New artwork in Purley raises awareness of mental wellbeing
Purley has a new inspiring work of art at the entrance to the town by the railway bridge on the Godstone Road.
This unmissable artwork comprises three distinctive colourful sections with each representing places or topics of interest around the town of Purley. It also ties in with the Purley Business Improvement District (BID) campaign to help improve mental health as the sections also represent the steps to mental wellbeing as promoted by the NHS and supported by MIND in Croydon based on Pampisford Rd, Purley.
The huge artwork has taken over a derelict building which was once the My Old China restaurant. Completing this work has been a labour of love for Purley BID, having started the project almost five years ago, facing numerous hurdles along the way.
Simon Cripps, the delivery manager for Purley BID, says: “This building has been an eyesore in the town for many years now, it is derelict and has attracted anti-social behaviour. Purley BID was committed to making improvements. We would obviously like the building to be redeveloped and have looked into this with the council, local councillors and with the local MP Chris Philp. In the meantime, we are really pleased to finally get this thought-provoking piece of art in place to help inspire people as they enter Purley.”
Pamela Sinlapa, owner of Dan Thai, Purley Road, says: “This is a welcome addition to Purley. It really helps to brighten up the entrance to the town centre.”
Mary Coughlan, owner of Lucinda’s Fashion, Russell Hill Road, Purley, adds: “The building has been left to ruin for so long so it’s great it’s been revitalised. We’re pleased that through our combined effort as members of the Purley BID that this interactive piece of work has been created.”
What the artwork represents
The orange section represents two of the five steps to mental wellbeing – ‘Learn’ and ‘Take Notice’. This section celebrates some of the history of the town including mentions of the iron railway, the links to aviation and the newly restored Purley memorial water fountain. People are encouraged to learn more about the town hence the inclusion of topics such as “Morgan’s” which relates to Henry Morgan, a pioneer of the town who ran a newsagent on the High Street for over 80 years.
The green section represents ‘Be Active’ encouraging people to use the green and open space round the area such as Riddlesdown Common, Happy Valley and the Rotary Field.
The blue section represents ‘Give’ and ‘Connect’. The Purley community is abundant with lots of charities and organisations to allow people to give their time and support to help others. There are also opportunities to connect and socialise with friends and family as well as to share faith.
Karen Tyne, owner of Diane’s Hair & Beauty on the High Street says: “We’re passionate about the town and the great community spirit which is why we’ve had our business here for many years. We hope the artwork encourages more people to delve into the town’s history and become as passionate about the place as we are.”
Purley BID extends its thanks to The Arch Company for granting permission to place the art on their building. Charlotte Cywinski from The Arch Company said: “The derelict My Old China site has been an eyesore in Purley for far too long. We’re delighted that the BID has found an interim solution with Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison to brighten it up. We want to invest money to bring derelict sites like this back into use. We hope to work with the local community to find a long-term future for the site.”
Local Purley artist Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison from KZM studio who provided the inspiration for the stunning piece of art said: “It’s been a real pleasure to undertake this mural with Purley BID. It was really important for us all that, opposed to just being an artwork for artworks sake, the mural held real significance for the community and I feel it’s really achieved that. The community has been so encouraging while we have been working there. Some buying us sandwiches and coffees while we have been working which was so nice. Purley has got such a lovely community spirit, it’s nice to celebrate and encourage that. This building is right on my doorstep, so it’s lovely to see it have a face lift. Although this isn’t a permanent solution, it’s great for now and it’s certainly made it look better even if it’s only temporary.”
Simon Cripps adds: “We really hope that people take to heart the message of mental wellbeing from this innovative artwork. We hope the art will inspire people to use open space more, learn more about the area, take notice about the town, give back to the community and connect with family and friends.”
