A CHARITY which teaches valuable skills to adults with learning disabilities in a bid to enhance their lives and employment prospects is recruiting more volunteers.

The Walton Lea Project is based at two locations, one on Long Lane and the walled garden off Chester Road.

The walled garden is a concealed haven for the 65 beneficiaries who attend regularly as support workers provide the care needed for them to lead fulfilling and happy lives.

Their confidence soars as they learn knew skills such as gardening, woodwork, painting and bike repairing.

Hundreds of bikes are donated to the charity, including racers and children’s bikes, which are then repaired and cleaned ready to be sold on.

Volunteer Ed and beneficiary Jamie recently refurbished and extended the popular café inside and outdoors, which offers delicious cakes and drinks in return for a donation.

Plants and vegetables that are grown in the garden are sold in the onsite farmer’s shop in addition to homemade crafts and gifts.

The beneficiaries are able to learn how to upcycle furniture which has been donated to the project. Items are then sold on to fund the charity.

Affordable and unique pieces from the showroom are often snapped up quickly by those looking to refurbish their homes and gardens.

The acre-square south facing garden is home to an abundance of vegetables, fruits, plants and trees – all looked after by volunteers and learners.

Viv Lacey, a director at Walton Lea Project, said: “School children come to the garden, they each have a mini allotment and they can tend to it, selling the produce in the shop afterwards.

“Keeping on top of everything is a big task, our workers need lots of breaks but our purpose is to help them develop and learn through the social enterprises.

“We are always after new volunteers and are recruiting bank staff at the moment and there may be scope for these to be made permanent staff in due course.”

The garden and surrounding buildings used to be part of the Crosfield’s mansion but Lady Daresbury who allegedly hated the Crosfield family, knocked the mansion down.

However, she preserved the walled garden and it was handed to the council in the 1930s in return for growing produce during the war.

If you are committed to working with learning disability adults, have experience or qualifications in teaching or the health sector and want to make a difference by enriching the lives of the Walton Lea workers, you’re exactly what the team is looking for.

  •  Send your CV to Julie Groom, Walton Lea Partnership, off Chester road, Walton Warrington, WA4 6TB or via email julie@waltonlea.org.uk.