#iwill campaign: Berwick guides get creative to brighten up their community; The girls helped place artwork on rundown areas in Berwick-upon-Tweed as part of a community street art project.

Byline: Katie Dickinson

Guiding groups in Berwick-upon-Tweed got creative with social action when they took part in a community street art project designed to brighten up rundown areas of the town centre.

When a local art project was set up to decorate these areas and place artwork and murals in shop windows, the local guiding community jumped at the chance to help.

The girls have shared their story as part of the Chronicle's #iwill campaign to help young people who desperately want to improve their communities.

The groups got in touch with local artist, Felicity Payling, who spoke to the girls about the project and sketched a design for them to paint.

All young members in the guiding area, aged between seven and 14, were asked to vote on the design for the mural and the most popular choice was of the Berwick Bridges. The design also included pictures of swans, seals and seagulls.

The final painting was attached by several guiding leaders to the Youngman's building in Berwick town centre -- a building which had been derelict for a long time but is now being regenerated.

More than 40 young Girlguiding members took part in the project and enjoyed painting the mural, brightening up the town centre and tidying up an area that was looking rundown and tired.

Guide Mary Miles said: "It was really rewarding to brighten up a derelict corner of town with paintings depicting local Berwick scenes.

"I particularly liked the local wildlife in the paintings. I painted a seal basking on a rock in the River Tweed and the others painted otters, herons, seagulls and a cormorant...

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