A CORNER of Cliffe Castle Park in Keighley has been turned into a peaceful outdoor oasis for people with learning disabilities.

Volunteer gardeners restored the small garden area next to the Gatehouse at the park’s historic arched entrance in Skipton Road.

The garden will provide a relaxing and safe environment for the 25 adults who are supported by a project based in the Gatehouse.

The restoration was carried out as part of major improvement work in the entire park using £4.5 million of Heritage Lottery Fund and Bradford Council cash.

The Gatehouse activity centre is run by Hft, a national charity providing services for adults with learning disabilities.

Sessions focus on building social interaction and memory, with themes ranging from local news and history, to food and cultural practices around the world.

Hft brought in a gardening team from Shipley-based Cellar Project to improve the garden, which lacked foundations and was inaccessible to visitors.

Senior support worker Juanita Peers said the garden would create new opportunities for people supported by the Gatehouse service.

She said: “An accessible garden area will enable people with learning disabilities to enjoy a relaxing and safe environment. It’ll also help to extend their social interaction.

“We’re hugely grateful to Norman, Mick and the gardening team from the Cellar Project and Shipley College, and to Dan Palmer Heritage Officer and Dave Bennison Technical Officer for Cliffe Castle Parks, for undertaking this project.

“It will really make a difference to the people we support.”

As a thank you to all involved, the Gatehouse hosted a barbecue lunch, when staff shared an archive of photos of the area.

It is hoped that future community history projects will grow out of the collaboration between the service and Cliffe Castle Park and Museum.

Hft supports more than 500 people with learning disabilities in the Bradford district, offering a wide range of supported leisure, learning, and employment opportunities.

It runs a Flexible Support Service, designed to help people with learning disabilities live the lives they choose, meeting others with similar interests and making their individual budgets go further.

Its Supported Employment team helps people find appropriate jobs, give coaching, and provide supported work.

Hft Bradford also runs employment projects including horticultural skills, a printing service to public sector organisations.

It works with Keighley Volunteer Centre which runs a charity shop, a sorting project and an eBay shop.

Visit hft.org.uk for further information.