Glory in the greenhouse for garden achievers

About 40 of the organisation’s service users from around Sefton regularly attend sessions at New Leaf, where they learn a number of useful lifeand work-related skills.

These range from planting and designing hanging baskets in the greenhouses to retail and customer service skills in the garden centre shop.

With the support of tutors from St Helens College, they can also work towards a City & Guilds qualification in horticulture.

And service users also play a key role in the creation of the New Directions show garden and retail stand at the annual Southport Flower Show.

At the presentation ceremony, the certificates were handed over by New Directions chief operating officer, Penny Fell.

Penny said: “This recognition is very well deserved because service users have played such an important role in getting this venture off the ground.

“As well as making new friends and learning new skills here, I know they get real satisfaction from seeing products they have helped to create, attracting the attention of such a wide range of customers.

“At the same time, our customers know that any money they spend at the centre will be ploughed back into providing more resources and opportunities for our service users, so the project’s working well in many different ways.”

For more information about the services offered by New Directions, or to find out about joining the team, ring 0151 934 3726 or visit www.ndirections. co.uk