Major Drew McCombe, Divisional Leader for The Salvation Army, North West, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received full planning permission at our Strawberry Field site for our vision. This includes a training and work placement hub for young people with learning disabilities, a visitor experience where people can find out more about John Lennon and his connection to the site as well as a place to explore spirituality. "We are incredibly excited to have received planning permission as we now look to make our vision a reality. The support from the local community, along with Beatles fans has been wonderful and we are very grateful."

· Inspirational choir records Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever at Abbey Road to launch campaign to tackle unemployment and isolation among young people with special needs
· Of one million people with learning difficulties in the UK, 93% are unemployed and 31% have no contact with family or friends
· The Salvation Army tackles issues within the learning-disabled community by re-opening former children’s home in Lennon’s Strawberry Field as a new training hub