A SENSORY room at a Wirral youth centre has been fitted out with specialist equipment thanks to the generosity of a local business.

B&M Waste Services' donation of bubble tubes, fibre optic lights, projectors, a mirror ball and interactive sensory floor will be used to support individuals with autism and sensory processing disorders attending The Hive in Birkenhead, to enhance sessions it delivers for young people on the autistic spectrum.

The room will be a place for young people to go when they first arrive at The Youth Zone, if they need time to become accustomed to the environment.

B&M is a founder patron of The Hive and makes a valuable contribution towards the centre's annual running costs.

The donation of equipment for the facility's sensory room is the latest show of support from the firm, which has previously raised awareness of The Hive via branding on its vehicles and provided work experience for the Youth Zone's young members.

Dougy Oliver, inclusion manager at The Hive said: "Having recently achieved our Autism Champions status, this newly-equipped room is a fantastic addition to the facilities at The Hive and will massively enhance our offer to young people with disabilities and additional needs – including those on the autistic spectrum.

"It will also function as a break-out space for young people who suffer from anxiety, offering a calm, relaxing environment where we can help individuals to develop a greater sense of self-awareness.

"We are enormously grateful to B&M Waste Services for helping us to make positive difference to the lives of our young members."

Ken Curtis, chairman of B&M Waste Services, said: "We're so pleased to support such a fantastic project for a truly outstanding organisation.

"We believe in giving back to our local community and the sensory room at The Hive will have a hugely positive impact."

Director at B&M Waste, David Curtis, added: "As soon as we heard about the sensory room plans for The Hive, we knew we wanted to offer our support.

"Seeing it come to life has been wonderful and has completely exceeded our expectations."

The Hive recently opened in April last year with the aim of giving young people on Wirral somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

Part of the OnSide Youth Zone network, the centre caters to thousands of members, aged between 8–19, and up to 25 for those with disabilities.