People from all walks of life are invited to give their ideas on how to make a problem area of Weymouth a ‘place of pride’. 

The Friends of Rodwell Trail and Sandsfoot Castle are urging artists of all ages and abilities in Dorset to get behind a project aimed at transforming the Wyke Road tunnel.

Local people are once again being invited to be part of the creative design process for a high quality mural inside the tunnel as part of a brand new competition which will launch in November.

Claudia Moore, chairman of the Friends group, said: “Since it was refurbished we can see it could be a most brilliant space and it is an enormous canvas itching for something good to happen.

“Every art group, college and secondary school has already been approached and some schools are including the project within their curriculum while others are running the idea as an after school club.

“You can be under eight or over 80, everybody is encouraged to enter including inmates at Portland Young Offenders Institute and The Verne.”

Claudia added that the refurbished tunnel has begun to attract graffiti, but hopes these “creative” people will also be inspired to enter the competition.

She said: “We won’t forget the maintenance. Ad-hoc graffiti can be dealt with, washed off and the anti-graffiti clear top coat applied before it gets going.”

The project is aimed at fighting a notion that ‘art doesn’t matter’, by giving artistic people in the area a ‘visual voice’. 

The Friends are seeking funding support and have secured a grant of £1500 towards the cost of painting the mural thanks to construction product company Saint-Gobain Weber, and campaigns by Cllr Richard Kosior with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Painting of the mural is due to take place in August next year. 

The competition will launch at the Friends’ next AGM in Weymouth Old Town Hall on Monday, November 6 at 6pm. Entries can be made anonymously.

More information can be found on the Friends’ Facebook page or see sandsfootcastle.org.uk