In October 2018 YMCA Glenrothes received funding from Fife Council‘s Local Community Planning Committee to support the delivery of a ‘Graffiti Project’ to transform the underpass tunnel close to the Y.
Led by Donna, Y Engagement Worker, the project aimed to bring together both current and ex residents and encourage them to get involved in a positive and transformational project which could showcase their achievements.
After months of planning, the project kicked off in April 2019 with the support of Dundee based Graffiti Artist, Ian Tayac, also known as ‘Paco Graff’. Across three workshops, Ian assisted the team and encouraged them to come up with ideas and designs that they could spray paint inside the tunnel. The team decided that they wanted to use the project as an opportunity to portray their journey through homelessness, showing YMCA Glenrothes as the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.
With the help of Fife College Access to Further Education with Community Support and Learning students, the tunnel was painted with an undercoat in preparation for the spray painting to begin. Over the course of a two week period, the tunnel was transformed and the team were given the opportunity to get involved and spray paint their designs onto the wall.
The project’s success is an excellent example of partnership working and we thank all of the volunteers who helped out and dedicated their time.
Brian Robertson-Fern, chair of YMCA Glenrothes who opened the underpass in June, said:
“This has been a fantastic project and we are delighted that students from Fife College Access to Further Education have been able to help in the preparatory work on the walls. It’s been a real team effort by young people and a great example of partnership working.”