04 July 2008
Youngsters from across Caerphilly are being invited to come along and learn about the laws surrounding graffiti in a workshop to be held at Caerphilly Skate Park.
The event, which is set to take place on Monday 14th July (weather permitting) from 4:00pm - 8:00pm adjacent to Caerphilly Leisure Centre, will be an excellent opportunity for youngsters to put any questions they have surrounding graffiti to a professional.
The Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership, which includes Caerphilly Council and Gwent Police, has funded the workshop, during which a professional graffiti artist will be available to chat to youngsters about what the laws are surrounding graffiti, and the fact that illegal graffiti is criminal damage.
This workshop will also provide an opportunity for final preparations to be made to the first legal graffiti wall in the Caerphilly county borough, which is to be officially launched on Monday 21st July.
Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Lyn Ackerman said, "This Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership funded workshop will provide an ideal opportunity for young people from across the area to put any questions they may have about graffiti to a professional graffiti artist.
The legal graffiti wall, which will be launched the following week, will allow youngsters the opportunity to display their artwork in a completely legal way, without resorting to spraying graffiti in buildings and property in the locality, as has been the problem in recent times."
PC Phil Thomas from the Caerphilly Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "We have been working closely with Safer Caerphilly, the Youth Offending Service and Caerphilly Council over the last few months to address illegal graffiti in the area.
This workshop is the latest in a series of initiatives to engage with young people and make sure that they understand the laws around criminal damage and the negative impact that graffiti can have on the community. We hope that the young people who attend the workshop will make full use of the legal graffiti wall when it is up and running later in the month."
Lloyd Roberts, a local professional graffiti artist said, "It's important that we are able to get across to the youngsters of Caerphilly that illegal graffiti is criminal damage. However, there are ways that they are able to pursue their hobby legally and I'll be at the skate park on the 14th July to answer any questions that people may have on graffiti, while at the same time emphasising ways that graffiti can be done legally.
The legal graffiti wall will be an excellent youth facility for the area, which I anticipate will be extremely popular."
For further information, please contact the Blackwood based Youth Offending Service on01495 235623 or the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership on 01443 864374.
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