Ashleigh Hill was inspired by her mentor’s praise to maintain her passion and organization as she developed her business.
Located in Hatfield, The Barn Yard is a 13,000-square-foot play area in Collegeville that encourages imaginative play for kids of various ages.
Aside from providing a place for local parents to relax while their kids play and attracting families from distant areas, Hill aimed to cultivate a sense of community at the center.
In 2023, The Barn Yard partnered with the Adalyn Rose Foundation, a nonprofit helping families coping with the loss of a child during pregnancy, infancy, or early childhood.
Hill, who experienced a miscarriage before the birth of her second daughter, empathized with the loss of children not seen and decided to collaborate with the foundation to offer support during dark times.
The Barn Yard raised about $4,000 for the nonprofit and collaborated with them to add a rose garden play structure.
Hill explained that the rose garden is a memorial for all kids who are unable to play there.
The center holds monthly support groups for siblings who have lost brothers or sisters. During a Remembrance Ball in the winter, Santa Claus visited and a white balloon drop honored deceased children.
The Barn Yard has expanded its facilities to include an indoor basketball court and a construction play area commemorating influential community figures, according to Hill.
“We are fostering a community in every aspect of what we do,” she stated. “We function as a community.”
The center provides a summer camp and a variety of classes such as gymnastics, dance, yoga, and pre-K readiness. It also hosts educational trips for pre-K through first-grade students, covering topics like community, farm life, and STEM.
Throughout August, The Barn Yard offers discounted admission and organizes kindergarten and pre-K gatherings for local school districts, donating $2 from each ticket sale to the hosted school.
Weekend play sessions at The Barn Yard are often fully booked, but Hill is open to mothers dropping off or donating baby supplies. Recently, the center donated over $700 worth of specialty formula to a foster child.
Since its opening in March 2022, Hill no longer meets regularly with her SCORE mentors, but she credits them with providing the groundwork for her center's success through idea generation and boosting her confidence.
Hill is grateful for De Rosa staying updated on her business and enjoys her mentor’s support on social media.
Beside her SCORE mentors, Hill’s sister, Sarah Schiele, who co-owns The Barn Yard with her, acts as her “general.”
“After two years being in business with your sibling, you really realize how strong your bond is,” Hill said. “She keeps all my ducks in a row as I throw new ducks at her.”
Schiele, in addition to organizing birthday parties, formalizes her sister’s various ideas, including a partnership with Greyson’s Gang and the Eagles Autism Foundation for a spring fundraiser which featured Eagles cheerleaders, Swoop and local businesses; a collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to bring health-safe nights of play to kids who are immunocompromised; and a partnership with C.A.R.I.E. to help connect families with elderly support as families’ parents age.
“We started The Barn Yard with the belief that it takes a community to raise our kids … and we were that community,” Hill said. “However, since we opened, the concept of community and giving back has become so much larger than we ever imagined. Our facility is about caring for the entire family from birth to elderly care and everything in between.”
Since 1964, SCORE has assisted over 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Every year, SCORE offers business mentoring and workshops to over 375,000 new and growing small businesses. With over 70 members across Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties, SCORE Bucks County provides over 4,300 free mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars.
