The Big Picture: A Scouts mural is unveiled in the Wirral

On 4 November, Wirral Scouts came together to celebrate Scouts in their District, toast marshmallows, and most importantly, unveil their new 72 square metre mural.

After young people and Local Growth Officer, Karen Currums, chose a design for the mural, local artist Paul Curtis spent 10 days painting on the side of a Care & Community building – an organisation empowering 16–21-year-olds to learn life skills after leaving the care system.

As well as the artist Paul Curtis, Wirral Scouts were joined by Jerry Williams (Wirral Mayor), Sean Conway (Scouts Adventurer) and Liz Henderson (Chief Commissioner of England) to reveal the finished mural for the first time.

It was a particularly special day for Scouts and volunteers in the area. They were delighted to see the finished mural and felt especially proud to be Wirral Scouts.

The meaning behind the mural

Karen had been thinking about ways to make Wirral Scouts more visible. She thought, ‘How many people truly know Scouts meet on a Tuesday night to give young people skills for life and positively impact the local community?’

Together, they wanted to recognise Wirral Scouts’ achievements over the years, show the movement as relevant and active, and hopefully encourage their community to find out more.

A mural seemed like the perfect way to attract attention, celebrate the movement and hopefully increase the fantastic work Scouts is doing in the IMD-1 area, where opportunities for young people are needed most.

The painting shows two Scouts, Birkenhead Explorer Jack and West Wirral Scout Beatrice, sharing a joyful moment around a campfire. It truly represents the warmth and friendship of Scouts.

The artist and location

Paul Curtis is an experienced mural painter, who’s well known in the Merseyside area. When Karen told him about the history of Scouts in the Wirral District, he was inspired and very keen to paint the mural.

With a design in mind and an artist on board, the next step was to decide a location. Karen told us they chose the wall of the Care & Community building, who help teenagers adjust to life after being in care.

‘Where better to paint a Scouts mural than on the side of an organisation’s building who are also supporting young people?’ said Karen. ‘It’s the perfect merging of two youth-oriented organisations doing fantastic work in the community, especially since community partnerships are a key objective in the Wirral Growth Project.’

Led by young people

Young people were involved in the project every step of the way. It was important the project was youth shaped from the start.

‘I was very keen to get youth voice into the project,’ said Karen. ‘I created and sent a survey to all Wirral Groups. I asked them to build it into their programmes by explaining the project and asking the young people what they’d like the mural to look like.’

Karen asked questions like:

• What values should we be trying to show in our Scouts mural?
• What do we want people to think and feel when they look at it?
• Who do we want in the mural?
• What would you paint?

In total, Karen got 102 responses through the survey and visiting local groups.

Young people chosen

Jack and Beatrice were the two members chosen to be in the finished piece. It represents a special Scouts moment – enjoying a chat around a warming campfire and making friends and memories.

As well as the Scouts themselves making friends, Jack being 17 years old made the mural an even greater connection with Care & Community Ltd, who care for young people the same age.

With a design created, Paul Curtis picked up his paintbrush on 23 October and started bringing the mural to life.

The big unveiling

With the mural finished and ready to be admired, Scouts from across the District gathered together to unveil the mural.

Lots of young people came early to help set up for the event. Once everything was ready, they headed into Care & Community Ltd to learn more about the work they do.

Around 75 people came for the unveiling. They enjoyed food and beverages, while listening to Sean Conway and Liz Henderson say a few words.

The Explorers decided to become ‘Explorer Reporters’ for the day, asking the attendees what they thought of the mural. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

One Explorer asked Liz Henderson what she thought of the mural. She replied ‘I think it’s fabulous and really eye catching – it’s huge, you can’t fail to see it. I think it really demonstrates how we can collaborate together and the essence of what Scouts is all about.'

Another Explorer reflected on meeting Sean Conway, saying 'It was a really nice experience meaning Sean. I was inspired by his unmatched work ethic and his determination that if he has a goal he will hold to it, such as his astonishing 105 Ironmans in 105 days, which is unheard of.'