KidsOut Day 2024

The Rotary Club of Edinburgh ran its 2024 KidsOut Day on Tuesday 18th June. In the past the traditional date for KidsOut Day has been the second Wednesday in June, but in Edinburgh, this has conflicted with the long-standing ‘Black Taxi Day Out’ for a similar group of disadvantaged kids run on the second Tuesday of June.

Apart from the Covid years Edinburgh Rotary has been involved with KidsOut since 1993 (and with the help of other Rotary Clubs running our event since 1999)

After last year’s successful event at Conifox Adventure Park we returned there this year. They did us proud by allowing us sole use of their wonderful facilities and for the very positive support the staff gave us throughout the day, especially as they are normally closed on a Tuesday.

Our Kids come from a range of Special Education schools in and around Edinburgh.  In all, about 60 Kids, supported by their carers and teachers, enjoyed a variety of activities: some noisy, some quiet, some physical, some restful.  Then lunch and a Disco before returning to their schools in the early afternoon,

Without the support of volunteers from the members of the Edinburgh Club and those of the Rotary Clubs of Braids, Leith, Livingston, North Berwick, Selkirk, South Queensferry and Whitburn and Senior Pupils from St George’s School, the day would not have been the success which we believe it was.  The clearly genuine words of thanks we got from the carers and teachers as they left made it all worthwhile.  

Our thanks for financial support for the Project go to the KidsOut Charity, the Jubilee Charity Fund of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh and to other Rotary Clubs in and around Edinburgh.

The volunteers went home exhausted, but it was, as ever, made worthwhile by the memories of the smiles on the Kids’ faces.