National Lottery winners from across Scotland have rallied together to replace a play house at a Dundee charity for disabled children after it was destroyed in a fire.
The blaze – which caused an estimated £10,000 worth of damage – broke out in a garden near the ‘gingerbread house’ at The Yard in Drumlanrig Place.
The gingerbread house was a play house fitted with electrics and specialist play equipment.
It was gifted to the charity by National Lottery winners five years ago.
The winners donated, built, decorated and painted the wooden structure.
Police are treating the fire as suspicious.
Fife lottery winners ‘devastated’ by fire at The Yard
The Yard provides a safe place for children with disabilities to enjoy indoor and outdoor play.
When National Lottery winners heard the news, they immediately offered to buy a new house for the charity and to paint this in a new spring theme chosen by the children.
Jim and Pam Forbes, from Tayport, who won £655,838 on EuroMillions in 2017, were among the winners who helped to create the original house.
Jim said: “We just could not believe it when we heard about what had happened.
“This is such a vital lifeline for so many young people.
“I immediately rallied fellow winners, who were equally as devastated when they heard about what had happened, and we have all pulled together to provide a new house for the children.
“We are really looking forward to hearing the children’s dreams on how they would like their new house decorated, including all their favourite colours.”
Gill Thomson, service development manager at The Yard, said: “We are just totally sickened by what has happened and all of the children have been so upset.
“It has been devastating to see.
“It is such wonderful news to hear that the kind-hearted National Lottery winners who created the gingerbread house for us five years ago now want to replace it. We are so very thankful.
“So many families rely on this service as a safe and welcoming place to play. It has been a much-loved and well-used facility since we were gifted it and we hoped it would be with us for many years bringing joy to lots of young people.”
Bikes, go carts and soft play equipment were also destroyed in the fire.
More than £3,600 has been raised through a GoFundMe page set up by The Yard after the fire, which will be used to replace damaged equipment.
Conversation