Manchester Arena bombing victim remembered with new music education fund

1 September 2025, 15:21 | Updated: 1 September 2025, 16:01

Scottish teens will have more opportunities in music thanks to a fund set up in memory of piper Eilidh MacLeod.

A new access to music fund has been set up in memory of Scottish piper Eilidh MacLeod.

The teenager, hailing from the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, was 14 when she was killed in the 2017 terror attack at Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande concert.

MacLeod was a keen bagpipe player, playing in her local pipe band as well as the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, and took part in competitions and performances across Scotland.

In 2018, MacLeod’s family set up a charity in her name. Eilidh’s Trust honours the teenager’s love of music and performing which gave her “a confidence that other pastimes hadn’t quite achieved.” The trust aims to ensure that other young people can get involved with the creative arts, and “to ensure her legacy of fun, friendship and love of music lives on for others.”

Since it was established, more than £100,000 has been awarded to young musicians.

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Now, in partnership with the National Piping Centre, the trust has launched The Eilidh MacLeod Access Fund, which will grant £2,000 each year to young musicians in Scotland, in particular to those coming from the Scottish islands.

“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,” Iagan MacNeil, a trustee of the charity said.

“Learning an instrument can be such an enriching experience that offers more than music”, he continued. ”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.”