Action for Children flat gets a colourful mural

The mural – painted by spray paint artist Bjorn Martin – has been unveiled and was influenced by the residents in Action for Children’s training flat.

‘This place houses young people who are or are at risk of being homeless, and we teach them the skills they need to live alone,’ said service manager Aaron Davies.

‘They wanted to paint the walls and we said that if we are doing it, we are going to do it properly. We started a conversation with Guernsey Arts and the first job was for them to commission someone to do it, so our young people led it and interviewed artists and decided that they wanted a seascape.’

The project saw the residents put in months of work, from choosing an artist to creating a vision of what they wanted the new mural to look like.

‘They’re amazed now when they see it,’ said Mr Davies.

‘The artist was very approachable, and shared with them what he had come up with and got them involved, as well as teaching them about the art of spray painting. When he started they spent the weekend watching him.’

Action for Children received funding from Brittany Ferries for the project and Guernsey Arts had backing from Hope for a Child.

‘We’re really grateful for the funding,’ said Mr Davies.

‘It’s been a really cool project to watch. Guernsey Arts are just incredible at making things happen, we knew having them involved that we would get an outcome like this.’

Jade Kershaw, community and public realm officer at Guernsey Arts, helped with the project.

‘After an in-depth engagement process, Guernsey Arts is really pleased to see the results of the choices made by residents in the Action for Children Training flats,’ she said.

‘Bjorn has created a brilliant, vivid mural based on consultation with the young people while also inspiring them with his current and previous murals. We’re so pleased to see the result of this project and are sure it will achieve its aims of creating a positive, social environment for the residents of the flats.’