The OBE for Services to Children and Families marks Celine’s 20th year leading a dynamic team that strives to improve the lives of families in Scotland.

The Yard offers wraparound family support to more than 3600 disabled children and their families from birth to young adulthood from their inspiring and inclusive indoor and outdoor centres in Edinburgh, Fife Glasgow and Dundee. Children can play, grow and connect, while families feel supported, empowered and included and can access a broad range of family supports at point of need, with no diagnosis required.

The Yard’s work includes tailored family support (including 1:1 support), early years sessions, youth clubs, school play sessions, carer respite services, kinship carer support, outreach inclusive play service for children with medically complex needs and a new disability and neurodiversity place-based hub (EDAN) as well as disability inclusion training for professionals.

Celine is driven by personal passion. She found The Yard after her then five-year-old son was diagnosed with autism and she struggled to find places for him to play.

At the time, The Yard was a small community project offering a few play sessions from a rundown centre in Edinburgh and was on the brink of closure. But what started as a personal search grew into a passionate mission. In 2005, she joined the board, then stepped into the role of part-time chief executive in 2006.

Like many charities, The Yard grew from humble origins. In the early days, The Yard supported around 50 children with three part-time staff and a turnover of £100,000. Today, it supports over 3600 children and families, employs over 80 staff, and has an annual turnover of £3.2 million.

This year, a new centre opened in Glasgow — the fourth after Edinburgh, Fife, and Dundee — marking another milestone in its remarkable growth and reach. In addition, the Dundee service reopened in the Summer after an ambitious transformation, becoming a fully accessible and welcoming space.

Under Celine’s leadership, The Yard has evolved into a national charity that strives to influence policy, pioneer collaborative, transformative models of support, and promote a better understanding of what underpins meaningful inclusion. 

Celine said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have the contribution of The Yard model recognised in this way. It has been a chance to reflect on my 20-year career in the third sector and, more importantly, an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful team, paid and volunteers, who make The Yard what it is today.

“Our team provides a vital lifeline for thousands of families with a disabled child each year, who are at increased risk of poverty, isolation, and discrimination. Many of our families tell us that they often struggle emotionally and practically, feeling lost and alone when they learn that their child is on a different developmental path.

This honour is a tribute to the devotion and commitment of my incredible colleagues, trustees and supporters and a celebration of all that our families achieve. As I absorb this wonderful news, I want to reaffirm my commitment to the sector and the growing number of families who benefit from our care and support.

As we continue to grow The Yard into a nationally recognised Centre of Excellence across Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Fife, I remain fully dedicated to our mission of fostering meaningful inclusion across Scotland.”

Ian Harris, chair of the board, said: “We are truly humbled to have Celine’s inspirational and dynamic leadership nationally recognised with an OBE for Services to Children and Families. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of the sector and the success of collaborative working with our many supporters and partners.

“Everyone wants to believe their job makes the world a better place and at The Yard, we know they do. Every day we are proud to witness the dedication of our team and what they achieve under Celine’s steerage and look forward to building new partnerships that further support children and families in Scotland.”

The Scottish Housing News Charity Spotlight feature highlights the vital work of charities across Scotland each Friday. To include your local charity, whether housing-related or not, send your story and images to us at newsdesk@scottishnews.com.