Music access fund set up in memory of Scottish Manchester Arena bombing victim
Eilidh MacLeod Access Fund will help young pipers and drummers looking to hone their craft
A new music access fund for young people has been made available by a charity set up in the memory of a teenager who died in the Manchester Arena bombing.
The Eilidh MacLeod Access Fund will provide support to young pipers and drummers looking to hone their craft, and it will be administered by the National Piping Centre.
Eilidh, from the Isle of Barra, was just 14 when she was killed in the 2017 terrorist attack.
Eilidh's Trust, which has made the funding available, was set up in her name as a music education charity which aims to reflect her passion for music.
She played the bagpipes in the local pipe band, travelling the country and taking part in competitions.
Eilidh was also a member of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, which operates under the umbrella of the National Piping Centre.
The £2,000-per-year access fund is open to applications from new and existing participants aged under 25.
Eilidh's Trust was established in 2018 and has since awarded more than £100,000 to young musicians and musical groups across the country, from pipe bands to choirs, pianists and brass bands.
Iagan MacNeil, of the trust, said: "We are committed to making music learning as accessible as possible for all and we understand that financial barriers are often a reason for young people to either not embark on their journey or dropping out.
"By providing this new access fund via a partnership with the National Piping Centre, we can realise that ambition.
"Learning an instrument can be such an enriching experience that offers more than music. It creates an environment for young people to not only grow their musical abilities but also develop their social and team building skills, as well as creating lifelong friendships
"Thank-you to the National Piping Centre team for this wonderful opportunity to support so many young people in music, ensuring their talents are developed and not lost due to financial worries."
Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive in the foyer of Manchester Arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.
The public inquiry, which opened in September 2020 and published its findings in 2023, was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing.
After hearing from 291 witnesses and considering 172,000 pages of evidence, Sir John Saunders published three reports into his findings.
The final report outlined how the attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months beforehand.
The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism and the first suicide bombing in the UK since the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
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