Sefton residents are being invited to a Christmas market with a difference in Southport.

The event at the New Leaf garden centre on Rotten Row will feature festive goods created by clients of the borough’s leading adult social care provider, New Directions. They include people with support needs due to disability, age or mental health conditions.

The Christmas fayre will take place at New Leaf’s Park Lodge greenhouses site from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 2nd December.

Organisers say there will be a wide variety of seasonal items on offer, all produced by service users at New Leaf and the New Directions North Hub on Mornington Road in Southport town centre.

Gift ideas will range from wooden tea light holders, twig trees and table decorations to slate signs and bughouses.

Unusual handcrafted items will included wooden angels, snowmen and soldiers, and hand-knitted Christmas tree decorations.

Meanwhile, green-fingered New Leaf service users have also been working on a range of yuletide plants, flower arrangements, wreaths and grave pots.

Refreshments will also be available at the market, which is being organised by the same team that helped the New Directions show garden to win a gold medal at this summer’s Southport Flower Show.

New Directions Business Development Manager, Dave Hughes, commented: “Our service users have been working very hard to prepare for the Christmas market, so we’re hoping for a big turnout on the day.

“They really appreciate seeing items they have worked on attracting the interest of so many customers, as they did at the Flower Show earlier in the year.

“ As well as having the chance to buy a range of unusual items, our customers have the satisfaction of knowing that we will plough back any money they spend into providing more resources and opportunities for our clients."

* For more information about the services offered by New Directions, or to find out about joining the team, ring 0151 934 3726 or visit www.ndirections.co.uk


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas – service users and staff at the New Leaf garden centre prepare for the Christmas market on Saturday 2nd December.