had from our wonderful audience as we’ve navigated the ups and downs of the pandemic.

“We are very proud to be returning this Autumn and our team are working very hard to create a truly original experience where people, young and old, can set their imaginations alight. This year’s event will have all the innovation and showstopping moments we have come to expect from our creative partners, and we are confident it will create light, hope and inspiration for everyone who attends.

“As the tickets for this year’s event go on sale, I cannot emphasise strongly enough that people should buy their tickets in advance to ensure they secure their chance to enjoy the show Together this October.”

This year’s Enchanted Forest will run from 29 September – 30 October, 2022 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry. Tickets will go on sale to the public from Friday, July 22 at 10am.

For more information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk/tickets

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Enchanted Forest pup, Cosmos, graduates from puppy training ahead of International Guide Dog Day

The guide dog puppy, Cosmos, named by The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, has now successfully completed their puppy socialisation training with Guide Dogs just in time to join in the world-wide celebrations for International Guide Dog Day on Wednesday 27th April.

Cosmos, a female golden retriever, was born on 21 January 2020, alongside her four other canine siblings named Flossie, Wendy, Harley and Hazel. Placed with a puppy raiser in Perthshire during the pandemic, she learned the socialisation skills she’d need to train as a future guide dog, before leaving her puppy raiser to begin early training at Forfar.

Guide Dogs received a donation of £5,000 from funds raised by The Enchanted Forest’s 2019 show, Cosmos, and the pup was formally named after that year’s event. She is the first puppy in the history of Guide Dogs to be called Cosmos.

Every hour of every day, someone in the UK goes blind. When someone loses their sight, Guide Dogs is there to make sure they don’t lose their freedom as well and their guide dog training programme is one of the best in the world. The organisation was founded in 1931 by two amazing British pioneers, Muriel Crooke and Rosamund Bond. Guide Dogs grew from the humble beginnings of training the first four British guide dogs, to become the world’s largest breeder and trainer of working dogs, transforming 36,000 lives along the way.

International Guide Dog Day started in 1992 and is now held annually on the final Wednesday in April. It aims to raise awareness of the need for guide dogs, to honour the work of these faithful companions in changing people’s lives, and to encourage the public to support Guide Dog training charities.

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Cosmos has moved into early training. Last year I had the pleasure of a very well-behaved walk with her at Faskally Wood, home of The Enchanted Forest, before she went off to the “big school”. She has a lovely character, and we hope her training continues to go well so that she can make a difference to someone living with sight loss. It’s been extraordinary to support a puppy through puppy raising, and we’ve very much enjoyed the updates we’ve had from the charity throughout the process. It’s truly humbling to know that Cosmos will make such a difference.”

Kyla McVicar, Business Development Manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, commented:

“We are extremely grateful to the Enchanted Forest Community Trust for their generous support. Every puppy named through Name a Puppy helps us reach the needs of more people living with sight loss in our community. We can’t thank the Enchanted Forest Community Trust enough for their kind support and are delighted that they have enjoyed following puppy Cosmos’ journey with us.”

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust has operated since 2010 as a charity, creating economic wealth and redistributing event surpluses to local community groups and charities to directly benefit the community. Over the last three years the Trust has donated around £129,000 to local community groups and projects, including Guide Dogs.

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ENCHANTED FOREST HELPS PITLOCHRY BRING IN THE SPRING

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust has helped to ensure that Pitlochry can look forward to a spectacular display of colour this Spring, by making a donation to local group, Pitlochry In Bloom.

Pitlochry in Bloom is a dedicated committee and small group of volunteers, whose summer floral displays, hanging baskets, feature beds and spring and autumn bulb planting provide a colourful welcome for visitors and keep Pitlochry looking its best all year round.

The organisation has faced a challenging two years, with the pandemic curtailing almost all of their regular fundraising events. Despite this, volunteers have continued to give their time to plan and plant throughout the seasons, knowing how much pleasure the flowers bring to the community.

Kate Howie, Chair of Pitlochry in Bloom, said:
“We’re very grateful for the generous donation of £500 from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust. Financial support from local businesses and organisations has been crucial for us this year, as many of our fundraising activities were unable to go ahead.

Thanks to generous donations from organisations like The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, we have been able to plant over 5,500 bulbs in the Autumn, which will soon be bursting into life in our feature displays all around the town this Spring. Everybody looks forward to the first signs of new growth and cheery colour in the Spring, and perhaps this year it’s needed more than ever.”

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, added:
“We are delighted to help bring in the Spring to Pitlochry and support the fantastic work that Pitlochry in Bloom do for the community. Spring is about looking forward after the bleakness of Winter. After two years of darkness in our beloved Enchanted Forest, as a result of the pandemic, we are all very much looking forward to a blooming good show in October this year. Until then, we can enjoy the magnificent floral displays created by the Pitlochry in Bloom team.”

Scotland’s trailblazing sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, will return to Faskally Wood this year from Thursday 29th September – Sunday 30th October 2022. For more information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk. Tickets will be on sale from June 2022.

To find out more about the latest work of Pitlochry in Bloom visit www.pitlochryinbloom.co.uk

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TAYSIDE MOUNTAIN RESCUE BOOSTS ITS LIFE SAVING SERVICE WITH £10K DONATION

The Tayside Mountain Rescue team has further strengthened its rapid response service this winter after receiving a generous donation of £10,000 from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust last year.

A custom-built Ford Ranger has since been purchased by the charity just in time for the winter months thanks to the significant cash boost. The new all-terrain emergency vehicle, which replaces a nine-year-old Land Rover, will be stationed at the Aberfeldy base and used by the team for emergency call outs.

A portion of the money has also be put towards a major Tayside Mountain Rescue project which seeks to extend and develop a training base in Aberfeldy. With around 68% of all annual call outs across Perth and Kinross coming from North Perthshire alone, the idea is to create a training hub for additional emergency responder volunteers, specifically from this area.

Tayside Mountain Rescue is a group of around 50 volunteers with a plethora of specialist outdoor skills including remote medical expertise, technical rigging, swift water rescue and search management.
The team, which is the fourth busiest out of the 28 located across Scotland, operates in all weather, all terrain and at all hours.

Kevin Linklater, President of Tayside Mountain Rescue, said: “This state of the art vehicle is great news for our team and the local residents. It’s been kitted out to provide everything we need to help people who get into difficulty while they’re out enjoying the Tayside countryside. It’s a vast improvement on the old vehicle – more economical to run, greener and with the very latest technology.”

Offering space onboard for five of the volunteers, the Ford Ranger comes fully equipped with blankets, first aid kits, a defibrillator, a fridge with refreshments, lighting for night-time, power packs for charging phones and various ropes and related climbing equipment to aid rescues.

Kevin continued: “Developing an outpost for training in Aberfeldy is one of our key objectives as it will offer training opportunities to other emergency responder volunteers and essentially build a bigger and stronger team. Donations like the one from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust and other support from our community take us a step closer to our goals. As a charity which relies 100% on volunteers, funding is imperative to allow us to maintain our life saving service – and protect its future for years to come.”

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust made its donation after the rescue team provided safety support to the show’s technicians as they beamed a stunning laser light into the night sky above Pitlochry over the first weekend in October last year – allowing hundreds of residents to watch from the safety of their own gardens.

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest, added: “We’re very proud to hear that our donation has assisted the rescue team to purchase a much-needed new vehicle, as well as edge a little closer to their ambition of opening a training base in Aberfeldy. With so many of their fundraising events cancelled due to Covid 19 over the last 18 months, it’s certainly been a challenging time. It is even more important that the community gets behind them so they can continue to do their fantastic work.”

For more information about the latest work of the Tayside Mountain Rescue visit www.taysidemrt.org

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THE ENCHANTED FOREST SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON PITLOCHRY

The Enchanted Forest Trust, organisers of Scotland’s most popular sound and light show, have affirmed their long-standing support of Pitlochry’s Winter Lights with a generous £2000 donation.

The inspirational Winter Light Display, which is coordinated by The Pitlochry Lighting Committee, brightens up the town centre in the Winter months, and normally creates a twinkling welcome to the Highland Perthshire town for the event’s many thousands of visitors. Although the event will not take place this year, the charity re-affirmed its commitment to the town cementing an illuminating relationship which has lasted nearly a decade. The fixed lighting display illuminates key sections of the town as well as its main thoroughfares and creates a sparkling atmosphere for winter visitors to the town.

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Trust, commented: “We are really delighted to continue the Trust’s long-standing support of Pitlochry’s Winter Lights. The town is very supportive of the event and we know that local businesses are very much looking forward to our return in 2022, with many local hotels and B&Bs already reporting very strong forward bookings for Autumn next year. As always visitors can expect a warm sparkling Highland welcome to Pitlochry when they visit, this year and next.”

Alistair McMenemie, Chair of the Pitlochry Lighting Committee commented: “We are very grateful to The Enchanted Forest Trust for their unwavering support of the town. The lights are supported by a number of prominent local businesses and it is testimony to the community spirit among organisations in the area that we work together to provide visitors with the most dazzling of welcomes to our beautiful Victorian town.”

Tickets for The Enchanted Forest 2022, Scotland’s multi-award-winning sound and light show, are now on sale. The much-loved event normally attracts over 80,000 visitors a year to Highland Perthshire, contributing a significant boost of over £7.6 million to the local economy. The 2022 Enchanted Forest show will run from Thursday 29 September to Sunday 30 October 2022 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

For more information please visit: www.enchantedforest.org.uk

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THE ENCHANTED FOREST TO PLANT A TREE FOR THE QUEEN’S GREEN CANOPY

The Enchanted Forest, Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, has underscored its trailblazing credentials by being this first outdoor illumination event in the UK to plant a tree as part of the national Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, set up to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The tree has been gifted to the event by Forestry & Land Scotland, and will be planted at Faskally Wood in Pitlochry, where the event is held annually.

Alex Cairncross, Deputy Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross met with Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust at Faskally Wood on Friday 1st October marking the official launch of the Queen’s Green Canopy at the start of tree planting season which will see people from across the United Kingdom invited to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy, in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, that will benefit future generations. The Queen’s Green Canopy will also dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

Faskally Wood, where The Enchanted Forest is held, was created in the 19th century by Archibald Butter whose historical home on the Faskally estate is now owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland.  The forested lands were acquired by Forestry Commission (now Forestry and Land Scotland) and used as a training school for young foresters owing, in part, to its extensive range of tree species planted across the 55-hectare woodland. It now boasts over 23 species including Douglas fir, wild cherry and oak, with some of the trees over 100 years old. The tree that will be planted as part of the Queens’ Green Canopy will be a Red Oak, noted for its flaming red Autumn colours.

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust commented:

“We are absolutely delighted to be marking this auspicious occasion for Her Majesty with the planting of a beautiful red oak tree in Faskally Wood, home of The Enchanted Forest. This is a tree that will be enjoyed for generations to come and, we hope, many thousands of visitors who attend the event every year.”

Alex Cairncross, Deputy Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross commented:

“The Enchanted Forest event is one of Scotland’s favourite Autumn events and we are so pleased that they are leading the way on this magnificent campaign to create a lasting legacy for Her Majesty, The Queen, to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee Year. Faskally Wood is stunning at all times of the year, but especially in Autumn and uniquely at night, thanks to The Enchanted Forest.”

The much-loved event normally attracts over 80,000 visitors a year to Highland Perthshire and thousands of tickets for the 2022 event were released on Friday morning.

For more information please visit: www.enchantedforest.org.uk and www.queensgreencanopy.org

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SCOTLAND’S BELOVED SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW TO RETURN IN 2022

Tickets for The Enchanted Forest, Scotland’s multi-award-winning sound and light show, for 2022 have gone on sale to the general public today, Friday 1 October.

The much-loved event normally attracts over 80,000 visitors a year to Highland Perthshire, contributing a significant boost of over £7.6 million to the local economy. The 2022 Enchanted Forest show will run from Thursday 29 September to Sunday 30 October 2022 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

The Enchanted Forest 2021 show was cancelled earlier this year because of the pandemic. While many of the logistical challenges facing the organisers have now been addressed, this came too late for The Enchanted Forest to safely proceed with its plans. Tickets purchased for the 2021 event have, however, been automatically rolled over to 2022.

Nela Popovic, Executive Director of The Enchanted Forest, said:

“We’re delighted to announce our 2022 event dates and that our tickets are now on sale. It has been an incredibly challenging environment for many events and charities over the past two years because of the Covid 19 pandemic. The economic impact of our event on the local community is substantial so we are delighted to be able to share this positive news.

“We would like to extend our thanks to our customers for their patience and loyal support over this time and we look forward to welcoming them back in 2022. We are immensely excited to report that almost 20,000 tickets for our 2022 show have already been sold to those who were scheduled to attend the cancelled shows in 2020 and 2021. We’re expecting demand to be very high this year as a result. We are urging people to plan ahead and book early – this is a sell-out show and we know that demand is high. Next year the lights will shine brighter than ever in Faskally Woods.”

Tickets for The Enchanted Forest 2022 will be available to purchase at enchantedforest.org.uk from 10am on 1 October 2021.

For more information please visit: www.enchantedforest.org.uk

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THE ENCHANTED FOREST ANNOUNCES IT IS TO CANCEL 2021 EVENT

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we have reached a decision to cancel The Enchanted Forest in 2021.

Like a great many events we had sincerely hoped that we’d be able to operate this year. We have planned with that in our hearts, while waiting patiently on the necessary guidance and clarity from Government that would enable us to proceed safely. That clarity and guidance has, sadly, not been forthcoming in sufficient time for us and, regrettably, the financial risk of proceeding with our plans and potentially having to cancel at a later date without insurance to underpin potential losses is too considerable for a small charitable event operator to bear.

This year’s event was intended to mark our 20th anniversary and, while we may not be able to come together in the forest as planned, we will be looking to mark the occasion in a way that celebrates the incredible magic and success of 20 years of The Enchanted Forest.

Our beautiful home of Faskally Wood has stood proud and tall throughout this pandemic, and we hope our customers have kept safe and well. We are confident that we will be able to return one day, and we look forward to when that will happen.

Our provisional dates for the event in 2022 are Thursday 29 September – Sunday 30 October.

Tickets purchased for the 2021 event will be automatically rolled over into 2022. In due course we’ll be reaching out to everyone who has purchased tickets to confirm their new dates. Everyone who has purchased tickets for this year’s show will be given advance notice of their new dates prior to tickets going on public sale later this year. In the meantime, if anyone wishes to arrange a refund, our ticket agent will be in contact with details of how these can be processed online, or you can contact them directly at tickets@enchantedforest.org.uk

If you have any questions, our customer services team are here and happy to help. Please drop us an email at info@enchantedforest.org.uk

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ENCHANTED FOREST LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR NEW TRUSTEES

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, the organisers behind the UK’s pioneering sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has today launched a nationwide search for new charity trustees.

The organisation recently announced it has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of a new Executive Director and a new Chair and the latest move comes as the Trust prepares the event to return to operations following the COVID-19 shutdown, and in anticipation of its 20th anniversary show due to take place this October.

Lesley Williamson, who took up the reigns this month as the Trust’s very first female chairperson, commented on the launch of the campaign:

“Like all events and charities we are facing challenging times, and the need for strong and supportive governance has never been more important. The Board of Trustees of the Enchanted Forest Community Trust has been, and continues to go, through a period of change and it’s now time for us to strengthen that team as the country emerges from the restrictions.

“While the restrictions around COVID-19 have been incredibly challenging for the event, we must always look for the silver lining. If anything it has taught us that we can operate some aspects of our organisation virtually, and this significantly widens the net to attract talented individuals with the right experience to join our Board of Trustees. For the first time ever, our search for trustees will be nationwide and we are keen to hear from anyone who is interested in being part of the future of one of the UK’s pioneering sound and light shows.”

The Enchanted Forest already draws in over 80,000 visitors to Highland Perthshire annually, is a mainstay of Scotland’s tourism calendar and hopes that it will return in October 2021 to delight audiences and help contribute to the long-awaited shot in the arm to the Highland Perthshire tourism economy.

For more information on becoming a trustee of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, visit their website www.enchantedforest.org.uk

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Enchanted Forest boosted by senior appointments in 20th anniversary year.

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, the organisers behind Scotland’s pioneering sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of a new Executive Director and, for the first time ever, a female Chair.

Lesley Williamson takes up the reigns this month as the Trust’s very first female chairperson. With decades of experience within the hospitality, tourism and events industries, including senior positions such as the Non-Executive Director of Northumberland Tourism, Chair of Made in Northumberland, and Vice-Chair of the North East Hoteliers Association, Lesley brings a wealth of expertise to the role.

Lesley is joined by Nela Popovic as Executive Director. Nela is a senior events professional with over twenty years’ experience, including working in large sporting and mass participation events, museums, and galleries. Nela joins the Trust from her position of Managing Director at Make It Right Projects, a mass participation and charity consultancy specialising in all aspects of event and project management, which has provided services for high profile events such as the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The moves are expected to strengthen the charity’s leadership team to develop The Enchanted Forest’s growth strategy, bringing additional expertise and innovation to the much-loved event, which already draws in over 80,000 visitors to Highland Perthshire annually. While the 2020 Enchanted Forest event had to be cancelled due to covid-19 restrictions, the Trust is busy planning this year’s milestone 20th anniversary event, subject to the easing of restrictions and it being considered safe to operate.

Looking to the future, the Trust will also be bolstering its board of trustees during 2021 with the launch of a trustee recruitment campaign this Spring.

Lesley Williamson, Chair of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust said:

“The Enchanted Forest is such an iconic Scottish autumn event, and I am excited about taking up the role of Chair as we look to the future and strive to make it a bigger and better event year on year. Of course, it has been a challenging time for the events industry, and we dearly hope the 20th anniversary event will run as planned. We want it to be a real celebration of how much the event has achieved in the last twenty years and the joy it has bought to the thousands of visitors that have attended every year.
“I am delighted to be welcoming Nela to the team. She brings decades of experience and expertise from working at a senior level in the events industry and we’re both excited about the future of The Enchanted Forest as we look to the next decade of growth.”

Nela Popovic commented:

“It’s a privilege to be working for such a highly esteemed event, and I look forward to working with Lesley and the board of trustees to deliver an event which continues to exceed visitor expectations year on year.”

For more information, please contact Emma Davies on 01738 700134 or 07963 817302 or email: e.davies@volpa.co.uk.

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