Tyneside youngsters' magnificent mural finds a good Home

Young artists from a supported accommodation project in Newcastle have had their work placed on permanent display in a housing organisation’s head office.

The group of six aged between 16 -19 years-old all live at the Stonham Tyneside Foyer in Westgate Road and are all students of the Entry to Employment (E2E) training programme.

Their work now takes pride of place in The Space which is a not for profit staff restaurant at Home Group’s offices in Gosforth. The mural shows six young people each holding up a letter spelling out the word ‘listen’.

One of the artists, Simon Abraham, 19, said: “We created the art by taking loads of photos before making the image on a computer at the Tyneside Foyer. It was really fun to work as a team and everyone has had something to bring to this project.”

Home Group’s Chief Executive, Mark Henderson, said: “We are delighted with the mural. The young people involved have dedicated a lot of time and energy to create what is a very thought provoking piece of artwork. Displaying the mural in our restaurant is important to us because we want it to be a daily reminder to our staff that our customers, like the young people at Stonham’s Tyneside Foyer, are at the heart of everything we do.”

Home Group’s Executive Director Care and Support, Rachael Byrne, said: “The
artists have really done a great job. I think the mural has been created in a dynamic and exciting way.”

E2E programme aims to encourage learners into employment or equip them with skills to move on to further training.

Stonham’s Tyneside Foyer has one of the most successful E2E programmes in the North East.

The Space restaurant is managed and staffed by Community Catering Initiative, a social enterprise based in Walker.