In Pictures: Benches in Kenilworth get a new lease of life thanks to project

Benches around Kenilworth have been getting a new lease of life thanks to a community project.

Kenilworth Arts Festival has been holding the community engagement project, which is called ‘Beautiful Benches’.

The Kenilworth Arts Festival is an annual event, which was launched in 2016.

Taking place in September, the festival takes place over a period of 10 days and includes events, workshops and exhibitions, which are held in various venues around the town.

The group secured funding from town councillors and also had a private donation to revamp benches around Kenilworth.

A spokesperson from the group said: “So far we have revamped two in Talisman Square, four in Station Road, the bench opposite Sainsburys and there is one nearly finished in Regency Drive.

"The idea was to create beautiful social meeting points on tired benches, giving them a new lease of life.

“We set up a project with Year 7 students at school who designed benches and three of the designs were given to local artists to reimage for the station road designs.

"Other benches have been painted by local artists, members of the Kenilworth Arts Festival committee and we are planning on painting a community bench in September as well as two or three other benches.

"The longer term plan is to create a benches trail around Kenilworth.”

For more information about the project go to: https://www.kenilworthartsfestival.co.uk/beautifulbenches/