The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Charity playhouse unveiled
Group gifts playhouse kitted out with special sensory equipment
A festive team of millionaire Santas and elves, including Tayport lottery winners, handed over the keys for a gingerbread house to a disabled children’s charity.
A festive team of millionaire Santas and elves handed over the keys for a gingerbread house to a Dundee disabled children’s charity.
The squad was made up of National Lottery winners, who donated some of their money and time to build the playhouse at The Yard’s centre.
The cabin, which is made out of wood, is home to a range of sensory equipment, furnishings and toys.
The Yard, at Drumlanrig Place, provides a safe space for disabled children – and their parents or carers – to take part in adventurous indoor and outdoor play.
Gill Thomson, play team leader at the centre, said: “The new playhouse is a calm, relaxing environment for the kids.
“Previously we didn’t have anything like that at the centre.
“The idea is that children can come in and have some quiet time out. Life can be quite overwhelming for them, what with school, schedules and boundaries.
“The space is also not just for the kids, but their parents.
“This centre isn’t somewhere that people just drop kids off – we encourage parents and carers to get involved in playing with the children.”
The Yard, which is funded by the National Lottery, has premises in Dundee, Fife and Edinburgh.
Seven lottery winner couples from all over Scotland were involved in building the playhouse.
The local volunteers included Ray and Sheila Store from Dundee, who won £1,050,000 in December 2014, as well as Jim and Pamela Forbes, from Tayport, who won £655,838 on EuroMillions in September.
Jim said: “The Yard has been going in Dundee for two years and when the kids asked for a sensory space, Camelot approved the idea.
“The Lottery winners were all really keen to get involved and to contribute.
“Building and decorating the playhouse has been brilliant – one of the best things I’ve done – and I’m looking forward to seeing the kids’ faces when they see it.
“This is a great local cause and being a local winner, I wanted to give something back to the area.”
Celine Sinclair, chief executive of the Yard, said that without the extra help the group would “never have dreamed” of owing something like this.
She added: “The winners’ hard work and time spent on the project means so much to the children who will benefit from our new sensory room.”
This is a great local cause and being a local winner, I wanted to give something back to the area. JIM FORBES