Rooted in play
The Yard began as a small, parent-led community initiative back in 1986, when a group of local parents and carers came together, looking for a safe, inclusive space where their disabled children could play.
The local authority in Edinburgh gifted the families a piece of land, and with that, the outdoor Yard was born. For around four years, The Yard existed solely as an outdoor play space. Then, in 1992, a capital appeal was launched that raised the funds to create the building we see today. In 1993, we opened the doors to our new flagship building, laying the foundations for the adventure centres that now reach across the east of Scotland.
The Yard was an idea borne by parents looking for a safe and inclusive space for their children to play, but what they ended up creating was something far greater— they built a thriving community where families support one another and grow together.
The success of our first centre marked the beginning of our remarkable growth. In 2015, we opened The Yard Dundee, followed by The Yard Fife in 2016. The Yard has expanded significantly over the past thirty years, now supporting more than 3,000 children and their families each year through our adventure centres and outreach programmes.
The work we do reaches far beyond our play centres. We’re dedicated to promoting inclusivity and shaping policies that improve the lives of disabled children and their families. We will continue to collaborate with local authorities, schools, and healthcare providers, as we work to drive meaningful change throughout Scotland.
Looking ahead
We’re focused on growing The Yard to meet the increasing demand for our services. To support this, we are making significant investment in our facilities in Dundee as well as preparing to open new premises in Glasgow, bringing The Yard to the West of Scotland.
Our goal is for every child and their family to have access to the support they need, as we continue to develop The Yard into a nationally recognised Centre of Excellence for learning, development, training, and support services.