A PROJECT to help people with autism to get closer to nature has been boosted by a £5,570 grant to help to purchase a high tech greenhouse and heat mat.

Greenfingered users of the Daisy Chain centre in Norton, near Stockton, will benefit from the investment which will be used to help its students to learn new skills and grow their own produce.

The funding, from the Banks Community Fund, has also covered the cost of making repairs to the charity’s duck pond and putting up fox-proof fencing around the area to both ensure it was safe for the children to use and that the ducks and fish that live there are well protected.

Katy Carmen, from Daisy Chain, said: “Our students are already enjoying using the new greenhouse, but it will really come into its own from the spring when we start to plant and harvest our own produce, and we’re looking forward to planting different crops and eventually eating the vegetables that the children will be growing.”