A Perthshire -based mountain rescue team has been handed a £10,000 boost - after it helped put on a spectacular light show in skies around Pitlochry.
Tayside Mountain Rescue received the generous donation from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust to contribute to its life-saving activities.
The charity, which operates in all weather, all terrain and at all hours, is a group of around 50 volunteers sporting a plethora of specialist outdoor skills including remote medical expertise, technical rigging, swift water rescue and search management.
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Like so many charities in the UK, Tayside Mountain Rescue’s fundraising has been adversely impacted by the pandemic.
But when The Enchanted Forest Community Trust approached the team - which is based in Blairgowrie - for practical assistance in the siting of technical kit to run a night sky laser show in return for a donation, the team swung into action.
The efforts of the team resulted in the night skies around Pitlochry beaming with hope over the first weekend in October as the event signalled its return to the area in 2021, delighting local residents with a laser show that could be watched safely from the confinement of their own back gardens.
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Kevin Linklater, president of Tayside Mountain Rescue, said: “We are very grateful to The Enchanted Forest Community Trust for its timely donation.
“Like so many charities, we have been forced to cancel several of our own fundraising events this year and this donation will go a long way to boost our team funds.
“It is very much appreciated, and our team really enjoyed providing support to the production of the community laser show earlier this month.”
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Lesley Williamson, executive director of The Enchanted Forest, added: “We are delighted to be making this donation of £10,000 to Tayside Mountain Rescue.
“The work it does in rural landscapes like ours is invaluable, helping people when they are in need, and often in the most challenging of circumstances.
“It is a very challenging time for them, with many fundraising events sadly cancelled this year, and we wanted to what we could to help them.
"We are confident the funds will assist in enabling them to continue delivering life-saving services to the Tayside region.”
For more information about attending The Enchanted Forest in 2021 and to buy tickets, visit enchantedforest.org.uk
