A team of teenagers have brightened up Hackney with a 20 foot mural, which they hope will challenge people’s negative perception of the borough.
The 10 girls from Clapton Girls’ Technology College in Laura Place spent the weekend painting their mural on the wall of special needs school Downsview in Downs Road.
Calling themselves ‘Tick 4 Change,’ they have spent the last nine months creating a bold design to showcase the best of Hackney and brighten up the neighbourhood.
The team was awarded �500 in December to make their social action project a reality, by a panel of top business ‘Dragons’ in social charity Envision’s Pitch4Change competition, which helps young people make a difference in their communities.
Team leader Rashida Khanom,16, said: “We wanted to show that young people care.
“Looking back to where we started sitting round a table talking about ideas and now seeing the mural up with all the bright colours, I feel like we’ve really achieved something.”
Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and Shadow Health Minister, congratulated the girls for securing the funding and for getting the community project off the ground.
“Well done to the students from Clapton Girls’ Technology School who have proved themselves to be real entrepreneurs,” she said.
Envision are recruiting volunteers to take part in the schools programme next year, for more information see www.envision.org.uk/volunteers/eye_role
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