Enchanted Forest Community Trust awards over £49K to 17 Perthshire charities
The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, the charitable organisation behind Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, established for the economic benefit of the community, has awarded the highest ever figure of £49,750 to 17 registered charities operating in Perthshire.
The Enchanted Forest Community Fund was set up in 2015 to redistribute the proceeds from the annual event to the local community in Highland Perthshire. This year the fund was open to registered charities operating within Highland Perthshire who could apply for up to £10,000 from the fund to finance projects. The charity specifically sought applications that helped tackle poverty in the region and addressed cost of living crisis challenges.
Grant funding has also been awarded to CheckIN Works and Giraffe Trading, a charity which exist to improve accessibility to job opportunities for adults experiencing a diverse range of disabilities, mental ill-health, homelessness, and other barriers to sustaining meaningful employment. The funding will be put towards food, packaging, and prep costs of the community kitchen the charity also runs to support the trainees and wider community.
Gareth Ruddock, Chief Executive at CheckIN Works and Giraffe Trading said: “The funding from the Enchanted Forest Community Trust will allow us to continue to support people in Highland Perthshire through making and distributing healthy, home-made style meals for free to households in need. These meals are made by our dedicated team of staff and volunteers, supporting autistic people and people with learning disabilities to learn essential life skills and socialisation.”
Other local charities awarded grant funding, include the Vale of Atholl Pipers Association to fund tuition and uniform to allow members to perform at events; Breadalbane and Strathtay Youth FC to help provide subsidised football sessions to children during the school holidays, and Pitlochry Festival Theatre to finance a new amphitheatre and bandstand for the community.
Nela Popovic, Executive Director of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said: “Thanks to the incredible success of the 2022 Enchanted Forest event we’ve been able to give back nearly £50,000 to registered charities operating in the Highland Perthshire region. Essentially, it’s our way of saying thank you to those who have very graciously supported the event from the very beginning; we know that the show would not be the success that it is without the support of the local Highland Perthshire community.
“Our desire is that the Enchanted Forest Community Fund is a force for good, creating a lasting positive impact and legacy within the community. Given the current cost of living crisis, we were particularly keen to support projects which were focused on helping people affected.”
The Enchanted Forest Community Trust requires that all charities who have received the grant funding report back on how they have used their money in relation to their request, demonstrating how it has helped people in need with the cost of living crisis in the Highland Perthshire area; increased inclusion, enablement, independence, mental health and wellbeing; increased access to employment, volunteering, learning, culture, sport and leisure opportunities and improved infrastructure that benefits the community.
To access the full list of the successful charities, please visit: The Community – The Enchanted Forest
