Budding young artists have helped brush up a community building in Morpeth with their designs.
For thanks to funding from local housing provider Isos and the Esh Group, a 10ft high mural is now brightening up the community iLearn centre in Stobhill.
Painted by Ashington’s Ross Cessford, the mural incorporates the winning entries from Aisling Calvert-Hewison, of Willington Quay, Lucy Billham, from Bedlington, and Lily Waters, of Stakeford, who took part in an Isos drawing competition.
The children and their families joined Isos at a family fun day in Plessey Woods Country Park last month to mark the opening of a new sculpture trail created by youngsters from the Bedlington based charity Leading Link.
The mile-long trail, funded by the Sita Trust and the Foyer Federation, features 11 installations ranging from a 6ft tall carved wooden owl, to giant willow sculptures. It inspired Aisling (7), to draw a picture of a giant panda in the wood, while eight-year-old Lucy drew a colourful fox and six-year-old Lily’s design featured an owl.
Their drawings helped Ross design the mural, which also incorporates other aspects of the trail – notably the fairy houses that have been built into some of the trees in the country park.
As well as the mural, work has also been carried out to redesign the garden area of the iLearn centre on Shields Road in Stobhill.
Now, there’s a paved seating area for visitors to enjoy and it’s hoped to install a polytunnel on site following plans to host horticultural classes at the community hub.
The iLearn centre works with people in the local community to help boost their employment opportunities by providing the support needed to improve their English, maths, ICT and employability skills.
A partnership between Isos, Northern Learning Trust (NLT) and Northumberland Community Enterprise Ltd. (NCEL), it also works with people in the community who have low level mental health problems through a scheme called “Community Confidence” delivered by Stepping Up.