Community comes together to build garden retreat for young man with autism

A young man with severe autism is set to enjoy a safe and calming garden retreat thanks to a heartwarming collaboration between local businesses including Warwick Rotary Club, Warwick Racecourse, Jaguar Land Rover, and JP Property Services.

Liam, 23, who recently completed his education at Cheltenham’s National Star College, will be predominantly housebound and needs a dedicated outdoor space he can safely enjoy. His mother reached out to Warwick Rotary Club, who immediately stepped up to help by involving the expertise of local businesses.

The idea? A "man cave" summerhouse at the end of the garden where Liam can have independence and peace. The Rotary Club asked Warwick Racecourse to assess the garden, but the turf was in such poor condition that it couldn't be salvaged. The only viable solution was to start from scratch.

Warwick Racecourse quickly rallied support, bringing in their contractor JP Property Services, who arrived with a digger and removed the existing lawn.

Half the garden was then fitted with astroturf for safety and ease of use and the other half was paved with slabs. This completely transformed the space ready for the final piece of the puzzle, the summerhouse installation.

The transformation was made possible by a fantastic joint effort: staff from Jaguar Land Rover lent their support on-site, working alongside Tommy & Pat from Warwick Racecourse, and a small team from JP Property Services to bring the project to life.

“This is a brilliant example of the community coming together to do something that genuinely changes a life,” said Thomas Williams, General Manager at Warwick Racecourse. “We’re proud to support this project as we all need a little bit of personal space and freedom.”