Young cubs sign up to tackle graffiti

Painting over graffiti is a splash of fun and benefits the community, a local cubs group has discovered.

About 20 girls and boys who belong to the St Nicholas Scout Group in Barrington have just become the youngest volunteers to join Christchurch City Council’s Graffiti Team and help remove tagging from walls around the city.

These St Nicholas Scout Group cubs are the youngest volunteers helping to combat graffiti around Christchurch.

The cubs, aged seven to 10, had their first experience of painting over graffiti on a Madras St building a few weeks ago and it was such a success they have committed to helping out once every school term.

St Nicholas Cubs Leader Chris Rutherford says he wanted the kids to get involved in volunteering and the graffiti removal has been a big success, despite the children getting covered in paint.

“It was fantastic, it was a pretty cold night and it was dark but the kids had a ball. We had hot chocolates at the end of the night and it was a really productive time. When you get a bunch of kids really focused on something it’s amazing what they can get done. They did a really good job.”

Paint, brushes, buckets, and plastic shoe covers were all provided by the Council’s Graffiti Team.

Becoming volunteers is a great way to help the kids think about impact of graffiti and the effort involved in getting rid of it, Mr Rutherford says.

“This is a good age to instill them with the volunteering ethos. We also do regular tree planting with Council park rangers at Halswell Quarry Park on Saturday mornings. Joining the graffiti team is a way to show them that tagging isn’t cool and here’s a way to make a positive impact on the place we live in.”

Mr Rutherford says the cubs go on regular walks through the central city and they will now combine that with some graffiti spotting, reporting tagging to the Council using the Snap, Send, Solve app.

He says they will work towards creating a mural to paint over graffiti early next year which will give them the chance to be more creative.

Council Graffiti Team Leader Val Merryweather says it’s fantastic that children so young are willing to volunteer for the benefit of the community. “We’re so impressed that these kids are willing to put their time into graffiti removal. It’s fantastic to see a social conscience emerging in children their age.”

The Council’s Off the Wall volunteer initiative harnesses volunteers to combat tagging and graffiti around the city. Run by the Council’s Graffiti Programme, Off the Wall will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this year.

Last year over 1000 people from the community – including 150 individuals and many community groups – helped the Council reduce graffiti vandalism.

How can you help?

• Become a volunteer: Paint over graffiti, spot and report tagging for removal, or work with mural artists as an art teacher or mentor. Email graffitiprogramme@ccc.govt.nz or call in to one of the weekly volunteer information sessions at the Linwood Service Centre, 180 Smith St, Linwood each Thursday between 9am and 1.30pm.

• Report graffiti: phone: (03) 941 8999, email: info@ccc.govt.nz or use the free App: Snap, Send, Solve to report incidents directly to the Council.