Partners and staff at UK law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn have raised over £18,000 for The Yard, the purpose built indoor and outdoor adventure playground in Edinburgh for children and young people with disabilities.

The sum was raised by a variety of means over 2014, including bake sales, dress-down days, abseils, arts and crafts fairs and sponsored runs – including the gruelling 10k Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest urban obstacle course. Staff from Shepherd and Wedderburn as well as Tods Murray, which was acquired by Shepherd and Wedderburn in October, took part in activities and awareness raising.

The money will fund the family drop in sessions delivered by The Yard every weekend and throughout the school holidays.  These sessions provide a lifeline for the families who attend and provide a chance to meet up with other families whilst their children enjoy the freedom to explore and have fun in a safe and supported environment.

Speaking upon receiving a cheque for £18,673.69, Jenny MacDonald, Fundraising Manager from The Yard, said:

“This is such a phenomenal amount of money and totally smashed what we originally thought at the start of the year. We are so grateful for the amount raised by Shepherd and Wedderburn as well as the help given to raise our profile. Shepherd and Wedderburn’s commitment to CSR and helping raise as much as possible as a staff team was so evident and I enjoyed working with everyone.”

Barbara Bolton, a partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn, who took part in the demanding Survival of the Fittest and daunting abseil in aid of The Yard, added:

“The Yard does such important work so we are delighted to have supported them in 2014. The whole firm really got involved in fundraising, volunteering and raising awareness of The Yard. The Survival of the Fittest challenge was absolutely gruelling and the abseil utterly terrifying, at least for me! However the head spins and bruises were worth it and I hope that the money raised will assist The Yard continuing its fine and crucial service.”