£1.5m centre for disabled adults marks first year

A CENTRE for autistic adults has celebrated the first anniversary of its new £1.5 million building.

A maple tree was planted in the grounds of The Maples in Tokers Green to mark both the occasion and a report by the Care Quality Commission which found the centre had met all required standards.

The Maples is run by Autism Spectrum Partners as part of the Disabilities Trust. It provides both supported and independent accommodation for adults with autism and Asperger syndrome.

About 75 family members and guests attended the ceremony, where South Oxfordshire District Council chairwoman Dorothy Brown planted the tree.

After a tour of the complex, Councillor Brown said: “The Maples is the most wonderful facility for people with autism and Asperger’s and the staff are wonderful people. The centre enables the residents to live independent lives and it must bring great happiness to be able to live in such fantastic and peaceful surroundings.”