Our project team at The Strand in Liverpool is proud to be supporting a local arts club thought to be the oldest in the country.

The team recently donated funds towards The Liver Sketching Club, which was founded in 1872 and has been heavily affected by the recent lockdown during the current pandemic. Despite the closure of the club, it has continued to support members by offering portrait classes via Zoom.

This move has proven to be incredibly popular and has gathered momentum through the public in Merseyside and beyond being able to take part.

This fantastic initiative provides opportunities for vulnerable people and those isolating on their own to become part of a community.

Recognising the positive impact this initiative has created, the club sought funding to expand and improve by purchasing a video camera and laptop to continue offering participation to reach more people. GRAHAM’s team assisted with a donation which will help classes continue and expand in reach.

Hugh McNally, Project Manager for GRAHAM, said: “Initiatives such as the Liver Sketching Club’s online portrait classes are invaluable for people, not only in the current climate but in normal life, as they offer people who are, for various reasons unable to physically meet people, the chance to be part of a like-minded community.”

“Our team at The Strand was delighted to assist with a donation to the club, which supports our ethos of delivering lasting impact within the communities we serve. We look forward to seeing the online classes continue to thrive and grow in popularity.”

GRAHAM’s Civil Engineering division is delivering The Strand works to redesign one of Liverpool’s most famous roads, making it more cycle-friendly, improving public spaces and reducing congestion.

They form part of the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC) scheme, a far-reaching, multi-million-pound programme to make Liverpool city centre easier to navigate for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

Liver Sketching Club has its studio in Oriel Chambers, Water Street, anyone wishing to become a member or join classes or the online Zoom portrait classes should visit their website.