Cheam School Councils Meet in Graffiti Summit

5.59.40pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 4th Feb 2005

Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, took part in a summit meeting between the school councils of Cheam Park Farm Infants and Cheam High School this week (Wednesday 2nd Feb) to discuss graffiti and anti-social behaviour. Also attending was Sutton Member of Youth Parliament Amy Haldane, who has been shadowing Paul for the week.

The meeting was organised by the two school councils following a meeting Mr Burstow had with the Cheam Park Farm School Council last year. Then the children had written to their local MP expressing their concerns about graffiti, litter and vandalism in the North Cheam area. The infants took a very dim view of graffiti and vandalism and wanted to do something about it, Mr Burstow suggested one action could be to meet with high school aged children.

The meeting took the form of a round table discussion with four children from Cheam Park Farm posing questions which were then discussed. Topics covered were graffiti and how to get the message across to those who do it to stop, more police, locking alleyways on the Park Farm Estate, and CCTV. Commenting Paul Burstow said:

"It was a very good meeting. The infants got their points across and we had a good discussion. The two school councils agreed to organise a poster competition with the infants producing anti-graffiti posters and the high school judging them. There was even one suggestion from a Cheam High student for the introduction of a graffiti wall in the area where 'artists' could legally display their work. The wall would be maintained by the graffiti artists who would paint the wall clean every few weeks.

"Young people want to feel safe too. So it was not surprising that the need for more police on the streets came up. I was able to tell the good news that the area should be getting a Safer Neighbourhood Police Team in May. They were even more impressed when I told them that the Sergeant in charge of the Team will be publicising their mobile number.

"When the Safer Neighbourhood Team is up and running I hope they will meet up with both Cheam High and Cheam Park Farm Infants School Councils."