A donation from the Enchanted Forest Community Trust has helped rescue a person needing emergency treatment in Killiecrankie.
Proceeds from the annual light show, which takes place in Pitlochry’s Faskally Woods every autumn, go to a number of local causes.
One of these is a £10,000 donation to Tayside Mountain Rescue (TMR), which has helped the charity fund a custom-built Ford Ranger.
The all-terrain emergency vehicle, based in Aberfeldy, has been used to save lives on a number of occasions since being purchased in December 2021.
Its most recent deployment was on Sunday, March 12, when an emergency call was made to help a casualty with a suspected broken ankle in the Killiecrankie area.
TMR volunteers assisted the ambulance service with the packaging and extraction of the casualty.
Vehicle used ‘numerous times’
It also proved invaluable in a search on Ben Lawers in early January, says Paul Russell, TMR operational team leader.
He said: “The vehicle was deployed with two team members who located the casualty by driving up a track and then locating the casualty from there.
“If we didn’t have the vehicle it would have been a long walk for team members to the casualty’s location which would have delayed any treatment.
“The vehicle has been used numerous times since it was purchased and has definitely proved its worth in terms of operational effectiveness.”
More than 120 community groups helped
The fund was set up by the Enchanted Forest Community Trust in 2015 to redistribute the proceeds from the annual event to the local area.
Since then it has donated more than £270,000 to more than 120 local community groups, projects and charities.
Beneficiaries include the following:
- Pitlochry Festival Theatre received £5,000 during Covid restrictions. This money aided the delivery of online and outdoor participation activities.
- The Birks Cinema Trust in Aberfeldy was given £5,000 in 2020. This helped the group move community activities online and aided the delivery of three drive-in cinema events and three musical events.
- Pitlochry in Bloom was handed £500 in 2022 to help the group expand and maintain its summer floral displays, hanging baskets, feature beds and spring and summer bulb planting. The fund also helped facilitate litter picking and path clearing.
Apply for funding
The trust has launched its 2023 community fund and is now accepting applications from registered charities in Highland Perthshire.
Successful applicants will be asked to provide a report to the trust on how they have used the money in relation to their request.
To download an application form visit the Enchanted Forest website.
Completed application forms should be returned no later than March 31 2023.
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