Youth group at Darnhill work alongside Cartwheel Arts to makeover roller shutter

It includes key words such as ‘loyal’, ‘honest’ and ‘hope’ with images featured such as footballs and boxing gloves

Young people in a Darnhill youth group have worked alongside an artist to create graffiti artwork on the roller shutter of the NHS #Thrive building.

Members of the Rochdale Connections Trust youth group worked with the Cartwheel Arts-commissioned artist to makeover the shutter, which #Thrive agreed to be used as the canvas.

The young people, some of whom have been part of a Youth Justice programme, were keen to present themselves in a positive light to the rest of the community and worked with the artist to create a design that reflected their qualities and interests.

It includes key words such as ‘loyal’, ‘honest’ and ‘hope’ with images featured such as footballs and boxing gloves.

The young people were keen to show their support for each other and their community following a fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in the summer and designed the graffiti to demonstrate solidarity, unity and connections.

Once the design was complete and all the group happy with it, work began to install the graffiti onto the roller shutter. Due to the dark nights, this was done over three sessions when the young people had finished school.

Jennie Davies, who is the youth worker for RCT on Darnhill said: “The group worked well together to agree what their artwork would look like and symbolise.

“They were keen for young people to be viewed more favourably in the local area and wanted to show that they are people with interests and hobbies who also care about where they live and the people who live there.

“They thoroughly enjoyed being involved with the spray painting and the final result looks absolutely amazing.

“We have received lots of positive feedback from residents passing to go to the shops and library.”