Fun, friendship and adventure.

Three simple words.

Three basic rights of a child – but it’s not always as simple as that.

When you have a disabled child, life is different and you see life differently. You want your child to explore, imagine, be themselves and be safe, but society can make that tricky, and sometimes, impossible.

At The Yard, we believe in bringing fun, friendship and adventure into your life, unlocking new opportunities and a brighter future. But don’t just take our word for it - take a look at our short film to experience The Yard through the eyes of those who matter - our children and families.

How did it all begin?

The Yard is a Scottish charity, supporting disabled children and young people (aged 0-25), and their families, through adventure play.  Since 1986, we have been offering creative and inclusive play experiences in a well-supported environment, alongside wraparound support for the whole family.

Our flagship centre in Edinburgh was refurbished by BBC's DIY SOS The Big Build for Children in Need in 2012, followed by the opening of The Yard Dundee in 2015 and The Yard Fife in 2016.

Each year, we support over 2,000 families, from early years and family sessions through to respite and transition youth clubs. We also offer specialist sessions for schools, and training for individuals and organisations seeking extra support when it comes to play and disability.

What’s in it for you?

At The Yard, we believe in living our values in action. They reflect how our communities are built and act as a compass that guides everything we do.

• Community
• Understanding
• Adventurous
• Kindness
• Inspiring

If you’re a parent or carer, we’re here to provide care, support and opportunities for your young person. Everything we do is child-led so we won’t prescribe or dictate a plan. We understand that every day is different, so we work with your child’s passions and interests, do what they love and adapt to their world.

But we’re also here to challenge and motivate, supporting children and young people to try new activities, building life skills and confidence in the process, not to mention that all-important sense of achievement. Our highly trained specialist team is here to inspire, guide and support your child, whether it’s den building, cycling or even cooking. 

But we’re also here for you.

You’ll meet mums, dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents just like you. If you have other children, they’ll befriend other siblings, realising there are other families like yours. You’ll enjoy a cuppa and a chat, a chance to offload, access support and hopefully make your own lifelong friends in the process.

And if you need training for your workplace? We also share our expertise by providing a range of specialist play and disability training opportunities.

Our commitments 

The Yard supports Scotland's Play Charter.

The Yard adheres to the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. The Convention changed the way children are viewed and treated, ie as human beings with a distinct set of rights, instead of as passive objects of care and charity.

The Yard has been awarded the LGBT Charter Bronze Award. The LGBT Charter is a programme run by LGBT Youth Scotland to support and guide organisations to ensure our services are welcoming, inclusive and safe for LGBT+ people. We hope this will become just another of the many wonderful ways we continue to support our families, staff and volunteers, and most importantly, provide the creative and nurturing play environment our children need.

Read The Yard Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Click here to view The Yard's key policies.

Read The Yard's duty of candour report for 2019/20.