YOUNG PEOPLE had the opportunity to brighten up Stroud thanks to a half-term street art workshop.

It was run by Stroud Town Council in partnership with Paganhill PCSO Amy Webb and the Neighbourhood Wardens.

Artist Lee Kirby, known as The Art of 3rdEye, and a group of young people worked on Beard’s Lane railway bridge, a long stretch of metal walling.

Nine young people, aged 11-15, took part in the project which was supported by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Mayor Stella Parkes said: “We’re thankful to The National Lottery Community Fund for its support for this great project

Stroud News and Journal: Young people have opportunity to brighten up Stroud, thanks to a half-term street art workshop.“The permanent mural has brightened up an area that is well used by school and college students."

The free workshops provide young people an opportunity to practise street art with an established artist.

The council has had positive feedback from the young people involved.

Ms Parkes said: “These workshops are providing the opportunity to receive mentoring from a professional artist and to see authority figures in a fresh light. 

“It also allows them to feel connected to the community and to be valued.

"The more we do to ensure young people feel part of the community the more we can tackle anti-social behaviour.”

One parent, whose son took part, said: "Thank you for giving my son the opportunity to put his passion and skills into action.

"He struggles with his confidence at times, but he’s come home really proud of himself and his creativity, having been really engaged and learning throughout and can’t wait to show his family what he’s created.

"It sometimes seems as though there isn’t enough for teens to get involved with locally but this made our half term."

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.

As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.