Family urges Scots to 'dig deep' for kids' charity

Last year, the Dundee Yard, which opened in 2015, provided 337 children with the opportunity to zoom around on go-karts, get messy in the mud kitchen, splash in the water play area, relax in the sensory room, swing and climb - all within a safe environment designed to foster growth and learning through play.

However, the service has been restricted in growth due to the limitations of its building. With planning consent now in place, The Yard is in the process of transforming the centre at Drumlanrig Place into a year-round, truly accessible community resource that will be able to support hundreds more families with children from 0 to 25 years of age.

Importantly, the £1.5m refurbishment will allow The Yard to apply for Care Inspectorate Registration to expand its reach to include much-needed holiday support, an early years’ service, out-of-school and respite services, alongside work with schools, families and family support.

Works will include the replacement of the roof and the creation of a Changing Places room, sensory room, larger play spaces, office and meeting spaces and a large kitchen and dining space. The garden and external play spaces will also be upgraded.

With around £1.2m secured from a range of supporters including the Scottish Government, The Robertson Trust, The Gannochy Trust and The Northwood Charitable Trust, The Yard has now launched the Dig Deep for the Yard Dundee appeal to bring in the remaining £300,000 allowing the centre to re-open in late summer 2025.

Stacey Robb, mum to five-year-old Ryan, is a regular at The Yard in Dundee.

Ryan, who is currently awaiting an ADHD assessment, first visited The Yard as a pre-schooler permanently attached to a six-foot oxygen tube following life-changing illness from birth. While he no longer needs the oxygen tube, Ryan remains tube-fed and faces some emotional and sensory processing issues. He also has one lung which will never reinflate and has a permanent condition, Bronchiolitis Obliterans, in the other lung.

Stacey, who also has an 11-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son, explained: “One of my friends recommended The Yard, after she had been referred with her child. It was amazing to discover that Ryan could run around with his six-foot oxygen tube, and no one looked at him any differently.

Describing The Yard as a ‘lifesaver’ for the wider family, Stacey added: “The Yard is just fantastic – it’s the one place Ryan can be happy, chill out, and just be himself, all with the support of the team who are so brilliant at what they do. It’s also amazing being able to take both boys and to see them enjoy the outdoor space and everything that it brings, from the hammock and the tyre swings to climbing. Where else would Ryan get to do these things and safely? Ryan has a pretty short attention span, so he loves the choice of things to do and the fact he can run from one thing to the next, and there are no limits or set structure. There’s only so much you can do to entertain them at home while being at The Yard helps regulate Ryan and tires him out for the rest of the day.

“It will be wonderful when The Yard has been refurbished and when they can offer even more to families like us. There is literally nowhere else for Ryan and the other children to go as they grow. They have a right to be who they are and The Yard makes that possible. I’ve also made lots of friends there through the parent/carers group, it’s a place I can go and vent or ask questions. The Yard always has the answers or knows how to get them, and the staff are so well trained to support us.”

The Dig Deep for The Yard campaign is urging members of the public to give anything they can afford from as little as £10, while businesses can buy bricks for £250 each or sponsor a specific element of the service such as a room or piece of new play equipment for the garden. To donate, visit www.theyardscotland.org.uk/dundee-appeal

Gill Thomson, Service Development Manager for The Yard Dundee, said, “We are so excited to be pushing ahead with these great improvements to The Yard Dundee. We’ve received fantastic and generous support to get to this stage and we’re now asking the people and businesses of Dundee to Dig Deep to get us over the line.

“By investing in The Yard, you invest in your community and support Dundee families with disabled children. So please get involved, Dig Deep for The Yard and help us bring bigger and brighter smiles to the faces of children who come to The Yard. They deserve to have as much fun and joy in their lives as everyone else.”

While the refurbishment progresses, The Yard is running from Dundee East Community Sports Club, 9 Baldovie Terrace, Dundee, with the administrative team managing school outreach work, family support and training from the charity’s office space in the Wellgate Centre.

The renovation team is led by Paul Stephen, Partner at James F Stephen Architects and Douglas Smith, Partner at Hardies Property and Construction Consultants. The lead contractor is Andrew Shepherd Construction.

For more information, visit www.theyardscotland.org.uk/dundee-appeal, email [email protected] or telephone 0131 476 4506.