Arthur - detail

It's part of the life of the streetartist, I guess, that if someone has abandoned a car in front of the location of the next place you are due to paint, you just get on and do your work despite the presence of the car. That's what Shona Hardie has had to do with her fresh mural of Arthur Williams, who was homeless on and in the vicinity of Leith Walk, but who is now in a care home after decades on the street. And it's also what I've had to do when photographing it, so here's a detail rather than the whole mural, which can only be photographed from a wide angle. Funnily enough, when I was there today there was another photographer who identified himself as being from the Times (boo hiss, Murdoch), and he was obviously struggling too.

In her Facebook post about the new mural, Shona simply reproduced the press release by Arthur's family and I will do likewise below the line, as it were. It explains more what they were trying to achieve when they supported Shona to do this wonderful work.

This was a high point in a fairly quiet Monday - although it was blessedly dry. I popped over to Leith Walk after a vigorous 30 minutes on the cross trainer in the Council gym.

-------------

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE FAMILY OF ARTHUR WILLIAMS
People experiencing and at risk of homelessness battle extremely difficult circumstances every day and never more so than during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Research shows that if you’re rough sleeping in Scotland, your life expectancy is 47 years for a man and if you’re a woman, this decreases to 43 years.
The family of Arthur Williams are therefore well aware of how much of a miracle it is, that despite living on the streets of Leith for almost 30 years, he somehow managed to defy these odds.
Next month he will be 83 and he is currently living out his days with dignity and respect and being lovingly looked after in a care home. However, it took years of support and interventions to eventually get him to this point.
It also took years of tolerance, kindness and generosity from countless local businesses and good hearted Leith locals to keep him safe and alive for all those years sleeping rough.
It is for this reason that the family of Arthur Williams, on his behalf, want to give something back to the community of Leith, to say thank you for the years of support from the everyday people and good Samaritans who showed him enormous kindness.
It is hoped that this mural by the incredibly talented local artist Shona Hardie will honour his legacy and bring some much needed cheer, in these dark days, to the people of Leith and to all who see it. We are delighted and extremely honoured that Shona Hardie was willing to be involved and are touched at how committed she was to making this happen.
In addition we are grateful to Vue Art who collaborated with Shona Hardie to incorporate the homeless/mental health signposting artwork on the utility box situated below the mural.
We also want to thank Casa Amiga for granting permission to site the mural on the side of their premises on the most aptly named street – ‘Arthur Street’.
Throughout his life on the streets, Arthur Williams was known to Social Services, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland and was supported by them and the local homeless charity Streetwork which is part of Simon Community Scotland.
It is hoped that this mural will serve as a reminder of the plight of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness and that the homeless/mental health signposting may be of use to anyone out there who needs it.
If you wish to make a donation to Streetwork, no matter how large or small, it will help make a difference through the work they deliver:
£1 pays for a warm drink a in safe place off the street
£5 pays for someone to have a hot shower and access to laundry.
£10 helps someone to become more employable – to find a route off the street.
£30 pays for a sleeping bag when all options for the night are exhausted.
£50 per month helps our outreach team reach and speak to vulnerable people on the street.
£150 provides ongoing support to someone in a situation of crisis, including access to health services.
We know that people can and do recover from homelessness. Individual support, linking people into the services they need and, above all, human kindness make a huge difference. Every day we are astounded by the resilience and tenacity of people to survive and find their way to a more positive future. Arthur Williams is a perfect example of this and embodies the motto of Leith – “Persevere”.
Jan Williamson, Assistant Director for Streetwork said, “We are so grateful to Arthur and his family for arranging this mural for the community of Leith, and for raising awareness of homelessness and mental health. The team at Streetwork were honoured to know Arthur and to have been part of his remarkable story, he is a real gentleman and a true Leith legend and this mural is a fitting tribute to him.”

Here's a link to the justgiving site set up by Arthur Williams' family.


----------------