IMPROVEMENTS at a community garden in Bacup will be ‘fantastic’ for the future of the site, staff have said Students from the recently-opened Accrington and Rossendale College campus, Bacup, have used their new skills to build a disabled access ramp at Stubbylee Community Greenhouses.

The four-week project is one of many initiatives the college has planned as it seeks to bolster its presence in the Valley.

Lee Trippier, site technician at Stubbylee Vocational Centre, said the ten adult students on the general construction operations course deserved ‘a huge pat on the back’ for their work.

He said: “This is the first project they have carried out and I think the people at the allotments are delighted with us.

“They have plans to build another garden so hopefully we can help them with that too.

“Most of the students are from Bacup, Stacksteads and Rawtenstall so it’s great to see them help out their own community. We want to be good neighbours.”

Souta Creagh, operations manager at the greenhouses, said they had developed a ‘lovely partnership’ with the students and teachers.

She said: “It’s a brilliant piece of work and it caused very little disruption. When I approached the college about doing some work they were very receptive to the idea. It’s worked well for both of us and anything that makes our greenhouses more accessible and inviting is good news.”

The college also works with the town’s Maden Centre, its job centre, Bacup Consortium Trust and the citizens’ advice bureau.

Mr Trippier added: “The main thing for us is that even if the students can’t find full-time work straight away, they will at least gain their labouring industry accreditation in the form of a Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) pass.

“We give them the skills to set them up in the long-term.”