Community rallies to transform Warwick family's garden into a retreat for their autistic son

The community in Warwick has rallied to help turn a family’s garden into a retreat for their autistic son.

The O’Sullivan family, who live in the town, reached out to the Warwick Rotary Club earlier this year seeking support to fund a new 'man-cave'.

The JLR team handing over the summerhouse retreat. Photo supplied

placeholder image — The JLR team handing over the summerhouse retreat. Photo supplied

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Their goal was to create a peaceful, sensory-friendly retreat in their garden for their 23-year-old-son, who is severely autistic and spends most of his time at home.

Warwick Rotary Club then decided to take the project one step further pledging to upgrade the entire garden space.

The initiative quickly gained momentum and became a group project between several organisations and businesses – with JP Property Services providing specialist machinery and equipment and volunteers from Warwick Racecourse and Jaguar Land Rover stepping in to carry out the transformation.

Materials for the project were also provided by Taylor Wimpey, Kilrot, and Linleigh Electrical.

The overhaul included replacing the grass lawn with astroturf, adding a safe and practical patio area, building a summer house, and ensuring all elements were carefully chosen to avoid sensory triggers.

Left shows the garden before the work and right shows work taking place. Photos supplied

The result is a safe, soothing, and functional outdoor space designed specifically to meet the needs of the O’Sullivan family.

Mrs O'Sullivan said: “I can't explain how grateful my little family and our special boy are – he now has a safe place to explore and regulate. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

Dick Dixon, president of the Rotary Club, said he was delighted with the response to this call for help, adding that the Rotary logo - ‘Unite for Good’ – could not be more appropriate when describing this project.

Tommy Williams, general manager at Warwick Racecourse, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to join forces with the Rotary Club, JP Property Services and the local Jaguar Land Rover team to help transform this space for Liam and his family.

“At The Jockey Club, we’re always looking for ways that we can help our local community, and this was a fantastic opportunity for our team to get out of the office, pick up the tools, and put our skills to good use.”