A BACK garden haven for the children of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys to explore was formally opened over the Easter weekend.

Parents, staff, youngsters and supporters gathered to watch the ‘Circle of Life’ sensory garden being opened at the Dovecote Project by Oxford East MP Andrew Smith.

It is dedicated to the memory of his late wife Val, who spent her life working for the people of the estate and passed away in 2015.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Saturday amid Dovecote’s ‘Easter extravaganza’, in which the after-school club laid on activities, food and entertainment for local families.

Mr Smith said: “It’s really beautiful. I think it’s especially appropriate that it’s a sensory garden designed for children, because Val loved children and she worked very closely with Dovecote.

“It was a lovely occasion. Everyone was really happy to see the garden open. It’s a fitting memorial for Val which I greatly appreciate.”

The £8,500 circular garden was built over several weeks and is divided up into sections, each one offering a different texture underfoot such as pebbles and logs.

Three water features have been installed including two taps that give the illusion of floating in midair.

A riot of colour and smell will bring the garden to life in summer as newly-planted flowers bloom.

Family services co-ordinator Carol Richards said: “It has been a real team effort. The kids absolutely loved it, especially the water features.

“Val was always there. She regularly checked on what we were doing and resolved a lot of issues for us in the challenging times we have had over the years. There are several memorials on the older part of the estate so we thought it would be nice to remember her on our side.”

Oxford City Councillors and Gordon Roper, leader of Blackbird Leys Parish Council, were also present.

The garden was funded by builders merchant Buildbase and Tesco through its Bags of Help initiative.