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Warwick community comes together to build garden retreat for young man with autism

Local News by James Smith 21st Jul 2025  
The JLR team handing over the Summerhouse retreat (image via Warwick Rotary Club)
The JLR team handing over the Summerhouse retreat (image via Warwick Rotary Club)
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A young man with severe autism is set to enjoy a safe and calming garden retreat thanks to a "heartwarming collaboration" brought together by Warwick Rotary Club. 

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 for help, who immediately stepped up to help by involving the expertise of local businesses. 

Rotarian Laurie Day, architect, visited the property and had the idea to build a "man cave", a summerhouse at the end of the garden where Liam could have independence and peace.

The club reached out to corporate partners Warwick Racecourse to assess the garden, and it was decided to upgrade the whole garden as the turf was in poor condition. 

A team of volunteers was brought together including Tommy and Pat from Warwick Racecourse, engineers from Jaguar Land Rover, and JP Property Services who used a digger to strip the garden.

Then half was fitted with astroturf for safety and ease of use, and the other half was paved over ready for the summerhouse bought by the club and put up by the team from JLR. 

Thanks are also due to Taylor Wimpey for funding the paving, Kilrot for the astroturf, and Linleigh Electrical for putting in power. 

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"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." 

Rotary President Dick Dixon was delighted with the response to this call for help, the Rotary logo "Unite for Good" could not be more appropriate. 

Liam's mother was "blown away" by the kindness of everyone involved and is delighted her "special boy" now has a safe place to explore. 

Brian Crossland, Durability Group Leader at JLR said, "this was a great opportunity to undertake an enjoyable team building activity, working with local organisations and delivering a positive outcome for the family". 

Matthew Kendall, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey Midlands, said: "At Taylor Wimpey, we're committed to supporting the communities where we build, and it's been a privilege to contribute to such a meaningful project.

"It's been inspiring to see so many local organisations come together to support the family, and we hope they enjoy their new garden space for many years to come."

     

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