Mural brightens Newham Hospital's entrance
Newham’s community has come together to create and launch a 100 metre-long mural celebrating the area’s history, health, education and diversity.
The art work constructed from 75, eight foot high story boards, was unveiled with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Newham University Hospital.
The individual story boards were created by Plaistow community painting groups, local schools, hospital patients and staff, and fit together to tell the colourful history of the borough.
The Glen Road Community Mural is the result of a joint community project between Newham Council, Barts Health NHS Trust, and the independent resident-led community organisation Plaistow South Big Local.
The original idea behind the mural was to give local children and residents a positive image of street art, to counteract the anti-social alternative of spraying graffiti.
Newham University Hospital’s deputy director of estates, Justin Pereira said: “We decided to get children involved in painting the mural to counter the area’s graffiti and I’m astonished by what we’ve achieved. We know that the environment of a hospital can make a real difference to our patients, and this mural creates such a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere. It is the result of our community coming together, and I’m excited to see what else we can achieve in the future.”
Councillor Forhad Hussain, cabinet member for sports and leisure explained: “This project has been a great example of what can be achieved through partnership. By bringing people together from different sections of the community to create something positive, we build strong community bonds, and promote pride in our environment.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the project for their enthusiasm, commitment and creativity.
“The mural represents Newham's exciting diversity and stretches throughout our rich history. It has been fantastic to bring so many people together to create a lasting and spectacular display that celebrates our community.”
Denny Cornuaud, Chair of Plaistow South Big Local said: “We are very excited at the completion of the Glen Road Community Mural. This is truly a reflection of partnership in action and community engagement, with more than 1000 local people participating to create an artistic representation of issues and themes important to people’s lives in Plaistow South and across Newham. It is a legacy for local people to own and enjoy for years to come”.