Enchanted Forest funding helps baby loss charity gift memory boxes to bereaved parents

The group is urging other charities to seek support from the Enchanted Forest Community Trust

By Morag Lindsay

February 20 2024, 5:53am

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust created the fund to support the Perthshire community. Image: Lesley Martin.

A baby loss charity has been able to provide memory boxes to 50 Perthshire families thanks to a fund supported by the Enchanted Forest light and sound show.

SiMBA works with bereaved parents to honour babies who have died, been stillborn or miscarried.

Families can fill their memory boxes with mementoes such as hand and footprints or a wisp of hair.

They also contain items such as knitted teddies and blankets and children’s books.

SiMBA applied to the Enchanted Forest Community Trust for funding in 2023.

Vanessa Rhazali, SiMBA head of fundraising and communications, said the support had been invaluable.

The Enchanted Forrest near Pitlochry. — The Enchanted Forest community fund is open for applications for 2024. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

“What we do it the antithesis of how baby loss was treated 30 or 40 years ago,” she says.

“Back then, babies were just whisked away. And parents were told ‘we’ll never speak of this’ or ‘don’t worry, you can have another one’.

“This is about honouring baby loss. We’re so grateful to the Enchanted Forest Community Fund for its support.”

Enchanted Forest bosses say fund is way of thanking community

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust is the charitable organisation behind the annual sound and light show at Faskally Wood, Pitlochry.

Its 2024 Community Fund and is now accepting applications from registered charities and community interest companies (CICs) in the Highland Perthshire area.

Enchanted Forest Community Trust trustee Deborah Hutchison, right, with Caroline Bavey, Elizabeth Newman and Blythe Jandoo of Pitlochry Festival Theatre. in the theatre garden — Enchanted Forest Community Trust trustee Deborah Hutchison, right, with Caroline Bavey, Elizabeth Newman and Blythe Jandoo of Pitlochry Festival Theatre. The Theatre’s explorer’s garden is another beneficiary of the fund. Image: Enchanted Forest.

The fund was set up by the trust in 2015 to redistribute the proceeds from the annual event to the local community.

Since then it has shared £325,200 among more than 150 local community groups, projects, and charities.

Applicants can bid for up to £10,000 from the fund to finance projects within Highland Perthshire.

Nela Popovic, executive director of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said the aim was to be “a force for good, creating a lasting positive impact and legacy within the community”.

“Essentially, it’s our way of saying a big thank you to those who have so graciously supported the event from day one,” she added.

To download an application form, visit the Enchanted Forest website.

Completed application forms should be returned no later than March 31 2024.