MK Dons sign wall art created by young people
What footballer would choose to sign a titchy little football when they can leave their signature with a flourish on a huge wall art football?! Certainly not the MK Dons players who turned out to sign artwork created by young people on the underpass by Grafton Street near stadiummk.
The group of young people, from Wolverton, Stacey Bushes and Stony Stratford, applied to the Youth Opportunity Fund, managed by MK YouthBank, for funds to redecorate the previously run-down underpass area. MK sYouthBank awarded the group £4,500. Supported by Milton Keynes Council Youth Service, young people led the project, including planning, designing and decorating the area, over a period of 4 months.
MK Dons defender Jude Stirling, and strikers Sam Baldock and Aaron Wilbraham joined Paul Mitchell, Community Ambassador for the MK Dons Sport and Education Trust to sign the football on the wall as the young artists who form the Urban Arts Academy, a group they set up themselves, looked on. The Urban Arts Academy aims to work on other community art projects and is formed of Shane Ferdinand (17 years), Stephen Charters (18 years), Alex Rowe (18 years), Chelsea Jefferson (17 years) and Jack Michalski (15 years). They worked on the wall art with budding younger artists and keen MK Dons fans Scott Perry (12 years) and Charlie Jones (11 years).
Shane Ferdinand and Stephen Charters of the young people-formed Urban Arts Academy said, “We’re really pleased that the MK YouthBank funds enabled us to pass on the skills we’ve learnt over the years to younger people, steering them away from doing graffiti illegally.”
Terry Isles, the Milton Keynes Youth Worker supporting the group, said, “This is an excellent example of young people giving up their time to make a difference to local communities, making the underpass a more pleasant place to pass through. Young people took the initiative on the project from start to finish, and they should be really proud of their achievement.”
John Cove, Chief Executive of the Milton Keynes Dons Sport and Education Trust added, “These young people have taken positive action to brighten up a previously derelict space and our players are delighted to be able to support such an innovative, community-minded project.“
