A farm where both able-bodied and disabled people work together has ventured into the garden furniture market.
Norristhorpe Rural Arts and Crafts in Heckmondwike has launched a range of garden and play furniture.
All are made from extruded waste plastic moulded in high temperatures. They are maintenance free, virtually vandal-proof and can be designed and adapted to incorporate wheelchair users.
Set in two acres of land, Norristhorpe Rural Arts and Crafts is an environmentally-friendly project with 30 adults with learning disabilities.
It is hoped that in three to five years the farm will become self-sufficient with enough income to pay all its workers a wage.
The project is part of the REAL specialist recruitment service run by Kirklees Social Services, which is free for local businesses and other organisations that want to recruit and train adults with learning disabilities.
The owner of the site, Howard Cook, who also runs a building company, said: "This project is a great opportunity to bring together skills from my own workforce to work alongside people with learning disabilities to create fantastic products in plastic and wood."
Social Services has other REAL projects on the site.
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