Edinburgh gets playful!

Children set to invade Grassmarket for fun and games

The Grassmarket will be transformed into a giant children’s playground tomorrow (Wednesday) to promote play in the city.

The enclosed street in the Old Town will be transformed between 12.30pm and 4.30pm for Edinburgh’s Playday where there will be lots of family-friendly activities on offer including junk drumming, a mud kitchen, parachute games, magic potions, a giant sand pit, water play, and a cardboard city.

This will be the 15th year that the event has been held and every year gets bigger and more fun! Thousands of people, both young and old, have come along to join in activities on offer.

Playday is the national day for play, which is being celebrated next week. On Playday thousands of children and their families get out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK.

As well as a celebration of children’s right to play, Playday is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. It’s all about learning for life and showing that play is fun not just for the child but for adults as well.

Councillor Keith Robson, Play Champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Play is a massively important part of a child’s development and makes a tremendous contribution to happy and healthy childhoods. Children need freedom to play so they can practice skills, explore the world around them and develop understanding in their own way and in their own time. Real play comes from children’s need to express themselves, to explore, learn about and make sense of their world.

“Playing with your child is one of the most wonderful things about being a parent. It’s a vital part of the way babies and children grown and learn. The time you have fun together brings you closer, makes your child feel loved and secure, helps them develops elf-esteem and social skills.

“Our very popular Playday in the Grassmarket provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate play and promote its many benefits as well as visiting one of the most picturesque areas of the city. I would recommend everyone comes along for what promises to be a fun-filled afternoon of play!”

Playday is part of the successful City of Edinburgh Council Play Strategy which states:

“Edinburgh aims to be a play friendly city where all children and young people can enjoy their childhood. They will have access to play opportunities in a range of different settings which offer variety, adventure and challenge. They will be able to play freely and safely and make choices about where, how and when they play.”

Other ongoing projects to promote play include the formation of the Edinburgh Play Forum – ‘Playful Edinburgh’, which is a partnership of voluntary groups and other organisations supporting play across the city. The forum were successful in gaining Inspiring Scotland Go2Play funding for Play Ranger projects which will run outdoor play sessions in eight sites across the city. The Edinburgh Play Ranger projects are organised by Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth Project, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure. EPF members Dads Rock and The Yard will be adding to the exciting activities on offer at Playday.

Access to Edinburgh’s Playday is free but children should be accompanied by an adult.

For more information contact cf.play@edinburgh.gov.uk

The event has been organised by the City of Edinburgh Council, the Edinburgh Play Forum and many volunteers.

The Yard is Tesco Bank local charity of the Year

Local children’s charity The Yard is one of three childrens’ projects that will be supported by Tesco Bank over the coming year.

Tesco Bank ‘colleagues’ from each of the three Bank’s three regions choose a local children’s charity to support, and this year the lucky recipients will be:

The Yard (Edinburgh)

The Yard is a playground for children with physical disabilities or learning difficulties. It gives children space to explore, join in and make friends – things that they can be excluded from in other environments.

The large outdoor playground is a perfect place to build dens, climb trees and charge around on one of their specially adapted bikes and trikes. Indoors there is also room to paint, bake, draw, smile, chat and be with others or be alone in the calming sensory room.

The Yard’s specialist Playworkers look to encourage children and young people to explore and be themselves, promote risk and challenge to help children overcome barriers to inclusion, and nurture natural curiosity.

HOPE For Autism (North Lanarkshire)

HOPE for Autism is a charity set up by parents who didn’t feel their children’s needs were being met. They have a great understanding of what is required to support the whole family, as they have been through it themselves.

HOPE for Autism currently offers services to families affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including evening groups for children and young people, parents’ group meetings and services for carers, such as one-to-one and group support, free training and social nights.

Grace House (Sunderland)

Grace House is a purpose-built children and young person facility in Sunderland which will offer short break and respite care services for children and young people with complex disabilities, health needs and life limiting conditions.

They are presently planning to increase the number of their en-suite bedrooms to eight before their planned opening in May 2015 which will allow them to have up to eight children visiting at any one time. Eight bedrooms will allow them to help between 250-300 children every year.

Congratulations to you all!

Last stop – but happy memories at the end of the road

Lothian Buses’ year working with The Yard has comes to an end – but the company has raised a record breaking amount for its Charity of the year, The Yard.

The charity’s bus has become well known and much loved throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians and the company’s employees taking the charity to their hearts by raising an fantastic amount of money for them.

The Yard provides care, support and fun for children with disabilities and their families and work closely with special need schools in Edinburgh

Over the year Lothian Buses, their employees and customers have raised over £20,000 for the charity from events such as charity football matches, raffles, the Christmas Grotto Bus and the company’s staff awards night, plus customers and employees donated their foreign coins and change to collections tins at our Travelshops. The charity also received a year’s free adverting on the outside and inside of buses with a value of over £196,000.

Jenny McDonald, Fundraising Manager, The Yard said: “It has been a great privilege to be Lothian Buses Charity of The Year and to see the commitment from all the staff and customers who have done an incredible job raising £20,000 towards our work.

“Special thanks to Keith and all the team at Marine Depot who organised the Hibs Legends Vs Lothian Buses Allstars Football Match, creating great memories for our children involved. Seeing the smiling faces of Cissie and Amy on our Yard bus still makes us all smile and it has been invaluable in raising awareness of what we do – thank you!’

Government announces more cashback for youth groups

Minister for Young People welcomes £533k investment in 161 projects across Scotland

Thousands of young people across Scotland will benefit from CashBack for Communities youth work grants totalling half-a-million pounds which have been announced today for 2014-15.

Sixteen Edinburgh youth projects will receive a share of almost £46,000 this year – local beneficiaries include Pilton Youth & Children’s Project (PYCP), Leith’s Pilmeny Development Project, The Yard in Stockbridge and Granton Youth Centre,

Allocations from the CashBack for Communities Youth Work Fund for the first year, administered by YouthLink Scotland, have been made to 161 community groups supporting young people the length and breadth of Scotland. Between them, they are sharing an initial £533,036, which marks the first awards from a £2.094 million fund over the next three years.

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell welcomed today’s announcement. She said: “Since Cashback for Communities was introduced by this Government in 2007, thousands of young people have benefited from more than 1.5 million sporting, cultural and educational activities and opportunities, all funded from ill-gotten cash seized from crooks. I am delighted to see so many great organisations are receiving this latest funding, which will help them take their important work even further.

“The average CashBack youth work funding award for each organisation is around £3,310 and that is an investment that will go a long way in supporting activities for young people. I have seen for myself many examples of the excellent work these organisations do, and wish them well as they turn exciting plans into reality.”

One organisation to have benefited is Strathmore Centre for Youth Development, which provides information and services for young people in the Strathmore area of Perthshire. It has received £2,182 to support its programme of activities, which includes organising trips for local youngsters.

Craig Cantwell, Centre Manager, said: “CashBack funding is extremely important to us as it allows us to give opportunities to young people who would otherwise never access such trips or learning opportunities. They are open to ideas and projects that are a bit different than the norm.

“As a retired Police Officer, I am grateful that this money is being put to good use and is being fed back into communities across Scotland.”

Another of the recipients to have benefited is Mid Argyll Youth Development Services, which has received £1,740 to support a dance program offered to young people throughout the region. Fiona Kalache, the Services’ Manager, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a CashBack grant. This money will allow us to continue to run our diversionary dance program over the coming year. This is a very popular project which could not have carried on without this donation.”

Jim Sweeney, Chief Executive of YouthLink Scotland, said: “Our young people are the future of this nation so it is crucial they all have the opportunity to flourish. Putting the cash from criminals back into communities has offered thousands of young people the chance of a more positive path in life. Investing in youth work changes young people’s lives. It is an investment in all our futures as it helps create young people who are confident, engaged and a credit to society.”

Since the inception of the CashBack for Communities in 2007, over £74 million recovered from criminals has been invested in the Cashback Programme to provide over 1.5 million free activities for children and young people throughout Scotland.

Oh, Danny Bhoy – the staff and kids are grateful!

Twelve Nights, Twelve Charities raises over £75,000

It seems like Danny Bhoy’s been a regular at Edinburgh’s Fringe since Nicholas Parsons was a boy – he’s performed here since 2001 – but this year the popular Scottish stand up did things a little differently. All proceeds from Danny’s Assembly Rooms show – Twelve Nights, Twelve Charities – was donated to local charities.

Danny explained: “All charities are deserving, but I have chosen twelve perhaps lesser well-known organisations that do terrific work in and around Edinburgh mainly with young people and children.”

The punchline? Sellout gigs and the twelve local charities are laughing all the way to the bank – Danny’s sell-out shows raised an incredible £75, 240.61p!

Among those charities were Leith-based Multicultural Family Base (MCFB), The Yard in Stockbridge and Pilton Youth and Childrens Project, and Danny and his sister Bina have just completed a wee mini-tour, delivering the goods news to the projects!

For Pilton Youth and Children’s Project,there was a cheque for over £5600 and a ‘bucket shake’ at the Assembly Rooms raised another £600 – lots to smile about when money is so tight!

PYCP’s chairperson Clare Halliday said yesterday: “This is really amazing, absolutely brilliant. Support like this makes a huge difference and Danny’s generosity will be used toward our holiday provision and residentials. We can’t thank him enough.”

The Yard is Tods Murray Charity of the Year

Tods Murray Solicitors have announced their Charity of the Year for 2014 will be The Yard – the purpose-built indoor and outdoor adventure playground in Edinburgh for children and young people with disabilities.

The Yard was one of three charities shortlisted and was subsequently selected by a staff vote in both the Tods Murray Glasgow and Edinburgh offices.

The Yard was established in 1986 and is a unique and dynamic adventure play centre experienced every year by more than 1600 children and young people with disabilities. Located in Eyre Place Lane, doors open daily throughout the year to schools, families, disabled children and young people, their siblings and friends.

The Yard aims to provide care, support, fun and friendship in equal measure whilst encouraging families to let go and promote challenge, personal growth and supported independence for their children. The charity also featured on BBC’s DIY SOS show The Big Build which saw TV celebrity Nick Knowles and local tradespeople assist in revamping the centre.

Speaking after the announcement, Tods Murray Executive Partner and Head of Third Sector David Dunsire said: “We are very proud of our Charity of the Year programme which has assisted local charities for a number of years. This year staff really took to the Yard and its’ story so far. It is a relatively small charity and we look forward to contributing during 2014 through volunteering, fundraising and awareness raising.”

Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive of the Yard welcomed the partnership, adding: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as Charity of the Year for Tods Murray. Demand for our services is at an all-time high and the support of Tods Murray through fundraising and volunteering will really help us meet this.”

The Yard is primetime TV tonight

Don’t miss the live broadcast of BBC’s DIY SOS The Big Build at 8pm tonight – the hour-long DIY SOS special in support of BBC Children in Need features The Yard, the Eyre Place Lane adventure playground for children and young people with additional support needs.

The BBC intro says: ‘Emotions run high as Nick Knowles and the team enlist local tradespeople to come to the aid of a centre in Edinburgh for children with additional needs.

‘The Yard is a unique indoor and outdoor centre that helps 1,500 young people and their families each week. They provide a space where families can gain much-needed respite while their children make friends, develop their confidence and learn vital life skills.

Children in Need provides support, but the Yard is housed in a building that is in desperate need of a complete overhaul. There are just ten days to complete the build and make sure these children get the future they so richly deserve.’

Did the team complete the challenge? We’ll find out tonight, but The Yard’s Chief Executive Celine Sinclair said:

“The programme will highlight the highs and lows that went into transforming The Yard into the spectacular space it has become, as well as focussing on the importance of The Yard as a place to play for children and young people with additional support needs. So if you haven’t managed to visit us since the Big Build, don’t miss tonight’s programme and be sure to visit soon – you will be as amazed by the transformation! Once again I would like to say a huge thank you to all the parents and families, Nick Knowles and his team and all the tradespeople involved in the build.”

For further information about The Yard visit their website at www.theyardscotland.org.uk

To donate £5 to CiN, text DIYSOS to 70705. Text messages will cost five pounds plus your standard network charge, and five pounds will go to Children in Need. For full terms and conditions visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

Pudsey’s going the extra YARD for local project!

The Yard is a much-appreciated resource, and the local project received great news when they heard that the BBC had selected The Yard to feature in a Children in Need special edition of the popular DIY SOS show. All will be revealed next month …

The Yard is a purpose-built indoor and outdoor adventure playground for children and young people with additional support needs. The project, which is based in Eyre Place Lane, provides care, support, fun and friendship in equal measure while also promoting challenge and personal growth in an environment which values independence and celebrates the capabilities and achievements of each individual child.

During late September and October the city council has helped The Yard to find temporary premises to allow the project to continue to run as many of their services as normal while the building makeover has been underway at Eyre Place Lane – Friday, Saturday and October holiday drop-in sessions have operated at Craigentinny Primary School.

The Yard team will move back ‘home’ on Saturday 27 October so there will be no session on that date – normal service at The Yard, for drop-in sessions, resumes on Friday 2 November from 1 – 4pm.

The Yard received a visit from Canaan Lane school earlier this month. This is what they said:

Canaan Lane pupils and staff were thrilled to be special guests at The Yard special needs playground on Friday 5 October. The Yard has been selected as the BBC’s DIY SOS project for this year’s Children in Need programme. The sun shone on the day and we joined almost 100 other guests, families and children for ‘The Big Reveal’ – the moment when the staff, volunteers and other friends of The Yard were allowed in for the first time to see the transformation.

Pupils and staff enjoyed meeting Nick Knowles and his team as well as Pudsey Bear and some of the 200+ contractors and volunteers who gave their services free of charge for 10 days in order to carry out the work. There was a loud cheer as they all trooped into the Yard to be thanked for all they had done.

Some of our old favourite pieces of equipment are still there, like the wheelchair accessible swing boat, the slides and raised walkways, but all have been given a new look or been replaced. Now there is a sensory garden area, a water feature, sand pit, ample indoor play shed space as well as walkways and a solar dome. New garden and picnic areas have also been installed. The biggest hit for many of our pupils though was the set of working traffic lights complete with pelican crossing at the crossing point of two of the paths! The Yard’s indoor space has also been transformed there is a new wheelchair user accessible kitchen, a new multi-sensory room, art space and lots more.

We managed to collect lots of photographs and autographs as well as some Pudsey ears and a selection of hard hats while we were there! We’re also look forward to seeing ourselves on TV during the Children in Need programme on Friday 16 November!

Helping hand for The Yard

A local adventure play project designed for children with additional support needs is to benefit from an innovative partnership with Edinburgh home emergency firm, First Call Home Assist.

The Yard, based at Eyre Place Lane in Stockbridge, aims to improve the lives of children and young people with learning difficulties while also providing support to their siblings, parents and others responsible for their care.

The partnership is the latest effort by First Call Home Assist to cement its strong commitment to helping the local community and with every sale of a home emergency policy made through a dedicated link on The Yard’s website, 15% of the monthly fee will go to this fantastic cause.

Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive of The Yard, said: “We are delighted to be part of First Call’s community partnership scheme. All the money we raise through this new initiative will go towards improving the quality of service we can provide for the 1,500 young people who use our centre regularly.”

Just over ten per cent of the funding received by The Yard comes from the City of Edinburgh Council and all its other income is raised through approaches to Trusts, Foundations and private companies, which means that 90 per cent of funding needs need to be sourced by the service itself.

First Call chose to help The Yard after their managing director, Paul Greaves (pictured below), witnessed first hand the fantastic care they provide for his niece Cissie who regularly attends the centre.

Paul said: “My niece Cissie was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of six and she can be unpredictable, inflexible and anti-social. At the yard these difficulties are met with understanding, support and often a much needed sense of humour! The Yard is an amazing service which our family, and many others, rely upon heavily. It is the only place where we can truly relax, free of anxieties and of judgement from others; somewhere we don’t have to explain or defend our child. The Yard also acknowledges the tough position that siblings of children with additional support needs are in, and it is as much a service for them as it is for others.”

Services offered by The Yard include open play family sessions, holiday play sessions, free play and curriculum linked sessions for special schools. The venue is also used for a variety of youth clubs and training courses designed to teach others about the principles of inclusive play.

For more information about The Yard, telephone 476 4506 or email susans@theyardscotland.org.uk. You can also visit their website at www.theyardscotland.org.uk