A bpha youth project that supported the transformation of a games area has been finished off with stunning graffiti boards produced by the young people who made the project possible.

The young people celebrated the completion of their new multi-use games area in Bedford’s Offa Road with a football tournament on Monday evening.

One of the involved group, 15-year-old Nicheala Endersby, said: “I got involved because I thought it would take up some time to stop me being bored and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. It’s very interesting and something nice to have legal graffiti and for the youths to enjoy it and work with new people.

“I would like to encourage more people to get involved as there are two sides to the project – enjoyment and helping to improve your area.”

The young people were key to the project’s success, successfully bidding for  £38,500 of funds to support the £70k pledged by the borough.

They were supported by bpha’s community development team and the Community & Voluntary Service , who helped the young people put in their funding bid to ‘Streetcred’, the Youth Opportunities Fund.

The youngsters’ involvement didn’t stop at the bid – they also undertook activities such as learning to do risk assessments, planning, designing and shopping for the graffiti workshops and completing evaluations, all of which is helping them to work towards an ASDAN Activities Award.

They demonstrated a total commitment to the project, turning out to produce their boards in their own time and in some of the worst of the snow that the country endured earlier in the year.

And the project has had added benefits for some of the team – four of the group have undertaken a Junior Football Organisers’ training course.

bpha’s Chief Executive, John Cross, said: “This is a great result for the young people, who now have a fantastic facility and a whole set of new skills, and for the local community, which has seen a dilapidated games area turned into a fantastic place for young people to use.

“It’s a great testament to the young people and all the partners involved – our own community development team, CVS and the borough council – that such a great outcome has been achieved.”

And the result of the football? With performances that would surely put the England team to shame the tournament was won by 4-2 by Sport Support in a keenly contested final with the Offa Road Young People’s side.