THE organisers of the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo have given their biggest charity donation to date after a triple international success.
Three spectacles, at Edinburgh Castle and in Australia and New Zealand, did so well the Tattoo is to give £1m to a range of charities.
This figure represents double the grants made last year in 2015 and brings the total distributed by the charity, since it was established in 1950, to more than £9m.
The grants together represent the largest sum ever donated in the Tattoo’s 66-year history.
The Edinburgh International Festival and the Lyceum Theatre are among those to have also benefited from Tattoo donations.
The news comes after the eighteenth consecutive annual sell-out run on Edinburgh Castle’s iconic esplanade, and two successful tours in Wellington, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia in February of this year.
In total, the three spectacles, which took place over 34 days combined, generated a staggering 460,000 ticket sales with visitors from more than 90 countries.
The economic impact of the three shows is projected to have been more than £127m with £77m in the UK.
Brigadier David Allfrey, chief executive and producer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “Although we have made sizeable and sustained charitable donations over many years, most people do not appreciate this important part of our business; it is one of our principal ‘reasons for being’.
"The aim each year is to deliver the best Tattoo that we can and, if we can make a surplus, it is a huge privilege to be able to support those serving and retired of the Armed Forces and the arts."
Sue Freeth, of Combat Stress, said its £90,000 means access to teams of clinical professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists and that veterans are "given the tools they need to recover and go on to lead fulfilled lives".
The Tattoo will contribute £500,000 to eleven UK-based services and arts beneficiaries, including ABF - The Soldiers’ Charity, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, The RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, Combat Stress, Seafarers UK and the Venture Trust.
An additional £500,000 will go to seven charitable causes in Australia and New Zealand.
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