The Yard announces major expansion plan

A Dundee charity that supports children and young people with disabilities and additional needs is embarking on an ambitious refurbishment of its family support centre, plugging a ‘significant gap’ in respite provision, after-school and holiday support.

Scottish charity The Yard, established in 1986, supports around 2,600 children and young people with disabilities and additional needs and their families through its services in Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, and Dundee.  The charity offers creative and inclusive play experiences in a well-supported environment, alongside wraparound support for the whole family.

The Dundee Yard, which opened in 2015, began as a two-day family play service. More recently, the service extended to five days during term time, including a schools programme and family support service supporting parents and carers with everything from financial and mental health to nutrition and sleep problems.  For the first time this year, the service also provided summer provision for four weeks throughout the school holidays.

While supporting 337 children last year, the charity has been restricted in terms of growth and capacity due to limitations around the condition and layout of the existing building. However, having taken ownership of the building from Dundee City Council, The Yard has now secured planning consent to transform the building at Drumlanrig Place to create a year-round, truly accessible community resource for children and young people with any disability, from birth to 25.

Importantly, the £1.6M refurbishment will allow The Yard to apply for Care Inspectorate Registration to expand its reach to include holiday support, an early years’ service, out-of-school and respite services, alongside work in schools, families and family support.

Works will include the replacement of the roof and, through room configuration, the creation of a Changing Places room, sensory room, large play spaces, multi-purpose room, office and meeting spaces and a large kitchen and dining space.  The garden and external play spaces will also be upgraded.

The refurbishment will be funded by a range of supporters including the Scottish Government, The Robertson Trust, The Gannochy Trust and The Northwood Charitable Trust.

Gill Thomson, Service Development Manager, runs the Dundee service. As mum to an 18-year-old son with complex needs, she approached the charity to establish the Dundee service 10 years ago after struggling to find a place for him to play as a child.

She said: “We know, through our important work with Dundee City Council, that there is a significant gap in services for families with children with additional support needs, particularly on our doorstep in Douglas, Mid Craigie and Linlathen.

“As I know from personal experience, every child has the right to safe play, and to be themselves. However, this is so much harder to find when your child has additional needs. At The Yard, we are specialists in inclusive play, so everyone is included. Our work improves the health and mental wellbeing of our children and the wider family while addressing some of the day-to-day practical and logistical challenges experienced by families. As well as extending our reach, the renovation will create a more welcoming and fit-for-purpose facility, a one-stop shop for whole-family support that will serve our city for many years to come.”

Cheryl Ferguson, from Dundee, has been attending The Yard with her six-year-old daughter Rio for seven months.

Cheryl said: “Rio is the most loving wee girl but finds it hard to express her emotions and is prone to lashing out, which makes it really difficult when you’re out and about. At The Yard, there’s no judgment. It’s such a welcoming place.

“Over the summer holidays, The Yard saved my life. It’s the lowest I’ve ever been but The Yard picked me up, helped with signposting to other agencies and supported me with my discussions with Rio’s school. Sometimes, you struggle to use your voice, but with their support, The Yard has helped me find mine.

"Some of the staff also have their own lived experience of caring for a child with additional needs, and that really helps; they’ve been there, can be honest and can share things that worked for them. There are also no barriers to going along; we’re constantly coming up against barriers and thresholds but, at The Yard, we’re welcome, and Rio can just be herself. There are very few places I can take her to, where we won’t be judged, so when The Yard is refurbished and can expand its service, we’ll be able to go more regularly. You can’t put a value on that.”

Convener of Children, Families and Communities Stewart Hunter said: “We have been working closely with The Yard to help them secure their building premises via an asset transfer and get financial assistance to help them to refurbish their family support centre.

“The Yard is such a valuable asset to the city, providing tailored support for children and young people with any disability. We know how important it is to have a service like this in the city and we are delighted to be part of the refurbishment project to help them provide year-round care for families in the city.

“I look forward to our continued partnership and working together to meet the demand in the city for out-of-school care and holiday provision, enabling families to look for and stay in work.”

The 10-month refurbishment will start in November 2024, due for completion in late summer 2025.  While the work is underway, The Yard will decant to Dundee East Community Sports Club, 9 Baldovie Terrace, Dundee from November, with the administrative team managing school outreach work, family support and training from the charity’s office space in the Wellgate Centre.