Today (Friday 13 April 2018) we were surprised with a cheque for £81,700 raised by Global’s Make Some Noise. We were hoping for a grant of around £34,500 but thanks to the generosity of listeners across Global’s radio brands, Global’s Make Some Noise donated more than double that amount.

The money raised by Capital Scotland, Classic FM, Heart Scotland, Smooth Radio and Global’s Make Some Noise will help fund the cost of our weekly family sessions at all three locations.

Gary Muircroft, managing editor of Heart Scotland said: “Global’s Make Some Noise plays such an important role in raising awareness of small charities like The Yard.  Thanks to the amazing generosity of our listeners we have been able to double our donation to The Yard, to help support even more young people with disabilities in the east of Scotland.’’

Throughout the year, we have hosted visits from the presenters on Capital and Heart, as well as participating in Global's Make Some Noise Day, all to raise awareness of the fundraising appeal and help drive more donations.

When we received the final cheque, it was a great opportunity to visit the radio studios in Glasgow with one of our young people, Sam. We got to meet the presenters and even practice our DJ skills!

When the fundraising total was revealed on a big screen in the city centre, we were in shock! What a wonderful surprise that will help us fund our family sessions in Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife for two years. Check out a video of our reaction here.

Our Partnerships Manager, Anna, said: “We cannot thank Heart Scotland and its listeners enough for their incredible support.  As a benificary of Global’s Make Some Noise, we were hoping for a grant of £34,531 but when they surprised us with a cheque for £81,700 we were totally overwhelmed. The extra funds will allow us continue to help children and their families for longer by investing in more services and equipment. This will make a huge difference to our family sessions, offering exciting and inclusive play experiences for disabled children and their families across the east of Scotland.”