WIREDGOV

Radio 2 regular and gardening expert, Terry Walton, rolled up his sleeves this week to launch a new horticultural centre to support people with learning disabilities in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

Thanks to a £150,184 grant from the Big Lottery Fund in 2005, ‘Drive’, an organisation that provides support services to people with learning disabilities, has been able to realise its dream of constructing a purpose built horticultural centre that will have tremendous benefits for people with learning disabilities in the county.

The allotmenteer from the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2, Terry Walton, was joined by Councillor Mike Forey, the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services in Rhondda Cynon Taff to launch the new ‘Drive’ Horticultural Project in Talygarn, which has taken three years to come to fruition.

The new building of timber construction, designed by the Pentan Partnership in Cardiff and constructed by Log Cabin UK, has a range of environmentally friendly features befitting an organic horticultural centre. Set in a rural environment close to Pontyclun, the project will be an attractive place to work that is easy to access for the people it will serve.

In a long-standing partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taff Social Services Department, ‘Drive’ has delivered important employment training activities. The completion of the horticultural project will provide a permanent training facility with enhanced access that will offer opportunities to an increased range of people.

Rhondda Cynon Taff Social Services has been at the forefront of developing employment training opportunities and real work experiences for people with learning disabilities. ‘Drive’ has played a key role in this and the completion of the new horticultural building represents a key stage marking the continuation of this partnership. ‘Drive’ is committed to developing services that provide opportunity and personal development for its service users.

The horticultural and associated skills training on offer is accredited under the City and Guilds NVQ programme. On completion of this training each service user can be supported to make the transition into employment. In providing this service the horticultural project will have an important role in providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities that would not otherwise be readily available.

The horticultural project employs organic methods including plans for accelerated composting and will maintain sustainability as a driving force in all its activities. The local community will also benefit from the project both as an information resource and for volunteering opportunities.

Delighted for the project, Terry Walton, said: “Projects of this kind are close to my heart and I’ve always promoted the health benefits of eating organically grown produce and keeping fit by gardening."

Commenting on the positive impact the award will have on the lives of people with learning disabilities, Big Lottery Fund Grant Officer, Janet Thickpenny, said: “This is a wonderful resource for the community and for anyone who would like to come and experience the project. It’s great to be able to fund projects that make such a difference to the lives of many people in communities across Wales. Groups such as this one are making huge strides in helping people and I’m delighted that this award will help them continue to do so for years to come.”

Proud to see the centre open, the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services, Councillor Mike Forey, said: “I was very pleased on behalf of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council to attend the opening of this excellent new centre. We are proud of our close relationship with Drive, whom the Council and its predecessors have been working in partnership with for over 20 years in developing employment training opportunities and real work experiences for people with learning disabilities.”

He added: “Unfortunately, it is quite easy for people with learning disabilities to become isolated and excluded from society without appropriate support for their needs and opportunities for them to flourish.  This isn't just plain wrong from a social justice point of view, but a huge waste of potential given the contributions that these people can make to society. This is why this new facility and the work that will be carried out here will be so important.”

For further information about the Big Lottery Fund and how you can apply for funding, please visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk and use the ‘Wales’ specific search facility.

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office – Oswyn Hughes: 02920 678 207
Out of hours contact: 07760 171 431
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone:  845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• In Wales, the Big Lottery Fund is rolling out close to £1 million a week in Lottery good cause money, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across Wales most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £20 billion has now been raised and more than 300,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.