Daily community life on six housing estates in Strabane is set to be depicted on a new wall mural.
Strabane artist Noel Boyle with will with young people and local residents on the project.
Melmount Community Forum has been awarded over £4,000 by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Community Cohesion unit to reimage a wall in the Ballycolman estate.
The 16ft x 8ft mural will replace an existing small dilapidated celtic one on the gable wall of the Forum’s offices.
Work is due to get underway this week and it is expected to be finished next month.
The mural is aimed at enhancing and reimaging an area that presently has a dilapidated look and is prone to graffiti and anti-social behaviour.
Graffiti has been removed on a number of occasions and it is envisaged that the mural will have a positive impact and discourage further graffiti.
Strabane artist Terry Boyle has been brought on board and he will work with young people and residents on a programme to promote positive actions and reduce negative actions in the Melmount area.
Mickey Cunningham is Community Development Officer of the Melmount Forum, which is an umbrella group for six estates to be depicted on the mural – Ballycolman, Calvert Cross, Lisnafin, Bridge Street, Carlton Drive and Castlemurray.
He said: “Having engaged with residents and young people we decided that the theme should be community.
“It will focus on inter-generational relationships, local sporting activities including soccer and gaelic, and scenes from the annual St Patrick’s Day parade.
“Having spoken to the more senior residents on the estates they said they wanted a colourful inviting mural that would brighten up the area.
“We will represent life on the community allotment plot and the football pitches and finish the mural with a rainbow to show that the area has a bright future ahead.”
Noel McNulty, NIHE manager in Strabane, said the mural would enhance the quality of life for local residents through increased respect as well as building of trust between other neighbourhoods.
He added: “It will leave a lasting impression of transformation and actively address anti-social behaviour,” he added.
Strabane artist Noel Boyle with will with young people and local residents on the project.
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