A Is The Yard open? Expand Yes, as of May 2021, all three of our sites – Edinburgh, Fife (Kirkcaldy) and Dundee – are open but all sessions must be booked in advance. If you are an existing member, you should already have heard from us and had the chance to arrange your return visits. If you are new to The Yard, please get in touch to arrange your first visit – email [email protected] or give our friendly team a call on 0131 476 4506 during office hours. We would be delighted to hear from you.
G Can I become a volunteer at The Yard? Expand Thank you for your interest in volunteering at The Yard. After reviewing our volunteering function in 2020, we made the decision to pause all volunteering for the moment. In part, this is due to the external situation, as we know we will not be able to resume in-person volunteering until social distancing measures are no longer in place. Alongside this, our services have had to change significantly due to the pandemic, so the kind of volunteer roles we offer will also need to change to better align with our services. Hopefully, in early 2022 we can reassess what the future of volunteering at The Yard looks like. Please follow @theyardscotland on socials for updates.
C What steps are being taken to ensure The Yard is safe? Expand Safety is our absolute priority so we’re working hard behind the scenes to ensure you feel confident when you visit. As well as implementing even more rigorous health and safety, cleaning and hygiene procedures, we continue to follow the latest government and Health Protection Scotland guidance, and we will not be hosting any families who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Get more information on the steps we are taking here or watch our videos for each site to get a sneak peek of what to expect.
E I want to support The Yard as it reopens – how can I do that? Expand With many in-person events postponed, people are getting creative with how we can stay connected. You can take part in a virtual challenge event from the comfort of your own home or neighbourhood - just have a look at our events page. As restrictions relax, there will be more opportunities to hold fundraising events or set a challenge with friends, family, colleagues or your street! From bake sales and fun runs to sponsored haircuts, browse our events page for inspiration and ideas, or make up your own! If you are in a position to make a donation to The Yard in this time of financial uncertainty facing charities, we greatly appreciate your support. The best way to do this is to make a one-off donation or set up a regular gift. This helps us in two ways – we will know it is a donation rather than membership, and we can claim an additional 25% in Gift Aid at no extra cost to you. Your support enables us to plan for a sustainable future by putting in place reliable and regular income streams to support our vital services. Our team is also working hard to secure this through our other income and funding sources. Thank you.
F What can I do to make sure we don’t miss announcements? Expand You can keep in touch with us through our social media platforms - follow The Yard @theyardscotland on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list for potential new members, please email your name and location to [email protected]. You can also email us with any other queries or give our friendly team a call on 0131 476 4506 during office hours.
D We can't visit The Yard right now – how can you help us? Expand We are delighted to be back but things are still not exactly as they were. Whether you can visit us in person or not, we are still here for you. We have created a place to share all our online video content, including early years music and movement sessions, play ideas you can try at home, signed stories and songs, and relaxation sessions with our wellbeing consultant, Jen Wood. You can also contact us on 0131 476 4506 during office hours. Click here for details of some other organisations offering support.
B Is this a good time to join The Yard? Expand Yes, absolutely. The Yard is a charity and we rely on our membership fees to help provide consistent and high quality services. Any family with a disabled child can become a member of The Yard. Get more information on membership here. Our sites are currently open to existing and new members. Please bear in mind the way we run is a little different at the moment. All our sessions are pre-booked only at the moment. Please get in touch if you would like to join The Yard family. Once you have joined, we will add you to our mailing list and be in touch when we have sessions available.