Yorkshire’s first low ropes course for wheelchair users has launched in Kirklees.

Little Deer Wood Activity Centre, which provides a wide range of accessible outdoor activities, has added a new course.

The woodland at Shepley Bridge in Mirfield is one of the locations where young people train for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Denise Bedford, manager of the Kirklees Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Around 40 young people with disabilities, who are currently staying at the centre for the wild activities challenging Kirklees young people (WACKY) programme, had the first go on the course.

“They absolutely loved it. Everybody had a smile on their faces.

“Because you can ramp up the different degrees of difficulty by wearing blindfolds or carrying additional weight, it really is enjoyable for everyone.”

The centre, run by the Kirklees Duke of Edinburgh Trust, offers land and water-based activities which are accessible to people with sensory, learning or physical disabilities. It already provides disability climbing, canoeing, archery and much more.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is the world’s leading achievement award for young people and over 6,000 young people in Kirklees are taking part.

“The course has been three years in the making,” said Denise.

“Raising the money wasn’t the hard part, it was finding an organisation that would build it to fit in with its natural surroundings in the woodland.”

The course was designed by Gloucestershire-based Motiva Adventure Construction.

It was funded by West Riding Freemasons and Huddersfield-based Cummins Turbo Technologies.

The Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre’s Stepping Stones Appeal also funded the course as medical staff will use it to treat patients whose spines were injured in warzones.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Major Stan Hardy launched the new attraction.

The closest alternatives for people with disabilities are believed to be at Pugneys Country Park in Wakefield or a high ropes course at the Calvert Trust in the Lake District.