New mural unveiled at Paisley Gilmour Street Station

The first panel of the artwork at Paisley Gilmour Street Station depicts how the young people feel – “down, not themselves and like caged animals.”

The watering can in the first panel and the blooming roses in the second represents them deciding to nurture their creativity and relationships.

In the final panel, they depict themselves as liberated, free to be themselves and loved by others.

The mural at Paisley Gilmour Street Station (Image: Supplied)

Tilly O’Connor, a youth worker at the charity, told the Gazette: “In the Summer of 2023, young people at Create Paisley’s Neu Normal group in Shortroods had a discussion about mental health, school, and relationships.

“They went on to depict this discussion in the mural, now visible in Paisley Gilmour Street station.

"They shaped the project throughout the year, from inception to painting, to getting peers at the Paisley drop in to add finishing touches.

“It has been a wonderful project to facilitate and see the young people’s confidence grow throughout.

“They’re chuffed to bits to see their work displayed in such a key feature of their community.”

A young person involved in the project added: “It's cool to walk by it all the time and know I did that.”

CREATE Paisley is an arts charity working with young people aged eight to 25 in Renfrewshire to support good mental health through creativity.

Successfully using this approach since 2009, they have grown from a volunteer-led, evening drop-in (based solely in Paisley) to becoming a charity and expanding to help young people in Linwood and Johnstone.

They also deliver outreach in secondary schools and community settings across Renfrewshire.

Last year 376 young people attended 365 sessions.

On the right, Tilly, who led the project, with two of the young people involved (Image: Supplied)

Following the unveiling of the mural, the charity thanked their funders Children in Need, the National Lottery’s Young Start programme, and the Robertson Trust, and their partners at ScotRail.

Jonathan Lloyd, chief executive of the charity, said: “Celebrating the creativity and talent of the young people of Renfrewshire is what we’re all about, and this mural is an amazing example of that.”