CHARITIES and groups across Moray, the North and North-east started 2026 on a high thanks to The Gordon & Ena Baxter Foundation.
Trustees of the grant-giving charity announced awards totalling just over £106,000 at their final funding round of 2025. This brings the total pledged throughout 2025 to £252,000.
Benefiting from the latest round were 13 charities and community groups, with awards ranging from £900 up to £21,600. Recipients were spread across the Foundation’s patch, covering Moray, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Highland.
The Foundation manages personal legacies left by Gordon and Ena Baxter of Baxters Food Group. Having transformed the Fochabers business into a household name, they established the Foundation to give back to the communities which supported its growth. At the start of 2025 the Foundation surpassed £2 million in charitable giving.
Chairman George McIntyre said: “Having reached that remarkable milestone, we have enjoyed another fantastic year during which pledges have been made to support a further 47 groups. This is all possible thanks to Gordon and Ena and we know they would be delighted that their generous legacy continues to make an important impact in the lives of so many.
“Behind each application is a team of hard-working volunteers who all give up their time to make a positive difference in our communities and that is so heart-warming to see."
Among recipients, Forres Tennis Club was pledged £10,000 towards floodlights at its Albert Street courts. In Dingwall, the mountain bike club will use its £10,000 award towards a new black downhill trail for local enthusiasts and in Inverness, Victim Support Scotland has been granted up to £20,000 for the fitting out of its new Victim Support Hub.
Along the coast, Banff Castle Community Association will use its £929 award towards a £2490 project to install a secondary handrail at the main staircase of the Category A-listed building, aiding accessibility at the community-owned heritage site.
“We are delighted. Though this project is modest in scale, the impact will be significant. This will reduce the risk of falls and allow less-mobile members of our community to take part in activities such as community cinema, art and craft groups, wellbeing classes, heritage talks and music recitals. By removing this barrier, we will make Banff Castle more inclusive, ensuring that people of all ages and abilities can benefit from the cultural, educational and social opportunities it provides.”
Elsewhere, funds will go towards musical instruments and sports equipment for clubs that support young people in locations across the area. Projects that focus on mental wellbeing have also been supported, including the fit out of a family room at a drop-in centre in Aberdeen and the creation of a teaching kitchen to encourage healthy eating at Centred Scotland’s new Discovery College in Wick.
“We are absolutely delighted with the generous contribution towards creating a teaching kitchen at our drop-in centre at the Wellington Centre in Wick. This will make an enormous difference to the people we support in the community with not only their mental health but also their physical wellbeing.”
Gordon Baxter loved fishing and trustees were particularly pleased to pledge £10,000 to support the Aberdeen and District Angling Association (ADAA) with its project to upgrade and extend its HQ – a former salmon netting bothy on the banks of the River Dee. It is used as a meeting place as well as for coaching and educational classes for the club’s 600 senior members and its growing youth section.
The Foundation has four rounds in 2026 and well-managed charities or constituted community groups can visit www.baxterfamilycharity.org to take an eligibility quiz and to access an application form. Alternatively, email sarah@gebfoundation.com to arrange a call to discuss your project.
“We are absolutely delighted with this award. The Bothy will become an innovative one-stop location for both members and associated bodies to meet up, inform, engage with, learn new and appropriate skills in game angling and the natural heritage of watercourses. Ideally located by the river, it is the perfect location to achieve both theory and practical tuition in fishing.”