A huge thank you from Playbarn owners

Easter programme saw a number of outings as well as having fun at Braidwood Pond.

This week, owners Joe and Zoe Houghton want to say thank you to everyone who rallied in their hour of need.

In February, the couple launched a Go Fund Me page after admitting that the pandemic had left them on their knees, and their out of hours school care centres in Carstairs Junction and Braidwood in peril.

They vowed to keep the centres open, after a flood of calls from worried parents.

Now, just two months later, the Houghtons are on a far sounder financial footing. As well as raising just shy of £3000 via Go Fund Me, parents launched their own fundraising group led by Kirsty Lymosi.

The first event was staged at the Playbarn in Braidwood on April 2. Local businesses donated an incredible range of raffle prizes, including a bike and vouchers for everything from driving lessons to beauty treatments.

Limited to 100 tickets, it was a sell-out and raised £1200 – every penny of which will be spent on the children who attend.

Kirsty said: “With the prospect of the Playbarn not surviving, and as a user of the service, I thought about creating a parent fundraising group.

“I approached Zoe and posted about it on the private parent page to drum up some interest and, with a few parents on board, we decided to have a family fun night.

“It was a huge success and I look forward to arranging more fun events in the future. The Playbarn is a service many people rely on. The staff are truly amazing and I had to do what I could to help.

“However, it would not have been possible without the help of the parents and staff at the Playbarn and all of the local businesses who also supported us.”

Joe and Zoe received a grant from the Scottish Government for £6750 and Business Gateway also stepped in to help, enabling the couple to secure a digital boost grant to purchase two laptops.

They are also being supported and guided in rebuilding and developing their website and digital presence.

And their Easter holiday programme, which saw them return to a normal service for the first time since the pandemic began, was a huge success with parents clamouring to sign their wee ones up.

Joe and Zoe are looking forward to the future once again and making sure the business they founded in 2012 continues to flourish.

They are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped them get back on an even keel.

Zoe said: “We can now be confident that the Playbarn will survive this challenging period. It's such a huge relief – we are so very grateful to everyone for all their kindness and support.”

The couple are no longer concerned about mounting bills and can turn their full focus back on enjoying the business they love.

Joe added: “We’re no longer looking into a black hole of debt; our feet are finally clear. We were carrying so much stress – we’re now getting to sleep at night.

“We’re also advertising for a play worker and driver because things are picking up.

“The business was going great guns before the pandemic hit. Now we’re back on track again – thanks to everyone who supported us.”

To find out more about the Playbarn, visit www.the-playbarn.co.uk.