A spectacular sound and light show that draws tens of thousands of visitors to Highland Perthshire will this year benefit bumblebees, guide dogs and unpaid carers.
The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, which organises the popular Pitlochry extravaganza, has announced the three charities that will benefit from this year’s show.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Perth-based PKAVS and Guide Dogs Scotland (Perth and Kinross) will get a financial boost, and will also be promoted throughout the month-long event.
The Enchanted Forest, held every October in Faskally Wood, is now in its 18th year.
Last year’s show – titled Of The Wild – attracted about 80,000 visitors and brought an estimated £7 million boost to the local economy.
Trust chairman Ian Sim said: “We are delighted to be working with these three key charities who each do remarkable work in their respective fields.
“We hope that the trust’s support will provide each of the charities with an additional platform to promote their work to a large audience.”
Gill Perkins, chief executive at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, added: “We rely on the generosity and support of others in order to deliver our science, conservation and outreach activities, so we are absolutely thrilled to be one of the chosen charities for this year’s Enchanted Forest.
“This support will have a huge impact on the trust, allowing us to make a positive difference to bumblebees and our society that depends on them for our food, health and wellbeing.”
PKAVS works to enhance lives and connect communities across Perth and Kinross, offering lifeline support to unpaid carers and others.
Chief Executive Paul Graham said he was delighted the charity had been selected. “The Forest is a highlight of the events calendar in Perthshire and for PKAVS to be recognised by the organisers of such a successful event is an honour,” he said.
Kyla McVicar, business development manager at Guide Dogs said she was “absolutely delighted” to become a charity partner.
“We offer a range of mobility services for both adults and children with sight loss, and we currently support around 500 guide dog partnerships in Scotland,” she said. “Each guide dog costs around £55,000 throughout the course of its lifetime, and the generous support of the Enchanted Forest will help us ensure more people living with sight loss, and their families, can live life to the follow.”
Tickets for the 2019 show, which runs from October 3, will go on sale later this month.
