Most people are aware that many asylum seekers including children are given initial accommodation at Brigstock House, a rather unattractive building on the corner of Melfort Road and Brigstock Road.
Steps are being taken to improve the presentation of Brigstock House with Councillor Alison Butler using her community ward budget to fund an art project to transform the outside of the building.
Next month will celebrate Refugee Week and Thornton Heath Action Team are working on ideas to create an outdoor seating area with floral planters for residents to appreciate.
However it’s not always easy to organise activities for the children living inside the hostel who sometimes find themselves without even a school place.
To try to rectify this plans are underway to provide art workshops for the resident children. Rise Gallery in St George’s Walk will be helping deliver these workshops and gallery owner Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison said that he is keen to get in touch with Thornton Heath artists and art groups.
He feels that it is vital to engage the community with this project which aims to use art to help these often traumatised children express their creativity and gain the therapeutic benefits this brings.
Contact Kevin on enquiries@rise-gallery.co.uk mentioning the Thornton Heath Chronicle. We’ll bring you news of this event when we have further details as well as reporting on the progress of the project.
View The Chronicle December 2021 issue
