A DARWEN garden centre is pioneering an innovative way of getting people skilled for employment.

Since April, 64 benefit claimants and people with learning difficulties have been referred to 12-week courses at the recently re-opened Four Seasons Garden Centre in Ashton Road.

Those referred via bodies including JobCentrePlus, the probation service and Bootstrap, have been taking courses in strimming, potting, pruning and planting.

They each receive a letter of recommendation on completion of the course and have been using their new skills to help expand the business.

During the courses they have planted thousands of bulbs in preparation for spring sales and have been getting the centre ready for a busy Christmas period.

Twin Valley Homes bought the business last year after the previous owner retired, with the intention of developing the site as a social enterprise which would provide a ‘green routes to work’ programme.

The scheme is part of the Lifestyle for Work project of Blackburn with Darwen Council which is funded by the Working Neighbourhood Fund until March 2011.

Councillor Michael Law-Riding, executive member for leisure and culture said: “The Four Seasons Garden Centre is a prime example of partnership working benefit-ing people in our community.

“Since April this year 64 people have been referred to the project and have learnt skills they would not norm-ally have had the opport-unity to be involved with.

“Thousands of bulbs have now been planted in preparation for spring and at present we are very busy selling Christmas trees and other seasonal plants and shrubs.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people taking part in the Lifestyle programme and staff from the Council and Twin Valley Homes for the effort they put into clearing and preparing the garden centre for re-opening earlier in the year.”