AN autism charity has submitted its bid to turn a disused Kenton bowls pavilion into allotments for the people it helps.

The Larches Community group, which is based in Edgware and aims to provide training for adults with learning disabilities, wants permission to redevelop the land at Kenton Recreation Park into a dedicated centre for allotments.

The charity received a £2,500 grant in December from the Gannett Foundation, part of the Harrow Times' parent company, to build polytunnels on the site to allow the allotments to be worked on throughout the winter.

The plan would also see a specially designed sensory garden built for adults with autism at the former bowls club, which last saw a match played in July 2008 and has since seen the green and 1930s clubhouse fall into disrepair.

And the charity have won lottery funding to refurbish the building and build an extension, so they can keep equipment there and provide tea facilities for service users.

But this requires approval by Harrow Council, who are currently considering a number of offers from other sport and recreation clubs in the area.

Linda Edwards, honorary chief executive of the charity, said: “We look forward to working in partnership with Harrow Council to improve the lives of vulnerable people.

“Working in Horticulture is both therapeutic and an excellent way to gain employment skills for people who would otherwise be unemployed.”

The one-year course the charity runs teaches users how to grow plants from seed, the life cycle of gardening and how to use the appropriate tools and personal protection equipment – with a City and Guilds qualification at the end of it.

Ms Edwards added: “As a City and Guilds assessment centre we also provide the opportunity for people to gain qualifications for employment.

“Securing the lease will enable us to make the project a substantial and exciting opportunity for our learners, the community and the Harrow Council. If we do not secure the lease, we will have to look for an alternative site.”

Currently the Larches Community's allotment project uses other land in the park to train five adults with horticultural skills, but winning the bid would allow them to expand this to others on the 25-strong waiting list.

Bids must be submitted to the council by Friday, before council officers make a recommendation to councillors over who should win the lease of the site.