In the last issue of Black and White, we shared a story about a group of Newington College students who volunteered in the community for Graffiti Removal Day. More than 30 boys took part in the day cleaning, scraping, painting and restoring a large brick wall at Lewisham Nursing Home.

Last month, the group was recognised for their collective service learning efforts at the Graffiti Removal Day Volunteer Reception. Event organisers awarded Newington College with the “Best New Group” Award. Dylan Foster (11/ME) accepted the award on behalf of the group. He was thrilled for the opportunity to meet with NSW Attorney General, the Honourable Mark Speakman, and the Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services, the Honourable Troy Grant. Dylan noted a highlight of the evening was learning about their respective roles in government.

“I believe it is not only important to remove graffiti in our community, but also to educate young people against creating graffiti, especially in our own schools and community,” Dylan said. He hopes to see more area schools involved in Grafitti Removal Day in the years to come.