Bootle street's new community garden blooms

COLLEAGUES and customers of 1 Vision Housing have teamed up with Taking Root to create a new community garden in Bootle. The community garden, located on Bianca Street in Bootle, was once a hot spot for fly tipping until the housing association stepped in with support from the local charity, Taking Root.

Colete, a spokesperson from Taking Root said:- "Thanks to the support of 1 Vision Housing we are thrilled to have transformed an unused and unloved space into a thriving community garden."

One Vision Housing provides over 13.6k homes across the North West, and as part of The Sovini Group works closely with partner organisations like Taking Root to forge a better future for communities.

Fellow members of the Group also supported the project, with Sovini Waste Solutions donating a skip to remove fly tipping, and Sovini Property Services donating wood chippings to be used in the garden.

Ian Mitchell, Managing Director at 1 Vision Housing said:- "It is wonderful to see the hard work and dedication that has brought this new community garden to life. At The Sovini Group we believe in creating a better future for the communities we serve and this project is already having a direct, positive impact on those living in Bootle. We look forward to working with Taking Root and fellow Group members to create more thriving community gardens."

Funding is available for 1 Vision Housing's customers that would like to create a community garden. A total of £15,000 is also available each year for voluntary and community groups through the housing association's Community Development Fund.

To learn more, please visit:- OVH.Org.UK.

The man behind the surge in window art!

A window art craze is spreading across the Region; with many businesses and people's homes being decorated in themed window art to stand out. With Halloween and Christmas coming soon, the surge in decorative windows is set to increase and a phantom window artist from Wirral has been revealed!

James Connolly, aged 29, is the owner of Signs By James and has given hundreds of windows a new look since he started his creative business in 2017. From themed window art for:- Halloween, Christmas, Easter or special occasions to decorative windows, as a surprise or just for hell of it, James' unique service has been a talking point throughout the Region.

The talented local artist offers window art and murals to businesses and individuals; such is the calibre of his work, he has been commissioned by the likes of Subway to create masterpieces for them. With more and more of his work popping up and some high profile commissions, Wirral's very own 'Banksy' isn't as elusive as the legendary street artist.

James explained:- "I was going about my work quietly and behind the scenes until I received loads of media attention earlier this year. I hit the news due to my story of being a talented artist who forgot his talent until I was asked to do a sign for a pub and forged a career in art by accident. Since then things have been pretty crazy. I have been inundated with work and I'm about to enter the busiest time of the year; with many businesses preparing for Halloween and Christmas windows. The feedback has been amazing since I started doing this and more and more people are starting to realise that windows are the front of a business and therefore a great advertising opportunity."

 

James started his business as a side hustle whilst doing his day job but eventually made Signs By James his full time occupation after work of mouth and his media attention propelled him into the limelight. Now, thanks to his new found celebrity artist status, if you see some super cool window art or a mural somewhere you know who the creator might well be.

James summarised:- "There are a small handful of us renegade artists around and I always liked the mystery of it all with people wondering who did them but the secret is well and truly out with me now! The crazy thing is the more I do the more demand I get; I'm now sometimes working every hour of daylight to complete them!"

James Connolly is the owner of Signs By James and offers commercial signs, window and mural designs. His hundreds of clients include:- Subway, The Good Hood, Zero Clucks, Dream Body gym, The Ship, Dogs Go, Raw 4 PAWS and The Fenwick Sunrise Hotel at The Slaughter House. James works on a free consultation and free quote basis.

Have you seen his work around the Liverpool City Region? If you think you have, please do let us know where you think you spotted it, by emailing our Newsroom at:-  News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter.