A vibrant rainforest-inspired mural has been unveiled at Marple Station thanks to a youth engagement project coordinated by the Friends of Marple Station.

The idea for the mural first came about last year, when local artist Helen Middleton was working with Marple Youth Project, an organisation encouraging children in Stockport to gain confidence through creative projects.

At the Marple Art Trail open day, Helen spotted the artistic talents of 12-year-old Joseph and knew he’d be a great artist to enlist the help of when asked by the Friends of Marple Station to produce a mural for the station.

Joseph created the original design, opting for an eye-catching and vividly coloured jungle theme. The design was then transferred onto the wall over four days with the help of around a dozen children taking part in one of Marple Youth Project’s holiday clubs. The use of water-based acrylic pens created a relaxed and accessible environment for the community project, where other children waiting for trains could lend a hand.

At the unveiling event earlier this month, BBC weather presenter Kay Crewdson was a special guest, and presented the young artists with a voucher to say thank you for their hard work on the mural.

Peter Black, chair of the Friends of Marple Station, said: “Marple Station is a fantastic local community collaboration, and we are very proud of our young people, their artistic skills and dedication in producing this fantastic artwork.

“Work on the mural has brought children from many backgrounds together and the results are greatly appreciated by users of our railway station.”

Find out more about Northern’s work in the community here.

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Friends of Marple Station via their website and Facebook page.