Colourful new murals bring the history and aims of Chester Bluecoat Charity to life

Chamber member Graham Boyd has just celebrated the seventh anniversary of his mural production business Absolutely Design. Over that time, he has completed over seventy projects for companies, councils and charities across England and Wales, from Llanelli and Farham in the south to Washington, Tyne and Wear in the North. His latest job however has been a lot closer to home.

The Chester Bluecoat Charity, based in central Chester has brought to life its history and aims in a series of exciting new murals at its historic Bluecoat building in Upper Northgate Street, ten minutes’ walk from Graham’s house. In its main Conference Room, the colourful, life-size murals reflect the charity’s aims to tackle the causes of poverty, disadvantage and inequality across Chester by illustrating how it supports children, food kitchens, specialist cycles and playgrounds. In addition, on its stairwell, the timeline of the Grade II-listed Bluecoat Charity is depicted with key moments from 1717 when the building started to take the shape it has today. Graham said: “As a Cestrian, this was a wonderful project to work on, not least because I pass the Bluecoat Charity several times a week and have always wondered about its history. In addition to the Conference Room mural, the stairwell murals present four highlights of the Bluecoat Charity’s history, starting with the establishment of the School in 1717 when the original hospital was demolished and 1854, when the school was expanded and its iconic clock and Blue Boy added. The other two murals show the bell recovered from the WWI hospital ship, Galeka which came to join the 1717 bell that still tolls every hour, on the hour. Lastly, on the top stairwell the story of the Bluecoat Charity comes right up-to-date when in 2015, the building opened, after a £1.3m revamp as a centre for charities and voluntary organisations.”

Absolutely Design is also known in Chester for its colourful, fun, life-size murals in the car park’s stairwells at Chester’s Northgate Market & Foodhall complex. For further information please visit www.absolutely.design