At The Yard, we continue to follow the latest guidance from the NHS and Government on COVID-19. This means we remain open with all our services running as usual for as long as it is safe for us to do so. We are following the City of Edinburgh Council guidance for education establishments, so some activities are limited in the same way as schools, and we are likely to close if and when schools do.

Future plans and contact

As long as families need us, we plan to stay open to maintain as much routine and consistency as possible for now. Since there is a possibility of future closure, we want to minimise disruption while it is still safe to be open. Your welfare is always our top priority, and we are continually monitoring the situation and reviewing our decisions, to ensure we are doing our best to protect you and your children. We will keep you up-to-date by email when anything significant changes. Schools and club members are also receiving regular updates from our play team. If you think you have not received a communication that you should have, please get in touch with us to check your contact details.

Hygiene measures

We maintain rigorous hygiene, cleaning and hand washing procedures at all sites, particularly due to the vulnerable nature of some of our children and young people, who may experience weaker immune systems. We have introduced additional cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment throughout sessions, in addition to our regular professional cleaning. In line with schools, there is currently no sand, water or malleable materials available at our play sessions, as well as no cooking, baking or shared snacks. You can continue to bring your own snacks for your own family. We have removed soft play due to the issues with ensuring it remains disinfected at all times.

We greatly appreciate your cooperation in supporting other families by following the official guidance. It is vital that you do not visit The Yard if you or a family member has symptoms. Please check the NHS website for the latest information. Please wash your (and your children’s) hands every time you leave and re-enter our facilities. We have increased our scheduled toilet checks to once per hour to assist with keeping our hand washing facilities clean and tidy.

Membership prices

We are pausing our planned membership price increase because we understand some of our families will be unable to access The Yard as usual. Membership income is an important source of regular and sustainable income for our charity that is now more important than ever. 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. You can make a donation on our website. Thank you!

Getting in touch

While our play team remains on-site, our office-based team is working from home where possible. You can contact us on 0131 476 4506 during office hours or email [email protected]. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns. Please follow us @theyardscotland on social media for updates. If you need to get in touch with us, please be patient due to reduced staff numbers on-site. We will always do our best to get back to you in a timely manner, but please be aware that we are experiencing an increased volume of calls and emails.

You can keep an eye on our social channels for play ideas – follow @theyardscotland everywhere.

Please be safe and look after each other. We are here if you have any questions or concerns. We will be in touch when anything significant changes. Please share this information with your friends.