Enchanted Forest Community Fund celebrates 10 years

Sharing with the community

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, the charitable organisation behind The Enchanted Forest, is celebrating ten years of the its Enchanted Forest Community Fund, with awards amounting to £84,000 being given to 27 charities operating across Highland Perthshire.

Established to share the benefit with the community it calls its home, the Trust has this year received its largest ever number of applications, responding with a meaningful wave of support for a variety of local causes battling some of Highland Perthshire’s most pressing needs.

The Enchanted Forest Community Fund, launched in 2015, was created to reinvest proceeds from the Pitlochry based Enchanted Forest event into the local community. Over the past decade, including this year’s grant awards, the fund has delivered more than half a million pounds in support to over 185 organisations with this year’s funding award creating a legacy of over £522,000 reinvested back into Highland Perthshire.

Charities operating in Highland Perthshire were invited to apply for up to £10,000 to fund projects tackling the cost-of-living crisis, child poverty, mental health and wellbeing, and social inclusion. The Trust also prioritised initiatives that promote employment, volunteering, learning and sustainability, aiming to create lasting infrastructure and cultural benefits.

2024 Enchanted Forest Community Fund recipients at The Enchanted Forest. Credit: The Enchanted Forest.

Charities awarded this years funding

One of the 27 charities to receive grant funding is Perth Autism Support, which has been awarded £6,432 to assist with the provision of tailored activities and support to help autistic children and young people feel more included in their community. This reduces isolation and fosters a sense of belonging.

Pitlochry & District Senior Citizens Good Neighbour Association, which exists to provide a community transport service for senior citizens to give them access to activities and services no longer available to those without independent transport, received a grant of £10,000. This will assist with the purchase of a new replacement minibus which will cost £63,000, and will help the charity provide transport for shopping, to local coffee mornings, to church and to day care services provided by Alzheimer Scotland as well as trips to Fortingall Art Exhibition and The Birks Cinema.

Other charities operating in Highland Perthshire awarded grant funding include:

• Vision PK
• Pitlochry Repair Café
• Pitlochry First Responders
• Active Schools Highland Perthshire
• Ad Lib Arts
• Fèis Thatha
• Pitlochry and District Choral Society
• Strathearn Arts and Niel Gow Festival Society

Now in its 23rd year, The Enchanted Forest draws over 85,000 visitors annually to Faskally Wood, Pitlochry and generates over £10 million and over 90 seasonal jobs for the local economy every year.

The Trust ensures all proceeds from the event are reinvested back into the community, creating community transformation and a lasting legacy in Highland Perthshire. All successful grant recipients are required to report on how the funding has helped deliver tangible benefits to their communities, ensuring accountability and measurable impact.