Giant mural painted on side of Whaley Bridge school doubles as a climbing wall

The stunning mural, painted by local artists Lyndsey Selley and Rob Wilson, has completely transformed the drab-looking side of a building at the Buxton Road school and also doubles as a fun climbing wall for the school’s energetic children.

Funding for the project was provided through Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, which distributes money raised from plastic carrier bag sales, following a successful bid by Whaley Bridge Primary School PTA.

Treasurer Jamie Bell, who helped manage the project, said: “We really wanted to keep it as local as possible so we approached Lyndsey Selley who runs the Jarva gallery, and she got one of her artists involved, Rob Wilson.

“They came up with some designs and the headteacher showed them to the children and they had a vote on which one they preferred. Then in the summer Rob and Lyndsey painted the mural and we got a company to install the hand holes for the traversing element of it.

“It really does brighten up the whole area and makes it more attractive for the children.

“The design encapsulates the area, with the boats on the reservoir and the countryside theme, and is a fitting appreciation of the area we live in.”

Leftover funds from the Tesco grant have also been used towards the cost of installing some recycled picnic benches.