On Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June, between 10am and 5pm, young people will get the chance to brighten up the skate park at Leesland Park, Gosport, as part of a street Art/Graffiti clearance project.
Arranged in partnership with the Police, the Friends of Leesland Park and Streetscene, the event is being sponsored by Mambo Surf and organised by Gosport Borough Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Officer, Kirstie Smile.
“Graffiti costs the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds every year and it creates an environment where crime and the fear of crime thrive,” said Kirstie.
“An area covered in graffiti not only looks bad, but for some people living close by they they associate it with crime, gangs and vandalism and it deters them from using the facility. That is where the Positive Changes scheme and projects such as the Street Art/ Clean up Days can make a difference.
They are part of a variety of initiatives set up to tackle graffiti. The aim of the project is always to brighten up an area and, by removing the graffiti you also seem to remove with it the sense of fear that is felt by some, particularly the elderly.”
The Leesland skate park, which has been vandalised several times, will be cleaned of graffiti and youngsters will be encouraged to produce a mural to brighten up the area. Hopefully this will encourage those who use the skatepark to take ownership of the facility and a pride in their community.
The young people, who will be split into 3 groups, will take turns at the following activities -
Creating a mural at the Skate Park using stencils and sprays.
Cleaning up existing Graffiti on the children’s play park, using the graffiti wipes provided by Streetscene.
Discussing the effects of Criminal Damage, such as Graffiti, on Gosport as a community.
The aim of the day is to involve as many people from the community as possible in clean up of the park and The Friends of Leesland Park are happy to be involved with the project.
“We hope that the young people who take part in painting the ramps at the skate park will take a real pride in their work and feel a greater sense of inclusion,” added Kirstie.
“It won’t just brighten the skatepark but the whole area, making the park an important community facility which can be used and enjoyed by everyone - from the very young to the elderly
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