THE Asha Centre in Flaxley has constructed a new multi-purpose agricultural building to allow it to expand its work in biodynamic horticulture and education.

The building was opened by Forest MP Mark Harper, and tours around the Centre's facilities and gardens for guests have followed.

Biodynamic horticulture aims to produce healthy disease-free crops without resorting to heavy fertiliser and chemical treatments.

The new agricultural building is the result of a grant last year from Forest of Dean Local Action.

It will enable the Centre's impressive biodynamic vegetable, herb and flower gardens to be productive throughout the year. Produce can now be dried, stored and sold in local shops and in vegetable boxes.

Asha is also currently hosting a sustainable development training course for 26 young people from the Forest, other parts of Britain and several European countries.

Asha head gardener Rachael O'Kelly, a biodynamics expert and former teacher, says: "The truth of the garden is that we provide a space for people as diverse as school children and local volunteers to celebrities, who find peace, respite and healing from the extraordinary beauty of the Asha Centre."

Asha's founding director, Zerbanoo Gifford, said: "This wouldn't have been possible without the extraordinary support from the Local Action Group, but also most importantly from more than 40 local organisations who wrote letters praising the work that Asha does for the whole community."