Young people from Blackburn Youth Zone (BYZ) have covered up disgusting racist graffiti in a neighbourhood.
The project was initiated when a BYZ Youth Ambassador spotted the graffiti on a wall along the canal in Mill Hill.
Group members came up with the design themselves and wanted to send a message that ‘community spirit conquers hate, discrimination and racism’.
A wall in the Mill Hill area of Blackburn had been daubed with disgusting racist graffiti. It is now painted over with a mural celebrating the work of front-line workers. It reads, ‘Mill Hill Says Thank You’ to nurses, taxi-drivers, bin collectors, mum, NHS and key workers.
As part of the Get Stuck In programme running across Blackburn with Darwen seven young people ranging from ages 9 to 14, led by Youth Ambassadors, met twice a week for two weeks to transform the wall.
Councillor Julie Gunn, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Children and Education said: “The activities that BYZ have been organising are always really welcome and so important for our young people. The wall presented an ideal opportunity for young people to show that racism and prejudice of any sort has no place in our borough. Seeing this response makes me proud to represent them and Mill Hill, as well as confident that the future is in safe hands.”
Members of the public came out from their homes to thank them and to let them know what a great job they had done.
Dean Edwards Volunteer and Project Lead at Blackburn Youth Zone said: “This project came about as one of our Youth Ambassadors spotted dividing graffiti, but we knew it was our role to bring the community together. So working with a group of young people they decided one saying a ‘thank you’ to all of the key workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic.
"The group met and came up with the design which was then outlined by a local artist and collaboratively the young people and Youth Workers made their vision become a reality.”
“The group met and came up with the design which was then outlined by a local artist and collaboratively the young people and Youth Workers made their vision become a reality.”
The Youth Ambassador project funded through Blackburn with Darwen’s Our Community, Our Future social integration funding, ran over the last 12 months and offered young people aged 12-16 an opportunity to become more involved in their community through social integration, social action and team building.
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