Gisborne artist Christina Morrell has painted a striking mural on Grey St as part of a community-led initiative to beautify the central city.

Morrell said she could not take part in last month’s city centre spring clean, but wanted to do something to brighten up a section of Grey St that had been graffitied.

She enlisted the help of daughter Sara Wilson, granddaughter Ella Wilson and friend Judy Murphy, and they spent last Sunday painting the mural.

“I would describe it as whichever way the wind blows and summer is blowing in,” she said. “The flowers are hibiscus, which represent summer to me.”

A central city spring clean was organised by Jason and Meredith Akuhata Brown for November.

About 30 people volunteered to carry out a “spruce-up” after complaints that the city was looking tired and dirty.

They swept streets, painted over unwanted graffiti, cleaned up rubbish and the outside of shop windows. The clean-up went further, with people volunteering to paint some of the blank pieces of plywood that covered an empty building on the riverside end of Gladstone Rd.

Jason Akuhata-Brown said since the initial spring clean, he had been approached by several artists, including Morrell, who wanted to contribute.

He applied undercoat on several sites himself to cover graffiti before the artists set to work.

Akuhata-Brown said the landowners had been happy for the work to go ahead and had supplied paint rollers for the project. Other artists, such as Stellar Kristel, were also keen to do more murals in the city.

If there were any businesses that would like to contribute, they still need paint, especially spray paint, he said.

Meeting next week to discuss improving city centre vitality

Trust Tairāwhiti is hosting a public meeting next week for the community to share ideas and aspirations for the city centre.

The meeting is one of several being held across various interest groups to discuss potential catalyst projects to improve Gisborne’s city centre vitality, the trust said.

“The session will cover what city centre vitality looks like for Gisborne and initiatives and actions that could help achieve that.

“The session’s insights will inform a broader City Centre Revitalisation project led by Trust Tairāwhiti, Gisborne District Council and Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust.

“We aim to select a short list of ideas to progress early next year.”

The meeting is at Tautua Village - Level 2, 100 Grey St - is at 5.30pm on Wednesday, December 11.

RSVP to ryan@trusttairawhiti.nz by Monday.

Spud in a Bucket weigh-in at Bunnings on Saturday

The weigh-in for the Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti Spud in a Bucket competition is being held on Saturday.

Weighing runs from 9am to 11am in the Bunnings Gisborne carpark.

Anyone arriving with their bucket outside those times will not get their harvest weighed or be eligible for a prize.

“Once weighed in and the results are recorded, entrants do not need to wait until prizegiving, as long as we have their contact details,” Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson said.

The morning’s event includes a sausage sizzle and the Bunnings lucky mystery prize draw.

Robinson said the competition was “a wonderful way” to have environmentally friendly fun while supporting the local charity.

“Not only that, you get to eat the fresh spuds for your Christmas dinner. Some people take it remarkably seriously.”

Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti supports over 100 people with dementia in the region.

Robinson said living with a person with dementia put “an incredible strain” on all the family, so Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti offered a monthly carer support group, education seminars and a grief coaching programme.

“We are partially funded through the health system for a small proportion of our work,” she said.

“We are hugely dependent on community support through our fundraising to ensure we can continue to offer our services.”