Northumberland village bus shelter transformed by beautiful mural created by local children

A beautiful mural has been created as part of a village bus shelter refurbishment project.
Lowick parish councillor Rebecca Maitland, mural artist Lynda Nelson and children from Lowick and Holy Island C of E First School.Lowick parish councillor Rebecca Maitland, mural artist Lynda Nelson and children from Lowick and Holy Island C of E First School.
Lowick parish councillor Rebecca Maitland, mural artist Lynda Nelson and children from Lowick and Holy Island C of E First School.

The project was instigated by Rebecca Maitland who, at 20, is Lowick’s youngest ever parish councillor.

Started in March and finished last month, Rebecca’s project has involved the local community, nearby businesses and over 30 children from Lowick and Holy Island First School.

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The shelter now has a new roof, two self-watering planters, a new timetable for tourists, two new noticeboards and personal designs from each of the local school children to create a brand new mural for the back wall with the ‘key points of Lowick’ that includes places such as the church and community orchard.

Work starts on the Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.Work starts on the Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.
Work starts on the Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.

Lynda Nelson, a mural artist from Tyneside who designed the image for the bus shelter, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed working on such an interesting and unusual project in the lovely village of Lowick.

“The children at the school provided me with a lot of great ideas and drawings, which I combined to create my finished design for the mural. Rainbows and local buildings featured in most of their designs, which I think worked really well together.

“It was great to get the children involved in the actual painting of the bus shelter and I think they really enjoyed themselves too!”

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With help from the parish council, Rebecca was also successful in achieving funding from the local Barmoor Wind Farm Community Fund, which covered the cost of the project.

The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.
The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.

Headteacher of Lowick & Holy Island First School, Rebecca Simpson, said: "The children of Lowick and Holy Island First Schools have been proud to contribute their ideas towards Lynda's design and to help her paint the mural - adding our hand and thumb prints.

“We're really glad that Lowick PCC asked us to be part of this project which has really brightened up the bus shelter. Now there is a little piece of Lowick where we have, literally, made our mark!"

Rebecca Maitland said: “I am so pleased with how my first project has gone on the parish council. It was such a pleasure to see the bus shelter, which I myself have used for many years when I was younger, be given a new lease of life.

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“To involve the local school children in designing the mural was very special as it allowed them to paint their own mark in the community, and they thoroughly enjoyed taking part.

The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.
The Lowick bus shelter refurbishment.

“I would like to express my deepest thanks to everyone who has helped me complete my first project; all members of the Parish Council, the school children of Lowick and Holy Island, Lynda Nelson who designed the mural and Will Perks, the joiner who helped with the re-roofing.”

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