The Yard: Supporting local charities
The Yard provides play, fun and friendship opportunities for disabled children, young people and their families. We have a flagship indoor and outdoor play centre in Edinburgh and also run weekend services in Kirkcaldy and Dundee. Throughout the year we run a variety of services including youth and respite clubs, family play sessions, football clubs, we work with special schools and provide training on disability. Each year we work with over 2,200 disabled children and young people and we ensure that all children have opportunities to make friends, increase their independence and have fun. Click here for more information on the work of The Yard. Business Fours are proud to support the Yard.
The Yard is a Scottish charity, providing adventure play services for disabled children and young people (aged 0-25) and their families. We offer creative and inclusive play experiences in a well-supported environment, alongside wraparound support for the whole family.
In 2019, The Yard supported around 2,000 families through our varied programme of drop-in, respite and transition youth clubs, early years, specialist sessions with schools, family play sessions, and our inclusive play and disability training offer.
Since we opened in 1986, our services have grown significantly, but we will always retain our holistic approach and ethos of a child-centred and child-led play service.
At The Yard, our role in the lives of children and families is an ambitious one. Our single purpose as an organisation is to provide care, support, and opportunities for fun and friendship for disabled children and young people. We also encourage families to let go, promoting challenge, personal growth and supported independence for their children.
We promote challenge and adventure for our children and young people. None of what we do at The Yard contains risk for its own sake, but we are there to promote physical development and social communication, and to give children a vibrant experience and sense of achievement. There are few places where children with visual impairments can experience building and lighting fires, and cooking their own food, or build dens, ropes bridges or simple spaces to enjoy their own time. Everyone who uses The Yard is safe to learn and explore through taking controlled risks.
